Page 4 of My Princeling Brat (Tales from the Tarot #2)

Lord Vasil

The matter with the shifters was resolved rather quickly.

The minotaur refused my offer of compensation for the damages to his bar, and the commoner, Cedrych’s ex, demanded an apology–not from the prince but from the queen herself.

Something about Queen Gwyneth calling the lad a guildless, unremarkable bit of fae trash.

That had been an interesting exchange to say the least. The spirit of the commoner was admirable, and I could clearly see the attraction.

After the queen delivered a biting apology, the commoner demanded she renounce all claims to him or his offspring, which seemed unnecessary unless the fae was with child, something I intended to follow up with Cedrych about promptly.

It had occurred to me that Cedrych could bear children, for all fae had wombs, regardless of gender, an evolutionary adaptation to prevent their kind from going extinct.

If we were to marry, officially, I wouldn’t have to enter into an arrangement with another royal for the sole purpose of heirs.

But convenience was a poor criteria for choosing consorts, and the romantic in me wanted what my parents had–a loving partnership founded on mutual admiration, loyalty, and respect.

The queen and her retinue, along with Cedrych and myself, were now on our way back to Emrallt Valley, and the two of us would depart for my lands as soon as the sun dipped behind the mountains.

I’d instructed Cedrych’s valet to pack his trunks in our absence since the prince had done nothing to prepare for this journey.

In fact, Cedrych was still sulking, slouched across from me in the palanquin and staring out through a gap in the curtains while our fae attendants ferried us back to the castle.

As we were alone for the time being, I decided to address the matter at hand.

“So, the commoner,” I began.

“Skylar. What about him?” he said crossly. His eyes were red from rubbing his face or perhaps trying not to cry.

“First off, did you impregnate him?” I asked.

“No. He had a neutralizer implant, and it’s been too many moons since we…” He waved one hand for me to draw my own mathematical conclusion. “If he’s with child, it’s the minotaur’s. I’d bet my father’s lands on it.”

I nodded. From the sound of it, Cedrych had been in the role of giver at least some of the time.

I wondered if he preferred that pleasure or if he’d simply defaulted to it, due to his higher station and more masculine physique.

Perhaps there was some shame surrounding receiving?

Such prejudices still existed, even amongst the gender-fluid fae.

Would Cedrych be receptive to a man such as myself?

That was the question burning a hole through my brain, though I did not pursue it.

If we ever reached that level of intimacy, I’d discover the root of his desires myself.

“He’s very attractive,” I said, giving the fae commoner his due.

“He’s a good person too.”

I studied him closer. Not what I’d expected him to say. “And he ended it with you?” I probed.

Cedrych dragged one hand through his already tousled curls. “I messed up. I didn’t tell him about our betrothal. And he read the announcement in the daily scrolls. We fought about it, and he took off.”

“And you chased him down?” I asked, admiring the prince’s tenacity.

“I didn’t like the way we’d ended things, but then when I saw him, I just wanted him back.”

I was trying to remain open-minded. The prince and I were little more than strangers, even if I had laid claim to him.

My betrothal bite had meant something to me, but the same could not be said for the prince.

Regardless, this was my chance to gain insight into Cedrych’s innermost thoughts, and he seemed to be in the mood to share.

“What did you like about him, other than the obvious?” I asked.

Cedrych picked at the sword calluses on one hand and seemed to consider it.

“He was just… mine. I found him and I pursued him, and he wasn’t part of my mother’s backstabbing court or the gossiping guard.

Even my retinue couldn’t influence him, and because of that, my mother couldn’t manipulate me through him.

That was her main gripe, really. She said it was because he was guildless, but the real reason was because she couldn’t control him.

I tried to keep him separate from palace politics, but he ended up resenting me for it.

I knew our relationship had an expiration date, but I didn’t want to give him up. And he was good to me. He–”

Cedrych stopped there, forcing me to ask, “He what?”

The prince exhaled a long sigh and stared at me imploringly. “He listened.”

I’d already gathered that his mother and elder brother were fond of giving orders but were ill-equipped to handle Cedrych’s defiance. What would it take to channel that passionate spirit toward something more productive? Hadn’t I faltered when confronted with his rebellious streak myself?

