“Was that a joke, Talbott?” I laughed. It was a good thing we hadn’t joined the party yet. In front of the people I had to be the responsible, prodigy leader I was born to be. But with this group it was nice to just act my age every once in a while.

“Here is the thing about my brother though,” Eden narrowed her eyes on me, her face turning completely serious. “Even if Lilly was the girl of his dreams, he would never destroy the opportunity for the Kingdom to watch a Shape-Shifter marry a Titan. He wouldn’t do it. He’s still too dedicated to the cause to let a little thing like love get in the way.”

“What?” I put my hands up when Kiran’s gave me an admonishing look. “Eden’s right, it’s a fantastic opportunity for the Kingdom,” I grinned widely at Talbott who had protectively sidled Lilly up next to him.

“So there really is no chance for a quiet little ceremony with only our closest friends?” Lilly murmured, her green eyes accusing me of betrayal.

“Not if you want the blessing of the King,” I smirked, happy to be able to use that to my advantage.

“You can have my blessing, Lills,” Kiran counter-argued.

“And mine,” my traitor sister piped up.

“You two have been MIA for too long for your opinion to really count. Besides, Lilly and Talbott really do care about the Kingdom enough to not want our people to go completely extinct. They care just enough to break through the bigoted boundaries and have a big old wedding to celebrate true freedom,” I laid the guilt on thick knowing everyone in this circle would cave at my sound logic.

“Well, when you put it like that….” Talbott sighed bitterly, sending Lilly a pathetically apologetic look.

“Alright, then,” I clapped my hands together triumphantly. “What are we waiting on? Let’s get this party started!” I said it sarcastically, but I couldn’t hide the excitement I felt for the evening. I wasn’t usually enthusiastic about any kind of palace function, but the prospect of sharing Lilly and Talbott’s engagement with the gathered community had put me in a good mood. There was something else too, something that had ignited the blood inside my veins and made me just a little bit nervous for the evening ahead, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.

“We are waiting on Sebastian and Seraphina, but I suppose we should head on out there. They can catch up later,” Kiran replied.

Talbott walked ahead and held open the door for all of us to pass through. We walked down the ancient castle steps that led out into the main square. Two silk, sheer white tent covers ran the length of the square. They looked modern and sleek in front of the antiquated backdrop. I had been asked my opinion on the décor but had deferred to Lilly before Eden came home. And I was glad I did, I could never have come up with something so simple and stunning at the same time.

The gathered crowd paused at our arrival, all stilled and waiting for one of us to say something. I led the way to the head table where I hesitated for a moment at the middle chair. Everyone waited for me to take a seat, but glancing up at my brother in law and sister I decided the best place for me to sit would be to his left and let Kiran have the middle seat. I moved over accordingly and it felt like the rest of the square had been frozen in time. I offered that benevolent smile I hadn’t had time to practice again and was met with wide eyes and slack jaws.

Kiran gave me a questioning look, but quickly fixed his features into confidence. I didn’t see what the big deal was. We were both technically King. Granted, I was King because I had been voted as King. Don’t even let me start on the irony of that one…. And he was King because he had married my sister. But still, we shared the title together.

And now that they were back, we would share the responsibilities together too.

“It’s great to be back,” Kiran started into his speech while the rest of us sat and got situated.

I tuned out immediately, smiling when people laughed and seemingly listening attentively when Kiran was not trying to be funny. But I heard nothing. It wasn’t a conscious effort to ignore his speech, but more like three years of practice at these things. Or hell, maybe three years of practice at tuning out life in general.

Ugh. I was bored. So, so, so bored. And the reality of just how bored I was with this whole King-job didn’t really hit me until everyone had come home. My closest friends had been off exploring the world, traveling, dealing with real conflict and falling in love. And I had stayed behind to rule over a complacent people and their non-existent problems.

I threw parties and made pretentious speeches.

They dealt with real life conflict.

I observed life.

They lived it.

I was once at the forefront of an exciting adventure, and even if it was the difference between life and death at least through it all I had felt alive. And now the apathetic, uninterested version of myself felt anything but.

The crowd broke into polite laughter at something Kiran said and I joined in with a laugh I reserved especially for these functions. But then those legs appeared at the entrance to the square and the fake laugh died in my throat. I let my gaze linger on her exposed limbs, enjoying the style of her short black dress. I swallowed back the acute rush of lust I had never experienced so strongly in my life and let my gaze float over her figure and to her face.

She was staring at me, accusing me silently of the offense I was guilty of. Again. Her golden brown eyes simmered with disgust and a faint creep of heat made its way from the back of my neck to my cheeks. I was embarrassed that I couldn’t keep my eyes in polite check whenever she was around, but not embarrassed enough to pull my gaze from hers. And even with the heated anger forcing her eyes to mine, she didn’t break contact until a standing ovation from the crowd interrupted our direct line of sight to each other.

