Chapter 6 #2
I took a deep breath. “My mother warned me not to cross the Feyline. She said you would use me because I’m a daywalker.”
Rasimir’s eyes widened. For a second, he seemed speechless. Then he gestured to the valley beyond the balcony. “I rule a land of twilight. What use do I have for a daywalker?”
I gripped the balcony railing as my past and present collided, everything I thought I knew threatening to shatter.
Unless Rasimir was as fine of an actor as the thieves he spoke of, his confusion was genuine.
He didn’t care about my ability to tolerate the sun.
My so-called “gift” was meaningless in Nocta.
“Majesty.”
The soft voice made both of us turn. A slender young man stood in the doorway, his eyes downcast and his hands clasped in front of him. Longish light brown hair fell around his shoulders.
“Yes, Alon?” Rasimir said.
“The refreshments are ready, Majesty.”
“Excellent.” Rasimir offered me his arm again. “Shall we, my dear? I’m sure you’re famished after your journey.”
I could only nod, my gut twisting as he led me back into the elegant room.
Lorcan waited near the sofa. Vander still stood by the door, his gaze on a pair of female servants in black gowns and white aprons.
One looked as ordinary as any human from Ghedda, but the other boasted a pair of translucent wings that buffeted the air as she placed a tiered serving tray of dainty-looking cakes on a low table in front of Lorcan’s sofa.
Prince Lorcan snapped his fingers at Alon. “Fetch the wine. The princess is thirsty.”
Alon leaped to obey, and I stared at Lorcan with animosity pumping through my veins.
The princess was thirsty, but I didn’t need a handler.
He looked at me, satisfaction in his eyes as Alon appeared with a platter of crystal wineglasses filled with dark red liquid.
The scent of blood hit my nose, and saliva flooded my mouth.
The blood I’d taken from Mama was long gone, and I hadn’t taken enough of the werewolf’s blood to sate my thirst. I’d been careless, letting hunger creep up on me.
The monster inside me stirred, eager for the liquid in the glasses.
I knew that if I looked in a mirror, my cheeks would be flushed, my pupils dilated.
“You shouldn’t be ashamed of your thirst,” Lorcan said, plucking two glasses from the platter. “In Nocta, we hold it sacred.” He extended one of the glasses to me, a taunting smile there and gone on his lips before I could fully absorb it.
Rasimir’s regard was a weight against the side of my face. The serving women finished their task and stepped back, but they watched me with the same level of blatant curiosity. Heat filled my cheeks as I accepted the wine.
“I’m not ashamed,” I said, my fangs sliding down. “I’m just not accustomed to drinking so freely.”
“Of course not,” Rasimir said. He took a wineglass and lifted it in my direction. “You’ve been away from your homeland for too long, my beloved daughter. But now you are returned to us.”
Lorcan raised his glass. “To Princess Corinthe of Nocta.”
“To Princess Corinthe of Nocta,” Rasimir echoed.
The blood was laced with wine, and it went down like silk.
Pleasure tingled through my limbs, ferrying away little aches I hadn’t noticed until that moment.
The soreness from two days in the saddle.
Lingering discomfort from Cyprio’s collar.
Even my mood lightened, and I smiled at Rasimir as he bade me sit.
His eyes were bright. “You look even more beautiful with your fangs, my daughter. Don’t hide them.”
For the next few minutes, I floated in quiet contentment as Rasimir and Lorcan discussed the weather and the state of the roads.
I had nothing to add to either topic, which was fine by me.
One of the servants handed me a plate with a selection of cakes.
Alon flitted to my side and discreetly swapped my empty wineglass for a full one.
The cakes were lighter than air and flavored with lemon—something almost impossible to get in Ghedda.
Cyprio would have salivated at the sight of them.
Well, fuck him. Hopefully he and Fark were on the run from a horde of disappointed nobles.
“…would you like that, Corinthe?”
I jerked at the sound of my name. Rasimir watched me from the opposite sofa, one long leg crossed over the other.
Lorcan sat in the adjacent chair. More time must have passed than I thought, because the light coming through the windows was a deep purple now.
Alon stood before the balcony doors, his eyes unfocused as he apparently waited for a command.
“Um…” I leaned forward so I could place my empty wineglass on the table. “I apologize, Majesty—”
“Father,” Rasimir said. “I insist.”
Right. I swallowed. “Father. I’m sorry, but my thoughts ran away with me. I didn’t catch the question.”
