She nudged his lips and kissed him again and he obliged, pulling her against him closer, deepening the kiss as if she"d already agreed to the marriage plans.
When she and he were like this together, she felt the world would cease to exist, and she would be happy as long as she was with him.
Then they heard voices calling out their names. Her knights. And several others conversing behind them as they led the pack, following her fairy dust trail. She and Tiernan were hidden in the gardens still, but he didn"t pull away from her as if wanting to prove to everyone he"d claimed her, and she"d claimed him right back.
“Princess Ritasia!” Sir Conklin called.
“Here!” she said.
Lord Srenton yelled, “They"re in the secret garden. Wait here.” Then he slipped into the garden through the barely visible entrance, as if afraid of what he might find.
“Did you locate Romero?” King Tiernan asked, as he led Ritasia out of the gazebo, his hand grasping hers.
“He went fishing, my lord.”
Tiernan frowned. “Fishing?”
Lord Srenton shrugged. “He likes to fish at the river, Cook told me. I found him there, but he hadn"t seen any sign of the princess. Then I came across Jenine"s lads and they said you were fighting a ghost in the hedge maze. The princess"s knights located your trails and here we are.”
His advisor looked at Ritasia and then again at the king, his silent question—would the princess wed the king?
The king glanced down at Ritasia, noticed how disheveled she looked from catching her hair on the prickly shrubs and pulling it loose from the combs, how wrinkled her gown was from the flight, and figured no matter how innocent his handling of the princess had been, no one would believe their story.
Lord Srenton looked hopeful that now they would wed, though knew not to ask.
Chapter 11
Once they had returned to the keep, his courtiers silently watching him and his princess bride—as soon as she agreed—he leaned down to kiss her cheek, holding her hand firmly in his, trying to show that they were fine together.
She blushed. He loved it when the color rose high in her cheeks. And then she gave him a look as though she knew just why he had kissed her.
His people still waited, watching to see if she"d shun him, to see if she felt for him what had to be evident that he felt for her. She blushed again. “Ritasia,” he whispered to her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her snug.
He wanted her to show that she cared about him like he knew she did when they didn"t have an audience. But she remained stiff and he motioned with his free hand to Sophia, saw Romero, and said, “Come with the princess and me. We need to discuss something important.”
Lord Srenton cleared his throat.
Tiernan glanced back at him. “You as well, of course.”
And then they stalked to his solar where he would get this business with the ring done and over with.
In his private chamber, sunlight streamed through a large window, the black leather chairs trimmed in brass, seeming to absorb some of the light, while dark tapestries covering the walls grabbed more of it. In one corner sat his dark wooden desk, and along one wall a row of bookcases. None of this was his, truly. His world was at the castle where he"d been raised. This was his father"s solar and so was everything in this castle.
He noted how depressing the atmosphere was in the room and decided then he would have to make some changes. “Mayhap after we take care of this other matter,” Tiernan said to Ritasia, “you can help me to decide how to lighten up the mood in this room.”
“It is the king’s solar,” Sophia said, her words brittle.
He had never seen his mage look so waspish before, her brows pinched in a tight frown, her mouth curved down, making her look as though she"d swallowed something that had spoiled.
“Aye, it is,” Tiernan said, pointedly. “And a place where I shall go with my queen to read or whatever else we might have in mind to do.”
He noted Romero"s smile and wished then the human couldn"t read all his thoughts.
“Therefore I wish the place redecorated so that it pleases her.”
His advisor looked pleased with his comments, and so did Romero as he leaned his back against one of the walls, arms folded across his chest, looking like a teen, but with the eyes of an ancient human.
“If I should stay,” Ritasia carefully said, giving Tiernan her full attention, “I would be happy to do so.”
“What is it you wished of me?” Sophia snapped, not hiding her animosity. Not even using his title.
“King Tiernan,” Ritasia reminded her, “or…my lord. Do you think as a mage you do not have to be courteous to your betters?”
The gold ring around the mage"s eyes glowed gold. “Betters? Just because you were born to a queen doesn"t make you better than me.”
Tiernan didn"t believe Ritasia felt that way either, but he could see that she wasn"t going to take any guff from the mage. And he could see her point. The woman had overstepped her bounds.
“Princess Ritasia is correct. It seems my title has been lost to you, Sophia. Be sure to use it when appropriate from now on.”
That got him a look of shocked hurt from the mage, and then she turned her glower on the princess. “King Tiernan,” she said, still glowering at Ritasia.
“Aye, we have a matter that a mage must deal with,” the king said.
“Why is she here?” Sophia asked, glowering at Ritasia, sounding surly and maybe a little jealous? “I do not perform my miracles for all to see.”
Before Ritasia could take her to task, whether or not she was some powerful hawk fae mage and might be able to turn her into a toad, Tiernan said with harsh criticism, “These are Princess Ritasia"s artifacts, not mine. She is the keeper of them until we render them useless.”
Though he did not owe her an explanation. Had he been a tyrant, he would have told her to do what he wished and that would have been that.
