Queen of Vengeance (Iron Fey Fanfiction)

Chapter 5: Solemn Recovery

The days passed with an inconsistent rhythm: In the mornings Crystal would rise, sometimes early and sometimes later in the morning, find a quick breakfast from the kitchens (usually an apple or simple muffin), then disappear to the stable to exercise Blackbird. After lunch, she would spar with some of the court soldiers and guards who were on their day off or on break. In the evenings, she would sit in her room and devour all the old classics from the mortal world that had been recently published in the last few years: Little Women, Great Expectations, Les Misérables...

Every one of them she poured herself into, sometimes ignoring invitations to dinner with her mother, claiming she was preoccupied. She purposely avoided her mother, the queen, and the Winter princes. Especially a certain one with brilliant blue eyes.

It got to the point that she felt like a flighty deer. One day she'd been heading towards the kitchens for breakfast when she rounded the corner and there he'd been, with Felicity, pressed up against the wall, his tongue shoved down her throat.

Sensing the presence of someone else, Rowan had paused and pulled away briefly, glancing her way. But Crystal had darted back around the corner so quickly she'd nearly turned her ankle.

There had been too many close calls after that. And the one thought that kept coming back to torment her made her even more anxious within the palace: she could not avoid him forever.

She frequently spoke with her sister, asking the questions Mab had instructed her to ask. Neve always did the same thing: changed the subject, or refused to speak at all. Torture obviously hadn't worked, and politeness wasn't, either.

Days turned into weeks, and soon weeks turned into a full month. How long could this schedule keep on? On this particular morning, when the sky was brighter than usual, Crystal rose near mid-morning and decided to make a change in her routine. She needed a break from the same fifteen walls she'd occupied the last month.

Throwing on a pair of thick black riding leggings, a crisp white button-down, and sleek black riding boots with an ebony jacket to match, Crystal pulled half her hair back with a bit of string and slid her weapons into place. Out of sheer impulse, she grabbed her bow and arrows, as well.

It had been a while since she had gone on a nice hunt. Perhaps, the opportunity would present itself. After grabbing a snowy white apple from the kitchens, she headed to the stables, her heart pounding in her chest as she rounded every corner, afraid she would see him.

She knew she was being ridiculous, but she could not help it. After her little incident in the throne room, Mab had called her back later that evening and ordered her to fix the windows. Every one. By the time she was done, blood was trickling out of her nose again and she was exhausted. But the icy windows were intact.

After saddling up Blackbird, she mounted up and steered him toward the small village located only about half an hour's ride from the palace. The village was quiet today, only a few fey out and about, moving from shop to shop. Crystal reined in her horse outside a tavern, called the Bloody Icicle.

Perhaps, she should not be getting wasted before midday. Oh, well.

She ordered a mug of Frostmead and a bowl of venison stew. The stew was amazing, so was the mead. After two more mugs of mead, she began to feel a bit tipsy. Her mind stupidly went back to when she had tricked Felicity into getting so drunk that she'd nearly ended up halfway into a lake at Elysium shortly after she'd complimented Titania. The Winter guards had found her and had to give her several glasses of ice water before Felicity could even speak remotely clearly.

Crystal took another swig just thinking about it. Felicity was a fool. Rowan was a fool. They were all fools. "Don't you think it's a bit early to be drunk?" a familiar, cold voice said from her right.

She glanced over in surprise as Ash slid onto the wooden barstool beside her. He motioned for a drink and glanced at her bowl of stew. She raised an eyebrow at him. "I can get drunk whenever the hell I please, your highness," she replied, thanking the skies her voice was still clear.

Ash blinked at her and she saw a slight hint of amusement gracing his silver eyes. "Before midday."

She was silent. She knew what it said. By now, pretty much the entire court knew she had fallen in love with Mab's second son, and that he had broken her heart last year. Her reactions - drinking heavily in the mornings and often in the evenings, locking herself up in her room with old classics, and taking long rides by herself with her horse, were only proving that.

At least she wasn't refusing to eat or hiding underneath her covers crying like a child. All right, maybe she had done that after one particular night of faerywine investment. Her mother had left the previous week to return to their manor, and Sorrel, her new baby brother.

"Look, if you've come here to patronize me..." she began but then thought better of mouthing off to one of her princes. "Nevermind, do as you please." She finished off her third mug.

"Why did you let yourself fall for him in the first place?" he suddenly asked quietly, as if he were almost uncomfortable asking it in public. "You know love is a weakness here. Obviously, it tears people apart." He glanced at the three empty mugs again.

She sighed. "Because I am stupid, okay?" she said, facing him. The silver stud in his ear glinted. She tried not to think about its twin, only gold, that twinkled in his brother's ear. "I have never been in love before, never made time for it, and quite honestly I couldn't help it. It was wonderful while it lasted -" she stopped herself.

Why was she telling him these things? It must be the drinks. She mentally kicked herself and immediately shut her mouth, spooning around a leftover carrot in her stew. Ash was watching her with a look of open amusement, his eyes glittering darkly.

Crystal contemplated cutting out her tongue so that she would not make the mistake of spouting off her feelings to a royal who used feelings against people. "I apologize, your highness. You should not be burdened with my problems."

Ash let out a small chuckle, so small she barely heard it. "How long has it been since you went on a hunt, Lady Crystal?" he asked, taking a small sip of his drink, which smelled suspiciously of chai and warm milk.

Crystal, taken aback by the sudden change in subject, took a moment too long to answer. "A while, your highness. Not since I returned from my mountain...vacation."

Ash stood smoothly and motioned for her to follow him. "Come. Before we get ill from the stuffy air."

Now that Crystal thought about it, it was quite stuffy in here. She pushed herself up from the stool but then the world tilted and she pitched forward, barely catching herself on the counter. "Shit," she mumbled. Perhaps three drinks of mead had been a bit much for before midday.

Ash sighed and took her elbow tightly, guiding her out of the pub. "I could have made it on my own," Crystal griped.

"Don't be a fool," was Ash's cold reply.

Fuck you, too, Crystal thought.

After determining that she was in no state to ride Blackbird on her own, Ash pulled her up onto his mount behind him, leading Blackbird by the reins alongside them. The shark-toothed stallion was a bit reluctant, but even Blackbird knew who his prince was and finally gave a resigned snort and behaved.

They travelled out of the village and into the forest, Crystal closing her eyes and trying not to be sick from the swaying movements of the horse. Her forehead ended up resting against Ash's back, and she felt him tense.

"You didn't bring any water with you, did you?" she slurred. She clenched her jaw at the queasiness in her gut.

She felt Ash smirk and pull something from his saddlebag and hand it to her. She snatched it from him and took a swig of blissful ice water. It went down smoothly and her queasiness began to abate. "I appreciate it, highness," she said, being careful not to drink the entire flask.

"Please, Crystal, we are out of public now. You may call me Ash."

She nodded and felt a weight rise from her shoulders as they rode deeper into the forest.