Arthur joined my father near the fire, their arms crossed while they discussed something. Doyle's moans swallowed their voices.

"What do you think they're talking about?" I asked Irene.

"New methods of torture, perhaps," Irene said.

"Probably. They were hostile to each other ever since they met. Torture might just be the thing they bond over."

"Men."

"I want to take offense to your words," Marianno said, amused. "Alas, you are probably right."

I snickered.

"We should go get you ready," Irene said.

"For what?"

"The ball," she said like I was an idiot.

"I'll just put on a dress and-"

"No, you're not. Not when Amanda told me to send her a picture of you in the red dress." Irene shook her head. "I swear, that woman can guilt trip anyone into doing what she wants."

I smiled, because I had no doubt Amanda had done it.

"Let's go, then."

Marianno and Charles stayed with Arthur. Noah trailed behind us, silently watchful. People moved out of our way, whether because of the continued screams of the man who had tried to kill me, or because of the looming werewolf behind us, I couldn't tell.

Staff moved through the castle with purposeful strides, the last few minutes of readying the ballroom for guests.

I looked at Noah with a teasing smile. "Are you going to help us get ready?"

"I don't think I have the skills needed for that," he said, raising his brow and stretching the skin over his scars. "And I like my head attached to my body."

I laughed. "Alright. Just didn't want you to feel left out."

He grunted.

I sighed, my laughter forgotten as we ascended the stairs. "I can't believe we'll be in a ball while a man is being tortured right outside."

Irene shrugged "Someone is always being tortured somewhere."

I guess she had a point. Noah's eyes were heavy on my face.

I turned to him. "What?"

He was quiet. Just when I thought he wouldn't speak, he broke the silence. "Your time with the humans has left its mark."

"Why do you say that?"

"Your... soft heart."

I chuckled. "If you think humans are soft, you'll be surprised. But I see why you'd think that. Cruelty is a mark of strength in our world. But humans are also capable of it, although their brand of violence is oftentimes different from ours, but that's simply because they don't have our powers."

"Maybe so," Noah murmured, and it felt as though those words carried a history behind.

Once in mine and Arthur's room, Noah leaned against the window. Irene and I locked ourselves in the closet.

Irene looked at Arthur's half of the closet and paused, then shook her head. "Honestly, I admire your courage."

I raised a questioning brow. She lowered her voice.

"Just being around Arthur puts me on edge. The amount of power..." she shuddered, her dark eyes wide with wonder. "I can't fathom what it's like to have a bond with him. To let your guards down around him. To sleep in the same bed! Honestly, just thinking about it makes me want to run for the hills."

I snorted. "Okay, you're exaggerating."

She scoffed. "I'm not. Ask anyone. You're the only one who seems completely unbothered. Now that I think about it, you've been this way with him from the start."

I leaned my hip on a dresser. "Well he did scare me back then, I won't lie. But he's just a man, you know that, right?"

"A man who can crush a person's eyes into their skull without so much as lifting a finger!"

I just shrugged. Irene gave me a long look, but turned to the hung dresses and picked out the red one. She held the hanger way over her head to admire the dress. It was long sleeved, with a sweetheart neckline, a tight bodice and a flaring skirt. The silk glimmered under the soft closet lights like blood.

"That skirt is way too long," I told Irene. "There's no way I can run in that."

"If there's a need to run, just rip it. The full skirt will give you room to strap enough weapons on your thighs to kill a small army. Now shut up and go shower."

I rolled my eyes, grabbed a change of clothes, and went to shower. Fifteen minutes later, I sat in front of the vanity in the closet. Irene behind me, doing my hair. The blond tresses pulled into something resembling an intricate bun at the back of my head. It looked beautifully messy. Wavy strands of hair framed my face.

"You're good at this."

Irene grinned. "I know."

I remembered her car and apartment back in America and grinned back. She might be putting out a serious, no-nonsense front, but Irene was a lover of all things fluffy and cute and pink.

Next, Irene pulled out an array of tools and products from the bag of makeup that Amanda had stuffed into the suitcase.

"Don't go overboard with the war paint," I told her.

She snorted and pointed a brush at me. "Close your mouth and your eyes and let me work my magic."

I complied. After a few seconds, I shifted on the chair. Irene growled. "Stop fidgeting!"

