Page 38 of His Noble Savior

Lilian tore off small pieces of bread and fed them to the bird. “I’ve always been on the other end. Living in the Spring Court, I didn’t have much, and I held onto my possessions with clenched fists. If I hadn’t, my things would’ve been taken from me. I never shared food with a bird for fear that I might not have enough to eat myself and regret it.” He threw the bird another piece. “This feels both frivolous and liberating.”

“But you said you used to feed ducks.”

“Yes, for good luck. Trust me, it works. There was nothing selfless about it.”

“Do you miss the Spring Court?”

Lilian fell silent. He picked up an apple slice and bit into it. Richard followed suit, the sweet, juicy taste running over his tongue.

“I don’t know,” Lilian finally said. “Your castle is a good place to be.”

“Do you miss the food?”

“Sometimes. Not now, when we’re having such amazing fresh fruit. We eat that too in the faerie realm. Human food is far better than what I got in captivity.” Lilian made a disgusted sound. “But yes, there are foods we have at the Spring Court that don’t exist in the human world. Certain types of apples and mushrooms for example. We also bake special types of cakes. I couldn’t afford the ingredients often, but those tarts and flans are delicious.”

Richard’s heart filled with sorrow. He’d ensure Lilian got the cakes he liked so much. “If you know how to make those treats, you could show the cook how to prepare them. With the Summer Court so close, Resh can get you faerie ingredients.”

“That’d be wonderful.” Lilian’s eyes shone. “Then you can enjoy some faerie food too while I’m here.”

While I’m here. Richard had no right to feel disappointed at the reminder that Lilian was a guest, not a resident of the castle. But then why did it hurt so much?

Outside the gate, a horn sounded, the signal rising full and bright above the walls. Richard sat up, eyeing the gate as his knights slid open the peephole cover. It was most likely a messenger.

“Princess Bellerose of the Spring Court and her royal household,” a knight announced.

Richard snapped around to Lilian, who’d gone ramrod stiff, eyes bulging with shock.

Chapter Twelve

Lilian

Richard commanded the knights to open the gates, Lilian clinging to him. They’d gotten up from the blanket and walked onto the path running through the outer courtyard, connecting the drawbridge to the castle’s gate.

Tension froze Lilian as he stood half-hidden by Richard. Clouds were moving in, covering the sun, and a stiff wind picked up, driving into Lilian’s thin shirt. The weather had been more than warm enough for a picnic, but with the sun gone, he was shivering.

The gate rattled as the knights unbolted it, hinges screeching as the huge wings swung open. Richard had had no idea Princess Bellerose was going to visit, Lilian was sure of it. The surprise in his eyes had been bright, mirroring Lilian’s.

Princess Bellerose rode ahead of the train. She sat straight-backed on an ethereal white horse, its mane and coat so bright it gleamed. Clad in magenta leather armor and with an artfully twisted braid slung over her shoulder, glossy pearls threaded into the strands, she was painfully out of place in the human world.

Behind her, a train of twenty fae on horses filed through the gates. They wore the emblem of the princess and had attached little bells to their armor and the manes of their horses—a common practice to ward off dark fae. The princess’s household filled the outer courtyard in seconds, sending the gnomesrunning for their underground homes.

Princess Bellerose was beautiful, her feminine figure evident even under her armor. Her heart-shaped face was graced with bright, intelligent eyes, high cheekbones and full, pink lips. She was not only a high fae, wealthy and powerful, but also exuded her royal birth from every pore. Lilian paled in comparison—of course, Richard was going to marry someone like the princess. She had everything Lilian didn’t and could offer Richard protection, riches and things beyond Lilian’s wildest dreams. As the higher-ranking spouse, she’d take the lead in their marriage. Soon, it’d be her riding Richard, not Lilian. Bile rose in his throat. He’d known this was coming, and yet the shock made him physically ill. He was unworthy of Richard’s love. Rejected by his parents and abused by a horde of orcs, Lilian wasn’t decent company for a lord, much less an acceptable lover.

“Your Highness,” Richard said, bowing to Bellerose when she jumped off her horse. She was tall, almost Richard’s height, and she towered over Lilian.

Lilian bowed as well, though Bellerose showed no signs of noticing him. Her attention was fixed on Richard.

“Lord Dalton.” Her voice was rich and warm, deep for a woman.

“To what do I owe the honor?” Richard asked.

Bellerose’s eyebrows drew together in a frown. “Did you not receive my mother’s missive? The messenger delivered it weeks ago.”

A missive? They received several each week from all sorts of people. Could this one have gotten lost? It dawned on Lilian. There had been a letter from the Spring Court the evening when he and Richard had kissed in the rain. He vaguely remembered the steward calling out to them as they went inside. She’d mentioned leaving the letter in the writing room, and then Lilian and Richard had retired to his chambers and taken a hot bath.Lilian’s cheeks heated at the thought of what had happened in the washroom that night.

The steward was diligent, but there were a lot of papers on Richard’s desk, and Queen Dahlia’s letter might’ve slipped between them. Perhaps Richard had forgotten about the missive like Lilian, and the next time he sat at his desk, he’d pushed it aside without thought.

“Of course, Your Highness,” Richard said. It was the only thing he could say to defuse the situation. “My servants will show you to your chambers.”

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