Page 17 of His Dark Delights

As we neared the capital, the first golden fingers of sunlight reached into the sky, threading through the black dome and beating back the night.

Dawn rose higher, illuminating the gleaming peaks and massive size of the city, which far surpassed anything I could have imagined as a small village farm girl.

The stone gate loomed overhead. My breaths came in short, shallow, and sharp, matching the erratic rhythm of my heart.

Increasing daylight revealed bits of iron inlaid between the craggy surface of the barrier wall, and its presence sent a wave of revulsion through my stomach.

Only my human half made entering the city bearable .

No surprise the Elleslan capital had a towering wall fitted with iron guarding the border to keep out the fae.

I was only half, yet passing through the heavily guarded gate provoked a cold sweat on my brow and a rolling nausea in my gut.

The sensation eased but left me rattled as we entered the waking city.

Citizens were leaving their homes and going about their morning routines on every street from the lower rungs of the city where the working classes dwelt, bustling to their duties, all the way to the finer streets where noblemen and ladies in fine gowns ate breakfast on their balconies or in their neatly manicured gardens.

The flowers within the city whispered to me on the wind, crying out as humans improperly tended them.

They wanted the freedom to grow naturally, to dig their roots deep into the soil and thrive under the sunlight.

Here, mortals preened and manicured them in ways that shortened their lifespan and stole their natural freedom, making them miserable.

More than ever, I wanted to be home running through my wildflowers.

None of the citizens gave me or the knights more than a second glance as the horses clopped down the cobbled streets, passing the city subjects and carriages.

In fact, there were knights in midnight blue uniforms with crowned stag and crossed sword pins on their lapels, riding horseback on nearly every street.

Had Elleslan always protected itself so heavily against the fae, or was that the Butcher’s doing? Did the hatred between the two realms run deeper than I’d presumed?

My woe-begotten thoughts dashed to the ground when the rising sun illuminated the imposing castle at the heart of the city.

Fifteen towers of varying heights made of dark blue stone appeared to glitter in the morning light.

Each one tipped with spikes of iron pierced the sky, connected to one another by curved bridges and the resplendent sections of the palace that made up each wing and quarter.

Grand windows were scattered generously across the walls in symmetrical patterns, and mourning doves sang as they flew from the spires.

The soldiers escorting me rode through the colossal wooden doors of the inner walls’ open gate, rushing past citizens lined up to enter the palace.

Along the inner wall of battlements, guards in polished armor stood firm, gripping tall lances, watching the open skies, and the city subjects coming or going from the palace grounds.

Entranced by the sight of so many people, their clothes, the smells, their interactions, I didn’t notice when the knight behind me steered the horse away from the grand entrance and toward a side entrance, away from the other palace visitors until they vanished from view.

I blinked and found myself around the castle at a smaller door where merchants were delivering fresh produce, meats, cheeses, and wines to the kitchen staff.

Summoned by the king and ferreted into the palace in secret? What a grand welcome, indeed. If I weren’t on the verge of spiraling into a wave of panic, I might have scoffed.

The knight behind me leapt off the saddle. A young squire with an untamed mop of orange curls attending some nearby horses ran up when he noticed our arrival.

“Thank you, Frezzan. Alert the king’s secretary that we’ve returned,” the knight I finally recognized as Rhydan ordered. When he removed his helm, the young squire accepted it with a bow before darting off.

“His Majesty is listening to petitions now. He doesn’t need further distractions,” Gerald complained as he vaulted from his horse.

Rhydan pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling loudly. When he met Gerald’s eye, there was something wicked gleaming there. “You’ve done enough yourself. Leave. I’ve no more use for you for now.”

“Fine by me. I’ll go down to the brothel and have myself a pleasant drink.” Gerald raised his hands and tossed them down dismissively as he backed away.

The third knight grabbed the horses’ reins and helped the groomsmen corral them to the palace stables. Only when Gerald and the other soldier were out of sight did I manage a deep, lung filling breath of air.

