The tingle of the glamour whooshed over me as I led our band out of the forest and into the snowy hills of the Land of Sweets. The Fae guard would feel our arrival and descend upon us soon. I stopped and waited for the rest to come through and put myself on one side of Tau. I gave him a look of concern and he nodded, gravely understanding the threat he was under just by being here with us.
He pulled his quiver with his bow and arrows from his chest and buckled it to the saddle behind him to show himself to be unarmed. Leb slowed his stallion so that he and Clara rode to one side of Tau and I on the other. Nuss moved in front making a shield around Tau.
They all remembered our first days together in the Guard when Tau and I were at each other's throats. Hate sex was almost as good as bonding. But that was back when I was the one who didn't entirely believe we'd ever find the missing princess.
"Halt in the name of Queen SugarPlum." A Sweet Fae guard shouted from his hiding place in the glamour. We all slowed our horses and I held up my hands and nodded at the others to do the same. Sweet Fae guards were lethal assassins who wouldn't hesitate to kill unwelcomed visitors.
"I know I've been gone a long time, but surely you recognize your own Prince." I let my silver hair down from the tie keeping it out of my face as we rode and let my Fae aura shine. The purple light spread into the glamour, revealing six Sweet Fae guards with their swords trained on us.
"Prince Zucker? Is it truly you?" They descended on us and had their blades at the throats of Nuss, Tau, and Leb in an instant. "Who are these strangers with you? Have you been coerced into letting them into our lands? Say the word and we will free you and your lovely captive companion."
"Hey, I could be a threat too, you know. How do you know I'm not some—"
I cut Clara off before she could get us all into more trouble. "Ladies, gentleman, allow me to introduce you to Princess Clara from the Land of Spirit and Magic.”
They collectively gasped and I had to hold in a chuckle. Mostly because I understood exactly how they felt. I was still flabbergasted she was here, even more so that she was soon to be my spirit mate.
Clara waved and made eyes at them all. "Hi. Nice to meet you. Please take your swords off my, umm, friends', throats."
The ones by Nuss and Leb stepped back, but the one with her sword to Tau, glowered. "Surely you don't claim this Flower Fae."
I was about to say something, but Clara reached out her hand and put two fingers on the Fae Guard's blade. She pushed the tip down and away. "I do. We aren't yet bonded, but he is mine, just the same as Zucker, Nuss, and Leb are. Kindly, back the fuck off."
Oh, sweet Christmas star, her newfound warrior magic was going to be the death of us. But damn, I found her dirty mouth hot and couldn't wait until she let me slide my cock between her lips.
To my absolute surprise, the Fae guard dropped her sword and gave Clara a small bow. "Yes, my lady. If you're sure."
"I'm sure. But I do appreciate your fierce determination to protect me and your prince. I'm rather found of him too." Clara gave the guard a wink, entirely charming every Fae here.
If Tau and I didn't already have a claim on her, she'd have no end of lovers wanting to warm her bed while she was here in the land of the Sweets. I was even sure I saw a bit of pink on the cheeks of the guard Clara had engaged with, and I'd never known a tough Fae guard like her to blush.
"Please follow us, my lady, my liege." The guards formed a phalanx both in front and behind us. They may have ceded to Clara, but they didn't entirely trust Tau.
I hated how stiff he now sat in his seat and wanted nothing more than to wrap and arm around him and pepper him with kisses. I needed the assurance he was okay probably more than he needed it from me. Regardless, tonight I was getting him into my bed. Even better if Clara was between us.
"Zucker, what is that?" Clara pointed to a candy cane vine fluttering with peppermint butterflies. Then she pointed to a candy floss bush, and then over to a maple sugar tree.
Her delicious innocence at experiencing the wonders of the Winter Realm had every instinct to protect her from the harsh realities of our world bubbling up like hot caramel. "Welcome the Land of Sweets. We're the main provider of foodstuffs for the realm because of our rich natural resources."
I plucked a sugary leaf from the maple tree and held it up to her lips. Her tongue poked out giving the point a taste and my cock went from my usual ready at any moment half-mast to ready to throw her to the ground and fuck her in the snow, instantly.
"Mmm. That's yummy. But do you all only eat sweets? I think my teeth are going to rot out of my head."
Tau laughed. "I think you'll find most of the Sweet Fae are sugar addicts."
His joviality was cut short by the blockade in front of the gates to SugarPlum castle. The Sweet Fae Queen in all her glory, surrounded by a whole host of guards, weapons pointed at us, stood directly in front of the only entrance to the gates around the castle and its grounds.
"No friend of the Sweet Fae would bring such rabble into my house. What are your intentions?" The magic of her charm and raw sexuality wafted through the air, wrapping itself around everyone, including the guards until they were all so enamored with her that their tongues hung out. I alone was immune.
"Hello, mother. Pull your allure back a bit, will you? I'd like to introduce you to the Princess of Spirit and Magic.” I motioned to Clara and noted that she too was unaffected by my mother's charms. Interesting.
The Queen raised an eyebrow and did her best to look even more intimidating than she already was. Clara blinked a few times and smiled back. An entire lifetime's worth of emotions flickered through my mother's eyes as she measured up the princess.
I had absolutely no idea which way she would decide. My mother hadn't ever put much credence into the Christmas Star prophecy and never understood why I wanted to join the Nutcracker guard in the first place. She'd be content for the Mouse Queen to run amok throughout the rest of the lands as long as they still bought our sweets and stayed out of our lands.
I wanted more for the Fae.
That same tingle of anticipation danced across my skin and psyche as I held my breath waiting for the assessment of the one woman, besides Clara, that I'd ever given a damn about. If my mother decided she didn't want to have anything to do with Clara, we'd have a challenging time searching for the broken crown of the Sweet Fae. But with her blessing, would come all the strength of her army behind our mission.
