“I do. I live in both places. Actually, they’re technically the same place. They are connected underground with a myriad of tunnels and rooms. It would probably take a lifetime to show you them all.”
I couldn’t even begin to fathom what she was talking about. “I hope you will show me some of them at least.”
“Of course, I will. You’re my mate, after all. It would seem strange not to.”
“Let’s go,” I said, eager to begin my explorations.
“Wait. There is one thing I must caution you about.”
“What’s that?”
“I am the princess of the realm. Even though you are my chosen, you’re new here. My people will expect you to be besotted with me, and defer to my every whim. It is custom for those who have been brought here to remain under enchantment. I have broken the rules by releasing you from yours. I could actually get in trouble for doing so.”
“Why would you release me?” I asked, puzzled by her actions.
She sighed heavily. “Because I’m greedy. I wanted all of you. I can enchant any person and make them want me, but I had truly fallen in love with you. I wanted to see if your feelings for me could become real too.”
I was surprised to hear her admit this. “What would you have done if I’d stayed angry or refused to have anything to do with you?”
She shrugged. “Enchantment is easy to replace.”
“And could you have lived with yourself that way? Knowing that deep down I hated and resented you?”
She stared at the ground. “I wanted you badly, Bran. I’m sorry to say, I would’ve done anything to have you.” She looked up. “You talked to me of your dreams. Well, being with you is one of mine. I’ve never wanted anything more.”
I didn’t know how to reply, but I didn’t want to lay blame with her, so I moved on. “What else will I be expected to do? I don’t want you getting in trouble, and I don’t want to be enchanted again either.”
“Like I said before, they will expect you to be besotted, unable to keep your hands off me.”
I couldn’t help my small grin. “That really won’t be that difficult. Anything else?”
“They’ll expect you to eagerly do what I say.”
“I think I can pull that off as well. Just try to go easy on me. Is that all I need to know?”
She shook her head, but she seemed hesitant to speak.
I reached for her hand, squeezing it. “What is it? You can tell me.”
She lifted her chin slightly, as if daring me to argue, and I braced myself for whatever she was going to say.
“They will expect me to be with child within these first seven days.”
Chapter Six
I wasn’t really surprised with her announcement—given what she told me prior—but I was surprised that it was in such a tight time frame.
“Seven days? How is it even possible to know if one has successfully conceived in that amount of time?” The idea seemed preposterous.
“Everyone will be able to tell. I’ll begin to glow if I am.” She was wringing her hands together.
“Excuse me?” I wondered if I’d heard her correctly.
“I’ll begin to glow. Certainly you’ve heard this saying in your realm. When a woman is with child, she gets a certain glow about her, like her appearance brightens.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of that.” I stared at her curiously.
“Well, it’s the same for the women of my race, only we actually do get a pale shimmer to our skin, as if we’ve been lit from the inside.” She was blushing again. “I know you find it odd to rush into childbearing, but it is the custom of my people.”
I laughed slightly. “Actually, I’m beginning to be intrigued. I want to see what you look like when you glow, because I already thought you looked that way.”
“You do?” Her eyes were wide, and I wrapped my arm around her waist, hauling her to me.
“I do,” I whispered then kissed her lightly again. “And I will agree to all your demands, the public displays of affection, and even the child.”
“Why?” she asked, amazed.
“Because I like it when you smile and when you blush. I like hearing you call out my name and what it does to me.” I hesitated, considering my feelings before I spoke my next words. “And I think . . . I like that you are mine.”
She closed her eyes. “Will you please say that to me again?”
“I like that you are mine.”
She threw her arms around my neck and kissed me with wild passion, her tongue meeting my own as I pushed her over to the canyon wall, leaning her against it. She clung to me with a fierceness I’d never known from anyone before, and I knew in that moment she really did know what love was, and she was in love with me.
“You’ll never realize how much your words mean to me,” she said when we broke apart. “I will never forget them.”
But I did know. She’d shown me, and I hoped that someday—for both our sakes—I’d be able to give her even more.
She laced her fingers in mine, pulling me after her. “Come on! I want to share everything I can with you.”
I laughed, and we raced to where the walkway split into two, dividing toward each side of the canyon.
“Which way do we go?” I asked.
“You decided.” She smiled at me in excitement.
“Left, let’s go left.”
“Done.”
We slowed when the walkway narrowed, leading up to the first set of steps. I peered curiously over the edge to the layers of city that were both beneath and above us in the canyon walls. I noticed something I had missed before. Slim, stone, footbridges spanned the lower part of the canyon, nearer to the water, accessing both sides of the walls. It was clear there was no way this civilization used anything like horses or carriages—there would be no way for them to maneuver around. There were, however, long, thin boats tethered down in the water near multiple docks.
Eirian watched me with avid interest before leaning to look over the edge. “It’s wonderful, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” I agreed. “Why are there so many boats?”
