The HeartStone Path

The HeartStone Path cont.

CHAPTER 7

The next morning, I woke up in the middle of all of the pillows, frustrated because I couldn’t reach the opening in the darkness and had been ripped away from it again.  Half asleep, I looked around, trying to figure out where I was for a moment, at the colors and the smaller version of Kai asleep on a pillow next to me.

Oh, right. Vahl’strael.  Why hadn’t anyone woken me up yet?

I stretched and took my time getting out of bed.  It was well past dawn, and no one had bothered to knock on my door.  I laughed to myself.  I had actually slept in for the first time in my life and it felt absolutely amazing.

I tried out the shower in the bathroom and instantly decided that I preferred it to the bath.  The bathtub sat in the middle of the floor, half sunken in to the floor, with a ledge built all the way around it.  I would soak one of the evenings when I wasn’t in such a hurry.

Since I had the day to myself, I wanted to make it up to one of the towers and talk to the Yova.  My head was swimming with questions as I laid out pants, shirt, bodice and boots for the day.  If I was going to talk one of them in to a flight, I certainly wasn’t going to do that in a dress.

I was still wrapped in a robe when a maid knocked on my door with a breakfast tray.  Apparently, if I didn’t show my face by a certain time down in one of the dining halls, my meals would be brought up to my room.  Interesting.

Even as I settled down to eat a little bit, my sisters still didn’t appear in my suite.  I didn’t have a ward set because I didn’t want to draw attention to myself, so they could have walked in whenever they wanted.  I was considering going to go look for them to tell them where I was going when Aine exploded in to my room.

“Oh, Gods, Mor, you need to actually get dressed for court.  Now!” she said breathlessly.

“What?  Why?” I grumbled over the pastry in my mouth.

“Prince Aerron is here.  He arrived a few moments ago with his sworn.  A day ahead of his father,” she explained, leaning her head out in the hallway before ducking back in and closing my door.

I rolled my eyes and cursed the Fae King rather colorfully.  Enough that it made Aine blush.  “I am going up to one of the towers this morning, Aine.  You know I want to know about the gryphons.”  Among other things.

“I really hope you learn how to control that mouth, Mor,” she pouted.  “And you don’t have time for that.  They are just gryphons.”

“I will when I have to,” I shrugged.  “And they are not just gryphons to me.”

“You know he’s not coming here only for the Conclave,” she warned me.  “And yes, they are.”

“I know.  I saw it after the Rites.  The Conclave is an excuse for him to be where we are.  I want to know what the Prince’s reason is for arriving early, though,” I said as I made my way to the closet.  “The gryphons, the Yova Tribes, it’s important to me, Aine.”

“You can’t go anywhere near him,” she said needlessly.  I already knew that I needed to keep my distance from the Fae Prince, but I had a feeling that it was going to be difficult to do so.

“I can’t hide in my rooms the entire time, either, Aine.  What are you doing?”

She leaned back in to the room.  “The Prince was heading for your rooms.  Rhiannon stayed with him to try to slow him down.  I came up here to warn you and make sure you were dressed.”

I rolled my eyes.  “Where is Tristan?”

“I can’t call for him to be here.  I can’t even call for Rafe.  Even if I could, they are out with the Princes in the mountains this morning.  Oh, Tristan left this for you,” she said, handing me a note from her pocket.  “Rafe gave it to me before they left this morning.  The gryphons, the difference is simple.  Mountain gryphons are the body of a wolf and head and wings of a snow eagle.  The plains gryphons are the body of a lion and wings and head of a firehawk.  Or arrow lark.  Depending.”

“Aine.  Seriously,” I groaned, “I know the basics.  I have my own questions for the Yova.”

“Yes, well, you won’t get to ask them this morning,” she said tartly.

I pocketed the note and finished pulling on the dress I had chosen.  At least Tristan was out in the mountains.  Aine smiled happily at me when she noticed that I was tying on a dress that she had made for me.  She closed the door quietly when I asked for help finishing that ties.

“And here I thought you were going to be fully armed when you saw him again,” she said.

“Who says I’m not,” I whispered.  “Is he alone?”

“As far as I can tell,” she said, looking out into the hall again.  “I can’t see his sworn, but he’s almost here.  Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

Prince Aerron strode in through the open door with Rhiannon on his heels.  I was surprised to see Rhiannon already dressed for the day in a deep blue dress that showed off her figure.  It was in the court fashion, like Aine’s dress.  Either Aine had been busy or the dresses were gifts from the Princess.  How did he make it up to my room without Boudicca noticing?

“Mor, I am so sorry,” he started, “I couldn’t slow him down.  I tried to get him to wait until the other kingdoms arrived.  He’s not exactly reasonable.”

I wanted to know when and why he had decided to use my nickname.  Until just days before, I had only been ‘acolyte’ or ‘girl’.  I could count the number of times he had said my name on one hand.  “I don’t know what you mean,” I said innocently.

My sisters had taken up places by the table and had purposely left the double doors wide open so anyone in the hallway could hear every snippet of conversation that was happening in my room.  I could have kissed them for it.

He glared down at me.  “Yes, you do.  I can’t control my father.  I used up my last favor with him for my sister.”

“You what?” I whispered.

“Nothing.  It’s nothing,” he said, shaking his head.  “He claims he has written proof from an archive that says members of the Order, any member of the sects, are allowed to marry either their own Tuillaryn or another compatible mate.  No one has seen it, though.  I can only assume he is bringing it with him to taunt Boudicca in to something.”

“Taunt me in to what,” Boudicca said flatly from the doorway.

“I believe he is going to push for our marriage,” he said, not looking away from me.

“And I will flat refuse,” Boudicca said.  The Princess had arrived behind her and followed her in to the room.  “She is my lady and, as such, she must obtain my permission to marry.  And I refuse.”

Prince Aerron didn’t look away from me.  “That won’t hold him off for long.”

“Of course, it will,” Rhiannon said.  “He can’t push the matter without exposing all of us and the Order itself.  He would lose his seat on the Council of Races.  For a man who covets power, I don’t see him doing something like that.”

“Precisely,” Princess Vendora said.  “Even if he does, I will speak to my father.  I will not have a Ranger sold of like cattle to be chained to a kingdom’s borders.”

“What do you mean, ‘chained to its borders’,” Rhiannon asked slowly.

The Princess glared at Prince Aerron.  “You didn’t tell them?”

“I haven’t had time.  I didn’t think it would get this far.  As her Tuillaryn, I could have saved her from that,” he said sadly.  “But I was interrupted before I could explain everything to her.”

“For good reason,” Boudicca said angrily.

