Page 298 of Kingdoms of Night

“I bound my seed with the ancient tree that is the foundation of the castle. I added fairy magic to the roots so no fairy can enter.”

The blood was pounding in Geraint’s head as he struggled to understand. But that was also the hooves impacting the ground from horses racing toward them. He didn’t need to turn to know that his brothers were at the border, armed and ready. But there was no foe to fight. Gyges had managed to disappear with Geraint’s attention focused on his wife.

“What happened?” demanded Arthur the moment he pulled his horse up beside them. He stayed mounted, looking right and left, searching for the villain.

“Her father tried to infiltrate the grounds,” said Loren. “But Enid stopped him.”

It was a neat explanation that left out most of the details. For once, Geraint was thankful for Loren and her half-truths.

“My father enticed me to bring him a sword of Camelot,” Enid confessed. “And I agreed.”

Geraint cursed under his breath. He still had the Takrut in his tunic, but he knew the charm had no effect on his wife. She spoke her truth of her own free will. He looked up to see Arthur’s face grow hard as the stone people believed he’d pulled his sword from.

“Did your father threaten you?” asked Arthur.

“No,” said Enid. “He promised to reveal a way for me to give my husband a child.”

The coldness of that surprise hit Geraint at his core. The cold was followed by a rush of heat that thawed him out before any ice could take hold of his person.

“I can’t give you children,” Enid said, her lovely features arranged in a grimace of misery. “He was lying, of course. I gave away my flower for the good of Camelot.”

Geraint looked up to see the knights shift uncomfortably in their saddles. “She means an actual flower seed, not…” He couldn’t see a way to finish that sentence and clear up the misunderstanding, so he turned back to his wife.

“I used its power to enhance Camelot’s border protection. Now no fae can enter the lands.”

“But you’re fae,” said Arthur.

Enid gave a miserable nod. Her lavender cheeks turned plum under the moon’s light. She looked down at the ground, right at the spot where Geraint imagined the border line was drawn.

He reached for her again, his brain still not grasping the reality that she wasn’t coming back to their rooms with him.

“We’ll find a way around this,” said Arthur. “We don’t leave family behind.”

Slowly, the dark bruising colors at her cheeks lightened, as though the light switch of hope had been flicked on. But her features remained wary and cautious.

Geraint turned his back on his wife and faced his commander. He unstrapped his sword and handed it over to Arthur.

“What’s happening?’ said Arthur, looking down at the steel.

“I renounce my seat at the table.”

“G,” said Wain, dismounting from his steed and coming forward. “We’ll fix this.”

“I believe you,” said Geraint. “But in the meantime, my place is with my wife.”

“Then you need to keep your sword to protect the lady,” said Arthur. “Her father may try again to take her from us.”

Geraint felt Enid jerk at the wordus. She still didn’t get it. As much as the storybooks liked to cast Camelot in a fairytale light, the truth was, it was much like the mafia. Once you got in, the townsfolk would never let you out.

“I’ll send the newly knighted squires to be her personal detail while you’re off grounds,” Arthur said.

Baysle, Maurice, and Yuric pulled their steeds forward. Each young man rested a hand on his reins and the other on their swords. They’d each been chosen by a sword, and Geraint had missed it. He gave them all a nod of thanks.

“I’ll go too,” said Loren, stepping forward.

“No,” said Geraint.

Loren’s face fell, her gaze dropping to the ground. A long, weary sigh of defeat whistled through her nostrils.

---