Why did he have to say things like that and make her blush anew? She nodded a thank you, trying as nonchalant as possible, but he smiled back at her anyway.
“Lunch is served,” Lila cheerfully said. She glanced at Brett. “I made you your favorite white bread covered with honey for dessert.”
Ena looked at him. He shrugged. “She screamed in the herb garden yesterday. I thought a dragon…well, a bear was eating her or something and came to rescue her. I scared off a snake in the garden and brought in the snippings she wanted.”
Why was he able to go to Lila’s rescue when he should have been locked up in his chamber?
“How long had you been out of your chamber, running around freely?” Ena asked, furious with her staff.
“Muriel needed his help moving a heavy piece of furniture as she’d lost a ring behind it. You know how Ryker is. He said it was not a butler’s job. We thought maybe Brett could move it for us,” Lila quickly said.
“And then you didn’t bother to lock him back up in his chamber?”
“It was time for the meal. I went out to get the herbs and the snake startled me. Brett rushed out to—”
“Save you. I get the picture.” Ena took her gown from Brett and headed for the stairs.
“The gown is beautiful, mistress,” Lila called after her.
“Thank you.” Ena couldn’t wait to get this over with. She tossed over her shoulder, hating to, but she needed help, “Please send Muriel up to help me dress.” That was one reason she hated wearing fae gowns.
“Oh, dear, she went off to market and hasn’t returned yet,” Lila said.
Which meant she was seeing some guy.
“Where are the other ladies?”
“I’m not certain.” Lila looked at Brett as if he could help out.
Ena said, “Then you will help me, Lila. I can’t fasten the ties in back.”
“I’d help, but I don’t know anything about such a thing,” Brett said, looking cocky as the devil. “But I’d be willing to learn.”
“Remember what I am, human,” she said, giving him her harshest glower. Although her suitors might jest about such a thing, they were at least dragon shifters and not a human prisoner!
Truly, she didn’t think any of them would offer either. Helping her out of a gown, yes. Helping her into one, no.
She stalked up the steps to her floor with Lila trailing behind.
Before long and with much complaining from her cook, to which Ena reminded her that it was not her fault her whole staff had abandoned her in her time of need, she walked down the stairs to the great hall, feeling like a fae princess.
For one who was used to being a dark and formidable dragon shifter, she didn’t feel comfortable with the way she looked. She frowned as her whole staff hurried to see her. Where had they been when she could have had some help dressing?
Brett was grinning big time. “Beautiful.”
Everyone else quickly added comments remarking on her beauty. Lila had insisted on changing Ena’s eye shadow to a soft green to match her eyes and painted her fingernails emerald with sprinkles that looked like tiny chips of diamonds. She rather liked the way her nails looked, she hated to admit.
“I’m off,” she said quickly. She glanced at Brett. “Make sure the prisoner is locked in his chamber tonight.”
All smiles, everyone nodded. She wasn’t sure they would obey her, and that meant when she returned home tonight, she’d have to ensure he was locked in for the night. Maybe months from now, they could give him more leeway. But for now, he needed some restrictions.
***
As soon as she arrived at Crislis Castle, she thought it odd that the great hall was not decorated, nor were ladies and gents milling around in their finery. In fact, several were clustered together gossiping, but none were dressed in anything half as fine as she. Had her maid gotten her information wrong?
Everyone stared at her, probably wondering who she was. Then a guard hurried toward her, and she suspected he thought to throw her out of the castle for being someone unknown, and not belonging here. But the guard hastily said, “Mistress Ena?”
He recognized her! Probably her short hair, which was unusual for a woman of the realm. “Yes. Where is everyone?”
“Your maid was to tell you the celebration is at Donao Castle of the Denkar, beg your forgiveness, mistress.”
Ena closed her eyes briefly, annoyed with her maid. She opened her eyes and nodded. “Thank you.” Then she saw four of her dragon shifter suitors headed in her direction. They were all gaping at her, all dressed in their finery.
Had they gotten the wrong word also? The guard stared at them in surprise. “Excuse me, mistress. I need to have a word with the gentlemen.”
She hastily departed for the dark fae castle, not wanting to be late, or arrive with the dragon shifters. She hoped she could disappear into the walls. Then again, at Crislis Castle, everyone knew her for the most part. Though dressed like this, she still believed she wouldn’t have been that recognizable. In the Denkar realm? Barely anybody knew her.
When she arrived, a man quickly headed for her. “Mistress Ena, this way please.”
She recognized him as Prince Deveron’s cousin, Niall. She was startled to see him waiting for her out in the common area.
“I’m surprised the celebration is here. I thought that King Tibero was having a celebration at his castle,” she said.
“Queen Irenis wished Deveron and Alicia wed at once.” Niall smiled at her. “She actually demanded it. Not that we were all that amazed at the change in plans, but I think your king was a little taken aback.”
“They’re getting married?” Ena said with such disbelief, Niall chuckled.
“’Tis best for all concerned. The wedding was inevitable, and more trouble would come of them sneaking around to see each other.”
She frowned. “What of Cassie? And Micala?”
