"Goodnight, Quinneth."
"Goodnight, Xenia," I say back. She shuts the door quietly, the only light that comes through the room are candles in the sconces. I wait a few seconds, drawing back my covers, slip on my pink slippers, wrap my pastel pink shawl around my body, and head into the room connected on.
Since dinner was canceled tonight, I decided to retire to bed early. Xenia thought it was pretty weird since the sun was still up. I convinced her I was tired, walking all around the library, and hearing a random voice, can pull a toll on a person.
She brought me soup, helped me get dressed, and left. Before leaving the library, Kai and I decided to meet in the north tower and talk. I can't talk to him in the library, since Luci could be hearing, and Ben barely ever leaves my side. This is the only time we have.
There's something fishy going on around here, and I want to figure it out. Walking slowly across the room, dodging couches and nightstands, I go through the back door of the room. Xenia told me it was used for emergencies, just in case a fire or they were under attack, the person could get out. Since she's been working here, it hasn't been used.
As I move, I keep hearing sliding noises, I soon realize it's my pink slippers. I can't risk someone hearing me, especially Ben, so I take the shoes off and toss them on the love seat.
"Damn," I whisper to myself. The floor is as cold as ice, freezing my body from the outside in. Ignoring the cold, I quickly run through the corridor on my way to the tower. I remember Kai telling me it wasn't that far from where I was. Run down the corridor, make a left, pass up the painting of Adalwolf the first, once you see three candles lit on the wall, you've made it.
I stand in front of the door with the three candles lit on the wall. It's tall, black, and withering away. Tiny marks are embedded in the door. I take the candle from the wall, holding it away from my unbound hair, wouldn't want it to catch on fire, that would be a site.
Through the door is a winding staircase that creaks when you walk up it. I hold the candle out, lighting the path up the stairway. Small windows down below let me see the guards guarding the door, random people lingering outside, drinking and laughing.
Reaching the top, I come to another black and withering door, to which I push open. It's a circular room, all brick walls with an alcove window. Tiny streams of light come in, highlighting the features of the man sitting in the window.
"Kai?" I whisper. His head whips in my direction, he quickly walks over to me, shutting the door behind him and pulling me towards his previous spot.
"Did anyone see you?"
"No, I was discreet." He nods.
We both sit, bathing in the silence that surrounds us. To get the ball rolling, I start to talk. "So, are we going to resume our conversation on what the hell is going on?"
He sighs, "Well, what we do know is that those books, with the marking on them, mean something important. They belong to the powerful family, but what would Luci need those books for?"
I put in my two sense, "I don't think it's Luci, but maybe the King. Think about it, when he found out someone snitched on us, he was adamant that we tell him who it was. There's something he's trying to hide, but what? And you said it yourself, Katana thinks he's up to something."
He rubs his chin, thinking hard. "That is true. . .yes. The last time the powerful family had anything to do with Nygaard, was during the reign of Rhella. They needed to come together and take her down, she was dangerous to everyone living and dead. Why all of a sudden, 100 years later, he's interested in them?"
"Well, they are powerful, hence the powerful family," I suggest.
"Nah, it's just formalities. The only powerful people in the world are The First Power, and you."
I raise my brows, "Me? I'm more powerful than the powerful family?"
"You are, your power originates from the first raw magic, linked to Selene. Once you learn how to use them, but for now, you couldn't pick a fight with them if you wanted to."
"Is their name just the powerful family, no other names."
"Some people call them 'yenye nguvu', which means powerful family in Swahili, it's the same word, but sounds better than the powerful family." He explains. "I need you to watch your back Quinn, don't talk to people you don't know and look both ways. You are an enemy to a lot of people, tons would see you dead, and what if the King is linked to the powerful family, that isn't good. They HATE your kind, hate what The First Power decided to do with their magic."
I breathe heavily, my fists tighten as my heart beats erratically. "Alright, I'll keep safe. Anything else?"
"Do you know why dinner was canceled?" He asked. I tuck loose hair behind his ear while wiping a bit of soot off his cheek. "Thank you for that, don't want to look like a slob in front of you." I laugh.
"I don't know why it was canceled. I was in the room playing cards with Xenia when Ben notified me of the cancelation. When I asked Ben, he told me something came up with the King, and that is all I needed to know." He was acting suspiciously now that I think about it.
"Mhm, I'm going to try and see Katana before dinner starts. See what she knows. Now, our conversation is over, go back to bed and make sure no one sees you."
