204

We stood outside the palace as the limousine crawled up the driveway. Our dragons were on the grass, spreading their wings and they too stood and looked at the car. Echo lurched forward and pushed his nose into my back, making me stumble forward.

“Idiot.” Echo huffed a puff of smoke out of his nostrils and moved closer to Milo.

The King tried to hide his chuckle as I stood up and wiped the gravel from my jeans. His excitement couldn’t be contained though and his tail started thumping up and down when the door opened and Ryder climbed out.

“Daddy!” Abigail ran forward and he lifted her from her feet as he hugged her tightly.

“Wynterkins!” Shae shrieked and I caught her in mid-air as she closed her eyes and just jumped. She hugged me tightly, her arms and legs wrapped around me. “I missed you so so so much!”

“I missed you too, wild child.” I kissed her cheeks a few times as she clung to me and I finally set her down on her feet as I hugged my father and then hugged Nova.

“You look so grown up. I know it’s only been two months, but you look taller and bigger if that’s possible.” Nova had said that so softly that only I would hear it.

“What about me, wild child?” Milo asked Shae as she hugged Abigail.

“I just saw you last week.” He pretended to be hurt but Shae couldn’t care less.

“King Florin, Queen Alina, I present my father, Ryder Grey.” Ryder stepped forward and shook hands with the King and Queen.

“This is Prince Nicu and my fiancée, Princess Maya.”

“It’s really nice to finally meet you, Mr Grey.” Maya went in for an awkward hug and I could see that Ryder’s whole body was stiff.

“My mother, Nova.” Nova had more poise than Ryder and she smiled warmly at Maya and her hug was sincere. She shook hands with the King and Queen as well.

“Welcome to Sinaia, I hope that your travels weren’t too much of an inconvenience.” The King was a true diplomat but his words seldom reflected his emotions.

“The wedding of my eldest son could never be an inconvenience my King.” Ryder bowed his head slightly and I knew it pained him to do so.

“Where’s Ally?” I asked Nova and she smiled sadly at me.

“She left for Greece a week after you came to Romania. She decided to spend some time with her father’s family, getting to know her roots.”

“Oh.” I felt dismayed at that and I wondered again why I still had these feelings for her.

Echo and I had both agreed that something good could come from this marriage. I liked Maya and she liked me, I think maybe she was already in love with me and there was nothing about her that I disliked.

“The butler will show you to your suites, I’ve had them prepare one for you adjacent to your children’s suite and I understand that the chef has prepared a celebratory dinner for your family. Please make yourselves at home, let your dragons wander the property, we are hidden from view.”

“Thank you, my King.” I said and Florin smiled at me.

“Up you go then.” Milo knelt down and Shae jumped onto his back, waving her hand in the air as she kicked her heels into his ribs. He zipped across the gardens and was back within ten seconds as Shae laughed and practically choked him with her arms around his throat.

“Come on, wild one.” I took her hand and threw her over my shoulder as she shrieked again and I led them inside and up the stairs.

I opened their suite door and put Shae down in the living room. Next to the living room was a dining area for eight with three bedrooms, all en-suite. Their luggage had already been placed inside their rooms.

“How mad is he exactly?” I asked Nova and she gave me a small smile.

“Not mad enough to write you off.”

“I’ll always love you, Wynter, even if I disagree with what you’re doing, but you don’t get to stand there and make jokes about this whole situation.” Ryder had kept his cool with everybody else present, but now he could let loose.

“I know the situation isn’t ideal.”

“Really? You know absolutely nothing.” His voice was hoarse and Milo took Shae by the hand and led her through the adjoining door into our suite and Abigail followed behind them.

“Dad, come on.”

“The last time I was in that man’s presence, our whole family died! You didn’t think twice before calling me and demanding my presence at this sham of a wedding!” He was angry, angrier than I’d ever seen him before in my entire life.

“It’s not a sham.” My voice was even because I wasn’t going to fight with him over this.

“She’s not your bonded half and neither was that other girl you brought home. You chose this!”

“She’s not like him. Can you at least give her a chance? My plan is still intact and the guilty will die.”

“Oh really? You’re going to tell Maya that you killed her father and expect her to be okay with that? Have you lost your mind with this bond or are you just so stupid that you can’t think past your hard-on?”

“Screw you, Dad!”

I had Ryder around his throat and slammed his back against the wall. His hands went around my throat as well and he pushed himself off the wall and we tumbled over the sofa and he landed on top of me. His hands tightened around my throat and my legs went around his waist and I squeezed his ribs together.

“Na stamatistei!” Nova’s voice was all I could hear and my legs relaxed as Ryder’s hands loosened around my throat. “Irèmise.” I could feel my heart rate slow and I sat up as I looked at my father.

