Betrayal (19 page)

On an official visit to the winter court to discuss my father further, Ian and I were presented to the king though we’d met him time and again.  His son was present and who asked for this for I assumed was to be part of the rescue plan.   He said we both needed an alibi.  I told him Ian and Pike would have to be with me.  He was against it, but I wanted them free of accusation also.

I hesitated to walk out in this gown for the visit, moping and whining to Danella.  Why was it important to wear our court colors and not the silver dress I liked?  No, it wasn’t the colors, it was the too much skin showing that hindered me.  My entire back was exposed.  No freaking bra! And I couldn’t bend.  And the headpiece was pulling my hair out.  Whereas at eight I wanted to be a princess and wear ball gowns every day, this queenly dressing junk was annoying sometimes once you are without a choice.  I shifted everything and turned to the mirror.

Gasp
!  In the mirror was a green Greek goddess.  Me!  I was not Grace Starmen, the freak who grew up thinking she was off a little and always standing in the shadows.  I was GRACE, warrior queen of Fey.  I would knock them all dead looking like this.  This was the look that all girls went for in their dreams.  How did they do this to me?  And no scars.

“You are beautiful always, my lady.  You just need to be reminded sometimes.  And today, at this court, you have to dazzle the other court into thinking you are in charge and keep them very distracted.  That king out there has to believe you are it.  Bam it loud and clear and ask later.”

I pulled my neck back staring at her very Caylie like talk.  Danella the brave!  “I think you spent too much time around my friend Caylie too.  You sound like her.”

Danella giggled and pinched my arm to force me through the door.

I stepped out of the room I was staying in hoping that Ian would be there to escort me. I let out a sigh as my eyes were sent downcast and staring at boots.  I followed them up seeing Pike.  I smiled in spite of my sadness, but my disappointment was shouting out to him in huge waves.

“Will you settle for me?”  Double meanings again.

“I’m not settling.  You are worthy and more than amazing to me and I will ever be favorable of you.  You may have a screw or two loose sometimes, but I manage.”

“The world we live in is a screwed up place.  Sometimes you just have to tighten them a bit to find out what’s hidden behind door number two.”

Pike looked me up and down in admiration, not lust.  Angelically like the Pike he wasn’t he whispered, “I’m buying whatever you’re selling babe, cuz’ that dress seals the deal.”

I frowned.

“What did I mess up saying now?” He raised a hand out to question me.

“How I look is all you see?”  My dang eyes were dropping traitor hints to him shuffling my arms to hide myself.

Pike grabbed and held my arms out to my sides, “Grace, you truly don’t see yourself.  You are an amazingly beautiful, daring woman who sticks to her guns and makes others think about themselves a little more clearly.  I think you have a lot more under that dress than the perfection I see.”

He took my breath away telling me I did that for him.  This was how Pike shared his feelings...with jokes.  You know, I could accept that.  That...was Pike.  “That was a very nice thing to say.”

Pike beamed and bowed, “Shall we?”

As we descended the sloped entrance I tightened my grip on his arm for fear of falling even though I was told to stay barefoot to honor the ground of my sister court.  He pulled me up each time I leaned into him.  Once, he leaned in close to me, “you will hit the carpet in four steps.  From there, you will be on your own.  Ian will be waiting at the other end with Kinsler and King Sane standing nearby.  Don’t look down.  Nod at their hat dudes.  And don’t bow to anyone.  They bow to you now.”

That was more information from Pike outside of hostile territorial speech than I’ve ever heard from him.  I chanced a move upward in the horrid dress as I reached up and pecked his cheek, “Thank you for all you’ve done.  I think you deserve more than you give yourself credit for and I hope one day to return to you what you’ve done for me.”

Sorrow filled his eyes, but a happy smile came in its place.  It was the hope that only I was allowed to see and I would never understand why.  But of course, I’d seen both sides of the real Pike whether he’d ever admit it aloud or not.

Two steps left.  One more.  He released me and I felt lights twinkling all around like spotlights clicking on like a circus act.  I held my head up and wiped the dumb smile from my lips taking each step as graceful as my name could fate me to do so. 

An unrecognizable voice boomed out ahead, “I present to you, the queen of the Seelie court.  May her time with us be fruitful.”  I heard and felt the crowd murmur and sigh and brush their hands across their mouths in what could only be “wow, the queen” gestures.  Really, this fairy tale stuff was sometimes too real.  Ironic!

The whole of the crowd bowed and stayed there facing their king, not me.  I didn’t like the way his court was run compared to the summer court since it seemed everything revolved around the king and not its people.  I felt like our court was just the opposite or I hoped the court saw it that way anyway.

I nodded in all the right places and stopped two feet from Ian all dressed in the blacks and greens of our court bringing out the greenish-gray that the jacket usually did to his eyes.  His sword was at his side, the dagger hilt sticking out of his belt, and a leather banded belt with a bow and quiver of arrows strapped across his back.  Pike had the same arsenal to complete his wardrobe too.

Ian took my outstretched hand and walked me to Kin and King
IN
Sane. 

“Queen Grace, your beauty exceeds even you.  I am forever admirable at looking upon you.”  He looked too closely at my too green eyes.  I sometimes forgot how bright they were since I didn’t look at them myself.  As enamored as he appeared, I knew it was all a show to him.  He was much nastier in a more private setting away from his court.

I shook my head with an very intended fake smile like when a teacher starts out slow with your paper in hand and you know what’s coming next isn’t an A for Asia or F for Frankfurter.   Ian’s hand held mine out between us in the air like the royals do in the movies.  I felt way too snooty-like as I lifted my nose in the air towards the miserable excuse for a king, but then lowered it and put myself back in a place that I could approve of the bottom of the food chain in this room.  I didn’t feel very high and mighty like the man who stood before me portrayed.  I didn’t feel that I was better than any them and I wouldn’t present myself that way either.  I smiled genuine this time and turn to smile at Kin and his guards around him completely against the rules they set.

