"Agreed." I watched from behind Roan as Sorrell took a step back, his ice crown melting away as well as the cloak—why had it even appeared in the first place, I wondered, if he was just going to make it dissolve again? "I will make the arrangements."
When neither Roan nor Orion said anything more, he turned and left—the chill that constantly surrounded him remained in his wake. As soon as he was gone from my sight, my body sagged as if it'd been on edge and prepared for a physical battle the entire time he'd been near. I glared at the doorway through which he'd departed. He may have been a handsome and powerful Fae prince, but he was still an asshole.
Chapter 2
Cress
Prepare for travel. Those were the last words Roan and Orion had said to me before ushering me back down the hallway in the new outfit Roan had magicked up for me. I'd done as they’d asked and prepared to travel, the problem was I still didn't have a lot of clothing, or, well, anything really, so there wasn't exactly a lot to prepare. Therefore, when a gaggle of Fae clad in blue and white trousers and long fluffy cloaks came striding into the castle’s main throne room, I was the only one waiting for them.
I froze on the spot, watching as three unfamiliar Fae paraded into the room. The Fae with their luminescent eyes and perfect features twisted their heads and gazed around, seeming to expect some kind of welcoming committee. When all they saw was me, mid bite of a roll in my hand as I sat on the steps of the throne dais—minus the actual throne—they stopped and stared expectantly.
Still, I waited to see which of them would be selected to approach. I was pretty sure when the guys had dumped me here and told me not to go anywhere, they’d meant to stay away from the incoming Fae. Had they not realized that this was the first place these people would probably look for them? I shook my head. Men—it didn’t matter if they were human or Fae—they were all the same.
Finally, one of the Fae sighed and stepped forward, dipping his head as if he were unsure of whether or not he should bow. It was kind of funny. Who would bow to me?
“We have been sent ahead from the Court of Frost to prepare for Ambassador Solas’ arrival. Where may we find the princes of the Court of Crimson or their Ambassador?" the young man asked.
What should I do? I thought to myself. On one hand, I could follow the prince’s orders and keep my mouth shut and wait for them to arrive. But that would be rude, wouldn’t it? My internal debate didn’t last long. As much as I would’ve loved to keep myself out of it, the fact was they were here now and someone needed to give them something. Unfortunately, that someone had to be me. I looked down at the roll in my hand before standing with a sigh. "Pixies!" I called out.
The Fae before me blinked as several of the fluttering little creatures appeared from the rafters and hovered over my shoulders. I gestured to the man in front of me. "Can you help him get what he needs for the Ambassador? I promise there's at least two rolls in it for you."
A frightening smile formed on the lead Pixie's face as he shifted closer to me before turning and fluttering toward the Fae who’d requested assistance.
He stared at the Pixie before turning his gaze on me once more. "You bargain with your Pix?" he asked, shock clear in his tone.
I shrugged. "Sure, I do. Seems to work just fine.”
“But…” He frowned. “Why?” He gestured to the Pixies. “You could simply command them to do your bidding. They are Pix. It is their role to serve us.”
I pursed my lips and arched a brow. Even at my full height, I only came up to his chest. Were all Fae this tall?
“Because,” I started, shaking off the wayward thoughts, “I respect all living creatures and believe they deserve to be rewarded for their work. Plus, there are plenty of rolls available and they love them, so why not?" I tossed one in the air to demonstrate and the Pixies had every crumb consumed before it could touch the ground. "Just tell them what you need."
I stepped away, moving further from the dais as the Fae turned toward the Pixies. As discreetly as possible, I motioned for one of the Pixies still hovering overhead to come down. As it flew closer, I peeked over my shoulder to make sure that the new arrivals were distracted before speaking to the Pixie.
“Go get the princes,” I whispered to the little buzzing creature. “Tell them that their ambassador and his … erm … entourage is here and you might want to mention that I’m alone with them.” That would definitely get their butts moving. I handed over a small morsel of food in payment and the Pixie was gone in a flash.
A few minutes later, the telltale sound of boots echoed up the walls as the princes arrived. Only then was I really able to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Darius, it's good to see you again," Sorrell called, striding to the forefront. He stopped and inclined his head ever so slightly to the man I had been speaking to.
Darius, on the other hand, dropped into a bow, the cape he wore flaring out all around him as he lowered his head.
"It’s good to have you home, Your Highness; if only it were under better circumstances."
"Agreed. How were you able to get here so fast?”
Darius lifted his head slightly. “The Frost Queen sent us out a few days ago. She expected that you would land a decent trek from our home court and we were to wait until we could determine your location before we came to deliver you and your fellow throne brothers to the Court of Frost.”
Sorrell hummed low in his throat. “And what of these circumstances you mentioned?” he asked. Before the man could comment, however, the doors to the throne room were thrown open once more. Who knew Fae could have such a flair for the dramatic? Silently, I reached for another roll and bit into it. This was better than the attempts at theater the children of the convent tried every so often. Those performances had been half hearted attempts at relieving boredom. This was a masterpiece. They were all so serious.
A man appeared in the doorway, leading the charge. This must be the Ambassador, I thought. He certainly dressed like someone who thought they were important. His coattails were decorated and his sleeves more puffed up than a chicken about to explode. Three of his minions tittered at his coattails while he strode boldly up to the princes and bowed at the waist, not showing nearly the same level of respect as Darius.
"Ambassador Solas, it's a pleasure as always," Sorrell said. I darted a glance at the Ice Prince. If his tone was anything to go by, there was no pleasure found in this new man’s presence. I chewed on my roll and swallowed. Interesting.
"The pleasure is mine as always, Your Highnesses," Solas said. "I am here to inform you that the Frost Queen and the Crimson Queen have both requested your presence as well as the presence of your court brothers at their court."
"Why couldn’t they bring the message themselves?” The question popped out of my mouth before I could stop it, and almost as soon as the words had left my lips, I wished desperately that I could take them back. What was I thinking? That was a dumb question. They were Queens. Of course they weren’t going to ride across a country just to deliver a message.
Sorrell’s eyes cut toward me and zeroed in. If looks could kill, I’d have been six feet under and honestly, I couldn’t blame him for his irritation. While I kept my cool outwardly, inside, I was a rolling mass of nerves. Solas slowly turned and gave me an appreciative once over, his lips parting as he spoke. "Because the Queens do not travel, young one. You should know that ... unless you've been living under a rock?” The last bit was said with genuine curiosity, a question in his answer. His sapphire blue eyes held me in thrall as he spoke, and I didn't realize how close he had come until he finished speaking. I looked up.