The Winged Fae (The World of Fae) (16 page)

“Yes, to fight a dragon fae knight. The knight practices constantly and would have an unfair advantage,” Serena explained. “But we don’t want anyone to get word of it.”

Both Sessily and Creshion looked more than intrigued, maybe a little worried.

“Well, it’s not something we want anyone to learn about,” she said again, chastising herself for repeating her words—also indicating how unduly nervous she was.

They both nodded sagely, but they didn’t seem very agreeable, their brows furrowing slightly. Everyone else at the table had stopped eating and conversing and listened to what Serena was saying.

Wringing her hands in her lap underneath the table and not wanting to speak in front of everyone, Serena felt she really had no choice and explained, “A dragon fae knight challenged Niall to joust because Niall kissed me.” She meant to say that the joust was not over anything significant that could result in kingdoms getting involved. But she hadn’t exactly meant to mention
the kiss
. Although that was certainly some of the reason for the ensuing challenge and she couldn’t think of any other reason off the top of her muddled head to say otherwise. Not when every pair of eyes at the table was focused on her. Even Niall’s. But his blue eyes had turned stormy.

She thought it was because she mentioned his kissing her, but changed her mind when he offered his own explanation.

“Which I only mentioned to the knight because I have every intention of stopping him from getting his greedy hands on you,” Niall said, irritation evident in his voice and expression. “When you are betrothed to Micala.”

Even though everyone tried to hide their gasps with napkins fluttering to their mouths or open mouths quickly clamping shut, she’d heard and seen enough to realize what a shock that was to the collected bodies at the table. She sighed.

So she hadn’t been thinking about the part about being betrothed to Micala either. In fact, she was thinking less and less of it where he was concerned, wishing now someone else might speak up and take his place. Someone who was frowning fiercely at her now.

“Right, but the challenge wasn’t made until you said we kissed that he really got angry,” Serena hotly reminded Niall.

Creshion looked like he was fighting a smile, his mouth quirking a little at one corner. Sessily still looked shocked, her brows marginally raised.

“But Micala is your betrothed?” Sessily said. “We don’t get much news living this far out.”

Serena had to acknowledge that Sessily was Micala’s cousin, too, and the lady probably didn’t approve of Niall’s having kissed Serena for that reason.

“Micala didn’t even know that we were betrothed,” Serena said. “But he’s got a girlfriend,
a human girlfriend
, and he can have
her
for all I care.”

“Oh,” Sessily said.

“Did you know about the girl?” Serena asked Sessily.

“No. We really don’t get courtly news out here.”

Serena ate some of her soup, part of a roll, and a few bites of a game hen, then she asked, “Creshion, will you practice jousting with Niall?”

“When is the tourney?” Creshion asked.

“Saturday,” both Serena and Niall said.

“Four days away. Yes, I’ll practice with you,” Creshion said, “but I’m a little rusty. Jousting isn’t my main game.”

“I have to admit jousting isn’t my best game either.”

Sessily stared at Niall in horror. “But you accepted his challenge! Why?”

Both of the men shook their heads at her. “A dark fae does not back down from a challenge from a dragon fae,” Niall said.

“Here, here!” all those at the table said, including Prince Creshion, who was a cobra fae. But he looked like he was quickly becoming a member of the dark fae family, as well liked as he seemed to be among Lady Sessily’s people.

“Sessily, I’ll share some of my potions with you, if you’d like,” Serena offered the lady, hoping to smooth things over with her, concerning her cousin, Micala.

Sessily smiled at Niall in a perfectly evil way. “What does Micala think of you jousting against the knight?”

“He doesn’t know about it,” Serena said. “Best if no one does.”

“Only the dragon fae know of this?” Sessily asked, looking at once surprised and concerned again.

“Aye,” Serena said.

“And if Niall should lose?” Creshion asked.

***

As she expected, Niall carried her to the guest chamber after the dinner had concluded, and she had been grateful the conversation at the table had turned to more mundane topics. Although she did object to his carrying her. Her ankle was improving all the time.

