Page 42 of Kingdom of Briars and Roses (Cursed Fae Courts #1)

Chapter Forty-Two

Aurelia

B eryl’s hands moved deftly as she tightened the laces of my gown, her austere features set in concentration while she worked. Her demeanor was as cold and clinical as ever. I’d grown used to it in the past few days, but I couldn’t shake the sense that her unfriendly manner hid more than just a rigid personality.

I glanced at Vanya, who stood by silently. The dark circles beneath her eyes were finally beginning to fade, but she hadn’t been the same since her donation. Apparently, the building I’d burned had been one of three spread across the city. Vanya had reported to one of the two I’d left standing and paid her tax after all.

She met my eyes and nodded once before quickly looking away again. It was the confirmation I needed to know my message had been delivered. Now, I could only hope its recipients decided to accept my offer.

Beryl pulled again at the laces of my gown; this time so hard that I gasped. “I think that’s tight enough,” I croaked.

“The king wants everything perfect for the party, Your Highness. You’ll barely notice the snug fit once you’ve worn it for a few minutes,” Beryl said briskly, finishing with the final lace. “There. All done.”

I met her gaze in the mirror, forcing a smile that felt more like a grimace. One more night in a gown was worth it if it meant I was free of this place. “Thank you.”

Vanya gave me a pointed look as she stepped forward to adjust the folds of my gown. “Everything is ready,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

I gave her a small nod, my throat tightening with emotions I didn’t dare show. Studying my reflection, I had to admit the dress was beautiful—a deep green, embroidered with silver vines, that hugged my figure at the top then flowed out in a wide skirt at my waist.

I could barely feel the thick velvet against my skin, not with my thoughts swirling. Callan’s betrayal. Rydian’s midnight visit. The passage in my room, locked when I’d woken up this morning. And my single scrap of a plan already set in motion.

A knock sounded at the door, and my heart squeezed.

It was now or never.

I knew it was Callan even before the door opened. Turning to face him, I fought the urge to strike out at him. It wouldn’t do any good. Even if I ran for it, there were too many soldiers between me and freedom. Too many Autumn fae willing to drag me back to Duron and let him do whatever he wanted with me.

As if to prove it, I glimpsed Fletcher and a few other soldiers through the open door. Callan might’ve insisted on keeping up the illusion that I was here of my own free will, but it was a lie.

I was a prisoner.

And tonight, I was nothing more than a symbolic decoration on his arm. A tool to wield for his own gain.

A trophy, after all .

He entered expectantly, his gaze immediately locking onto me, and a smile—charming and practiced—spread across his lips. He looked every bit the prince tonight, his auburn hair swept back, his forest green tunic embroidered with gold thread that shimmered in the firelight.

His black eye had healed with no trace of injury.

“You look beautiful.” He took my hand and raised it to his lips, brushing a kiss over my knuckles. “I know the past few days haven’t been what we envisioned for our partnership, Aurelia. I hope that tonight we can start over.” His voice was as smooth as the silk of my gown. “That we can forget everything else and just… begin again.”

I stared at him, barely blinking.

Is he serious?

He thought we could wipe the slate clean, pretend he hadn’t betrayed me, used me? I didn’t answer, letting the silence stretch until it became uncomfortable.

Callan’s smile fell.

Whatever happened, I wasn’t going to let it be easy for them.

But then, behind him, I caught a glimpse of Rydian standing in the hallway with the others, his arms crossed, his expression as dark as ever. In another world, in a different life, Rydian and I would have had more than one night. But that was not the world we lived in.

He nodded at me as if urging me to play along.

Whatever harsh words I’d been about to unleash died on my lips. Instead, I smiled sweetly at Callan, as if nothing were wrong. “Of course,” I said, my voice light, airy. “We’re all adults here.”

Callan’s smile widened in relief, and I forced myself to focus. “Good,” he said, oblivious to the bitter taste those words had left in my mouth. “I want us to be unified in front of our allies. Tonight is important.”

I nodded. “Yes. Very important,” I murmured, my own agenda simmering beneath the surface.

Callan gave my hand one last squeeze before offering his arm. “Ready?”

I took his arm.

“I’m ready,” I said.

The ballroom shimmered, thanks to the chandeliers overhead. They reminded me of the lamplight party Sunspire threw every year for my birthday, which only made me think of my family—and home. Swallowing against the lump in my throat, I stopped beside Callan just outside the open doors, waiting to be announced, and my breath caught for a moment at the opulence of it all. Red roses and moonflowers—symbols of the Summer Court—twined in delicate clusters around glowing lanterns set as centerpieces on the tables scattered along the far edges of the room. The small nod to my home should’ve reassured me, but it only served to tighten the knot of anxiety in my chest. Because everywhere else I looked, there was only Autumn—opulently displayed.

Leaves the color of burnt orange and fiery gold wreathed the banquet tables. Vines made of gold crawled across the ceiling and down the walls. Alive somehow, despite the enchantments to make them gleam and glitter. Servers wore deep burgundy uniforms with crowns of ivy woven into their hair.

Duron wasn’t leaving any doubt that his power was greater than the enemy’s curse. Unfortunately, he’d all but killed his own people to do it.

My stomach roiled with the thought of how much magic he’d taken from them in order to make tonight possible.

Vanya’s, for one.

The idea that her magic had gone to turning freshly grown vines into gold fueled my rage. I tamped it down, reminding myself of the task at hand .

Tonight was a performance, and I was the star of the show.

As if on cue, our arrival was announced.

“His Highness, Prince Callan of Grey Oak, and his betrothed, Princess Aurelia of Sevanwinds.”

Every eye in the ballroom turned to stare.

Mostly at me.

