Coming Undone: The Ice Court, #1

By Dagmar Avery and K. Margaret

Princess in name only, Eira Lempta has a lot on her plate. As council to the Light Court monarch, she's formidable on the Fae stage of politics, and has been instrumental in the furthering of relations and cooperation between the two different courts, and the numerous factions. The only child to the head of the Ice Court, she is expected to carry on the legacy of the family and court, even if she's not going to run it.
Resigned to the life she's been allowed to have, and the person she's been betrothed to wed, she moves through her life as efficiently as possible, with little opinion of how it's going.
Until something unplanned happens.
Now, everything is possible, and Eira is at odds with who she was and who she actually is, what she wants and what's wanted of her.
Choices will be made. Choices that will start a domino effect that will echo through Light Court, and all of Faerie.

• Language: English
• Publisher: S.A. Price
• Release date: May 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393421412

Book preview

Chapter 1

The meeting with the council for the Light Court Charter was pushed back to four, which meant if her meeting with Clive Stewart ran late, she wouldn’t need to stress about it. Knowing Clive could talk her ear off any chance he got, the possibility was strong. She’d told Steffan to only schedule him as the last appointment but her assistant apparently had a brain aneurism that day.

If the LCC meeting got out by six, she’d have time to order groceries and have them delivered by the time she got home. She hadn’t restocked her fridge in weeks.

Now what did she need to remember to get? Cheese, definitely cheese, milk, eggs, carrots, hummus.

Damn, she wished she could write this down or she was bound to forget something. Oh, she definitely needed popcorn and M&Ms, she’d eaten the last of her stash last Friday. Let’s see, what else?

Oh, yeah, baby. I’m so close. I know you are, too. You’re always so hot for me.

Oh shit, Eira Lempta thought. Why did Tanner have to talk when he was fucking her? Well, she wasn’t even sure she could call it fucking, but it certainly wasn’t making love. When he started talking, he diverted her attention from her scheduling to the fact he was on top of her, inside her. She shuddered.

That’s it, baby, Tanner said again. I know how much you like it.

Like it? Good goods, what she wouldn’t give for it to be just her and her vibrator. At least with her vibrator there was a possibility of her at least coming. She’d been engaged to Tanner for over two years and in those two years he’d never managed to get her close to orgasm, though she was a master at faking it.

Crap, she probably should be going through those motions now.

She started to make little moaning sounds and lifted her hips. Next came the pulsing of her inner walls, squeezing him so he actually believed she was coming. Where was her damn Academy Award? Seriously, after faking it so effortlessly for two years, one would think she should get some sort of recognition.

One, two, three... There it was, Tanner’s release, the small kiss he placed on the corner of her mouth, then him rolling off her.

I have a meeting with your father today, Tanner said and he pushed himself out of bed, walking naked to the bathroom. He kept the door open as he turned on the shower, like he did every time they finished having sex. Gods forbid the man go two minutes without being freshly clean. He never invited her to join him, not that she actually would.

I wasn’t aware you needed to speak with him, she said, pulling the covers over her and grabbing her notebook off the nightstand to jot down her grocery list.

It’s been two years, Eira, it’s time we start planning the wedding. There is no need to continue to wait. I know you wanted to have some time to get settled into your role as princess, but really, it’s not like it’s anything more than some title. Your father runs Ice Court and always will. Other Courts might be fine with a woman running things, but we all know Pierce will never give you that title. It’s time to move on with our lives.

Tanner wasn’t wrong in his assessment. She’d never be the head of Ice Court, she’d never get to make the decision of who she’s with and who she wanted to marry, or if she even wanted to get married. There were long-standing traditions and laws at House Lempta. First, no woman would run it. Second, a female’s father had full control of her life, from who she would marry to what she would do for a living. She supposed she should consider herself lucky she was able to work. Pierce Lempta made sure she found herself plenty busy with her councils and political advisor roles. The man even allowed her to create a few councils and run them, though it was probably more to keep her busy than he trusted in what she wanted to accomplish.

The shower turned off and Tanner walked out in a towel before he started getting dressed. She would have to give it to her fiancé, he did have a seriously nice body. Too bad she found no attraction to him whatsoever. Sure, she felt a little attraction to him when they first became engaged. Hell, she’d been excited about the prospect. Tanner was intelligent, from a high-powered family within the Ice Court, and she thought they could make one powerhouse of a couple. Then the man opened his mouth.

