Melina has been busy sending the stable lads out as couriers to find out who is in the city and might be available. I’m back in my own room, where I am creating a version of my wedding dress, but this one wraps the aspen leaves partway up my neck. Instead of a wedding veil, I craft a tiara out of gems and leaves made of copper and gold. I work on Kenric’s outfit, rendering the leaves in autumn colors and changing the tunic so that the embroidery stays in place. The dresses for the presentation tomorrow for my ladies are finished to resemble Maple, Beech, and Poplar, so that we can keep our tree theme.
The men’s outfits are Birch, Sycamore, and Redbud, again, keeping with the tree theme. I’ve decided that the carriage will be adorned with wild roses and oak twigs. With that settled, I head to the barn to spell the coach and the coach horses. I glamour the carriages and fuss with the spell a bit to get it just right. Our carriage is decorated in gold, with wild roses twining around oak twigs and golden acorns. I’ve glamoured the horses to look like Bay Pearls. They’re glossy and stunning. The other coach, for the men and ladies, follows the same theme but is decorated in silver, with those horses being dappled grey.
The coaches are now topless, luxurious carriages upholstered in Fey silk. Usami helps me cover them to hide them from prying eyes. Now, to recreate the tack for Inaba’s band, I look at Nasu’s tack and design a set in blues and greens with a sea dragon theme for Usami and Wulf. Usami tests it out for me, and I have Miyabe translate. I’ve finished healing Wulf, and he’s just as splendid as the other horses. I heal Nasu’s horse, which requires some effort because the injury to his leg is severe and has poorly healed. I need to undo his natural healing to repair it correctly.
Yoshida and Arnol get tack in shades of gray with a cloud theme. Hagiwara and Ulric also get tack, but in browns and blacks with a beetle theme. Based on Miyabe’s translations, I make some adjustments, and they’re pleased. I finish by making tack for Miyabe, Inaba, and Oshida. Miyabe shows me sockets on the back of their armor meant for holding flags. I think for a moment and decide that some flags are in order, so I craft some in Fey silk with gold embroidery showing my family crest. I also create some Fey silk caparisons with oak branches and wild roses, all picked out in gold thread embroidery.
That just leaves the three men to act as escorts for my duennas. I can handle that in the morning. With a big yawn, I head back to the inn to find Kenric waiting for me. He’s ordered a meal in our room and a bath. Working so much magic in such a short time has left me tired and hungry. I devour my food and nearly doze off in the bath, to Kenric’s amusement. He steps in and starts to care for me and I’m nearly ready to melt.
He starts washing my hair. “We’ll find out when the wedding is tomorrow. It may take them a bit to prepare.”
I sigh as he rinses out my hair. “I’ll take care of our clothing. You may not be a prince here, but I’ll see you dressed as a Fey prince every chance I get.”
He chuckles. “You seem to enjoy it.”
I laugh as Kenric scoops me out of the bath and wraps me in a towel he’s left warming by the fire. He gets in, and I bathe him. As I get near his groin, his wolfish grin returns.
I give him a look. “That means another bath in cold water this time.”
His grin grows wider. “I’ve already ordered a bath for the morning. I just wanted to get all the road dust off you before I see how many times I can make you scream my name. This might be our last night together for a while.”
I smirk at him. “Then why are you wasting time in that tub?”
I cast my bubble spell, and Kenric is out of the tub in a flash.
I swat at him. “You’re going to get me wet. You didn’t even dry off.”
He laughs and gives me a heated look. “Víl?, you’re not dry love. Now that I know what that scent means, you’re already wet. Now come here and let me take care of that.”
The rest of the night is spent with my glorious male. I wake up in a tangle of arms and legs nestled against his chest. I nip and nibble at him to wake him up. I’m rewarded with a chuckle and another heated look. He pulls my leg over his hip and begins rubbing the head of his erection against my core.
A knock at the door announcing that they’re ready with the fresh bath puts a halt to things. I cover him up thoroughly with the bedclothes, drop my bubble, and throw on my night shift before opening the door. The maids come in and haul out the water before refilling it.
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When they’re gone, I put my bubble back up, and Kenric pulls me back into the bed. “Now, you were just here, and I was just doing this…”
A bit later, I’m in the tub, and Kenric is cleaning me up. He’s clearly pleased with himself, so I ask why.
He chuckles and nips my ear. “Because the count is so close to four hundred now. I was right. It is getting more intense.”
I splash water at him, and he laughs. “If the king starts to annoy you, you can just think about that and smile.”
I shake my head. “If you don’t stop this, we might never make it out of the inn.”
He laughs and sneaks back to his own room. I go dress my three “Fey” ladies-in-waiting and myself.
The Sergeant knocks on the door. “I have your volunteers.”
I open the door and smile at him. “Come in.”
