Bad Fae | romantasy | Bad Fae #1

Chapter Thirty-One

The next day, Dain had been summoned to the throne room and he insisted I went with him. Feyrith looked at me like he was going to object, then thought better of it.

The throne room was full of fae. With the addition of the Stouze and Undying Seas, all the delegations had now arrived. They stuck to their kind, in little huddles, so the same from one to another but also glaringly different that it seemed surreal.

The fae of the Undying Seas came in their war galleons, bringing with them a tang of salt air. Like the Henmar, Burning Isles, Febren and Vodreylians, they were tall and lithe, holding themselves with that keen arrogance and elegance ingrained in all sidhe. Their colours were muted, like the sea had made them...grimier somehow. Their blues and greens and greys were muddied, but no less beautiful for it. There was a serenity in them that was soon obliterated by the murderous intent in their eyes.

One of them in particular looked me over like he would simultaneously kill me and devour me, and I'd enjoy both. His tussled curls such a deep shade of slate blue as he flicked it from eyes flecked like sea-foam.

I took a step closer to Dain and pulled my eyes away.

The Stouze also came by ship, but they were not their cousins. Tall and elegant in yet a different way, they were the fae most oft associated with Spring. They wore pinks and blues and greens and purples and yellows in soft shades and flowing materials. They were adorned with flowers, both real and embroidered or jewelled. Their hair was shades of strawberry blond, lush deep red, soft browns, even kissed with hues of palest purple or green. They wore no shoes on their feet and seemed the least ill at ease of them all. Until you saw the calculation in their gaze.

Upon seeing us, Feyrith slipped off his throne and nodded to us. I noticed Alenia's interest, but Dain ignored it. Was Dain allowed these audiences where Alenia was not because he made no secret of his desire to be his own sidhe, and she was Vodreylia's queen and emissary? Or was it simply because there was some different relationship between the siblings and their uncle?

Dain and I followed Feyrith into an antechamber off the throne room where an argument was breaking out between clans over seemingly nothing more than prejudices. It made me feel slightly better that they all disliked each other as much as they seemed to dislike humanity. Although, there was obvious respect between the sidhe, a respect they definitely didn't extend to mortals.

Feyrith muttered to himself.

"You brought this on yourself, Uncle," Dain told him as the door closed behind us.

Feyrith leaned on a table and sighed. "I thought you were behind me on this, nephew?"

Dain nodded, looking down at the map of Aegrath on the table between them. It was one of the most intricate I had ever seen. It wasn't just on the table, but carved into it so the mountains stuck up from it and the sea was recessed. Each kingdom had its own climate; snow in Febren, eternal Spring in Stouze, fire and lava on the Burning Isles, a seagull over the Undying Seas.

"I am behind you. Finding the crown protects Yana–"

"And your only goal in life is to protect Yana." Feyrith's tone suggested he found it both incredibly amusing as well as interminably annoying. "I am aware. Hang your other duties and obligations. Let's drop the whole world and all your loyalties for one little hybrid bastard."

"I have broken no obligation, no duty, in aid of my goal."

Feyrith rolled his eyes. "Until you destroy the whole world for her. Tell me, nephew, how safe will she be if you erase everything from existence?"

Dain frowned. "And you think pithy commentary will stop me?"

"Without pithy commentary, boy, I think I might cry. We were supposed to be done with that witch's influence. With the fear she spread. With the destruction and the pain and the death. With her fomoi army intent on sweeping the world." He pointed at me. "And then this. This, who should be easy to deal with because her death would end everything. With her death, the line would be ended." Feyrith looked to me quickly. "Then again, I assumed Thivrah had no progeny either and look where that arrogance got me."