Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 109099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
“You could say that,” the Princess said dryly. “He left me for a younger woman. A pretty little blonde thing that’s nearly the same age as his daughter.”
“That fucking bastard—how dare he disrespect you like that?” Sel sounded angry and I could feel the arm he had thrown over both the Princess and myself tightening possessively.
She gave a broken little laugh.
“Oh, he dared all right. He kicked me out of the house and had the locks changed—then he brought her in, right behind me. I hadn’t even backed all the way out of the driveway yet!”
“I’ll kill him for you,” Sel offered and I knew he was serious. There was murder in his bronze eyes. “He won’t live to see another sunset if you don’t wish it—just give me the command!”
“No, no…” The Princess shifted uncomfortably between us. “No, you can’t just go killing people like that.”
“He hurt you. And made you feel bad about yourself, I’m guessing,” I pointed out. Normally I’m not in favor of killing humans—it’s messy to clean up and then you have to put memory spells on anyone who might have witnessed the act. But in this case, I agreed with Sel. The male who had hurt our Lady so deeply needed to die. Feeling her sob in my arms had torn at my heart—I wanted to protect and avenge her.
“Yes, he did make me feel bad about myself,” she admitted in a small voice. “He was really good at negging—right from the start.”
“Negging?” Sel asked, frowning.
“Oh, that’s what they call it when you give someone a kind of backwards compliment—one that makes them feel insecure about themselves,” she explained. “Like saying, ‘that dress would be so pretty on you if you’d just lose a little weight.’ Or, ‘Wow, you’d be gorgeous if you let your hair grow out.’ Things like that.”
“He said such things to you?” Sel demanded, sounding outraged. “The fucking bastard! How dare he make you feel bad about yourself? How dare he dispute your beauty?”
“Well, thank you.” She sniffed and swiped at her eyes again. “Both of you—you’re so sweet to be so patient while I was crying and to try and comfort me.”
“Let me guess,” I said dryly, “Your ex-mate wasn’t patient with your emotions.”
“Well…no,” she admitted in a small voice. “Christopher hated it when I cried. He always said I needed to grow up and stop acting like a baby.”
“That’s fucking ridiculous,” Sel growled. “All females need to cry at times.”
“Males too, for that matter,” I agreed. “Everyone needs to express their emotions sometimes.”
Princess Lilliana shook her head.
“Not to hear Christopher tell it. You know, he was nice at first, before we got married. But once he had me trapped and raising his kids, he never seemed to care how I felt after that. And he stopped wanting me sexually a long time ago.”
“How could he not desire you, Princess?” Sel growled softly. He turned her to face him and cupped her cheek. “Look at you—you’re beyond gorgeous.”
She flushed, her cheeks going a soft pink, and dropped her eyes.
“You don’t have to say that. I know I’m too curvy. Even now that I’ve undergone this amazing transformation I’m still fat.”
“Don’t call yourself names that aren’t true,” I told her sternly. “Your full curves will be the envy of every lady at Court! It doesn’t matter what the human standards of beauty are—you need to forget them because you are the Fae standard of beauty now.”
“Krynn’s right,” Sel told her. “Every lady in Court wants to copy the Queen. Her style is the style.”
“But I don’t really have a style,” the Princess protested.
“Don’t worry about that,” I told her. “I have a seamstress I’ve been working with who’s going to help you create the right style for you. The right style to show off your curves and your beauty.”
She shook her head.
“It feels so strange to think of myself as some kind of fashion icon when I’ve been nothing but a plain old overweight stay-at-home mom for so long.”
“Stop talking about yourself like that,” Sel said, frowning. “You’re beautiful—and kind, too. Do you think any other lady of the Court would give an ugly male like me a second look?”
“And who but a sadist like Lady Elgiana would want a half-breed with fairy wings and the Needing like me?” I put in.
“But you’re not ugly!” she protested to Sel. “And your wings are beautiful,” she said to me. “I’m sorry if the people in this place made you think there’s something wrong with the two of you.”
“And we’re sorry your ex-mate made you feel unlovely,” Sel said seriously. “But you should know this, Princess—he fucking lied.”
“You’re lovely both inside and out,” I told her. Now that I’d been close to her and felt her pain, I had formed a deeper emotional connection with her—I could feel her motivations and I knew the kindness in her heart. Truly, she would make an excellent Queen—if Sel and I could just get her safely on the Throne.