Page 95 of Prince of the Northwest Forest
Kalle nuzzles my neck. “Come on, let’s get cleaned up for supper.” I happily follow him into the bathroom, to touch my man everywhere under the warm water. Again.
Freshly washed, I meet Kalle’s family in a large dining hall. The castle’s dark wood theme continues here in the long tables and the paneled walls decorated with tapestries and shields. Various animals mill around, and I can listen in on their conversations.
I saw King Björn and Queen Beatrice at the wedding, even if I wasn’t introduced to them. They’re talking to each other when Kalle and I walk in, so Kalle introduces me first to his younger brothers, Mats and Einar. Einar is a gangly-limbed teenager with overgrown dark hair who is going to be a heartthrob in a few years. Mats is a smaller, leaner version of Kalle, with shorter hair. He’s cute enough, but he doesn’t hold a candle to Kalle.
My eyes widen.Oh shit, he can read my thoughts.
Mats smiles. “I’ll try not to.” He leans in and whispers, “But I can tell how much you care about Kalle and how much he cares about you. Your feelings are strong—both of you.”
His words hit me somewhere deep inside. I trust Kalle, but it’s heartening to have external confirmation that what I’m feeling is reciprocated.
“Thanks,” I mouth.
The king and queen have stepped closer to us, and Kalle turns to them. “Mother, Father, this is Justice Laurel, myboyfriend. Justice, this is my mother, Queen Beatrice, and my father, King Björn.”
I bow to the queen first, since that seems polite. “Your Majesty. It’s nice to meet you.”
Queen Beatrice tilts her head and regards me coolly. “Hello, Justice.”
What’s wrong? Am I not good enough for her son? I mean, I know I’m not royal, but I’ll love him.
Mats turns his head sharply, and his widened eyes tell me he heard my thoughts. I shrug.
Kalle says, “Mother told me a family with the last name Laurel used to live in our realm. Do you know Horace Laurel?”
I shake my head. “That name doesn’t sound familiar. But I never knew my father or his family. I grew up with my mother in Princedelphia.” As far as I remember, anyway. Who knows? Maybe I do have some connections to the Northwest Forest that I’ve forgotten about—or, rather, the memory of which was stolen from me.
King Björn is sizing me up to see if I’m appropriate to date his son. I hold my head high and smile. “A pleasure to meet you as well, Your Majesty.”
He coughs, grimacing. “Um, yes.”
Wow, I didn’t think I’d get this bad of a reception. Then again, Kalle has apparently lived his life—until now—bending his desires to their will.
The king and queen move on to greet someone else—it’s kind of awkward that they clearly want to get away from me, but also a relief—and I focus back on Kalle, who’s talking to Mats. “How did you get to the Fae Realm without anyone noticing you, anyway?” he asks. “I thought the nearest portal was in Icedonia.”
Mats shakes his head. “There’s one here.”
Kalle’s jaw drops. “We have a fae portal in the Northwest Forest? Why didn’t I know about that?”
“I don’t know, but it’s not obvious. You have to climb a tree,” Mats says.
“Still, I’ve talked with enough of our avian subjects. Surely one of them could’ve mentioned that there’s a portal here.”
Mats shrugs. “It’s in Tassiya Meadows. You have to find the biggest ponderosa pine on the outskirts of the meadow—it stands out, because there’s a blaze mark on it from one of the old explorers. You climb that tree, and about ten feet up is a fae portal.”
“So that’s where you go when you disappear?” Kalle asks.
“Now you know my secrets.”
“Dinner is served,” a bear—wearing glasses—says. He lumbers by, pushing a wooden rolling cart with his nose.
I sit where Kalle tells me to and follow his lead in terms of what to serve myself when. Time and again throughout the meal, he leans over and whispers in my ear fun facts or helpful info about his realm. The food is fresh and hearty, but I’m more nourished by being with him.
When we’re done, the plates are cleared, and the king, queen, and Einar have left, I shiver. “I don’t think your parents liked me.”
“That’s okay,” he says, kissing my cheek. “I like you extra to make up for it.”
“So … when are you and Mats going to take off?”
