Saving the Fae (Daughter of Light #3) - Leia Stone Page 0,2

Elle took a book from the elder library on royal protocols and read the entire thing, cover to cover, in an hour.

I wanted to go out there and fight, get these crystals back or, at least, track them before they were hidden, but my people wanted leadership, and the elders were making me nervous. Aubin and Indra were whispering off on the sidelines. I wasn’t sure what they were plotting, but it couldn’t be good.

Kira curled my hair while Elle set a wreath of flowers around each of my wrists.

“So, they’re not crowning me Queen, right?” Nerves churned in my gut. The real Queen was sleeping. I was just a princess and didn’t even know I was one until recently.

Elle held open her book, peering down at it. “In a moment of the current reigning Queen being indisposed, the princess can be crowned Acting Queen until the original monarch can carry out her duties.”

Acting what?

She must have seen the confusion cross my face.

“You’re a temp Queen. Just until the real one wakes up.”

I let out the breath I’d been holding. Okay. Temp Queen. I could do that.

There was a knock on my front door, and Trissa opened it. She had been stationed at my door in full battle gear as if she expected the entire village to come after me now that it was public knowledge I was a royal.

It was Jasper.

“Come in!” I yelled over to him, and Trissa reluctantly let him pass.

The warlock crossed the room and looked around at my living room, his gaze lingering on a scratch in the coffee table.

“As your royal warlock advisor,” he drawled, “I came to give you some advice.”

“Advice on getting the crystals back?” I perked up.

He chuckled, clasping his hands, “No. Advice on keeping up appearances.” He waved around my modest childhood home.

“What do you mean?” I gave him a glare.

Taking a deep breath, he motioned again to the space around him. “Although this place is… charming, it’s not fit for a princess. You should have the elders move out of the Tree of Life home, and you should take up residence there with your guards.”

Kira, Elle, and I all dropped our jaws.

“You want her to kick the elders out of their home?” Kira snort-laughed.

Was he trying to get me killed?

Jasper looked at Kira like she was a speck on his shoe. “First of all, that’s not the elders’ home. It’s the Tree of Life prayer hall, or it used to be before the elders commandeered it.” He looked deadpan at me. “And secondly, yes, I expect you to protect the Queen and the Tree. How can you do that with those traitors living in there?”

I blew out air through my teeth. So he knew what Indra was up to? Changing memories so that everyone in the village didn’t know of my lineage? Drugging the Queen with a sleeping potion. Caging my mom and cuffing Mara…

Shit.

Maybe he had a point… Why would I allow them to keep their titles and claim on the Tree of Life home?

“The Tree of Life prayer hall has always been a holy place, owned by the crown,” Jasper informed me. I wanted to ask him how he knew all of this, but he wouldn’t answer me anyway.

“He’s right,” Trissa acknowledged.

Finally, they agreed on something.

“I’ve always envied Rose’s room with the large stained-glass windows,” Elle said.

I scoffed. “Seriously, you agree with him?”

She nodded.

“Me too,” Trissa called from the door. “I’ll take Aubin’s room, and I can protect you and the Queen better.”

Her mention of the Queen… my biological mother, settled it for me. I didn’t want my first command as an acting royal to be kicking the elders out of their home, but I had to protect the Queen at all costs.

“For the Queen, then.”

Jasper clasped his hands together. “Please let me be the one to tell them.”

I rolled my eyes. “You need to lie low. Go prepare for our trip. As soon as this coronation is over, we’re going hunting for crystals.”

With a frown, he saluted me and left.

Craning my neck, I met Trissa’s gaze. “Do you think that you could tell the elders…” I hedged.

She straightened her spine. “Absolutely, Princess.”

I pointed a finger at her. “Stop it. Call me Lily.”

She winked. “Do you have an official letter you want me to deliver?” she asked.

Elle nodded. “Yes. I’ll draft it up.”

Wow.

My friends had rallied around me and supported this crazy situation, and for a small second, I’d forgotten that Liam killed my mother… until now.