Her Forever
(Book 3)- Chapter 23

Willa’s POV

“f**k!” They all screamed and ran towards each other. There were hugs and cheek k****s all around as Nana and I scrambled to cover the little one’s ears. Many of the older kids sat wide-eyed while the younger children happily slopped their chili on some bread rolls.

“Oy! I haven’t seen you in forever!” Fionn blasted as he gave one of the girls a swift k**s on the cheek. All the girls all giggled as they put their fingers through their beards. One girl, a tall woman with long golden hair gave Eamon a pat on the chest. “Mother will be so sorry she didn’t get to see her favorite nephews.” Oh, so they are cousins.

Willa, we want you to meet our cousins, “Elana, Eve and Wind.” The three girls all curtsied beautifully and were equally stunning in their looks sporting various shades of blonde. “A human! “ Elana giggled! I’ve never seen one before! Welcome!” The other two girls gave a slight wave and whispered to each other pointing at my stature and point-less ears.

Elana turned to her red-haired cousins and clasped her hands, “this is such a surprise! When we moved to the capital just a year ago, we were wondering when we would find you three. Our paths never cross so we figured you had moved on to another place.”

Brenden laughed, “Nah, we are a creatures of habit. Our loyalties are with the King and the King alone.” Eve scoffed and crossed her arms. “I don’t know why; these poor children are starving, and he does nothing about it.” My eyes furrowed in confusion. Didn’t Orion say he sends money to those just outside of the capital to help them?

“That’s not true,” I spoke up. The three sisters turned to me in confusion as to why I would defend their king. “He sends aide, there has to be a mistake for this. If he knew there were children starving, then he would have surely sent more!” Wind turned her back to me and hung up her cloak.

“Listen here, little human, you know nothing of the Fae. The king is heartless and lets small children starve while the nobles are eating high ranking meats and vegetables and discarding the scraps for their pets. Not even these children are said to be of deserving of such a treat.” Anger boiled inside me; in my heart I knew Orion would never allow such a thing to happen. Before I could speak again there was a harsh knock at the door. Nana stood up clasping her hands and walked to the door carefully.

Once opened we all stood and stared into the eyes of none other than Sibille. I felt my jaw tick seeing my mate’s former bed warmer. Brenden stood by me and put his hand on my shoulder, noticing my distress.

“Well, well, well, looks like a party in here this afternoon, hmm Nana?” Nana stood back and gripped one of the children behind her that was still clinging to her dress.

Sibille was beautiful, just like every other fae but she had lean muscles and a strong posture that oozed strength. I wonder if the Fae train as much as the werewolves.

“What seems to be the occasion?” She walked in and started smelling the pot. “Hm, not a fae dish.” Sibille turned to me and narrowed her eyes. “You,” she growled. “What is a concubine doing here? Are you too good to warm the king’s bed now?”

The women in the home looked at me confused and my face blushed red. “I don’t see how that is any of your concern,” I stood from the table in defiance. This woman wasn’t going to tear me down, she’s just a jealous hoe that wants Orion, MY Orion. And I just claimed him, goddess help me.

Sibille sauntered over and my stance didn’t waver. The room was quiet as some of the little children continued to eat their food. “You have more of a backbone now, huh?” She tisked her teeth. “Who are you, human?” She continued to walk around the table, inspecting the food laying on the table. “We don’t get many of your kind around here and my job is to make sure,” she picked up a crust of bread from the table and tossed it back down landing with a small thud, “that the fae kingdom stays a pure race and your polluted b***d is ruining it. You must be a good lay.”

My fists balled up in anger but Fionn was shaking his head behind her. “You are planning on leaving, correct? Just a tumbleweed in the wind? Just a notch on the king’s bed post?” This w***e.

“Oh, you mean just like you?” I said sweetly. I saw irritation in her eyes as she slammed her hand down on the table. “You will not speak to me that way! I am of noble b***d and I can have you ended with the snap of my fingers!” she bellowed. I gave a little smirk and patted my napkin to my lips before I walked around the table to meet her gaze.

