King Oberon clenched his eyes shut, trying to contain his palpable anger. When he opened them, they were clear, but his tense frame shook. Islinda couldn't understand how Fae Queen Maeve could live with constantly provoking her husband. If they were in the human realm, a king would have likely killed or divorced such an impudent wife already.
But Islinda knew it was because of Queen Maeve's influence. The summer Fae Queen was a symbol of peace for Astaria, and the people loved her so much that they would die for her. Queen Maeve had dug her claws so deep into Astaria that uprooting them would not be easy. Queen Maeve was holding Astaria together, and King Oberon had sacrificed so much for his lifelong dream of a united Astaria that he could not afford for it to shatter. King Oberon detested his queen, and yet he couldn't do without her.
