“We have to. I have enough contacts to get my messages out. But you need to be careful. Arix might lose his shit when you tell him everything.”
My hands shake at the thought, but I bury them under my robe. “I’ll be okay. Promise me you’ll be careful too.”
“I promise.”
“Ahem.” Cauri knocks on the door, and Sarissa sends me a look but pads out of my room, nodding at Cauri. Cauri frowns after her, and I sigh.
It’s never good news for my scalp when Cauri is in a bad mood.
Arix
I place my crown on my head, staring into the mirror. My father was my age when he died, and I look almost identical to him.
Except for my eyes. I have my mother’s eyes.
Although I never saw my mother’s eyes look as cold as mine. Hers were always lit with joy or glowing with love. Two things I know little about.
My crown is one I don’t wear often. The red jewels contrast sharply with the black metal. The jewels were mined by one of my ancestors, and the crown’s daintier twin sits alone in the vault that holds my mother’s jewelry.
I glance across the room at where Korzyn is sitting next to the window, sharpening his sword. If I didn’t see him lying in the healers’ quarters, I would never know he is weaker than usual. His eyes are sharp, his face almost feral, as he stares into the distance.
“Your sources say we should expect an attack at the ball,” I murmur, reaching for my own sword. It may be ceremonial, the handle covered in jewels, but I keep the blade sharp.
“Yes,” Korzyn says. He glances over his shoulder at me, his jaw tightening. “But we would be smart to be wary each day leading up to the ball. Mazark has long wanted your territory for himself, and I find it difficult to believe his visit is coincidentally coinciding with your enemies’ plans.”
I nod, but my jaw hurts from grinding my teeth. “Do you ever wish we were normal males?”
Korzyn’s gaze searches my face. “Normal?”
“Such as those Braxians from across the water.”
“The barbarians? You believe they’re normal?”
I give him a look, and he laughs, but his face quickly clears. “I don’t know what I’d do with all my time if I weren’t constantly fighting to stop you from being murdered, my friend.”
“Well.” I smirk. “Let’s hope we get a chance to find out. Perhaps you can take up a hobby.”
Korzyn raises his eyebrow, but he gets to his feet, striding toward the door. “I’m not the kind of male who does well with too much free time.”
I snort. That is probably the truth. He would likely shift all that unrelenting focus to a female, and that wouldn’t be healthy for anyone.
I slide my sword into its scabbard and follow my adviser out the door. We walk in silence until we get to the huge banquet hall, and my gaze immediately find blue eyes that shine brighter than the Colossal Water on a sunny day. Vivian smiles at me, but it’s hesitant, and my heart beats faster in my chest.
I allow my gaze to drink her in, from the top of the complicated hairstyle that reveals her smooth white neck, to the blue-green dress that perfectly matches her eyes, cupping her generous breasts.
She’s wearing the jewels I gave her, and I have to fight to keep my body under my control at the sight.
Her smile widens as she runs her own gaze over my body, resting on the crown on top of my head. She raises her eyebrow, and I send her a wicked grin, stalking toward her table.
“Arix,” Korzyn mutters, and I growl, forcing my attention away from the vixen at the far end of the long table to the large, bearded male who sits closer to the head, his eyes knowing as they watch me.
I nod at him, and the room goes silent as I stroll across the wide expanse of the room, noting the position of each of my guards—both those I can trust and those I can’t.
As agreed, the ones who are most loyal to Korzyn are currently at the marketplace, rounding up those who collude against me as we speak. I take my seat, smiling to cover the rage that burns within me at the thought.
“Please,” I say, waving my hand. “Eat.”
Vivian
Arix looks like a dream, sitting at the head of the table. He’s dressed from head to toe in unrelenting black. It matches his hair, contrasts with his skin, and allows the wild blue of his eyes to take center stage.
There will be dancing after this. I asked Cauri the difference between a banquet and a ball, and she looked horrified at my ignorance before explaining there will be no sit-down dinner at the ball and the focus will be more on the dancing, while tonight, the dancing is more like an afterthought.
I spoon up some kind of soup, enjoying the slight spiciness. I can feel eyes on me and glance up, finding Arix studying my face. The bearded man next to him follows his gaze, and I blush. He looks at me like I’m an insect he’d quite like to dissect, and I tear my eyes away from their table.
I don’t know anyone here, and I make a little small talk with the friendly blue guy sitting next to me, who introduced himself as Nirix. But I mostly watch the king. He looks like he doesn’t have a care in the world, but I know him well enough to see through that now. He’s furious.
His eyes meet mine again, and I almost gasp at the rage burning within them. He glances at the man next to him, who has a smirk on his face as he murmurs something in a low voice.
“Who’s that?” I ask Nirix when he pauses in his conversation with a Braxian woman. She sniffs and turns to the man on her