“They’re here, but the queen hasn’t decided what to do about them. Well, in truth, I believe she has, but she doesn’t wish to say until after Princess Alicia and Prince Deveron are wed. Then she will deal with Micala.”
“Alicia won’t agree with the queen if she intends any harm to come to Cassie,” Ena warned.
“I wouldn’t even venture a guess, truly.” He led her into the great chapel where everyone appeared to be waiting on Ena.
How embarrassing!
Smiles abounded, and Niall escorted Ena down the blue carpeted aisle as if she was marrying Prince Deveron herself!
“Where are you taking me?” she whispered to Niall.
“The queen and king both requested you have a place of honor at the front.”
Which meant Niall was going to walk her all the way up the aisle in front of all the courtiers, some who were whispering, others mouths agape, others smiling broadly.
When she reached the front of the chapel, she curtseyed low to both the king and queen, saw Prince Grotto scowling at her and figured if he could, he’d growl at her that she was late. She gave him a little smile to tell him she was glad he couldn’t.
“I apologize for being late,” she murmured to the royals. “My maid…” She shook her head. “I assumed the celebration was at Crislis Castle. I was wrong.”
“No matter,” the queen said, waving her hand airily about, dismissing her concern.
“This is a new look for you,” King Tibero said, seeming to like her appearance.
She felt her whole body warm with awkwardness.
“I will insist you wear colors other than black more often.”
She realized just why he had demanded she wear something other than black this time. She couldn’t have worn such a thing to a wedding. Why hadn’t anyone told her what it was for?
But she didn’t like the notion the king would tell her to dress in something other than black on other occasions. She didn’t want this to become a habit, nor did she want to have to buy a whole new other-than-black wardrobe.
Then Niall led her to stand
with his lovely wife, the winged fae, Serena. She smiled at Ena, and she realized that the winged fae was kind of like her. Different. Ena smiled back at her.
She saw Princess Ritasia and her husband, Tiernan, the hawk fae king. Micala was wearing a jeweled fae retaining collar so he could not slip away during the ceremony. Cassie was standing next to him, their hands locked together.
Cassie was dressed in a lovely pink gown for the celebration, and Ena was glad she looked like she fit in. She looked happy for Alicia, but worried about Micala and herself.
Alicia’s father, King Reynolds, led Alicia down the aisle, smiling like he was the proudest father in the world. For a moment, the sight made Ena sad. Someday, she’d marry, too, but her father was gone. Then she thought of Halloran and growled low under her breath, still ticked off at him for locking her in his dungeon. He would be the one to walk her down the aisle when the time came.
Ena noticed Alicia’s mother, Princess Viviana, had tears in her eyes. Her only daughter was marrying the crown prince of the Denkar. And that made her think of her own deceased mother and how much she missed her. She wished her mother was still with her and at some future date could share the joyous occasion like Alicia’s was on her special day.
Alicia was wearing a gown of gold, and she looked like a golden goddess, her blond hair pulled up on top of her head in curls, diamonds pinning it in place. She was beautiful, and Ena heard the sighs from many of the courtiers studying the fae princess who could have stolen the hearts of everyone here today.
Ena realized then that she was the only dragon shifter at the wedding. Her suitors must have been upset to learn that only she had been invited, and they might have felt foolish for having dressed up to go to the king’s celebration when there wasn’t one.
She imagined they had not been asked to attend because the chapel wasn’t big enough to invite everyone of importance in both kingdoms and on such short notice. Dragon shifters wouldn’t be thought of in another kingdom as all that important. All except for Ena because she’d saved Alicia’s life.
She watched as Deveron kissed Alicia, way too passionately and long for all to see, but some were grinning, others chuckling, and everyone loved them.
She thought back to Alton’s kissing her so deliciously and wondered in a wicked way what it would be like to kiss each of the other dragon shifters that she was considering as a possible mate. Cheers went up as Deveron lifted his face from Alicia’s. Her cheeks were crimson as he led her down the aisle and to the great hall for the feast.
Everyone waited for the kings and queen and other royals to exit the chapel, but Queen Irenis stopped to speak to Ena. “Come with me.”
She glanced at her king, who looked just as puzzled. Then she walked with the queen while King Tibero stayed close behind them.
“You are dragon fae and a dragon shifter, loyal to Princess Alicia and to King Tibero. But you will be just as loyal to the lion fae,” Queen Irenis said.
Ena bowed her head in agreement.
“I wish to bestow an honor upon you. One prisoner would not be enough of a payment for all that you have done for my son and for his new wife.”
Ena frowned a little, worried that the queen intended to foist the other two prisoners on her, and her household would be even more of a disaster, but she held her tongue and continued to walk with the queen.
“I wish to turn over the other two human prisoners to you at Princess Alicia’s request. You are free to do with them what you will.”
So it was at the princess’s request.
Ena took a deep breath and nodded. She would have to ask Princess Alicia what she wanted her to do about the other two humans.
“But that is not really any kind of a payment,” the queen continued, smiling at Ena.
That had to have irked King Tibero, who had given her only one prisoner in payment.
“If I could, I would make you a princess. But I can’t. You would have to be born to the role, or marry a prince, like my nephew, Micala.”
