Fragile Reign (Mortal Enchantment Book 2) (16 page)

As I stepped inside the throne room, my mouth fell open. Mom was straddled on top of Dad. They were all over each other. It was like watching two teenagers kissing and touching as if no one else was in the castle. Knights stood in each corner of the room—looking every which way except in their direction. It was unreal to see them like this, especially Mom who never dated anyone ever. I covered my eyes with my hands, and said, “Okay, your impressionable teenager has just entered the room.”

Bash leaned to the side, whispering in my ear. “Oh come on, you have to admit that’s pretty hot. I guess it’s safe to say the feelings they had for each other are alive and well.”

“They can be
alive and well
all they want, but I’d prefer they do it when I’m not around.” I lowered my hands in enough time to see Mom adjusting her bra. Did she let Dad make it to second base? I shook my head, needing to expel these thoughts and images from my memory. “Did you send for us, Dad?”

“Yes,” he said, wiping lipstick off the corner of his mouth.

Mom had certainly adjusted quickly to life in Avalon. Her red hair was styled in a high bun like a Greek goddess. As she slipped into the chair next to him, I noticed that she wore the same garments as the other air elementals. She looked fantastic in a yellow tank top with long, flowing matching skirt. “I’m so sorry, Kalin. We got a little carried away.”

I wasn’t really bothered by what I saw. It was nice to see them both happy. I had always wondered if my parents would ever get back together. None of the scenarios I had in my mind involved Dad groping Mom in front of me, but whatever, they were enjoying each other. “It’s no big deal, Mom.”

Bash headed toward Mom. He reached for her hand and kissed it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tricia.”

Mom put her other hand on top of his. “The pleasure is all mine. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what you’re doing.”

Bash bowed. “I am a servant of the royal family. I would do anything you asked of me.”

Dad reached for Mom’s hand, and then said, “We are very fortunate to have you in our court, Sebastian. If there is ever anything you need, I will be happy to oblige.”

With his head still bowed, he said, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Bash certainly didn’t lack in the charm department. It only took minutes to have my parents enamored by him. Too bad he wasn’t around when I was trying to win over the council. I probably could’ve benefited from his skills. No matter what the situation, he just seemed to know exactly how to handle it. He was born for a career in politics.

I glanced at my parents. They stared at each other, not paying the least bit of attention to anything else around them. I cleared my throat. “Dad? Weren’t you about to tell us why you sent for us?”

Dad jolted, surprised to hear my voice. He really had forgotten we were here. “Oh right, of course. Orion is coming for a visit. He will arrive within the hour and I would like for both of you to be here.”

It would have been an insult not to offer a formal greeting to a visiting king. Bash—acting as my fiancé—would also be expected. Dad must not have told Orion our wedding plans were a ruse. It made more sense to keep up appearances. “Will there be a formal dinner as well?”

“Yes, there will be an intimate gathering.” Dad responded, eyes still on Mom. “Orion is coming for a social visit.”

Intimate gathering meant the council would not be included. Dad had not spoken with any of them since he had returned to Avalon and started his recovery. I was sure he had no interest in discussing his health during Orion’s visit. “I will go and prepare for dinner.” I said.

Bash chimed right in without missing a beat. “I need to get changed as well. I’m certainly not prepared to meet a visiting king in these clothes,” he said, pointing to his casual air court attire.

My parents both shook their heads, chuckling in agreement. They just ate up Bash’s every word. The guy just oozed with charm.

Once I got back to my room, I found Ariel waiting for me. Six possible gowns lined my bed. Each a different shade of yellow. I quickly decided on the floor-length gown with the beaded halter neckline. “This one is perfect.”

“It will look great on you. Now, let’s do something about that hair.” Ariel twisted my curls into a high bun, sporadically gluing little crystals into my hair.

“Is the bling really necessary? It’s just dinner.”

“Bling is best. Trust me on this.” Ariel replied, winking.

“Have you heard from Marcus?” I asked, biting my lip.

“Not since he left.” She answered, while applying my make-up. She went with a natural look, finishing me off with a clear lip gloss.

