Page 31 of Destined for the Fae King

“Several reasons.” Lysandir leans forward, elbows on his thighs, book closed in his lap and long forgotten. “For one, you could be queen someday soon, and if you are, I want us to get along.”

Should have thought of that before, I think, but hold my tongue.

“Secondly, I want to get to know you better.” He leans back. “Since you are a candidate to become my brother’s bride, it only makes sense. After all, he won’t make that decision alone. He’s relying on feedback from those close to him. As his brother, it’s my duty to advise him.”

And there it is. Something that rings with more truth than the first statement, though they’re undoubtedly both true since fae cannot lie. Didn’t Elaine even say that she and the advisors would be helping him choose? After all, there is a lot of time when he is not, and cannot be, around us. Just this afternoon, Elaine spent time with us again. She dropped some helpful tidbits about her life, but I’m sure her purpose was just as much about getting to know us and observing how we interact than anything else.

“Ah, I see,” I reply with only a little bit of sarcasm. “So, you’re trying not to let your judgement be clouded by whatever initial dislike of me you had so that you can advise your brother without bias?”

There’s a subtle shake of his head that I almost miss.

My lips press thin, holding in the question that’s been stewing in my head since the council meeting. Call it frustration more than courage, but the pressure in my chest isn’t letting up and I haveto know. “You’re a seer, right? Let me guess, you saw something about me that made you dislike me?”

He shakes his head more clearly this time. “I’ve never disliked you, Mira.”

The response takes some of the wind out of my sails. I was so convinced that had to be it.

“Right, well,” I stammer. When it he says my name like that, all calm and full of something I can’t name, it does something to my head and almost makes me lose my train of thought. “You certainly have a funny way of showing it.”

“I know,” he admits, raising his palms in the air. “Which is why I hoped we could start fresh and that I might be able to get to know you better without the cloud of that first meeting hanging over us. Perhaps a peace offering?” He picks up the book in his lap and hands it to me.

The lettering on the title shifts before my eyes, becoming readable. Someone has spelled this fae book to allow humans to read it. The shimmering golden ink of the title readsThe Fall of the Unseelie Court.

Lysandir leans in again, this time whispering like we’re friendly confidants. “I thought that you, or whoever might seek out knowledge in the library, might be interested to learn more about the last Unseelie King and his sword. A weapon known not only for its prowess in battle but its ability to do the otherwise impossible, like slice through wards.”

My lips part in surprise. Not just at the knowledge, but that he’s sharing it aloud. Granted, he’s whispering, and the library is once again quiet tonight but still.

“There’s a reason it’s troublesome that it’s been found and is being wielded by this new king.” At my incredulous look, he adds, “Don’t worry, you’re not sharing anything you’re not supposed to. I’m the one talking.”

Clever man. I can’t help it when the corners of my lips quirk up at that. Still, all this is a bit out of the blue. “This isn’t some trick?” I say, lifting the book for emphasis. “You really do want to help me?”

“It’s no trick.” He scoots a little closer, nearly sitting on the edge of the cushioned seat. “I’m curious to see how your mind works and what you might advise.”

“Oh.” The book is suddenly heavy in my lap. “It’s a test then, not a gift.”

“Can’t it be both?” He cants his head to one side. “But I did mean it as a gift, and I’ll prove it to you. If you’ll let me, perhaps I can show you some portions of this particular book that I found interesting? We can even discuss them if you like.” He holds out his hand.

For a minute, I just stare at it. It doesn’t seem like a trick. He does seem to want to help me, and it makes sense that he’d want to get to know me better and test my wits to see if I’d make a good queen. But I still can’t reason out our first terrible interaction.

I pass him the book. He grabs it, but I don’t let go.

I lean in, matching his whispered urgency. “If you don’t dislike me and you want to help me, tell me why you did it. Why make a spectacle of me in front of everyone?”

His fingers tighten on the book, his skin paling from the pressure, though he doesn’t move to jerk it away. All his attention is focused on me, his gaze so intense I have to fight every urge within me to look away. A hint of light flares from his eyes, and finally, he breaks first, glancing away.

“I told you before, it’s strange that a woman wanting to be queen wouldn’t visit Faery before now.” He gives the book a gentle tug, but I still don’t let go.

“You did, but it’s more than that. There’s something else.” I know it deep in my bones, and saying it aloud only solidifies that certainty. “You’re always calm and collected, a voice of reason. Or you have been every time I’ve seen you except that moment. So, what else was it? What did I do wrong?”

A deep sigh slipped from him, the kind that moves his whole upper body. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Mira. Nothing at all.”

Nothing? I release the book, confused as ever, the fight going out of me like a full balloon that someone forgot to tie and just let go of.

“Someday, I’ll tell you everything. But not yet. Just know, it has nothing to do with me disliking you or thinking you unworthy to be queen.”

So, there is something. Or was.

I ball my hands into fists in my lap. “Please—"

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