“Well, somebody better explain everything.  Now,” I ground out.  My power was pushing hard against my will to contain it.  I could feel it prowling along my bones, looking for an outlet.  There was a pressure against my mind, but I pushed it away.  I couldn’t deal with anything else in that moment.

The Princess gave the Fae Prince a hard look.  He sighed heavily and turned back to me.  I stepped out of his reach when he moved to take hold of my hands.  A muscle in his jaw twitched at the rejection.

“A Fae Queen is restricted to our borders.  Her power is part of what gives our borders, our land, its strength,” he said quietly.  He didn’t take his eyes off of my face as he watched for my reaction.

“So, I would be some kind of magical…generator?” I said, my voice rising.

He flinched again.  “I’m not going to lie, Mor, I do want…” he said, reaching for me again.

“That is enough,” Boudicca said sharply, cutting him off.

Aine coughed to cover up her gasp and Rhiannon spit out her mouthful of coffee.  I wanted to crawl back under my blankets and start the day over again.  This had to be a horrible dream.  A nightmare, even.  I should have woken up earlier and left for the mountains.  I would have seen the Prince coming and been able to avoid him.  I could have made sure I was with Tristan when I did see him again.  But, then, would he have warned me about what his father was up to?  Why was he warning me?

“I will not be a slave,” I said quietly.

“I wouldn’t let you be a slave,” he said, a touch of desperation in his voice.

“I would be chained to your kingdom,” I yelled.

“What is going on,” whispered an angry voice in my head.

I froze for a moment.  I recognized the feel of that presence against my mind and the voice.  Rather than draw attention to a possible issue, I turned away towards the bedroom.  I needed to calm the volatile power that I could feel rising inside of me and to make sure that my emotions weren’t written all over my face.

“How,” I pushed at the intrusion.

“It’s our bond, Mor.  I can hear everything, if I choose.  You could, too, if you paid attention.  I have been trying to reach you since the Rites.  Didn’t you read the note?” Tristan answered.

“I’m paying attention now,” I snapped.

“Finally.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m on my way back with the Princes.  Why is that faerie in your room?”

I spun around to look at the Fae Prince who was standing in front of the fireplace, his hands braced on the mantle.  My sisters were standing with the Princess by the door, talking about the Fae laws that Prince Aerron had kept to himself until a few moments ago.

“He came to warn me…us…about his father.  Apparently, his father wants to add my power to his clan.”

“More like chain your power to his kingdom.  Over my dead body.”

Did everyone know about these laws?  “I’m sure the King would find those terms acceptable.”

“Not f*****g happening.”

“I don’t think we will be given a choice.”

“Get him out of your rooms.  I will be there shortly.”

“And if I can’t get him to leave?”

“Boudicca can’t stop me this time.”

“Tristan, no.  It isn’t worth it.”

“Oh, yes, it is.  Get him out.”

“Your Grace,” I said as sweetly as I could, “I don’t think there is anything for us to talk about.  I am a Ranger.  I am sworn to the Order of Ebon Lys and to my Tuillaryn.”

“That’s my girl.”

Some ridiculous part of me was overly happy at the pride in that voice.  I fought to keep my face neutral, though. 

“She is also my lady,” Boudicca said harshly.  “As far as anyone here knows, that is the only authority that your father must recognize.  He cannot force a member of another court to do anything without starting a war.”

“He won’t stop, Mor,” the Prince said pleadingly.  I almost felt sorry for him.

“And neither will you, I’m guessing,” Rhiannon shot at him. 

He shook his head and finally looked up at me.  Gods, he was a beautiful man.  “I won’t.  I meant what I said.  I won’t stop trying to protect you.”

“Making her a slave is not protecting her,” Aine pointed out.

“Could we please talk alone, Mor,” he said quietly.

Rage thundered down the bond and echoed inside of my head.  I had to close my eyes and take a deep breath to settle my own power before I spoke again.

“No,” I said quickly.  “I don’t have anything to say to you about being a slave in all but name.”

He nodded sadly.  I honestly did want to talk to him alone because I wanted to know what he was holding back, what he wanted to say only to me.  But I couldn’t do that when I was surrounded by my sisters and the Princess and had my Tuillaryn in my head.  There had to be a way to shut down the bond temporarily.

Prince Aerron bowed slightly and walked back down the hall, his head held high, to where his sworn were waiting for him.  They didn’t say anything to him when he joined them.  Before they turned away, his sworn tossed sad looks towards me, then followed their lord down the stairs.

“What was that all about,” Princess Vendora’s lady, Novadyn, wondered out loud.

Aine answered for me as she tried to clean the coffee off of Rhiannon’s dress.  “He showed up saying that he was warning Morrigan about his father, that he has some kind of written proof about the marriage laws within the Order.  He wants them to marry, steal her power and chain it to his clan.  Or his kingdom.  Whichever you want to believe.  Oh, and the Prince is in love with Morrigan.  Did I leave anything out?”

It was difficult not to flinch at every word she said.  They all felt like barbs.  “He didn’t say that,” I said quietly.

“It was definitely implied,” Aine said.

Rhiannon ignored it completely and turned to Boudicca instead.  “What are you going to do?” she asked, more concerned about the Fae King than anything else.

“I was going to take you all out in to the city along with the Princess and her ladies.  Now, I need to speak with Corbyn and the King,” Boudicca sighed and turned to Princess Vendora.  “Do you mind taking them with you?  I have a feeling I will be busy most of the day now.”

“Of course!  I will give them a full tour,” Princess Vendora promised. 

“We all need to be back for some dinner this evening, though,” Boudicca told her.  “We all need time to dress.  I’m not sure who the King is welcoming this evening.”

Princess Vendora frowned.  “It’s too early for King Einal to arrive.  Prince Aerron said he was a day ahead.  I didn’t know anyone else was arriving?”

“I don’t know if anyone is, to be honest,” Boudicca shrugged.  “I was only told that we would all be present for dinner this evening.”

“We will be there,” Rhiannon said.  “And dressed properly.”

“Thank you.  I will see all of you when you get back from the city,” Boudicca said, visibly relaxed.  She offered me a tight smile before she left the room.

So much for exploring the gryphon towers.  I had no choice but to accompany the Princess and my sisters on the tour of the city.  I could care less about touring the city, and no doubt shopping, but Aine was excited and it was what Boudicca wanted from us.

Princess Vendora rattled on about pointless topics as we walked through the castle and down to the kitchens.  She made it a point to say ‘good morning’ to everyone we passed and stopped when someone wanted to talk to her.  By the time we made it to the kitchens, I was sure the entire castle knew we were going out to the city and to her favorite shops.