What she discovered rather quickly was Tanner Salazar was an arrogant, opinionated, narcissistic prick. One who didn’t value her opinion or her own intelligence. He’d patted her hand and gave her one of those ‘at least you’re pretty’ smiles that made her teeth grind.

As soon as we’re married, you’re going to need to decide which of your little projects you’re going to keep, Tanner said as he buttoned up his shirt. You can stay on as advisor to the Interspecies Council, since I chair that with you, but I’m going to take over your role with King Chess to assist them on understanding Light Court law.

It didn’t slip pass her notice he mentioned nothing of Queen Senara. Hell, Chess didn’t even consider himself a king, he considered himself Senara’s partner, her equal. What it must be like to have a man value her like Chess valued Sen.

I don’t plan on giving up any of my special projects, she told him as she got out of bed and headed to the shower herself. They are all important and I don’t plan on giving any of them up or allowing you to take any of them over. We’ve discussed this before, Tanner, I really don’t feel like drudging this up again.

He said nothing, which made her think he purposely ignored her or he left the room so he didn’t have to hear her.

Sighing, she quickly showered, dried off, and got dressed. She needed to get down to her office, which was on the other side of town from Tanner’s house. She had a morning appointment with Senara and then the Interspecies Council.

It would have been more convenient for her if they would have their little sleepovers at her own place, but she didn’t like Tanner in her apartment. It was the only place she had that was hers, even if she didn’t even like the place herself. After Baalim died, she’d stayed on in their Atlanta offices, keeping her apartment in the building. With the two giant ram horns on the sides of her head, it wasn’t like she could go apartment shopping or be anywhere where she would need to constantly go back and forth where humans could see her. It was bad enough having to drive from Tanner’s place to her offices, but tinted windows on her car and a hoodie made it possible.

We have our council meeting at one, she said, walking into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee. Are you going to be able to make it?

Of course, I’ll be there, Tanner said. I wouldn’t leave you alone with those... He didn’t finish his thought but Eira didn’t need him to.

Tanner thought anyone from the Nightmare Court was below them. He thought most of the members of the Light Court were below them as well, but Nightmare really made his skin crawl. Having to be around so many of the different species—demon, Sluagh, faeblin, nymphs—really burned him. She didn’t take joy in his discomfort. Honestly, she wished he could open his eyes and see what a boon it was to have so much knowledge and experience around one table. The Interspecies Council was her baby, something she was proud of, and she hated having her fiancé look at it more like a silly idea. Once they were married, she was sure it would be the first thing he tried to get rid of. Hell, his meeting with her father was probably on that exact subject.

I really wish you would have more of an open mind about this, she told him, closing the lid on her travel mug, the sigil of her Court, one perfect snowflake, stamped on the center. Faerie is changing and having those from both Light and Nightmare being able to discuss ideas to make this better is important. We might still be two different Courts, but we need to work together. Both Senara and Theo have Nightmare guards. We are weaving together and in order to do that in a way which can benefit all of us, we need to know about each other.

Tanner walked to her and kissed her cheek before patting her shoulder, giving her one of his standard placating smiles. It’s a pipe dream, Eira. We are Light Court, we will never be like them. We will always be better and more evolved. But, he continued before she could say anything, I will be at the meeting. I have to make sure you stay safe with those Neanderthals in attendance. Now, I must go. Wouldn’t want to be late meeting your father. I’ll see you this afternoon.

He kissed her before walking out the door, leaving her standing in the kitchen, letting out a long sigh. May Faerie give her the strength to continue to keep a smile on her face. At least she had her work.

One hour in traffic to go fifteen miles, nine voicemails, seventy-eight emails, and four cups of coffee later, Eira made it a quarter of the way through her day. The only silver lining so far had been her meeting with Queen Senara. Meeting with the younger woman was always the least stressful part of her day. Not only did the Queen of the Light Court listen with an open mind, she came up with ideas Eira never would have thought of.

A ninety-minute meeting turned into four pages of notes she needed to go over with her different councils, as well as several ideas of what could be done to improve the Light Court Charter. A project which was very near and dear to Eira’s heart.