Marcus would tell Rowan that the wedding date was part of my plan, but would he believe him? Rowan wasn’t big in the trust department. He had been betrayed by so many elementals in his life. Who could really blame him for being guarded? Still, I hoped he would accept the news since it was coming out of the mouth of his best friend. There was really nothing I could do at this point. I would have to wait and see if Rowan contacted me…or showed up here to slice Bash’s head off. Just the thought made me shudder.

Ariel managed to get me ready in less than thirty minutes. That had to be a new record for her. The girl was a cosmetology Jedi. I examined her work in the full-length mirror. “I love everything you did. You totally rocked my do.”

She smiled, proudly. “I did, didn’t I?”

I made my way over to the window as cheers erupted outside. Lanterns lit the way as a small group of elementals headed toward the castle. I was too high up to know for sure, but I had a feeling Orion would be here in minutes. “I have to go. Our dinner guests have arrived.”

Ariel patted my backside, pushing me toward the door. “You’d better get your cute butt downstairs then.”

“On my way, boss.” I said, saluting her.

I rushed down several sets of stairs. By the time I reached my father, Orion was in sight. Panting, I moved into position between Mom and Bash. “I’m here.”

Bash leaned to the side, his nose tickling my ear. “You look stunning,” he whispered. “Are you sure you don’t want to marry me?”

A little giggle came out, even surprising me. “Thank you.” I managed to say.

Orion approached with his queen, Marlena, at his side. Surrounding them was at least a dozen knights in full body armor. The woodland fae were known as the most lavish of all the courts. The king and queen were no exception. Both dripped in gold jewelry featuring large gems in a riot of colors. Marlena wore a full-length forest green gown. The dress hugged every one of her curves. Her long golden blonde hair hung low in loose waves. She was just stunning. Orion had on a long green jacket that came almost to his knees, a white shirt, and black pants. His long blonde hair was tied back in a low ponytail.

My parents were much more toned down. Air court elementals rarely wore any kind of jewelry. They did dress it up a little for special occasions like this dinner. Dad looked the best I’ve seen him in weeks. He had on a black tuxedo with a yellow tie and cummerbund. Mom wore a canary-yellow strapless floor-length gown. The style was very simple—no frills like special beading or elaborate designs. I could tell she was going out of her way to fit in with the other air elementals. It was pretty cute.

As I expected, Bash was gorgeous. I could tell his black tuxedo had been fitted because it was perfection. He was dangerously handsome, looking all kinds of James Bond with his hair slicked back. I couldn’t make out his cologne. It was a scent I had never smelled before. A combination of honey, cinnamon, and vanilla. The fragrance made my stomach growl. I couldn’t remember the last time I had eaten something, but my belly was telling me it had been a while. Dinner couldn’t be served fast enough.

Dad welcomed Marlena first, kissing her hand. Then, he greeted Orion. The two elementals embraced in a hug. They had been friends for centuries. It was no wonder why Orion rushed into a war against the fire court. He thought he was helping a friend. He made some mistakes for sure, but Orion couldn’t be held accountable for everything that happened. Jarrod was a trusted member of our court. He had been just as close to Dad. I could only imagine the lies he told Orion to get him into battle against Liana. I wished every single day that I could have rescued Dad sooner. All this mess might have been avoided.

“You’re looking better, my friend.” Orion said, patting Dad on the chest.

“I feel stronger every day.” Dad replied.

I tried to hold back my cringe. Dad wasn’t stronger. The iron in his blood kept him from recovering. Using any power at all made him weak. Worst of all, I wasn’t the only one noticing. The council was right on this point. As long as Dad was in power, we were vulnerable. I had to find a way to either heal him or ascend to the throne. But if I had to ascend, I would likely have to do it with Bash at my side. “We’re hoping for a speedy recovery.” I chimed in.

“Yes, we certainly are.” Mom added, rubbing the side of Dad’s arm.

Orion pointed his open palm toward the ground. Within moments, a pink rosebush grew up from the dirt. He picked a single flower, handing it to my mother. “I was so pleased to hear you had returned, Tricia. I couldn’t be happier for you both.”

“That was awesome.” I said, touching the leaves of the bush. “What else can you do?”

