Page 36 of Kingdom of Briars and Roses (Cursed Fae Courts #1)

Chapter Thirty-Six

Aurelia

I woke to the sound of light footsteps shuffling across the room. My heart leaped into my throat, and I sat up, blinking against the watery dawn streaming through the tall windows. My mind was hazy with exhaustion after such a late night, but the sight of a stranger sharpened me. A woman stood near the window, her head bent as she rearranged a breakfast tray on the small table.

“Good morning, Your Highness,” she said in a crisp, unfamiliar voice. “Your breakfast is served though we don’t have much time.”

My breath caught, and for a moment, I panicked that something had gone horribly wrong. Where was Vanya? She was always here, always fussing over me, making sure my morning tea was the perfect temperature. This woman had dark hair tied back in a severe knot, her frame tall and sharply angled. She looked up, her expression set into a tight mask.

It took me a moment to find my voice. “Who are you?”

“I’m Beryl, your new maid,” she said, stepping closer and offering a polite bow.

“Where is Vanya? ”

“Vanya is running an errand today.”

My chest tightened, the remnants of sleep vanishing in an instant. The donation center. I swallowed against the sickening knot in my throat.

Beryl watched me with a steady, almost clinical gaze. “The king has ordered that you meet with him after breakfast. You don’t have much time if you want to eat before getting dressed.”

Panic shot through me. “What sort of meeting?”

“That’s not my business, Your Highness.”

“Right,” I muttered.

There were only a handful of reasons the king might want to see me and none of them good. Even if he hadn’t heard about my argument with Callan, it wasn’t hard to guess he was getting tired of waiting for what he wanted from me.

I ignored the food, my nerves taut as I allowed Beryl to help me dress. She chose one of my fanciest new gowns, and I didn’t argue. If there was any way to impress him without the magic he so desperately wanted, I had to try.

Maybe looking the part would help—an illusion rather than the real thing.

You are the real thing , the shadows inside me whispered. But I wasn’t Summer fae. So, I shoved them down again, and they shut up.

I half-expected to find Rydian or even Callan waiting for me when I emerged from my room, but the hall was empty.

“This way.” Beryl led the way, stiff-backed and silent except for the clicking of her shoes.

I swallowed hard and followed her through the castle.

A set of grand doors loomed ahead of me, the golden trim gleaming in the sunlight that streamed through the large windows. Guards stood on either side of the open doors, their hands resting casually on their swords. They didn’t make eye contact as Beryl paused before them .

“Her Highness, Aurelia of Sevanwinds, for the king,” Beryl informed them.

“Enter,” one of them grunted.

Beryl stepped back and motioned for me to proceed.

My stomach twisted with a mixture of dread and determination.

Last night, I’d returned to my room mostly due to a lack of other options. If I’d gone anywhere else, Rydian would’ve followed, and despite his loathing for Callan, I wasn’t sure he wouldn’t report everything I did back to the king. Especially if whatever blood vow Callan had mentioned really existed. Instead, I’d lit a candle, shut the curtains, and done my best to go inward—to the quiet place between worlds, as Sonoma had taught me. The way of the Aine, she’d called it.

A quieting of the mind that had once led to a direct connection with the Fates. It had been so long since anything waited on the other side that I’d stopped the practice.

Last night was the first time I’d tried it in years.

I’d gotten no answer.

Not from the Fates and not from Sonoma. It had been stupid to hope for either one. A flimsier plan than even Callan’s.

I was on my own. So, I’d made the most of it. An effort that had lasted long into the night. But it had been worth it.

The guard at the door grunted at me, a sign I had taken too long. With a deep breath, I walked inside, straightening my shoulders as I went.

The large throne room was draped in shadows, despite the late afternoon sun filtering in through tall windows. The king stood by a table, his back to me, studying a map of the fae realms spread across its surface.

I faltered at the sight of it—so familiar. The memory washed over me like a tidal wave. My father and mother poring over a map nearly identical to this one. Planning, strategizing, trying to come up with a way to stop Heliconia.

It hadn’t worked then.

I could only hope it would work now, though after hearing Callan’s plans last night, I wasn’t confident.

Besides, there were marked differences between my memory and this moment. Duron was dressed in full regalia, from the crown on his balding head to the gold-embroidered robes that stretched over his gut. Like he never wanted anyone to forget who and what he was, even in his most private meetings.

Three other fae males were gathered on the opposite side of the table. The same advisors I’d seen in Callan’s study. Two of them stood and peered over the maps. The third sat in a chair pushed back from the table, his legs crossed, a mug held casually in one hand.

At the sight of me approaching, they all looked up. Duron’s golden crown caught the light, and I had the distinct impression he’d chosen exactly that place to stand for that reason.

Like father, like son , I thought with disgust.

“Princess,” he said. His voice, usually so calm and composed, held a sharp edge today. “Come in.”

I did as he commanded, my steps careful and measured across the stone floor. The door shut behind me with a soft thud, sealing me in the room.

Trapped.

