The Heir and the Undoing

Chapter 2

"I beg your pardon?" I reply coldly, raising an eyebrow.

It no longer matters we were once childhood friends. Times and positions have changed. Showing favour to the wrong person now can have dire consequences, and I am not stupid enough to believe that the walls are not listening.

"Is this how it is now, princess?" Ezra straightens up and smirks at me.

The expression of amusement playing across his lips is so similar to his brother's that I am temporarily lost for words. There is the strangest ache in my chest for the fact he is still unaware of how his brother met his end.

It was not the death of a brave warrior in the heat of a battle, as I had let everyone believe. Being remembered as a hero was far more than he deserved, but it was the only thing I could do to keep the uneasy peace between the courts and protect myself.

Perhaps it was for the best that Ezra never knew of his brother's betrayal? If he knew what I had done, what I could do, would he ever look at me the same way? I couldn't trust him. If Duncan had taught me anything, it was that I couldn't trust anyone, even those I had known my whole life.

"That is Queen Elora to you." Alessia saves me from having to respond with her sharp retort.

"Still got a giant stick up your arse, I see Sia." Ezra chuckles.

When Alessia and I continue to look on silently, unmoved by his attempt at humour, he lets out a frustrated huff of breath, "We were all friends once. What happened?"

I regard him impassively, "My whole family died."

The blunt words spill from my lips before I can stop them and I want to double over at the pain of my loss, which shoots through my chest and chokes me.

He acted like he hadn't been out of my life for almost six summers now. I remembered the day he had been ordered home by his parents under the pretence of needing further education and training like it was yesterday. Apparently, we were not equipped to train a Dark Fae Prince.

Those lazy summer days I had spent in the gardens teaching him everything I knew about the beautiful flowers and their properties were a distant memory now. At the time, I had known he was becoming more Light Fae than Dark Fae. His sharp-boned features had even begun to soften under the influence of the years in our court.

I cried the day as he mounted his horse to leave and begged for him to stay in touch, but after three letters went unanswered, I accepted the fact that our friendship was no more.

It was a little over two years after he had left that he was replaced by his older brother, Duncan. So began the series of events that would lead to the death of my last remaining family. Though I could never have predicted what would happen, the domino effect of my attempts to change Ezra were clear. I would never be able to let go of the guilt that my actions had played a part in Ayden's death.

In the midst of my grief, I had initially felt my heart flutter in anticipation when I discovered Ezra was returning to represent his family following the battle. Then I had seen him step from the carriage, much taller than I remembered, with broad shoulders and a face full of darkness. No trace of the sweet boy I had once loved remained.

Dark Fae were tricksters and mischief makers. They played with hearts and heads and took nothing seriously. Not even death could tame the smiles on their faces as I was forced to allow them into my home. They could not be trusted. Prince's of Nirin in particular, no matter how handsome, could not be trusted either.

Ezra scoffs and waves a dismissive hand, "Is it even a tragic life story if you haven't lost or misplaced at least half your family by your twentieth summer?"