Chapter 18 #2
I released him and stepped back, crossing my arms. “I don’t believe it.” I was starting to really panic. What did he mean, we were married? And what did he mean, his dad vengeance married us?
He shrugged and gestured with a hand. “Okay. I mean, it’s only legal in this country. It doesn’t make that much difference. I mean, you can still go ahead and marry whoever you choose at the end of the competition. We’ll just be best friends forever without mentioning the marriage thing.”
He was such an idiot. Could I smack him?
“You think my second husband won’t mind that I’m married to someone else, and that person is my best friend forever? Really? And when you get married, your wife will be just fine with it? There isn’t a more official body in the world than the HOST.”
He started frowning. “I’m not getting married. I tried, really, I did, but it’s not in my nature.”
“Except that you’re my husband now? How is that in your nature?” I spun around and stalked off before I put him through the stone wall. He was so stupid. He wanted to die or he wouldn’t be playing these games.
I marched to the hall, trying to breathe evenly, but everything was spinning.
Richard and I were married? It hadn’t just been in my head?
Did Richard actually not know about it? It seemed like something he’d know about, but he’d specifically said that he didn’t know, and that kind of outright lie should be something an angel wouldn’t do.
Richard was an idiot who hadn’t told me about the life-binding or that he was SunRae, but he’d never specifically lied about it.
But I’d never said ‘I do.’ So it didn’t count, even if the Commander of the HOST’s said we were married.
Unless we said ‘I do,’ it wasn’t true. Except that he couldn’t lie.
But he’d never specifically said that we were married. So…
Pearly White took my hand and drew me into the chair next to the fireplace, my head still spinning.
“Princess, so good of you to join us. You’ve had quite a whirlwind week with all the rehearsing.
You didn’t know it’d be quite so intensive, but the results show your efforts, as well as your partners’.
I’m so looking forward to watching these with you and then getting your reactions and hearing some behind the scenes making of.
I’m not going to ask you which is your favorite, because we don’t want the audience to be influenced, but you can talk about the music, and which piece was the most difficult. ”
I smiled brightly and gave a light laugh. “I’m so excited to get started.” Did any of it matter if I was already married?
He gestured elaborately, and curtains pulled back around the windows to reveal a screen.
The first music video was of me and Banus Jones. For an incubus, he looked more like a businessman than a lover, although he was truly handsome, and seemed extremely respectful and considerate of me. We looked comfortable together, and the music was pleasant to hear. That was the word, ‘pleasant.’
After it ended, and the lights came back on, Pearly White turned to me eagerly. “You seem to enjoy one another’s company, but I’m not sure I see much of a spark. Was this piece hard to perform?”
“It was quite a simple song, and I enjoyed singing with Banus. He’s very pleasant.”
Pearly White gave me a long look before he turned to the camera and gave them a significant look. “You heard it from her. Banus Jones, the Incubus, is pleasant. We’ll be back with the fairy’s duet after the break.”
He lowered his microphone and turned to look at me, his eyes narrowed as he studied me coldly. “Maybe show more emotion about the contestants. Pleasant? Really? Do you want to make him cry? I do, but that’s me. He’s unbearably smug. He thinks because he’s got money, he doesn’t need anything else.”
“I don’t think he’s like that. I like him.”
He flashed sharp teeth. “Because he’s being pleasant. Because he sees you as a business acquisition.”
“Or I like him because I understand his motives and appreciate his straightforwardness.”
He shrugged. “Moving on.” He turned to the camera while it zoomed in and he flashed his notorious smile. “Ladies and gentlemen, and now for the duet between our operatic diva and our fair princess. Are you ready to see the fruits of your labors?”
I nodded and smiled as excited as I could, but remembering the duet with the fairy left a chunk of cement in my stomach. Heavy. So exhausting and without any enjoyment.
I watched the beautifully designed video, and Fellicci’s voice was glorious. My voice was not operatic, so it was jarring to go between one to the other. Still, it wasn’t terrible. We both looked very pretty.
