Chapter 67: Chapter 67

LENORE

That was a very valid question. One that I also wanted to know the answer to.

I glanced at my father through the corner of my eye to see he still had his signature expression on before he said, “That’s my business, Your Majesty.”

The King drank from his teacup and sighed before frowning at the content of the cup like it had offended him. “Well, my answer is no. She’s not leaving. Not now. Not ever.”

A startled noise escaped me at that, but the King didn’t spare me a glance, and my heart stuttered as I replayed his words in my head. Killian was going to get me out—I knew he would—but that air of finality in the King’s voice made me wring my hands.

My father sighed and rose to his feet. “Whatever happens next is of your own doing,” he said and my eyes widened, the thought of him attacking the King popped into my mind. He did not. He simply walked around the chair and headed for a door on the left end of the room.

“What insolence—”

“Alaine,” the King cut the captain of the guards off while I quickly got to my feet, intending to follow my father. I needed to tell him the truth about the diplomatic gathering and I also didn’t want to spend a moment alone with the King.

I quickly curtsied to the King, but before I could take a step in the direction of my father, the captain grabbed me from behind, yanking me back down to the couch. What—

The King got to his feet and flashed me a smile, glowing blue eyes bearing down on me in a grip that I couldn’t shake.

…My head hurts.

I groaned, rubbing my forehead, while shielding my bleary eyes from the sun’s assault. I was walking down one of the numerous pathways on the palace grounds, heading to… heading to… ah, yes—Killian’s mother’s palace. Is Killian awake now?

The thought spurred me to move faster, but after a couple of seconds, my steps faltered and I glanced over my shoulder. I forgot something in… back there… the King’s audience room.

Frowning, I tried and failed to remember what it was. The only thing I’d taken with me was my phone and when I reached into my skirt’s pocket, it was still there, so what could I have—

The phone began to buzz in my hand and I pulled it out to see Virginia’s name on the screen. “Oh,” I muttered before answering the call, coming to a stop as I pressed the phone to my ear. “Hey, Virginia.”

“Geez, where did you keep your phone?”

I furrowed my brows before remembering she’d called me a couple of times when I was asleep. “Ah. I was asleep. Sorry.” The throbbing in my head suddenly increased, like it didn’t want to be ignored, and I held back a wince. I needed tylenol.

“...see him?”

“What?” I asked while wondering if there was even tylenol in the palace. It’s not like vampires got headaches.

“Our father.”

I blinked. “Oh, yeah. We said goodbye to each other.”

“Goodbye?!” she squawked. “I thought he was getting you guys out of there.”

“Killian’s going to handle that,” I said before the throbbing intensified again, and I squeezed my eyes shut. “Uh, Virginia. I’ll call you back in a couple of minutes.” I hung up without waiting for a response and the moment I opened my eyes, tears pooled in them.

Ugh. I blinked away the tears before walking into the shade of the closest building and as I rested against the wall, I remembered there were human maids in the palace. They’d most likely have tylenol.

Heaving a sigh, the fact that my father had wanted to get me out of Eyrosa, and not Cameron, came back to me, and I frowned. Even if his plan truly was hinged on him believing the tournament for the werewolf crown was the real deal, what exactly made him believe Cameron would defeat the pack representatives he was paired with. Had he not considered the possibility of him losing?

I pressed my lips together before tipping my head to the side. Did I tell him the tournament was a lie? I couldn’t remem—Oh, we said goodbye to each other after leaving the King’s audience room… That’s right.

As the fact settled in my head, the headache gradually subsided, and I took a deep breath. That’s better. My phone buzzed and I looked down at it to see a message from Virginia.

Virginia: Are you okay? :(

I smiled.

Me: Sorry. My head hurts

The moment I hit send, a voice came from somewhere above my head, saying, “Hello, you.”

I instantly looked up to see the second prince staring down from a window and my smile dropped, the odd sensation that had raced through my body the last time we met making a reappearance, before he launched himself out of it. He hit the ground gracefully, landing in a crouch and rising with a satisfied smile while I pushed away from the wall.

Shit.

“I knew it,” he said when I dropped my hands to my side, about to curtsy, and I paused, raising my brows slightly.

“I’m sorry?”

“When I saw someone standing here. I was like hmm—” He stroked his chin for realism or something. “—the top of that head looks familiar.”

…Was he trying to be funny? I understood what he said—I’d been too scared to make eye contact with him the last time we spoke and he’d told me to lift my head while speaking to him so he would recognize me by my face instead of the top of my head—but still…

He stared at me, still smiling, like he was waiting for something, so I laughed. I shouldn’t have. It sounded like I was reading laughter from a script.

Oh my God, please don’t get mad.

His smile faltered in a way that would have made a passerby think I’d just viciously put him down. “Do I make you uncomfortable?”

I bit back a groan. “No, Your Highness.”

“You should speak with me freely,” he said, lazily kicking at the ground, and I frowned before quickly schooling my expression.

“I don’t think that’s proper, Your Highness.”

“...Sennet.”

“I’m sorry?”

“You just called my brother by his name,” he replied, and my face flushed. He’d heard me talking to Virginia.

“That—” Denying it would just make me look stupid, so I took a deep, steadying breath, and slightly bowed my head. This time, when I spoke, I sounded a bit more like myself. “Forgive me, Your Highness.”

I shouldn’t call Killian by his name outside his mother’s palace again.

“Why are you apologizing?” he asked, sounding slightly offended, and I swallowed.

Someone please get me out of here.

“I shouldn’t have done that, Your Highness.”

“Stop it with the Your Highness!” His voice was harsher now, and I flinched. “Raise your head.”

It was an order, and unease coiled in my chest as I obeyed it. Then he raised a brow at me, waiting.

“I’m sorry,” I started and he scowled before I forced it out, “Sennet.”

The first time I called Killian by his name had been an accident, but it flowed smoothly from me. Calling the second prince by his name however… Talking was meant to feel like expelling words, but why did I feel like I’d just shoved something into my mouth?

The anger melted from the second prince’s face like I’d hallucinated it and he beamed at me once more, leaning a bit closer. “There you go, Lenore…” He suddenly reached out, brushing his fingers over my cheek, and I frowned, jerking away from him. “What has he done to you?”

What the hell?

His hand snagged my wrist the next moment, yanking me to him with that stupid smile still on his face. “You look mad,” he said, angling his head, while I tried to free my hand and put some space between us at the same time. He wasn’t having that. He wrapped his other arm around me and turned me, pressing my back to the wall.

My stomach dropped. This had gone far beyond discomfort—I needed help.

“Did you—” the prince started.

“What is the meaning of this?!”