I turned on him, speaking before he had a chance to scold me for holding up dinner, “Oh, good, I'm glad you're here. How nice should I dress tonight? What kind of dinner is it? Like, cocktail dress? Business casual? Rags and sackcloth....?” I joked, feeling elated after getting some of my opinions out in the open. Ronan still occupied the backspace of my brain, but I could get through the night. I was already plotting what kind of naive and innocent trouble I could get into at dinner.

“Uh, cocktail definitely,” Kiran explained and I still had no idea what that meant, so I turned to take in his appearance. He wore a smart navy blue suit, tailored to perfection with a crisp, white collared shirt underneath without a tie.

I looked over him slowly, taking in the perfectly cut lines of his suit and the way it hung off his muscular body, my eyes drifted over his open collar and the way it revealed his attractive throat and then finally to his face where he stared at me with a mixture of curiosity and concern. I swallowed, shaking my head of the forbidden thoughts I was having about his appearance, promising myself I was only preparing to play the part of the engaged couple.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, twirling back to my closet and selecting a short, strapless darker than Kiran's color, navy blue dress with clean lines and an a-line skirt. The only embellishment was a fabric flower on the right hip. The dress was simple but elegant and I thought it would complement Kiran's outfit nicely. “We'll match,” I held up the dress and smiled at him.

“What has gotten into you?” he asked, shocked by my turn of behavior.

“Uh, Avalon and I had a heart to heart....” I confessed, turning back around to face him. “You should know, I'm in no way over what happened, but I am ready to move forward.”

“Leave it to Avalon,” Kiran whispered in disbelief. “I'm apparently going to have to take lessons from him....”

“Don't even think about it!” I gasped, afraid that he was serious. “What Avalon does is done from the love of a brother and cannot be replicated under any circumstances. You are going to have to figure out your own methods from the perspective of a.....” I had been instructing him very formally but faltered when I actually had to name what he was to me.

“A loving fiancé?” he finished and I nodded in agreement.

“Yes, a loving fiancé. But since the love between us is only pretend, I'm just going to go ahead and wish you good luck,” I laughed sarcastically.

“Thank you,” he murmured, growing more entertained by the second. “Now go get dressed, we're having dinner with two regents and my parents. I'll wait for you.”

“Oh, you don't have to do that,” I protested, wanting very much to be as late as possible to this important dinner.

“Yes, I do,” he answered and pointed toward the bathroom. “And, please, cover your tattoo.”

“Hmmm....” I sighed, not at all pleased, although I would have anyway. “I think you need more than luck.”

When I emerged from the bathroom twenty minutes later, I couldn't decide why I put so much effort into my look for these things. Maybe if I started looking bad at royal functions I would somehow attract better negative attention. And then I remembered Lucan's cruelty and decided the dress that fit me like a glove, the nude six-inch pumps and the extravagant bun on the side of my neck, perfectly placed over my tattoo was necessary.

I felt over-exposed though, standing in front of Kiran with my shoulders and legs bare. I looked around for a sweater, but I knew adding one to this dress would make it look dowdy and old and I grimaced in the name of fashion.

“Are you looking for this?” Kiran asked, holding up the black onyx necklace.

“Ugh! No!” I grunted, stomping over to him and turning around so that he could slip it over my head without messing up my hair.

He paused behind me, his magic flaring in just the smallest way before he unclasped it, slipped it around my neck and then reclasped it in the back. His fingers brushed against the nape of my neck and I tilted my head and squirmed against the tickling effect his unconscious fingers had against my skin.

“Thank you,” I grumbled, trying to hide my reaction with sarcasm. “And my handcuffs? I suppose I need those too?”

“Not tonight....” He held up the black diamond bracelet, with rows of small stones infused with magic and I held out my hand.

“It doesn't match,” I groaned, but he just rolled his eye. After the bracelet was fastened he lifted my hand to inspect it and his expression came away satisfied noticing my engagement ring was already on my finger. “I, uh, um.... it's the only thing you've given me that isn't some magical tracking device or magic debilitater. I mean, I feel like it's safer to wear than anything else. And in normal circumstances I don't think girl's take them off usually....” I fumbled through an explanation. I hadn't thought anything weird about it before, but now that Kiran noticed I suddenly felt like maybe I should have been thinking about it more.

“Mmmm....” Kiran breathed. He slipped my hand through his arm to escort me down to the dining room. “Now to play the part of two people in love.”

“Piece of cake,” I groaned and then leaned in to him a little, preparing my magic and less than enthusiastic attitude.

He paused at my motion and turned me to face him. A roguish smirk lit up his face and his turquoise eyes sparkled with mischief, “Did you need to practice before we head down?” He lifted his hand, to brush back a curl that fell rebelliously across my forehead. I caught my breath, surprised by the tenderness in his touch and then fought to remind myself that he was the one practicing. Although, it wouldn't have mattered if he wasn't.

