Bonds that Burn and Bind

Chapter 6 Part 1

An: Extra long update for helping me surpass my goal with 111 votes, also thanks for the 365 reads, I'm so grateful! New goal is 500 reads and 150 votes! Anyways, enjoy!
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Val?" Aren't you going to greet His Royal Highnesses?" Lady Aimsworth asked.

"Your majesty," I said, coming back to myself in the present. I curtsied to Orin. And he smiled at me with all his teeth. Orin only smiled like that when he was absolutely furious. And I didn't blame him for that fury. If he did to me what I did to him, I would have hunted him down and castrated him.

Orin wore Incartha's royal cerulean blue, and the gold ringlet adorned with a blue gem encircled his head. Over his shoulder, I spotted Rashma and Nikos dressed in guard uniforms. Rashma, a woman in her early thirties, towered over all of us by at least a head. Nikos, who was closer to my age, was not nearly as tall, but he was of a stocky build with cord like muscles covering his body. When my eyes went to them, Niko's stare immediately traveled up to the courtyard's high, ivy-covered stone walls, while Ashma seemed intrigued by a maid messing with a floral arrangement.

"You are hurt," Orin said, and a bit of that anger dissolved into concern as he took me in.
"Forgive my appearance. I fell in the forest," I replied, deciding not to alarm everybody about my unexpected journey into Fae Land if I didn't have to.

His eyes narrowed, but he said no more.
"So King Orin told me you knew each from the Shadowling War," Lady Aimsworth said. "You should have told me he would be in attendance, Valentina!"

That's right, Orin would be king. I had left right before his coronation, I forced a smile to my face. "I didn't know his royal highness would be able to leave Incartha so soon after peace was just accomplished."

The smile dropped from Orin's face, but his voice remained pleasant. "I left Incartha in the capable hands of Queen Odessa. As Incartha's king, I could not miss attending the wedding of one of its saviors."

"One of its saviors? "Lady Aimsworth and my father echoed in unison.

Orin looked between their baffled expressions. "Did you not know?" he asked, sounding a bit surprised but not at all interested in hearing their answer. Already his eyes were locked on me again.

"No, your grace," my father answered. "My daughter hasn't spoken much of her time in Incartha since she returned."

"So how did this engagement happen so quickly?" Orin asked, switching the topic back to my wedding. "I never once spoke of Lord Fredrick Aimsworth." This time, Orin couldn't keep the bite of anger out of his words.
Did the queen know her son was on his way here? Why hadn't she at least warned me?
"Perhaps Lady As- I mean Lady Aimsworth could tell you the full version. I need a healer." I motioned to my face. "Apologies your Royal Highness."

I met Lady Aimsworth's gaze, and an understanding, although I assumed not a complete one, passed between us. 'Get him away from me. He's about to destroy this wedding,' I had pleaded with my eyes. But I was sure she had read something like: 'Get him away from me. I need to fix my wrecked face.'

My soon-to-be mother-in-law reached out and trapped Orin's arm in a crock of her elbow, spinning him towards the front of the house before he knew what smacked him.

"Come, let us get you settled. You must be exhausted from your long journey," she chirped. Her head only came to about Orin's shoulder, but she began tugging the King of Incartha along as if he was a child.

I let out a small exhale of relief because I knew from personal experience that it was nearly impossible to escape Lady Aimsworth's hold. I doubted even Orin could get away short of severing his own arm.