Page 45 of This Prince Is Not Charming

“I’m going to guess,” I said, almost not able to believe it myself. I picked my highest amount: a three hundred gold coin piece.

“Aoife the Warrior Maiden.”

I watched with bated breath as the squares flipped over one by one, and my piece flew into my velvet bag.

Meera sighed. “Well, at least this means I won’t be kidnapped by the high prince again.”

I hadn’t won. I knew that much by how loudly Siobhan was proclaiming her points. She was at over seven hundred. But with this win, I also didn’t think I’d lost.

Others were still playing their game, so we stayed seated as my heart pounded.

“How did you know about Aoife?” Meera asked. “I didn’t think humans paid all that much attention to the Fair Folk.”

My mouth dropped open. “Aoife the Warrior Maiden was a faerie?”

Meera rolled her eyes. “Well, that answers that question. Of course she was.”

“She was real?” I whispered as Morton shushed us.

“Yes,” Meera whispered back. “A great warrior and leader.”

“What happened to her?” I asked, though I had a sinking feeling that I already knew.

“Fairwitch had her killed in a public execution after she led an uprising against the godwitches to free the Fair Folk from slavery.”

The more I was learning about Fairwitch, the less I felt like worshipping them, honoring them, having anything to do with them. They no longer seemed like the benevolent leader of the godwitches but more like a violent dictator.

“That’s so sad.”

“It was,” Meera agreed. “I liked Aoife. A lot of fire in that one.”

“You knew her personally?” I didn’t think I could be any more surprised. I didn’t actually know how old Meera was. The Fair Folk were made over thousands and thousands of years by Fairwitch.

She sent me a pointed look. “Yes, I did, and no I won’t be elaborating further on my age. She was Ambrose’s lover, you know. Poor man. Falls for Aoife, who gets turned to stone. Then falls for Enid, who falls in love with someone else.”

“You’re starting to sound like Margaret, giving me all this gossip,” I teased, though I did feel sorry for Ambrose. It couldn’t have been easy losing two loves. I wanted to ask more about this Aoife, ask if what I was reading in the book about her was accurate. But my questions would have to wait for another time.

“Right,” I said as Morton announced the end of the challenge.

I expected us to be whisked away to the throne room again, but instead, Cillian appeared in a swirl of golden magic, right next to Morton, looking tired and unusually unkempt.

I thought about last night, falling asleep on the rooftop next to him, and wondered if that had anything to do with his appearance.

The rest of the trial sped by in a blur, and I was unable to concentrate on anything but not disappearing. I didn’t know everyone’s final count, and as we stood in a line while Morton droned on, I fidgeted and tried to calm my racing heart.

Siobhan won, which was no surprise. She looked absolutely delighted as she squealed and clapped, beaming at Cillian, whose gaze was on me.

And then it was time to announce who’d lost, but Morton didn’t even have a chance. Clio screamed as magic swirled around her until just like Liadan, she was gone.

CHAPTER 20

Ceri

Not two seconds after Clio disappeared, Morton fluttered his wings and said, “Okay, now it’s tea time. Take your seats, chat with the high prince, and have a snack and a drink after such a stressful event.”

We all gaped at him.

“What?” Morton’s shaggy brows furrowed. “Was it something I said?”