Three men serve as guards, and two act as footmen. A final touch of magic for the footmen. A male “Fey” appears Fey, but with a bit of extra glamor for their ears. Like many Fey males, the glamor includes gem-studded earrings that are common among us. Their outfits are similar to Kenric’s, but with shorter cloaks, so I use those to dress them. I’ve changed their voices to sound like they have Fey accents. I’m about to dress the women when I tell the Sergeant to have the drivers harness the special carriages with the special horses in the barn.
The Sergeant nods. “I’ll see to it. You probably need to dress them, too.”
I nod and head down the hallway to find the women. Two are ready, but the third one is passed out drunk. I blindfold them again, and they’re dressed, complete with jewels and hair. A flick of my wrist and she’s sober. Another flick of my wrist, and she can’t get drunk. This is not a time for drunkenness. Fey females don’t tend to need all the face paint that these human women wear. I remove the blind folds and go to dress myself. The aspen leaves shape themselves, creating something that’s a compromise between Fey style and these local dresses.
A jeweled belt, bracelets, and rings are put on before I’m ready for the tiara. Once everyone is ready, I quickly prepare some livery for the coach drivers. Tomorrow, their carriages and horses will be back to normal. Since it’s not a permanent change, the magical cost is much lower. As we start getting into the carriages, the innkeeper sends a runner to the palace to inform them that we’re leaving and will arrive soon. The young man takes off on foot, weaving through the crowd that has gathered to watch our procession. Kenric’s men form up outside, while Inaba’s men ride closer to the carriages.
I see lots of whispering and catch snippets of speculation about who we are to arrive like this. I smile at the crowd before I start tossing coins and candy. The candy is Fey candy, and one of the things I suggested that Kenric discuss with Duke Jellema about importing. We make it from our fruits, and many of them have some interesting properties. This is traditional among us. The crowd is appreciative and showers us with flowers.
A young boy slips through the guards and shouts, “Who are you? No one knows.”
I smile at him, “I am Princess Víl? of the Fey, come to wed Lord Kenric.”
The crowd keeps scrambling for the candy and coins.
Kenric laughs. “You certainly know how to make an entrance.”
I smile and continue tossing coins and candy. Word spreads quickly, and my name is echoed in a chant. The louder the chant, the more often I toss gifts to the crowd. By the time we near the palace, the chant is deafening. It’s mostly candy, with some coins, but the crowd seems to love it as we make our way to the palace. When we reach the palace, the guards are surprised by the size of the crowd, but they open the gates and let us in. Flowers keep sailing over the gate.
The two carriages pull up, and Kenric steps out, gracefully managing his cloak and efficiently helping me down. A faint touch of magic causes the train of my dress to unfurl smoothly behind us as Kenric guides me up the steps to the palace. So far, I’m not impressed. It seems to resemble Duke Jellema’s palace, but older and possibly more run-down. My story about the poor conditions might actually be more accurate than I expected. Keeping my thoughts to myself, I face King Oskar Restroff of Centis. He’s handsome enough, I suppose.
Tall, broad shoulders and clearly fit, though tending toward some excess weight. He’s a few years older than Kenric. Kenric is still much more handsome. Today, with Kenric as radiant as a Fey prince, he appears the higher-ranking male. We keep climbing the steps, and I notice men scurrying behind the king, clearly unprepared. Fools. Did you think I’d come here like a beggar? The king watches me as we ascend at a steady, calm pace. At least someone had the sense to lay out a carpet.
I can sense the king watching us, and as we approach the top of the stairs where he’s waiting, we halt. Kenric bows, and I curtsey as Ina instructed me. The king leans back as someone whispers in his ear.
Turning, King Oskar looks and looks again. “My gods! Is that really you, Lord Kenric?”
Kenric bows once more. “It is, Your Royal Highness. May I introduce my Lady wife, Princess Víl? of the Fey?”
I feel that this king is assessing me, trying to decide if one of his sons might be a better match. He could push the issue, but it would jeopardize his trade agreement with Ellisar. Best to address that early.
“How did you manage to win yourself a princess, Kenric?” Oskar asks
I smile placidly. “Ellisar included it in the trade agreement, Your Royal Highness.”
More whispering in the king’s ear, followed by a brief frown.
He gestures them away and surveys the cheering crowd. “My people definitely seem pleased with you.”
Maintaining my calm smile, I nod. “They do seem to enjoy the candies, Your Royal Highness.”
The king chuckles. “So that’s what you were tossing to the crowd. None of my men could get their hands on any of them.”
Keeping my smile firm, I nod again. “It is traditional among the Fey to give candies to the people when entering a foreign kingdom.”
I don’t mention that this custom means that our visit isn’t an attack. That’s not something this king needs to understand. Let him believe that it was to curry favor with his people. Among the Fey, food is a gesture of hospitality, and the individually wrapped candies are some of the easiest things to toss into a crowd. They also happen to be quite tasty.
- Did you see that reveal coming—or did it blindside you?
- How do you think this changes the game?