Page 5 of Straw and Gold (A Realm of Revelry #2)

Morella

Korven kissed my cheek one last time and reminded me of my promise before I shifted and flew off to the castle gate.

I soared up to the few clouds in the sky, my golden feathers glinting in the last sliver of sun.

In my Ravenfae form, my feathers were tipped in shimmering gold—a contrast to Korven's pure raven black and our Ravenfae Goddess mother’s—which were tipped in silver.

But when I shifted, I became a golden raven entirely, which had always seemed odd since for my mother it was not so. She and Korven looked almost identical as ravens, and I stuck out like a glinting piece of jewelry in any sky.

My future husband was a Forestfae, contrary to the Changelingfae he ruled over in the Citrine Cliffs. I wondered what the story was there.

Actually, I was obsessed with someday discovering what the story was.

I’d spoken to Fiola about it before. She was the Forestfae Goddess who ruled over Moonstone Wood and raised Seraphine.

All I’d gotten from the exchange was a a hefty harumph and mumble about his unusually great power to change one thing into another.

Whatever mysteries I had yet to discover about my royal husband, I was dying to know them. I was dying to know everything about him.

What did he look like?

What were his hobbies?

Did he care for his subjects?

Did he have a favorite nut?

Was he a good kisser?

These questions and many more had been wandering through my mind on occasion for the last thirteen years.

I was naturally very curious about my betrothed and even more so ready to get him to like me.

Hopefully fall in love with me so that I could convince him to change Seraphine, and then we could really begin our lives together.

As the castle gates neared, I descended, shifting back to Ravenfae and startling the three guards on duty.

“Hello!” I greeted them cheerfully. “I am Princess Morella, Ravenfae of the Brackish Wood!”

All I received were blinks and gaped mouths.

Finally, one of them bowed, clearing his throat and replying, “Of course, Your Highness! I’m sorry, we were startled by the…the…”

“Shift,” another replied, unlocking the gate and allowing my entrance.

I chewed my upper lip before internally scolding myself for doing so and possibly smearing the dark red lip stain. “My apologies for startling you, uh, good sirs. Please direct me toward the castle doors so that I may attend my own wedding.”

The last one chuckled, followed by an elbow to the ribs.

“It is us who apologize, Your Highness. You see, we expected you to arrive in a carriage and expected you to be wearing…”

“White?” I suggested.

“Well, yes. And again, I apologize, but we’ve never seen a Ravenfae and you-your wings…”

“Are gold?” I provided.

“Yes, yes, so sorry.”

I tilted my head, studying them further.

Each guard was draped in a deep blue with golden swirls embroidered on their jackets.

Swords draped at their hips and each sported long hair tied back at the top of their heads.

The most surprising thing was that each of them had one eye of blue and one of gold.

“Are you…” I started, stepping back to take a better look. “Are you brothers?”

The youngest seeming one piped up again. “Yes! Good eye, my queen!”

He was jostled again in the ribs.

The oldest spoke up. “Please allow me to introduce myself and my brothers.” He pointed to himself and bowed.

“I am Tairyn, second to Captain Fedir.” He gestured to the next one.

“This is Zarif, and this is Cordyn. We have been tasked by his Royal Highness King Killian of the Citrine Cliffs to escort you and your belongings into the castle so that you may settle before the ceremony begins in one hour.”

I nodded slowly, taking in their names and doing what I could to commit them to memory. “My trunk is on its way to the castle. I didn’t want to wait for it to get here before I arrived.”

The man I knew was Tairyn led the way toward the castle doors while his brothers continued guarding the gates, bowing ridiculously low as I left.

I surveyed the structure as he led me through a well kept courtyard.

The last blooms of summer struggled to stay on their vines and the wide trees hinted at autumn with their orange tipped leaves.

The castle was long and rectangular, each end sporting a tall circular tower with a pointed pinnacle.

The stone was gray, but each tower top glimmered in a coppery shimmer.

“These are beautiful grounds,” I commented.

Tairyn nodded, adding, “His majesty takes great pride in employing many of his subjects at the castle. There are twenty gardeners who I will pass along your compliments to, princess.”

“Please do!” I squealed. This was happening. This was really happening .

“Oh!” he exclaimed as we came to enormous, wide-open copper doors. “His Majesty has sent Captain Fedir to guide you to your rooms. I will leave you, princess.”

I gave my thanks and stepped into the castle, my hands clasped in front of me with a wide grin and wide eyes as I surveyed the elegant foyer.

Brilliant flourishes of gold overlaid the woodwork of the doors and stairs.

Gold was even inlaid into the wooden floor.

I spun around in awe, admiring my new home.

“Princess Morella?” A man stepped casually from beside the door.

I gasped, clutching my chest. “Yes?”

