Shadows of the Crown

31. Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One

Ariella

“ W hat?” Caspian shakes his head idly, scrutinizing a strand of my hair. He shifts inside me as he leans forward to look at it more closely, my overly-sensitized intake of breath snapping him from concentration.

“I just thought…it’s nothing.” He smiles brightly, dropping my hair. He smirks in an utterly satisfied male way when my features contort as he slowly pulls out before pointing a finger at me. “Stay right there, or I won’t let you use your blades on me any longer.” My stomach dips. I do not need to tell him that he doesn’t let me do anything—he knows. The look on his face begs me to fall for his attempt at annoying me.

He disappears into the bathroom before walking back toward me with a wet cloth. When his feet stop mere inches away, I avert my eyes from his still partially hard cock. He chuckles.

“Like what you see, angel?” A playful smile pulls at my lips as my eyes unhurriedly drink him in. I scrunch my nose and shrug before leaning back, bored .

I hum, “It’s all right.” He bellows a laugh, throwing his head back. I fight the unsettling heaviness in my chest and push to drop from the desk, blocked by his all right body when he steps closer.

“I swear the Angel sent you to this realm just to humble me.” He reaches the cloth toward my thighs, my hand snapping to grip his wrist.

“What do you think you’re doing?” His confused expression does not match the hardness of mine.

“Cleaning you?” That…is not what I’d expected him to say. I search his face, though he only watches me with growing understanding. “Do not tell me your other… partners ,” he spits, “have never made sure you were cared for?” I think I shake my head—I’ve no idea why this seems so important to him.

“I don’t know who you think I am, but I’m certainly capable of cleaning myself, prince.” My head tilts. “Though, if it’s pregnancy you worry about, I can assure you I consume the cilla leaf each month.”

He waves a hand. “As do I, but that’s not what I’m referring to.” Still distractingly naked, he shuffles between my legs once more. “I was going to tease you—how I finally know something the Silver Wraith does not…” His hands slide over my hips, cupping my backside before pulling me forward. The chill of the cloth causes my skin to pebble under his touch. “But my amusement is not worth the expense of how you’ve never been cared for or protected properly. ”

Why I feel the need to defend myself is lost as I open my mouth to keep pushing him away. “I’ve learned to do both for myself just fine; I do not need you to coddle me.” His sad, pitying smile grates my nerves—a cold reminder of the different lives we come from.

“Sure…you were forced to learn how to wield a blade to protect your skin. How to clean this beautiful hair. How to live on your own, because there was no one left to live with you—”

“I don’t need a fucking history lesson. I know what I went through.” I swallow around the burning words.

“ But ,” he enunciates, pressing a light kiss to each corner of my mouth. “You’ve never had the chance to be human. You learned to shut off your emotions and desires. You build a wall the moment someone is kind to you because you don’t know how to handle it, just like you’re doing right now.” Am I?

I scoff—of course I do that…if I don’t let anyone close to me, no one gets hurt. It’s simple.

“And this, Ariella.” He brings the cloth to my center, cleaning our cum from me more gently than I thought could be possible. “This is me caring for you. I know you can do it yourself…but I want to do this. You shouldn’t feel like I’ve only used your body to fuck, just to toss you aside afterward. You should feel cherished,” he breathes, kissing my cheek. “Appreciated.” Another kiss. “I want your body and mind to feel safe and valued with me. I will not hurt you, angel.” It’s like he’s seen my every fear—how he knows this much is alarming, causing my heart to beat fast in my chest.

But there’s one thing he forgot to consider.

“That may be, prince…but I will hurt you .”

His eyes lighten as he shrugs. “You’re worth anything you wish to do to me.” He squeezes my thigh before returning to the bathroom. I hop from the desk and hurriedly slide on my pants, pulling my shirt down just as he walks back into the room.

I suddenly feel uncharacteristically nervous, blurting the first thing that comes to my head. “I read my father’s journal.” I wince—fucking fool. He slips from his closet as loose pants settle on his hips.

Of course, he forgot to don a shirt, and his knowing smile confirms just how intentional that was. I roll my eyes, holding his gaze as he saunters over to me and leans a hip against the desk.

“What did you find?”

For a moment I consider leaving without answering, but something tugs in my head. “A lot, though the most interesting information was written just before your father killed mine.” He winces at the reality I haven’t directly addressed with him. The horrible truth that intertwines us—the thing that I’ve wanted his life for while he pitied mine.

I open my mouth to tell him of my findings, but pause when my eyes catch the royal crest glaring at me from the wall. This is the son of the man I’ve hated my entire life. His father ripped my family from me; forced me into a life that I never wanted.

And Isaiah.

His family took everything from me, and yet I’m standing in his room after fucking him, about to spill all the secrets that had gotten my father murdered in the first place. I cannot trust him…I shouldn’t.

But not only do I need to, I want to. He has proven himself worthy time after time, not just with his bewildering words, but his actions. I can surely give him this small piece of me, if only to garner his help in discovering what my father almost had about the king.

“I didn’t thank you for the other night…I’d likely be dead if anyone else had come to my door.” He smiles, something heavy flitting through his eyes that causes me to tell him of what I found. His forehead becomes increasingly scrunched the more I say, wary tension seeping from my muscles as I watch his confusion grow.

If I’d had a single hint that he knew anything I speak of, his body would already be growing cold on the floor.

He’s silent for minutes, and I study his face as he processes my words. “Wait, an accord between whom? I know of no such agreement amongst the cities or the kingdom…” I stop pacing to sit on his bed, falling back and pressing my palms over my eyes.