Her smile faltered when we got to the empty hall leading to the kitchens.  “That can honestly be so exhausting,” Princess Vendora said quietly.

In the kitchens, though, a genuine smile lit up her beautiful face.  Everyone in the kitchen had a smile for the Princess.  She seemed to know all of them.  She asked them about their families, their homes, and even a few pets.  She didn’t speak down to them at all.  Every word was honest and sincere, like everything they said to her was just as important as anyone from the court.  Maybe more so.  This was what nobility should be like.  People who didn’t use their title or power to put themselves above others.  I could name a few royals who could learn that lesson.

At the back door of the kitchens we ran right in to two of her brothers and our Tuillaryns.  They were all flushed from their morning ride and looked like they had ridden hard to get back to the castle.  I stumbled mentally at the sight of my own Tuillaryn.  My power stretched like a confident, tame beast lazing around in the sun, fully aware of what it was capable of.

His eyes raked over me, making sure I was intact and safe.  I shrugged when his eyes met mine.  I would be fine.  The look in his eyes said he didn’t believe me, but we would deal with that later.

Our Tuillaryns were dressed like the Princes in well-tailored clothes that were trimmed in their house colors.  Except for Tristan, they all had their long hair pulled back with a strip of leather.  I envied their breeches, long comfortable boots and tunics, and the freedom such clothing provided.

Rafe stepped in to the kitchen and picked up Aine in a tight hug.  He spun her around in a tight circle, bringing a bright laugh from her that filled the room around us.  It sparkled and danced throughout the kitchen, bringing smiles to the others around her.

The Princess smiled at the two of them.  “I wonder if that is what the Alpha Bond is like.  Some people say my parents were like that.  That some bonds are like that.”  She shook her head and turned to her brothers.  “What have you been up to this morning?”

“Showing the lords some of the aeries and paths in the mountains,” Prince Curren, her twin, answered.  “Where are you on your way out to?”

“Oh, just a few places.  I want to show our guests the city,” the Princess said with a broad smile.

Prince Roydan laughed.  “She’s going shopping!”

Her twin groaned.  “You are going to bankrupt the kingdom and give our father a heart attack.”

“I am not,” she pouted.  “The ladies have their own funds and I will not sit around to be called on whenever someone has need of me.”

“She has a point, brother,” Prince Roydan said, trying to be serious.

“I hear the Crown Prince is already in the castle,” Prince Curren said quietly.

“He is,” she confirmed.  “He is to be kept away from us.”

“He will be.  The best I can,” her twin promised.

“What do you mean, the best you can,” she said angrily.

“He is a peer, Ven.  It would be an insult to him and his father if I shunned him publicly,” Prince Curren warned her.  “I must allow him my company if he chooses to do so.  We all must allow it.  The most I can do is stay away from the parts of the castle and city that you choose to be in.”

“We are sorry, Ven,” Prince Roydan said, trying to soothe her.  “Keep to your rooms, keep your escorts.  We will do what we can.”

“It’s just for the summer,” Astrid reminded the Princess.  “They will only be here until the Conclave is complete.  Then we will be rid of him and his court.”

“My lords, there you are,” Prince Aerron said from behind us.

Tristan’s jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed slightly.  I fought the urge to reach out and put a hand on his arm.

“It’s not worth it,” I reminded him.

He looked down at me, his eyes softening.  “Yes, you are.”

The Princess dipped her head to her brothers.  “We will see you at dinner, brothers.  Ladies.”

The Princes and our Tuillaryns moved to let us pass through the door and out to the courtyard behind them, then effectively blocked the way from Prince Aerron seeing where we had gone.

Princess Vendora led us through the courtyard.  Her happiness had vanished completely and she marched with a single minded purpose for the blacksmith that was set against the back wall of the busy courtyard.

I couldn’t imagine what business she had with the blacksmith.  I waited with the others, just outside of the building, as she stepped in to the heated darkness and made her way not to the rather large older man, but to his wife who was working a slightly smaller forge.

The woman leaned her burnished gold head down so she could hear what the Princess was saying to her.  The discussion was brief.  She handed a few pieces of paper to the older woman, gave her a brief hug, and then we were crossing the courtyard again.  We didn’t return to the kitchens, though.  We made our way to a different gate that attached to the main courtyard.

We met up with an escort that was patiently waiting to accompany us through Tarvael.  It felt more than a little absurd to me to have an armed guard around a trio of assassins.  I whispered as much to Rhiannon.  She grumbled her agreement.

The road from the castle to the city was short enough for us to walk.  The road itself was wide enough to fit three carriages or wagons.  On each side of the tree lined road was a paved walking path that the Princess led us down.  Each step was shaded by large trees that branched out and over the road, the trees from each side meeting each other, creating the effect of traveling through a forest.

Tarvael up close was even more incredible than what I had seen when we had been coming down the mountain.  The streets were paved with the same dark stone as the road that had led from the castle to the city.  There were raised walkways set above the streets that radiated away from the center fountain.

Princess Vendora led us to the very center of the city, to the shopping district.  I was surprised at the sheer number of stores and their variety.  In Trulium, the shops were all practical.  They carried only what people needed.  Tarvael, however, held so much more.  There were stores that offered only jewelry, or only shoes.  Several stores offered only ladies’ clothes and designs, while still others were dedicated to the clothing preferred by men.  We passed a few apothecaries that filled each street they were on with pleasant smells that remined me of the Witch.  I had to be pulled along by Aine when we walked past a bookstore, the smell of leather and paper drifting out to greet me.

We finally made it to the Princess’s favorite clothing store.  The designer there was responsible for her wardrobe and that of her ladies.  Even without her patronage, the designer would have done rather well for himself.  The fabrics and designs were all exquisite.  Aine looked like we had just stepped across the threshold in to one of her dreams.  There were rows and rows of different bolts of fabrics, finished dresses and other garments, and a section of the store with garments draped across tables and wire bodies in various stages of stitching.

The Princess greeted the shop’s proprietor with a kiss on each cheek, then introduced us to him.  Aine brushed past us and captured the attention of the older elf.  I was fine with settling on to a padded couch with Rhiannon while the other women talked about fashion in Vahl’strael and other kingdoms.  I wished I had been able to stop at one of the bookstores just so I would have had something to do while we were there.

Outside of the shop, across the street, the guards that had accompanied us had settled in to the tables outside of a tea shop.  No doubt the owner there took pity on them and they didn’t have to pay for their drinks.  I briefly wondered if I would be missed if I left to join them outside while the Princess was discussing a new wardrobe.

