I stop short of reaching for my doorhandle, and my spine stiffens. Kyron can be hardheaded, but he has lost his mind if he thinks he’s sleeping in the same room as me. Especially when there must be two hundred other rooms for him to choose from. And yet I can’t deny the desire that sparks to life within me.
“Relax, princess,” he says, moving past me to the door across from mine. “I’m sleeping in my room… tonight.”
“Every night,” Zek counters.
“I’d let your future queen be the judge of that.” Kyron walks into his room and looks back at me. “Goodnight, Raelle.”
With a curt nod, I step inside my room and slam the door shut. I lean against the wall, the cool wood calming my heated body. He makes me a jumbled mess of emotions that contradict one another, and at the same time, they make perfect sense. I should attribute it all to the parah bond, but part of me knows that my feelings for him run deeper than that. What I feel for him isn’t just the result of a predestined match. It’s why the coming days inside this palace will be some of the most difficult I’ve ever had to face.
Six
After a night of tossing and turning, I finally fell asleep only for a door closing down the hall to wake me up. I jump out of the grandiose golden bed and throw back the heavy emerald curtains covering a tall arched window. The early morning sun is breaking the horizon. Stigian looks magnificent even without the blue, green, and red lights beaming from the tall buildings. The streets are empty of citizens in their bright, flashy attire, and the destruction from yesterday is gone. Even the brilliant veil of dawn can’t hide Stigian’s grandeur.
I imagine that like me, Khiros and Cyffreds alike found it difficult to sleep after yesterday’s attack. They thought they were safe within the tall, thick walls of their kingdom, and never considered that someone would sneak through their defenses, especially after Lucent’s failed attack almost a year ago. They couldn’t have been more wrong. In a matter of seconds, the safety they felt had vanished.
The absence of security in Stigian conjures the same fear for Lucent. I spent hours last night praying that my family is safe, the palace is enough to keep Borin and Leif protected, and the people of Lucent haven’t fallen victim to the cruel attacks of the Allaji. I’m eager to hear from the guards that Micah sent ahead of us. My nerves won’t calm until I know my kingdom is unharmed.
I rifle through the trunk that Salone packed for me. At the time, I thought it was unnecessary. What was I going to need these dresses and delicate shoes for? We were supposed to spend the night at a military camp close to the Stigian border after the anointment. It was a trip that should have taken only a full day and didn’t require five gowns. It just goes to show how a princess should be prepared for anything.
I choose the dress that has the fewest embellishments. It’s a red gown with a wide neckline that sits off my shoulders, and a slit in the front that comes dangerously close to showing parts of me that are better left a secret. I gather my hair on the top of my head in a heap of waves that frame my face and accentuate the back of my neck. With a light hand, I apply my makeup and rest my crown on top of my head. Stepping back from the full-length mirror on the wall, I look for any signs of imperfections. Freckles dust the bridge of my nose and cheeks and the liner I drew around my brown eyes makes them look darker than normal. I fidget with the clingy material of the dress, making sure it hugs me in all the right places. It isn’t what I would have normally chosen for a meeting of this magnitude, but it will work.
I step out of my room and find Zek sitting outside of it. The front legs of his chair are lifted from the ground, his head resting against the wall and his arms crossed over his chest. He opens one eye and looks up at me. “Trying to outdo the Stigian queen, I see.”
“Working with the ridiculous wardrobe my sister packed for me. Why is she so opposed to me wearing pants?” I say, moving down the hall.
He scurries to his feet to follow me. “Maybe she wants you to look more like a queen instead of a girl who spends her days swordfighting with Sibyls and whipping their asses.”
I smile and glance at him from the corner of my eye. “Iamamazing at sparring.”
“Overconfident is what you are. You just didn’t have the right partner to challenge you.”
“And I’m sure you think you could be that challenger.” I lift a brow, descending the stairs to the second floor. “Talk about overconfidence.”
“I think of it as self-awareness.”
We stop at a set of double doors where Kyron’s guard along with another stand at attention. I can’t help but to smile at Lance. He is a mountain of a man who selflessly watches over his prince. As everything erupted in chaos yesterday, he was determined to help Kyron, pulling the wood fromhis shoulder and practically carrying him to the safe room. The guard was even there when I lost control and overpowered the prince. I may not like who he serves, but I respect the way he cares for his keep.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t be of better use inside? You never know the threat I could pose to your prince,” I say.
One side of Lance’s lips tilts up. “I have a feeling that he can handle you just fine. But don’t worry, if you cause an uproar, I’ll be there.”
“You should count on it,” Zek chimes in. “I mean just look at my princess; she has a way of causing a scene.”
“Statera knows she wreaks havoc on the emotions of my prince.”
A spark of resentment ignites within me. It’s hard for me to see anyone take pity on Kyron in our situation. His emotional wounds were self-inflicted. Mine were caused by his carelessness.
I take a deep breath and flash a fake grin. “All right, you both can stop comparing royal guard dicks. I get it. You both have been assigned to pains in the asses.”
They exchange cocked brows in agreement, and I gesture for the warriors to open the doors.
A cool breeze rushes out of the room, and I step inside.
“I received this letter—” Esmeray shoots her black gaze at me and purses her full red lips. “It is good of you to find it in your busy schedule to finally join us, Your Grace.”
I ignore the queen at the head of the oblong table and curtsy to my king. “My apologies, Your Majesty. I let my worries get the better of me last night and had trouble sleeping. I’ll be on time in the future.”
Micah nods and says, “Sit. The queen was about to tell us about a letter she received.”