“They’re used to get around the city. The canyon travels farther than the eye can see, and what you can’t tell from here, is that there are other crevices that branch off of this one. The city is huge. It would take several days to explore every part of it.”
“Does it all look like this? Or are there different classes of living?”
“The whole city proudly boasts the same fine architecture. We are creators of things of beauty. There are also tunnels chiseled through the rock, and more dwellings in there too, just as lovely as you see out here.”
My mind couldn’t even fathom this. “It seems like that would be depressing—living without fresh air and light.”
“There are holes put in strategic places which help everything to stay well-ventilated, and faery light is used to keep things bright.”
“Faery light?”
She gestured to some of the glass orbs housing the bluish light. “Nothing a little magic can’t fix.”
There was so much I didn’t know about her and her people. I couldn’t believe I was part of this place now. It would be my home too. It seemed overwhelming.
“What do you want to see first?” she asked with a smile.
“I have no idea where to even start. How about our home?”
“Our home?” She looked surprised.
“Yes.” I pulled her to me. “I like to see where I’ll be living—where I will spend my time ravishing my attractive wife.”
“Oh,” she whispered with a blush. “That would be down there then.” She pointed to the castle.
“You seem hesitant. Is something wrong?”
She smiled nervously. “I’ve just never thought of it as our home.”
“Well, now you can. Let’s go there, and you can show me anything else you desire along the way. Whatever we don’t see tonight, you can show me tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day . .
. .”
“And the next day,” she added with a grin. “I just thought you’d want to see things tonight, while there were less people around. That way you won’t have to keep up pretenses.”
I glanced around realizing for the first time that there were not people milling about. I hadn’t noticed in my initial awe.
“Is it normal for the city to be so empty at night?” It seemed almost eerie to me in a place of this magnitude.
“On the outer walls, yes, most people tend to stay to the interior portions at night, though occasionally you may see a couple of lovers strolling out this way. They sneak to the gardens to make love under the trees.” She smiled and I winked at her.
“I can’t imagine why anyone would want to do that.” I brushed my lips against her forehead. “So people are free to come and go as they choose?”
“For the most part. There are always guards and sentinels watching over the place. Things are well protected.”
I glanced around. “Well, I certainly haven’t seen any guards.”
She smiled wider. “That’s the whole point. Trust me, they’re there and watching us right now.”
I ran one hand into her hair and kissed her hotly, moving my lips over her with a familiarity that surprised even me. My other hand roamed freely over her lithe frame, exploring her slender curves. She gripped my shoulder, allowing my tender assault, and when we broke apart she was panting.
“What was that for?”
“You said I needed to keep up appearances. Just doing my job. Was I besotted enough?” I laughed.
“Oh, is that all it was?” She looked disappointed, turning to walk away.
I grabbed her and pulled her back. “No, that’s not all it was.” I kissed her again, and she giggled against my mouth, wrapping her arms around my neck.
“I thought you wanted to go home.”
“This delay isn’t so bad.”
“We can do this—and more—at home.” Her eyes were twinkling.
“You’re right. Lead the way, my princess.” I stepped away and gave a formal bow.
“Very nicely done. It’s nice to see you have manners,” she teased.
“I’m not a complete heathen—only a partial one.”
“I hope you will never change. I love you just the way you are.” She smiled softly, her love radiating through her eyes, and also something that looked like hurt.
I felt bad that I couldn’t offer her the sentiments she desired to hear, but I was positive they would come with time. While I was obviously extremely attracted to her, I honestly enjoyed her company. She was kind, thoughtful, and easy to be around. I liked her—of this I was sure—and we were married. Certainly, love would follow.
Despite my earlier resolve, a moment of regret over Ceridwen stabbed me again. I wished something could be done to help ease the pain she must be going through. My honor wouldn’t allow me to let it go completely. I hated that I was moving forward in my life without her. I hated that I had just disappeared and couldn’t send word and explain my feelings to her. I hated that even if I could send word, my message would hurt her just as badly.
There wasn’t even the possibility of blaming fate for all of this. No, my conscience would never be clear. I only had myself and Eirian to blame for everything. I’d made the choice to come. She’d made the choice to enchant me. It seemed terribly unfair that we would be the ones trying to get the happy ending at the expense of Ceridwen.
“You miss her.” Eirian was crestfallen.
I didn’t reply. I wanted to be able to say something that would comfort her, but there was nothing but the truth.
“Will you always feel this way?”
“Eirian, I’ve loved her since my youth. That’s a long time to love someone. It will not be easy to forget her.”
She stood still, biting her lip before she spoke again. “You weren’t always faithful to her in your youth.”
I closed my eyes, thinking of the things in my life she must have seen.
“No, I wasn’t. She was younger than me—a child still—when I came into my manhood. I grew impatient, and I let the ways of my physical nature and curiosities overtake me at one point. Another beautiful woman caught my attention, and I went to her. It was wrong of me.”
