“Naughty things! They weren’t on the guest list. I could forgive that, but touching you in such a manner? Maybe I should teach them a lesson.”
I looked around, making sure General Lee wasn’t here. Luckily, my plan worked well enough to keep him away, but if I didn’t move quickly and make the announcement, it might as well be for naught.
Fear clawed at my throat, but I merely turned and looked at him with an amused smirk.
“And let them ruin our fun? Don’t forget I still have a surprise.”
I could see the slight annoyance in the way his eye twitched, but he didn’t let it show. Not when so many people were watching.
Atlas stepped forward then, her midnight black hair shining under the lights of the chandelier. I’d never seen her gaze this cold, and guilt tugged at my heart again.
In another life, she would have been the perfect person to tie myself to for eternity, but that was the issue. She was too perfect, and my brother wanted power, not my comfort. I needed someone he couldn’t refuse, someone even better than a Solei.
“Atlas, you’re a powerful ally. A strong and revered clan head,” I said, raising my voice so there would be no doubt about what I was saying. “So you know what your actions mean. You bringing them here is unacceptable.”
“I meant no disrespect.” Atlas lowered her head ever so slightly. “I came, excited for your announcement. They are merely part of my guard.”
I scoffed, but my brother, on the other hand, couldn’t contain his laughter.
“Take them outside,” he ordered. “As a show ofmercy,” If I weren’t so scared for Cedar and Vesper, I might have let out a laugh at that. “I will let you off with a warning, but hear me when I say that there won’t be another. If you can’t keep yourpetson a leash, I will have to lead by example.”
When he said the last part, he wasn’t looking at them. He was looking at me.
I didn’t cower from his stare, making a point to look right at him as they dragged my lovers out.
“Well,” I said with a clap, calling all eyes back to me. “Now, since I have everyone’s attention, I’d like to inform you that you are not here for an engagement.”
Seeing Cedar and Vesper’s gaze as they were being pulled from the room almost had me faltering. My brother was silent, but I could feel the murderous intent radiating off him.
I was stealing his show.Good.
“You’re here for…” I held out my hand as Caspian detached himself from the crowd. Tall, midnight hair with a blue tint, playful red eyes, and dressed in a deep red that matched my dress. “Our wedding.”
He kneeled before me and made a show of grabbing my hand and placing a kiss right on my wrist, a promise to myself and the crowd of what was ahead of us.
“Is that…Caspian Hart?”
“The Hart family hasn’t been heard of in decades!”
I didn’t care about their murmuring because all I could hear was the pained sounds my loved ones were making as they were forced out.
Adrian looked at me with an unreadable expression. I had one-upped him. In front of everyone. His lapdog wasn’t here to intervene, leaving just him and an angry Solei king right behind him.
“Alright,” he finally said, his smile turning vicious. “A wedding it is.”
Vesper
Ifought against the guard. It was almost too easy to push them back now.
But then there were two, then three guards. When I started trying to snap at them, Cedar intervened.
“Vesper! Pull back! Vesper!”
She wrapped her red vine-like magic around me, forcing me away from the guards, who stood there stunned.
“Vesper? Isn’t that the one assigned to the princess before she?—”
“That’s her alright. She looks?—”
