Read Online The Honoured Guest by Aurelia Destiny - Free Book Online
Authors: Aurelia Destiny
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wide in pure horror and panic as she looked at the table, then back to the human girl. She screamed then, loudly and long, and sobbed even harder, throwing herself around wildly as she tried to get free. She begged in their language and was slapped over the face for her efforts.
Oh my god.
The warriors laughed at her and gripped her tighter, one man grasping the girl’s face and he snarled something. She shuddered and then went limp, all fight gone out of her.
The men dragged her away into the crowd and out of sight. People around the clearing laughed uproariously, as if amused by the whole scene.
Chelsea whirled back towards the prince in shock and disgust. “Why was she screaming?” she asked in distress. “They hit her!”
And more importantly, why had the Fae girl screamed when she saw Chelsea ?
“Her father has decreed that she never see her lover again. She will be punished.” The Fae prince answered callously, face hard.
“That is so cruel,” she whispered, gripping her hands tightly together. People weren’t allowed to be in love here? She was a little confused though. Hadn’t he told her that the Seelie people were cruel and dangerous? If that was the case, then why had the girl gone through the portal to be with her lover? Hadn’t she been worried that they might hurt or kill her?
And why had the Fae given her a look of horror when she had seen Chelsea?
Something just didn’t add up. Is Finvara lying to me? Chelsea studied his face for a long moment, her brows scrunched up. He gazed back, brows raised inquiringly, and she thought he was acting entirely too serene after having witnessed such a thing.
No, not serene…undisturbed. He didn’t care what the fate of the girl was, nor that she had been treated so brutally, and that fact was absolutely chilling.
Oh God, she really wanted to go home. It didn’t feel so magical here now, it was scaring her.
She fell silent and ignored when the prince tried to speak to her, mind whirling over things.
A few minutes later, Bogles came out with more golden pallets of food and set them down before Chelsea. She stared at the succulent food, but didn’t feel like eating. She was far too upset by what had happened with the girl.
“Eat more food, Chelsea,” the prince prompted. He reached for more fruits and nuts and placed them onto her golden plate.
“I’m pretty full, but thank you,” she replied in a disinterested tone, looking away. She wanted to go home.
“You will offend me, and my people, if you do not,” Finvara replied icily, his expression hardening.
Chelsea slowly reached for an apple and bit into it, her stomach protesting. Why was he making her eat so much? The taste hit her and she was suddenly ravenous, devouring the apple and then reaching for more food on the plate.
“Is it delicious?”
“It really is,” she told him, shoving more food into her mouth.
His laugher was her reply, golden eyes watching darkly until she ate most of the platter.
Finvara’s smile was strangely sinister.
***
About a half hour later, a group of women and girls gathered near the table and began to dance. Somewhere, hidden musicians were playing drums and pipes and conversation ceased as all heads turned to listen to the music. Slender bodies dipped and swayed and there was the tinkle of jewels and gold, the swish of silks and other cloths.
Chelsea was enthralled as she watched, feeling hypnotised, almost as if she wanted to dance herself.
The tune was almost irresistible, her feet tapping on the ground under the table.
One of the dancers approached and reached out a hand to her, quickly snagging the red-head’s own. She found herself drawn up and across the grass in her slippers, before she even knew what was happening. The wine made her head spin as she joined the circle of dancers and another girl took her free hand.
I can’t dance to save my life! She thought in panic, knowing that she was going to fall on her face in front of
Oh my god.
The warriors laughed at her and gripped her tighter, one man grasping the girl’s face and he snarled something. She shuddered and then went limp, all fight gone out of her.
The men dragged her away into the crowd and out of sight. People around the clearing laughed uproariously, as if amused by the whole scene.
Chelsea whirled back towards the prince in shock and disgust. “Why was she screaming?” she asked in distress. “They hit her!”
And more importantly, why had the Fae girl screamed when she saw Chelsea ?
“Her father has decreed that she never see her lover again. She will be punished.” The Fae prince answered callously, face hard.
“That is so cruel,” she whispered, gripping her hands tightly together. People weren’t allowed to be in love here? She was a little confused though. Hadn’t he told her that the Seelie people were cruel and dangerous? If that was the case, then why had the girl gone through the portal to be with her lover? Hadn’t she been worried that they might hurt or kill her?
And why had the Fae given her a look of horror when she had seen Chelsea?
Something just didn’t add up. Is Finvara lying to me? Chelsea studied his face for a long moment, her brows scrunched up. He gazed back, brows raised inquiringly, and she thought he was acting entirely too serene after having witnessed such a thing.
No, not serene…undisturbed. He didn’t care what the fate of the girl was, nor that she had been treated so brutally, and that fact was absolutely chilling.
Oh God, she really wanted to go home. It didn’t feel so magical here now, it was scaring her.
She fell silent and ignored when the prince tried to speak to her, mind whirling over things.
A few minutes later, Bogles came out with more golden pallets of food and set them down before Chelsea. She stared at the succulent food, but didn’t feel like eating. She was far too upset by what had happened with the girl.
“Eat more food, Chelsea,” the prince prompted. He reached for more fruits and nuts and placed them onto her golden plate.
“I’m pretty full, but thank you,” she replied in a disinterested tone, looking away. She wanted to go home.
“You will offend me, and my people, if you do not,” Finvara replied icily, his expression hardening.
Chelsea slowly reached for an apple and bit into it, her stomach protesting. Why was he making her eat so much? The taste hit her and she was suddenly ravenous, devouring the apple and then reaching for more food on the plate.
“Is it delicious?”
“It really is,” she told him, shoving more food into her mouth.
His laugher was her reply, golden eyes watching darkly until she ate most of the platter.
Finvara’s smile was strangely sinister.
***
About a half hour later, a group of women and girls gathered near the table and began to dance. Somewhere, hidden musicians were playing drums and pipes and conversation ceased as all heads turned to listen to the music. Slender bodies dipped and swayed and there was the tinkle of jewels and gold, the swish of silks and other cloths.
Chelsea was enthralled as she watched, feeling hypnotised, almost as if she wanted to dance herself.
The tune was almost irresistible, her feet tapping on the ground under the table.
One of the dancers approached and reached out a hand to her, quickly snagging the red-head’s own. She found herself drawn up and across the grass in her slippers, before she even knew what was happening. The wine made her head spin as she joined the circle of dancers and another girl took her free hand.
I can’t dance to save my life! She thought in panic, knowing that she was going to fall on her face in front of
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