I wrap my shawl around my body, Kai looks down at my feet. "May I ask, where are your shoes?" He bends down and flicks my big toe; I move away from him.
"Stop." I laugh. "The shoes were too loud, and I didn't want to wear my regular shoes since they clank against the ground, so barefoot was the only option."
"Get out of here Quinn, and watch your surroundings."
"Ok, dad." I mock, grabbing the candles and walking in the path I just came from.
🌺🌺🌺🌺
"Quinneth, your majesty." The big doors to the dining room shut. This isn't a dining room; it must be a ballroom or something because it's magnificent. A huge table is in the center, it holds a bountiful feast of food. Turkey, mash potatoes, vegetables, buttery buns, sausages, and a large bottle of champagne.
At the head of the table is The King. His hair is wet, slicked to the back of his head, a white trouser-shirt was wrangled around his body, that scar on his face stands out. On the left is Katana, she looks the same way as when I left. The only difference is that there's a bandage wrapped around her arm. On the right sits Kai, who's devouring his mash potatoes with thick gravy on them.
"Why, Lotisia, don't stand there like a whore on the street, sit down and devour my food." He lifts a green bean on his fork and stuffs it in his mouth.
"Your majesty." I bow quickly and walk toward the chair that's next to Kai. He hands me the woven basket of buns, I put one on my plate, then take a small slab of turkey. I wouldn't lie and say I'm not hungry, because I am.
I stood for almost two hours to get my dress fitted. It was gorgeous, I almost fell over, but the old woman held me up. She said it took her hours to get the stitching right, but she liked me and wanted me to look nice.
"So, Kai, when are you going to leave that library and come spar with your sister and me?" The King asks Kai while looking over the flute class of champagne.
"I don't like to fight uncle." Is all he says.
The King gives him a weird look, "But you're a Khan, your life is all about fighting."
Kai shrugs a shoulder, "I know, but I only fight when necessary."
"Ugh, you're just like your father. He hated causing violence, he only thought it should be used for emergencies. He was a boring older brother, Yount and I had more fun together, but when I became King, everything changed." He means when Yount went off and married Stella, who wasn't his mate, and had a kid with her. Angry, he left Nygaard and created his kingdom, Insofar.
Katana tries to shift the conversation. "Just say you're weak and are scared to fight me and uncle Etho." She says, joking around.
Etho?
She looks to me, "That's his goddess's name, Etho. When he became King, he took a King's name." It's like what the English do when they get a King or Queen.
I see the sorrow in the King's eyes, "I miss being called Etho, Adalwolf is so impersonal. Originally, I wanted to keep my name as Etho, but my court disagreed. Only my wife calls me by my name."
Speaking of his wife, where the hell is she?
As if reading my mind, "Accalia and my son, Jai'lon, are visiting her family in Batkai. They will be back here a day before the ball. Now, Quinneth, how are you finding it here?"
I suck down my champagne, which relaxes my body. I don't drink too much, Kai told me to stay on alert, and I can't do it if I'm tipping over drunk. "Nice. I went to the library, so many cool books, and the artwork around here is gorgeous." He brightens at the last part.
"You love art?" He asked surprised.
"I do, I'm not a fan of all that Picasso and Mona Lisa crap, I like the painting of sceneries and the artwork on the walls."
"My father wasn't a fan of the arts, he thought it was boring, and the people who did paint needed to get a real job. I, on the other hand, loved going to the local art gallery in town. I would stay there for hours and hours, just absorbing the abstract and color of the art surrounding me. When he passed, I decided to give the castle a little makeover. I enlisted a friend, Jaji, to create paintings of various family members. In your bedroom is my grandmother, Ashina. She was a beautiful woman, and kind." He smiles a genuine smile. "If you want, I can have Jaji come and show you around."
"I would like that."
My sentence was cut off by a loud bang. Coming through the large doors is a tall man, dark skin, sharp jaw, black sparkling eyes with a scar on his right cheek. I immediately recognize him, he's the man who was scaling the castle walls on my first day here. He looked different now with the lights illuminating on him. He's more beautiful.
"Varian." The King grumbles. "It's nice for you to finally show up."
Varian walks over to the table, "Sorry uncle, I was tied up, literally." Ugh.
Katana and Kai laugh in their hands, his eyes land on me. "Ah, Quinneth Worthingshire, it's nice to meet you again. You look even more beautiful with clothes on."