I cleared my throat, trying to find some equilibrium and stood with the rest of the crowd. I turned my head the same direction everyone else’s heads were craned and nodded with proud approval over Talbott and Lilly. Kiran turned back to me, offering an extra wide smile and clapping enthusiastically. His eyebrows rose as if asking for my approval and I nodded like I had listened with rapt attention to every single word he said.

“I don’t think your cousin likes me,” I elbowed Kiran, nodding in the direction of Amelia. Our conversation was disguised under the raucous applause for Talbott and Lilly.

“Oh, he’s just a little sore that his royalty status was taken away from him,” Kiran answered, misinterpreting who I was talking about.

I snorted a response, not really expecting that. I had taken away the royalty status from the entire Kendrick bloodline, Kiran was a fluke because he was married to my sister. Bianca and Jean Cartier had seemed more than happy to let their titles go and had been very supportive of every change I had made so far. If Sebastian was upset about losing his prince title, is that what Amelia was upset about too? Did she just miss being a princess?

When I had seen her earlier today I thought she was visiting villages out of charity. But she was going with Seraphina, so maybe they were just sightseeing. Maybe she was more spoiled than I had given her credit for. My eyes floated over her again as she looked at Lilly and Talbott with seemingly real affection and happiness. She didn’t appear stuck up, but wasn’t that how she had been raised? Privilege and prejudice all under the guise of well-intended benevolence.

Just like Lucan.

Chapter Four

I swallowed my irritation and outrage and turned my attention back to Kiran who was closed out his speech. I might have to break our no-connection rule with Eden if I was asked specific questions about this speech later. She would understand. And I would make sure I did it only when she and Kiran were in my direct line of sight. Wouldn’t want to make things weird between us. Plus she used to fish for information all the time in my head. I half wondered if zoning out ran in our family.

Kiran offered a few more closing remarks and then bid everyone to enjoy their meal. He was greeted with another standing ovation of applause, but this time it was directed at him and Eden. Eden rose half out of her seat and nodded sweetly to the crowd, her cheeks heating with shy embarrassment. Kiran waved away the applause as well and sat down to his meal. Waiters appeared with covered plates and set them before the guests. Our table was served last by my specific request.

When the tables had turned to their plates and the soft murmur of voices and the clinking of silverware against porcelain floated through the cool autumn evening, Seraphina, Sebastian and Amelia made their way to the end of our table. The three of them sat down on the opposite end of where I was. Eden leaned forward to welcome them, and I leaned forward to offer the same kind of polite greeting, but a hand on my arm turned my attention away.

“Do you still have your headache?” Angelica asked. She was seated next to me, and Silas and Gabriel were down from her. We had the only long table in the square, all of our guests sat around circular tables, able to easily converse. This was a tradition from when Lucan and his bloodline reigned. The king at the head table, and all the peons left to sit in the audience. Next dinner function I would say something, the Kingdom needed to realize we were equals.

“Uh, no, I’m better,” I answered realizing I had taken a while to respond. “Sometimes this job is overwhelming in ways I never expected.”

“I understand,” Angelica patted my arm sweetly. “When you put on the crown, I’m sure you didn’t realize how much of your time would be dedicated to public appearance.”

“Exactly,” I relaxed a little. Angelica knew me well and it was nice to not feel like I needed to explain myself, or apologize for feeling stressed. I was sentimental enough to look at her like a mother-figure or even a grandmother, but I loved her, genuinely. She was my Angelica. She raised me, or really contained me, and still looked out for my best interest. “It will be easier now that Eden’s home.”

“In some ways, but in others it might be more difficult,” she offered gently.

I wanted to ask what she meant, but a quiet commotion at the other end of the table caught my attention. Amelia was speaking with a waiter about the plate in front of her; she gestured down to her plate and then put a tender hand on his arm. He floundered in response, his face flushing red immediately. I watched him apologize, looking more and more flustered, before he took the plate from her and rushed back toward the castle kitchen.

“Is the meal not to your liking, Mimi?” I asked as softly as I could manage while still being heard. Amelia turned her eyes my way, startled by my voice.

I met her golden brown eyes and held her gaze. I watched her expressive face flicker with emotion from surprise to something like fear and back to a steely resolve. She didn’t seem willing to break our gaze, but there was something underneath her cool exterior that made me nervous…. like I was about to have my ass handed to me.

“I’m a vegetarian,” she explained with controlled patience as if I should have known. “I don’t eat meat, in fact, steak is one of the more offensive proteins you could have served me. And it’s Amelia.”