Then my mind drifted to Tristan and our purpose in the Fourth Realm.  I wondered what kind of meeting Boudicca was in at the moment and how she was handling the news that Prince Aerron had brought with him, if King Torrynd would try to involve himself in order to smooth things over with King Einal.  I wondered if Tristan and the others had been able to escape Prince Aerron or if they were being forced to endure his company.

The idea of the shared bond Tristan and I had swirled through my thoughts, too.  I wasn’t sure how to reach out to him, but he certainly had no problem reaching me.  I wondered why no one had ever mentioned that bond during our training.  If anyone, the Master should have taught me about it and how to use it.  And how to block it out.  Did the other Pairs share the same type of bond?

Clouds drifted past the skylight in the roof of the dress shop.  I frowned at the thought of the freedom that the Yova enjoyed.  If I had just woken up sooner, I wouldn’t have even been in my rooms when Prince Aerron had arrived.  Maybe I would have been high in the mountains, maybe I would have seen Tristan and the others in the mountains and stopped to talk with them instead.  What would it be like to fly high above those clouds?

Rhiannon was shaking my arm to get my attention. 

“What?” I asked, annoyed.

“Aine and the Princess are talking to you,” Rhiannon said, rolling her eyes.  Like she hadn’t been doing the same thing I was doing.

I turned to my other sister and c****d an eyebrow in question.

“We need you and Rhiannon,” Aine said over her shoulder.  “Just some measurements.”

I stopped the groan that had started in my throat and pulled Rhiannon up off of the couch with me.  Rhiannon let me pull her through the shop to the back where Aine and Princess Vendora were waiting for us.

“Here.  On these stools,” Princess Vendora said, pointing at the row of well worn wooden stools.

A veritable army of men and women descended on us all, taking measurements, draping fabrics across our arms and next to our faces.  A contingent of apprentices stood behind them obediently taking down whatever numbers and notes were tossed at them.

Several hours later, we sat outside of the tea shop across the street with the guards.  Any wonder at the city around us had long since faded.  I wanted more than anything to just return to my rooms.  All of the packages we had amassed (I didn’t want to think of the sheer number) had already been packed off to the castle in wagons to be delivered to our individual rooms.  I felt guilty that Varina would no doubt have to sort through them and unpack each and every one.  If anything, I wanted to get back to be able to help her. 

At least I had made it to one of the bookshops before we had dropped, thoroughly exhausted, in to the chairs near the guards.  Several of them had tossed sympathetic looks my way.  Even Rhiannon had gotten caught up in the shopping.  A good number of new weapons, boots, and books were being delivered to her rooms along with the dresses and dainty shoes.

The Princess had decided what we all needed to survive court in Vahl’strael.  More dresses and shoes had been in order, of course.  Then accessories, such as jewelry, hose, gloves, hats, and even boxes of new hair pins and ribbons.  I drew the line at her recommending books for me, though, and I refused to be rushed in the one store I had actually wanted to go to.

“We must be returning to the castle, Your Grace,” one of the guards said to the Princess.

Princess Vendora stretched and finished her coffee.  “I guess we should.  We still need to dress for dinner and whatever it is that my father has to tell us.  Do you ladies think you can make the walk?  Or should I call for carriages?”

“We can walk, my lady,” Aine told her.  Speak for yourself, dear sister.

I didn’t pull away from Rhiannon when she looped her arm though mine and held me back to talk behind everyone else except for a few guards.  “Did you think it was going to be like this?” she whispered to me.

“With the Princess?  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” I shrugged.

“No.  Once we took our vows,” she hissed.

Oh.  “I didn’t know what to expect,” I said truthfully.  “We were trained to navigate courts.”

“But there are demons out there.  A whole kingdom cut off and here we are.  Playing house with a Princess,” Rhiannon grumbled.

Now it made sense.  “Rhiannon, we are new.  Boudicca didn’t even have to bring us.  She could have chosen other Pairs to come with her to the Conclave,” I told her.

She tossed the idea around for a bit.  “I guess so,” she sighed, defeated.  “I guess I thought it would be more…just more.”

I understood her completely.  I didn’t want to spend my days shopping and gossiping.  “Think about it, though, Rhiannon.  We will be around other women and men who are largely ignored by others in their kingdom.  They will have heard things that no one things they have.  We might learn more talking to them than Boudicca will learn in councils with the leaders.”

“You’re right.  Women seem largely overlooked here.  And men who aren’t heads of their houses or being groomed to take over,” she mused.  Then she frowned deeply.  “I don’t like how they do that here.”

“I don’t, either.  I don’t think any amount of training could have helped prepare me for being merely a decoration,” I agreed.

We had reached the castle gates and found Boudicca waiting for us.  We were ushered up to our rooms and told that we had a little over an hour to prepare for dinner.  A formal dinner.

In my rooms, Varina was waiting for me amid the pile of packages.  “I am so sorry,” I told her.

“Not to worry, my lady.  I can take care of this,” she said, waiving a hand at me dismissively.

“No, I will help you.  Maybe somewhere in all of this, we can find something for me to wear to yet another formal dinner,” I sighed.  I was already heartily sick of court life.

“Just so, my lady,” Varina smiled.  “Let’s see what we can find.”

I found that I dearly liked my maid that Boudicca had chosen for me.  We made quick work of the packages.  She was surprised that the majority of packages were books and writing materials, maps, and a few blank books.  I had even managed to procure two new daggers at the forge.

CHAPTER 8

True to her word, we found something passable for a formal dinner.  The dress was similar to the one I had worn the evening before, but with a slightly less full skirt.  My neck and the top of my shoulders were bare, but at least the sleeves weren’t made up of sheer fabric this time.  Deep black fabric reached down to my hands and a loop of fabric settled around my middle fingers.  I found that I liked that effect.

The entire dress was minimalistic in its decoration and design.  As were the vast majority of dresses I had picked out.  The bodice and sleeves were black with faint, sparkling undertones of the same deep green of my skirts.  The hose and shoes were also black.  I tucked a silver handled stiletto against my left thigh.  In my ears, Varina looped simple silver and emerald earrings that matched my hair pins.

When she pronounced me finished, I stepped away from her and turned to look in the mirror.  I barely recognized myself.  This brought a frown to my face instead of the smile Varina had no doubt been hoping for.

“It’s not forever, my lady,” she said quietly.  “This is not you, this is a mask.  A necessary one.  Think of this as armor.  Women may be ignored in some respects here, but in other ways, you can accomplish so much more.”

I turned to my maid.  Just who was she?

Varina offered me a mischievous smile.  “I have some ideas for your wardrobe, my lady, if you don’t mind.  I will work on them while you are at dinner?”