Spending several long nights reading and memorizing every article and amendment of the Charter while fellow princess, Theodora Amorenta, was going through a possible takeover of her company, Eira found many points that needed to be changed as quickly as possible. There were loopholes that needed to be exploited and ones which needed to be sealed up tight. Unfortunately, even with all the reading and searching, she found nothing that could get her out of her arranged marriage with Tanner. The Ice Court was the one who wrote the Charter to begin with, which meant anything having to do with their Court was tied up in a nice little bow, the only way out was by the decree of the head of the House. Which in her case was her father, Pierce Lempta. Eira wasn’t naïve enough to believe her father would end the engagement. Politics and bloodlines were more important than love and happiness.

Letting out a sigh, she navigated through the halls of Viera Enterprises to her office. Even though Baalim Viera, her former employer and Chess’s father, was dead as a doornail, she’d kept her position. More accurately, she’d kept her office. Chess didn’t seem to have an issue with her continuing to work and live in the downtown Atlanta office complex.

Viera Enterprises didn’t die out with the death of Baalim. Even though it had been run by a complete psychopathic asswipe, the company did do good work throughout the Light Court and human realm. She was glad Chess took over running it, giving them the opportunity to continue and to expand on all the charities they were involved in.

It’s not even noon and you already look like you’ve been put through the ringer, her cousin and assistant, Steffan, said, holding out a cup of coffee as she walked past his desk.

What a lovely way to tell me I look like shit, she said, accepting the cup and walking into her office. She walked straight to her desk, where Cobby was curled up on the corner. Steffan eyed the king cobra but slowly entered her office, keeping close to the door.

One of these days, that thing is going to bite me and you’re going to have to suck out the poison, he said. You seriously have the strangest tastes in pets.

She stroked her fingertips along Cobby’s head and the cobra hissed at her. He’s a sweetheart, he won’t bite you and you know it. You leave him be, he’ll leave you be. But I’ll put him in his tank, it’s his nap time anyway.

Picking up the snake, its body coiled around her arms and she settled him in his home away from home. When they were at her apartment, he had free range of the place, but when she was at work, he usually chilled out in the tank she kept in her office.

Is everything ready for my meeting later with Clive? she asked, sitting behind her desk and taking a sip of coffee.

As ready as it can be, Steffan said and took the seat across from her. I tried to get him to reschedule but apparently Tanner made the appointment. Something about wanting to discuss the new bill being presented to the US congress next week.

Lovely, she said with a sigh. That means Tanner will be there as well. I was hoping to get a break from him between council meetings. She looked at Steffan, her expression one of annoyance. He’s meeting with my father today. He wants to start planning the wedding.

Steffan shuddered. Her cousin was not a fan of her fiancé. Eira suspected if she polled most of the Lempta line, the majority wouldn’t like Tanner on a personal level. None of them would say a thing, however, considering on a political and business level, there was no better match than a Salazar and a Lempta. It was a match made in political heaven.

There is too much going on in Light Court to be dealing with a wedding, Steffan said. With the new queen, you on so many councils, and trying to rework the Charter, you don’t have time to get married. Plus, you deserve better than that fuck anyway.

Deserve and get are not the same thing, she said. I get to be stuck with him for eternity. It is what it is, it’s not like I have men beating down my door to steal me away. My position, my family, and these two giant horns sticking out of my head seem to scare them off.

I know of one man you wish was beating down your door and I bet he doesn’t mind those horns at all, Steffan said with a knowing smiling. Hell, I bet he has fantasies of grabbing hold of them and...

Stop. Just because I have fantasies doesn’t mean he has the same ones, Eira said with a laugh, hand in the air to deter him from finishing that thought.

She knew exactly who her cousin was talking about. It wasn’t hard to figure it out since there was only one man who she confided in him about. The one guy who got her stomach all twisted into a knot and her brain fuzzy. It was an insane feeling. She’d never had a crush before but she figured it was her due. Everyone deserved to have one in their life. It just took Eira almost three decades to have her first. Not like anything would come of it. She was an engaged woman and he seemed like the type of guy to never go after another man’s woman. It was just as well, she didn’t want to end up accidently falling for a guy she could never have.

We both know that’s never going to happen, so why bother talking about it in the first place? I’m a kept female.

Steffan snorted. "You’re too smart and beautiful to actually