He stepped forward. “You’re Princess Morella?” He glanced over my wings and red gown, stopping at my honey gold eyes. “Morella, Ravenfae Princess of the Brackish Wood?”

Confused at his insistent questioning, I answered yes again.

A hefty, stuttering laugh escaped his chest. Followed by another. And another until his hands pressed to his knees and he wheezed in fits.

Awkwardly, I peeked out the doors, sure that Tairyn had been mistaken.

“I’m so sorry, Your Highness,” he wheezed, struggling to recover.

“I don’t understand,” I stated, irritation rearing its head. “Have I done something funny?”

“No, no.” He waved a hand, rising to his full height. “You’ve done nothing.” He wiped his eyes. “I just owe someone a very large sum of marks.”

“Oh,” I murmured, taking him in as he regained his composure.

Not quite as tall as my brother, he was built similarly so with strong arms and a lithe body.

His dark skin paired handsomely with his low-cut curls, but the most surprising of his features was that his fingers ended in golden skin.

Not a tanned gold like Seraphine when she’d been out collecting Moonstone in the summer, but actual shimmering gold.

He caught me staring, and held them out in front of his body for me to get a better look. “Have you ever seen a Changlingfae, Your Highness?”

I shook my head.

“Well, it just so happens, I’ve never seen a Ravenfae.

So please,”—he bowed deeply, sweeping his hand out in front of his chest— “allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Fedir, Captain of the Guard to his Majesty, King Killian of the Citrine Cliffs.” He rose, taking my hand and planting a light kiss on my knuckles.

“It is a pleasure and my honor to meet you, Princess Morella. I look forward to serving as your Captain as well.”

I took my hand from his and inclined my head. “A pleasure.” I turned, once again admiring the castle. “May I ask you something, Captain?”

He bowed once more. “Of course, Your Highness.”

I took a deep breath. “Will the king react as you did when he sees me?”

His brows shot up and his smile grew. “Uh, no.” He cleared his throat. “No, there’s no possibility of that, princess.”

“If I am offensive in my presentation of myself, please?—”

“Princess Morella, he will gut me three times through if he ever hears word of my initial, rather rude reaction to meeting you for the first time, so it is I who ask you to save my life and never speak of it to him.” He cleared his throat again, offering his hand to shake.

“It is my own idiocy that has made you doubt your appearance. You are a stunning woman, and I, as you will soon discover, am a blundering fool.”

I took his hand, nodding. “I believe you.”

He chuckled. “Please allow me to escort you to your rooms where you can freshen up before the ceremony.”

I agreed and he turned to the long stone staircase lined in a rich burgundy carpet. My nerves were finally getting to me as I silently followed. He pointed out the many paintings and corridors, mentioning something about each tower, and referring to the long hall we walked as the Royal Wing.

I half listened, second guessing my choice of gown.

But Seraphine had promised my future husband could find no fault in the drape or color.

Surely the captain had not laughed at my wings…

those they would be expecting. And by the amount of gold in the castle, I doubted the shimmer of my feathers had put him off.

I straightened my spine and took a deep breath. Don’t lose focus, Morella.

“And these are your quarters, Your Highness,” Fedir said, interrupting my attempts to regain my confidence.

I half-listened and stepped inside a beautiful room draped in pale blues and, as was the castle theme, golden accents. Our marriage bed was large and well-stocked with soft blankets and pillows. I peeked into the bathing chamber to find a copper tub and more modern accommodations.

“This is a lovely room,” I said, feeling refreshed.

“His Majesty will be relieved to hear you say so. He ensured it would have all the comforts a queen could want.”

“He is very kind to do so,” I remarked.

“I will leave you to freshen up, Your Highness, and come to retrieve you for the ceremony at a quarter past. When your trunk arrives, it will be brought here.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

“Please, call me Fedir, if you’d like.”

I nodded and closed the door behind him as he left.

Alone in our room, I wondered at the lack of personal items from the king. I saw no evidence he lived here at all and I certainly looked. I even peeked under the bed for shoes, or forgotten books, or old swords—anything that would hint at my husband’s hobbies or personality.

Figuring this was a room he had furnished as a new start for us both, I sat at the dressing table and tucked the flyaway hairs back into my braided bun. I dabbed at my lips, smoothing out the dark red stain and inhaled deeply.

“This is it, Morella,” I told my reflection. “Wife, Queen, Lover, and Seraphine’s Only Hope.” My stomach churned and I took another deep breath, shaking my head. “It will all turn out,” I encouraged. “You’ve wanted this for so, so long.” I gulped and smiled at myself. “Take it. It’s yours.”

Soon, a soft knock came to the door and when I opened it, Fedir was back, this time dressed in a formal jacket. Two servants brought my trunk into the room and Fedir offered his arm for me to take.

On the arm of the Captain of the Royal Guard, I headed downstairs to the throne room to marry the man I’d been betrothed to for almost half of my life.