Chapter Forty-One

 

 

Drostan and I were out riding; and by that, I mean that I was draped over his lap, with him in the saddle, as he thrust up into me; just like that day he had kidnapped me in Conall's body. It was one of our favorite pastimes. The horse did most of the work for us; we just had to hold on and enjoy the ride.

Although lately, it had become more difficult; what with all my layers of clothing. Gone were the slutty outfits. Ever since Drostan had sort-of declared his love for me, he'd had more refined clothes made for me. I wore gowns similar to the ones I'd seen on Queen Tana. On top of that, Drostan treated me with more respect, and his stunned court followed suit. I was becoming more consort than concubine at last.

We were slowing down after experiencing an amazing orgasm together when we were surrounded by Cu-sidhe. I had grown familiar with the different fairy races, but I knew for a fact that these men were Cu-sidhe because I had slept with five of them.

Drostan's horse reared, and it took a few moments for him to calm the beast. As he did so, I gaped at Caleb, Jack, Ethan, Rath, and Ruin. They nodded to me but their expressions were solemn, and their hands were shifted into massive paws with long, deadly claws.

“You are interrupting an intimate moment with my consort,” Drostan growled.

I was so shocked by the appearance of my Cu-sidhe ex-lovers that I barely registered Drostan labeling me as his consort.

“Our apologies, Your Majesty,” Caleb's voice was low and harsh; nothing like I'd known it to be. “But if you will dismount, we will be able to handle this in a more civilized manner.”

“Handle what?” Drostan snapped.

“You have been neglecting your people, King Drostan, and we have had enough of it,” Caleb announced. “You will rectify the matter, or we shall finish what the Lady Riley once interrupted.”

“What I interrupted?” I frowned as I clung to Drostan's shoulders.

“The assassination attempt,” Drostan murmured to me.

“That was you guys?” I asked in horror.

“We were desperate.” Caleb sighed.

“We tried to keep you safe and out of his reach, Riley,” Ruin said. “But you ran away from us.”

“I heard you talking about Trenton,” I hissed.

The five Cu-sidhe I'd been with grimaced at each other guiltily.

“See?” Caleb huffed. “If we had treated her honorably, she might be safe.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Drostan asked in a dangerous tone.

“We're talking about Lady Riley's stay with us when she was trying to escape you.” Caleb narrowed his eyes at Drostan. “She was trying to get back to Prince Trenton while simultaneously hiding from you. We sheltered her and asked her to stay with us, but she snuck away.”

“You could come back,” Jack offered eagerly. “We miss you, Riley.”

“I don't think I like the way you're speaking to my consort,” Drostan said as his hand started to fill with sparking, oily mist.

The Cu-sidhe started to growl, and some of them shifted into enormous black dogs.

“Stop it!” I shouted, and all of them froze. “What are your grievances, Caleb?”

“They are not only ours, Riley,” Caleb's voice had gone even lower; into a gravely growl. “Most of the Unseelie races are unhappy with King Drostan's rule.”

“What the fuck have I done that's so horrible?” Drostan huffed as he kept the dark magic ready.

“You've ignored us, Your Majesty,” Rath said. “You lounge in your castle, fucking your consort all day, and never visit the villages unless absolutely necessary.”

“Like with the Goblins,” Ruin muttered.

“I assume that any issues will be brought to my attention,” Drostan said.

“We have brought things to you,” Caleb countered. “But we aren't even permitted an audience.”

“What nonsense is this?” Drostan rolled his eyes. “I never turn away representatives of the races.”

The Cu-sidhe frowned at each other uneasily.

“We were turned away five times before we gave up,” Caleb said. “The Trolls only tried thrice, but the Leanan-sidhe have made over twenty attempts to contact you—this month alone. They are more optimistic than we are. In fact, most of the Unseelie have given up on you, Your Majesty. We think of you as an apathetic king.”

“That is a lie!” Drostan roared and leapt off the horse. He was so angry that he didn't bother to straighten his pants, but stood with his spent cock draping out of them. “I love my people, and I have always done everything within my power to see to their happiness and well-being.”

“Then you have been betrayed, King Drostan,” Caleb said with a thoughtful frown. “Someone is keeping you from us, and it has hurt your rule.”

Drostan went quiet and pensive; absently tucking his cock away. I slid off the horse and went to stand beside him. I took his hand supportively, and he looked over at me in surprise. I gave his hand a squeeze to let him know that not everyone was against him. His gaze softened on me—brightening from indigo to sapphire—but I turned away from it to face Caleb.

“You have his attention now, Caleb,” I said gently. “And I can testify on his behalf. Drostan may have his faults, but he does care for the Unseelie. He will listen to you and do his best to help you.”

“If you feel this way, then why did you run from him?” Caleb asked.

“Being a king and being a lover are two different things,” I said. “I had personal issues with Drostan, but we've worked through them, and I know that you can work through your issues with him too. Just give him a chance to show you the king he can be.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Drostan roughly swallow, and his hand clenched on mine.

“I had no intention of ignoring any of my people,” Drostan said earnestly. “I'm sorry that your cries went unheard, and I promise you that I shall find the culprit behind this injustice and rectify this matter as soon as I return to Castle Unseelie. But right now, I'd like to hear why you sought me out. Tell me what has made you so unhappy.”

The Cu-sidhe shifted back into human forms; even their paws went back to normal hands. Caleb nodded to the others and then to Drostan.

“All right, Your Majesty,” Caleb said. “Let's talk.”