Come Away

Chapter 32 - Shadow

My fist clenches and I resist the instinct to throw it into Naoise's stomach. Now that my life might not be ending today, punching the King might reverse my stroke of luck. 

If I can even call it luck. 

Up until now all I wanted was to get the mortals out of here alive. Marrying the King in order to do that is a price I wasn't expecting to pay.

The kiss ends and he pulls away. The celebratory cheers are lost on me. There's no way this is going to end well.

Cináed is brought to center stage, his arms restricted by the guards. The King glances over him with light curiosity.

"And who is this that saved my bride's life?" Naoise says.

The crowd grows still, and I can hear them whispering as they stare at Cináed. His eyes are fearlessly locked with the King's as he answers.

"I am Cináed the Rogue. Once known as Cináed the Advisor to High King Ruari."

The way he says "High King Ruari" with such devotion has got to sting the new King's pride at least a little.

Sure enough, Naoise has a hard time masking his surprise, or his disgust, at what Cináed says. A distinct wave of recognition washes over the crowd.

"Cináed has returned?"

"The late King's most trusted advisor."

"Been missing ever since his lover died of the sickness."

Whispered words brush my ears, adding to the mess inside my head. Cináed used to be one of these stuffy aristocrats?

King Naoise looks like he's the last one at the party to get the punch line. My guess is that Naoise became King long after Cináed left the castle. Meaning that they've never met until now.

And from the look on Orla's face, they were never supposed to meet. Or at least, she never expected to see Cináed around here again. She's standing behind us the expression of someone who just ate a whole basket of lemons for dinner.

Naoise regains his composure and says slowly, "And what brings Cináed the Rogue to High King Naoise's feast?"

The jabs keep flying with all the fancy titles being thrown on the table. I wonder if Cináed will take the bait as he glances at me, the tightness around his eyes softening a little.

"To remind the kingdom of the laws of the Fae." He turns back to Naoise. "Laws that perhaps the new king has yet to know, but they are unbreakable laws that each faery must obey. Refusing to keep a deal with a mortal, and trading said deal for another without any approval from the mortal,  are both serious offenses."

It's so quiet I doubt anyone is even breathing.

That mortal he's talking about is me. Cináed is putting his life on the line to argue my cause.

Before Naoise can respond, Orla steps between them, her sharp eyes demanding respect.

"It has been awhile since I last saw you, Cináed was it?" She says, her tone dripping with disdain. "So long, in fact, that any authority you possessed as a royal advisor has long since been dismissed. Your intrusion here will be overlooked if you leave immediately."

Cináed starts talking before her last word is spoken. Instead of responding to Orla, however, he turns and addresses the crowd below.

"Apparently the new king's self-appointed advisor feels threatened by my presence." He calls in a loud voice, and I hear quiet laughter from several faeries. "But can you blame her? I mean, if the new king is breaking the unbreakable laws, is she not in some part responsible for these travesties? It would seem that Orla is actually the one whose authority should be dismissed."