Sophia turned her scowl on Romero next, although Ritasia knew the woman wasn"t satisfied with the king"s answer. “And him? I do not entertain the masses. Especially not humans.”
“Sophia,” Tiernan said in evident exasperation. “If you wish, I will call on Eleron. He can take care of this matter.”
Ritasia was beginning to believe the mage was a spoiled diva. Most likely always getting her way because of her special talents. But Ritasia didn"t care for the hateful glances the woman cast her way.
But then Sophia smiled and the look was purely predatory.
Feeling uneasy about the mage"s demands, Ritasia squeezed Tiernan"s arm. “Eleron will do.” As if Ritasia had any say in the matter, and she had no idea who this other mage was or how powerful either.
She wasn"t certain Sophia should even touch the objects, let alone attempt to dispel the magic in them.
Ritasia was certain only the ring held the power. The medallion was just the symbol of the unseelie. But why Minova would have taken it, Ritasia couldn"t figure. If the woman thought to hide what she was, she couldn"t have.
Unless…if she could create such a powerfully magic item, maybe the queen could disguise her seelie scent and the fact she had gold rather than silver rings around her eyes. Then if she wore the medallion of the Na, they would think she truly was one of their royal members.
Rethinking that scenario, Ritasia frowned. The queen would be recognized as not living amongst the Na, no matter what magical tricks she used. Unless…well, maybe she could control minds and suggest she was one of them.
Maybe.
Tiernan first handed the medallion over to Sophia. The mage examined it carefully, her face brightening with dark interest. “Unseelie,” she said, then turned to the king. “From the kingdom of Na. Where did you get this?”
“As I said, it is the princess"s.”
She glanced at Ritasia, looked as though she hated to have to ask her, but said in a barely-controlled, annoyed voice, “Where, Princess Ritasia?”
?
??Why from Queen Minova.” Ritasia said it as if any fool would know it, and that didn"t everyone receive such a gift from the ancient queen?
“It"s unseelie. She was…she was the queen who stole magic from the unseelie court of Na.”
“You know of her?” Ritasia asked, surprised.
“Doesn"t everyone?” Then the mage gave her a simpering look. “Well, mayhap only mages because she was thought to be one of the most powerful mages alive.” She darted a look at the king. “What else do you have?”
“Is the medallion empowered with magic?” he asked.
She shook her head, her eyes focused on his hand where he held the ring in his fist.
“What is the other item?”
“A ring.” He opened his palm and held the silver band up for her to see.
She stared at it, then looked up at him. “It looks so plain.”
That"s what Ritasia had thought. The only ring in the queen"s jewelry box that wasn"t covered in gems. No thief would think to steal it because it looked so commonly plain.
As if the object was something delectable to eat, Sophia licked her lips and stared at the ring. “What is the problem with it? You wished me to do something with it?”
“Is it magical?” he asked.
“I would have to hold it, feel if it has any power,” she said.
“You cannot tell from just looking at it?” Ritasia asked, her voice rife with disbelief. “I thought a powerful mage could see the magic emanating from the object.”
Sophia snorted. “Shows what you know about magic.”
And then everything happened so quickly, Ritasia and everyone else was stunned momentarily into inaction.
The mage grabbed the ring from Tiernan"s outstretched palm and slipped it onto her finger. The king seized her wrist.
Romero shouted, “No!”
And Sophia and the king vanished.
Lord Srenton cursed aloud, then said, “Stay here, princess. I"ll get the guards and your knights.” Then he hurried out of the room.
Ritasia"s thoughts swirled as she tried to think of what to do. If the mage hadn"t taken Tiernan to the unseelie plane, anywhere she took him in the human world, if that"s where she had gone, could catch the unseelie"s attention.
Romero quickly said, “Take me with you.”
She turned and stared at him.
“I serve you. I serve him. I pledged my loyalty to him when he was but a lad because he had been kind to me when others had not. And you, because he asked me to. But when you wanted me returned to the human world—”
“I"m so sorry…”
“No, don"t be. I saw in you a heart of gold.”
“But we cannot follow him. Not without the ring.”
He took her hand and turned it so that her palm was down. “What do you see there?”
She stared at the band of silver engraved with the Celtic symbol on her finger once again.
“I…I don"t understand.”
“The ring called to you when you were in Queen Minova"s chamber.”
“How do you—”
“I read your mind, princess. Sophia thinks she has the ring and medallion, but it is the ring that has the power. She saw it, just as you had suspected. The ring has a blue aura. It appears that only a descendent of the queen can wear the ring and make it work.”
“She"s…” Ritasia looked from Romero to the ring, trying to make sense of it all. She shifted her gaze to the human. “The dark fae descended from her people?”
“A good probability. Sophia will most likely go to the human plane. But she won"t be able to reach the unseelie one. Not unless you take her there.”
“Where is she?” Ritasia asked, glancing around at the floor. She was a dark fae tracker, but before she could follow after the mage and the king, Romero grabbed her arm.
Then he bowed his head. “Take me with you. You cannot go alone.”
“Aye, of course.” She took his hand. “I hope this doesn"t make you ill.”
