Inanov chuckled. " I can't believe you expect me to believe that."
The heat of embarrassment enveloped my chest and stomach. "I am telling you the truth—"
"I am not listening anymore of this nonsense." Inanov's last words cut through like ice before he could leave me standing alone in a room filled with people who now stared at me more intensely.
And it was at this moment, that I realised…
I never felt more alone.
Chapter 45
Haunted Soul
"Apollo; The Son God had created the first fae in the Kingdom of Light. To him we thank for creating the sun that nurtures this world. To him the fae of light are blessed with powers that are mirrored in his image. Light is the symbol for purity and all that is good in this world. Apollo is our God, and to him we will forever remember his name in the kingdom we rule."
~ The first Fae King of Apollo. Brander Apollo Gideon.
The Korovian text above has been transcribed in an oath of truth by Brigid May Featherdune of the Featherdune Witch Coven.
Isat on the cushioned chair in front of a parchment paper that had read "Royal Bodyguard"on it. I felt as if I was waiting for my death. One by one, more prestigious invited guests joined their own tables. The one I sat on was different from the rest. Bigger and closer to the golden dais of stairs beside a sparking cauldron that seemed ancient. The longer I looked at it.... the more I could hear odd whispers of a different language echoing deep into my core. In reflex, I turned my eyes away from it, the whispers instantly went silent. There was a lavish old Korovian chair that lay at the head of the table directly opposite me. The seating all seemed strange at first until it slowly began to make sense. Inanov took his seat next to me, still ignoring me. Colfe, already drunk, took his seat, and Izlana came forth with grace, seating herself opposite Inanov.
Everyone was seated, whispering their excitement and joy. I wondered what all their roles were in Apollo, who were they to their king? How were they so rich when there were thousands starving in Gilda?
I scented him before the herald could announce him. The richness of embers and sweet sage flitted its way into my space. Spending the amount of time I did with him made it easy to note where he was in the vicinity, it made my so-called job as his personal guard slightly easier.
I dared not to think of the reason why I could easily scent him.
"His Royal Highness, the Prince of Apollo. Prince Adrion Blakemore Gideon," the herald called out. Everyone in attendance stood and then bowed.
I tried my best to follow their etiquette, doing a poor job at standing suddenly and then bowing. Izlana had smirked slightly at it, enjoying the fact that I stood out like a sore thumb. The prince, stone faced and in his glory acknowledged his people.
He was magnificent.
It appeared that being back in his homeland had brought back life into his aura. His skin was sun-kissed, clean and smooth. It was astonishingthat less than a day on native soil could have such drastic effects. Even the waves at which his power roamed the dining hall seemed more certain and stronger, it seemed as though it was not taking a toll on his body. This washiskingdom indeed.
"And how will you unfold once you are back home?”My shadows purred against my mental shields.
He descended the stairs with authority, his eyes roaming until it landed on me. On instinct, my shoulders straightened, eyes narrowing on its own accord and I could have sworn his eyes glinted in amusement, his lips picking up at the side in a slight smile. My heart began to beat faster with his eyes roaming my body in its attire, lingering and caressing subtly. His gaze took my mind back to where his words were soft and sweet in the inn we had stayed the first night in Litara. Those memories all came crashing down when I saw Izlana holding her hand out to him, the hand he now reached for and kissed in greeting. Bitter and aching disappointment nipped at my chest, making me look away in embarrassment. And to my loss, Inanov had caught it. It did not serve me well, especially since the fool thought that I was creating lies about finding Izlana and her brother kissing intimately. I had no witness, and no proof.
It was not my business. Izlana could have him, whether she was faithful or not.I said it enough times in my head, trying to convince myself but trickery of the mind was a fickle thing.
The prince took his seat and to my surprise was sat next to me on his left with Izlana on his right. Annoyance itched at how he always made me feel unprepared and unpoised. I decided to be discreet in moving my chair slightly further away from him however from the corner of his eyes, he immediately caught it. "Warrior," the prince said in greeting. His tone was formal and clipped, different and unfamiliar.
"Your Highness." I kept my eyes on the two empty chairs opposite me. The Korovian one and a normal one at its side.
I avoided his eyes and tried to do the same with his existence, but the prince tapped his fingers on the table distractingly. "Your room. Is it to your liking?"
"Exquisite, Your Highness," I answered flatly. "Verygold," I muttered the last bit, but the prince caught it because he chuckled.
My stomach churned in slight anxiety when I studied the beautiful Korovian chair. It was no doubt to be the seat for the king. Where he would be having dinner. He would be so close...
My fists clenched on their own accord and I could feel the sweat in my back drip. I swallowed and took soft breaths.
"I can practically taste your anxiety," the prince softly snapped below his breath.It was everything. It was being here. Being on this land. It was fear. Fear for the slight chance of never seeing my family again if your father wishes to kill me.
"Nothing. I am fine." The shadows in me swirled and I had to bite the inside of my cheek hard. The force of withholding them inside me and trying to bottle them up was antagonising. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. Pounding like a stallion's hooves against the ground. The prince followed my gaze to the Korovian seat.
"Ah. Is that what you are afraid of?" He seemed almost intrigued, turning toward me to give me his full attention. It was the first time he did so since the fight with the fair-hairedwitch. "You fought creatures of darkness. Killed impossible-to-kill cliftolights, defended the Apollon soldiers against vampyres from Viridis Aurum, battled a necromancer and dueled a witch. And yet, you fear meeting the King of Apollo." I didn't dare bring up the fact that I killed over fifty men in Abdera. My silence and hard stare on the Korovian chair confirmed his thoughts. "Well, you’d be a fool if you didn’t fear him," he spoke lowly. It felt like my body was going to cave into itself. "However, you need not fear harm. You are mine. Nothing will happen to you under my command," he was telling the truth, because when I looked into his eyes, there was no glimmer of a bluff or a trickle of uncertainty. His words brought me some comfort and yet if the king took one look at me. Knew me for the lying traitorous serpent that I am, my head would be mounted on a golden spike in front of the castle. I looked away from the prince when I noticed how Izlana's eye narrowed at how close the prince had moved to my chair.