Orion laughed. “What would you like to see?”

I tapped my finger against my lips, trying to decide which flower was my favorite. “How about a black orchid?”

No sooner than the words came out, a black orchid branch rose from the ground. Orion handed the beautiful flower to me. “To answer your question, anything is possible.”

“That’s quite impressive, Your Majesty.” Bash said to Orion.

“You must be Sebastian.” Orion shook his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” Bash said, bowing.

“Come on. Let’s get you inside, old friend.” Dad said, putting his arm around Orion. “I’m starving.”

Dad wasn’t kidding when he said intimate gathering. Compared to the other rooms in the castle, this one was baby-sized. A glass rectangular table was set up in the middle of the square room with a bouquet of flowers in the center. The scent of fuchsia wafted through my nostrils. A crystal chandelier hung above the table, illuminating the room with candlelight. My heels clicked against the marble flooring as I was seated across from Bash. Orion was seated next to me with his wife across from him. My parents sat at each end of the table.

“I was so pleased to hear that you’ve set a date.” Orion said, smiling. “At a time like this, all good news is appreciated and welcomed.”

My stomach recoiled, knowing the lies I was about to tell. “Thank you, Your Majesty. It was a surprise, but I am very happy.”

“I expect you will have a grand engagement party.” He added.

“Well, we…I mean I—” I glanced at Bash, unsure of what to say next.

“We hadn’t planned for an engagement party.” Bash answered. “Most air elementals aren’t fond of grand gestures.”

Orion shook his head at me. “Nonsense. You are an elemental princess. It would go against tradition to not bring the courts together for such a wonderful celebration.”

“A celebration such as this could unite the four courts once again.” Marlena said, speaking directly to Dad. “Perhaps reunite the high council.”

Setting a wedding date was one thing, but bringing the courts together under false pretense was something else entirely. It may be seen as an insult. Trickery. But how could we get out of it now that Orion and Marlena viewed it as a means for peace between the courts? My mind raced as I tried to come up with some reasonable excuse. Any excuse that made even a shred of sense. “Don’t you think a private meeting with members of the high council is best? A large party seems like a disturbance.”

Mom and Dad looked at one another, seemingly unsure of what to say.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea.” Bash said, the shock from his words nearly knocked me off my chair. “With the elements out of balance, we should do anything and everything we can to reconcile the courts. An engagement party might be just what we need.”

Orion smacked his palm onto the table. “It’s settled then. I am going to throw an engagement party unlike anything you’ve ever seen. No expense will be spared.”

“Marvelous,” Marlena added. “We will start the preparations as soon as we return to our court.” She glanced my way. “You need not worry about a thing. All you have to do is find a fabulous dress. Leave the rest to me.”

Rowan

We climbed to an opening in the volcano. Wind from that height chilled the air. Had I not been a fire elemental, I would be freezing. The setting sun had just enough light to see Valac’s army slowly approaching. I would make a guess that he had several hundred elementals with him. It would appear they had all come from our court. How had he convinced so many to join him? This was worse than I had anticipated.

As far as I was concerned, Valac had perfect timing. My sword had been clean far too long. I was ready to filet someone alive, and now, I had a befitting prey. Imagining all the lives these rogue fire elementals had taken made my power surge at the tips of my fingers. I needed a release. Valac had successfully ignited the war between the courts, dismantled the high court, and unbalanced the core elements. His death would bring an end to all of this turmoil. Peace would finally be restored.

“What should we do?” Ethan asked, his eyes darting between Marcus and me.

“It’s your call,” Marcus said to me, crossing his arms.

Valac had an army, which meant he has no plans to challenge me one-on-one. But if he came here prepared, he must feel he has enough to take out our side. I doubt he knew the hounds would still be here. Someone probably told him they left. That could work out to our advantage if this comes down to an actual battle. “I would like to hear your opinion, Marcus. Tell me what you think.”

Marcus stared out into the distance, watching the army as they drew closer to the volcano. He remained silent for several long moments. “I think we can take them, but it will cost us many elementals. With the elements out of balance, how many losses can we endure without creating a larger rift?”