Page 49 of The Crown of the Last Fae Queen
“Astrid.”
“Astrid,” he murmured, tasting the name. “What a beautiful name.”
Astrid tucked a strand of hair behind her ears, glancing at Kolfinna and Yrsa before turning back to him. There was a soft, reddish glow on her cheeks. “I’m working.”
“Have dinner with me. I insist.”
“I …” She laughed awkwardly. “You must do this all the time.”
“Never.” Gunnar only had his eyes on her, even as Yrsa mumbled something under her breath. Kolfinna felt awkward being here, witnessing this right now—it almost felt too intimate to be a third-wheel to his obvious flirting. She wondered, briefly, if Astrid wasn’t accustomed to being flirted with; maybe that was why his charm worked so well? She had no idea.
“You don’t have to decide right now.” Gunnar rose to his feet, his gaze never straying from hers. “But I would love to take you out, Astrid. I will see you around?”
“Ah, yes.” She stared down at her lap.
“Wonderful.” He beamed at her, and then nodded at Yrsa and Kolfinna, before departing from them all.
Kolfinna watched him disappear into the throng of people before shifting her attention to Astrid, who was still blushing. She lifted an eyebrow. “What wasthatabout?”
“I have no clue,” Astrid whispered, reaching for a cluster of grapes in the food basket and popping them into her mouth. She ate quickly, her face still flushed. “But oh my, he was so handsome. I have never seen anyone so beautiful. Are all humans like that?”
Yrsa frowned at her. “No, they’re not.”
“Did you think he was handsome too?” Kolfinna asked.
“I don’t like dumb men,” Yrsa said with another scoff. “And especially not those who don’t know their place. How did he not know that you’re the princess? Either he’s too stupid, or he pretended not to know.”
Kolfinna forced a laugh—Yrsa’s intuition was a tad bit scary. “Are you sure you’re not jealous that he didn’t approach you instead?”
“What? No?—”
She turned her attention to Astrid, quickly shifting to a different line of conversation to distract them both. “Sowillyou be having dinner with him? He seemed very interested in you. I don’t blame him; you’re beautiful, Astrid.”
Astrid continued to fidget with the leather cord at the end of her braid. “Oh, I don’t know. That was incredibly random, and I don’t have time to even mentally prepare?—”
“I think it would do you some good.” She bumped her shoulder with hers. “You should loosen up. Have some fun. Do you have anything planned for dinner?”
“No. I was going to go to the dining hall as usual.”
“Perhaps he will seek you out?”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.”
Yrsa continued to frown at them, and Kolfinna wondered if she actually was jealous of Astrid, which seemed completelyridiculous since she hadn’t shown an ounce of interest at Gunnar. She could have easily been at the receiving end of his flirtatious advances if she hadn’t been so rude. But maybe she was the kind of person who didn’t like when another woman was receiving attention. Kolfinna had to remind herself that she didn’t really know her; the Yrsa she knew in the Royal Guards—the no-nonsense, direct, and serious woman—had likely been a façade. This was what she was really like—mean, rude, and blunt.
Later that morning,Yrsa and Astrid led her inside one of the four towers of the walled city. This one, similar to the tower she was kept in, was packed with so many runes that even in the distance, it loomed a glowing gold. When they went through one of the many sets of double doors inside, Kolfinna was surprised to find Vidar sitting in an antechamber on a velvet couch. He looked out of place in the luxuriously decorated room; the silk curtains embroidered with gold, the plush royal blue and purple rugs, the intricately carved mahogany furnishing—it made him look all the more ominous and jarring against such a welcoming backdrop. Like a general of darkness.
Astrid and Yrsa froze at the sight of him, and dropped down to their knees, their hands going to their hearts. Kolfinna didn’t bow; she only stared at him, not even trying to veil her surprise—or her disappointment.
She scowled. “I thought Rakel or one of your generals was supposed to be here?”
Vidar’s wings stretched along the couch. His helmet sat on the tea table in front of him, its black scales glimmering against the firelight. He had been staring at the fire when she entered,only the scarred half of his face visible. When he turned to her, his red eyes appeared deadlier than usual.
“Rakel is occupied with other duties,” he said.
Astrid and Yrsa remained crouched on the floor, their faces downcast. Kolfinna wondered if they too could feel the oppressive, heavy haze of his mana; it seemed to crush her, but she was slowly becoming accustomed to it.
“What other duties?” she asked slowly, bitterness seeping into her voice. “Like razing cities? Conquering villages? Seizing territories?”
