Deception (24 page)

I tried to stay seated and not listen, but I wanted to know what the vixen would tell him that she felt I shouldn’t hear.

“Son, you can’t go on like this.  Not with the current events.  You have to ask her for her hand in marriage now.  She can’t be a queen with a prince by her side.  It isn’t natural.”

“But we only just professed any love to each other less than a week ago.  And well, we’re still young.  Very young! I don’t think…”

“Young or not, you’ll not disgrace the court by announcing, Queen and
Prince
.  That’s worse than an early marriage.  And you were bound together.  You cannot break the bond. You two are obviously enamored with each other.  The idiots at that table can see it, why can’t you?   You can at least announce a wedding.  The Fey do not think lightly of a mischievous queen,” she paused and looked in my direction.  I backed into the ivy further indecisive on whether it would hide me or not.  Either way she continued,  “I do not think that I’ve ever seen you like this in your hundred years, son.  I see the way you look at her.  The two of you are already married in the mental sense.  Now, either you take care of it, or I will.”

Well! 

“I will.  But it will be done to my own liking.  Don’t you hurt her in any way! I’ll protect her from anything, including you.” He fumed but controlled his anger. Sort of!

“Understood,” was all she said back to her own son before she sauntered off. She didn’t expect anything less than a man feeling belittled by his own mother to get what she wanted.  Yellow eyes or not, she was Satan’s great niece once removed or something like that.  Needless to say, her mission was accomplished.

He stood there a little longer appearing to try to gain control so I hightailed out of there.  By the time I’d circled back around the water sprites told me he’d come and gone.

I couldn’t believe what I’d heard.  The queen, or rather, Lady Lazyra, is pure Cruella Deville minus the spots.  She didn’t care enough to ask if this is what he wanted at all.  She just demanded it. I’d just have to beat him to it.  He was always saving me!  It’s about time he was saved back and without delay.
My
mind was made up.  I had planning to do.  I went to my room being the only place where I am disturbed the least.



I watched him for a while, especially the way his muscles moved while in slow motion with the arrow ready to fly.  The tension in the bow couldn’t compete with the rigid strain of my neck to see him. At some point, I gave in resisting to touch him.

He drew the next arrow back and felt me graze his bare waist with the four tips of my fingers.  He recoiled and had a hand under my ribs just before I gasped at the pain.

“Damn—, I’m so sorry.  Grace, you can’t sneak up on me like that.”  He pulled both hands quick off the mark when he saw my gown was wet from his sweat.  Like I really cared about the gown compared to his hands!

He felt the need to rub the sweat off my gown and realized how thin the material was recoiling again.   I didn’t catch the reaction in time to give him comfort.  Not that I really knew what comfort I would give!

“I didn’t know I could surprise you.  You’ve always known I was coming.  I’ll remember next time when you’re drawing your bow and so focused that if my presence is unknown...to warn you first.  Besides, I was enjoying the hot, sweaty, shirtless look.  It becomes you.  On second thought, I’ll sneak up more, but watch in secret.”  He reached for his shirt and pulled it over him, which only defeated the purpose since it clung to him as he yanked it down. 

“What are you doing here?” He didn’t even smile.  I was bold and feeling brave, and ignored.   He really was troubled.

“Looking for you!”  He stared at me with so little emotion I couldn’t read his face and worried then if this was a mistake.  “Do you think you could teach me how to do that?  I think that I might be better at defending myself with a “long range weapon”.   I believe it’s called that.  Am I right?”

He was still unreasonably quiet and no doubt he still had his mother’s conversation on his mind.  He motioned to the guards in practice around us to leave and at once they were exiting the area.  Wow, a prince given power no doubt. 
I wonder…

“Of course,” he said to my verbal request with still no emotion given freely.

Before the last of the guard was gone I turned to the last one in the line formation.   I kept my eyes shut giving his mind a strong urge to turn and check to see if I needed anything.  Eric, the guard in the back, turned and asked, “May I be of any assistance?”  I’d learned his name and a few of the others listening at breakfast and dinner.  But more importantly, it freaking worked. Ha!  I got skills!  Just
not
with Ian.  That perturbed me to admit.

I shook my head a solid no and Eric left visibly shaking his for the oddness in the air.

Ian cooled off with a drink and a towel before standing just behind and drawing the bow for me to focus on the aim all the while oblivious to my little show.  For all the times his jealousy raged in the last few days, this particular event went unnoticed.   I was looking forward to the physical contact of being near him, but thoroughly grateful he’d dried off.   After I stood there longer than I was supposed to, and knew he was waiting, but wanted his arms touching mine a little longer.  I dared a question to prolong it.   “Where do I put my elbows?"

He tensed and helped me move the one purposefully misguided left elbow back down closer to my waist still afraid to touch me and hoped it was because of the same reaction he had before when he was afraid to get me dirty.  The arrow soared leaving only the sound of my breathing mixed with his. 

It missed its target, but I didn’t.  I fell back against him enough he had to catch me as planned.   He stood there a little longer himself this time.  “Grace,” he whispered.  But I didn’t let him finish whatever he was about to say.  I put the bow in his extended hand, turned around and held my finger to my lips, “Shh!” I left the range giving him a mystery to solve, but comfort in the only way I could at the moment.

