Page 82 of Rebellious Royals

Using my fork, I gestured to Jack. "When we're the ranking royalty in an area, we get some privileges. I made a duke. He made a Morrigan."

"Makes sense," Keir relented.

But Jack's head snapped to the side. "Court!" he cawed loudly.

Rain turned to see what he was looking at. "Courtiers," she corrected, making me lean a bit to see around my friends.

Sure enough, Poppy and Nevaeh were making their way over. Aspen tapped my plate, reminding me to eat. Wilder leaned back as if waiting for their arrival. I did grab a bite of honeyed flowers, then scanned the area, trying to guess how everyone was taking my little announcement.

"Well," I said, scooping more flowers onto my fork, "we did agree that we weren't hiding anymore, right?"

"Not really what I expected when we made that decision," Aspen pointed out.

Then our "friends" were too close. The entire court looked up, making it clear we knew they were coming. Nevaeh ducked her head, but Poppy lifted a hand in a wave and smiled.

"Um," she said, taking the lead, "so that was dramatic."

"I know, right?" Rain asked.

Which made Nevaeh smile at her toes. "Your Highne-"

"No," Aspen said, waving that off. "We're not doing that. Torian, Aspen, Hawke, Wilder, Keir, Rain, and Jack. Shadow, if you ever get to see it. Just names."

Which made Nevaeh's head snap up. "Shit," she breathed. "If he's the Prince..."

"She's not a princess," Wilder grumbled.

"Oh." Nevaeh nodded. "Sorry. I just assumed he was Titania's child from Oberon. That would mean - "

"I am," I said.

"And he is," Aspen told them, talking over me like the queen she was. "But I accepted the crown on my eighteenth birthday. I'm not a princess."

Rain's hand snapped out, catching Nevaeh just as the girl's body dipped a bit. "Do not kneel," Rain told her.

"Curtsy?" Nevaeh asked.

Rain just shook her head.

But Poppy's eyes were wide, and she was looking between us. "Summer Prince, Winter Queen, and Morrigan?"

"Mhm," I agreed, liking how easily Rain and Aspen had included themselves in this.

A few times, Poppy bobbed her head, almost like she was having trouble processing everything we'd just dropped on her. Then again, knowing this girl, she was processing all of it, the implications of us being here, not hiding it anymore, and how all of that tied together with both the political situation on Earth and Faerie.

"So here's what you need to know," Poppy blurted out, moving a little closer. "The whispers about Hawke and Wilder? They aren't slandering them, Torian. People are saying there was an attack last night, Hawke was in Wilder's room, and three assassins were hauled out by Rain, Keir, and Bracken. You and Aspen were there as well, and then today? Well, Wilder's fineeven though he has Winter magic, and you just announced who you are."

"Ok?" I asked.

So she leaned closer, resting her hands on the table to hold her weight so she could lower her voice. "Evidently, a few people now suspect Wilder and Hawke are a couple. They share a suite, so no one wants them to get busted. Then there's the fact that Wilder must be a badass if assassins came after him and these two kicked their asses. It's good things, Torian, not complaints."

"What?" Hawke asked, stunned.

"I'm good with them knowing we're a couple," Wilder told Hawke.

"I think it's cute," Rain said.

"But," Nevaeh said, shifting a little closer, "Torian just announced your nobility, Hawke. That's going to make things hard on Wilder, isn't it? If he's your consort, then that's one thing, but it needs to be acknowledged."

---