“Of course, darling. The whole point of this is to display that he can lead them into battle, and they’ll fight for us. That they’ll protect our people. He needs to show them his power, at least the one he can actually show them.” With a new shrug, her gaze focused on him. “Just make it animated and exciting for our people. Give them a show. A little embellishment never hurt anybody.”
Braxton’s chest brushed against my arm with his chuckles. “Animated and exciting. Got it.”
“Also…” Her gaze bounced between us, hesitation spreading over her features.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but when I reached the sixth floor after dinner, I caught Lachlan exiting my room.”
Both dread and indignation coursed through my being while Braxton’s muscles tensed next to me.
“Your room that used to be mine,” Braxton clarified.
“And that used to be his before that,” I regrettably informed them.
“No wonder he hates my guts.” Grunting under his breath, Braxton shook his head. “So now he knows that I’m no longer staying there.”
“I suppose, yes,” his mentor confessed. “We have to assume that.”
“But why would he be there?” I asked, trying to understand. “Lachlan left while we were still at dinner. There was no chance of finding Braxton alone. If what he meant was to confront him,” I mused. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“I agree. They have faced off already. Why would he want to challenge the prince now?” Imogen asked, and my mate and I exchanged a knowing glance.
“He offered me the grand gesture, but I rejected him,” I confessed, seeing clarity fall over Imogen’s features.
“I see… That is probably the reason. In his eyes, you have replaced him on all fronts, Prince,” Imogen added. “You took his place among the Elevated Warriors. You took his place in Princess Evanna’s heart and in Kingston’s… You even took his brothers and sisters. Perhaps he still believed he could get them all back, after what he did to lose them in the first place.”
“Do you think he wanted to fight me for her or something?” Brax asked, seeming to find the prospect ridiculous. “Because we have been there and done that already. Twice. I mean, I get it. But he majorly screwed up and lost. He needs to get the fuck over it.”
“I don’t know, but it makes sense that he might have wanted to see if you were still sleeping there or had moved in with the princess. I cut his endeavors short, thankfully, so he didn’t get to reach the seventh floor.” Her gaze shifted to me. “I escorted him out of the castle immediately. I just wanted you both to know.”
By “escorted him out,” Imogen surely meant she unceremoniously threw him out of here. I internally sighed. I didn’t contend that Lachlan had no business being in the private wing of the castle, especially in the Elevated Warriors’ floor, but the situation was getting worse by the sun-minute.
“Thank you, Imogen. I truly appreciate your help,” I offered while my mate’s jaw clenched next to me.
Braxton was upset, and he had every right to be. Yet, I needed to make sure my mate wouldn’t break Lachlan’s jaw with his Dragon strength or burn him to a crisp with his Devenish magic the next time they saw each other.
Nothing good would come from this.
“Did you tell him who you were?” I asked, knowing Lachlan wouldn’t accept her orders to leave unless she outranked him. He was respectful of titles, as we all were, but he would fight her if he thought she was nothing more than the Dragon babes caretaker.
“I had to, darling. He had the gall to defy me. Can you believe such a thing?” She snorted. “Like he could take me.”
“That’s fine, Imogen. Thanks. I’ll deal with him tomorrow—”
“No,” I interrupted Braxton. “There is no need for you to trouble yourself. I’ll ask Kingston to speak to Lachlan about this. He was his chief, so he can—”
“No,” my mate settled, seeming all out of patience. “Kingston has enough to deal with. I can handle putting Lachlan in his place all by myself.”
That was exactly what I feared. As it was, Braxton had been far too tolerant with Lachlan and his challenging behavior, which he did in grand part for me. I feared their next encounter would not be so amicable.
* * *
“Good morning, Princess Evanna. It’s Larie. May I come in?” Skylar’s voice filtered from the hallway, calling my attention to the door.
Silently begging Willow to please bring her in, I took over draping the woven, metallic ribbons that dangled from my shoulders like jewelry. Some crisscrossed around my waist to my hips while others wrapped around my arms gently, draping all the way to the floor like a cape.
The dress Willow had made me for this occasion was unlike anything I had ever worn. It made me feel beautiful, sensual, powerful, and like a queen. I loved the combination of black and gold, especially the traditional medallions hand-painted onto the floor-sweeping skirt. My best friend had outdone herself, and I couldn’t wait for Braxton to see me in it.