He relaxed more when he made it to the table and I was already there.  I hoped that just by me smiling he would calm his fears for a later time.  It seemed to work all the years I didn’t have a clue he was that into me and hoped it would win him over once again.

He didn’t say anything, but I stood and let him pull my chair out and sat down again.  I tried looking more like my old self to help him relax by making small talk about what I’d heard around the court throughout the day.  With time on my hands, and alone time at that, many tried to “chit chat” with me.  I mentioned to him that we needed to sit down and go over more of the history of the court, Fey, and Nyms before the day ended.  He agreed to take me back to the record keepers rooms.  I brought up eating in the cafeteria at the high school and compared it where we sat now. With less food fights!   He laughed with that wonderful sound I’d not seen or heard in a day or so.  We both visibly looked more at ease so I brought up several more lost memories to gain a free smile out of him.  I made a silent goal to make him laugh once a day.  He liked to hide his stress and up until now, he’d down it well, but I was figuring things out about him I didn't before.

I sent Danella on a mission.  I needed the right dress for approaching him on the unmentioned subject and wanted it ready at a moment’s notice.  For all I knew, it would be a year before he asked.  If the queen wanted a married couple, I could own up to the idea.  I’d planned for college and a normal human life, but I wasn’t human.  But where to get him to ask me, or better yet, ask him?  When?  How?  My plan was still a go but I didn’t know then it would fail!

When we were finished eating, we both happily agreed to head outside to the campfire. Both of us secretly felt more like we could talk strategy outside, alone, rather than in front of an audience.  I’d excused myself after lunch and said I’d meet him out there.  I hurried to my room and changed into the same outfit I’d worn to the forest to see Pike feeling more comfortable and able to be outside in it.

When I walked out and found him sitting there, his eyes raced up and down my body inviting me to lie down and look up at the clouds without a single word.  He could stop my heart with one single searing look.  I belonged to his every want and need forever.  All he had to do was ask.

As I crawled closer to him, I pretended to be uncomfortable so he’d extend his arm for me to lie on and said, “We could use a trampoline right now.”  He laughed holding his arm out further for the nook of my shoulder blades to fit into his elbow bend.  We laid there for a little while in silence before either of us spoke.  I felt him look over at my face several times surely checking to see if I’d fallen asleep only to look back up towards the sky.  “You know when I told you I’ve been around for a hundred years.”

“Yes,” I whispered.

“I feel like I just starting living.  I’m starting to forget living before then.  Do you think that’s bad?”

I crinkled my nose a little, “No, I think that you just didn’t have anything to live for before then.”  I thought of his cruel
mommy dearest
.

“You’re right.”

“I feel the same way.”

“Pike has lived
two
hundred years.  You have to feel sorry for him just a little.  He watched his father die right in front of his six-year-old eyes.  You’d be a little angry after that too, maybe.  When my mother became queen, his anger only grew.  When I was born, I am told, he tried to kill me several times in hopes of making Queen Lazyra step down. Can you understand a little of why Pike is the way he is?” 

He was defending Pike’s ice-cold meanness. For the life of me, I didn’t know why he became a topic of discussion, but I answered whispering, “Yes!”  I waited for him to tell me more because it was sure to come, but wanted my piece said first and an end to the subject. “But that doesn’t make it right, only excusable in your eyes.  He still can make a conscious choice to have better manners.  Why are you telling me this?”  Because I sure as heck didn’t want to hear about Pike who was every bit of what I should not want.  He was dangerous.  Unpredictable.  And very much what I thought a devil should be.  Ian was my angel. Yes, I’d seen the same qualities in Ian that Pike exemplified but with honor and tactfulness. Ian was a great man.  So what did that make Pike?  He knows it.  I know it.  But who wants to admit it?  Not me!  So why do I feel like I’m still drawn to him or feel the need to egg him on?  And what’s even sicker, it’s like I have some taste for worse than the devil and Ian wanted to make sure I knew he wasn’t at fault.

“The Fey are thousands of years old.  There have been more kings and queens than I can count.  Humans have always been oblivious to us, but drawn to us,” he paused seeing my head pop, “they are easily jinxed.  The Nyms are only a couple of thousand years old.  They’ve multiplied like the dwarves and elves, but not in a completely peaceful way due to their latest wayward leader.  The elves keep to themselves pretty much, and the dwarves are underground.  So the Fey have been the main constraint in the queen’s eyes.  We don’t want to take their land, but my mother, the previous queen—” 

His lips quirked up on one side at saying that before he continued, “—refused to ever talk with them.  She considered it going beneath herself.  I tried convincing her, but she’d never listen.  So, Pike and I have held what little treaty efforts we could until the time was right.  And that’s where you come in.  The Nyms hold such animosity towards the Queen Lazyra, they’re not willing to talk to you unless you will be a less selfish queen in their eyes.  If Kinsler does agree to talk with us, he will still think that the ceremony will turn you dark and controlling.  He always has.   Even Pike thought so until you started changing his mind.  Kinsler’s own father exiled him from the Unseelie court and he brought himself to hate the courts forever.  Seelie or Unseelie, he’ll have malice up his sleeve and think later about the consequences.  I’m scared, Grace, of what he might do, what you might do, what my mother wants you to do, me to do.   There are some things I worry I can’t save you from.  Some things I haven’t saved you from.  And you need to hide your emotions better around Pike and everyone else before we make another move.”

