Page 7 of Treasured By the Fae Royal
I rise to my feet and close the distance between us. “I am Prince Lucas Brossnin of the Summer Court.”
CHAPTER3
YVETTE
Prince Lucas.Holy gods. The huge golden fae male standing before me is a Summer Court prince. The very Summer Court prince whose army conquered my home city of Trevos last winter.
Given his powers and his great, masculine beauty, I should’ve known, and I berate myself for being so foolish because memories are starting to click into place.
I’ve seen him before.
Nearly a year ago. On Tribute Day. The day all households of Trevos were required to stand before Prince Lucas and his advisors and offer a tribute.
Ten pieces of silver or something else comparable.
On that day, my father had forced me to wear a grimy old cloak, and my mother had smudged dirt on my face to make me look unappealing to the fae. My father had also forbidden me from speaking or even glancing up once while we were in the receiving hall to offer our family’s tribute, though I’d sneaked a few peeks of the massive, highborn fae males who stood on the dais.
“Stunned into silence?” The prince displays another one of his wide, teeth-bearing grins. “I suppose my importance, as well as my sheer handsomeness, has that effect on females. Lots of males, too.”
“I was just remembering the first time I ever saw you. On Tribute Day. In the receiving hall of the castle in Trevos. About eleven months ago.” My voice is heavy with accusation. Because I’m recalling the families that were torn apart on Tribute Day. Households that couldn’t afford the tribute were forced to hand over a daughter or son.
“Are you certain you visited the castle on Tribute Day? If I’d glimpsed your loveliness before, little human, I am sure I would remember.”
“Yes,” I say. “I was there, but I was sort of wearing a disguise. My parents wanted me to look ugly so none of your people would take an interest in me. We wanted to get in and out of the castle as quickly as possible without any difficulties.”
“A disguise? How intriguing. But very wise of your parents. Yes, if I’d seen you on Tribute Day, dearest Yvette, I probably would’ve taken you as mine.” He steps closer and reaches for my hair as summer heat swirls around us. From my peripheral vision, I glimpse the fireflies flitting through the trees and shrubbery.
My breath catches, and I start to move away, but the prince’s gentle caresses feel so very nice. Soothing. I shouldn’t like his touch or anything about him, and yet I’m drawn to him in ways I don’t understand.
He’s not just a highborn fae, but he’s a fucking Summer Court prince, and his army is responsible for the deaths of thousands of my people. I should be screaming at him about what a monster he is. Or I should be trying to escape. Because surely he means me harm. Surely there’s no true kindness in his soul.
But he did save me from the flesh traders. I’ll never forget how he swooped down from the sky and landed with a blast of heat that knocked my attackers over. I recall how easily he healed my injuries just moments ago, and I can’t help but think of my ailing mother.
Would it be the height of foolishness to ask him for help?
I can only imagine what Aunt Heather would say if I arrived on her doorstep with a Summer Court prince at my side. As a child, she used to fill my head with gruesome stories about the fae. She was married once, very briefly, and her husband was killed by a group of fae hunters who destroyed a trading outpost he was visiting. The only survivor of the attack claimed the fae did it for the sheer joy of killing humans.
Is Prince Lucas just as cruel as those murderous fae hunters who killed my uncle over fifteen years ago? I stare at him intently as I try to get a better reading on him. He’s made several comments about my beauty and his desire to keep me as his, but he hasn’t yet visited any violence on me.
Still, I can’t help but fear he has ulterior motives for rescuing me from the flesh traders.
What sort of fae performs such a selfless feat?
“Tell me about this errand you are running for your aunt,” he says as he continues stroking my hair. His fingertips also trail over my ears and down my neck, eliciting pleasurable shivers that make my head spin.
I hesitate to answer his question. I’d hoped to reach Sorsston by tomorrow evening, but that’s not likely to happen without his help. He’s probably right about my pack being taken. I could go without food for a few days, but not without water, and I have no idea where the nearest stream is located. The sparkling lakes in the valley below are too far out of the way.
“I promised to help you, little human, and I will. But you must be forthcoming and tell me what you’re out here trying to accomplish. Are you headed to Sorsston or somewhere beyond? And where does your aunt live?” He cups the side of my face and regards me with a look so tender it causes my heart to ache.
Tears suddenly fill my eyes. “My mother was bitten by a mangga yesterday, and I’m supposed to visit Sorsston to find a healer. My mother is unconscious, and her breathing is ragged and slow. She’s at my aunt’s house at the base of the mountain, and my aunt is looking after her while I make the journey to Sorsston and back.” I blink fast, not wanting to break down in tears in front of this fae male. What if he does possess a cruel side? He might like my tears. He might savor them. That’s what all the stories say. Surely there’s some truth to the sordid tales about the fae.
To my astonishment, Prince Lucas’s tender expression morphs to one of compassion, and his thumb softly caresses my cheek as he continues cupping my face. I pray he’s not faking his sympathy for my plight. I pray he’s not about to burst into laughter and then glamour me to jump off the mountainside, leaving my mother to a grim fate.
Mama. I must return to her soon.
Before I can decide whether to trust the prince, he says, “I would be happy to help your mother. I’ve tended to soldiers suffering from mangga bites before, as well as a few humans who are traveling with my army who were attacked by the creatures.”
Hope rises in my chest, but it’s tempered by my pervasive distrust for the fae. I can’t help but think about the terrifying day the Summer Court army attacked and conquered Trevos.
