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“Don’t worry, Drazen, I’ll cover him for now,” Gozzak said, wisps of shadow climbing his body until his image blurred when he moved. His golden attire allowed him to blend into the crowd as he pushed through it, calling more shadows to cling to his body and cloak his appearance. If it were darker in the room, he’d have disappeared entirely, but with all the bubble lights cast by the attendees, shadows were hard to come by.
Zuriel had already engaged the Crystal Fae in conversation by the time I lost sight of Gozzak, and I tried to focus on what they saide, but to no avail. My body vibrated with the need to fight the male across the room, but his death was not mine – it was Izidora’s.
The hush that fell across the hall yanked me from my thoughts and pulled my attention to the stage where the nobles of the Day Realm had gathered, smiling widely.
High Lord Soma stepped forward, and with a tendril of his golden magic wrapping around his throat, he amplified his voice. “Friends, welcome to Zheka for the announcement of the new princess of the Day Realm. I know you are all ready to see the babe, so I won’t bore you with long speeches.”
“Oh really? Here I thought you were going to give us a philosophy lesson,” High Lord Domon teased from behind him, earning the crowd’s attention and creating a ripple of laughter.
High Lord Soma took the jest in stride, laughing along with the crowd. “Not this time. Perhaps the next one. You will have to assist me in preparing one, High Lord Domon.”
That earned another chuckle, though the sound did not come from me, not when I was already so on edge.
“Anyway, without further delay,” he shot a pointed look over his shoulder, “let us introduce you to Princess Gizela, daughter of Queen Viktoria!”
Applause erupted as the queen and her husband appeared from behind the line of nobility carrying the child. Queen Viktoria glowed as she glided forward, the babe tucked into the crook of her arm and swaddled in a deep red wrap. It matched the vibrant dress that floated around her, and King Consort Geza beamed at her with pride. They reached the front of the stage, and the queen adjusted her hold on the child, who woke with a large yawn and stretch.
I wasn’t an empath, but even I was overwhelmed with the swell of emotion from those gathered in the hall. Song broke out, the Day Fae falling into tune and creating a lively atmosphere as the monarchs walked the length of the stage, allowing everyone a glimpse of the future queen.
Queen Immonen and King Airre shared an intimate look, no doubt communicating mind to mind like Izidora and Ruslan often did. Taking my opportunity while all were distracted, I searched the crowd for Kazimir, Viktor, and Endre and foundthem still seated. Kazimir’s jaw was locked tight, a muscle feathering beneath his eye. Endre’s lips were pressed into a thin line, and Viktor looked between them like he was at a loss for his next action.
Trouble among the Night Fae.
We could work with internal strife, and I made a mental note to mention it to Ruslan. War had not raged in Északi for centuries, so none alive had seen true battle, save for the Angel who sat beside me and the Demon who kept to the shadows to conceal his activities. I glanced at Zuriel then, wondering what he was thinking. Even after all these years of knowing him, I still felt like I didn’t know much at all. He and Gozzak were the oldest of the Telivér, followed by Xorrek, and they’d all been captured together. While Gozzak and Xorrek were loudmouthed and brash, Zuriel was quite the opposite. The three had valuable insight to provide in the coming war, and I would accept whatever help they would offer. It would be stupid to disregard anything they had to say.
“Looks like the Night Fae aren’t all on the same page,” I whispered, dropping my head over my shoulder to better direct my words toward Zuriel. He casually glanced in their direction, his keen eyes missing nothing, then returned them to the stage.
“Undoubtedly. It seems like Endre would rather be anywhere but here.”
I agreed with his assessment, sizing up the male Liliana was still hung up on.
“You know Liliana cares for both of you,” Zuriel offered willingly, and I blinked rapidly, facing him.
“And how do you know that?” I questioned, brows furrowing.
He shrugged, his face betraying nothing. “You learn to read people after several millennia of life.”
“I don’t expect her to choose me if he suddenly came crawling back, begging her forgiveness.” I propped an elbow on the table,twisting my hands together before glancing over my shoulder at the Night Fae.
“She doesn’t want groveling. She wants–” Zuriel was cut off as High Lord Soma’s voice boomed once again, and my heart dipped just a fraction as I reminded myself that I was only temporary in Liliana’s life.
“Now that Princess Gizela has been announced to the world, let us feast!”
Golden tendrils of magic carried massive platters of food to the long tables, and we all leaned out of the way as the Day Fae worked together to arrange the food, drink, and plates.
“We’ll finish our conversation later,” I muttered as Gozzak reappeared and took a seat on the opposite side of Zuriel.
The three of us kept a close eye on the Night Fae, though the Day Fae kept trying to force drinks into our hands. At first, I accepted them, only pretending to drink. But soon, they realized my ploy, and worry about offending them crept across my shoulders. The Crystal Fae celebrated nearly as hard as the Day Fae, and as we were smashed between the nobles of both realms at our table, I knew refusing them was a lost cause.
This was why I never wanted to be king, or an ambassador, or fucking anything political. Just let me fight and not have to play nice.
With a grimace, I knocked back an entire drink, hoping that would appease them. It did not. Instead, more were forced upon us, and I continued stuffing food into my mouth in hopes of offsetting the effects of the liquor.
Queen Viktoria and King Consort Geza sat at the very end of the table, the little princess strung between them, safely cradled in a way they could both watch over her. Eventually, she began to wail, and a female I assumed was a wet nurse fetched her, carrying her away from the party and allowing the new parents the freedom to roam and connect with their people.
Music filled the room after the food cleared, and shortly after, the tables were pushed to the outer edges, making room for dancing and revelry. Standing on the sidelines was entertaining enough for me, and as more alcohol was shoved into my hands, I lost sight of the Night Fae. No one had left the party yet, and I got the sense no one would until the early hours of the morning. Kazimir wouldn’t risk disappearing and offending the rulers of the Day Realm – not when he’d traveled all this way to make a point. So I let it go, and surrendered to the jovial crowd, deciding to celebrate the day, and the new life to its fullest.
21
