across the prince. Certainly few get near enough to either king or prince to address them. But when they do, females can become quite . . . excited.’
I knew I was excited in Leif’s presence so I sure wasn’t surprised that other girls would be too. I didn’t much like the thought of it though. It was probably a good thing this was just a dream.
‘Have you experienced this female excitement for yourself, Leif, since you’re a prince and all?’
‘I have, of course, but it is of little consequence. You are the one for me, Marla.’
I felt all warm inside. ‘I could resist the king,’ I told him.
Leif smiled. ‘Hopefully not when that king is me.’
‘As if I could resist you! But any other king—piece of cake.’
‘Piece of cake?’
‘It means it would be easy for me to resist any king but you.’ Leif looked sceptical but made no comment. ‘I could,’ I insisted.
‘You would be surprised, Marla.’
‘It would be no problem at all. But tell me what happened after our parents met.’
‘They began to spend time together and whether it’s true or not, my father believed your mother encouraged him.’
‘Do you think it’s true?’
Leif sighed. ‘I don’t know—perhaps; I have been told she continued to see him up until she married your father.’
‘Your dad must have been upset.’
‘Upset, enraged and, most terrible for her, humiliated.’
‘Why was that most terrible?’
‘What you think you know of the Fae is nothing more than the stuff of human imagination, Marla. We are not the mild, sweet creatures you might think us to be. The Fae—males in particular and especially those of the royal line—are fiercely protective and loyal. But we can also be savage and wild and, above all else, proud.’
‘But you’re a prince and you’re not like that at all,’ I protested.
‘Am I not?’ He smiled at me, his eyes soft.
‘No, you’re not,’ I insisted. ‘You’re sweet and gentle.’
‘Ah, but Marla, you forget, you are my betrothed. How could I not be sweet and gentle with you?’
‘I can’t imagine you being any other way.’
‘Nor could I be any other way with you. But my father did not have the same connection with your mother that I have with you. He wanted her, believed he loved her, but what he did next proved that he did not.’
‘What did he do?’
‘Apparently he was crazy with the shame of your mother’s rejection. He ranted around the castle, swearing vengeance. And here’s where it gets terrible.’ Leif took both of my hands into his. ‘I hate to tell you what he decided, Marla.’
‘I can take it.’
‘Your mother was no longer pure in my father’s eyes so when she offered to relinquish her husband and return to him, he refused her. And as punishment for choosing your father, he decided that if he couldn’t have Finelle, then Finelle couldn’t have her child.’
I could feel the blood leave my face. ‘You’re talking about me?’
Leif dropped my hands and put his arms around me. ‘Marla, you were not yet conceived. My father spoke of a child not yet in existence. His decree forbade your mother her pregnancy.’
‘Her pregnancy? Which pregnancy, the first, the second . . . ?’
‘Fae women have only one.’
‘So your father wants me dead,’ I whispered. I wanted to throw up.
Leif was on his feet. He scooped me into his arms and held me against him. ‘Marla, I will fix it, I will make it all right.’
He kissed me then. I knew he did it to distract me, to take the shock away, and it worked. My arms came around his neck, my fingers vanishing into his hair. His lips, warm and nurturing at first, quickly became hot and demanding as I returned the kiss with a greed I never knew I possessed. The force of it shocked me, but I was so consumed by him I barely gave it a thought. Sparksflashed wildly through my body and nothing else mattered but this brand-new need. But as I clutched him to me, I felt him pull away. I allowed it, but
I knew I was excited in Leif’s presence so I sure wasn’t surprised that other girls would be too. I didn’t much like the thought of it though. It was probably a good thing this was just a dream.
‘Have you experienced this female excitement for yourself, Leif, since you’re a prince and all?’
‘I have, of course, but it is of little consequence. You are the one for me, Marla.’
I felt all warm inside. ‘I could resist the king,’ I told him.
Leif smiled. ‘Hopefully not when that king is me.’
‘As if I could resist you! But any other king—piece of cake.’
‘Piece of cake?’
‘It means it would be easy for me to resist any king but you.’ Leif looked sceptical but made no comment. ‘I could,’ I insisted.
‘You would be surprised, Marla.’
‘It would be no problem at all. But tell me what happened after our parents met.’
‘They began to spend time together and whether it’s true or not, my father believed your mother encouraged him.’
‘Do you think it’s true?’
Leif sighed. ‘I don’t know—perhaps; I have been told she continued to see him up until she married your father.’
‘Your dad must have been upset.’
‘Upset, enraged and, most terrible for her, humiliated.’
‘Why was that most terrible?’
‘What you think you know of the Fae is nothing more than the stuff of human imagination, Marla. We are not the mild, sweet creatures you might think us to be. The Fae—males in particular and especially those of the royal line—are fiercely protective and loyal. But we can also be savage and wild and, above all else, proud.’
‘But you’re a prince and you’re not like that at all,’ I protested.
‘Am I not?’ He smiled at me, his eyes soft.
‘No, you’re not,’ I insisted. ‘You’re sweet and gentle.’
‘Ah, but Marla, you forget, you are my betrothed. How could I not be sweet and gentle with you?’
‘I can’t imagine you being any other way.’
‘Nor could I be any other way with you. But my father did not have the same connection with your mother that I have with you. He wanted her, believed he loved her, but what he did next proved that he did not.’
‘What did he do?’
‘Apparently he was crazy with the shame of your mother’s rejection. He ranted around the castle, swearing vengeance. And here’s where it gets terrible.’ Leif took both of my hands into his. ‘I hate to tell you what he decided, Marla.’
‘I can take it.’
‘Your mother was no longer pure in my father’s eyes so when she offered to relinquish her husband and return to him, he refused her. And as punishment for choosing your father, he decided that if he couldn’t have Finelle, then Finelle couldn’t have her child.’
I could feel the blood leave my face. ‘You’re talking about me?’
Leif dropped my hands and put his arms around me. ‘Marla, you were not yet conceived. My father spoke of a child not yet in existence. His decree forbade your mother her pregnancy.’
‘Her pregnancy? Which pregnancy, the first, the second . . . ?’
‘Fae women have only one.’
‘So your father wants me dead,’ I whispered. I wanted to throw up.
Leif was on his feet. He scooped me into his arms and held me against him. ‘Marla, I will fix it, I will make it all right.’
He kissed me then. I knew he did it to distract me, to take the shock away, and it worked. My arms came around his neck, my fingers vanishing into his hair. His lips, warm and nurturing at first, quickly became hot and demanding as I returned the kiss with a greed I never knew I possessed. The force of it shocked me, but I was so consumed by him I barely gave it a thought. Sparksflashed wildly through my body and nothing else mattered but this brand-new need. But as I clutched him to me, I felt him pull away. I allowed it, but
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