Bound (A Faery Story 1)

force represents…”

Bound

209

Beck saw someone who might be more helpful. “Thank you, Bri.

Tell your father I’d like to talk to him about the mill. We’ll need more

flour if this goes on for too long.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness,” Bri said as he started to walk

away. “The queen already took care of it.”

Well, of course she had.

Beck pursued Liadan across the square. Liadan wouldn’t be under

the new Queen’s spell as everyone else seemed to be. “Lia!”

The blonde turned and, when she saw it was him, made her bow.

She was cool and polite. “Your Highness. You returned early. You

weren’t due back for another week.”

A thought struck Beck. In another week, the three weeks of

celebration would be over. His brother was a tricky bastard. Cian

might not have been able to cover the fact that he’d called the

festivities, but he would have been able to say they were small. He

would have attempted to convince Beck that they were small but

necessary to the villagers’ acceptance of Meg. He was a sly one, his

other half, and about to get that magnificent brain of his bashed in.

“Would you like to tell me what the bloody hell has been going on

while I was away?”

Liadan smiled sweetly. “It is a celebration for your queen, Your

Highness. I was surprised you authorized it. It is very expensive and

seems a strange thing to do when so many are hungry. I wouldn’t be

surprised if our food stores are empty by the end of the festivities.”

Beck hadn’t thought of that. Cian had always handled things like

that, but he seemed to be very derelict in his duties lately. Beck had

hoped that once he bonded he would go back to his responsibilities.