“You wanted to see me, Your Majesty?” I kept my tone formal, neutral, though it took every bit of my self-control not to let the tension seep into my voice.

For a moment, he said nothing, just studied me. A predator sizing up its prey. “As you know, your alliance with my son was based on certain… agreements between you.”

“That’s true.” My heartbeat quickened .

“My son, without consulting me, offered you resources to solve the Summer Court’s current predicament.”

His vague wording, the way it removed the emotion and horror, irritated me. But I nodded. “He did.”

“And yet you have no army to provide in return for his generous offer.”

I stiffened. “Not until the curse is lifted.”

“If it can be lifted,” he corrected.

My hands curled into fists. I forced them open again.

“Not only has my son put our resources at your disposal, but he has provided a kingdom and a home when you had none.” His words were designed to stab, but I didn’t let them. Not when they were all watching me closely to see what barbs hit their mark.

“He has been a male of his word,” I said. “Honoring the terms of our marriage alliance of seven years ago.”

“Generous when you have not honored yours.”

“My army is indisposed,” I said tightly. “A situation I made clear from the beginning.”

“Be that as it may, an alliance requires an offering on both sides.” The king’s gaze sharpened. “The Summer fae are known for their connection to the land. A bottomless magic that flows from the Fates themselves and renews the earth from one life cycle to the next.”

My entire body tensed at his words—at all the ones he wasn’t saying yet but soon would. “The Summer fae were very lucky to have such a connection,” I said carefully.

He frowned, clearly noting my use of past tense. The other three males shared looks of concern.

“That connection is your gift to this alliance,” Duron said. “Before you take your vows with my son, I need to see it.”

My heart kicked harder against my ribs. “See what?”

“Don’t play coy, Princess,” he said, stepping closer. “Your magic. I need to see what kind of power you possess if I’m to continue offering resources.”

“I am sorry to disappoint you, Your Majesty, but my magic was lost to the curse seven years ago.” I kept my voice steady, though it felt like it was taking every ounce of my strength just to breathe. “I’m afraid I no longer possess what you’re asking for.”

The king’s jaw tightened, his eyes hardening as he took another step forward. “That’s not what my soldiers tell me.”

Fuck.

The soldiers who’d seen me battle the Obsidian. And drink its life force as it died.

My pulse quickened. “I’m not sure what your soldiers think they saw, but I can assure you I do not possess the magic?—”

“A donation center burned to the ground last night. Witnesses say a lone figure razed the entire structure with a fire the color of midnight.”

I stilled. “I’m not sure what that has to do with me.”

“My soldiers say that figure had hair the color of summer sunshine. And eyes of cobalt blue. They say that figure was you.”

“Your soldiers are mistaken.”

“Are you calling my soldiers liars?”

“No,” I said. “Only that they might’ve been mistaken in the chaos.”

His voice dropped low. “My son says you are more powerful than any fae he’s ever seen. Do you call him a liar too?”

I blinked.

Callan.

He’d sold me out. Of course he had. Holding back would’ve meant going against his father. It would’ve meant having a backbone of his own, which he clearly didn’t .

“You’ve been here for a week, and I’ve seen nothing. No display of power. No sign that you are the heir this realm needs. Until suddenly one of my donation centers burns to ash. And now you expect me to pour more resources into Sevanwinds without something in return?”

The heir this realm needs.

I stared at him, unsure if those words meant what I thought they did. He couldn’t know about the prophecy…could he? And if he did, that meant he knew exactly what sort of magic he was asking me to hand over to imbue his weapon.

The room blurred at the edges.

All that remained in focus was the king—his eyes gleaming with triumph.

Seeing that light in his eyes, the cruelty that lay beneath it, made me think of Vanya. Of the fae on the other side of the city currently draining their magic for a king who couldn’t care less about their wellbeing. A man who valued the illusion of power more than he did actual strategy.

Heliconia would eat him alive.

I wouldn’t let him do the same to me.

“I don’t owe you anything,” I snapped before I could stop myself, anger flaring in my chest. “I offered my allegiance so that we might fight together, side by side. But I’m not a trophy on a shelf.”

His eyes narrowed dangerously. “I’ve been generous, Aurelia,” he said softly. Too softly. “But my generosity has its limits. And so does my patience.”

The threat was there, coiled between his words, ready to strike. I clenched my hands into fists, nails biting into my palms as I tried to steady my breathing.

“I’ve told you, I’m unable to access my magic,” I managed, hating how small my voice sounded compared to his. But it was necessary.

“I suggest you figure it out,” he said, his voice hard as steel. “Because if you don’t, I won’t be able to protect your people. And neither will you.”

I swallowed the lump rising in my throat. But I refused to cower.

The king watched me for a long moment, and I could see the calculation in his eyes, weighing whether to press harder, to push me until I broke.

Finally, he stepped back, though the tension in the air didn’t lift.

“Think it over,” he said, turning away from me and returning to the map on the table. “We’ll speak again after the wedding is done. I’m happy to do whatever it takes to access the magic you think you’ve lost.”

I turned and left the room as quickly as I dared, feeling their eyes on my back the entire time.