The Fae Locket

Chapter Twenty-Four

The next few months were long. Rose hadn't been feeling great recently and Easton was busy most days doing king duties, signing papers, visiting people and talking to officials. Then when they were together in the evenings, it was wedding planning and sleeping next to each other in the huge four-poster bed in the biggest bedroom she'd ever been in. They were still crazy about each other in the brief hours they spent together but the lack of a peace treaty meant that Easton and his government had many meetings to hold which ate into their time together.

Easton's advisor had told him the day after the coronation that the next few months would be passing new laws and building relations with nearby kingdoms but there was a backlog that the government had saved aside. The problem was that since Easton's father had been a very traditional king, he hadn't passed any new laws that didn't support existing ones and the government wanted to use Easton's youth and a fresh outlook to pass things that King Edwin had simply refused to look at. The only law that Rose wanted to be passed was the treaty between the Holt and Toft but so far it hadn't happened. There had been a word that there had been an uprising in the Toft and many of the top advisors there had been slain, but since no one would confirm or deny it to Rose – she didn't know for sure. Numerous times she was fobbed off by different members of staff and not even Easton seemed to know entirely what was happening. Security had been on top alert since Mara's death and there was no sign of it being downgraded. Easton had refused to until the treaty was signed and the king of the Toft, King Rowan responded to his communications.

"We gave them back Mara's mother Leah. Send in some spies, I need intel on why they aren't responding to me!" Easton said firmly to one of the members of the room.

"But your majesty, it is just not that simple" replied a male voice.

Rose had her ear pressed against the conference room door as she scanned the corridor making sure that no one could spot what she was up to. She knew she could ask Easton about what was said, he always told her what he said but he wasn't always straight with her about other opinions from the table. One voice behind the closed door suggested that they send an army on a flock of birds to find out the truth, another said that they ought to follow the King's suggestion and send in some spies but a familiar woman's voice chirped up, "We all know that my daughter is the real reason that the Toft refuse to have anything to do with us. They are refusing to sign unless you and she are no longer an item. I know that you love her Easton, but the safety of the Holt must come first!".

"You and I both know...That isn't an option, Aine" Easton replied. Upon hearing this, Rose gasped loudly and ran off down the hallway to the right to the pale brown chaise lounge pushed against the wall, she couldn't believe her mother could suggest something like that. Hurt and feeling betrayed, Rose sat, hunched over years filling her eyes until the door opened and everyone inside the room piled out and went left. Wiping her fingers underneath her eyes, she tried to do damage control on her make up, but she could feel it had smeared across the top of her cheeks. Rose didn't need a mirror to know she looked terrible.

Easton was talking to some balding, larger man in a tweed suit as he left the room, luckily going in the opposite direction to where Rose was sat. Annoyingly, Aine was last out, she appeared in a bright fuschia power suit with a Capri's leg. Seeing her mother stood in front of her, Rose felt the anger build up inside her. Storming up to her she grabbed her mother's arm from behind and pulled her down the hallway. Aine teetered around on her heels to steady herself, unsure what was happening.

"I cannot believe you want me and Easton to split up!" Rose angrily whispered, hoping that the men at the other end of the corridor couldn't hear her.

"I don't, but ideally I want that treaty signed! There could be another boyfriend Rose but there will only be one Holt. I'm duchess to the Holt, that means I must help govern and give my opinion being as impartial as I can. Easton might have the overall say but myself and the government have to help him see all aspects of an issue!" Aine told her. This was a side of her mother she hadn't seen before. Duchesses in the human world certainly didn't deal with political matters, Rose tried to understand that her mother was doing her job, but she was also saddened that Aine didn't appear to be standing up for her relationship with Easton.

"I thought you'd put my happiness before your job. And anyway... do the Toft know that you are currently dating Lux?"

"No, that's irrelevant, my relationship with Lux is different. She will never be in power. The bigger issue is that I cannot have the citizens of the Holt thinking that I allowed them to be knowingly put in danger because I put my daughter's relationship before thousands of Fae"

"So, it is them or me?"

"No, it is making sure that Easton doesn't try and gloss over the real reason that we know that the Toft will not sign a treaty. They know and respect the fact you are staying in the Holt forever, but they do not want the Faeman who they believe is the reason for a dead grandchild and Princess Leah's unhappiness – becoming Queen."

"I didn't kill Mara, Phineas did?"

"That's not the version of events that they heard. We know the truth but remember it is your word against a handful of Mara's guards – who all claim that you did it!"

"But...but...."

"I believe you, but sadly, the Toft doesn't" Aine sighed, "You have to understand that I was addressing the elephant in the room. I'm not saying you should end things with Easton but if you want to ensure the Holt's safety by allowing this treaty to be signed you would have to abide by the covenant that comes with it. You cannot be in a relationship with Easton, nor become Queen of the Holt"

Rose looked sad, into her mother's eyes and said with tears in her eyes "But... I love him and I'm pregnant"