“Is someone jealous?” I whispered. “The mighty noble that can’t get the king to sleep with her again and is so desperate to be a queen of the kingdom is jealous of a grimy little human like me? I thought being of noble b***d you would be better at hiding your jealousy.”

The women in the room all clasped their hands to their mouths in unison while the “red fury,” I’ve dubbed the guards stood in surprise. There was no doubt I was going to get spanked over this, but I wasn’t going to allow that ugly fae get the best of me. Sibille stomped to the door and swung it open. “Nana, just so you know the donated land taxes were higher this month and donations by the Fae Kingdom’s subjects weren’t enough to help. You still owe coinage to the Court of Fae.” Sibille slammed the door and shook the overhanging decoration above the door.

Nana looked defeated, her shoulders slummed downward while the sisters looked at me in confusion and heartache. “How? We are we barely making by now?” Wind sniffed. “The we will all go hungry.”

“It’s all her fault!” Eve pointed to me. “If she hadn’t riled her up then we would still be able to scrape by, now we are officially screwed!” The pang in my heart as she pointed to me made me take a step back. Cricket looked up to me with his wide eyes and I stomped my foot in determination. I’m not giving up yet.

“No, you will make ends meet, there will be enough money for food and help fix up the place. I’ll be sure of it.” I grabbed my cloak and Molly and Eudora quickly helped me tie it.

“I think you have done enough,” Nana said solemnly. “Just leave us to our own devices. The king won’t help, he never has. You are only a concubine. Someone not even worth mentioning.” Fionn gave her a hard look and stepped forward as to say something but Brenden stopped him with a wave of his hand.

“Nana,” I said softly. “I know you don’t believe me, but I am going to help. The King has told me personally he was helping all of you, I’m not sure why you aren’t seeing the funds. I’m sorry if I angered her further but she needed to be knocked on what ever high horse she was on. These children will be clothed and fed with full bellies tomorrow night.” I tightened the knot on my cloak and pulled up the hood.

The children that met me in the ally came up and gave me a quick hug. “You will be back, promise?” Cricket held me tightly on my dress. I sat down on the floor and rubbed his cheek full of butter from his bread. “I promise, Cricket. Everything will be just fine.”

The walk back was quiet. I continued to stew about what Sibille had said to me as well as Nana. Now every fae woman I have met so far in the blasted kingdom think I am a harlot. I was far from that; I have never done anything of the sort in my life until I met Orion.

However, if someone called me that in front of him, would he say anything? He says he is protecting me until I choose this life with him but right now, I do feel like a dirty little secret. Fionn stepped up to me and put his hand on my shoulder in comfort.

“Are ya alright, lass?” I nodded my head, fearing if I spoke my voice would crack. “Listen, don’t listen to them they don’t know who you are and Sibille is a b***h, she wants the crown more than anything and putting down others is what she does.” Fionn spat out a wad of tobacco. “Everybody hates her, the Court only tolerates her anyway.”

“I know, but feel like a dirty secret being hidden away. I should just accept all this so Orion can claim me, but I can’t help but feel scared. I didn’t grow up with this, I’m used to be alone and over the years I kept myself out of relationships so I wouldn’t feel hurt again. My own parents were supposed to love me and care for me and didn’t. What makes me think a bond can keep that together with Orion?”

“Your Highness, listen to me.” Fionn stopped and tilted my chin up, “bonding is something you don’t understand because you didn’t grow up with it. Bonds are for eternity. He would never betray or forsake you. Every mated pair I have ever known are still together and I’ve been around a long time.” Fionn smiled and nodded his head slightly.

Maybe I was over thinking, and let my heart be open. The past few days I have felt closer to him than even my best friend and her parents. He’s made me feel wanted and care for. Every morning he butters my croissant and for the life of me, I don’t know how he knows how I like it. Buttered lightly with a hint of strawberry jam.

His little snores at night were so endearing. Orion maybe the king, but he looks like a little prince when he is sleeping. My heart would soar when he would say my name while he was sleeping. This has only been a few days, feeing so strongly to someone shouldn’t come this easy.

