“I cast a silencing Shield around us, Sandus. Nobody can hear us. You may speak freely.”
His eyebrows rose. “You did? I didn’t even feel it.”
“My air affinity has grown quite strong, and subtle, but back to the matter at hand. How do you stand it when everyone detests him?”
“It’s hard.” The guard shrugged. “All four of us struggle with it, as you saw in High Liss when Nish wanted to ram his sword down your throat, but I imagine that it’s probably even harder for you to stomach since the crown prince is your mate.”
I wrung my hands. “Do you think the entire realm knows we’re mates now?”
His lips quirked. “You two practically set that dais on fire, so yes, I think it’s safe to assume most know. That kind of explosive attraction is only seen between mates.”
“Will the king do anything about it now that he knows?” A shiver ran down my spine. Just thinking of the king’s comment made me want to run.
Sandus’s mouth tightened. “That, Ilara, is a very good question.”
Michas swept toward me the second I stepped into the dining hall. The Osaravee noble slipped my hand around his forearm, getting a glower from Sandus that Michas merely brushed off.
Across the room, the rest of the Trial occupants watched as the young lord made a show of escorting me.
“Someone’s been keeping a secret,” Michas said quietly as he leaned down to whisper in my ear. “And here I thought I was potentially in the running for winning your heart.”
A pounding aura suddenly pressed into my side, and I knew that the crown prince had just entered the room. I tried to dip farther away from Michas, but he followed and stayed plastered to my side.
“I shall marry whomever the king deems me suitable for,” I said carefully.
Michas’s lips kicked up in a smile. “Are you sure the crown prince would allow it?”
“I don’t think he’d have a choice.”
Energy continued to pulse from Norivun. Veins swelled in his neck, and his eyes glued to Michas.
“You’re playing a very dangerous game,” I said quietly to my date.
“I like to live dangerously. I’ve never courted a mated female before.”
“We’re not mated yet.”
“Oh? You’re saying he hasn’t bedded you?”
I squirmed and wondered why I’d blurted that out. “Who I bed is none of your concern.”
He scratched his chin as music drifted through the air, and a floating tray glided by us. He snatched two flutes of champagne off of it, then held one out to me.
“I suppose this does explain the prince’s attraction to you, and since you’re not bonded to him, but he’s fully bonded to you, it would explain his absolute rage and inability to control his reactions where you’re concerned.” Michas grinned. “Do you know this is the first time in my life that I haven’t seen the crown prince under perfect control? Usually, he’s so cool. Nothing ruffles him. But three months of you in the court, and he looks set to explode like the volcanoes on the Dresher Islands.”
The knots in my stomach tightened more. It was exactly as I feared. Everyone knew. And if Norivun was truly incapable of controlling his instincts right now, then it fell to me to keep the wolves at bay.
“He’ll kill you if you prove too bold,” I said casually and sipped my champagne.
A fleeting flash of fear shone in Michas’s eyes before he hid it behind a grin. “Then I suppose I’ll have to balance very carefully on that edge.”
I took a sip of champagne, letting the bubbles burst in my mouth as every muscle in my body coiled. Courtly politics and devious scheming weren’t for me, but I was quickly learning that Michas thrived on them, which meant I needed to learn to play the game, or I would end up a discarded pawn.
“Shall we sit for dinner?” The Osaravee lord waved toward the table. “I’m quite excited for the evening ahead and would love to get it started.”
CHAPTER 25
I picked up my butter knife and leaned closer to Meegana. “Do you think this is sharp enough to stab through my eye and put me out of this misery?”
She snorted, nearly blowing her champagne through her nose. “Not likely, Lara.” She dabbed at her mouth and said in a lower tone, “But it’s kind of cute how much your ma—” She coughed. “I mean, the crown prince, is protective of you.”
I gave her a strained smile as Michas leaned closer to me and trailed a finger up my arm. At the head of the table, Norivun flashed his teeth as a rumble of his magic shook the dinnerware.
I sighed. The entire dinner Michas had done everything in his power to provoke Norivun. It was male dominance on full display, and unfortunately, I was the female caught in the middle.
The only saving grace was that Georgyanna left me alone. She sat three places down from me, and I thought for certain she’d utter snide comments, say that I’d cheated to win the test, or stare daggers my way, but instead, she’d grown entirely quiet. Almost frighteningly so. A cunning look had entered her eyes that was as cold as ice. She still watched me. Still studied me, but her petty remarks remained at bay. Instead, I could have sworn that she was planning something, and that gave me pause more than any other interaction we’d had.
By the time the final course was cleared away, I stood warily. Norivun was already striding toward me as Michas crowded my space.
I held my breath as I waited for the fireworks to truly start between them, but just as the prince was about to round the table, Sir Featherton stopped him and murmured something into his ear.
The prince glared at Michas, then narrowed his eyes at the Trial archon. Norivun raised his hands, arguing, but Sir Featherton lifted his shoulders and gestured to the door.
Fuming, the prince finally gave a curt nod and followed him out of the dining hall.
I straightened. The prince was gone, and Michas was my date. Now could be my one and only time to truly learn what Michas knew of the king, the unrest, and the missing fae.
“Did you have any particular plans for us tonight?” I asked him and prodded him toward the balcony doors.
“I did actually, but I’m afraid they didn’t pan out.” He cast an aggrieved look toward where the prince had departed.
I gave him a sly smile. “Did they have anything to do with Prince Norivun?”
Michas grinned wickedly. “I was too apparent, wasn’t I?”
“I expected more from you,” I replied, forcing my tone to sound playful. “You seem like the type who manipulates others well, but what you were doing at dinner was anything but subtle.”
“Indeed, but I couldn’t help myself. It was too easy. If only I had Georgyanna’s manipulation affinity. Dinner would have been immensely more interesting then.”
“Those who are true masters at the art of manipulation don’t need magic to do their bidding.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You sound as though you speak from experience.” He held the balcony door open for me as music from the dining hall carried outside into the night. I stepped onto the balcony’s smooth stone floor as a gust of wind grazed my skin.
Shivering, I pulled my shawl up. “Your father would know better than me.”