The Alpha And His Rejected Fae Princess

All Consuming Grief

Third Person POV

Deidre inhaled sharply. As much as she hated to admit it, Sadie was right. The Queen and King were unlikely to care. They would think it was just a crush or something harmless. She sighed. Their relationship with their daughter still had not improved. She reached out and took hold of Sadie's hand.

"I want you to be careful. Always keep a look out and if he keeps hanging around then tell the guards, they might be able to persuade the King that something is amiss" she said. It was the best Deidre could think of.

Sadie just nodded tiredly. She looked over at her canvas and scowled. It had been knocked over in the wind that Thorn had magically produced. She swore vehemently, causing Deidre to admonish her.

"Language Sadie" she chided.

"Sorry," Sadie said glumly, striding to her canvas and picking it up.

As she'd suspected, there were leaves and debris firmly stuck to the canvas. She would have to start her painting all over again. She let the canvas dangle from her fingers. Damnit.

Deidre began to pick up the paints and brushes. Gray just pranced around, happily chasing a butterfly in the little clearing. Sadie watched him fondly. Finally, they were ready to go.

"Do you think Stefan is any better?" asked Sadie, sounding concerned as they began to make their way toward the castle.

She hoped that Thorn was already inside so she wouldn't have to look at his face again.

Deidre looked grim. Stefan had a high temperature and had been coughing profusely when they left. His pallor had not been good, and he was quite weak due to not being allowed outdoors much. The King and Queen had been too overprotective of the lad and as a result, he wasn't very robust at all. While Sadie could have healed him, Deidre knew the second she revealed her secret, the King and Queen would use her for their own devices and she didn't want that to happen. She prayed the young man pulled through, but with such a weak immune system there was no way to tell for sure.

Sadie shook her head. "I don't know. I see him in my dreams but he's only a shadow. But I know that I'm meant to find him and help him" she said gravely.

Deidre felt disconcerted. She sounded like she really meant it. Surely she didn't have the gift of clairvoyance as well? Deidre swallowed hard. "What makes you think the man in the dream needs you?" she asked carefully.

"He calls me by my name. He's in pain and he's chained. He can't get free. But he tries, so hard" Sadie explained, "he's crying when he speaks to me."

Deidre felt nausea. The dream could very well be real. She could be locating her mate, something that was very rare to occur in the fae species. Either way, Deidre was worried, though she tried not to show it. She gave Sadie a fake smile "Well next time you have this dream, tell me and we'll see what we think together."

Sadie nodded excitedly. She hadn't told Deidre about the dreams, because she knew how Deidre would react to it. But Deidre had surprised her with how calm she had been. She grabbed hold of Deidre's hand and lightly tugged it. "It's such a nice day" she sighed, the sun shining down on them, the sky full of interesting puffy white clouds to stare at and gaze at "It's a shame we have to go back," she said upset.

"Aren't you hungry though?" questioned Deidre. It had been a long time since lunch and was fast approaching dinnertime.

In answer, Sadies' tummy gave a loud rumble. Deidre and Sadie erupted into loud laughter. Deidre wiped the tears from her eyes. "I guess that's my answer" she laughed.

Sadie gave her a sheepish look.

"The answer is yes we have to go back to the castle. Your mother and father are expecting us for dinner" Deidre reminded her "We are expected to sit with them at the dinner table."

Sadie just grimaced. She hated sitting with her parents and brother. She would rather sit with Gray and Deidre.

They reached the castle grounds. To their shock, the grounds were empty, completely silent, except for the guards that were on duty who were quiet. Sadie felt a moment of disquiet.

"Diedre where is everyone?" she asked quietly.

Deidre looked at her helplessly "I don't know Sadie" she whispered "but something is wrong, I can sense it" she added.

The Queen was not pregnant again, so it wasn't another miscarriage. They felt like they were tiptoeing as they made their way to the main entrance, where two men stood guard.

"Your Highness," one of the guards said to Sadie, as she peered at him anxiously "You are wanted in the throne room" he added.

"Why?" asked Sadie anxiously "Something's wrong? What is it?"

The guard looked at Deidre stiffly "I've been informed not to tell you" he said "it is up to the King and Queen to speak of. All I can do is inform you to go to the throne room immediately."

"Thank you," Deidre told the man quietly, grabbing Sadie's hand. She pulled her charge into the entryway of the castle and helped her take her coat off.

"What do you think it is? Do you think Thorn went to tell on me?" whispered Sadie.

Deidre bit her lip "I don't think so. I mean what would he say? Besides, that doesn't explain why there's no one outside at the moment. There has to be more to it" she murmured.

Sadie just looked anxious. Gray gave a low whine. He didn't like the atmosphere of the castle. The servants were all grim-faced and whispering to one another. None of them would look Sadie in the face, she noticed. Deidre noticed that as well.

"Come on, we need to go" Deidre urged, leading her upstairs and down the corridors, down several doors, and stopping at a large, sturdy wooden door. A guard inclined his head to them and opened the door with an ominous creak.

"Thank you" whispered Deidre.

Sadie, Deidre, and Gray walked in, feeling apprehensive. Her mother sat in a chair, clutching a handkerchief and sobbing wildly, her makeup smeared, her hair was disheveled, her immaculate appearance completely skewed, and her dress rumpled. Her eyes were red and puffy, staring blankly down at the floor.

Sadie's father on the other hand was tight-lipped, his face impassive, his eyes narrowed with anger and a touch of something else. His cheeks were flushed and his hair was groomed back, his clothes rumpled. There was a fierce expression on his face.

Sadie looked around the room, wondering where Stefan was. Her mother spotted her first. "Sadie" she whispered, hiccuping "Sadie" she wailed.

Sadie rushed to her side. Her mother embraced her tightly, astonishing the young girl and Deidre. This was unusual behavior coming from Queen Cassandra. Not that Sadie was complaining. Queen Cassandra let the tears trail down her cheeks as she felt the grief overwhelm her once again. Sadie stepped back just a little, as her father quietly came to his wife's side, glaring down at Sadie as though she had done something wrong once again. She flinched, but her mother just stroked her hair, her eyes welling with tears again.

Deidre felt the tension in the air and the unmistakable grief. She began to get a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Sadie obviously felt the same, for she turned to Queen Cassandra and innocently asked, with a quiet voice that was full of fake cheerfulness "Where is Stefan?"

Queen Cassandra burst into tears "He didn't make it" she wailed, crushing Sadie to her chest as the girl felt grief consume her "He died from his fever."

Deidre felt tears prick the corner of her eyes. Oh god. She'd stopped Sadie from healing her brother. This was her fault. But she'd done the right thing, hadn't she? King Dominic was silent, scowling darkly.

"My son is dead," he said heavily, staring down at his daughter "and all I'm left with is this useless daughter of mine because my wife failed to give me the spare heir I so desperately needed."

Queen Cassandra stared up at her husband with beseeching eyes "I tried to" she cried "My body just couldn't handle another pregnancy. Can't you just care about the son we've lost" she screamed.

Her husband just glowered at her. "I have to go organize the funeral arrangements" he hissed "Pull yourself together woman. You're a queen remember, start acting like one" he snarled.

Queen Cassandra just sobbed as the door shut behind her husband, still clutching Sadie to her bosom as though she could keep this one child of hers that was still alive safe. Deidre thought that ironically it was far too late, part of her suspecting that the danger would continue to come for Sadie until she found a way to be free of the enchanted woods and her own family which would continue to use or betray her.