My mind still plagues me. It is like a virus to my heart, continuing to make me sick when I think to be better. Parents that were supposed to love me because they were my parents, but they didn’t. Orion is supposed to love me because of a bond,… how do I know he won’t leave too?

The only thing I could do was open my heart to me. Accept him. Take a chance to love him wholly. Not just because I’ve been called a w***e or harlot, but because it’s time to move on and be happy. Time to love and be loved in return and not fear of rejection.

Orion had showed me nothing but kindness and love through out it all. He never said one thing that hurt my heart even if it had been a few days of knowing him. Tugging my cloak closer to myself, we entered the servant’s quarters at the back of the palace. “Fionn? Where would Orion be now?” Fionn’s eyes twinkled in amusement, possibly thinking about our recent conversation.

“The throne room, should I lead you there?” Giving him a large smile, he led me down several large hallways and up a few flights of stairs. “This is the back side of the throne room, I figured you didn’t want to walk in with a room full of people. “Thank you,” I whispered and opened the back door of the throne room.

I could see Orion’s leg swinging on the side of the chair, something he liked to do when he was bored to show how unamused he was. His long hair was dripping off the other side. I couldn’t help but feel giddy to tell him I wanted more, that I wanted to be his mate. He would be excited, and I couldn’t wait until the end of the day to tell him. Sneaking up behind him, I stood behind his chair getting ready to scare him when I heard that sickening sweet voice.

“Your highness? You are looking well today.” It was that damn woman. Could she not just let it go? He rejected her in front of the guards and Annan, why not to be a little humble and admit defeat?

“What is it that you want,” Orion’s bored tone had a hint of irritation. “I thought you were still locked up in confinement.” Sibille gave a fake laugh, “They thought it was a mistake,” she waved her hand, “they let me go fairly quickly.”

“Or your father threw a tantrum,” Orion mumbled, and I stifled back a giggle.

“I came here to find to find out about the girl you brought to your chambers. What is she to you?”

“I suggest you watch your inquisitiveness, Sibille, it will get you into misfortune,” Orion spat sitting upright into his chair.

“I only ask because she is human, you know I’m in charge of new species coming into the kingdom and keeping record. I need to know how long she is staying. Are you just using her as a concubine for the long or short term? These questions must be answered for the sake of the court and taking charge of the census.” Sibille’s voice was docile, begging for answers. My heart knew what I wanted Orion to say, the question was, what was he going to say?

Hearing the small mumbles in the throne room, people were scattered about with parchment paper. Asking questions, writing down notes and some were laughing at jokes their partner had said. Orion blew out a breath and looked out the window.

“Come on now, Orion, we have been friends for years…” Orion banged his fist on the arm of the chair and leaned down on his throne to whisper yell at her. “Yes, she is my concubine, a woman to warm my bed and let me say this she gives me more pleasure than you ever did. I keep her so I can keep you out of my damn hair!”

I my breath hitched as I covered my mouth. He didn’t really mean that he really didn’t. Fionn said mates were for eternity that we would love each other and would never break each other’s hearts with rejection or pain. But why do I feel my heart breaking when he spoke about me like that. He’s trying to protect me, that is what he is doing but why hearing it escape his lips hurt me so much. I peeked around the throne to see Sibille smirk at me.

“Ah, I see. Just a tumble weed in the wind.” She jotted down on a small pad of paper. “I’ll be sure to put that on the census that she won’t be here for long.”

Standing up quickly I burst out of the back servant’s door of the throne room, Fionn started calling my name but I didn’t stop. “Willa, wait! He called. I continued to run down the hallway, keeping the hood over my face. “He doesn’t mean it! You know this!”

Windows flew past me; my dainty slipper shoes slapped the hard-marbled floor as I turned sharply down a servant’s corridor. Fionn’s voice continued to fade as my breaths started to become brash. I wasn’t going to stop running until I felt more pain in my limbs than my heart.

He didn’t mean it, he is protecting me, I chanted over and over in my mind. Then why does it hurt?