I glared at her, eyes closed. "I'm not used to sitting still."

"Learn. Or I'm going to poke your eyes in. And I don't want to explain that to your frightening mate."

I huffed. After what felt like forever, I felt her step back. "Almost done."

I blinked my eyes open. Irene was holding lipstick in a deep shade of red, blocking my view of the mirror. My brows shot up. "Really?"

"Yep."

She applied the lipstick and stepped away, moving behind me to admire her artwork. The woman in the mirror was... beautiful.

Large green eyes framed with sooty lashes and lined with black, naturally flushed cheeks, and loud red lips parted in surprise. Even my scar seemed part of the getup.

"Wow. Is that even me?" I asked, leaning toward the mirror, turning my head left and right.

Irene rolled her eyes. "It's not that big of a difference. You're just not used to seeing yourself dolled up. You still look like yourself."

I gave her a dubious look, but admired her work. She was really good. With the red dress, I would've thought the red lips would be a bit too much. But the understated way Irene did my makeup made it all work out.

"If your career with the order doesn't work out, you can always be a makeup artist."

She laughed. "I'll consider it."

Voices sounded in the room outside.

"Right on time." Irene pulled me to my feet and shoved a pair of black heels at me. "Put them on and get out there."

I strapped on the heels and stood up, grateful they weren't as long as some of Amanda's. Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt... pretty. It wasn't a feeling I was used to, nor did I ever bother with.

But this was nice, once in a while. Because there was no way I'd be spending that much time and effort on my appearance every day. I had new respect for the women who rose to that challenge.

Irene opened the closet door and slipped out, I went out behind her, brushing my hand down the folds of the full skirt.

The voices stopped. I looked up. The men all stood near the window, their faces turned my way. I cleared my throat and glanced down at my body. "Do I look weird?"

Marianno was the first to recover. He whistled. "Lady Elle. Weird is a word I might use to describe you sometimes. Definitely not at the moment."

I chuckled. "Why, thank you."

Charles scanned me from head to toe with his scowl before he turned away. I almost laughed at his reaction if the bond with Arthur wasn't buzzing with emotions that made my toes curl and my throat dry. The look in his eyes held me captive.

"Everyone, leave."

I rolled my eyes at his tone. They moved to the door. Noah was still by the window, amber eyes locked on me. I raised my brows at him. He blinked, gave me a nod and went out.

Arthur's steps were slow and deliberate as he closed the distance between us. "I want to rip the eyes of everyone who looks at you."

He was completely serious. I stifled a smile. "Alright, caveman. Enough eye ripping for one day."

He stood in front of me and wrapped his arms around me, his head tucked in the crook of my neck. "I'm serious."

"Oh, I know. But you'll have to throttle your deadly urges, my lord."

He chuckled, pulled his head back to look down at me. "You look absolutely ravishing."

Heat crawled up my face. "Thanks."

His cheek dimpled. "You're welcome."

I cleared my throat. "So, is Doyle still out there?"

"He'll be out there for the next twenty-four hours."

I sighed. Immortality can be a curse in such situations. Doyle wouldn't die from the blistering heat, but that didn't mean he wouldn't feel the pain. If he was lucky, he might faint after a while.

"Mariano noticed something in Doyle's mind," Arthur said. "The fae's memories were chaotic, but they kept going back to conversations he had with Amelia."

I frowned. "What sort of conversation?"

"Marianno couldn't get anything concrete, since Doyle is fae. It could be nothing," Arthur said. "It could also be his subconscious putting links between his current circumstances and his conversation with the consort."

"Huh."

"She might have planted the idea that you and I are a threat to the throne in his head. But let's focus on what we have for now," Arthur said, raising a hand to rub a blonde strand between his fingertips. "Charles and Irene will slip out tonight to go see the Seer. And Madeleine Byrne will be attending the ball. We need to have a little discussion with her."

A little discussion, my ass. I poked Arthur's chest. "Go get dressed, your lordship."

"What will you do?"

I grinned. "I'm going to strap on as many weapons as I possibly can under my dress."

*** **** ***

The ballroom was a vision of white and gold, Earth and Fire. Flowers dotted every surface and climbed up the walls through thick vines. As I watched, the petals changed colors from white to red to yellow to blue and back to white, only to start again. The vines moved, dancing with the wall to the rhythm of the music.