“I’d gotten the impression that this is not a normal accord. He said it’s weakening , as if it is not a document but a living thing. ”

“How is that possible…that does not make sense.” He sighs, running a hand over his mouth.

I bite my tongue hard enough that a familiar metallic taste floods my mouth—I left one thing out. “He mentioned begging my mother to find another solution…in the Aether, but she didn’t wish to go back.” His head snaps toward me, seemingly unaware that his feet drag him to the bed.

“Go back? As in she’d been there before?”

I groan. “I don’t fucking know, Caspian! I’m just as lost as you are. How she died to give me time for something I know nothing of…how my father was convinced his search would be able to save her, and how he was certain the answers would lead to your father. He’d spoken as if the realm would perish any day—” Fuck, my head is throbbing. I sit up and cross my legs, facing the prince. “I do not fucking care why my parents did what they chose to do. I want to figure out whatever is going on with your father, and complete whatever the fuck my mother died to give me time for.”

His eyes search mine, tired. “Gavriel thinks he may have…stumbled across something.” I raise a brow, waiting for him to continue. He hesitates before seeming to decide on the right words. “You remember where the first trial was?” I nod once. “He saw one of the entrances to those tunnels being guarded.”

That’s his big secret?

“If you have yet to notice, there are sentries posted at every fucking corner of this castle.” He chuckles, shaking his head .

“Yes, but never at the tunnels. There’s nothing to protect down there, so why were they posted at one of the entrances? Not to mention everything my father has done with this competition and his attempts to kill you…

“I don’t know, Ariella—I’m fucking confused.” He falls back to the bed, cupping his hands behind his head. “I can’t see my father doing anything substantial enough to fit with what you’re saying, and yet I also didn’t think he could outright murder people for sport. The death of every other assassin was not meant to happen, and yet it did. So whether it’s him, or Varrick, that is making these decisions, I am not sure. But something in my gut is telling me there is much more to this than we think.”

I should leave. Gather my winnings at the ceremony tomorrow and travel far from Valoria—I’d never have to deal with any of this again. I could go on the adventures my mother spoke fondly of, or visit the cities outside of the kingdom.

That would be necessary, regardless; the king will send others after me the moment I am out of the spotlight.

It would be the smart thing to do, and I’ve never been someone to make impulsively foolish decisions. And yet I find myself saying…

“So, how do we figure this out?” If it wasn’t for my father’s journal, I likely would have left. But there’s something between his written words that calls to me—begs me to stay. “If I don’t remove myself from the castle after tomorrow, he will insist on having my head.”

We sit in silence, both lost in our own warring thoughts.

Getting into the castle undetected is the easy part, but remaining unseen long enough to obtain answers?

The door to Caspian’s room bursts open, slamming into the wall as Gavriel stumbles in with his sword drawn. He scrutinizes the prince and me with wide eyes, clearly confused that his charge is alive and unscathed—mostly.

“I—” His shoulders slack. “It was so quiet, I thought…” I burst out laughing, hopping from the bed and sauntering to the sputtering guard.

“Did you think I fucked your prince to his death?” I drawl, walking my fingers over the worn leather covering his chest. “I’m honored, Gavriel, that you would bestow me with such a compliment.” He smacks my hand away, and I smile brightly when his hatred for me overpowers his worry for the prince.

“You’re lucky I even allow you in here, wraith. If that fucking idiot wasn’t so obsessed with you…”

“Allow?” Heat builds in my chest, my eyes narrowing. He crosses his arms, smirking. “Well then allow me to sink this blade into your heart since you seem convinced that you’ve the power to order me around.” He tenses when the tip of my blade presses below his ribs, angled up toward the rapidly beating organ .

We glare at each other for a moment before Caspian groans loudly. “You two are ridiculous,” he mutters, sliding an arm around my waist to pull me back. I shiver when his lips meet my ear. “Why don’t we save such threats for me, hm? I seem to get jealous whenever you hold that beautiful weapon to anyone else, especially my guard—” He halts, straightening. “That’s it!” My brows furrow as I look between a disgusted Gavriel and a grinning prince.

I twirl the blade through my fingers, pinning Caspian with a hard look. “What’s it, exactly?” I swear to the Angel, if either of these foolish men claims any sort of ownership over me again…

“Ariella, you’ll be my personal guard—that’s exactly how to give you the access you need without my father making an attempt for your life.”

Gavriel and I share a look, agreed for once. “First, I would never be something so lowly as your personal guard.” I wink at the unimpressed bastard next to me. “Second, perhaps you’ve forgotten that your father lives in the castle. If I were to live here as well, that would certainly give him far easier access to me.”

He huffs, waving a hand. “No, of course I wouldn’t have you actually protect me—unless you wished to do so from my bed,” he lilts as his eyes roam my prickling body. Gavriel makes a strange noise, and I’m sure his skin is turning green. “But if I announce it during the ceremony tomorrow, there is nothing he could do to refute it. You’d be expected to be seen around the castle frequently, so he wouldn’t outwardly attack you, nor would your presence in the halls alarm anyone.”

The guard scoffs. “I guarantee everyone that sees her will be alarmed.”

I reach to pat him on the chest, forcing him to back away further. “Thanks for the support, Gav.” I bite my cheek, watching the prince attempt to hold in a laugh.

“Do. Not. Call. Me. That,” he spits each word, his grip on the pommel tightening.

“Oh, you’ll get used to it, Gav—especially when we begin working together.” I smile sweetly at him, relishing in the way his nostrils flare as he grinds his teeth.

“Gavriel, calm down or get out. You’re being dramatic,” Caspian laughs, his expectant eyes finding mine. “So you’ll do it?”

I do not seem to have another choice…or so I tell myself.