“Wow! I think I can speak for all of us when I say, wow! It must have been incredible to work with such a professional!”
I smiled at him and nodded. “He taught me so much! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to really see how a professional musician approaches a serious performance.”
“Hmm.” He cocked his head and put a hand on his chin in a classic thinker pose. “But it seemed almost as if it were more of a solo than a duet. I’m not sure why, but it’s as if it’s more about his voice than yours. Did it feel like that at all?”
“He’s the professional. Of course I can’t match his abilities, so I’m afraid it wasn’t a very balanced piece. If he’d been matched with someone who could perform as well as him, then that would have been better.”
“So…” He shook his head slightly, “Not a match? Don’t answer that. We’ll be looking at the werewolf’s duet…when we come back.” He flashed his terrifying smile and then the cameras moved away.
“What a diva,” he said, shaking his head.
“A real professional would have put the balance of the piece before his own showboating. You must have been miserable working with him. I’ve heard rumors about how absolutely awful it is to work with him, but now we know for ourselves.
Better enthusiasm. Good. All right, and now for the wolf.
Try not to show too much contempt. We don’t want the audience to feel like he was unfairly hated. ”
“And now we’re back,” he said, turning to the camera and smiling. “For the amazing duet between the princess…” the camera panned to me, then back to himself. “And the wolf. Tell me Princess, Katriana, how many hours did you spend rehearsing each day?”
“Um, six to eight?”
He gave a shocked expression even though he already knew all about it. “Just for rehearsal? And then the music videos must have taken hours.”
“And the recording. It was more intense than I expected, but the results are amazing. The people who worked on these should be very proud. I hope you’ll have all their names in the credits, because their work was exemplary.
Costume, makeup, lighting, and of course the camera people.
And then the editing? I can’t imagine how much time must have gone into these, and they’re absolutely brilliant.
Each one is a masterpiece whether you liked the music or not. ”
Pearly White gave me a slow smile. “Do you think so? I have to agree. I’ve been working in television for a long time, and if the video editor’s skills were for sale, I’d purchase them in a heartbeat.
Richard the Lion did the technical editing of each music video.
Apparently, he does that for the angelic promos, and he has an eye. ”
I stared at him while my stomach tangled. “Wow. That’s probably why his account has such amazing cinematics.”
“Mm. Undoubtedly. Well, let’s not jump ahead to the angel when we have the wolf’s performance to enjoy.”
That music video was more fun to watch than the one with the fairy.
It wasn’t great music, or memorable in any way, but I was clearly having more fun, and it showed.
Ah. That’s why Richard talked to me about having fun, because he’d seen how much fun I hadn’t been having with the fairy through the camera lens.
The kiss at the end made my skin crawl, but other than that, it was an okay video about two predators fighting over the night and contemplating working together. Claws and Fangs.
When the lights came on, Pearly White gave me an expectant look. “That kiss! Was it part of the video or a spontaneous thing?”
I shook my head. “It was a surprise.”
“A pleasant one, I hope.”
I only laughed and tried to keep smiling.
“All right folks, we’ll be back after this.
” He dropped all expression and studied me.
“Be braced for the last video. It’s much more sensual than you’d expect from an angel.
He must have stayed up all night editing.
It’s like a fever dream meets a fairy tale.
And so ridiculously sensual. He could be the incubus in this thing.
I’m not sure he should publicly display this sort of blatant desire, but since he gave it to me, and it’s going to drive ratings, I’m taking it. ”
“But that’s not…” I stopped abruptly when the camera turned to him and his tv smile.
“Welcome back. Thank you for joining us on this epic duets showcase. You, and the princess will have to decide who the true winner is…and who gets to go home. The angel doesn’t perform often publicly, so sit back, and enjoy the show. Does he steal the spotlight, or does he make his princess shine?”
The camera flashed to me and I gave a smile that hopefully was less sickly than I felt. The lights went off and the last music video came on.