A small orchestra of about twenty musicians played on a stage in the far end of the room, their soft tunes tickling my ears.

The centerpiece of the ballroom was a seven foot tall tree, made entirely out of sheer ice, its naked branches delicate and sparkling under the chandeliers. Spirals of fire rose in the four corners of the room, from the white marble floors to dissipate in the ceiling.

Damn. So this was what a fae shindig looked like.

The amount of magic needed to keep it all alive and running boggled my mind. I spied about two dozen staff members standing by the wall, their magic fueling the decor.

"Wow," Irene breathed out behind me. She was back in her all leather outfit, matching Charles and Marianno in their guard garb. Noah and Arthur were dressed in crisp black suits, their wild cloaked by a guise of civility for the night.

Amelia and my father stood at the door, welcoming guests.

"Elle, you look beautiful," my father said, pressing a kiss to the back of my hand.

"Thank you."

Amelia smiled by his side. Her hair was in an intricate updo and her dress a pastel blue that brought out her eyes. "You do. Won't you join us? The ballroom is in your honor. It's customary to greet the guests. Unless you'd prefer not to, of course."

I'd prefer not to, but I gave her a smile and stood beside her. Arthur kissed her hand and stood beside me.

"I feel like I'm a debutante in the nineteenth century."

"Except you are already taken, I'm afraid," Arthur mumbled. "Much to the chagrin of the male population."

"Very flattering, your lordship."

"That was not flattery, your ladyship."

The guests started arriving in earnest after a few minutes. After the first ten faces, I lost all hopes of remembering the people being introduced to me by my father and Amelia. There were too many of them. All dressed to the teeth with tuxedos and gowns, glittering with jewelry.

Their smiles were pleasant enough, but their eyes reflected wariness, fear, hostility, and sometimes anger. What comforted me was the fact that Arthur, too, was at the receiving end of those sentiments.

"We're not the most popular tonight, are we?" I whispered when there was a reprieve from the onslaught of guests.

"The Five were never popular among the fae nobility," he mumbled. "And after snatching you up, I believe many of them share Doyle's fears that I will take over their precious land."

"Hmm." A thought popped in my head. "What would you do if I told you I want to take the throne?"

He chuckled. "You wouldn't. You hate it."

"I know. Just hypothetically," I said. "You rule over the Americas. You won't be able to stay here with me for long."

He looked down at me with a smile. "Then I believe I'll have to purchase a supersonic jet. We'll be flying back and forth quite a lot."

"We?"

"Of course. If you think I'll leave you here, you're very much mistaken."

My lips twitched. "That's good to hear."

Fortunately for Arthur's bank account, I had no intention of claiming the throne. Being responsible for myself was difficult enough, I couldn't imagine being responsible for an entire country.

My cousin, Ryan, made an appearance. He seemed tense. Maybe he was afraid his deal with Arthur would get out. He looked like he wanted to say something, but my father and Amelia's presence prevented him.

After the flow of guests slowed, the four of us joined the ballroom. Irene, Noah, Charles and Marianno separated into teams of two. They stayed on the periphery of the guests, watching us from afar.

Arthur's arm was warm around my waist as we navigated the ballroom. My father and Amelia kept us company as fae after another came to chat. Thank goodness Arthur knew how to navigate the polite society and engage in senseless conversation. After the first ten minutes of being told how pretty I was and how miraculous Arthur and my mating was, I wanted to stab myself in the leg and be done with it.

My father's grunt got my attention. A man stauntered towards us, dressed in a tuxedo with a red bowie, a glass of a yellow-gold liquid in his hand. He was as tall as Arthur, with a lean figure and sharp features.

"Your highness." He bowed deeply to my father, then kissed Amelia's hand, all while balancing his drink.

"Lord Nolan," Amelia said with a smile.

"My mother sends her regards." He straightened with those words. His accent was a posh British that sounded odd to my ears.

"I hope she's doing well," my father said.

"Perfectly well. She's taking some time off in our estate in Scotland."

The fae turned his attention to Arthur and I. My father did the introduction since the man had apparently just arrived.

"Lord Nolan, my daughter, Elle, and her mate, Lord Arthur."

Nolan bowed over my hand. His lips pressed to my skin, wet and sloppy. I barely kept myself from taking my dagger and planting it in the back of his neck. He straightened with a grin. It faltered when I grinned back. I guess he could see the dislike in my face. Good.

