Chapter Thirteen
And true to the guests' expectations, the paparazzi - upon catching wind of the exclusive fete for select Lyccans and Faes - had come in droves and words like 'party of the year' were constantly being bandied about.
So enthralled were the guests at their newfound celebrity status that none of them seemed to notice the grimness underneath all the glitter, sparkle, and revelry.
Not a single one was acting guilty or suspicious, not a single one was giving himself away as a double-crossing spy...or an idiot who had accidentally said too much.
It was something they all expected, which was why they had a particular Lyccan guest going around, chatting everyone up while she put her skills to use.
Lysander's gaze tracked Matilda Fontabella's movements as she struck up a conversation with another group of guests. The Lyccan princess was said to have a talent for sniffing out liars, and they would know soon enough if this was true.
In the meantime...
He, too, had his own role to play.
As soon as Lysander came out of the balcony and back into the ballroom, the beast inside him immediately bristled.
Being surrounded by so many Lyccans still didn't sit well with both man and beast, and he had been constantly fighting against the urge to snatch Estrella out of anyone's reach and lock her in a cage where no other man would be able to look at her.
She was his Star, goddammit.
His.
So why did some of these stupid dogs keep trying to provoke him with the way they stared at his wife like she was their own goddess to worship?
They were so damn obsessed with his wife, he wouldn't be surprised at all if it turned out these Lyccans were the same ones behind the extremely popular online shrines dedicated to Estrella.
Stupid, goddamn dogs.
Only the knowledge that any violence on his part could hurt the Faes' membership with L'Alliance kept Lysander in check.
After ordering the twins to stick to their princess like glue, Lysander thought it best to avoid looking at the Lyccan side and concentrate instead in reintroducing himself to his people.
While many had welcomed him with tears in their eyes, they were also understandably cautious, and it was only after talking to him for several minutes and seeing that he wasn't the type to involuntarily change into a murderous beast that they finally relaxed and started talking.
They would ask him about Ammon, tentatively at first then eagerly, upon realizing that the Fae prince was no longer as aloof as he used to be.
After this, banter would follow, with everyone jokingly saying that his return would finally put an end to money-grubbing tabloids repeatedly referring to Estrella as the abandoned princess.
Over and over, the run of his conversation with his people followed the same template, and always, it would end with the guests excitedly sharing their memories about a battle that took place some months after his disappearance.
While Lysander made sure to make the right noises and play the impressed consort every time they eagerly turned to him for his reaction, a part of him privately wondered just how exaggerated these stories were.
He remembered Estrella to be timid, traumatized by the attack she suffered in her younger years.
She had been good at developing battle tactics, but to actually apply them in real life?
The Estrella he knew couldn't even stomach hurting a fly, and now they wanted him to believe that same Estrella had singlehandedly rescued Fae hostages from a gang of rogue vampires?
A trickle of guests had already left when midnight came and word reached Lysander about a Faerie requesting entry even though her name wasn't on the guest list. It was all rather suspicious, and everyone was instantly on guard.
"Did she give her name?" Lysander asked.
"No, Your Highness. But she says both you and the princess know her."
Lysander's face hardened. If this was a trap, it was downright amateurish but also outrageously bold. After relaying instructions to the twins, he strode towards where his wife was.
One moment, Estrella was chatting gaily with a couple of childhood friends. The next moment, one strong arm had curled around her waist, and she let out a startled yelp as Lysander swirled her away from the other guys and straight into the dance floor.
"Lysander!" But her voice was more breathless than chiding for this was the very first time they were dancing—-
I'm sorry, my Star. Lysander gave her another twirl. I didn't realize this was our first dance.
It's fine, she hurriedly assured him, not wanting Lysander to feel bad.
It's not. Especially since I am dancing with you for a particular reason.
Estrella's smile faded.
There's a Faerie outside your family's compound. She's unwilling to give her name, but she says she knows both of us—-
Lysander was puzzled when Estrella started smiling and shaking her head at the same time. Oh, Lys. Don't you know? It's her!
Her?
Fina! I've always been in communication with her, although the twins don't know about it. You know how she is.
Lysander couldn't believe what he was hearing. Fina...was the woman he had asked the twins to give his ring to. Fina...was here?
****
HAVING BEEN SIMILARLY apprised by his men about the uninvited guest at his doorstep, Domenico had Misty and his other sisters look after the remaining guests while he and his brothers quietly slipped away to keep an eye on Estrella and lend a hand if needed be.
They kept their distance as a show of courtesy, but not once did their gazes stray as the still-unidentified woman was allowed entry.
Domenico arched a brow when Estrella was the first one to welcome the stranger, her face glowing with pleasure as she threw her arms around the hooded figure.
The men with her, however, was not as effusive in their greeting. The Fournier brothers appeared guarded but not hostile while the Fae prince's tight-lipped smile only softened when the stranger turned to address him directly.
