"Get the fuck outta here."
Darian laughed. "It's the day after you brought me here. I woke up a couple of hours ago. Someone was kind enough to leave a tray of food by the door so I ate while I sat with you. If you didn't wake up in time for dinner, I was going to send for a healer."
"How soon before we have to go meet your mother?" she asked, sitting up.
He looked out the window for the sun's fading position. "In about thirty minutes."
"What!" she shrieked and flew out of bed. "Where's the shower? Where's my clothes? I need my makeup!"
He stood and placed his hands on her shoulders to stop her frantic circling. "Calm down. There's a dressing robe for you hanging up in the bathroom. On the counter, there is a basket; all you have to do is say what you need, and it will appear."
"Even makeup?"
He nodded, and she could tell he was trying not to smile. "Even makeup."
She twisted away from him and ran to the bathroom.
"Amelia?" He sounded concerned.
"Twenty-eight minutes until I have dinner with you mother who happens to be the queen of all the fae, and I have some of your cum dripping down my leg! Why am I even explaining this?" she slammed the bathroom door.
Men!
She could hear his unrestrained laughter from behind the closed door. She took a second to appreciate that he could laugh before she jumped in the shower.
She got out and quickly dried off. She was sorry she didn't have more time. The towel felt like a cloud from heaven. She wrapped herself up in its softness and padded over to the counter. She looked at the plain, white basket. She picked it up and turned it over. On the underside, written in fae, was a spell. Grinning, she set it back down. She took a deep breath and began reciting all the things that she would normally use to get ready. One by one the items started to appear.
She was just finishing her makeup routine when she heard a knock at the door.
"Come in."
Darian opened the door and she temporarily forgot what she was doing. He was dressed in a cream silk dressing robe, and his hair had been pulled back in a half-pony and braided. He wore a crown of gold and silver leaves, which accented the gold and silver threads in his robe perfectly.
"Gods, you're exquisite," she breathed.
"I was about to say the same thing about you." He pointed to her towel-wrapped body.
Laughing, she let the towel drop and watched with satisfaction as he swallowed hard. She reached past him to grab her robe. It was a grayish-silver color accented in emerald green. She slipped it over her head and had a moment of surprise when underthings appeared under the robe.
"All fae garments have a bit of magic in them." He held out his arm. "Shall we?"
Amelia turned to look in the mirror one last time. Her brown curls were behaving for once, and the robe made her eyes look like liquid silver. She turned back to him and laid her hand on his elbow. "Let's go."
*****
"Darian!" The queen threw herself into Darian's arms.
"Hello, Mother."
Amelia watched as Darian laid his cheek on top of his mother's head and held her tight.
"I'm so sorry!" The queen sobbed into his chest.
"There's nothing to be sorry for," he assured her.
A man every bit as tall as her mate stepped forward and gently extricated the queen from her son.
Darian held out his forearm and the man clasped it. "Brennus."
The handsome fae smiled. "Darian."
Darian turned and held a hand out to her, motioning her forward.
"Mother, Brennus, I have the pleasure to present my mate, Amelia Ironwood. Amelia this is my mother, Aleksandra Vi'EireDan, and her mate and consort, Brennus Vi'Eirlea, the unit leader for Tau Unit and commander of all the units in Éire Danu. His half brother Celyn Vi'Ailean is the fae Elder in Lycaonia. " Darian scooted her forward with a gentle push.
Remembering her deportment lessons, she curtsied low. "Your Majesty."
"Call me Aleksandra, or preferably, Mother." Aleksandra pulled her into a warm hug.
"Brennus is fine for me." The warrior winked.
"And you can call me Super Big Brother," Oron joked.
"Come. Cord has made all your favorites, Darian." She turned to Amelia. "Cord is my squire. He has known Darian and Oron since they first came to the palace."
They walked into a smaller dining room where the table was set for five. Amelia couldn't stop looking around. She thought there was a lot of magic in Storm Keep, but even the city of the witches couldn't compare to the palace of the fae. Everywhere she turned, spells were used to light hallways, turn fans, and keep fresh flowers from wilting. It seemed as if every surface glowed.
Once seated, a fae with the darkest hair she had ever seen stepped into the room, tears in his eyes. Most fae had blond hair in hues ranging from white to gold. This man's hair was like burnt umber and just as beautiful.
"Prince Darian," he said, his voice breaking.
"Cord! It's so good to see you again! I have missed your cooking." Darian stood and abandoned all formality to pull him into a hug.
Aleksandra turned to her. "I was mated to Brennus only seven hundred years ago. Cord acted as a father to both Oron and Darian before then," she explained.
Darian released his old friend and sat down.
The squire wiped at his eyes. "How embarrassing."
"Think nothing of it, old man. We're all glad Darian has come home," Oron said, patting the man on the back.