Rose
"Is there a particular reason why you summoned us this early?" I glared at the Queen, who sipped her tea contently from the comfort of her throne.
"There is." she wiped her mouth daintily on a silk napkin.
She said nothing more and I let out a noise of exasperation "Care to share?"
She nodded to the two chairs opposite of her "Join me for breakfast first."
"I just ate" I lied, not wanting to be in her presence more than I had to "So, you can begin."
The Queen looked passively at me, not breaking eye contact until Greyson stepped into her line of sight.
"The faster we sit down" He murmured softly in my ear "The faster we can go back to bed."
I scowled and he pulled out my chair, grinning when he saw my face.
"I hate it when you're right."
He winked at me and my smile cracked a bit.
The Queen cleared her throat and the scowled slide right back onto my face.
"We're sitting" I said sarcastically "Care to begin now?"
She nodded, not catching (or choosing to ignore) my tone.
"In two weeks time," she began "You will begin you Royal duties as the newly crowned Fae Princess."
My eyes widened and my mouth gaped open "What?"
She started to repeat herself but I stopped her.
"I heard what you said" I snapped "But I don't understand why you're crowning me Princess after we agreed to me staying only for a few days. You know, the one where you promised to send us home after I listened to whatever you had to say!"
"I know what I said" She took a sip of her tea "But I cannot do anything until you have proven yourself as the true Fae heir."
I stood up so fast, that my chair knocked back into the floor "That wasn't our agreement!"
She gave me a dainty shrug "You should have specified your terms more before making a deal with the Queen of Faes."
"You no good piece of -" Grey clapped his hand around my mouth before I could finish spewing my curses.
"I think it's best if we reconvene at a different time" Grey said softly, holding me close to his body "Because she won't listen to whatever you have to say after you just dropped that bomb."
"It's not like I'm asking for much" She ignored Greyson's advice and continued on "Just a tour of our lands, a few balls, and the Wedding."
My eyes widened to the point that I fear that they were going to pop out of my head and Greyson's grip slackened before tightening again.
"Just how long do you plan to keep us here?" I snarled "We have lives back home! Friends that miss us! Family that are probably worried sick at our disappearance!"
She waved a dismissive hand at my words.
"Word has been sent out to you families" She said the word 'Families' like it was a disease she was afraid of catching "About you absence."
"What did you do?" I snarled.
She gave me a smile, one that made my stomach tense up.
"I did what I had to."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"UGH!" I slammed open the door to our room, nearly breaking the expensive ancient handle off.
"CAN YOU BELIEVE HER?" I yelled "CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT I WAS A FOOL ENOUGH TO TRUST HER? TO ACTUALLY THINK THAT SHE HAD A HEART IN THAT EMPTY SPACE IN HER CHEST?"
"Baby..." Grey cooed at me, grabbing my shoulder gently to halt my pacing.
"What?!"
"You're hands are glowing" He said softly.
I looked down at my hands and found that, they were indeed, glowing.
"What the hell?" I turned my hands over and found that my hands were almost...translucent.
"Maybe it's not such a bad idea that we stay here for the time being." He said softly, holding my glowing hands.
"How can you say that?" I pulled away from him "Don't you want to go home? To see your family?"
"I do" he said softly "But for now, while these new powers of yours are manifesting, I think it's in our best interest to stay here. Where the Queen can guide you and these new powers."
I gave him a look "I rather jump into an active volcano."
He chuckled and picked me up, twirling me around.
I huffed but cracked a smile at his silliness.
"Plus..." he deposited me on the bed before crawling on top of me and giving me a gentle kiss "Think about our wedding."
"It's not a real wedding" I rolled my eyes "It's only for show."
"Oh but quite the contrary mi amor" he nipped at my neck "This wedding in real to me and to all those male Fae out there. I finally get to call you mine."
I pushed at his broad shoulders and he rolled over to his side of the bed.
"A wedding doesn't make me yours Grey." I said, sitting up "Especially one thrown by my evil grandmother."
Greyson was about to say more when there was an urgent succession of knocks on our door.
Before we could answer it, the Queen rushed in with six guards, her eyes betraying her cool demeanor.
She was ... scared.
"Come now Princess" she gripped me hard "We need to get you out of here."
"Why?" I asked, grabbing Grey's hand "Where are we going?"
"The Castle's been compromised" She waved her hand before shoving me, Grey, and Dahl through a door that magically appeared in our room "It's not safe for us anymore."
"What does that mean?"
"It means..." her hands glowed before the door started closing slowly "That you'll be going on that trip earlier than we anticipated."
With that, the door closed and a bright light flashed, transporting us to a different world.