A heavy hand landed on my shoulder. Immediate reflexes to flinch propelled me away from Rhydan and his sad smile.

“I am sorry for the rough treatment, my lady. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you inside.”

“I am no lady,” I retorted.

Rhydan shrugged, rolling his wide shoulders. “Whatever you are, you’re wanted inside.”

Whatever I am, I thought as I followed Rhydan through the door. If they knew what I was, they wouldn’t welcome me here. I was more likely to be cast out or murdered within the grand walls.

No matter what happened within the capital city or the palace, I vowed to keep the secret of my heritage safe. My very life depended on it .

Rhydan led me first through the kitchen back doors where palace staff were unloading and storing goods in a pantry as large as my cottage, then through a brightly lit kitchen where a substantial staff worked diligently to prepare meals for the day.

The heady aromas of toasted spices, caramelized onions, and roasted garlic flowed through my nose, giving rise to a longing pang within my empty stomach.

We marched through an endless maze of hallways.

If not for my inherent affinity for direction that always guided me to the sun, I might not have noticed Rhydan was leading me back toward the front entrance.

As soon as the thought occurred, a well-dressed, barrel-chested man swept around the next corner.

He moved so fast one of the massive tapestries hanging on the blue stone wall fluttered in the breeze he stirred up.

Red faced and practically steaming, the sweaty man stomped up to Rhydan.

“This is not the way to the king’s private study,” he seethed through his teeth. I noted that the top of his balding head matched the angry red shade of his cheeks.

Rhydan glanced at me from the corner of his eyes, then smirked. “Oh, I’m well aware of which way I’m going, Chamberlain.”

The Chamberlain pointed a stubby finger at me, and the many medallions pinned to his vest rattled. “You mean to parade her past the throne room?” he accused.

Rhydan straightened up, increasing the apparent height difference between them.

He crossed his arms and arched his brows.

“Who’s to say? But the longer you dawdle here, the more His Majesty’s subjects will ramble endlessly in his ear.

You should see to that.” His eyes darted down the hall and back, a silent instruction for the Chamberlain to turn around and leave him alone.

The Chamberlain huffed, shaking indignantly in his boots. His lips thinned into a line as he dismissively assessed me from my bare, dirty feet to my wind-blown hair. Without another word, he spun on his heel, returning to wherever he’d appeared from.

My escort took us in the same direction a moment later, and soon enough voices echoed off the walls.

We turned a few more corners until the palace burst with near blinding golden light.

The morning sun speared through the giant crystal windows of the enormous throne room.

That light perfectly haloed the dark outline of the mountainous blue stone throne embellished with swirling lines of gold.

The throne cast a long shadow down the stupendously cavernous, deep room and the vast gathering of subjects lined up to make their requests heard. The people didn’t matter, nor did the beautiful crystal lights or the giant columns holding up the immense arched ceilings.

No, I was riveted in place, feet frozen to the glossy marble floor by the vision of the man perched upon that royal seat. A surge of panicked delight rippled through my stomach to my core at the sight of him.

King Soren Carnifex had dressed in dark sapphire robes lined with gold trim. His face was clean shaven, and his hair was brushed away from his handsome features. And his careless sprawl across the throne was both commanding and gratingly annoying.

I couldn’t peel my eyes away. He had no idea of the effect he had on me, the bastard .

Rhydan finally noticed I’d stopped moving. He circled back around and carefully gripped my upper arm. He tugged gently, encouraging me to move my feet, but our presence in the darker corners of the hall didn’t go unnoticed.

Soren lifted his head from a merchant sharing a petition. Time stood to an utter halt as our eyes locked across the expanse of the never-ending room. Every drop of blood in my veins froze into shards of ice as recognition flickered in the king’s eyes. My breath hitched when he shot to his feet.