“If you want to.  Please don’t think you have to,” I told her.  I didn’t like the idea of anyone working for me.  Even an assigned maid who was being paid.  Handsomely, if Boudicca was to be believed.  Which of course she was.

“I want to, my lady,” Varina assured me.  “Go.  Try to enjoy dinner.  If I finish before you return, I will leave a note for you.”

I didn’t get a chance to answer her.  Rhiannon knocked and then let herself in to my room.  She was wearing a rather daring red version of my dress with gold embellishments.  “Are you ready?”

“I supposed so,” I shrugged.  “Thank you, Varina,” I said over my shoulder on my way out.  The maid smiled at me again and waved me away.

“What do you think this is about?” Aine asked us once we reached the stairs.

“I don’t know,” the Princess answered her from behind us, “but I think it has to do with who arrived today while we were out in the city.”

“Who arrived?” Rhiannon asked.

“Oryn’lea,” Princess Vendora answered.  “I don’t know who from there, exactly, but they are here.”

Interesting.  They had arrived early.  Earlier than King Einal had been able to.  The possibilities of the rushed arrival swarmed inside of my head.

We arrived in the dining room with the Princess and were ushered to our seats.  Boudicca and Corbyn sat with the King and his children again.  I was settled a few seats down from Boudicca with Rhiannon on my left and Tristan on my right.  Again, Prince Aerron was seated across from me.

A bare moment after we were all settled in our seats, a new party arrived.  They all wore dark purple trimmed in gold.  It must be the party from Oryn’lea.  One of the older men settled a young woman about Princess Vendora’s age next to the Princess and took the seat next to her.

“That is Princess Arianna,” Tristan whispered to me.  On my other side, Rhiannon stiffened.  We both knew the implications of such a visit before the official Conclave.

The young woman looked profoundly sad, despite the smile that adorned her face.  Where Princess Vendora was delicate, with still a little bit of roundness left over from youth and a heart shaped face, Princess Arianna was all sharp features and defined curves.

Intelligent dark eyes caught everything in the room around her.  Olive skin perfectly accentuated by the purple so dark it was almost black managed to make her black hair fairly shimmer with violet undertones.  Long, thin fingers were clasped tightly in her lap, belying the calm set of her bare shoulders.  The dress couldn’t hide the decidedly muscular build that the Princess had no doubt spent many years honing.

“Your Majesty,” Princess Arianna was saying, “thank you for allowing us to arrive so much earlier than the other kingdoms.  I am afraid it is not a matter of friendship or even war that brings us to your table this evening.”

Next to her, the older man placed a hand on her arm and tried to stop her from talking.  That was his job, apparently.  She shook of his hand and turned back to King Torrynd.  Oh, I liked her.  A lot.

“As you know, Lord, my Queen mother was murdered a few days ago and the assassin has yet to be caught,” she said with more bravado than I guessed she was feeling at the moment.  She hid the soft waver in her voice well.  “There is no delicate way to tell you that my lord father is Wasting.  He may have weeks or days.  Such is the consequence of losing a mate to a violent death.  It is my father’s wish that an alliance is made with the kingdom of Vahl’strael.  An alliance cemented by marriage.  It had been his hope to secure a betrothal before my mother’s murder.  Lord King, I would ask for your son, Prince Curren’s, hand in a marriage to ally our good kingdoms.”

How she got through all of that without running from the room in tears was a feat in and of itself.  The entire room turned their eyes to King Torrynd and his children sitting next to him.   Even the Fae Prince across from me was shocked at the boldness of the Oryn’lea Princess.

I watched as Princess Vendora reached under the table to grasp the hand of the other Princess to offer her what strength and solidarity she had to give.  Prince Curren tore his eyes away from the two Princesses and turned to his father.  King Torrynd’s eyes were soft, with the barest edge of tears lining them.

“I loved both of your parents dearly, my lady.   I could not deny either of them such a request.  However, it is ultimately my son’s decision.  I will not order anyone in my kingdom, even my children, to marry.  Even for such an alliance,” King Torrynd said, not looking away from Princess Arianna.

The Princesses turned their eyes to Prince Curren.  I could see him wanting to hesitate, to find a way around such a fast marriage.  He was also torn by the duty to his kingdom and his King.  To my surprise, he turned to look at Boudicca and Corbyn.  Boudicca nodded her head ever so slightly, a small smile playing on her lips.

“My lady,” Prince Curren started, took a deep breath and continued, “it would be an honor.”

The older man next to Princess Arianna sighed with relief, as did the rest of her party.  I can’t believe that they had expected King Torrynd to refuse.

“This is going to change things,” Rhiannon whispered to me.

“How so?” I asked, leaning in to hear her better.

“Oryn’lea and Vahl’strael will be allied through marriage now.  What’s to stop King Einal from proposing such an alliance to get what he wants?” she asked, turning to look at me.

Across the table, Prince Aerron flinched and looked down at his plate.  I wasn’t entirely sure that King Einal hadn’t already been thinking about that.  Oryn’lea just beat him to the punch.

The rest of the dinner was uneventful, if you don’t count the councils hashing out details of the alliance between bites of food.  I had heard of working dinners, but this was ridiculous.

After dinner, Princess Vendora pulled us out to the gardens for a walk.  Princess Arianna declined to join us, saying she was tired from the travel and events of the day.  I didn’t blame her.

We walked in silence for a while, each of us lost in our own thoughts.  Princess Vendora broke the silence first.

“I thought it was going to be me first,” she said sadly.

“My lady?” Aine asked.

“It’s just…I thought it would have been me first,” Princess Arianna sighed.  “Prince Calder has been trying to find the right to time to ask my father.  At least, that’s what he said.”

“Prince Calder,” Rhiannon mumbled, “of Atlanthea?  The ocean kingdom?”

“Coastal kingdom,” the Princess corrected, “but yes.”

“It will happen, my lady,” Astrid assured her.  “So much is happening right now.  Perhaps when this is over…”

“But Oryn’lea didn’t even wait!  She rode in here before the Conclave even started…” the Princess pouted.

I stared at her in disbelief.  Novadyn stopped me from saying something mean, though.

“My lady, Oryn’lea is about to be without a leader.  You know they won’t accept an unmarried Queen.  The council there would rip her apart.  Her line is unbroken, not unlike yours, my lady,” she said carefully.

Cortissa looped her arm through the Princess’s free one.  “Perhaps, my lady, he will arrive with his father in the next few days.  The Queen is staying in Atlanthea with her daughters.”