“And to what do I owe this visit to our courts?” The king asked directly to me.

Refusing to look Kin’s way again knowing what the Nyms were doing right outside the court boundaries probably as we spoke was a good thing.  As we were only there for the diversion of giving us all alibis for the rescue mission, I kept my mind clear and my intentions honorable, though unambiguously speaking.

“I have a few more questions that I think you can answer.  Would you prefer them in private or out in the open?”  I smiled with the best honesty in my voice.

He didn’t miss a beat.  “I figured as much and wondered when you would arrive for the occasion.  We will let the kitchens ready a feast for your arrival, dance the night away as you summer courts love so much, and only afterward I will answer your questions. After a good meal and provided my son is well taken care of,” his eyebrow kind of danced up and down with intended double meanings.

“I will dance with Kin before the night ends but that is all.”  I most likely couldn’t avoid it.  Ian tensed only enough for me to know.

Happy, the king nodded to his guards and dismissed us until dinner.  We were herded to the king’s private den where we sat and lollygagged for over an hour till finally a guard arrived to take me to
freshen up
.  I wondered once again how the rescue might be going (or went hopefully) but thought better of thinking at all when they can be read by others.             

I was escorted to the table and seated between Ian and Kin, across from Pike, and within talking distance of King Sane.  The dancing with anyone sounded right about wonderful.  Or so I thought.

Naturally, Kin had to be first. 

I squeezed Ian’s hand from under the table and followed Kin to the floor watching him throw his ladykiller smile to every girl he encountered.  Sometimes I felt like he wanted me only as a trophy by the way he flirted with so many others.  He just couldn’t ever be seen as one to “settle down” and be with one girl.  Nor Pike for that matter.

Both Ian and Pike safely remained seated making me thankful for the simple fact that I would know where they were each time I twirled and could see their direction.  They were throwing daggers and Kin only embraced it as only Kin would, enjoying himself to the fullest.

I loved the music despite my discomfort having Kin so close with Ian’s eyes burning holes into my back.  The harp played in the corner enchanting me to avert my eyes from the boy I danced with now also helping me ignore the obvious facade I’d placed myself in for the day.

“You love the music my queen?”

Snap!  I came out of the trance.  Stuttering a little, “Yes, it’s beautiful.”

“Hmm!” he said only giving his silent response to the air.  “My father is angry with me.”

I was not in the mood for guessing games. “With what?” I asked.

“I told you about the burn both our hands have and why.”

“He didn’t want me to know?” I stupidly glanced at the king only then to realize he was probably listening in.

“He prefers you to be unaware of the possible charms that he holds.”

I snorted, “What charms do you mean?”  The winter king had none other than worst dragon breath of all time, much less anything that could appeal to me.

Kin looked at our hands held together at shoulder length making me just a little more uncomfortable in my own skin.  “Isn’t it obvious, Grace?”

“
Obvious
ly not to me!”  I released one hand and smoothed the imaginary wrinkles in my skirt to not let him know he was getting to me.  It didn’t work much since he took my hand right back.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ian stand sharply. 

“He’d prefer you not have known about our hands and the signals they give.  The ability to detect one another.”

“Why not?”  Ian was walking now.

“Because then you would know the truth.” Kin was just so metaphorical when he told me anything, it was a wonder I ever figured out anything he said.  And to think, I once pegged him as the dumb jock. 

Chagrined by his statement, I gave him the signal that he had my attention.  He was trying to tell me something.  More secrets.

My hand shot up to hold off Ian.

Kin told me the same stories as King Sane about my father.  The only thing he revealed that was new to me was Lazyra’s fail to save my father and the king was the apparent savior.  I already knew that Lazyra had tried to have him captured, but it wasn’t to kill him.  It was to make sure it he was brainwashed. Right?

And then he had to add, “And telling Ian would send him into an overprotective man hunt for me so sit tight till I can tell you more.”

I huffed at him.  Indignation exhausted everything left in me from that statement alone.

He leaned in, “There is more, Grace, but only time will reveal those secrets.”

Ian took me forcefully and far from Kin.  I escaped Pike for the night, but Ian refused to let me go.  At the second yawn, a door flew open and a guard appeared.  He walked all the way over to the king, bent low, and whispered into his ear.  The king’s eyes frightened me with the ill-fitted look he made back at the guard.  I guessed that Pike’s mother was safe now.

Nothing ever came of the event.  I was not told of any disturbance in the universe.

I retired into my own quarters since Ian and I were not married.  So not fair, but prudent though the king previously put Kin and I in a room together knowing it was me under the cloak.

  I pulled off my robe intent on sleeping in it right after I washed my face.  My guards were six feet away from me—Rion inside with his back turned and Caymin right outside the exterior of my door.  I didn’t worry too much about them because their brains wired for one thing only, KEEP GRACE SAFE.  Since the goblin got the best of Rion and kidnapped me, he’d been worse than a puppy on the too close factor.

So when the figure appeared in my borrowed bathroom and I started to scream at being slammed up against man chest, it was a good thing he was quick and covered my mouth.  He slammed the door shut and Rion was on it fast.  The man chest was covered in a scratchy shirt and rubbed my cheek raw.  Finally allowed to move a little I peeked up to see who was inside the itchy shirt though his scent had already given him away.  Kin! 

This princely popping into bedrooms unannounced would get old fast.  How come they never mentioned
that
before they did it.  Were all three of them secretly watching me undress like a peep show every night?  I thought of how ape man Ian would go over that.  NO!  That so would never happen.