But Serena was sorry she’d brought up Niall’s needing to practice before the joust. “I hadn’t meant to mention about the reason for the joust. I really should have left it up to you to ask if Creshion would practice with you before this weekend.”

Niall set her on a chair next to the curtained bed, folded his arms across his chest, and studied her for a moment before he responded. “Why did you?”

“I wanted you to do well at the joust.” The reasoning for her asking Creshion to help Niall seemed clear to her.

An almost imperceptible upward curve of Niall’s lips astonished her. But then his dark look was back, and she thought maybe she had mistaken that he was attempting to hide a smile.

“You have changed your mind about the dragon fae?” he asked curiously.

She cleared her throat, hating to have to admit it, but not about to lie to Niall, knowing how much her saying she was going to marry the dragon fae bothered him. “I do not intend to marry the knight. Which is another reason I misspoke at the meal. You have no reason to train or fight the knight.”

“Which is not going to happen, Serena. You know very well once a challenge is offered and accepted there is no backing down from it.”

“I don’t want you hurt,” Serena said simply, banishing the tears forming behind her eyes from making an appearance.

He drew close and knelt before her, taking her hand in his, his thumb gently caressing the top of her fingers. “If Micala should joust instead of me…”

“No!” she cried out, then quickly cleared her throat again. “I mean, it wouldn’t work, would it?”

“He is a better jouster than me.”

Her heart pounding with fervor, she didn’t say anything. Deep down, she knew she should say, “
Yes, Micala should fight for the honor
.” He was her betrothed after all. But even deeper down, she knew Niall had to do it. Had to as the challenge had been issued to him, not to Micala. But even more important than that, in her heart she knew he had to fight the knight because it was Niall, not Micala, who wanted her.

The tears sprang to her eyes this time, and she squeezed Niall’s hand and bleakly said, “I don’t want you hurt.”

“Oh, Serena, that’s all I have to know.” And with that, he kissed her so passionately, she felt as though she had fae transported to the moon and back, her thoughts centered on his warm mouth on hers, then deepening the expressive kiss.

Several times she thought she heard someone making small noises at the entry to the guest chambers, but it wasn’t until Niall broke the kiss and cast a glance over his shoulder that she realized that they had been discovered.

Lady Sessily smiled a little tightly and said, “Come, Niall, we must talk. I haven’t seen you in ages. And, Princess, do get your rest. The joust practice will begin right after morning meal.”

Serena was pretty sure the discussion between Niall and Sessily was not going to be about the past, but about the present and future, and that whatever they discussed would all have to do with one winged fae.

***

After Serena went to bed, Sessily took Niall for a midnight walk in the gardens, and he was pretty sure he knew what she wished to discuss—Princess Serena and his involvement with her.

“What do you know about the princess?” she asked.

He glanced at Sessily, having expected her to ask something about the reason for the joust, but not thinking her questions would be concerning what he knew of Serena.

“She loves chocolate,” he said, not feeling he owed his cousin any further explanation. “I took her to an ice cream shop.”

Sessily slipped her arm through his as they strolled in the fragrant gardens. “How does she feel about the knight? Does she love him?”

Niall snorted. “No more than a rose loves a turnip.”

Sessily laughed, then her expression turned serious. “You’re sure?”

“Yes, of course.”

“That’s why you kissed her.”

He almost didn’t say it, but what the heck. “She kissed me first. It was a…payback, of sorts.”

Sessily laughed again. “And you have feelings for her?”

“She’s betrothed to Micala,” Niall said dryly.

Sessily pulled him to a stop and gazed into his eyes. ‘You have feelings for the winged fae, Niall. Don’t deny it. I saw the way you kissed her. You joust against the knight because of a sense of honor. But anyone can see the way you tended to Serena, you’re much more intrigued with her than you’d like to let on. There’s camaraderie between the two of you. Feelings. Caring. Your concern for her twisted ankle, getting her here to safety, even concern that she’d get enough to eat when the topic of discussion unsettled her. Your rescuing her from the Denkar dungeon at risking your own imprisonment, and the same with freeing her from her mother’s tower.”

“So she’d give me the antidote for the sleeping potion,” he explained.