I mentally juggled through all of the royal families.  “If Prince Curren is marrying Princess Arianna, he becomes King of Oryn’lea.  If you marry Prince Calder, that will make you the Crown Princess in Atlanthea.  So that leaves…Prince Roydan to inherit Vahl’strael?”

Princess Vendora froze, a thoughtful look settling in on her young face.  “I suppose so.  Poor Roydan.  He never wanted to rule.”

Poor Roydan, indeed.  Did no one understand what was happening around them?  Prince Curren wasn’t marrying out of the desire of his heart.  It was his duty.  He was marrying a woman he likely would have never chosen for himself.  I wondered if it was just the Princess or if this was the attitude of everyone in the Realms.

I wearily made my way to my room once the Princess released us from her company.  It grated that I had just finished being told what to do and when to do it by an entire bevy of people only to trade them for a Princess and her whims.  I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was sleep.  The mound of pillows on my bed was calling my name.

I stopped short when I closed my door.  Tristan was sitting in front of my fireplace on the couch with Kai in his lap.  He had been reading something while he was waiting on me, but he had fallen asleep.  His head was resting on the back of the couch, his ankles crossed on the footrest in front of him and he had one hand resting on Kai.

I stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out how he had gotten in to my rooms, but then I remembered the passage that connected his room to mine.  Of course, he would have used that.

The firelight danced across his features.   He was wearing a white linen shirt with the top three buttons undone, his red and gold tunic tossed over one of the chairs.  His boots were set by the fire, his sword with them.  He still hadn’t shaved and stubbornly maintained the beginnings of a beard.  Long lashes that Aine would have envied brushed against his cheeks that were flushed from the warmth of the fire in front of him.  Like me, he had a smattering of faint freckles that spread across his straight nose.

I stepped around the other side of the couch to pick up the book he had dropped next to him and to lay a blanket over him.  I jumped when he grabbed my hand the moment I touched the book.  I pulled me down on to the couch next to him and tucked me in to his side, his arm around my waist.  I gave in and rested my head in the hollow of his shoulder.  I was too tired to really argue at that point.

“Did you have a good day with the Princess?” he asked tiredly.

“I guess.  I now know where the kitchens are, the blacksmith, how to get to the city, everything about current court fashion and gossip,” I sighed.  “Do you know what kind of things the Princess and her ladies read?”

“I know.  You forgot to shut me out,” he said, squeezing my waist a little.  “I assume they read the same things that anyone with access to the Black Markets are reading.”

So, that’s where the books that Bridgette gave to Aine came from.  “You can do that?” I asked, sitting up.

“Yes.  I definitely need to teach you how to do that.  Somethings I just don’t need to know,” he said over a yawn.

“From me?”

“No.  If I have to hear any more from Aine about how wonderful Rafe is, I may vomit.”

“You aren’t the only one,” I grumbled.

“It’s too easy to turn off.”

“How do I do it, then?  You know, so you don’t have to hear any more conversations with Aine.”

“I don’t know if I should tell you.  Maybe I want to hear everything you talk about,” he teased.

I shoved him away.  “Liar.  You just want to hear when I have to talk to Prince Aerron.”

His smile faded and I instantly regretted saying anything.  “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault that he doesn’t know what’s good for him,” he sighed, dropping his head back on to the couch again.

“And what is that, exactly?” I asked.

“Staying away from my Tuillaryn,” he said, pulling me to him again.

“Why are those books available in the Black Market?” I asked.

Tristan smiled down at me.  “Just because the Order publicly outlaws trade with the Lost Realms, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.  A lot of people make a lot of money by brining in ‘contraband’ from those Realms.  The books are the least of it.  Just because it’s illegal to travel or trade, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen and that people are any less fascinated with those Realms.  And with the people in live in them.”

I opened my mouth to say something back, but he put one hand over my mouth and tapped his ear with a finger.  I focused on the hallway outside of my room.

Footsteps that were trying to be silenced were heading towards my room.  My eyes went wide when I heard them fumbling with my lock and wards I had set around my room to prevent just such an event.

Before I could react, Tristan had me up and in my bedroom, looking for the specific spot on my wall.  He pulled back the tapestry, pushed a stone and pulled me in to an area that was revealed when the stones slipped silently to the side.  Just as the tapestry fell back into place, I heard the front door to my rooms being opened and shut.  When had he had time to grab his tunic and boots?

Tristan was holding me tightly to him, his hand still over my mouth.  I listened as the footsteps moved around my front room.  I could hear whoever it was moving things around like they were looking for something.  After a time, they moved to my bedroom, and I tensed against the arms holding me.  He let me pull his hand down and spin slowly in his arms until I was facing him.  I tapped the dagger on my thigh, but he shook his head. 

“You can’t,” his voice sounded in my head.  “Even if you could best them, you can’t be caught not only fighting but beating two men who broke into your rooms.  It would be too difficult to explain.”

“A woman defending herself in her room is difficult to explain?” I asked, shocked 

“Depending on who they are, yes.  All it would take was whomever they answer to spinning it in their favor.  You are a thief and they were recovering property.  Jilted lover, revenge for a death.  The list is nearly endless.  And it would not go in your favor.”

“A woman’s word against a man’s.”  I was beyond angry.  “Where do the stairs go?” I asked, trying to distract myself from my anger.

“Down to my room.”

“How did you find them?”

“You didn’t search your rooms when you unpacked?”

Of course, I had.  Obviously not as thoroughly as he had, and I should have, apparently.  “Do the stairs continue down?”

“I believe so, but I haven’t followed them down.  Just up.”

Interesting.  “Who are they?”

“I don’t know.  Let me focus.”

I stuck my tongue out at him in the darkness and he flicked the tip of my nose.  It was testing the limits of my patience, hiding while two men went through my rooms.

It was outrageously difficult to not think about how easy it was to be leaning against Tristan in the darkness of the passage and how my power, and body, was responding to him.  The feeling of a great cat winding through someone’s legs overwhelmed me again.  I had to mentally shake myself to make my mind focus.  What in the Goddess’s name was wrong with me?

“He said it would be in here,” one of the voices said angrily.

“It has to be.  He said she had it,” the other voice answered.

“How do we know the Master gave it to her, though?” the first voice asked.

“The King said he felt the presence of the books when he was standing in the hall,” the second voice answered.

“That could have been anything,” the first voice argued.  “No one has seen those books since the Wars.  And that Keep is full of artifacts.”

“You don’t trust our King?” the second voice asked quietly.  There was a hint of dangerous temper in that question.

“I trust our King,” the first voice snapped.  “I don’t believe in these ridiculous legends.  There is no way those books still exist.”

“Try that trunk,” the second voice suggested.

