And this time, it would be without his Uncle Erlan at his side.
The last time he had brokered a trade agreement with the humans, it had been a success—Prince Luka Kamenev of the Drakazov Kingdom had become a ally he could depend on, and they exchanged letters nearly every month, slowly building a friendship between them.
It helped that the man’s wife, Lady Maya Kamenev was a genius, her achievements with technology infused with arcane magic were intriguing. Ryu had even written to Prince Kamenev that he would like to discuss a trade deal with his lady wife for her latest invention, something she called a crystal resonance communicator.
Now, his mother looked at him with shining eyes. “Princess Nitya of Sunvaara will be arriving soon, and it is important that we make a favorable impression. I trust you, Ryu-kun, to ensure the success of this alliance.”
Ryu nodded, understanding the weight of his mother’s words. He had always been reluctant to interact with humans, harboring his own reservations and prejudices. But the role thrust upon him as the only son of the Twilight Prince demanded diplomacy and cooperation.
As his mother turned to her friend, Lady Aiko to discuss arrangements for the visiting princess and her retinue, Ryu’s mind raced with thoughts and plans. He realized that he needed to present a united front, a clear indication that the Twilight Court valued its relationship with the humans.
And to do that, he would have to show how much he valued Ella, his human ward.
The weight of the task ahead settled heavily on Ryu’s shoulders as he quickly finished his breakfast and made his way through the corridors of the Twilight Court. He sought out Ella, finding her in the gardens, sitting before a bed of vibrant flowers.
“Ella,” Ryu called out, his voice laced with forced warmth, ignoring the way she flinched at the sound. “We have guests arriving from the Sunvaaran Empire. It is crucial that we present a united front before them.”
Ella turned to him; surprise mingled with suspicion in her eyes. “A united front?” she said incredulously. “Why on earth would I do that?”
Ryu clenched his jaw. “It is important that the humans see how highly I regard you, how much I value your presence here at the Twilight Court.”
“But you don’t,” Ella said, shaking her head. “You don’t value my presence here, any more than I want to be here.”
“And I told you that I would break the bond between us. We have the same goals,” he insisted, stepping closer to her, stopping short of leaning over her. It would do him no good if he were toloomover her, he reminded himself. “We both want our freedom.” He cleared his throat. “You saw what happened last night.”
Ella’s gaze darted to his, and she shot to her feet, rage mingling with alarm in her eyes.
“Nothinghappened last night,” she snarled.
Ryu nodded, though he was a little stung at how quickly she’d dismissed it. Then he shook himself.
No, this was the bond talking. He didn’t care about her. Hedidn’t.
This was why he needed to break the bond as soon as possible, it was beginning to affect his thoughts. How soon would it be before it started influencing him, manipulating him closer to Ella?
“Nothing happened last night,” he agreed, taking a circumspect step back from her. “And we need to make sure that it stays that way.”
Ella nodded; her blue eyes narrowed as she stared him down. “And how do you propose we do that?”
“We need to stop fighting each other,” he said, shaking his head. “The bond thrives on strong emotion. If we could find a way to become—” he almost said friends, but then broke off to say, “—allies, I could devote my time to breaking the bond, instead of being manipulated by it.”
Ella stared at him in silence for a long moment as she thought it over. Finally, she nodded.
“If you're willing to break the bond and give me my freedom, then I will help you, Ryu."
Ryu nodded, a sense of relief washing over him. “Then we’re in agreement. We will work together to find a way to break the bond. But remember, we must maintain the facade in front of the members of the Twilight Court, especially my mother. To them, you will remain my ward, and I will be your guardian.”
Ella rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she huffed, heaving a put-upon sigh. “It won’t be easy, pretending to be your friend.”
“Yes,” Ryu agreed, smiling nastily. “But for the sake of our freedom, we must both play our parts.”
Ella nodded, turning away from him. “I’ll see you at lunch, then.”
“Until then.”
As Ryu walked back to the main house, intending to read up on the Empire of Sunvaara and its royal family, he felt a surge of relief wash over him.
Despite the façade he was putting on, and the arrival of the humans at the Twilight Court, he knew that things would only get easier from now on.
