Fey Touched: Season Three by Nicola Claire

Author:Nicola Claire [Claire, Nicola]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nicola Claire Books
Published: 2021-09-12T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 2

A Path Of Least Resistance

Kara

I sidestepped the Smiðr who wore a pin pronouncing Lady Analor the next Queen. I dodged a Dómr who carried a bouquet into the courtyard, a large heart made of coloured glass in its centre, declaring his adoration of the new Queen. A picture of Analor's face was beneath it, so there was no confusion on who the loved-up fairy and his fist full of flowers meant.

All around me were reminders of who had won the Mating Game, of what Lady Analor meant to the fairies. A conversation overheard about how beautiful she was, and how pretty their children would be. A game of make-believe played by younger fairies, the boy was dressed as the King, the girl as Lady Analor. A play put on to entertain the red- and blue-skinned fairies, depicting the betrothal of one of their own and the crowning of her as Queen.

The Court was alive with anticipation; an eagerness I had not seen since my arrival here. They hungered for something happy, and I could not begrudge them that. But their happiness was my heartache and being faced with such on a daily basis was crushing me.

I'd seen Aliath, of course. I'd seen him in the throne room, addressing his Court, hearing their grievances, ruling over their petty disagreements. He'd looked exhausted and worn. Shadows clung to his eyes; he hadn't been eating.

On one occasion, he'd absently glanced up at the mezzanine: his eyes meeting mine for the briefest of moments. He'd looked away as if stung and then not long afterwards called a halt to proceedings, leaving without explanation, his coat-tails flying as if he was fleeing a horde of Isoleth's Haugbúi.

The only ghost he fled was the ghost of our love. And that ridiculously poetic thought just made me angry. Anger was better than hurt, but I couldn't catch a break. When I turned around there was a Smiðr with a smug face. In the other direction was a Dómr dedicating his life and heart to the new Queen.

She hadn't even been crowned yet. And from what the FÄ«frildi told me, she hadn't even been alone in a room with him yet. So, Aliath's guilt and upset were because of what he was doing to us and not what he might have done to her behind closed doors.

Somehow, and I was not proud of it but it was what it was, his unhappiness made me happy.

And then I'd be confronted with an Upper Court so freaking ecstatic over the 'new Queen' that any happiness I felt at Aliath's conscience upsetting him was lost immediately.

I knew he waged a battle within himself. I knew part of him wanted to chuck it all in and give into his heart. Right now, his heart was still mine. But I also knew Aliath had been raised as Sofiq's heir. He'd been taught from an early age what was required of him. Dökkálfa wasn't just in his blood, Dökkálfa meant everything to him.

He'd been moulded into the perfect Dark Fey King.

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