Page 8 of The Ruthless Fae King
What kind of emotions did this man have that he would end up freezing the entire realm for a full day and night? I was thirteen at the time, and it had been one of the scariest nights of my life. The cold crept into the house like a shadow and lingered no matter how high we built the fire. I didn’t sleep; my teeth chattered all night. I stood outside with Mother, pushing the frost back with our wind power. My grandmother came out to help us, but she was too old for that kind of exposure. She passed the next day. A weak heart, the healer had said, but we all knew what weakened her.
The Great Freeze.
Since he was being so open, I wanted to ask him what had happened that night to make him lose control, but I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer. I didn’t want to know what kind of man I was marrying. A scary man who could freeze me solid if I made him angry.
I didn’t know what to say. This was supposed to be a dowry negotiation and it had somehow turned into something else.
The king stared at me then and there was something deep in his eyes that brought a pain to my heart. He looked… sad. Like maybe deep inside of him there was a desolate little boy who just wanted to be loved.
“I know arranged marriages are not ideal anymore, but they are tradition,” King Thorne said. “That being said, if you do not want to tie your fate to mine, I can cancel the whole thing. I will tell your father we are simply not a good match. No harm will come to your reputation.”
I frowned, my heart thudding into my throat. He was giving me an out? A seriousness descended onto the room and I warred with what I wanted before I’d met him, how I felt now, and what my mother and father expected of me.
“Honestly,” the winter king said, “I feel like I should be askingyouto pay a dowry to be married to this.” He gestured up and down his body and laughter erupted from my chest.
He was funny.
Funny.
Charming.
Sweet.
Slightly unhinged.What could go wrong?
His offer to allow me to back out of the arrangement was noteworthy, but my father had already told the elders of the Fall Court. Not to mention the king rode up here with a full contingent of royal soldiers. Half the town probably already knew what was going on. If we were to cancel, rumor would spread and people would say that there was something wrong with me, that I was impure or too independent. This would tarnish any potential future suitors.
No, I had to do this now. My family’s reputation was on the line. This would impact Libby’s prospects as well. As much as I’d wanted him to back out before, now I saw the ripple effect that would have on my family.
“We can proceed with the arrangement.” I smoothed my dress in a nervous gesture. “I just wanted you to know where I stood.”
He nodded, assessing me coolly. “You don’t want children right away, will only bed me for children, and I can take a whore. Got it.”
I winced when he said it like that, and then gave a nervous peal of laughter. “Okay, the whore comment was a little strong. I’m sorry. This is… a lot for me all at once. I was only told today.”
He regarded me with a grin. “Does this mean you are taking away my promised whore?”
I reached out and slapped his shoulder like I would an old friend, forgetting for a second I was in the presence of the king. But he caught my hand, holding my fingers lightly, which caused my mind to race.
“I would never do that to you… take a whore, or a mistress, or anything in between,” he promised, and my stomach flipped over itself.
He was so… not what I thought he would be.
“How much dowry did your father pay your mother’s family?” I asked him, pulling my fingers from his and trying to get a feel for what was a good amount to ask for.
The mention of his deceased mother caused his face to fall a little before he regained composure. “A hundred gold coins, ten acres of land, and a dozen horses. But that was a simpler time.” His voice was monotone, and I wondered if speaking of his mother after so long was something he didn’t like to do.
A hundred gold coins was how much my father made in a year, and King Thorne would be taking me from my father for life.
“I want athousandgold coins,” I told him, ready for him to whittle me down to five hundred.
“Done,” he stated without missing a beat.
I froze, and then swallowed hard. He was awfully agreeable. “And I want my beloved lady-in-waiting to come as well.” I nodded to Piper, who stood erect in the corner.
“Done,” he said again.
My heart hammered in my chest. “Also, I think a hundred acres of farmable land for my people is a fair price for the two heirs I will give you.”
