CHAPTER 1
Lynne
GROW. I THOUGHT AS I pressed my magic into the dirt surrounding my fingers.
My magic swirled inside my stomach and then shot up and out through my fingertips. Bright green strings of light spread through the earth, filling it with life. I smiled as sprouts popped up all along the dirt bed in the royal garden. I pushed just a bit more magic into the ground before leaning back on my heels.
Dusting the excess dirt off of my hands, I surveyed my work. Many would think being able to give life to plants was a small thing but I say they can stuff it.
Plants were one of the best gifts the world could give us. All plants needed was water, sunshine, and love. They didn’t argue. They didn’t try to manipulate you into doing things you wouldn’t normally want to do. Unlike Fae, particularly, my mother.
“I knew I would find you here,” my father’s voice, a deep timber forced me from my thoughts.
“Where else would I be? It’s not like I’m allowed to leave the palace.” I didn’t even try to hide the bitterness in my voice.
“Now, daughter, don’t be like that,” he started, kneeling down beside me but I jumped to my feet, the dirt that had gathered on my skirt fluttering to the ground.
“I have a name,” I snapped.
My father, Oberon, King of the Seelie Court, may look like my brother to an outsider with his flawless skin and shiny pale-colored hair, but he was actually closer to a century than my measly hundred. The only feature that gave away his age was his eyes. Wise and weary from all his years, even they could not hide all he had seen. I only wished he would trust me enough to tell me.
“You know the rules, daughter.” He stood to his feet, an understanding look on his face. “We are not to use our true names anymore.”
“It’s a stupid rule. Even mother does not abide by it.”
“Your mother lives by a different set of rules than we do.” He shook his head. “But the rule is in place for a reason.” When I opened my mouth to argue he added, “One that cannot be argued. Even if you do not understand it.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I turned away from him. I wasn’t going to get anywhere with him.
The Fae world was all about rules. You can’t do this, you can only do that. But more recently, and the most annoying was the new one about saying your real name.
It was utterly ridiculous. No one was going to get taken because the shadows whispered at him or her in the dark. At least that’s what they said would happen.
Call me a skeptic but I didn’t believe it.
“Anyway, I am here on a more important matter than arguing about what cannot be changed,” my father continued.
I frowned. I knew what he wanted to talk about, and I didn’t want to talk about it anymore than he wanted to fight about mother and her stupid rules.
“Now, I know that it’s not how you imagined you would find your spouse but it really is for the good of everyone.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and spun me back around to face him.
“You mean good for Mother,” I spat.
The soothing look on my father’s face changed to that of concern. “Your mother just wants the best for you as do I. And we both agreed this would be the best way to keep you safe.”
“And gain more power,” I snorted, “Don't try to pretend like this is about me. It’s all about Mother not being settled with enough. She will always want more power and she will give up anything to get it. Even her own daughter.”
My father sighed and dropped his hands from my shoulders. “I don’t know why I even bother. You are headstrong just like your mother.”
“Only good bit I got from her,” I muttered.
That wasn’t exactly true. My mother, Queen Titania of the Seelie Court, was known to be the most beautiful of the realm. With long pale blonde hair and ice blue eyes, she was the envy of everyone at court. Sadly, I had taken after her looks, and by my father’s judgment, her temperament.
Too bad I couldn't force myself to not feel anything like she did. If I could kill one of my own kind as easily as she did, then I probably wouldn’t care about who I married, only about when I would get my next fix.
Though, killing a Fae wasn’t as easy as just lopping their head off. No, my mother was crueler than that. She’d rather throw them to the Shadow Realm to waste away on their own rather than do the dirty deed herself.
When she wasn’t out casting half the kingdom, the rest were imprisoned in glass mirrors. Which to me was a fate worse than death.
I glanced down at the plant that was thriving from my magical touch. It was bad enough I was forced to stay in the palace. If I were locked away from the light and air it would kill me, no need to wait for my powers to wane.
Moving my gaze from the plant and back to my father I asked, “When is this so called betrothed showing up, anyway?”
“The UnSeelie Prince will be here within the fortnight. You should prepare to look your best for the occasion. We want to make a good impression.” My father’s lips ticked up slightly, obviously relieved that I wasn’t going to argue anymore.
My face scrunched at his words.
I’d never been out of the palace, so it was no surprise that I didn’t know anything about the UnSeelie Court aside from what I read about in books.
While they had some of the most beautiful High Fae, it was said that their Lower Fae were not more than animals. The Seelie Court was all about structure and playing the game of Court. The UnSeelie Court preferred to wear their emotions on their sleeve doing whatever they liked whenever they liked with no thought to the consequences around them.
Tucked away in the library they had seemed so fascinating to me, and now I would not only get to meet one but I was to marry one. I couldn’t imagine how that would go. Would they throw me over their shoulder like a barbarian and drag me back to their kingdom? Or would they not even wait until the wedding night and ravish me on the ballroom floor?
The thought of either caused a flutter of excitement and terror to fill me. Thankfully, my father’s voice pulled me out of my panic.
“Daughter?”
My eyes jerked to his, and I nodded. “I will be fine. Don’t worry.”
No UnSeelie Prince would make a fool of me. I’d make sure of it.