My eyes widened and I pushed away from Tristan.  I recognized the feel of the magic being used.  It was distinctly Fae.  But only Prince Aerron and his sworn had arrived that morning.  Right?  I tried to push Tristan away completely so I could jump out of the darkness of our hiding place.  He wrapped his arms tightly around me again, stopping me.

“They can’t get in to that trunk, Mor.”

“I don’t care.  I don’t want them in my rooms.”

“You think I do?”

My power roiled along my bones in response to the protective tone.  I felt my body lean impossibly closer to him.  His arms tightened around me in response.  Gods, Mor, get a hold of yourself.

“How did they get in here in the first place?” I made myself ask.

“That’s what I want to know.”

“I can ask Prince Aerron,” I offered.

His body went rigid.  “No.”

“But shouldn’t he know that it might have been his father’s men inside of my rooms?”

“How do you know that he doesn’t already know and told them what wards you were using?  He was in here earlier this morning, was he not?”

I didn’t have an answer for that, but I refused to believe that the Prince would send someone into my rooms to search them.  He was arrogant enough to do it himself.

“Because he could have come to search himself,” I huffed.  Wouldn’t he?

“No, he wouldn’t.  He wouldn’t dare get caught in your rooms.  Your reputation would be ruined.  If things go wrong with his men, he can valiantly swoop in, rescue you.  It would be his word against theirs and your reputation would be saved.  He becomes your rescuer and the marriage is practically secured.”

“That is abhorrent.”

“That’s politics,” he shrugged.

The men didn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon, so I laid my head against Tristan’s chest and relaxed a bit in his arms that he still had firmly around me.  He leaned back against the stone wall behind him, pulling me with him.  I twisted around to face him, my arms tucked between our chests.

We were obviously going to be stuck in that hiding place for a while.  It wouldn’t do us any good to escape down to his rooms, though.  As soon as they did leave, we needed to figure out how they had gotten in and if they had been successful opening my trunk.  Though, if they had, I would have likely felt it.

Despite the fact that we were hiding on the landing of some stairs in a hidden passage, I was comfortable leaning against him.  He absentmindedly played with a loose strand of hair that had escaped the intricate twists Varina had woven.  A quiet sigh of contentment slipped out.  I memorized the sound of the solid heartbeat against my cheek and how his body felt against mine.

I tried to stop the thoughts swirling around inside of my head.  I had no business getting so attached to my Tuillaryn.  Nor did I have any business getting so comfortable that I could possibly let my glamour slip.  Not even around him.

I smiled to myself, though, when he took a deep breath and I felt him smile against my hair.  I wondered what I smelled like to him.

“Lilacs,” he said.

“What?”

“You smell like lilacs.”

“Oh.” And leather and embers, I amended to myself.  My scent, and the scent of my power, was arguably ambiguous.  Or, at least, that’s what the Master had told me.

“I have dreamed of lilacs my entire life,” he whispered.

“Really?”

His answer was a nod against my hair.

I tilted my head back so I could look at him and found him looking down at me.  The people in my room were almost forgotten when he rested his forehead against mine.  I closed my eyes and breathed him in.  I wrapped myself in the soft sandlewood and honeysuckle smell of him.  I felt so calm when I was near him.  In fact, I had felt more calm than I ever had before ever since the Rites we had sworn.  It was nothing like the way my power reacted around Prince Aerron.  I couldn’t stop the shiver that went down my spine when he kissed my forehead.  I felt him smile against my skin.

He froze suddenly and pushed me behind him.  On the other side of the stone, one of the Fae had pushed aside the tapestry and was running his hands over the stones.  Tristan put his hand over the lever on our side to keep it from reacting to the touch on the stones in my room.

They argued for a minute about whether or not the castle had secret passages like some of the servants had claimed.  When the stones didn’t react, they decided that either the servants were lying, or this room wasn’t connected to the passages.

We waited in tense silence as the footsteps retreated to my front room and then to my front door.  I didn’t realize I had been holding my breath until I heard my door close and felt my wards snap back into place.

Tristan waited a few minutes before he pushed the stones aside and held the tapestry away from the wall so I could step back into my room.  I felt a deep sense of violation when I looked around.  They had put everything back the way it was, but I could still feel that taint of them on all of it.  It bothered me that they had been able to enter my rooms so easily.  Not even the Master or Boudicca had been able to break through my wards. 

Tristan walked around the front room and inspected the doorway.  It didn’t take him long to find the blood runes they had drawn on the handle of my front door.  So, that was how they got in.

It was a simple spell made stronger with the use of their blood.  A technique that the Master had told me had been lost to the ages.  I would have to spell the door from the inside with my own blood to counter that spell being used again.

After a thorough check of my rooms, I sat down on the trunk they had been trying to break in to and looked at Tristan where he stood in my front room.  He looked at the front door, nodded to himself, and settled back down on the couch.  He pulled his tunic over his upper body and closed his eyes.

“What are you doing?” I asked flatly.

“Going to sleep.”

“You have a room,” I pointed out needlessly.

“I am very aware of that,” he said, draping an arm over his eyes.

“You can sleep there.  I am fine.”

He sat up and glared at me, his silver blue eyes hard on mine.  “You have lost your damn mind if you think I am leaving you alone after two men broke through your wards and into your rooms.”

“We are supposed to stay away from each other,” I reminded him.  “What will people say if you are found in my rooms?”

“Lucky man?” he teased.

I threw a pillow at him from my bed.  He let it hit him square in the chest.  “Thank you,” he said and tucked the pillow behind his head as he laid down again.

“I’m not getting rid of you, am I.”

“’Fraid not,” he yawned.

I grabbed my favorite shirt and trudged to my bathroom to change.  Stubborn ass Tuillaryn.  How was I going to sleep with him snoring away on my couch?

It took longer than usual to get all of the pins out of my hair and to untie the dress and corset.  What I wouldn’t have given to have Varian there to help me.  I left my dress hanging on one of the hooks on the bathroom wall. 

Closing the door to my bedroom was just stupid given the fact that there were multiple ways in to my rooms.  And with Kai the size of an ineffectual house cat, I had no choice but to leave the door open so he could get to me if something happened.

Snoring welcomed me when I opened the door to the bathroom.  So much for sleep.

I shoved Kai aside over to a different pillow so I could climb in to bed.  She huffed at me and moved to a pillow next to mine.  I let out a deep sigh of satisfaction when I pulled the blankets over me.  There were worse situations to be in, I suppose.  I was almost asleep when I felt someone looking at me.

“What,” I said against my pillow, not opening my eyes.

“The couch is uncomfortable,” Tristan complained.

No, it damn well was not.

