For now.
“You may rise,” I called out.
An older man with dark hair, pale skin, and a well-groomed beard stepped forward. “Your Majesty, I am Remis Corbois, younger brother of our late King Ulther, may Blessed Mother Lumnos guard his soul. I have the honor of ruling the realm as Regent until your Rite of Coronation.”
He paused, his expression expectant.
I said nothing.
He cleared his throat, then turned and beckoned. A woman with thin lips and long black curls stepped forward to join him, followed by Lily, who studiously avoided my eyes.
“Allow me to introduce my wife, Avana, and my youngest, Lilian.” The two ladies curtsied in unison. He gave a curt glance to Luther. “It appears you’ve already met my son.”
Luther’s parents—and Lily’s. I wondered what kind of people they must be to have raised such different children. My head cocked as my gaze washed over them in bold appraisal.
Remis noted the gesture with a tightening of his jaw. “May I also present my eldest brother, Garath Corbois, Warden of the Shadows, his wife Freah, and their sons, Aemonn and Taran.”
Four of the most beautiful people I had ever seen, two older and two younger, emerged from the throng. Together, they looked carved from marble and dipped in liquid gold.
The elder couple were stunning in their elegance, floating forward as if carried on air. The elder man had tan skin and dark blond hair, lightly touched with grey, pulled into a single plait. The woman seemed otherworldly with her fair complexion and platinum tresses that fell in a silken sheet to the curve of her waist. Both had angular features that accentuated their cold, cunning eyes. I noted how they offered only a subtle dip of their chin as they approached.
Their sons, on the other hand…
The younger one, Taran, stepped forward first. I recognized him as the blond man who had been at Luther’s side at the armory fire. He was a wall of muscle upon muscle that should have been intimidating, but his quirky half-smile and relaxed posture instantly put me at ease. His simple white tunic and leather breeches almost made him look mortal, if it weren’t for his colossal size.
He bowed, low and quick, hands resting casually on the hilts of his blades. They, too, were plain, prioritizing function over beauty—a rarity among the Descended. He must have seen me note his grip on them, as he swiftly dropped his hands to his sides with a sheepish grin. “Pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.”
He was abruptly edged out by his older brother, Aemonn, who stepped in front of Taran and gave a dramatic bow.
I couldn’t deny that Aemonn was gorgeous. More svelte than his brawny brother, he moved with the same fluid grace as his parents. His short, golden hair was styled into a perfect swoop, not a strand out of place, quite the contrast to his brother’s messy shoulder-length waves.
Aemonn reached forward to take my hand, his fingers soft as they curled around mine and pressed my knuckles to his lips.
“Long live the Queen,” he purred.
From the corner of my eye, I caught Luther and Taran share an annoyed glance.
In truth, I found Aemonn’s flirting rather shameless, but the discovery that Luther was not fond of him had my devious side flaring. I fluttered my lashes and offered Aemonn a charmed smile.
“How gallant,” I cooed.
Luther frowned deeply.
The next hour was a blur of rapid-fire introductions. Each Corbois was polite, if cold, though I expected nothing less. Their faces merged together in my wearied head, and when the receiving line ended, I could remember only a handful of names.
A young woman named Eleanor had been a bright spot in the dispassionate crowd. Her bubbly laughter was unexpected and contagious, and I found myself matching her enthusiasm as we chatted. Her voice struck a chord in my memory, though I couldn’t seem to place where, and I didn’t have the nerve to ask.
And then there was Alixe. Like Taran, she had been at the armory the night of the attack. When Luther had forbid me from going in to save the stranded guards, she alone had believed I could do it. I saw the same gleam of recognition in her eyes, and we shared a nod of mutual respect.
Alixe was… I hardly had the words to describe her. She was pure warrior. With a lithe but toned body, numerous piercings, a half-shaved head and a calculating stare, Alixe looked born for the killing fields.
But not as a mindless grunt soldier. No, Alixe looked like the person you’d send to strike down an enemy king in the heart of his own war camp—and still expect her to return home without a scratch. Alixe was the mighty heroine I had merely played at being in every mock war Teller and I had staged as children.
Half of me idolized her and debated how to convince her to shape me in her image. The other half thought of my hidden goals and wondered if I would have to find a way to kill her before she killed me first.
Luther stayed at my side through the night, his demeanor unflappably calm. He offered few comments, only cutting in to pull me away when a relative’s questions turned uncomfortably probing.
Occasionally, he stepped away to give orders to various servants or guards, and I was annoyed at myself for how anxious I grew in his absence. Despite my distrust of him, he had become my tether in this odd new world, and I wasn’t ready to float into the dark expanse of it alone just yet.
Once I’d met everyone, Luther’s father Remis stepped forward to usher me to a settee in the center of the room. He took a seat directly opposite me with his wife and daughter. Luther’s uncle Garath and his family joined us, reclining on various chairs and ottomans nearby, while the rest of the family milled about, poorly pretending not to eavesdrop.
Only Luther dared to sit beside me.
“My son announced your surname as Bellator,” Remis said. “I’m afraid I’m unfamiliar with that House. What region of Lumnos do you hail from?”
I almost laughed. Among mortals, my father’s name was legendary. For Remis to be Regent and not know the name of a famed mortal war hero who lived in his realm… it only further confirmed my plans.
“I hail from this region,” I answered. “In fact, I’ve spent my life a stone’s throw from this very palace.”
Luther tensed.
Remis lifted his eyebrows. “Surprising, indeed. I thought I knew all the Houses of Lumnos City.”
I smiled coldly. “Perhaps you’re not as familiar with the inhabitants of our great realm as you thought.”
A vein twitched along Remis’s forehead. He returned the smile and nodded. “A flaw I will endeavor to correct immediately.”
Alixe edged closer to the group. “Are you any relation to Andrei Bellator?”
“My father,” I confirmed.
Remis turned to Alixe. “You know him?”
“I know of him. I thought everyone did.”
I was beginning to like her more and more.
“He’s a highly respected army commander,” she continued. “The highest-ranking mortal in our history. He’s been retired for some time, but they still tell tales of his leadership.”
I couldn’t suppress a proud smile.
“A mortal?” Garath practically spat the word, as if saying it left some foul taste on his tongue. “You have a mortal parent?”
I debated my response. I had not forgotten Luther’s cryptic advice—Tell them as little as possible—but I also knew I could only hide my lineage for so long. Soon enough, it would become painfully clear how little I knew about the Descended and their culture. Attempting to hide the reason why would only generate greater suspicion.