Chapter Fifty-One
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Elara took a deep breath as she weaved through the crowd, pushing herself into clear view of Alfonso. She looked over at Leo, standing behind Idris, nodded to him, and got a single nod in reply. Then she glanced up at the pink lightdown streaming through the glass palace roof. One, two, three…
A spotlight struck her, Leo’s powers spilling towards her as she stepped out, the mirrors shining rays off her as though she was the Light itself. The music ceased, as an acapella voice sang for three beats. She waited as the crowd admired the source of the brightness, gasping in wonder as they saw her shine.
‘And who is this?’ Alfonso said. ‘A new entrant? Who is this mysterious beauty?’ Then, with a smile to Leo, who winked back, she waited a few seconds as the band began playing again, and on the next beat of the drums she released her shadows and plunged the hall into darkness.
To their credit, the band continued, using the excitement to fuel their music as screams and gasps filled the cavernous chamber. The shadows hid her while she slinked through the crowd, Alfonso continuing to commentate in excitement. When she spotted Enzo, looking around in anticipation from his chair, she smiled. Counted down. Then, on the next drum beat, she pulled her shadows in.
Light exploded back into the room to reveal her straddling the Prince of Helios. Enzo’s eyes flew to hers in shock.
There were more gasps, murmurs and whispers through the crowd.
‘An Asterian?! Ladies and gentlemen, this is history being made!’ the jester screeched. ‘What could this mean should she charm the prince? Peace between the kingdoms of Light and Dark?!’ There were hollers and cheers of encouragement as the onlookers overcame their shock. Elara was taken aback. She thought that the other kingdoms despised Asterians, and yet here was this elated mass of people from every reach of Celestia, cheering her.
‘Surprise, prince,’ she whispered to him as she pressed herself into him. He swore, too low for anyone to hear, clenching her waist with his hands. Her skirts hitched around her as she rolled her hips again for good measure in time to the music as the crowd cheered again.
‘What the fuck are you doing?’ he whispered.
She smirked. ‘You needed all eyes on me, didn’t you?’
Enzo let out a disbelieving laugh as his gaze trailed down to where her hips moved like water.
‘Were you tempted by any of those other girls?’
‘Not a single one,’ he purred, bringing his eyes back up to her with earnest sincerity. In one swift move, she spun so that her back was to him, her hair cascading behind her. She felt one hand tighten as the other pushed her hair to one side.
‘I didn’t get to appreciate this dress from the back before,’ he added.
‘Take a good look then.’ She arched her back, widening her legs and dipping forwards so that her full back was on display, the delicate chains slipping across it.
She felt him lean forwards, trailing his nose up the tail of her dragun. ‘I need to personally thank whoever made it.’
‘Well, the prince is definitely interested!’ Alfonso shouted. ‘It’s the most attention he’s shown a charmer all night!’
She rolled her hips from where she sat. ‘If you like that, you should see the golden lingerie I have on to match.’
His strong hands grasped her middle, pulling her back to him. She felt a hand snake up around her front, holding her neck as he brought her ear to his mouth.
‘I never knew you were such a sadist, princess,’ he murmured into it, his nose skimming her neck. ‘Now you’re just being cruel.’
She gave a wicked smile as she pressed back into him, arching her spine. ‘What’s pleasure without a little pain?’
She stood, Enzo rising from the chair behind her as she turned to him, lacing her hands with his. His eyes burned into her as he twirled her.
‘Don’t expect me to have a coherent thought right now, Elara.’
He pulled her in hard, his hands still gripping her waist so that there wasn’t an inch of space between their bodies as they continued to grind to the music.
‘Dear Stars! Maybe the D’Oro’s sigil should change to a snake, the way those hips are winding!’ Alfonso shrieked, and Elara laughed.
‘I knew you were an exhibitionist, but this may be a new level,’ she teased. She turned her neck to look up at Enzo and saw his pupils dilate, pure intent colouring his eyes.
‘When you look like that, who could blame me?’ He murmured the last words, his gaze flicking to her lips.
She didn’t answer and instead reached a hand behind his neck. His calloused hands tightened, and the roughness of them through the material of her dress sent spikes of apprehension through her body. Almost lazily, he ground against her, one hand now trailing down her side to the slit in her dress.
‘So we’re going to give them a show?’ he murmured into her ear, tongue loose from the lust-filled energy now throbbing around the room. The solstice was reaching its peak, and true to Isra’s word, the energy was palpable as the magick of the kingdom took over.
‘Yes,’ she breathed as his hand started grazing the outside of her naked thigh, his hips still grinding slowly to the music. She jolted at the sudden contact of bare skin.
‘You sure you want to play with fire?’ he carried on, that delicious hand creeping higher and higher, bunching the sheer fabric around her hip as cool air began to play on her skin. He grazed his thumb over her hipbone, and she moaned quietly, leaning into him. She was no longer aware of what anyone else was doing, whether or not they were watching.
‘We both know my shadows are a match to your flames,’ she replied breathlessly, drunk on the Aphrodean air, her every sense constricting to the feel of his devilish hand.
‘Mmm…’ he rumbled into her neck. ‘You don’t know what you’re doing to me.’
He trailed the back of a knuckle down her thigh for emphasis, and she arched into him even more.
‘Then show me,’ she hummed.
His grip on her tightened, bringing slight coherence to her addled thoughts. He pushed into her more roughly, and she could feel him, hard against her.
He laughed softly. That damn breath on her neck was going to be her undoing. That and the hand that she was trying to ignore creeping higher and higher towards the ache between her legs, now slick with want.
‘Enzo,’ she breathed, a plea. He hissed through his teeth.
‘Elara,’ he bit out.
‘And ladies and gentlemen, I think we have a winner!’ Alfonso exclaimed. ‘The prince has well and truly been seduced!’ More cheers followed.
Elara blinked, registering her surroundings once more, as Enzo’s grip loosened on her.
Alfonso had descended from the balcony, and the crowd was parting around him as he rushed forwards in delight, coming to a halt before them both.
‘Now who is this mysterious Asterian?! Pray tell us your name, darling, as you make history right here in Aphrodea. An Asterian seducing the Prince of Helios—we’ve never heard such a thing. Do you think this represents a truce, King Idris?’
Elara turned to the king, still sitting upon the dais as he smiled in response, lips closed. He shrugged, something hard dancing in his eyes.
The noise from the crowd was almost deafening, cheers ringing out as she laced her fingers with Enzo’s, and looked straight at Alfonso. She waited for the crowd to quiet.
‘Who are you?’ Alfonso demanded again with glee.
Elara raised her chin.
‘My name is Elara Bellereve, the rightful queen of Asteria and survivor of the divinitas of the King of Stars.’