A Quest of Earth and Magic by S. Usher Evans

Author:S. Usher Evans
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sun's Golden Ray Publishing

CHAPTER

TWENTY-EIGHT

Riona

Princess.

I'd never considered myself royalty. Fae didn't operate in those terms, at least not the way humans did. The fae who lived in the castle were given the same kind of room, invited to dine in the great hall with everyone else. No one really got special treatment, at least not like this. It felt like I was interloping on Ayla's realm, and she absolutely did not welcome me.

The room Edric had prepared for me was surely something to behold. The bed was soft with thick blankets to keep the cavern chill off me. They'd laid out a silk nightgown and fluffy robe, and there was a roaring fire in the hearth with a tea kettle and a cup of what smelled like lavender on the mantel. It was certainly a room fit for a princess.

I just wished I felt like one.

I lay in bed, replaying the dinner and the way Ayla had berated me over and over again. I hadn't wanted to embarrass her, nor had I thought anything I'd done was worthy of it. But I'd also never been…well, seen like that. My entire life I'd been treated like an afterthought, someone to be stepped over. I was never really given anything other than a room and a nanny to teach me to speak, read, and write. My natural inclination was to blend into the wall—not just because I had nothing of value but also for self-preservation. I'd been led to believe I was at a disadvantage because of my human father. That I wouldn't ever stand a chance against a fae who challenged me.

Lies.

I twitched as that voice whispered in my ear and rolled onto one side. I wanted to sleep—five days of hard climbing up a mountain had caught up with me—but there were too many thoughts in my mind.

I kicked the blanket off and walked to the mantel, picking up the cup of tea and inhaling it. It was surprisingly still hot, even though it had been sitting for at least two hours. More troll magic, perhaps. I brought the cup to my lips and took a hesitant sip, finding it just as lackluster and watered down as the food at dinner had been. But it warmed me from head to toe and distracted me from distressing thoughts.

With cup in hand, I canvassed the room. A writing desk full of paper and ink—not that I'd be writing to anyone—sat in one corner. In the other, a wardrobe full of dresses that were at least a foot too long. They must've anticipated I'd be more like the fae in that regard.

I could fix it. Let me fix it.

I went stick-straight, the voice coming through my mind like it was right next to me. I turned, looking for anyone else but knowing I was alone. Just me and this voice in my mind.

I took another sip of the tea, and the hissing in my ear became louder. I put the cup down on the desk and walked to the other side of the room, where a stone door led into another room—a bathroom.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.