Golden Crown: The Fey Lands Saga book 2

Of Governance and Rule

The rain lashed the windows as I looked out over the gardens now wet with autumn rains. the air  was filled with the scents of wet earth and rain and I breathed in the scent. I was staring out the window wishing I was out there but instead I was stuck indoors reading over books on royal, court, and Faerie etiquette. It  had only been two months since I'd been invested as High Princess of all the Court of light, second ranked lady beneath High Queen Delonna. I still felt it was a dream.
Sure I'd broken the curse over the fey lands, had defeated the Dark night devourer the spider god Nepharé by giving into my love for Lian. But people still hailed me as a heroine. People still called me Princess Phaydra Curse Breaker. I sighed as I continued to read the dull dull book. I had to memorise the code so that I could be shown to be learning something.
Even though the courts of Season's, Crystals, and Joys had excepted that I would be wed to Lian my beloved Prince someday in the future I still had to prove myself to them, that I wasn't here for the glory of being a Princess. Just then I heard an knock and gratefully rose to my feet as Karthena my companion entered carrying another sheaf of documents for me to look through. "Ah your royal Highness." She said curtseying these just came for you."
I sighed and sat down to read. the high king and queen of the courts of darkness were inviting me to visit their halls so that they too could honour me for my saving of their lands as well. "More festivals and more  honours." I muttered as I sipped at my favourite tea. "You deserve them Princess after all you did." "Save the lands I know I know." I said as Karthena winced, "Your grandmother would I am certain be grateful and glad of your high estate." "I don't care about titles." I said. "I just want to wed my love."
"You will surely someday." Said Karthena as she lit the lamps as the windows darkened. "Only a fleeting taste of light before the autumn rains set in. It wasn't fair. I'd broken the curse, and been in the silver veils for four years but the curse lifted slowly so that light was fully returned the magic restored recently, shortly after I returned from the village I'd grown up in.
"will you accept their invitation?" Asked Karthena, "I cannot refuse." "After all it was the high queen of the courts of darkness who'd showed me how to fly." I said crossly before returning to sign my agreement to the document before getting back to the dull book.
"They say they will wish you to attend the opening Winter solstice ball they are holding." Said Karthena who was getting used to my moods now. "fine." I grunted as I read on. "Lian is asking for you." Said Karthena suddenly, "Why didn't you say so?" I asked rising to my feet and hurrying out of the room. Now that I had all the Fae sense's I could walk the castle without being lost or falling prey to the glamour over it.
He sat in his presence chamber, surrounded by his men courtiers. though we weren't king and queen we did as Prince and Princess have our own courts. Much smaller than the High King's and queen's, but courts even so. I entered dressed in my dark blue gown and reflexively curtseyed, "Your royal." Coughs filled the room as the gentlemen and pages who served him looked away. I flinched and straightened coming over to sit beside him.
Lian was tall with golden hair, golden wings, and green eyes. His square face was pleasing with a strong jaw and generous mouth. His lean muscled body was also pleasing to look upon. He touched my hand, "I could feel you grumbling all morning." "Its quite distracting." He said to me mind to mind. Ever since we'd fallen in love we'd begun to form the mating bond. But since I was a newborn Faerie and he not adult yet the bond was innocent and pure, childlike in its simplicity. As a result he could and I could feel each other's feelings and speak mind to mind without difficulty. "I am sorry my love." I said  mind to mind, "What were you reading anyway Phaydra?" "Dull books on royal law."
He grimaced sympathetically. "No wonder you grumbled." He said. We felt comfortably in this mind speech we shared, "I grumbled when I read them, only a true scholar  would have enjoyed them." I laughed and he said, "Anyway we have an invitation to the courts of darkness for their winter solstice ball." "You could have said all that mind to mind from where I was." I said with a smile as he cleared his throat.
"My Lords." He said in his booming voice, "May I present Lady Phaydra Galatine, High Princess of the courts of Light." I rose and curtseyed, "they have come from their holdings several weeks away to offer congratulation's to us both for breaking the curse." He said to me, "I am most honoured that you would come all this way my Lords." I said bowing my head, "You bring much honour to this court for doing so." "My Lady." Said one of the lords, a red headed lord with green eyes and large amber wings. He was dressed in a tunic of green velvet with an undershirt of white fine linen and trousers of a deep fawn. He strode near and bowed over my hand and kissed it. "You do it's honour by allowing us to meet you." "Duke Kenningford Alistaire at your service your royal  Highness."' He kissed my hand again, "It must still be difficult for you to discuss the breaking of the curse my Lady?" Asked another lord in grey. "You are?" I asked, "Marquess Northidge Marden my Lady." He said bowing, "It is difficult." I said, "i almost lost my life." "Indeed my Lady." "Such  a close thing." His voice was velvety but with a sting beneath it, "But humans are used to such things." "Death that is." "We may be used to death, but it still affects us my Lord Marquess." I said softly, "Indeed indeed, and such a love you have." "Tell me was it after you broke the curse, and needed more attention that you decided that you loved him?"
Gasps filled the hall as Lian rose from his seat, "No." I said breathing softly and slowly, "You must be beautiful to him then." ""Humans aren't granted high Fae status very often." "Tell me Princess did you ask for it since we are all in your debt?" "I asked for nothing my Lord." I said even more softly, "Remarkable then that you would be made high fey within out asking for anything." "Either you are speaking the truth, or you are stupid.."
Lian drew his sword, "no Lian he has reason to wonder." I said, "Yes listen to your little Princess." "I have reason to doubt all these claims." Said the Marquess Northidge, "I am Phaydra Galatine, and I tell you now my Lord." I said every bit of venom filling my voice, "Doubt if you may but you cannot fake a mating bond." "He loves me, and I love him." "Wether you believe the rest is up to you." "But I would never dare rise so high." "Is it not the high Kings and Queens who decide such as that of instating a high Fae?"
He nodded tensely, "Well you put them under a spell then." "I hear how you excelled in magic here." Lian drew his sword again and raised it to the Marquess's throat, "Do not so insult my Lady again Marquess." Said Lian. Tensely they stood before the marquess moved away, "Very well your royal highness." He backed away and bowed low. "I meant no offence." He quickly withdrew to another part of the room.
"My love." I said mind to mind, "Pay no attention to that, that, nave." Said Lian strongly."but my love." "He knows not what he speaks." He said interrupting me, "He's mad with anger that he wasn't made high courtier of the realm."
I nodded and others came forward to offer congratulations and celebratory comments. Suddenly I had to get some air. I had to breathe. The air was stuffy, the candle wax, and perfumes from thirty people made me gag. "Love are you all right?" Lian asked worriedly, "i need to get out of here." I said feeling frantic.
Ever since I'd been in Queen Padial's dungeon I'd been taken with these moments. He nodded with understanding. "I'll tell them all you need to be doing something else now." He said." "Thank you." I gasped and didn't quite run but walked from the room finding the nearest window and flinging it open and vaulting into the sky. I gestured and the window closed and locked itself. I'd find another way in.