Chapter Seventeen
HE MUSTN'T KNOW I'M hurt, mustn't think I'm jealous of his bond with the spymaster.
He mustn't know how desperately afraid I am he'd replace me.
Estrella repeated the thoughts over and over in her mind as she had her shower, and they continued even when she was already at her dresser and making rare use of the makeup her sisters regularly send her.
Not wanting to look pathetic was one thing, but mostly she just didn't want her failings to affect Lysander today of all days.
She took a critical look of herself in the mirror and quickly applied another round of concealer.
She wanted all traceable signs of her tears - which she had shed bucketloads of - completely gone.
Estrella had waited the entire night, often coming out of the balcony in case the beast had found shelter in the darkness.
But when dawn broke, and there was still no signs of Lysander, she had no choice but to accept. ..he just wasn't coming back.
And it terrified her.
Lysander had once told her that the beast in him required not just her constant presence but actual contact.
So for him to stay away, despite this...
Don't think about that.
Estrella clenched and unclenched her fists until her fingers finally stopped shaking and she could apply one final coat of lipstick without having to worry about turning herself into the cosplay version of Harley Quinn.
The fate of her marriage could wait, and in any case, after everything he had gone through for his race.
..it was only his decision that mattered.
Whatever he thought was best, she thought painfully, even if meant having to destroy their mating bond herself.
****
L'ALLIANCE COMPRISED of seventy-seven known races, and with each race given four ruling seats.
This totaled 308 seats in all, and their combined votes counted for 40% of the final tally.
The other 40% was from the Blood Oval, of which there were 10 nominated seats.
The remaining 20% came from the votes of the general population of preters.
For today's special assembly, arranged specifically to determine Lysander's possible inclusion in L'Alliance, the meeting, which was generally held within the cathedral, had been moved to the outdoor colosseum.
The vast structure consisted several levels of cavea, with wooden benches making up the outermost levels while the innermost levels reserved for ruling seats were more lavish, with velvet cushions and red carpet laid over the marble steps.
Closest to the arena and offering the best views was the centermost cuneus, reserved for the ten prestigious members of the Blood Oval.
And all of them were here to witness Lysander Allard's powers firsthand, now that his soul had fused with that of a legendary ancient beast.
"Showtime in twenty minutes, Your Highness," the stage director informed him.
The words would've been laughable if not for the assortment of weapons that hung casually on the other man's belt: a hundred-year-old dagger, tucked next to a pair of double-action Berettas...and a hand grenade.
So...no. Despite the cliched words, the presence of those weapons made it clear that the man meant business, as Lysander did. If the L'Alliance believed he was a threat, then he would be dealt with accordingly.
Thunderous cheers and applause suddenly broke out from the opposite side of the dugout tunnel, and as more soldiers realized that their princess had finally arrived, the sound grew increasingly deafening.
Her popularity was unquestionable, and while this had once been a source of pride, now it only made him feel like punching something.
Every time a soldier came up to Lysander, it was usually to rave about their beloved princess, and always stories of her bravery at the Miller Mine battle would come up.
They were practically worshipping his mate as a goddess, and what made it worse was how they were doing it right in front of Fina of all people.
"I'm sorry for this," he muttered under his breath.
"It truly doesn't bother me, Your Highness." But her voice caught at the end, and Lysander could only clench his fists against his sides.
The subtle interaction between the two didn't escape Misty's notice, and she couldn't help gnashing her teeth on her sister-in-law's behalf, with the way the other woman stood so unnecessarily close to the prince.
Domenico had told her that Fina was Lysander's former mentor and one whose quick wits had been responsible for saving the prince during the war.
But even so...
I just don't feel good about her, Misty thought uneasily. While the woman didn't feel evil, there was still something about her that Misty didn't quite trust.
And when Domenico's baby sister finally arrived, flanked on each side by her two handsome political advisers, Misty saw the way Estrella's gaze flitted towards where Fina stood remarkably close to her husband.
And then the younger woman looked away just as quickly, and Misty realized her sister-in-law was harboring the same thoughts as well.
When the princess and the twins finally reached them, Fina automatically stepped back, seeing the way the Fournier brothers were staring at her.
Bastards, she thought hatefully. They were looking at her like she was some undeserving leech by the prince's side, and she could do nothing about it. ..for now.
But they'd see. Soon, everyone would see that it was her, and not some stupid royal dog, that deserved to be Lysander Allard's true princess.
Meanwhile, Alain and Aluin subtly carved out a private space for the royal couple and effectively place as much as distance as possible between the spy and their prince.
With a few issued commands, they managed to have the princess and Lysander alone, and it was thus that Estrella finally had a chance to speak to her husband.
"I'm sorry I'm a little late." The words sounded awkward even to her own ears, but at least they were safe, and she focused on them so that Lysander wouldn't be able to see the pain underneath it. She wasn't sure if it was going to work, but there wasn't any harm in trying.
Lysander didn't answer right away. He had been trying to read his wife's thoughts and found himself blocked out of her mind for the very first time. Which meant she had only been pretending, Lysander thought bitterly, all those instances she supposedly forgot he could read her mind.
Not once did it occur to him that the only reason one could forget about such a thing was because Estrella's trust in him had been so absolute and implicit she hadn't even any need to hide anything.
But now that trust was broken.
He's still angry with me, Estrella realized painfully. His voice was so much stiffer than usual, his manner aloof. She was close to tears when their gazes accidentally clashed, and she saw that his eyes...
It was no longer haunted. Instead, his violet eyes...
Estrella's own eyes widened.
Lysander breathed hard. Shit. Fuck. Shit. One moment he was struggling to get past his disillusionment, and then the next thing he knew he was having to fight off against a tremendous wave of lust that was making his body tremble and bristle at the same time.
The beast inside him was prowling, snarling.
Apparently, one night was too damn long for it, and it was now starving mad.
Cold sweat began to bead his forehead, and Lysander breathed harshly.
He tried to fight against the need to take her, and the beast retaliated by clawing at its soul.
Hard. Enough to make him remember the agonies he had suffered all those years they had been in battle—-
Estrella suddenly grabbed his hand. "Your Highness, I need to speak to you in private. Now."
The twins heard this, and it was then they realized several things.
Lysander hadn't slept in the princess' bed last night. Lysander had told them he needed to fuck the princess to stay calm. And if the prince were to come out to the arena with a goddamn beast that was not calm...
The twins cursed under their breaths even as they swiftly sprung into action, forcing a path out of the crowd while they scanned their surroundings for the appropriate venue.
"There!" Aluin jerked his direction towards an unlabeled dressing room a few feet away, and Alain nodded in understanding. He motioned for the royal couple to follow behind him, and after making sure the room was safe and unoccupied, he stepped back to let Estrella and the prince pass.
Aluin pulled the door shut right after and then the twins crossed their arms over their chest and stared stoically at the crowd. The message was clear and simple: anyone who wanted to get to the couple would have to get past them first.