Page 48 of The Crown of the Last Fae Queen
FOURTEEN – KOLFINNA
In the morning,Kolfinna was allowed to eat breakfast outside in the courtyard of the fortress while she waited for her next trial. Apparently, the general who she was supposed to do her training with was running late, so she was allowed to relax in the sun until it was time to head inside. At least that’s what Astrid told her. So the three of them—Yrsa, Astrid, and Kolfinna—sat beneath a large, gnarled tree that offered a sparse canopy from the harsh morning light.
Kolfinna munched on her crusty bread and scanned the courtyard; soldiers walked, sat, ate, sparred, and milled about. A few of them flew above, their wings spread out in the bright sky, appearing ethereal against the sunlight. She noticed that Astrid stared longingly at the ones who flew above, her eyes riddled with grief
She had thought that maybe she had been wrong last night, and that Astrid had been the one guarding her all along. She had half-expected to be dragged to Vidar, her plans of escape laid out in front of them all, and to finally be chucked into a dungeon cell. But none of that had happened, surprisingly.
“Good morning, ladies,” a cheerful, smooth, familiar voice called in front of them.
Kolfinna jerked her attention to Gunnar, her mouth nearly dropping open at the sight of him. She had expected him to be here—Blár had literally told her Gunnar’s plan hours ago—and yet she couldn’t stop the surprise that stiffened her spine. She hadn’t expected him to approach her so soon. And seeing him here, with the fae in the background, made her uneasy—he was an imposter, and if they found out … She didn’t want to think about failure.
Gunnar’s black hair was slicked back neatly, with a few strands falling over his forehead. His dark brown eyes appeared black in the shadows the tree provided. He grinned widely, dimples forming on both of his cheeks. Clad in the dark leathers of the fae army, he looked like he fit in seamlessly.
Kolfinna blinked away her surprise; a quick glance at the other two revealed that they hadn’t noticed her momentary shock. It was better if no one picked up on the fact that she recognized him. He was supposed to be a stranger in that moment.
Yrsa narrowed her eyes at him while Astrid finally ripped her gaze from the flying fae.
“I couldn’t help but notice you three from across the courtyard.” His voice came out velvety, but she noticed he wasn’t paying much attention to her, his gaze flicking between Astrid and Yrsa. Assessing. Analyzing. Likely trying to make out his target. “Mind if I join you for breakfast?”
Kolfinna shoved the rest of her bread in her mouth to keep from saying something stupid. It was better if she didn’t talk at all. She chewed, while the other two scrutinized him carefully.
“Yes. Leave,” Yrsa snapped. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
He canted his head to the side, a frown tugging on his lips. “I’m not allowed to be here? That’s a bit harsh.”
“Do you not realize who she is?” Yrsa stuck a thumb in Kolfinna’s direction, her thin eyebrows raising. “If you did, you would know you’re supposed to stay far, far away.”
Gunnar finally looked over at her, a frown still etched into his handsome face. Kolfinna had to hand it to him—he really was playing the part of a wounded, charming, clueless man, because she would have been fooled.
“I don’t understand?” he said slowly.
“You don’t?” Yrsa made a low throaty sound. “Are you daft?”
Astrid stared at him a moment longer. “Are you human?”
His frown melted, replaced with an easy grin that stretched across his full lips. “I am.”
“Then you must be new,” she said, returning his smile. “You should keep your distance. Ask any of the soldiers here and they can fill you in on the details.”
Gunnar’s grin sharpened as he stared at Astrid. There was a calculating gleam in his eyes that could have easily been mistaken for something else—desire, maybe, but Kolfinna knew better. “Forgive me for being too forward, and naïve, but truthfully, I only approached because I noticedyoufrom afar.”
Astrid blinked, her violet eyes widening. “M-me?”
“I was wondering if you were free for lunch?”
Yrsa scoffed while Kolfinna watched the two of them. Gunnar, with his cheerful smile, and Astrid, who was …blushing. It was the last thing she’d expected. Astrid was supposed to hate humans, and Gunnar’s approach had been too brash, too clumsy, too on-the-nose with what he wanted. But she supposed, maybe, it didn’t matter too much, since he was handsome. Maybe he was used to women falling for his smile alone.
“I am working right now.” She fiddled with the end of her braid, her fingers brushing against her snow-white hair.
Gunnar crouched down until he was at her level. “What about dinner, then?”
Yrsa laughed harshly. “Are you truly trying your hand at picking up a fae woman? We are not the same as them?—”
But he ignored her, his smirk only growing as Astrid became flustered. “Dinner?” he asked again. “I can’t let the opportunity to meet a beautiful woman pass me up.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Astrid said with a short laugh. “I don’t even know you.”
“We can become acquainted.” He placed a hand over his heart. “My name is Gunnar.”
