I blinked at that, startled at the mention of gods, and then made deeply unhappy by it. Sure. Of course there were fae gods. Why not? One more exciting horror for me to navigate, whether they were real or only religious artifacts. Add to the list: figure out what religious taboos existed, so I could avoid doing something blasphemous.

Despite the Queen's assurance that I didn't need to hold back about Dain, I didn't trust myself to be able to pick out the hidden traps in anyone's words. All the fairytales expounded upon how much fae liked to lie with the truth, and for all that she looked like an airbrushed model in her early twenties, as far as I knew the Queen could be thousands of years old. She knew the rules and she knew the game, and I was inclined to hold my tongue rather than start listing my litany of things to dislike about Dain.

"I have opinions, of course, but I don't think anyone can get the full measure of someone over the span of a few minutes," I said instead. "It sounded like he wants me to spend time with him, though, so perhaps I will have a more satisfying answer for you in the future, your majesty."

"So eager for tribulation," the Queen said with a curling smile, almost catlike. She gestured lazily to a backless seat next to her chaise. "Come, sit. I want to get to know you."

I smiled at her, trying not to look uncomfortable, and walked over, taking the seat and crossing my ankles to remind myself that my usual sprawl would probably be a bad idea right now. "What would you like to know, your majesty?"

She turned, lifting her legs back up onto the chaise and lounging back against the angled arm. "Few are given soulmates by the gods, and they have never granted me such a boon. All the gods have done for me is betray my trust," she said, in a matter-of-fact tone. "I find it all very curious. I have heard that humans do not often have such connections. Is that so?"

"Yes, your majesty," I said, twining my fingers together on my lap. "This sort of thing is only in stories in my world."

"Such a shame," she said with a sigh, running her fingers down a line of embroidery on her dress, along the curve of her side. The Queen shifted, turning in a way that looked habitual, the movement emphasizing the shape of her body.