The Fae Prince

Chapter 16: Mate

*play song when I tell y'all to*
•not edited•

Haley

The next ball hosted in honor of the changelings rolls around faster that I want it to. I spent my entire week taking lessons from the queen, and I finally felt caught up with all of the etiquette and customs I needed to follow in the Fae world.

Soon enough, all the changelings are once again rushed into the same room we were brought to the first night we arrived. This ball is more special than the others, apparently, because this is the first ball where we will be seen with our new suitors.

My hair is brushed and curled to one side, and my makeup is dark. The new faeries helping us specifically told us the color scheme of the ball would be dark, so we'd have to choose dark colored gowns. I opted for a dark green sequined gown that is low cut and has a thigh high split. It was the safer choice compared to other gowns. I realize I've come to grow tired of seeing tits and ass all the time and showing off my own, so I wanted to cover up to leave something to the imagination.

"Lady Haley, the king requests an audience with you," Ash says the moment she bursts into my dressing area.

"Thank you, Ash," I reply with a sigh, slipping on my heels before I go.

The walk from the dressing area to the king's study is short. It confuses me why the king would like to see me, but I don't question it. Over the last few days I've learned to let things be and not worry about them unless it threatens my life.

"Your majesty?" I ask, knocking on the door as I crack it open slightly.

"Ah, please come in, Lady Haley," he says as he ushers me toward him.

I walk into the room, shutting the door behind me before I stand right in front of the king. His blonde hair is in it's normal style of curls, and his large, golden crown rests atop his head. The blue sapphire placed in the center, and raised above the rest of the crown, glistens when the candlelight hits it at just the right angle.

"Is there something you needed, your majesty?" I ask as I bow my head in respect to his rank.

"Tonight you will need to be presented with the Lord Edward and the Lord Cassiel. Nobody knows, besides the queen and I, that Cassiel is one of your suitors. We think it would be best if you simply reject his proposal and stick with Lord Edward."

"If I may ask, your majesty, why?"

"Simple," the king says as he sets down the quill pen he was rolling in between his fingers, "Finan would have his head."

*play song now*

"I don't understand why Finan cares so much if he hasn't bothered trying to court me, or even become friendly, for that matter," I say with a slight growl, my vision going red for a split second.

"There are things in play far greater than you can imagine, little one," the king says, "Fate is not kind, nor is she forgiving. However, she does know what she is doing. You must understand this."

"No offense, your majesty, but what the fuck does fate have to do with this?" I hiss, slapping my hands on my thighs.

"Oh, she has plenty to do with this. You just don't know it yet, little one," the king pats my head as he walks past me to get a table behind me, "I'm being kind to ask you to do this for me and not order you to. I could very well order you to do it, and order you to reject both suitors, but I am not cruel."

I bite the inside of my cheek as I fume silently.

"Tell me why Finan is so emotionally invested in my love life even though he can barely take a single look at me or I swear to all that is holy that I will send this palace crumbling to the ground," my voice is heavy with power and authority, and the book shelves around us groan as they shift slightly.