Page 25 of A Crown of Fates
I can’t afford to trust easily, not with everything that’s happened, but something in me desperately wants to hope—to believe that Estee has a plan beyond just biding her time until she leaves. I’ve checked in with Jerome every hour to see if there’s anything I can do to help, but he always brushes me off, insisting things are “well in hand.”
The thought that this could all come tumbling down around me hasn’t been far from my mind. It doesn’t matter that I haven’t felthispresence in over a day now. I know he’s never truly gone and always watching. That’s probably his favorite way to torture me, just keeping me on edge.
There has to be a way to assure my mother’s safetyandtake my life back. I know there’s a solution somewhere. I just haven’t looked hard enough. King Asher would likely be my best ally, especially with Estee being my mate, but I don’t want either of them to think I’m using her for my own gain. I didn’t know she would be my mate before she arrived, but I know how it will look considering our bond is still only one-sided.
Gods, if only I could go back…
“Your Majesty.”Jerome’s joyful voice is a welcome disruption in my mind.“You may want to come to the dining hall now.”
I glance at the clock.“Dinner isn’t supposed to be for another hour.”
“Yes, Sire, but Estee and her guests were hungry, and I think it would mean a lot if you joined them instead of waiting.”
He doesn’t have to tell me twice. Though I do wonder who her guests are, I don’t take the time to ask as I grab my suitcoat from the closet in my office. I head out the door and close it securely before making my way down the hallway.
The dining hall is on the second floor and one of my favorite rooms in the entire castle. The ceiling has open beams, taken from an old ship and recreating its base, only upside down. When I first moved in here, I used to spend hours in the hall, looking up and pretending I was anywhere else. Someone else.
Nearing the room, I pause, taking in the sound of laughter ricocheting off the walls that have felt so desolate for far too long. I almost don’t recognize it. Warmth floods my chest, andbefore I know it, I’m striding forward again, eager to find out what’s caused this unexpected spark of life.
When I shove the door open with a bit too much enthusiasm, the heavy oak crashes against the wall, the boom reverberating through the room like a crack of thunder.
The sound shatters the joy in an instant. Small bodies scatter and yelp, and before I can register what I’ve done, the room is plunged into fearful silence. Estee turns, and her glare hits me like a blade. Her fury is a palpable thing—radiant and furious, as if I’ve just burned down everything she’s built.
“What is your problem?” she snarls through gritted teeth.
Beside her, a dark-haired woman—Drea, I assume—drops to her knees to comfort the frightened children, who’ve hidden under the table like trembling pups. I feel like a giant stomping through their world, bringing only terror with me. Jerome enters from the side door, his face stricken.
“Your Majesty?” His voice is calm, but I can hear the question underlying it.What do you want me to do?
I raise my hands in surrender. “I’m so sorry,” I say. “I didn’t mean to scare anyone. I was just?—”
“You were just leaving,” Estee hisses, closing the distance between us in a blink, her eyes burning with rage. “I promised these children they would be safe here. That means no slamming doors, no yelling, and no pissing me off. Do you understand?”
“No.” I shake my head, tired of her believing the worst about me. “I’m sorry Iaccidentallyslammed the door open, but I’m not leaving so you’re going to need to find a way to be okay with that.”
I move past her and walk toward the sound of the whispering children. Estee’s wrath sears into me, but I ignore her. She needs to see I’m not the monster she’s conjured in her head.
Drea backs up as I bend down to pull the tablecloth back. I kneel with a wide smile on my face before greeting each of them. “Hello.”
Three young faces stare back at me. Two girls and one boy. The eldest is a teenager and the youngest maybe five or six. They’re freshly cleaned and dressed well. Yet, I have no clue where they came from.
The boy with his thumb in his mouth burrows further behind the teenager, who watches me with hesitant eyes as she says, “Princess Estee invited us here.”
“And I’m glad she did,” I say earnestly, keeping my tone soft and light. “This big castle needs more people in it, don’t you think?”
Before any of them can answer or I can apologize for scaring them, something warm and mushy hits me in the back of the head. I reach back and find mashed potatoes embedded in my hair.
The youngest, a little girl with curly blonde hair and big blue eyes, peeks out from behind the teenager, giggling nervously. I raise a brow at her. “Would you like some?”
She shakes her head frantically as her laughter spills out.
Glancing behind me, Estee stands not too far away, one arm crossed over her stomach and the other holding her potato-covered fingers up, an unmistakable smirk pulling at the corner of her lips.
An idea to turn this situation around begins to take root as I put my attention back on the children. “How about you help me get Princess Estee back?”
The boy brightens and sits up. “I’m on your team!”
The teenage girl, who hasn’t said anything until now, speaks up finally. “I have pretty good aim.”