Slimy asshole.

When he turned to greet Arthur, his smile turned as fake as his accent. "Lord Arthur."

Arthur nodded. Nolan's eyes turned back to me. "My lady. It's an honor to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you. I must say, you are much more stunning than I expected."

I raised my brow. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

The man looked taken aback. I probably shouldn't have said that outloud. Oh, well.

"Um, yes. A compliment," he cleared his throat. "With your looks and your power, you will make a great ruler someday."

I didn't know what looks had to do with it, but okay.

"There are many men who would be honored to rule by your side."

I glanced at Arthur, just to make sure he hadn't turned invisible. He was very much there, looking at Nolan like he was wondering how many broken bones would take for him to faint from the pain. Nolan didn't even glance at Arthur. Was he daft or did he have a death wish?

"I don't intend to rule," I told him.

Either he didn't hear me, or he ignored me. He continued. "I believe if your father makes an announcement, you'll have many suitors lining up at your door. I would be honored-"

His glass exploded.

Nolan jumped back, wide eyed and gaping at his bloodied hand. Conversation around us ceased. Shards of glass stuck to Nolan's palm, dripping blood and champagne on the white floor.

The glass had exploded outward, from what I could see. I looked pointedly at Arthur. I had felt his magic flare through the bond, and I didn't know if anyone else knew it was him. But from the way Nolan tripped on his words to apologize and excuse himself to clean up, he must have known it was Arthur.

Arthur raised his brow at me. "His drink must've been too hot for the glass," he murmured.

"He was drinking champagne, not coffee."

He shrugged, absolutely unrepentant. "It must've been too cold, then."

"Really?" I said. "Ever heard of the word restraint?"

He leaned down until his face was inches from mine. "The only reason he's not dead is the promise I made for you. I believe I have shown a tremendous amount of restraint, my love."

My father cleared his throat. "I don't believe my people need any more traumatizing, lord Arthur."

Despite his words, he looked more amused than anything. Amelia, on the other hand, had her hands properly folded near her stomach and her lips pressed into a tight smile.

"On the contrary, your highness," Arthur drawled. "The very fact that Nolan felt he could utter those words in my presence means they haven't been traumatized enough."

My father sighed, resigned, and held out his arm toward me. "Do you mind taking a tour of the room with me, daughter?"

I didn't think leaving Arthur's side was a good idea at the moment. He might just decide to go on a torturing spree to brighten up the ball. But he pressed his lips to my hair and released me, and I put my hand in the crook of my father's elbow.

Despite her smile, Amelia looked less than enthusiastic about being alone with Arthur. Hmm. Maybe Irene was right, maybe he did scare everyone else shitless.

"I don't think Amelia wants to be around Arthur any more than she has to," I told my father once we started moving through the guests.

"The same could be said about the rest of the world. Except you, that is," he said. "And Amelia has been navigating politics for decades, she knows how to act the part despite her reluctance. And she's much more cunning than you might suspect. She can handle herself."

I bet she could. "Good to know."

A few people stopped to talk to us. After several minutes, I was ready to set something on fire just to get some excitement. Balls were awfully boring.

Looking around the room as the man talking to us drowned about something concerning cruise ships and holidays, I noticed that Charles and Irene had disappeared.

Did they go?

I sent the thought to Arthur. I couldn't see him but I could tell he was close by.

Yes. he replied. See if you can get your father to introduce you to Madeleine Byrne. I have a feeling she's avoiding me.

I hesitated, looking at my father. Knowing my mother was somehow part of the evil we were trying to eradicate made a heavy weight settle on my chest. The idea that my father could be involved in this mess was too much for me to handle. I liked to think that he was genuine, but after what I learned about my mother, I wasn't so sure.

Regardless, I asked him. "Do you know a certain Madeleine Byrne?"

His blond brows lowered. "Madeleine? Of course. She's part of my brother's cabinet. She's here somewhere, I just saw her come in. Why?"

"I want to meet her," I told him.

His look told me he knew the reason I wanted to meet her wasn't anything mundane . "Will you ever trust me enough, Elle?"

I looked at his green eyes, the color so much like my own, and answered truthfully. "I want to, I just don't know if I can."