A Fairy-Tail Marriage

Chapter 4

Althea had enjoyed her day with her cousins much more than she’d expected. She hadn’t forgotten the dismissal from her mother, but affairs of the state were usually boring. Her cousins had taken her to an adorable little tavern with the best fairy drinks she’d had outside of the castle. Her cousins had been delightful, fun, and told intriguing stories about life close to the werewolves.

When she returned to the inn where her family was staying, she found her mother and father in the bar area waiting for her to get back. She smiled when she walked in.

“How was your meeting?” she asked politely.

Mariah rolled her eyes. “Quit pretending.”

“Pretending?” Althea asked innocently. Her father chuckled.

“I’m sorry we didn’t let you sit in on the meeting with the werewolf king. But we do intend to tell you every detail,” Mariah told her.

Althea frowned; her parents rarely shared with her unless it directly involved her or something she was interested in. A meeting with the werewolf king had absolutely nothing to do with her. As far as she knew. She narrowed her eyes at her mother, then her father.

“What’s going on? You two are acting strangely,” Althea murmured quietly.

“How about a hint?” Tristan teased.

“A hint?” Althea’s voice rose a decibel. Her mother arched her eyebrow at her, and she lowered her voice again, reaching for the calm. “Why don’t you just tell me?”

Mariah smiled at her husband, who had looked at her and nodded. She waved her hand in the air next to her and murmured a few fairy words. A dress materialized next to her, white and lovely, and Althea gasped.

“What in the gods’ trees is that?” Althea asked, pointing at the dress as if it were a violent, five-headed creature waiting to eat her bone marrow.

Tristan laughed again. “What does it look like, dear?”

“It looks like a wedding dress,” Althea said through clenched teeth. “And it better not be for anyone in this room.” Mariah placed a hand on her arm, but Althea pulled it away. “What is going on?”

“Althea, you need to calm down. We’ll talk about this calmly,” Tristan placated.

“Talk about what? Tell me what is going on.” Althea’s insistence irritated him.

“You are much too much like me,” Tristan mused as he exchanged another glance with Mariah. This would be more difficult than he had anticipated. “Mariah, I think it’s your turn.”

Mariah tilted her head at him and pursed her lips. Althea knew that look; Mariah’s irritation with her husband was plain on her face. Briefly, she closed her eyes to find her calm, then turned to Althea.

“Althea, your father and I have made a wonderful arrangement for you.”

Althea arched her eyebrow similarly to her mother’s. “Arrangement?”

Mariah sighed. “Althea, why are you pretending to be dense?” She gestured to the wedding dress and waited for the expected explosion. But none came. Mariah looked at her husband, who stared at his daughter with something like trepidation in his eyes.

Althea had come to the conclusion of a marriage between herself and the werewolf king the moment she’d seen the wedding dress pop out of thin air. However, she’d hoped her conclusion was wrong. When her suspicions had been proven, she’d frozen, inside and out. She had no reaction because her mind wasn’t functioning properly. She stared to her left, away from the dress, so she couldn’t even see it in her peripheral vision.

After several minutes of unbroken silence, Mariah sat forward and touched her daughter’s hand. “Althea?” she asked quietly.

“You expect me to marry the werewolf king?” Her voice was too calm, too even.

“Your father and I agree that a marriage between the two of you will bring the two kingdoms together.”

“When did you decide this was the best course of action?”

Mariah looked at Tristan, who took over. “Last night.”

“And you made this decision without consulting me?”

“We did,” Tristan said, his voice strong in the face of her absence of emotion.

“What if I refuse?” Althea asked, finally making eye contact with her father.

Mariah sighed. “Althea, you are not in the position to refuse.”

“The position? As in I have no choice?” Althea’s emotions were beginning to loosen.

Tristan bristled at her tone. “You are first and foremost the fairy princess. You’ve always known you have a duty to this kingdom. It is now time you fulfilled that duty.”

Althea leapt out of her seat and slammed her hands down on the table, her emotions boiling over. “Duty? Duty! Are you kidding me?” She pointed at her mother. “You weren’t forced into an arranged marriage. You chose your husband. And you’re asking me to ‘do my duty’ to the kingdom? This is outrageous!”

Mariah remained calm. She had known the brunt of Althea’s anger would fall on her rather than Tristan. “You are right, Althea. I chose my husband, and he chose me. But I was a commoner who enjoyed the privilege of choice. You are not.”

Althea stared at her mother in disbelief. “A commoner? Your father was the right hand man to his! You grew up in the castle just like I did. Don’t call yourself a commoner and expect me to agree to this ridiculous arrangement without batting an eye.”

Mariah rose as well. On eye level with her daughter, she said, “I understand you’re angry, but may I reiterate that you are my daughter. Your level of disrespect will not be tolerated.”

Tristan watched as his wife and daughter faced off. He understood his daughter’s anger, but, much to his displeasure, his daughter did not have a choice. However, his interference at this point in the argument would not be helpful. He waited.

“Mother, I am not being disrespectful to you, but to this absurd plan. This man you are asking me to marry is a barbarian. He’s a werewolf! He attacked Father!” Althea gestured to her father.

“You watched that fight just like I did, Althea. Don’t romanticize your father’s involvement by pretending Braxton attacked first. They agreed to that little skirmish, and you know it.”

Althea narrowed her eyes. “He’s a beast. I will not marry him.”

Mariah pointed at her, her calm dissolved completely with her daughter’s refusal. “Young lady, you will marry him. If I have to bind your arms and legs, you will be at that ceremony tomorrow, and you will say I do.”

“Tomorrow!” Althea’s eyes widened. “I’m supposed to marry that man tomorrow?”

“You are marrying that man tomorrow.” Mariah’s tone ended the argument. Althea looked at her father for help.

Tristan lifted his hands, palms up. “The decision has been made.”