Read Online Caledonia Fae 05 - Elder Druid by India Drummond - Free Book Online Page A

prince would never confide in Munro nor anyone else, but help had to be offered anyway.
    Tràth slowed his steps but kept walking until he came face to face with Munro. “Judging by your countenance, I assume Douglas spoke with you?” he asked.
    “No. Aaron did.”
    “Ah. He heard everything?”
    Munro nodded. “Near enough, I expect.” He watched the emotions play over Tràth’s face. He’d never seen the faerie so unguarded, but trauma had that effect on people. Munro turned his head toward the staircase behind him. “Hon!” he shouted. The steward would be lurking nearby, as always. Tràth jumped at the sound of Munro’s powerful voice, another sign he was not himself.
    The faerie steward rushed up the stairs. “Yes, my lord druid?”
    “A glass of whiskey for Prince Tràth, please. To be served in…” he glanced around. “Not my suite. It’s full of Maiya’s toys.”
    After a pause, Hon said, “Might I suggest the third floor reception room? The fire is lit, and it’s private.”
    The Hall had more rooms than Munro could keep track of. “Very well.” Munro gestured to the back stairwell at the opposite end of the corridor. “After you,” he said to Tràth.
    Tràth looked as though he wanted to do anything other than chat with Munro, but he was trapped. Despite their personal relationship, Munro was a Druid Lord. One didn’t refuse their requests. The prince sighed. “Hon, if you please, make my drink water. I’d like to try staying sober.”
    Munro nodded, but the faerie’s choice concerned him. As a former cop, he wouldn’t ordinarily suggest alcohol to deal with problems, but Tràth was a special case. Munro worried the time stream would overcome the prince when in such a vulnerable state. Nobody understood what else might keep the temporal magic at bay.
    The pair went upstairs, and, as promised, they found a lit fire in the small reception room. The chairs were the low, reclining style the fae favoured. Tràth seated himself but didn’t relax. When Hon arrived with the water, Tràth took the glass in silence but didn’t drink.
    “Thank you, Hon,” Munro said and gestured for the steward to wait outside. Once the servant had gone, the druid turned to Tràth. “Want to talk?”
    Tràth stared at his glass. “Not really.”
    “What are you planning to do?” Munro asked.
    “Do?” Tràth touched the side of the glass, using his barely-trained control of water flows to create a tiny whirlpool within.
    “So, you and Douglas have broken up. In my experience, the best short-term treatment is to stay busy. Find something to occupy your mind while your heart sorts itself out.”
    “Is that what happened?” Tràth’s voice trailed off, and Munro worried he was losing the prince’s attention, but Tràth went on. “We were never partners to begin with. He never wanted to bond with me, much less be my lover.”
    “You’re forgetting,” Munro said. “I was there when we met you for the first time, when we recovered you and all those villagers who’d disappeared. Remember? Nobody who saw him that night could deny Douglas was drawn to you. When we took you to the Isle of Skye, he refused to leave your side. He cares about you. He has from the beginning, lovers or not.” Munro paused. “You need to understand the way he was raised. Being gay wasn’t an option. His father, who sounded like a right arsehole anyway, would have killed him if he’d thought Douglas was attracted to a man.”
    Tràth frowned. “Why? In the fae tongue, we do not have such words as gay …or queer .” He looked away. “I’d never heard that word before tonight. I can guess what it means.”
    Munro shrugged. “I can’t explain the attitude in a way that would sound rational. It’s partly cultural, upbringing, and a lot of religious teaching.”
    “Did you not have the same upbringing?”
    Munro shook his head. “Not quite the same, no. Unlike Douglas, I wasn’t taught loving another man would lead to