“I simply explained to him that Vivian has chosen to be with me.” He punctuates his answer by kissing my fingers, effectively showing off my engagement ring.
Sharp inhales and excited murmurs fill the hall as he continues, “In fact, I am pleased to announce that Vivian has not only chosen the more worthy Destroyer to align herself with, but she has also agreed to be my wife. No longer will we pit our most powerful against each other. The union of a Destroyer and a Creator marks the beginning of a new era for all the realms – an era of peace, a time of unity!”
His speech is met with a deafening roar of approval. Most of the crowd looks up at us with adoration. Even those who had initially looked at Leon with suspicion or hostility now look confused, as if this announcement has them reconsidering their stance.
Desperation rises inside me as I scan every face, searching for any hint that someone can see through his lies. With each smiling face, I grow more dejected, until finally, I spot one person who isn’t celebrating.
She looks to be about my age, and even in a crowd full of diverse creatures, she stands out. Her long, brown hair falls in a silky curtain around her shoulders, and the color turns to a faint violet at the tips. But it’s her eyes that are her most striking feature. One is an opaque white, while the other is a deep violet. Those two-toned eyes are currently narrowed at me, and there’s an intensity to her gaze that has me nervously swallowing.
Maybe she has a crush on Leon?
Run the other direction, girlfriend, don’t walk.
Still, her stare doesn’t waver, and I get the impression that she knows Leon is full of shit. My brow furrows, and she gives the slightest shake of her head. It’s so subtle that I blink, wondering if my eyes areplaying tricks on me. But when I open my eyes again, she’s gone.
“Thank you, thank you,” Leon continues, drawing my attention back to his charade. “But I’m afraid we must be going now. My bride must rest before we meet with Need to discuss our plans to bring peace to the realms.”
My spine stiffens at his implication that I’m weak, but Leon only tugs my hand, leading us down the corridor behind us. Once the sounds of cheering start to fade, I expect him to release me, but he keeps hold of my hand for the entire trek back to my bedroom. His carefully constructed façade never once wavers, and he only lets me go when the door is firmly shut behind us.
The moment he releases me, a sigh of relief escapes my lips, and I immediately dart to the opposite side of the room. I want as much space between us as possible, and I’m not going to soften that fact to spare his ego.
His attention is elsewhere, though. He looks almost bored as he opens my wardrobe to reveal at least fifty dresses. Every one of them is a different shade of pastel, and there are more ruffles in one place than should be legal.
“You’ll need to get changed. You must never be seen wearing the same dress more than once. We have a standard to uphold,” he notes, his tone casual.
I nod, even as the tension coiling through my muscles tightens. There’s no way he’s just going to let go of the fact that I broke his rules earlier. What game is he playing?
“I don’t have all afternoon,” Leon drawls.
“For what?”
He absently pulls a pale-yellow dress from the wardrobe, but his eyes stay locked on my body. “For you to make yourself presentable,” he clarifies, holding out the pale-yellow, lace monstrosity to me.
A rock settles in my stomach. “Of course,” I grit out. “I’m just waiting for you to give me some privacy.”
A slow, calculating smile cuts across his face as he leans against the wall, crossing his arms and looking comfortable. “Now, why would I want to do that? By the Fates, Vivian, try to be less of a hypocrite. I’ve already tasted every inch of you.”
My cheeks heat, both from rage and shame. I want to scream and pull my hair out, but instead, I take a deep breath and answer with as much calm as I can muster. “That was before, when the bond was drawing us together.”
He doesn’t move.
This is starting to feel like I’m beating a dead horse. I already know Leon doesn’t care that the bond stole my consent. So instead, I try another approach. “If you want any hope of co-existing, then you need to leave, now.”
A dark look flashes across his features before he schools himself back to looking bored. “You know, I could just force you. It’s no less than what you deserve for embarrassing me earlier.”
He says it mildly, but his threat hits home. I clench my hands in the folds of my dress, so he doesn’t see them trembling.
“Forcing me to undress in front of you is not okay.” My voice wavers, despite my efforts to stop it. The room feels like it’s shrinking, and my vision tunnels.
Leon smirks. “Ask me nicely, pet.”
I wait a beat, but there’s no tug from the leash. It’s a request, not a command. No part of me relaxes, but his threat has me swallowing back my rage.
“Please leave the room, Leon.” The words come out civil, even if I can’t hide my glare.
It’s not what he wants, though, and I damned well know it. Leon wants me to be meek and obedient.
His answering smile is slow and taunting. “That was so close, you were almost there.”