“That should be good enough,” I conceded, exhaling slowly. His hand came down to my cheek and he held the back of his knuckles against my face debating whether to stay staring into my eyes or pull me into an endless kiss.

“That reminds me,” he leaned forward and my magic jumped back, startled by his movement and for once I was glad it was on my side and not tangling up in his with an agenda of its own.

“Yes?” I croaked, willing my body unsuccessfully to move away from his.

“What did you do to poor Jedrec? When I arrived, he looked as white as a ghost and I think he was mumbling to himself,” Kiran stood up straight and let some unnamed hope crash inside of me, disappointed and dejected.

I smiled sheepishly and then flung the door open, not wanting to linger any longer answering his question or the questions protesting inside of me, demanding to know why I wanted him to kiss me.

Chapter Twenty-Two

I sat inclined toward Kiran, with my head tilted in well-rehearsed rapture as he entertained the Regent of Southeast Asia with the story of a recent kill he conquered in the mountains. A large brown bear that was bothering a gypsy village nearby proved to be much quicker than Kiran anticipated. Deven Joel sat captive to Kiran's expressive story telling ability as well. A small, thin man with wire-rimmed glasses and tanned, coffee-colored skin he gave off a Gandhi-like vibe, but seemed very good humored all the same.

Deven Joel, a lifelong bachelor and avid hunter bonded with Kiran as soon as dinner began. They seemed to be identical on every opinion, except the desire to get married, which I understood to be a little out of the ordinary for one of Lucan's diplomats. The other Regent, also unmarried, was not nearly as easy to be around. Immediately I disliked him, simply for the fact that Lucan promoted him as Amory's replacement, the North American Regent. Dmitri Terletov could not even claim American or Canadian citizenship. But I supposed Amory couldn't at one point either, although Lucan could hardly have sent him to be the Regent of the Roman Empire.

I thought it strange though that Dmitri now governed North America after spending his entire life alternating between the Baltic countries. Lucan's usual protocol called for his dignitaries to be sent back to their home countries, or near their home countries, at least in the same region. I pushed my nerves aside though remembering that Jericho's dad held the South American Regency and they were American. So maybe it didn't matter.

I decided to ignore the quiet man with his thin mustache and thick, dark hair that curled just at the ends. Well-built and not bad looking, something about his calm presence and the way his pale blue eyes leered over his wine at me sent the hairs on the back of my neck standing up and hot flashes of warning surging through my blood.

I leaned into Kiran, instinctively, hiding behind him to avoid Dmitri’s probing eyes. I didn't want to alert Kiran over nothing, so I brushed the hair behind his ear so that he turned toward me. He looked down at me, distracted by my touch and our eyes found each other. He lost track of his story, mid-sentence and then exhaled unstably instead of delivering his punch line. I batted my lashes, smiled from true embarrassment and played the part of blushing bride to perfection.

“You were saying?” Deven prompted, anxious to hear the end of Kiran's hunting story.

“What was I saying?” Kiran asked, laughing off his bad manners.

“You are quite the charming couple,” Dmitri commented from across the table. The large formal dining table had been replaced with a more intimate mahogany rectangular one. Kiran and I sat side by side with his mother occupying the end of the table and Deven to her right. Sebastian sat in between Deven and Dmitri, Amelia sat directly to my left, while Lucan watched us all from the head of the table. “It's rare love this strong is found in some so young,” he finished, raising his wine glass to us in acknowledgment.

Kiran looked down at me with an “I told you so” expression and I forced my lips into an adoring smile in return although I bristled with the insinuation that we were actually in love.

“We're very lucky to have found each other,” Kiran never took his eyes from mine and his face softened from self-righteousness to endearing, although fake, sincerity.

“Or at least you are lucky to have found her,” Dmitri joked, and the table laughed in unison.

“Very true,” Kiran consented, putting a protective arm around me and rubbing my shoulder blade.

“Will you return to Kingsley for your schooling?” Dmitri asked casually. I realized, somewhat in alarm, that if we did, he would be very involved in our lives.

“No, father has graciously brought school to us. We will remain here for the rest of our education,” Kiran explained.

“That is gracious, Your Majesty,” Dmitri addressed Lucan humbly and received a benevolent nod in return.

“With the wedding quickly approaching and so much to be done, it only made sense,” Lucan admitted, conveniently leaving out the fact there was no way in hell he would ever let me that far out of his sight.

“Besides,” Analisa spoke up, turning to her son with loving eyes that glistened with the threat of tears, “it's hard to imagine that soon our only son will be married and off on his own adventure.”

Kiran reached across the table and laid a comforting hand on his mother's, reassuring with silent affection.

“What is it that they say?” Deven asked facetiously. “You are not losing a son, but gaining a daughter.” And then he smiled at us as if this family would actually see the idea of me joining their family as a blessing.