Chapter 4 Aaron

As she walks through the doors everything becomes quiet. Iysabelle scans us, probably trying to determine if we are a threat or not. She’s smart, probably knows almost every Fae in this room would kill her having been given the chance.

Iysabelle’s eyes land on me. She looks like one of us in her ensemble, like an ice queen. I decide to break the silence. I’ve grown impatient with it. “Why hello, Iysabelle. Glad you could finally join us.” I chuckle, she smirks. That definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought she would frown or cry out in frustration.

“Well, I would have been here sooner, but I had better things to do than entertain a bunch of Fae bastards. You all can handle yourselves, right?” She laughs, taunting me. That’s when I decided she was an idiot. She was the one who was replaceable, or so I had the other Fae thinking.

I look over at the captain of my royal guard and my best friend. He has tears in his eyes as he’s gazing towards Belle. “Captain, do you have something to say to the young miss?” I genuinely want to know and you can hear that reflected in my tone.

“Your Majesty, I have reason to believe the woman standing before you is my daughter.” I look up at him, shocked. How could my best friend have a daughter and I didn’t know about it.

“How is this possible?” Ray’s son asks. “I don’t have a sister. Especially not a human one like her.”

“Damien, watch your mouth,” Ray casts his son a hard look. “Aaron, I had a fling about eighteen or nineteen years ago. I had grown attracted to one of the female servants who worked the grounds and she had to me. The fling only lasted about six months, but afterwards she quit her job and-“

“No, no, my father is human. I’ve never met him but I know that my mom would never sleep with one of you. One of the Fae. She taught me that the Fae were to never be trusted. I should have learned that sooner, if I had, then she would still be alive!” Iysabelle has gone ridged enough that she looks as though she’s carved out of ice.

“Ray, my friend, you have permission to complete one of the tests. If she is yours then congratulations you’re going to be my father-in-law if not, then she’s just my fiancée.”

“No, I’m not. Don’t call me your fiancée, when there is no chance I’ll marry you.”

“Elindia, stop it.” I whorl around to face the man who claims he is my father.

“That is not my name! I am Iysabelle Venatores.”

I approach Iysabelle and wrap my arms around her. She struggles but I whisper sweet nothings until she calms down. “This meeting is adjourned. Ray, I will call you to me as soon as I have Belle calm.”

The doors open and I guide Iysabelle out. As soon as we get far enough away that there is no danger of the court seeing her weakness, she collapses. “Why,” she asks, “why roses? Flowers wither and die, is that why?”

“Róisín, roses have thorns and are the most resilient of flowers. You are strong but gentle, sweet but deadly, you are the only one who could survive this. Iysabelle, I know you don’t want to believe that Rayinal is your father, but if he is what are you going to do?”

She looks down. “I never wanted this, I just wanted to get married and settle down like a normal girl. That’s all I’ve ever wanted, was to be normal.”

Her words break my heart, she was never meant to be normal. I could never let her go, even if it meant turning her into the thing she hates the most. “Iysabelle, you can tame a beast that is normally impossible to tame, you can calm me in ways I never thought was possible. I need you.”

“No, you need to die.” Iysabelle stabs me with an ice rose. Guess my Róisín isn’t so little. I capture her hands and teleport both of us to my rooms.

“Naughty, naughty, don’t you know attempting to kill the king is a death sentence? I will offer you two options, death or a kiss. One kiss every day that you belong to me.”

“Well that’s easy. I’ll never belong to you.” Her retort is quick, she is sure that she doesn’t belong to me.

“Róisín, every single creature that resides in the palace is mine. You belong to me just as much as this is my room.” She pales. “Am I really that bad? That death is a better option than a kiss?” I let go of her wrists and she backs away. She falls back on the bed and I have to refrain from kissing her right then and there. “Let’s get you cleaned up. I’ll call Katerina to help you into a simpler dress.”

Katerina comes in tentatively about ten minutes later. “Hello, I am here to help Miss Iysabelle.”

“I’m in here, Kat.” Belle calls from the large dressing room. Katerina goes inside and I sag from relief.

I need to get out of here just for a minute. To be able to have a minute to breathe and process what has happened in the last forty eight hours. I head over to the balcony and pull the double doors open. The October air is crisp and the cold of the snow is unremarkable in comparison to the beauty of what I’m seeing. The capital city is alive with activity today. Children are playing in the streets, throwing snowballs and making snowmen. Their parents are gathered on doorsteps and benches with mugs of hot brew in their hands. Everyone is enjoying their day off, that’s why I give them this gift.

“Thank you, Kat,” I turn back around and see Katerina leaving the room. Iysabelle walks out of the dressing room. She is in a white off the shoulder blouse, a brown leather corset, and an emerald green skirt. Belle tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, drawing my eyes towards her face. Her hair is down, the only ornamentation, a delicate rose flower crown. My Róisín is beautiful, a flower in a field of trees. I only hope she has the strength to grow to reach the sun. “What? Do I look weird?” Iysabelle has her hands on her hips now, an accusing look on her face.

“No, my Róisín, you are beautiful.” I can’t resist, I walk towards her and pull her into an embrace. She tries to pull away but I don’t let her. “Please, Iysabelle, just let me have this, I won’t ask for your kiss again, not until your ready, but please let me have you in my arms, even if only for a little while.” She does the opposite of what I thought she would, she hugs me closer, letting me inhale her scent. She smells like roses, and butterflies, and winter berries, but she has a hint of spice to her that I can’t place, something that is uniquely hers.

Then someone knocks on the door, ruining the moment. Iysabelle pulls away from me, as cold and distant as ever. “Your Majesty,” one of the guards walk in. “You need to come quick, something’s happened at the southern border!”

And just like that I am following him, leaving my Róisín behind all alone.

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