"WHAT!" Katana screams, her eyes bleed into my soul.
"Oh! It was nothing like that- uh- well, I try to explain myself without exposing Varian, "he came to my room at night, he was coming to greet me, I had on a thin, lace dressing gown." I look up to Varian, he winks.
His hand grabs a sausage right off my plate, bites into it, and plops down in a chair. One leg is hanging off the chair arm. "I can see why Alexander is fond of you." His eyes search over me, I cower under his glare. They move on to another, "Cousins, it's so nice to see you all again. Katana, you're looking. . .different. Last time I saw you, you had braces and weird hair."
She stabs her fork into the turkey, I wonder if she already knows it's dead. "Varian, you look. . .presentable. Weren't you wearing diapers the last time I saw you?" She quips.
"Kitty Kat, always the fucking comedian."
"Varian! Watch your language, you don't talk to your cousin like that. Quinneth, this is Varian Thorpe, he's my nephew on my wife's side. He's here visiting on holiday; he'll be leaving back to Batkai in a few weeks." Mhm, he doesn't look like a person in school.
"Sorry, she just brings out the worst in me. Kitty Kat, we should spar sometime, I want to know what those Khans have taught you on that dirty island." She rolls her eyes.
We spend the rest of the evening eating our food, Kitty Kat- I mean Katana- goes back and forth with Varian. Kai and I just laugh and laugh and laugh, they are truly funny together. Varian is the oldest of Luna Accalia's sister's children, he mostly comes here on holiday to see the sights, and 'see the sites', which means going to the town brothel. The fact that they have a brothel is concerning, I feel like I'm in the Victorian age.
Varian offers to walk me back to my room, since it would be the gentlemen thing to do, I couldn't ignore him. I wrap my arm around him, and we walk out the doors. Katana, Kai, and The King decide to promenade in his garden.
"Thank you for not ratting on me."
I shake my head, "No problem. I'm assuming those girls were worth it."
"Oh, they were." A flirtatious grin sets on his face. "But they weren't as beautiful as you, Lotisia."
I just stare at him; we turn a corner. Since Varian decided to walk me to my room, Ben took off early for the night. He looked like he was in a rush or something because as soon as Varian said he would take me to my room he ran off. "You do know that I'm mated, right?" I say, trying to jog his memory.
"Doesn't mean I can't compliment you. A woman should know that she's beautiful. Maybe if you never met Alexander, we could have gotten along well. It's not the first time he's taken something from me."
"What do you mean?" I question. What did Alexander take?
"He never told you, huh? Two years ago, my uncle hosted a ball for all the future Alpha's to come and mingle. It wasn't just future Alpha's of packs, but of Kingdoms in a different region, too. The King of Almeeria's heir, Zeta Titan, stole both I's and Alexander's attention. We fought over her the whole night, but in the end, he won. I was so furious, but at the time, I wasn't in the right headspace, he was better for her."
"That sounds like Alexander. When he wants something, he isn't afraid to fight for it. He did the same thing with me. He fought Myers because he hurt me, kept hanging around me, and risked his life. That's just who he is." My hand tightens on Varian's arm.
"Are you alright?"
"Oh, yes. I- I just miss him, that's all."
We arrive at my door, before I could open it, Xenia pops out. "Ma'am! What are you doing back so early, I don't have your bath ready."
"It's alright Xenia, I can wait." Her eyes move from me to the handsome man on my arm.
"Prince Varian." She bows.
"Xenia Primavera, I haven't seen you in a while. I didn't know you were taking care of my dear friend Quinneth." He flashes a smile; she blushes and pushes her braid behind her back.
"I was moved from my post with the Countess Ksenia to help out Quinneth, when she leaves, I'll go back."
"I miss seeing you around the castle, your hair tousled over while you curse at all the laundry you have to do."
She blushes, "I- I didn't know anyone was watching me, that's embarrassing."
"I didn't want to scare you, and it was pretty funny. I hope to see you around more, your beauty lights up my day." He turns to me. "Quinneth, thank you for letting me walk you to your room." He kisses my hand. Then, walks over to Xenia, but instead of kissing her hand, he kisses her cheek, she squeals quietly. "Ms. Primavera." His voice was sultry.
Once Varian leaves, I shut the door. "What was that, Xenia!"
"Nothing! Nothing at all, let me go run the water." She runs out of the room, her dress dancing behind her.
She and Varien, no way.
77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuZ0oLESxJ