There was more to his statement than he was telling.
What did Pike have to do with this?  And he thought I’d turn dark?  Is that why Pike mouthed his comment about misjudging me?  I was getting tired of pretending to ignore Pike.  He did something to me I couldn’t explain.  And I hadn’t fully decided it was a good thing.

He took a breath away from my face and added, “You are Leven’s granddaughter.  Even he knew what you’d become and what you are capable with the proper training.  He was the Firebearer for the summer court as well as an ambassador.  When he died, your mother didn’t accept it or her fate.  She was pregnant, living in the human world, and not willing to “sacrifice” you.  These are her words!  We’ve not had one since.  She came to light the flames each year, but nothing more.  She is a great woman, mind you and she was only protecting you.  But you will have that to attain to as well.  Being queen is one thing, but--”  He turned to look at me and jolted up, “Why are you crying?”

“I’m okay.  I just can’t help but think you’ve kept this all inside for so long and weren’t able to tell anyone.  You’ve always listened to my dorky little problems all my life and all the while, you had REAL problems and they were about stupid me?”  My voice cracked the whole time.  My mom not coming back to help couldn’t be just to protect me!   And Pike’s motives didn’t seem that simple. 

“Grace, I’ve been alive for so long, but like I told you, I’ve only had to hide how I felt about
you
.  The Nyms are a necessary worry in my mind.  Acting as court ambassador simply because my mother refuses to do her job is a minor detail compared to taking care of you.  Yes, I gave it the needed attention.  And yes, I’ve taken care of business relations with Pike for your mother all these years, but you’re my only heartache.”

“Heartache?” I didn’t understand.  And he just voiced a slight bit of honest truth about his pigheaded snob mother.  He really was bottling it up inside. Business relations, that’s crapola!   Pike has other motives.

He cinched his arm under my head pulling it to face him.  “You make my heart ache constantly between worrying about your safety, helping you become queen, escorting you to dangerous places, giving you thinking space to figure things out, being close enough to you that I don’t feel far away, and…wanting you so badly it hurts inside.”

I gasped with anticipation at the last words biting my bottom lip and forgetting the rest of what he said.  Help me now! 

“The last few days have been as hard for me as well.  You can’t believe how hard it is to walk away from you,” he watched me bite down on my lip over and over.  His breathing was faster too, his eyes past silver.

“I know better than you think.  Sleep is optional lately since you won’t get out of my head.”  I looked down to say it and back up to see his reaction gaining some hidden goddess fired courage.  Telling him some of my innermost secrets, feelings, or whatever they are were becoming increasing difficult but thrilling.  A smile played on my well marred lips, only to bite down again at the power I held over Ian, if no one else. 

He laughed.  “The Nyms will listen to you.  With that mouth, I have no doubt.  I worry more what else will come out.  But you are Leven’s granddaughter and that alone means something to even them. And you’re kind, compassionate, unselfish, giving…”

“Okay, okay.  I get the idea.  You compliment me too much.  You’ll float my head,” I was still disappointed at not getting a second reaction after the silver in his eyes ignited his self control, or lack thereof! 

“Never,” he didn’t like getting interrupted, but seemed content in the end.  “There is something else I don’t want to tell you, but feel like I should.  When I was protecting you all those years, there was one is who is part of the Nyms that went to school with us.”  He searched my face for any reaction, but I’d give him none.   Not until I knew more. 

He stopped, clenching his teeth at something clearly coming from a memory, “Once, my “
radar
” was penetrated and he got to you.  Pike was there before I had time to react.”

I was searching through my mind for any event that sounded like that.  I couldn’t find anything.  And when was Pike there?  I searched for all the Christian moments in my life.  Very few came to mind and the only one worth any merit was the fact that Christian and I were chosen for Romeo and Juliet.  I’d kindly turned that one down because it didn’t involve Ian.  And as I recall, I don’t remember ever hearing Christian try out.  I wondered now with all I knew if Pike has some magical influence over that decision. 

I looked to him when he continued, “It was taken care of.  Pike saved you in time and I’ve lived with it since.”

He was obviously torn by the fact that Pike saved me, but I wouldn’t let him think it made a difference.  It didn’t.  He didn’t appear to want to bring back the memory, so I let it be.  He feels guilty for things he can’t change and I will find out inevitably even if it mattered not.  He worries too much about me.

His smile formed when mine did, “But that’s all over and we are here now.”

Wearily he said,  “Your acceptance of all this is remarkably calming given most humans would run screaming.”

“You said yourself, I’m only part human.”

We both laughed.

This night is exactly what we both needed.  Reassurance and time off!