Read Online The Honoured Guest by Aurelia Destiny - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Aurelia Destiny
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whole feast, with the dancing and food and laughter and the cheerful atmosphere, had been nothing but a façade; one that they no longer cared to keep up.
“Prince Finvara…” she began, looking to him desperately.
He grinned at her wolfishly and she swore that she saw tiny whirls of red light in the gold of his eyes. “Yes, Maiden?”
“I would like to leave now. Please.” Chelsea whispered under her breath, leaning closer to him.
His grin widened and he merely stared hard at her, fingers tracing over a knot in the wood of the table. “You cannot leave, you are the guest of honour at our feast.” His eyes went to the sky to see the position of the moon. “Midnight is almost upon us.”
Her green eyes darted around, she saw the warriors who had been guarding the tree portal had moved closer to her, their hands resting over the swords at their belts. Other creatures had also drawn closer, and the threat in the air was implicit.
Chelsea bit back a sound of fear and settled into her chair, the hairs on the back of her neck rising. She couldn’t leave. She had fallen into some sort of trap like an idiot and now it was too late! Her underarms were sweating in the silk from her nervousness, even though the air itself felt colder. It was like all of the warmth was being sucked from the clearing. She wanted to run, but knew that they would catch her.
As if a bucket of water had been thrown over everyone, the music stopped abruptly and all movement stopped. There was no sound at all. Not even insects or creatures of the woodland.
The table fell silent as several people, walking slow and stately in their robes, came through the crowds. She saw a large golden platter on their shoulders, and with such serious expressions on their faces, it somehow reminded her of bearers in a funeral march.
She watched with bated breath, wondering what sort of food was now being brought to them. It had to be almost midnight. Perhaps it was a deer, or a pig, or something? It was quite big, needing eight Fae to bring it in.
The men came right up to the table near the queen and some smaller creatures darted in to clear a spot on the wooden surface.
They lowered it, and she was surprised to see that the platter was empty . She looked around in confusion and saw that no one else was stunned that there was no food on it. In fact, they all looked rather excited and hungry.
“Why is it empty?” she asked Prince Finvara in a hushed tone. When his golden eyes gazed at her, she shuddered back at the emotion in their depths.
“Will you honour our feast with words in our language, Maiden?” The Fae prince asked her softly, extending his hand. When she hesitantly placed hers in his, he raised her to her feet.
Chelsea looked at him and bit her lip. “I don’t know your language!” she said fiercely. Why had she accepted his hand? She hadn’t intended to, because she was still frightened by the tension of the people around her. It was as if she had been compelled by his eyes.
“Repeat these words,” Finvara intoned in a louder voice, so that he could be heard. He then spoke words to her, and as if Chelsea had sunken into the glowing gold of his eyes, she could hear her voice repeating what he said so that everyone there could hear her. The Fae, and all the other creatures, were dead silent, heads bowed in respect. Her tongue didn’t even stumble over the musical and intricate words and she spoke them as if she had done so her entire life.
When Chelsea’s eyes cleared, she saw that everyone was still staring right at her. The prince let go of her hand and watched her with a cold expression on his face.
A deep chime abruptly broke over the clearing then.
Chelsea’s eyes went wide as she slowly looked around and saw every creature was still staring right at her. Their eyes were predatory. She swallowed in growing fear. “W-what’s going on?” she asked, voice thready. “What did I just say?”
Queen Mab spoke for the first time,
“Prince Finvara…” she began, looking to him desperately.
He grinned at her wolfishly and she swore that she saw tiny whirls of red light in the gold of his eyes. “Yes, Maiden?”
“I would like to leave now. Please.” Chelsea whispered under her breath, leaning closer to him.
His grin widened and he merely stared hard at her, fingers tracing over a knot in the wood of the table. “You cannot leave, you are the guest of honour at our feast.” His eyes went to the sky to see the position of the moon. “Midnight is almost upon us.”
Her green eyes darted around, she saw the warriors who had been guarding the tree portal had moved closer to her, their hands resting over the swords at their belts. Other creatures had also drawn closer, and the threat in the air was implicit.
Chelsea bit back a sound of fear and settled into her chair, the hairs on the back of her neck rising. She couldn’t leave. She had fallen into some sort of trap like an idiot and now it was too late! Her underarms were sweating in the silk from her nervousness, even though the air itself felt colder. It was like all of the warmth was being sucked from the clearing. She wanted to run, but knew that they would catch her.
As if a bucket of water had been thrown over everyone, the music stopped abruptly and all movement stopped. There was no sound at all. Not even insects or creatures of the woodland.
The table fell silent as several people, walking slow and stately in their robes, came through the crowds. She saw a large golden platter on their shoulders, and with such serious expressions on their faces, it somehow reminded her of bearers in a funeral march.
She watched with bated breath, wondering what sort of food was now being brought to them. It had to be almost midnight. Perhaps it was a deer, or a pig, or something? It was quite big, needing eight Fae to bring it in.
The men came right up to the table near the queen and some smaller creatures darted in to clear a spot on the wooden surface.
They lowered it, and she was surprised to see that the platter was empty . She looked around in confusion and saw that no one else was stunned that there was no food on it. In fact, they all looked rather excited and hungry.
“Why is it empty?” she asked Prince Finvara in a hushed tone. When his golden eyes gazed at her, she shuddered back at the emotion in their depths.
“Will you honour our feast with words in our language, Maiden?” The Fae prince asked her softly, extending his hand. When she hesitantly placed hers in his, he raised her to her feet.
Chelsea looked at him and bit her lip. “I don’t know your language!” she said fiercely. Why had she accepted his hand? She hadn’t intended to, because she was still frightened by the tension of the people around her. It was as if she had been compelled by his eyes.
“Repeat these words,” Finvara intoned in a louder voice, so that he could be heard. He then spoke words to her, and as if Chelsea had sunken into the glowing gold of his eyes, she could hear her voice repeating what he said so that everyone there could hear her. The Fae, and all the other creatures, were dead silent, heads bowed in respect. Her tongue didn’t even stumble over the musical and intricate words and she spoke them as if she had done so her entire life.
When Chelsea’s eyes cleared, she saw that everyone was still staring right at her. The prince let go of her hand and watched her with a cold expression on his face.
A deep chime abruptly broke over the clearing then.
Chelsea’s eyes went wide as she slowly looked around and saw every creature was still staring right at her. Their eyes were predatory. She swallowed in growing fear. “W-what’s going on?” she asked, voice thready. “What did I just say?”
Queen Mab spoke for the first time,
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