Page 2 of Kingdom of Faewood
Maybe they had a good reason for abandoning you, Elowen. Maybe they died, and that’s why you were found alone as a babe in the Wood.
Frowning, I gazed at my reflection, not for the first time wondering if my mother had looked like me.
Pale skin, bright-green eyes, and siltenite fae-tipped ears stared back at me in the mirror. Already half of my sun-kissed brown hair was pinned up.
I ran a hand over my lower stomach, right where I bore my shadow mark—the mark that signified I was a lorafin. According to Guardian Alleron,thatwas the reason my family had abandoned me.
I sighed with impatience.If only I could ask the semelees, then I would know the truth.I took a deep breath.You can soon. In one full season, eight months, and eleven days, you can ask them after you’ve gained your freedom and your collar’s removed. Everything you’ve ever wanted to know will be revealed.
My fingers curled into my palms as I thought of that day. Without my collar, I would be able to access all of my magic and perform a calling formesince the collar would no longer be suppressing my lorafin abilities. But before being allowed to do that, I would have to prove to the courts that I wouldn’t be a danger to others.
Stars Above, I hope I can do that.
“There we are.” Lillivel patted my shoulders. “All done.”
I angled my head to take in the design. All of my hair was artfully coiled around my head, leaving my throat exposed and drawing one’s attention to the gold collar locked upon my neck. At its center, a purple stone—a gem mined in a foreign land—sparkled in the sunlight.
A long, sleeveless cobalt-blue ball gown hugged my frame. It was one of my finer gowns, with its endless silk and tiny stitching barely visible, yet nothing less was expected when meeting with the king. Guardian Alleron had it crafted for such an occasion, and the Goddess knew he always strived to impress royalty.
I angled my head more. “You make me look much more beautiful than I ought to.” And I meant every word of that. Lillivel had learned in school how to arrange hair and apply makeup, which ultimately had landed her the position as my attendant.
Lillivel dipped her head. “You do flatter me, Elowen, but it’s easy when you’ve been blessed with such beauty.”
“Hardly. Any beauty I have is due to my lorafin magic and you beingverygood at your job.” I stood, then spared one last glance out the window.
Banners now hung from the stadium spires, proudly displaying our kingdom’s colors. Flashes of turquoise, brilliant white, and deep brown waved in the sun as the wildlings scurried around the structure. Trees, vines, and colorfulfluttering leaves of the Wood filled the rolling hillside just beyond it.
“Good luck, Elowen,” Lillivel added as I reached my chamber’s door. “I’ll see you tonight when you return. I’ll have your bath ready.”
“Thank you.” I bobbed my head before heading into the hall. “Bye, Lil.”
The two guardswho Guardian Alleron insisted accompany me wherever I went followed me down the stone corridor of my guardian’s massive estate. Even though we were inside, my guardian still didn’t let me wander freely. Guardian Alleron always prepared for the worst, and considering many lordlings would love to steal me away and claim ownership of me, I couldn’t blame him.
But a small smile tilted my lips because I also suspected his protectiveness was due to the fact that he loved me and couldn’t bear to part with me...even if he never admitted to that.
My slippers barely made a sound as I glided down the halls. Paintings and tapestries hung on the walls, and open windows allowed the summer’s warmth to flow through the multitude of corridors.
“Did you hear the Dark Raider was sighted in Faewoodyesterday?” Zale called over my head to Mushil, the guard on my other side.
“I heard.” The older guard shrugged, looking unimpressed. “Our wards won’t allow him in. Let him come.”
“I heard whisperings yesterday as well that the Dark Raider had been spotted,” I chimed in.
Zale scoffed, then curled his lip. “It’s the first time anyone’s seen him in months. I thought perhaps the bastard finally met the end he deserves.”
I made a noncommittal noise, but secretly, I hoped the Dark Raider was able to bypass whatever wards he encountered. Taking from the rich and giving to the poor seemed like a noble action to me, especially if he only took from the rich lordlings rumored in our kingdoms to be the most despicable and abhorrent of them all.
“Did you get enough rest last night, Elowen?” Mushil asked as I mentally counted the halls, looking for the one I needed. “Sounds like you’re going to have a busy afternoon.”
Busy afternoon?I eyed him curiously, only to find the older guard frowning. Uneasiness slithered through me, but I replied, “I got enough. I’ll be fine.”
Zale smirked. “If you say so.”
I glared at him, the usual annoyance I felt around my younger guard surfacing, but I entwined my fingers together and forced myself to ignore the coiling in my stomach.
Returning my focus to the hallways, I swervedtightly when I finally reached the correct one, which caused me to inadvertently bump into Mushil.
“Sheesh, Elowen. You nearly knocked me to the ground,” he grumbled, but a teasing smile lifted his lips.