Familyluncheon?Like, where we shared a meal together, or where we ate family members? Both were as likely to happen.I shot him a look. “Where?”
“The private dining room, Mate-Intended. In twenty minutes.” He bowed again and departed.
“I call that perfect timing.” I studied the dresses again. They were exquisite. The head tailor was very talented. What a shame he wanted a monopoly on Carmine’s favor to such a vicious degree.
I picked the dress that was by far the least demony. The material was similar to linen, though not as coarse. The dress would hang off my shoulders, and a drawstring across my boobs would hold the bodice in place. A crisscross of ties at the back shaped the waist, and the skirt hung in a ruffle like the open petals of a flower.
Feminine and earthy.
This was gonna be good.
I stripped off and climbed into the dress, then tied half of my hair up after navigating the various ties and drawstrings. I had to hide the other dresses, or Carmine would hurt them. I opened a portal to one of my midway points and gathered up the dresses to toss them through. I’d rather hang them nicely, but there wasn’t time for that.
I left my chamber for the royalfamilyluncheon. To my knowledge—at least in my time here—this private lunch was a first. What on Earth was Carmine thinking?
I snorted, then scowled. Athira better not be here when she was meant to be minding Adeuto.
The doors to the dining room were open, and no sound floated out. Unfortunately, the room wasn’t empty, just filled with four unspeaking demons.
Carmine stared at the far wall. Gratia and “The Purple” stared at each other, their heated thoughts very clear. Athira—whowashere—was glaring painful death at her future son-in-law.
“What a lovely idea,” I declared, swishing into the room.
I sat next to the purple, and felt the weight of everyone’s focus switch to me. When did I become the safe place to look at awkward family dinners?
“Syera, you will sit opposite me, as always,” Carmine said, and I met his narrowed gaze with an innocent one.
I beamed. “How careless of me. How could I forget such a simple thing?”
I scraped back from the table and swished to the opposite end.Swish, swish.
“Where did you get that dress?” Carmine murmured.
I spun in a circle. “Beautiful, isn’t it?Linentoo. Well, demon linen. Your head tailor made it for me. He is very talented.”
Carmine inhaled through his nose, and his jaw clenched. “He is.”
But what he really meant was, “Hewas.”
I sat in a puff of dress. “Sooo, how are things? Athira, what a delight. I’ve missed you.”
Athira tore her scowl from her daughter’s mate-intended. “Watch your tongue.”
I replied sweetly, “No luck on the hunt, I gather.”
I’d give her assholes later for leaving Adeuto alone without my say-so.
Gratia looked away from her purple to Athira, and then to me. Her face was the only one that betrayed the truth that my grandfather was already dead, though Carmine must know, and Athira surely did. Not a trace of the truth leftthem.
My supposed matehad no intention of telling me a family member was dead. Yet again. And I felt not a single trace of surprise.
I pretended to miss Gratia’s stricken expression. “Gratia, please introduce me to your new mate.”
She quickly stood, smiling widely, “Of course. Syera, this is Raes. Raes, this is Syera, who is my brother’s mate-intended.”
The purple cleared his throat and rose to bow slightly. Not enough for my position considering their mating wasn’t yet complete, but he’d learn.
“Mate-Intended,” he said. “I have heard much of your fighting in the arena.”