“You brought her here, fearing for her safety with Duke Tully roaming the woods. Why not return her home? You don’t want to give her up. And at dinner tonight, she said you took her swimming. And parasailing also?” Sessily arched her brows.

What could he say? It seemed a good idea at the time. The water had always drawn him in. And he thought she’d enjoy it also. He’d just believed that flying would appeal to her as well. As to all the rest, anyone in his boots would have done the same for Serena.

“The princess tells me Micala acts as though he despises that she is a winged fae.”

“I wouldn’t say he despises her kind in as much as I believe he was shocked that Queen Irenis would make the marriage arrangement for him without telling him. Then here he is with the human girl and Serena comes along, demanding he ditch the girl.”

“I don’t blame the princess. If I had been her, I would have felt similarly. So, had Micala come to grips with the marriage contract before you left him?”

“No.”

“What about you? You do not seem to mind that she is a winged fae.”

“She’s beautiful. Inside and out. What can I say? I don’t see her in any other way.”

“But?”

“She is Micala’s betrothed.”

“That shouldn’t stop you if you’re interested in the lady. Maybe you ought to change Queen Irenis’s mind. Seems to me you and Serena have a fondness for one another already and would make a better match. You are the same rank as our cousin Micala so that shouldn’t be an issue. And as far as the dragon fae knight…”

“He’s a non–issue,” Niall said at once.

Sessily smiled and pulled Niall along the path again. “That means only you and Micala will have to fight over the girl.”

That’s what Niall feared. He had always been close to his cousin. He didn’t want to ruin their friendship, but what if Micala realized his folly and learned all there was about Serena and he fell in love with her? And what if she returned the feelings if she was given half the chance to get to know Micala? Where would that leave Niall?

Wanting to joust his cousin next!

Chapter 14

First thing in the morning, Master Travis readied the horses for Niall and Creshion for the practice joust, while the guards cleared the outer bailey. Venetia had servants carry benches to the makeshift arena so that Serena and Sessily could view the proceedings under the shade of the armorer’s workshop.

And Mistress Teramond served wind and cheese while other servants gathered to watch a spectacle none of them had witnessed before as Sessily had all given them leave of their duties during the practice.

Serena wasn’t certain Niall wanted all the fanfare, and she worried, too, that if he did poorly, he might be embarrassed. But what if he did really well and Prince Creshion took offense? As good as he was with Serena and her servants, a competition of skills could show a different side of a man. And he
was
a cobra fae.

Not that a dark fae couldn’t be dangerous if he was angry enough.

So though Selena meant to sit and observe and attempt to enjoy the practice, she felt horribly tense, every fiber of her being taut with dreadful anticipation.

Sessily smiled at the two men and seemed at ease. But then she turned to Serena. “Does Micala know you are his betrothed?”

“Certainly,” Serena scoffed. “Niall told him so in South Padre Island.”

Creshion and Niall took their places at either end of the bailey, Creshion riding his own fine steed, and Niall on Sessily’s borrowed horse, just as noble as Creshion’s horse.

As the men rode forth, lances held, the men’s anticipation of knocking opponents from their mounts no doubt as high as Serena’s, she held her breath. Wood smacked wood as the lances struck and cheers went up, but both men remained seated. Both paused at their respective end posts before riding forth and trying again.

“But Micala didn’t give you any indication he wanted to marry you?” Sessily asked Serena as they watched the joust.

“Absolutely not.” Serena had tried to control the way her wings would react when she was in an emotional state, sad, aggravated, happy—well, happy was okay. But she still hadn’t managed to control that aspect of herself like she could school her facial expressions. Which meant her wings flapped slightly in annoyance, catching Sessily’s attention.

“He was having too much fun with that human girl,” Serena further explained.

“What did he say about you being with Niall? Was he jealous or anything?”

Serena watched the men tear across the bailey to prove their jousting skills again. “I don’t think he was pleased.” She thought about his demanding words that she tell him where she was going and smiled a little evilly. He wasn’t interested in her, so what difference should it make if he didn’t have a clue? He hadn’t known where she was before that, so why afterward?