“Did you feel as though you could control him?” I asked.

“In a way, yes. Not his mind, but his body. He would do anything I asked, and I mean, anything.”

He leveled his gaze at me, perhaps expecting me to be impressed by his sexual prowess or demand details.

I suspected Cedrych had only scratched the surface when it came to sexual gratification, but I wasn’t going to belittle him or offer any comment.

I recalled a few of the photographs I’d seen of Cedrych and his commoner in the daily scrolls.

It had always struck me as two boys acting out, Cedrych testing the boundaries of his princedom and provoking his mother for the thrill of it.

Perhaps there was some true affection there.

“Do you feel like you lack control of your life, Cedrych?” I asked.

He tensed as if just realizing how personal our conversation had become. The glare he gave me was hostile. “Why do you care?”

“I don’t wish to use this information against you, if that’s what you’re worried about. I simply desire to understand you better.”

“You’ll tell my mother,” he challenged.

“I won’t. I’ll keep everything you tell me in confidence.” I touched my heart to reassure him, but he only huffed out a bullish sigh.

“People have said that before, but they always bend to her will. She’s their sovereign.”

“But she’s not mine,” I reminded him. Generations ago, it may have been true, but the elvish had been granted full independence for their contribution to defeating the humans during the War of the Realms. The only reason my parents had been titled as lord and lady rather than king and queen was due to a draconian law that we’d yet to abolish because we didn’t want to sour our relationship with the fae.

As the reigning lord of the elvish, I had my own lands, my own loyal subjects, and an army to command, as well as the resources to wage war on the fae realm, if I must.

“Then she’ll bribe you for the information. She always gets her way,” Cedrych said, already defeated.

I nodded, realizing the degree of his mistrust, however justified. This sort of rapport would not happen overnight, but I could be patient. “Then how about you tell me only what you’d be comfortable with her knowing?”

He stared at me for a long moment, his suspicion evident, but at last he said, “Nothing is in my control at the palace, not since my father died. My entire life is run by my mother. I thought becoming captain of the royal guard would give me some standing of my own, but they report to her, not me, and she goes above my head so often that they don’t respect me as they should.

I feel as though I’m only play-acting at being a soldier and it’s… humiliating.”

The hand on his lap balled into a fist, and his brow was hooded and dark. He was putting up walls, so I merely nodded and said, “I see.”

“How could you?” he demanded. “As far as I can tell you’ve been in control of your own destiny for many, many years.”

It was true that when my parents died, I quickly assumed their duties, which displeased my vampyric relations greatly, namely my Aunt Catrin and cousin Sinclair, who’d had designs on absorbing my lands into their own by taking advantage of my parents’ sudden death.

It was why I still suspected them as the architects behind my parents’ assassination and had spies scattered throughout their realm to collect evidence, though none had been conclusive.

The betrayal was an ongoing feud between us and a constant headache besides.

“I had to grow up quickly,” I admitted, “but you’re right, I have had the privilege of being my own master for many years.

” The downside was a loneliness that felt at times like being swallowed by an endless abyss.

My sense of trust had been shattered by my parents’ poisoning.

To think that anyone at any moment in your inner circle could betray you like that was a disheartening thought indeed.

“You rule your kingdom with an iron fist. At least, that’s what my mother always says,” the prince remarked.

I couldn’t tell if it was admiration or criticism underlying his words.

“I’ve also been alone for a long time.” I didn’t keep a court, too worried about another attempt on my life, and I seldom joined Queen Gwyneth’s fae court because I couldn’t be away from my lands for a significant amount of time, lest a coup be orchestrated by one of the powerful trade guilds or my own kin.

I had a select group of advisers whom I mostly trusted, but even they couldn’t be considered friends.

“The truth is, I’m looking forward to having your company,” I admitted.

His blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You are?”

“Despite our antagonism, I feel as though you’re one of the few people I can trust. Unless your mother has arranged this betrothal so that you might murder me in my sleep?” The suspicion had crossed my mind once or twice.