Hundreds of eyes turned, following the king’s line of sight. The grip on my shoulder tightened, hauling me further and faster away. Whispers rose through the crowd as they saw a dirty peasant girl being dragged through the palace by a knight.

Behind us, one voice rang deep and clear, bleeding through my bones with its dark warmth. “That’ll be all for today,” the king declared.

The Chamberlain’s voice piped up, but Rhydan dragged me away, making me unable to make out words as the citizens vocalized their complaints at being dismissed. After all, the day had only just begun and most of them wouldn’t be heard.

Guilt washed through me for that. Although it wasn’t my fault they brought me here, it was my presence that caused the disturbance.

Rhydan steered me up several flights of grand staircases and eventually deposited me in a large room before leaving me alone. I sucked in needed breaths of air as my eyes darted over the walls of books, exemplary tapestries, and the ornately carved wooden desk near the wall of windows .

My heart threatened to run away from me, so I forced myself to focus on the sapphire blue crushed velvet curtains pulled away from the window and the view of the Elleslan capital below.

I needed to stop and think. I needed to organize my thoughts and feelings.

If I didn’t get control of myself, I might burst and blow away in the wind like a cloud of dandelion seeds.

The door cracked open before I had the chance to calm myself. Nerves gripped me by the back of my neck, forcing me around to face the man sucking up all the light in the room.

“Lilly.” My name on Soren’s lips made my traitorous heart quiver. I sucked in a breath when he stepped forward. Yet he paused, features twisted viciously as his gaze raked over my face.

Rhydan followed the king back into the study. His eyes were wide, and he seemed to hold his breath as he waited.

His Majesty crossed the room, and my damned knees wobbled as if my body wanted to fall into his orbit. Internally, I leashed myself back when he lifted a hand, otherwise I might have leaned into his palm. His finger curled under my chin, lifting my face into the light.

“Who did this to you?” The question cracked through the room, frightening me enough to set my teeth on edge. His thumb delicately skimmed over my chin, and I involuntarily winced from a mild flash of stinging pain.

Rhydan cleared his throat, breaking the strained tension between me and the king. “It was Gerald, Your Majesty. He hit her in the head when she refused to comply. She fell unconscious and slept the entire way here.”

Soren glared over his shoulder, eyes narrowed as a shudder rolled through him. He dropped his hand from my face, and I sucked in a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“I will have his head for this. Send guards to collect Gerald immediately.” The king angled away from me, giving Rhydan his full, fuming attention.

“Have him publicly stripped of his rank and title, then put him in the fucking dungeon,” Soren gnashed through his teeth.

A maelstrom of feral dominance radiated off his broad form, leaving no room for questions.

“As you wish.” Rhydan sensed that aura as much as I did and simply bowed his head in subservience. The knight glanced at me with a twinkle of knowing in his eyes before departing the study.

Meanwhile, I inched away, trying to put as much distance as possible between me and the man who devastated my heart and life. He spun around when the back of my legs bumped into the desk, causing something to rattle on the surface.

The concern in his blue eyes, rife and wild as a storm unraveled something bound tight in my chest. It pulled me forward as some part of me yearned to ease the pinch of his brows and strain in his gaze. I shoved that secret voice down, deep down, where I ceased to hear it.

“I’m so sorry one of my men hurt you. They were under orders to bring you here and nothing more. Are you alright?” The king closed the distance in a few quick strides, then he raised a hand as though to touch my face again.

I wasn’t sure where the combative attitude stemmed from, but my arm shot out, batting his hand away in mid-air. “Don’t touch me, you bastard. You summoned me here against my will!”

Soren’s mouth dropped open, and his expression flared as if I’d slapped his face. Crestfallen and ragged, his hand dropped to his side and curled into a fist. “Lilly, I hope you understand why I had to see you again—”

“Well, I didn’t want to see you ever again!” Those words of venom spewed from my lips, poisoning me with the lie as much as they did him.