I stiffened as the whispers began, but Callan seemed perfectly at ease under the scrutiny.

“You look breathtaking,” he whispered, taking my hand and raising it to his lips. His touch was warm, his expression smooth—too smooth. I caught the calculated glint in his golden eyes, and it ignited a familiar flicker of anger in my chest as I thought of a party very similar to this one seven years ago.

One that had ended in him deserting me to save himself.

Heliconia had ruined the night. Would she try it again?

“And you look like the perfect son,” I said with mock sweetness as he led us into the ballroom.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his brow twitch, but he said nothing. Instead, his grip on my hand tightened just enough to remind me what this was between us. I refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

Across the room, I spotted Rydian standing in the shadows, his dark eyes following my every move. I could practically feel his hands on me all over again. The way he’d made me writhe for him last night. The way he’d broken me apart and put me back together with his body.

My smile slipped as I caught his gaze for a moment. The storm clouds in his eyes hadn’t dimmed. If anything, they looked darker and more violent than ever. I should have been turned off by the possessiveness inside that storm. The way he honed in on how close Callan and I stood. Where our bodies brushed. Instead, it thrilled me. In that moment, it took every ounce of control I had not to cross the room and step right into his arms. Besides, there was more than a shared night in bed brewing behind that stormy look he wore. What was he planning?

“Care to rein in some of that darkness, my darling?” Callan’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I realized with a jolt that I’d let my power seep far too close to the surface.

Biting back a scowl, I reeled it back in, steadying myself for what was to come.

“Good girl.” Callan pressed his hand against the small of my back, guiding me toward the gathered guests.

I imagined cutting that hand off and shoving it up his ass.

Or casually mentioning to Rydian that Callan had done it. That probably made me evil, but something had shifted for me since last night. Or maybe it had changed the moment he’d dragged me into his kitchen and pinned me to his wall with his mouth. There were too many moments to know for sure. Maybe it had been a gradual slide. Maybe I’d fallen for him the night of the lamplight party. All I knew was, somewhere along the way, we’d stopped hating one another. Or I’d stopped caring that we did.

We moved together through the ballroom, Callan exchanging pleasantries with other court members while pretending this was the happiest day of his life. But I couldn’t help noticing none of the other courts had come. As the night wore on, I sensed Callan’s uneasiness at their absence. I wanted to be smug—but their refusal to show meant my chances of gaining their aid were basically zero.

When Duron finally arrived, Callan slipped away to speak with him, finally leaving me alone. I exhaled, relieved to have a moment to myself even if it happened to be in the center of a crowded ballroom.

“Princess Aurelia,” a lilting voice greeted me .

I turned and found a stranger extending his hand. He wore the burnt bronze colors of Autumn, and the scent rolling off him was distinctly animal. Shifter then. But his green eyes sparkled with intrigue as he took my hand, his touch cool.

The moment our hands met, the glamour surrounding him dropped away. Before me stood a fae male, tall and graceful, his long golden hair cascading down his back. My surprise must have registered at the sudden reveal because he grinned, clearly entertained.

“A necessary trick tonight,” he said simply.

“Have we met?” I asked, struggling to place his familiar face.

“Many years ago. I’m Talthis. Emissary to the king and queen of Lightshore.”

“Of course. You visited Sevanwinds the year before—” I couldn’t finish and instead said, “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Lightshore sends its regards to its neighbors,” he said smoothly.

Spring, the court of eternal first blooms and last frosts. Neighbors felt accurate. Once, our kingdoms were even friends, in fact. But somewhere along the way, that had changed. And now, beneath his pleasant smile, there was something sharp enough to remind me that friendship wasn’t something I could count on.

“Have you spoken to Callan or Duron?” I asked. “They’ll be glad to know their invitation was answered.”

“I haven’t decided whether to do so.” His gaze swept over me. “We all thought you were lost, Princess,” he said quietly, his voice tinged with disbelief. “But it seems the Summer Court has managed to thwart Heliconia after all.”

Just the sound of her name spoken aloud bothered me more than I wanted to admit. And I didn’t dare tell him the rest of my kingdom still slept beneath Heliconia’s magical grip .

“For seven years, I was lost,” I admit quietly. “And now that I’ve returned, I want only to pay her back for what she took.”

“You surprise us all by allying yourself with Autumn.”

“And you disappoint me by not allying with anyone. Heliconia will come for us all. Alone, we suffer. Together, we stand a chance of defeating her.”

His brow rose. “Is that what the Autumn king tells you? That Lightshore has no allies?”

My confusion was clear, but his gaze only sharpened as if it told him what he’d wanted to know.

“Duron is the one with no allies, Princess. Lightshore has friends willing to do what Duron will not.”

Hope lifted inside me. “And what is that?”

He looked up to where the king stood, speaking with his advisors. It was clear from their flushed cheeks and the goblets they held that they were well on their way to inebriated. “We would put our people before all else,” Talthis murmured. “Including our own ego.”

When he looked back at me, I realized the truth with a jolt. “You know,” I said. “You know what he’s doing here—to his own people—and you do nothing to stop it?”

“We have our own kingdom’s fate to worry about,” Talthis said, eyes flashing at my accusation.

Yes, whatever friendship there might’ve been between our peoples before was long gone now.

“I don’t believe we should have to choose between the two,” I said coldly.

“Your naivete is endearing. But your father knew better.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Princess,” someone called in a sing-song voice.

I glanced over to see a female headed our way, complete with an entourage at her heels. Talthis turned back to me, but his glamour had returned. It was clear I wasn’t going to get an answer to my question—not now.

The fae emissary’s expression softened, though his eyes remained unreadable. “I am glad you survived, Princess. We shall see how long you can keep that up,” he murmured, bowing low before disappearing into the crowd.