The Unseelie's Wallflower (Courts in Conflict Book 1)

The Unseelie's Wallflower Courts in Conflict - Book One Elisa Rae Copyright © 2023 by Rachel Rossano (under pen name Elisa Rae) All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. This novel is a work of fiction. Though actual locations may be mentioned, they are used fictitiously, and the events and occurrences were invented in the mind and imagination of the author. Similarities of characters to any person, past, present, or future, are coincidental. Cover by Rossano Designs Contents 1. Chapter One 2. Chapter Two 3. Chapter Three 4. Chapter Four 5. Chapter Five 6. Chapter Six 7. Chapter Seven 8. Chapter Eight 9. Chapter Nine 10. Chapter Ten 11. Chapter Eleven 12. Chapter Twelve 13. Chapter Thirteen 14. Chapter Fourteen 15. Chapter Fifteen 16. Chapter Sixteen 17. Epilogue one GreysonThe sultry summer air had cooled into autumn in the Great Wild Woods. It spread north from the edge of human-dominated lands and nestled up against the feet of the Arista Peaks where the gargoyles lived in their eyries. The Great Wild Woods covered the entire region of the fae, of which I was one. Ruled by two kings, we gave our allegiance to either the Unseelie or the Seelie king. I aligned with the Unseelie king. In return, he bestowed upon me his favor, probably because my smuggling operations kept him in all the luxury goods he could consume and more. That favor came with a price, though—hosting the annual Wild Hunt at the end of summer.The guests began arriving at noon. Their carriages, horses, and portals filled my front drive with mayhem and chaos as servants, children, and pets crowded for space among the adult fae as they called greetings to each other. My servants directed the guests beneath the lofty roof of my open-sided foyer as even more guests filled the drive. I watched the barely organized confusion from the top of the grand stair in the main house. No one approached me, and I liked it that way. The coming week was one to be endured for the greater good. Until the last guest left, I would be on edge. I needed to accept that.“The king’s attendants have arrived.” Bartle, my majordomo, stepped to my side. The blond faun kept his appearance meticulous, and I appreciated his tactful efficiency. “They presented their list of demands as per usual.” He extended a gilded sheet of thick parchment, which I took.Silk sheets, perfumed water, unicorn’s milk, solid gold utensils…“All to be expected.” I handed the list back. “Anything new added since last year?”“Pomegranate seeds, oranges, and pineapples.” Bartle’s nose wrinkled. “Apparently, he heard about your recent trades with the humans and elves.”“Or he recalled I acquired multiple saplings three years ago and they just produced their first crop.”The Haub family arrived, causing a mild uproar among the clustering fae. As a body, about half of the crowd surged elegantly in the direction of the sprite family as they stepped through their portal. Haub Sr., a wizened old sprite, had hated me on sight. From the moment he realized he couldn’t provide what the king wanted, and I could, he opposed me at every turn. However, that had recently changed. I hadn’t discovered why yet, but that didn’t stop me from taking advantage.“So, you approve the list?” Bartle asked, still standing at my elbow.“If those are the changes, then yes, it is approved.”Bartle bowed and left.I adjusted the leather gloves covering my hands and shook the edges of my sleeves down over their tops. Not a single inch of skin showed—except my face—as dictated by the traditions of my kind of fae. Gathering my stealth magic, I cloaked and descended the stairs, entering the fray with weary reluctance. Golden light filtered through the turning leaves outside the great expanses of smooth glass in the foyer walls. Arched recesses offered access to the gardens, but most of my guests lingered within the space bound by glass and columns. The walls were designed to meld the gardens, groves, and front drive outside the great gilt doors with the elegant interior. Marble tile floors, arched ceilings, and eggshell-surfaced columns created the illusion that the room lacked walls. Potted ferns and flowering bushes crowded every nook and clustered about the base of each column to decrease the clamor of a multitude of sounds bouncing off the hard surfaces. And under all the cacophony, the splashing tinkle of the fountains flanking the grand staircase relentlessly added to the pandemonium. I was of the mind to turn them off, but it would scandalize Bartle if I did. Why not show off their engineering?As I passed through the throng of Unseelie greeting each other, I mentally isolated out different conversations. They varied from gossip, flirting, and chatter to planning of business negotiations. Noting who was attempting to speak with whom, I kept moving, relying on my inherent stealth magic to keep out of sight. Without it, I would’ve been a very noticeable six-and-a-half-foot creature with curly black hair, dusky skin, and gray eyes dressed in all black. When I was uncloaked, most found me intimidating. An impression I used to my advantage. The fact I kept myself aloof and my appearance impeccable helped as well. Acting the part of a barely contained beast worked well when dealing with the Unseelie king and fulfilling his excessive tastes in wine, food, and frivolity. Whenever I decided enough was enough, I tapped my inherent intimidating magic and dropped a bit of my façade of culture and control, but this was not the time.This year’s turnout for my annual gala in the king’s honor promised to be the most impressive yet. The whole court was attending. The inns and rentable rooms for miles around had been sold out for months. Almost every Unseelie noble from the king’s court had already arrived. Younglings of multiple species wove through clusters of