“Not to worry, my dear. I asked if you would enjoy a hunt tomorrow.”
Wariness stole over me, memories of the “hunts” the young men of Derryton staged rising in my mind. “Like…on horseback?”
Amusement shone in Rasimir’s eyes. “Yes, on horseback. I believe the nobles of your large cities in Ghedda enjoy similar pursuits.”
Relief swept through me. Even in Derryton, the gentry loved wearing their best clothes and thundering after a boar. “Yes, I believe so.”
Rasimir slapped his thigh, his lips curving into a smile wide enough to show the tips of his fangs. “Just so. We’ll ride out in the morning.” He raised his voice without looking away from me. “Alon will lead us.”
The slender servant stiffened, the ends of his hair shivering. He blinked his moss-green eyes, then licked his lips. “I am…honored, Majesty.”
Rasimir rose. As Lorcan and I stood with him, the king rounded the table and brushed his knuckles over my cheek. “Prince Lorcan and I have been selfish, keeping you all to ourselves this evening. Tomorrow, you’ll meet the rest of my court. Our court.”
I nodded, nerves tightening my gut. As with everything else that had transpired since I entered the Drakhold, refusal seemed impolite. “I’d like that. Father.”
His eyes lit up the same way they had on the steps of the Drakhold. “Rest well, Daughter. One of the servants will see you to your chamber.”
A half hour later, I kept my smile plastered on my face as I nodded to the servant. “Good night. And thank you.”
The man froze in the middle of backing into the corridor, his hands on the knobs of my room’s double doors. “O-Of course, Your Highness. It was my pleasure to serve you. Good night.”
“Good night.” I braced for an endless volley of good nights , but he simply returned my nod and closed the doors.
Five…four…three… When nothing happened by the time I finished counting down to one, I spun and sagged against the paneled wood. More opulence greeted me as I surveyed the chamber, which was at least double the size of the cottage back home.
Home. Would I ever see it again? Would I see Mama?
And what would I say to her? Why would she lie to me about something so important—possibly the most important thing in my life?
It was one thing to think I was the daughter of a Noctan nobleman.
It was quite another to discover I was the secret heir to the throne.
How could she keep that from me? Did she search for me now?
The questions spun through my mind, threatening to make me dizzy as I took in the chamber’s thick carpets and blush-pink decor.
Colorful tapestries of women in long, courtly gowns decorated the walls.
Vases of brilliant flowers stood on various surfaces.
Candelabras with more shimmering orbs were scattered on elegant tables, bathing everything in dreamy light.
It was a room fit for a princess, but I didn’t feel like one.
The warm, pleasurable glow of the blood-wine had dissipated, and the aftertaste of lemon-flavored frosting coated my tongue.
A woman stepped away from the wall across the room and curtsied. “Good evening, Your Highness.”
My heart seized and a scream caught in my throat.
I pressed my back harder against the doors, my heart pumping wildly.
The woman was too stunning to be human. Snowy white hair fell in loose waves to her waist, and her eyes were twin pools of sapphire blue.
Her skin was even more flawless than Lorcan’s, not a blemish or wrinkle in sight.
And she’d blended into the wall like she was part of it.
“Who are you?” I croaked.
“Oh!” The woman’s face crumpled. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you, Princess. Truly, I didn’t.”
She was so obviously contrite, my fear faded at once. “It’s all right,” I said. “You just startled me. I thought I was alone.”
“I should have announced myself right away.” She moved closer and bobbed another curtsy.
“I’m Delphine, Your Highness, a lady’s maid here at court.
If it pleases you, I’ll help you dress for bed.
” She lowered her gaze, and a hint of pink entered her cheeks.
“And if you’re satisfied with my assistance, perhaps I could serve you permanently. ”
The awkwardness I’d felt with Rasimir returned. I forced a smile as I stepped away from the doors. “The only place I’ve ever been served is inside a tavern.”
Delphine’s brow furrowed. “Your maid helped you undress inside a tavern?”
“No, I just meant—” I shrugged. Might as well own up to it.
“I’m sort of new to being a princess. My mother used to help me unlace my dresses when I was younger, but I’ve never had a lady’s maid.
” I cringed inwardly, prepared for a smirk or condescension.
But Delphine beamed at me, her skin glowing as brightly as the orbs around the room.
“I’ll be so pleased to help you, Your Highness,” she said. “Just leave it to me.”