Chapter one
The Announcement
Alaceandra
Betrothed. I am BETROTHED.The thought fills me with terror, disgust and sadness as I stalk out into the sheets of rain covering Tikilium. The king—my father—announced his decree this morning. The morning of my twenty fourth birthday. The morning of my majority. Tears threaten my eyes, and I let them fall, the rain peppering my face with gentle kisses.It is not supposed to be this way. I am supposed to have more time.His declaration came without forewarning, leaving both me and the people of Tikilium shocked at the news.Shocked but not surprised,I think to myself, groaning.There is nothing that man will not do for power. Using me as his chance to have an alliance between two of the most powerful kingdoms? I should have known.
“Stop!” Sorin yells, yanking me from my thoughts as he runs in my direction.
Sorin has been my friend since childhood, my rock through diplomatic bullshit, my hero through every scrape and bruise I have ever had, but he cannot possibly get me out of this asinine plot of my father's. I do not wish upon him my father's wrath if he were to try, so it is only best if I leave him out of it. Be that as it may, I know that if I were to completely ignore him, he would never leave me be.
I pause, sigh, and quickly wipe at my tears before turning toward him. “What?”
“Can you just listen to me?” He looks at his hands, his breath puffing out of him. The rain is making his shirt stick to his chest drawing my eyes to the defined muscle hiding beneath. Sorin stands at six feet tall, dwarfing my five foot three stature. He has a shock of red hair and a dusting of freckles across his nose that I cannot help but find adorable.Why must the man be so handsome and unreachable?Father would never allow me to be with him. Although his family holds power in Tikilium, they are not royalty themselves, and the king would never allow his only heir to be with anyone he could not gain political power from. 'A waste of a chess piece,' he always said. But Ptheryeth knows if given the chance…
"Lace?" My eyes flit back to his. "Did you hear a word I said?"
"Um, no." I continue walking and hear him sigh from behind me.
"Wait up!" He catches my arm and a tingle of warmth washes over my system.
My shoulders slump. I have become soaked with rain and honestly, I am not in the mood to have it out with Sorin, especially when he is looking likethat.Not that it looks like I have much choice.“Why should I?” I clench my hands, peering at him as water assaults my eyes. The stinging of my nails digging into my palms helps me to steel myself against the flood of emotions that come with this particular conversation. “I tried to tell you—”
“Hey guys?” Sam comes running from the same direction as Sorin.Fuck me, not the both of them!
Sam and Sorin are in the king's guard together. Sam has been assigned my protector ever since I turned eighteen. He is an attractive man, with short silver hair and a killer smile. Sam stands an inch or so taller than Sorin, but whereas Sorin is all muscle and hard lines, Sam has a sleeker physic. He is five years older than the both of us and quite the heartbreaker.I often find myself wondering— no, wishing— that he would try with me, but he never has.
“Hey,” we both chime, conversation blessedly paused. A whoosh of air rushes out of me.
“Why…are you guys just standing in the rain?” Sam finally catches up to us, brows furrowed, chest heaving.
“Why were you running in it?” I laugh, defensive. He, too, is soaked with rain and showing off his gorgeousand untouchablebody. I dig my nails more firmly into my palms to stave off the growing urge to run my fingers over the cloth of their shirts. Instead, I fix my gaze on Sam's eyes and cock a brow.
“Well…” A look passes between Sam and Sorin before Sam rocks back on his heels. “I saw Sorin here sprinting and," he rakes his fingers through his hair, "ya know, if your bud is running, you kinda want to know if it’s from something or tosomething." He straightens and my eyes catch on the nipple ring barely contained within his shirt. I avert my gaze."If it’s from, well, why get left behind?”
I have always thought of Sam as an insanely intelligent person, but I know he tries to play it off as something on reserve. For instance, this current act of his. I know full well that Sam knows exactly why Sorin is here, but he is trying to feign ignorance in order to gain some kind of advantage in this conversation. Fortunately, our years of friendship allows me to see through this act of his most of the time. The people of Tikilium often dub him a 'Master of Disguise,' because if Sam wants to hide something, it will not be discovered unless he reveals it. This has made him an instrumental asset to my father.Unfortunately for me, sexy and cunning has always been a weakness of mine and being surrounded by the both of them has led to many bouts of frustration on my end.Although I do not know the full extent of the men's abilities, Tikilium claims them to be most formidable. I, though, have always known them as my friends,or, at the moment, pains in my side.
My gaze turns pleading.Please, Sam, I do not want to be chided by the both of you, leave Sorin's schemes to another day.I silently urge him to drop the subject.
“Sorry, Sam I didn’t mean to worry you, I just wanted to catch up to Alaceandra,” Sorin scratches the back of his head, his tone not enough to convince me Sam’s presence here is not one planned by the two of them. “We need to talk,” he gives me a pointed look, further proving my suspicions.
“Yeah…” I squint my eyes, “we do need to… eventually… but not now.” My eyes stay on Sam, urging him to take my side in this.
“Yes, now, Lace, come on—”
I see the moment Sam breaks. “Guys!” Sam cuts in. “We are soaked, either we get an umbrella, or we go inside, if we get sick—”Success!
“Thanks for your concern, Sam, but we did not ask you to come out here—” Sorin bites back.
“Why are you being rude to Sam now?”
Sam sighs and kicks the ground, covering his shoe in mud, his brows furrowed in frustration. “Whether you did,” a glance “or did not makes no difference. It’s not like I can just let you all run off to Ptheryeth knows where. While you guys are my friends, you should also know I would get the brunt of the punishment if you guys get lost—or sick—because of some little disagreement.”
“It’s not little—” Sorin tries to interrupt.
“I know! But who Alaceandra marries is none of our concern.” A pointed glance. “So, it is better if we treat it as little instead of badgering her over it. It’s not like we can change the king’s decision.” He seems upset with himself over this thought but proceeds forward anyway.
My clothes are getting uncomfortably wet, and my hair is starting to stick to my skull. I rub my eyes. “Exactly, so can you guys just… go? I would like to be left alone.”