“Like it does you?”
She frowned. “I don"t want the world to know.”
“"Tis our secret.”
Then with murder in her heart, she followed the red trail left by Sophia and the silver one left by the king through the black void of space, watching the sparkles twinkle like tiny bits of glitter barely visible to the naked fae eye.
When they appeared in a town, Romero said, “This is Edinburgh.”
“Scotland?” she asked, surprised.
“Aye. Where did they go?”
She looked down at the sidewalk and began tracking the king and Sophia"s trail. “This way.” She stopped, then looked at a pub situated at the corner of two streets, Celtic music drifting from the gray stone building, that appeared to be as ancient as her own castle. “They"re in there.”
“I"m sorry, princess,” Romero said, his expression full of true remorse. “I did not see what the mage planned until she considered it and then it was too late for me to warn you and the king.”
“It"s all right,” she said, seething, heading for the door to the pub. “Too bad you couldn"t know what was in a person"s heart before they thought about it.”
He said very seriously, “I know what is in your heart. You believe you are a dark fae, but you are one of us.”
She thought about how he had called himself one of the hawk fae when he was but a human and so many seemed to scorn him.
Apparently reading her thoughts, he said, “I have been with the hawk fae for longer than I was with my own kind. I may not have the fae ability to travel, but my father, the fae who brought me here, gave me semi-immortality the same as the fae have, the same healing properties—”
“The same need to fit in,” she softly said. “Do not think to serve me.”
He raised his brows in question.
She stopped at the door and took his hands. “Be my friend instead.” And for a brief instant she thought of the human girl Cassie and how she didn"t want her to be hurt by the fae.
He bowed his head over their clasped hands reverently. “Always and forever, my princess, who shall be queen.”
She snorted. “The king has sent you to work on me, to wear me down until I say I will wed him.”
Romero stifled a smile. “He could do much worse.”
She couldn"t help but like Romero.
When they walked inside, the bar was crowded with men sitting on high stools at the counter, their feet resting on brass footrests, conversation and laughter loud over the music playing overhead. Men and woman sat drinking at small tables throughout the establishment.
The pub was dark and smoky.
“I do not see them,” Romero said.
“This way.” She took his hand and led him through the noisy place, but before they reached the kitchen, she saw the trail had shimmered a little ways into the area and faded.
Disappointment and concern washed over her. “They"re not here any longer. I bet that she is trying to find a way into the unseelie realm.”
***
“What the hell do you think you"re doing, Sophia?” Tiernan asked, jerking her wrist toward him so he could remove the Celtic ring from her finger.
“Why didn"t you take interest in me?” Sophia sniped. “I could have been anything you wanted. Why did you have to bring that dark fae here to our kingdom? She doesn"t belong here.”
“What do you want with the ring?”
“I"ve heard of the magic in the kingdom of Na. Of Queen Minova and her traipsing between planes, of stealing magical knowledge for her own. Until they caught her. But I"ll be cleverer than she was. I won"t get caught. Send the dark fae princess back home. I"ll be your queen. And I"ll do anything you ask of me.”
“Destroy the power of the ring then.”
She gave him such a sinister smile, he grabbed for the hilt of his sword.
“I can make the metal melt in your hand,” she said.
“Hand over the ring.”
She admired it and smiled at him again. “This is
my home. Now that you are the king and have changed the rules about how long your queen shall live, I would have to take on that role.”
“You had nothing to do with my father"s death, had you?”
“Why ever would I have done something to him?”
“He didn"t require another queen.”
She shrugged. “You should be pleased that you now reign in his place.”
He calculated whether he could cut her down before she could cast a spell, and assumed he could not. But he was certain now that she had something to do with his father"s death.
He tried to reason with her. “If you go to the unseelie plane, they will not welcome you.”
She raised her brows. “Why, Tiernan, I am a powerful mage.”
He lunged for her and as soon as he seized her wrist, she transported him to another place. But it was still the human plane of existence. She cursed.
He nearly smiled, glad she hadn"t managed to move them to the unseelie world, but he was certain if any unseelie managed to follow them here from Na, they would recognize him at once.
***
Ritasia transported Romero and herself again until they reached another town, mist rising from a lake and all the buildings were made of gray stone, rolling emerald green hills set as a backdrop above the homes. It was beautiful and if she"d had a moment to cherish the beauty, she would have.
The fairy dust trail led them to another pub, the men seated inside while the women were sitting outside drinking while watching their kids.
Then she saw the king and Sophia. He was furious with his mage, red-faced and giving her a tongue-lashing. She looked just as angry. Probably because she couldn"t make the ring do what she wanted it to do.
“Are you looking for this?” Ritasia asked, raising her hand and showing off the ring.
Sophia stared at her as if stupefied, glanced at her own ring and saw it vanish right off her finger.
Queen Minova must have made a ring that created the illusion that another could wear it, but it would not take the bearer to the unseelie plane. Why had it remained with the king all that time and not reappeared on Ritasia"s finger? Most likely because he had not intended to use the ring and had not placed it on his own finger.