Page 112 of The Beast King's Bride

29

ASH

When I wake up the next morning, in his bed, he’s not there.

I blink and roll onto my back, frowning at the high ceiling, the morning light slanting in through the windows. The branches scratching against the window panes are laden with snow, sunlight reflecting off the crystals, blinding me.

“Talen?” I murmur and roll on my other side, cast my hands right and left on the massive bed. “Talen.”

I sit up, fear spearing through me. Where is he? What happened? Sudden terror takes my breath away as the worst possibilities fight for the front seat—a monster dragged him out of bed, he bled out during the night, they took him and I didn’t even realize, didn’t even get to say goodbye—

There is no blood on the sheets. I shove the covers down, searching, but no, the bed is pristine. No signs of struggle, no signs of anything.

But I’m not reassured. After a mad scramble out of the bed, after patting down the wild tangle of my hair and my wrinkled dress, I hurry to the door and wrench it open.

The two guards standing outside give me slight bows. “Princess Elayne,” they say in unison.

“Where is the king?” I demand.

“In the throne room,” one of them says.

“What?”

“He’s holding council,” he continues as if that’s the most normal thing in the world.

“He almost died yesterday. He was unconscious most of the day. How…?” I sigh. “Never mind. I’ll go ask him myself.”

Muttering about stubborn kings and males in general, I start in the direction of the palace’s other wing and the throne room, the guards falling in step behind me. So typical that he’d get up, careful not to wake me, and get to work even if he can barely stand without help.

It’s also reassuring, I admit as I stride through by now familiar corridors and galleries, knowing he felt strong enough to get up and give me a scare. He has to be feeling much better already.

Fae and their inhuman strength and powers of healing. I think they will never cease to amaze me. All right, maybe someday but not today. Not yet.

Talen isn’t human and it hasn’t quite sunk in yet that this is where I want to be, where I’m staying—with him, in this strange land. But as long as he’s here, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.

He’s holding a council—with whom? In the time I have been here, I was never told that he was in a council meeting. Was there any news about the curse, about anything that might help us lift it? My pulse is pounding in my ears as I nod at the guards flanking the giant doors of the throne room and slip inside.

The king is seated on his throne, and the sight of him, seated straight-backed, both hands resting on the armrests, his crown shining on his head between those curling horns, eases the crushing vise around my chest. It looks like I was still afraid something had happened to him, despite the guards’ reassurances.

I also admit I’d expected him to wake me up before leaving, or even to stay, take advantage of the moment and keep me in his arms a while longer.

But that’s selfish. He has a kingdom to run, a curse to fight.

A few Fae men and women are standing by the thrones, flanking them, dressed in shimmering finery.

The high lords and ladies who were organizing the rebellion, I assume.

“We then have your reassurance, your Majesty,” one of the ladies is saying, “that you will lift the curse from the kingdom?”

“Your Highness,” the Seneschal who is standing by the throne says, “this is not—”

“That is correct,” Talen says, his deep voice sending a thrill through me. He isn’t looking at me, as if he hasn’t noticed me as I hurry across the room to reach his side. “The Empress will be given what she wants and the land will be freed of the Decay.”

“Another few days, then,” one of the lords says. “Until the moon is full.”

Wait, what is he doing? What is he promising them? I thought this was a council but it’s an audience, designed to stop the aristocrats of the kingdom from rebelling against him—but how is he going to lift the curse? When did he find the way?

“Oh, there she is,” one of them says and they all turn to look at me as I approach. “The human. We were led to believe that she will break the curse and cure the land.”

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