“I’m sorry.” Ryder looked at Nova and shook his head as he stood up from the floor and held out a hand to pull me up.

He wasn’t apologizing to me but to Nova. Her eyes glowed silver and when she blinked it was even brighter. Fury settled in her eyes instead. “Fighting each other won’t help.”

“I’m just worried because Florin is very likeable. I liked him, almost as much as I liked his father. You’ll marry his daughter and live in this palace and be under his influence and you’ll forget what happened that day.”

“I’ll never forget what happened, Dad. It’s the only dream I have. It’s the only place where I remember what she looked like and smelled like and how much I loved her.”

Nova’s eyes were still silver and I felt guilty that she had to use her fae magic to stop us acting like idiots. “I’m sorry, Mom.” Her eyes changed back to their normal colour and she sat down on the other sofa.

“You’re both worked up over something you both agree on. The guilty party will pay the price in blood. Stop fighting each other and start working together.”

“The first part of the plan is in place. Nicu is courting Abby and she’s playing along. He doesn’t seem to be like his father though.” Ryder gave me a look and I sighed as I moved the sofa to its original place and sat down just as a knock came at the door.

“It’s probably dinner.” I stood up again and opened the door.

“Dinner is served, Duke Grey.” I hadn’t told Ryder about this new title yet because after the wedding I’d be the Prince Consort to Princess Maya. I could feel his gaze on me and it was uncomfortable.

“Thank you, Michael.” He pushed the large serving trolley inside and proceeded to set out the covered dishes on the table. He left just as quietly as he had arrived and Milo opened the door separating our two suites.

“Is it safe to come and eat?”

“Don’t be an idiot, Milo, they didn’t really fight, there’s no blood.” I smiled at Shae’s statement and Milo rolled his eyes at her and gestured choking himself.

“Yes, let’s eat.” Nova smiled at everyone and took a seat at the table.

“You have some explaining to do, Abby. Wynter tells me the Prince is courting you.” Ryder’s eyes were fixed on Abigail and she shot daggers at me with her eyes.

“Hey, you blew the whistle on my engagement.” Milo chuckled and Shae tilted her head to look at Abigail.

“Are you going to be a Princess?”

“Yes Shae and you’re going to be my flower girl.” Shae smiled and then narrowed her eyes at Abigail.

“I’m not wearing pink.”

“I’m not even engaged yet. We’re still getting to know one another so I definitely won’t choose pink for you.” Shae was happy with that and opened the first covered dish.

“Gross what is that?”

“It’s called Sarmale, it’s stuffed cabbage rolls, try one, they’re very good.” Milo spoke just as I was about to answer her.

We uncovered all the dishes and there was a wide variety of foods that were both traditionally Romanian and quite a lot of American favourites. We ate and talked, laughing like we used to do back at the farm.

It was nice having my family here and I wondered briefly if it would have been the same if Alexis had come as well. Would it have been awkward with me engaged to Maya? Probably. Our last night together was something special and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to look at her as my sister.

“We should get some sleep, jet lag’s a bitch.” Ryder stood up from the table after we’d had coffee and the plates had been cleared. It was still early though and I stood up as well and wished them goodnight.

“Sleep tight.”

“Yeah tomorrow’s a whole other ballgame.”

Abigail opted to stay in their suite and Milo had brought all her stuff over for her, leaving us alone in ours. I closed the adjoining door and Milo gave me that special smile of his, the smile that said someone was going to die.

“I hope you don’t have plans for tonight.”

“I guess I don’t anymore.” He smiled at me and folded his arms over his chest.

“Clarke sent us an assignment this afternoon. Can you sneak us out of here?”

“Can I sneak us out of here? Who do you think I am? Of course I can sneak us out of here.”

“Go change your clothes then, Nancy.”

“You go change your clothes, Joe Slow.” He grinned at me and I tugged the t-shirt over my head as a knock came at the outside door.

I opened the door and smiled when I saw Maya standing there. “You okay?”

“I just wanted to say goodnight.”

I drew her closer to me and kissed her gently and by the time I broke the kiss off I was itching to leave. She was still the same Maya but my thoughts were mostly on Ally and why she’d gone to Greece. “We were just headed to bed. It was a long day.”

“Dream of me.” She smiled and hugged me tightly.

“Always.” I watched Maya as she turned the corner of the hallway and disappeared up the stairs. Great, now we’d have an alibi.

When I emerged from my room, Milo was tying his boots where he sat on the sofa. “What’s cooking, good looking?” I smacked him behind his head as he chuckled and stood up.

“Do you need to feed?”

“Nah, I’m good, brother.”

“Good, we’re going up to the roof.”

“Can I be on top this time?” He ducked his head away and laughed at me again.