“Must be awful.  I’m sure your bed is much more comfortable,” I mumbled.

“Nice try,” he said, walking around my bed.

“Don’t even think about it,” I grumbled.

I growled when I felt the other side of my blankets lifted up and the opposite side of the bed sag under his weight.  It’s only for one night, I told myself.  Then I would kick him back to his room.  One damn night.

His breathing evened out and I was sure he was asleep.  I was tempted to shift Kai back to her normal size just so she could push him out of the bed, but decided it wasn’t worth it.  The bed was big enough that there was significant space between us as long as we stayed on our own sides.  That should be easy enough.

The darkness swirled around me.  As I drifted, more balls of energy made their way to me and moved along with me.  Emotions swirled around me as they tried to push against the barrier around me.  I kept moving forward.  After a while, I felt the now familiar energy of the one being that could reach me.  I began to move faster with that presence next to me.

I felt the tether in my chest unravel and a tug from the other end, wherever that was.  All I knew was that I had to find where that other end was.  We gathered quite the following of other beings.  Even if I was moving through the darkness with a purpose, it was nice to have them near me.

The darkness changed and I felt the tug again.  Ahead of us there was a faint light.  The presence next to me began to move faster.  I could feel the sense of urgency enveloping me. Again, I knew I was running out of time.  I had to make it to that light.

The tugging became stronger and I felt something reaching out towards me.  And then the tug backwards, away from the light and away from the presence next to me.  I screamed in defiance and fought with everything I had to keep moving forward.

CHAPTER 9

I woke with the sound of screams echoing in my ears.  I wish I knew the reason for those dreams.  I stared at the window I could see from my bed.  Early dawn light was stretching through.  Kai was purring at the foot of the bed.  I tried to stretch, but I was weighted down by a heavy arm.

Tristan was curled around me, his arm draped over my middle.  I tried to slip out from under his arm, but he sighed and tightened the arm around me, burying his face in my neck.  I gave up trying to move for a moment.

Tristan pulled me tighter again and was mumbling against my neck.  I ignored it until I realized that he was awake and actually saying something.  He let me turn so I could face him.

“What are you doing?” I asked him.

“That was the best night of sleep I have every gotten,” he repeated sleepily, his eyes still closed.

I didn’t want to admit that I had slept just as peacefully.  Instead, I said, “You can’t sleep here again.”

“I’m not sleeping anywhere else until we are far away from the Fae King,” he said, opening his eyes finally.

I was struck by the color of his eyes again.  Would I ever get used to that?  “Do you have any idea how much trouble we could get in?”

“Do you have any idea how much I don’t care,” he countered.

“You’re impossible,” I sighed.

He rolled over on to his back and stretched.  When had he taken his shirt off?

I took the chance to roll away and get out of the bed.  “You need to leave before someone notices you aren’t in your room.  Or, gods forbid, comes into my rooms.”

He got out of the bed and pulled his shirt over his head.  “You worry too much, Mor.”

A knock on the door proved my point.  Tristan simply sat down on the couch and began to tie on his boots.  I hoped whoever was on the other side of the door would just go away if I didn’t answer.

“Morrigan!  Open this door!” Boudicca yelled from the other side of the door.  No such luck.

Before I could stop him, Tristan opened my door and let in a very angry Boudicca with Varina on her heels.

“Explain what is happening.  Why are there blood runes on your door?  And why is he in your rooms?” Boudicca said with barely controlled anger.

Tristan put up both of his hands.  “Two men broke into her rooms last night.  They were looking for something.”

Boudicca nodded towards the door, and Varina shut it tightly, locked it and dropped a heavy ward around the room.  “What were they looking for, Morrigan?”

I nodded to the trunks set against the footboard.  “They were trying to break in to them and get what is in there.”  I wasn’t sure how much Varina knew.

“They were after the books, Boudicca,” Varina whispered.  Well.  That answered that question. 

“Well?” Boudicca asked.

“They didn’t get anything,” I assured her.  “No one can open those trunks.”

“And your Tuillaryn?” Boudicca asked.

“I slept on the couch,” Tristan said.

“Did I ask you?” Boudicca growled at him.

“Did you specify which Tuillaryn?” Tristan shrugged.

I stared at him, wide eyed.  To my surprise, she laughed at him.  “I don’t question our honor, Morrigan.  Nor his.  I worry because if anyone other than Varina had come to your door this morning, you would have been caught.  This is sloppy.”

“What was I supposed to do?” I asked her.

“I don’t argue with what he did.  I expect a Tuillaryn to protect their bonded.  But he should have been out before dawn,” Boudicca said quietly.  “I don’t argue with him staying in here to try to catch whoever broke in if they try it again.  Just be more careful.”

“What of the King?  Have you spoken with him about what Prince Aerron said?” I asked her.

Boudicca sank down in to one of the chairs that sat around my table.  She nodded for Varina to join her.  “I have.  He cannot involve himself.  Publicly, anyway.  As far as anyone knows you are a lady of my kingdom.  As such, I am expected to make an advantageous match for you.”

“But you can’t…” I started.

“I’m not going to, Morrigan,” she said “I just have to find a way around it.  I can’t figure out what King Einal actually wants.  He knows who you are.  He knows the rules for Rangers in the Order.  He can’t actually expect me or even the High Seat to agree.  I don’t understand it.”

I looked at Tristan and then back to Boudicca.  “Does Prince Aerron have any answers?” I ignored the angry set of Tristan’s mouth.

“He doesn’t understand any more than I do,” Boudicca sighed.  “Varina suggested a possible way around it.”

“Oh?  Without angering the Fae King?” I tried not to be hopeful.

“It’s…not ideal, my lady,” Varina hesitated.  “We would agree for you to court Prince…”

“Absolutely not!” Tristan yelled.

Boudicca held up a hand to silence him.  “We would agree for you to merely court the Prince.  Courting in our kingdoms can last a long time.  It’s ultimately up to the woman if she chooses to accept the proposal.  It’s a way to drag it out,” Boudicca finished.

“What does it mean to court?” I asked.

“It’s complicated,” Boudicca said.  “It’s an agreement between two people, two families, two kingdoms.  You are allowed to be alone together in certain situations, you would be expected to dine together, you would have to pretend that you are actually considering the idea of marriage to him.”

Tristan crossed his arms and glared at me.  “And by doing this, it would keep King Einal from doing what, exactly?” I asked.

“To be honest, I have no idea,” Boudicca admitted.  “We would have to wait until he arrives and hear what he has to say.  This is just a contingency plan.  In case saying ‘no’ causes a problem.”

“There is one more thing we can do,” Varina said quietly.