Page 19 of This Prince Is Not Charming

“I might like you yet, human.”

“You can call me Ceri.” I leaned forward, elbows resting on the table. “And I might like you too. Not many can scare Cillian away. That was entertaining. How are you going to navigate trials when you have no desire to marry a human?”

Meera studied her long claws. “Just because I don’t want to marry the prince doesn’t mean I can’t have fun. This is grand.”

It was oddly quiet, and I realized the woman’s sobbing had finally subsided as Siobhan wrapped her arms around her, patting her back and murmuring in her ear.

“Did I just hear nobody wants to marry the prince?” Another person appeared at our table, someone I was very familiar with because I’d made many tailored outfits for him over the years. Marsten flipped his long, dark hair over his shoulder and stroked his stubbled jaw.

“You don’t want to marry the prince either?” Meera asked.

“Are you kidding me?” he drawled. “I would gobble that man up like a cookie. But unfortunately, I don’t think I’m his type.” He eyed me. “Not like Ceri, anyway, in that stunning blue dress. You look fabulous, darling.”

“First of all, I’m not his type either. Second of all, I know.”

Marsten smiled, his pink-painted lips stretching wide. They perfectly matched the pink powder dusted on his eyelids.

“I am a dressmaker, after all.” I pulled at the long lace sleeves of my blue dress. “It’s my job to look fabulous. How could people trust me with their own wardrobe if I couldn’t even style myself?”

“This is why being a cat is so much simpler.” Meera sighed. “And if none of us are compatible with the high prince, how is any of this supposed to work?”

I looked around at the contestants, wondering how many of us would actually be a good fit for Cillian. Right now he was talking to a faerie with flaming red hair—literally. Her hair was made of fire. Every time she moved, embers popped and sparked, and Cillian had to duck to the side to avoid being set on fire. I didn’t know her name, but she must’ve been one of the nature Fair Folk. Unlike the others, they couldn’t shift into animal form. But they could shift into an elemental form. Hers was clearly fire. I’d also seen Fair Folk who could shift into trees, water, and flowers.

This was certainly an interesting bunch for these marriage trials. Meera was right. It seemed like almost no one was suited to marry Cillian, or he wasn’t suited to marry them, which made me wonder what Castle was playing at. My gaze traveled to Siobhan, who was still comforting Lila with her tear-streaked face and puffy red eyes. The lavender-haired faerie was clearly still the best choice to become queen.

“Hi, darling. I don’t think I introduced myself. I’m Marsten.” He looked at Meera, who flashed her teeth.

“I like you. You’re hairy.”

Marsten made an impressed face. “You know, no one has ever complimented my hair before.” He flipped his long brown hair over his shoulder. “Thank you.”

Meera dipped her head. “Are you as entertained by all of this as I am?”

Marsten snorted and took a sip of his champagne. “I’m just here for the ride.” He lifted his glass. “And free champagne.”

“And because you have no choice,” Meera said in her flat voice.

“That too.” He lifted his glass higher.

“So what about you?” Meera’s green eyes swung to me. “Are you excited at the chance to become queen?”

Marsten slung his arm around me. “Oh, Ceri knows the prince intimately.”

Meera froze in surprise, and I elbowed Marsten.

“I don’t know him intimately. Well, I do, I suppose, but not in the way Marsten is implying. We’re childhood friends.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Meera said.

“Oh. Right.” Was I excited? “Well . . .” I started as Morton slithered up to the dais and called for everyone’s attention, the chatter in the room slowly fading into silence.

“Welcome to the official start of the marriage trials.”

Lila let out a muffled sob, burying her face in Siobhan’s shoulder.

Morton blinked, shaggy brows furrowing as he stared at her, waiting for her cries to subside.

He cleared his throat. “As I was saying, welcome to the marriage trials. There will be six trials in all, and after each trial, there will be an elimination, decided on by Castle.”