“Was it?” she asked. “That young widow you were with greatly enjoyed the company you gave her. You were good to her—good for her—and helpful as well. I think she was in love with you.”
I chuckled softly. “I was but sixteen summers. She was three years my elder.”
“What does age matter to love? Ceridwen is nearly three summers less than you, and you adore her.”
This was true. I stopped and really thought about what she was saying. Could the young widow have been in love with me? She was certainly doting upon me—always wanting me to do things with her. I shook my head. “It matters not. She is happily married to another now and expecting a babe of her own.”
She glanced down. “And soon you will be too.”
“Yes, soon I will be too.” It was unreal how fast things could change.
“But not with the girl you were expecting.”
She wasn’t going to let this go.
“No, but with a girl more exquisite than any I’ve ever seen. A girl who’s opened the windows of my imagination and shown me there’s so much more to believe in. I am here with you just like you’ve always wanted, and that’s all that matters. Will that be enough for now?”
Eirian’s eyes filled with tears, and she nodded. “It will be enough—for now.”
I reached for her hand and we started walking together again, maneuvering through the sculpted paths and stairways—gradually descending lower.
She didn’t speak, or explain things as we walked, and I didn’t press her to. I knew our conversation was weighing heavily on her, and I wasn’t sure what was upsetting her. I wasn’t going to press for answers though. If she wanted to tell me something, she would.
I quietly observed everything as we passed—trying to take it all in as I thought of the craftsmanship and trades I’d love to learn from these people. Those thoughts brought me pause, though, causing me to wonder how I would provide a living for myself and Eirian. Granted, she was a princess, but I still wanted to keep busy.
My father reared me in lessons of farming, and raising strong, beautiful horses. People came from miles around to purchase from our stock. I’d intended to continue on in the same grain, but as I looked around, there were no fields to tend, no places for horses to even be used. It was as if everything I’d been taught in my life was for naught, and it worried me.
“What will I do to support us?” I asked Eirian, bringing her out of her current musings.
“Hmm? You mean like work?”
I chuckled. “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”
She waved her free hand in the air, as if to brush the subject off. “You needn’t worry of such things anymore.”
“But I do. I’m a laborer. It’s the only life I’ve known, and I want to be productive. Even if my skills are not useful here, I’m teachable. I long to learn new things.”
“I understand, and I know you can accomplish anything you put your mind to, but I’m saying it’s not necessary. I’m royalty and all our needs are taken care of. It would be unseemly for you to get your hands dirty.”
I laughed. “Then what, pray tell, do you do around here?”
“Whatever we want.” She smiled. “The Fae have always been suited to creativity and learning, but we relish pleasure as well. The servants will take care of our needs, leaving us to enjoy the pursuit of the finer things in life.”
“Which are what exactly?”
“Things like lovemaking and merriment.” Her eyes sparkled vividly, as we reached the water level. “Don’t worry, Bran. I promise to keep you busy!”
Chapter Seven
There was no bridge that extended from the canyon walls to the glowing, thin-spired castle mid river. Though the water seemed smooth fr
om above, I could tell there was a swift undercurrent farther out. Several of the anchored boats bobbed up and down, some of them bumping together occasionally with a hollow thud as they shifted.
Eirian let go of my hand and stood on the end of the pier.
I looked around, and seeing no one, began to loosen the rope of the closest boat.
“Wait,” she commanded without turning. She continued to stand still.
“What are we waiting for? I can have one of these boats loose in just a second and row us over.”
“We already have one.” She pointed toward the distant shore. “One of the guards is on his way.”
I felt bad that someone was coming to fetch us when I could have easily taken us over. “It was no trouble to row you.”
She smiled. “This is the way things are done, Bran.”
I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes for a moment while I waited for the shivers that moved over my skin to pass.
“Join me.” She beckoned. “Now is the time to begin your charade.”
I stepped behind her, slipping my arms around her waist, and bent to kiss her throat. “I won’t have to pretend, Eirian.”
She shuddered, just as I hoped she would, and leaned back into my embrace, caressing my arms.
“Your highness,” a voice called from the approaching boat as it came along the dock.
A tall, Fae man in a burnished shade of armor reached toward Eirian.
“Allow me,” I said, helping her into the slim craft.
I followed after, standing behind her small seat, my hands on her shoulders. The guard paid me no further attention but instead turned the boat back in the direction he’d come.
Aside from the occasional “clunk” of the oars, we slipped silently through the water. As we got closer to the castle, I could see a large metal gate looming ahead of us. The silver crisscrossing slats gleamed with perfection despite the close contact with the water. It spanned the width of a large stone archway covered in trailing vines that ran up the wall and disappeared over the other side. When we were almost upon it, the gate lifted, dripping little rivulets of water as it emerged. Sprinkles rained down upon us as we slipped through, and it shut immediately behind us, hardly making a sound.