Chapter 14
Ena’s stomach rolled over. Micala was totally in love with the human girl. No way would Ena want to marry a lion fae who loved someone else.
Queen Irenis waved her hand as if the notion was too disagreeable to entertain. Did that mean because Ena was a dragon shifter? Or because Micala loved Cassie?
“So I will bestow the next highest honor on you. You are officially a duchess of the Denkar fae. You may reside with us with all courtesies due you, or remain with the dragon fae kingdom. But you will be considered a duchess wherever you reside.”
Ena couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. She would be the first royal duchess of any of the shifters. She would have to be referred to as my lady. Even by her suitors. She chuckled at the thought. Omigod. Even her brother, though no way would he do it, but he should have to call her my lady! She loved it!
She grinned at the queen, “I’m honored.” She wanted to jump up and down, to shift, to fly. She couldn’t wait to tell…
Her heart sank.
No one really. The dragon fae would be irritated she was given such a title. The dragon shifters would see her as not one of them any longer. Even her suitors might be bothered by it.
She pondered that notion further. What did she care? The dragon fae never had cared for her. The dragon shifters knew she was different. If her suitors were bothered by it, so be it. They were not worthy of her consideration if that was the case.
She smiled again and said to the queen, “Thank you.”
Before she could take a seat at the high table where she would never have been able to sit had the queen not insisted—her own king requested she sit beside him. This was not good. He was miffed at the queen—it didn’t take much for the two long-time enemies to become irritated with each other—for her having given such a title to Ena. Not that he believed Ena didn’t deserve it, but it was more like he felt guilty for not having given her more than one measly prisoner in payment for saving his own granddaughter’s life. Even at that, the queen was giving her two human prisoners! Not that Ena wanted any more of them. One was way more than enough.
As the servants hastily filled everyone’s platters and wine goblets, Ena tried to sit straight and tall like a new duchess would, and tried not to fidget like a very nervous dragon shifter would, who knew her king was angry with her.
“Ever since you came home after having rescued the princess, I have been giving the situation much thought,” King Tibero said, then took a swig of his wine. “For what you’ve done, I believe you were entitled to much more compensation than you had asked for. But I couldn’t think of what that could be since you hadn’t wanted any other payment for your service.”
As if she believed any of it. She could have said she was fine with the payment, but she knew that would only infuriate her king now, so she kept quiet.
“I had considered offering you the title of duchess as the queen had, since it is the top royal address we can offer our people for service to the king, or queen as it may be—as the queen has said.”
Ena didn’t believe it for a minute. He had only been embarrassed into saying he’d considered such a thing.
“And like Queen Irenis said, the only way to make you a princess is to have you wed a prince.”
Ena nearly choked on her wine. She glanced in Prince Grotto’s direction. He gave her an evil smile. Omigod. No.
“Like she also said, Micala wouldn’t do,” the king added.
Ena quickly said, “What does she intend to do with him?”
She wanted to know, of course, but she didn’t want her king commanding her to wed his nephew, and she wanted to get him off the subject of whatever he meant to say. If she had to marry Prince Grotto, she’d end up killing him. And then she didn’t believe she’d be in the king’s favor any longer.
King Tibero waved his hand. “That’s the lion fae’s business, not ours. As I was saying—for you to be a princess you would have to wed a prince.”
/> She desperately wanted to tell him that being a duchess was fine with her, but she knew King Tibero wouldn’t like it because he had not made her a duchess. Queen Irenis had!
“I have not spoken with Prince Grotto, though it is my decision to make...”
She was going to throw up. “No.”
The king quit buttering a slice of bread and looked over at her. “Pardon?”
“Your Kingship,” Ena demurely said, attempting to appease him the best she could, “I’m very fond of several of the dragon shifters.”
He frowned at her.
Now what was she going to say? She hadn’t even really given a whole lot of thought of who she might want to settle down with. They all had their good sides. And their bad. It was worse than shopping. But if she was to get out of this business of marrying a prince, she had to say something that would convince the king her heart was set on marrying someone. Even though it wasn’t. And she couldn’t offer a name no matter what because what if it turned out to be the wrong one?
“I…I’m trying to decide between six dragon shifters.”
The king raised his brows.
Well, she had cut the list down from eleven. What more could he want?
“If you have that many to choose from, you are not all that interested.” He watched her and smiled.
“Well, four then.”
He laughed! The king laughed at her! It killed her to say there were only four shifters she was interested in when the other two might be the right ones for her. She was afraid King Tibero would make her list them for him so she was forced to choose one of them. She waited, her heart thundering in her ears.
“If you said there was one that your heart desired, I’d take it under consideration.”
She clenched her fists. Even then he didn’t sound sincere. His mind seemed to be made up already.
“I’m happy with being a duchess.” There, she said it, and watched the expression on the king’s face turn stormy.
“I am not happy about it. I feel this is a way to help make amends to what has happened to dragon shifters in the past. To your family in particular. It’s time for one of your kind to marry into the royal family. Because of your devotion to us, risking your own life, and for wishing nothing more than taking the fae seer off my hands—only because Princess Alicia wished it—I can do nothing less than grant you this request. Therefore, you will be a princess,” he said.