Estrella motioned for her older brothers to come forward a few moments later, and they strode forward, their thoughts masked behind courteous smiles.
Alejandro and Alessandro, being twins themselves, had always gotten along with the Fournier brothers, and their smiles were cordial enough as they bowed to the Fae prince in greeting.
Lysander's response was similarly amicable, and his attitude only distinctly cooled when he had to acknowledge Estrella's oldest brother.
Domenico, however, was far from bothered. From what his own spies told him, the Fae prince had long stopped carrying a torch for Misty. It had been his only issue with Lysander, and as long as Estrella stayed happy married to him, then he hadn't any cause for complaint.
Besides, Domenico's greater concern at the moment was learning what he could of their unexpected visitor.
This close, the three Lyccan princes were finally able to see the woman underneath the hood, and Domenico's own face became expressionless.
Something about her rubbed him the wrong way, but damn if he could figure out why that was.
"Your Highness." The woman's voice was so unremarkably neutral its sound could easily dissolve under the guise of anonymity, and her features - what little they could see - were just as bland.
Average height, average build. Hair that was dark but not too dark.
Contact lenses to conceal the real shade of her eyes.
Skin that was not quite fair, not quite tan.
And yet...
Alejandro was the first one to recognize her. Josefina. Back when he was involved in underground fights, he had come across her several times, always lurking in the dark but never staying long enough to cause him any concern.
Domenico had finally recognized the woman as well, and what he knew of Josefina made him temporarily withhold judgment of the situation.
Josefina was about his age, and her reputation as a spymaster was well-known in their world.
None of this, however, explained why Estrella seemed to know her well.
"Fina has been working undercover for years," Aluin was saying.
"Does your return mean you've succeeded in your mission?" Alessandro asked with a grin.
"A spy never tells," was the demure answer, and everyone laughed.
Afterwards, Fina requested to have a private moment to confer with her prince, and Domenico graciously offered one of his studies for their use. But Fina just as graciously refused the offer, saying, "Please forgive my rudeness. Old spy habits die hard."
"Of course."
Lysander turned to the twins. "Stay with my wife—-" He stopped for a moment, and both men smirked when they saw their prince. Internal squealing, definitely.
"Inside joke?" Alejandro couldn't help asking when he saw his sister suddenly start blushing for no reason and looking like her husband had gotten his hands on her teenage diary.
'Something like that' was all Alain's honor allowed himself to say.
As Lysander and his spymaster left the compound, Domenico also asked for a moment with his sister, and the twins walked away far enough to give them privacy but still close enough to respond in case there was danger.
Estrella gulped when she saw her big brother's arms crossed over his chest. Uh oh. She might be a grown woman now and even a ruler of her own kingdom, but when Domenico looked like that...
It was just as Fina said. Old habits die hard, and in this case, she was talking about old "sister" habits that involved feeling nervous and scared while wondering what she might have done wrong.
"Estrella..."
Here it comes.
"Do you trust that woman?"
She blinked in confusion. That was it? And when Domenico only continued to look at her, apparently waiting for an answer, she finally recovered her wits, saying quickly, "Yes, I do."
"Her request to speak with your husband privately bordered on rudeness and insubordination."
But Estrella only shook her head at this. "I've never told anyone about this, but do you remember the battle at the Miller Mines?"
"The battle which you not only instigated but also personally joined without letting any of us know?" Domenico's silky tone had Estrella wincing. "How can I forget such a thing?"
And because she could see that the memories weren't exactly making his mood better, she said quickly, "I'm sorry.
I'm really, really sorry, and I promised you, remember?
I'll never do it again, and anyway—-" She quickly changed subjects to prevent Domenico from any more unnecessary walks down memory lane.
"About that battle...I've never told anyone about this, but she was a huge help to me during that time.
She was always very encouraging, and if not for her, I would never have found the courage—-"
Or the idiocy, Domenico thought.
"To go there on your own."
Which he had taught her was the one fucking thing she was NOT to do, Domenico brooded.
Defying him on his wishes about her personal life was one thing.
Going against his lessons and training on warfare, however, was another.
It wasn't that military tacticians weren't skilled in actual combat, but it was that such actions were best saved as a last resort.
And no matter how one looked at it, the Miller Mine battle hadn't been important enough to make her involvement necessary.
"I have read numerous reports of firsthand accounts on that battle, little sister. And unless there's something I'm not seeing, what took place was practically a blueprint of one of your signature tactics. So what is it that she specifically helped you with?"
"Fina was there for me," she said simply.
Domenico's jaw clenched. "Estrella..."
Realizing how her brother could've misinterpreted her words, she said quickly, "I'm not blaming you, Dom. We both know you had to force yourself to stay away so the world could see I'd be able to stand on my own. She did the same thing. She knew I had to fight my own battles."
Not exactly the same, Domenico thought. The battles he had let Estrella fight were figurative. Fina had made Estrella fight for her life, literally.