Chapter Twenty-Five – Kalon #2
“You would be one if you just married me,” I replied, making my way through the gardens. “But you’re stubborn and want to delay it.”
“No.” She lolled her head against me. “I’m not stubborn. I just know what’s going to happen, silly.”
“If you say so.” I vaguely sensed the presence of Hayes and Rina somewhere behind us. “For now, focus on sleeping.”
“No, no,” she mumbled again. “I just have to wait a liiiiiittle longer.”
“For what?”
“The inevitable.”
“Which is?”
“That’s a seeeeecret.” She tightened her grip around my neck. “She’s so lucky.”
I frowned, walking into the Rose Palace. “Who is?”
“I can’t tell you.” Alicia sighed against my neck, her breath skittering warmly across my skin. “But it’s so funny.”
“What is? Or is that another secret?”
“Heehee.” Her giggles were nothing but sleepy exhales. “Little bit.”
All right.
She was really drunk.
Hopefully Milton wasn’t having the rest of that wine sent over and the hangover potion would arrive soon.
Drunk Alicia was a nonsensical Alicia.
“My room!” She grinned at the sight of her room. “Bella! Bellllllaaaaa!”
“She’ll be on her way,” I assured her, carrying her inside. “Rina, have someone bring Bella here to assist Allie.”
Rina bowed her head. “Yes, Your Highness.”
I kicked the door shut behind us and laid Alicia on the bed. “Rina is getting her now. You should have some water.”
Alicia rolled onto her side and shook her head. “So funny. Everyone thinks you’re soooo mean and soooo scary, but you’re so kind,” she mumbled. “You’re too good for her.”
“Maybe you should just go to sleep.”
“Why didn’t you choose Alicia?”
A chill ran down my spine, one that spread to every nerve ending in my body. “What?”
“She deserved better than what you did to her,” she mumbled.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I removed her shoes and set them on the floor next to her bed, then poured her a glass of water. “Here. Water.”
She propped herself up on her elbow and slurped up a mouthful of water. “Ah. Refreshing.”
“I’m glad you think so.” I set the glass down and stepped back. “Bella will be here soon, so—”
“No.” She reached out and grabbed my sleeve. “Do you hate me?”
I peered down at her beautiful, flushed, sleepy face. Hate her? Exactly what part of her was I supposed to hate? Her bright smile? Her gorgeous eyes? Her warm heart?
I brushed my fingers across the back of her cheek, barely containing my smile. “Whatever makes you think such nonsense?”
“Because I’m Alicia, and in the book, Kalon hates Alicia.” She sighed, gripping tightly to my shirt. “So, you should hate me.”
What was she talking about?
“I could never do something so shameful as hate you.” I perched on the edge of the bed and brushed her golden brown hair from her face. “So, please don’t trouble yourself with such terrible thoughts.”
“You don’t love Alicia. Not in the book.”
What book?
Really—what was going through her mind right now?
Did she truly have no idea how I felt about her despite everything I’d said? It was true that my proposal had come entirely from a place of pettiness, but the moment I’d walked into her office and found her sleeping on the couch, my heart had inexplicably opened to her.
I had no control over it.
I was completely powerless to stop it.
“Your Highness, Dame Rina said you called for me.” Bella appeared in the door with her head bowed. “She said Lady Alicia is intoxicated.”
“She is, and she’s talking nonsense,” I replied. “Please prepare her for bed. A hangover potion is being sent over that she should take before sleeping, if it’s at all possible to convince her to drink it.”
“I understand.”
“I will leave her to you.” I pushed off the bed, but Alicia gripped my shirt tighter.
“No,” she mumbled. “You were my favourite character. Let me pretend.” She smiled. “Heehee. The Emperor made me call him father-in-law.”
I sighed and turned to Bella, covering Alicia’s fist with my hand. “I apologise for disturbing you. You may retire for the night.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” She took a step back. “I’ll leave the hangover potion outside the door.”
“Thank you. Tell Hayes I will be spending the night tending to Lady Alicia. I don’t wish to be disturbed until the morning.”
“As you wish.” Bella bobbed into a quick curtsey and left, closing the door tightly behind her.
“Bella?” Alicia mumbled. “She’s so nice.”
I closed my eyes, smiling at her as I smoothed her hair away from her face. “Yes, she is. She’s left you in my care tonight, Allie.”
“Allie. Heehee. That’s my name.” She loosened her grip on my sleeve only for her fingers to fall to my hand. “The author was stupid.”
What author?
Was she still on her book kick?
“What author?” I asked. “What are you reading that’s got you so het up?”
“The Second Life of Lillia,” she said, tugging on my hand. “Lie down.”
“Will you get under the covers?”
“Yes.”
“All right. Let me take that hair ornament out first.” I raised her head and pulled out the diamond adornment before tucking her in.
I shrugged off my jacket and shoes, then lay down next to her. “What’s your book about, Allie?”
“You.” She snuggled in closer to me, gripping my shirt once again. “And how you hate Alicia and love Lillia. You’re so mean to Alicia. You shouldn’t have married her if you didn’t like her.”
I really had no idea what she was talking about, but the fact she was referring to herself in third person made my heart ache.
“I have no idea who Lillia is,” I replied honestly, wrapping my arms around her and holding her close. “You’re thinking too much.”
“Of course, you don’t know.” She pressed her face into my chest and rested one arm over my waist. “You haven’t met her yet, silly.”
Was it better to play along with whatever story she’d concocted inside her head?
“That makes sense, then,” I replied. “Do you know her?”
“No, but you’ll meet her soon. At the autumn ball. And you’ll fall in love with her.” She yawned. “That’s why I can’t marry you.”
I stilled. What? How could she predict such a thing? Did she have some powers of premonition? It wasn’t entirely uncommon in those with divine power—was she subconsciously accessing hers?
“Is that so?” I settled on asking.
“Yes. I don’t want to die.”
“Would you die if you married me?”
“Yes. Because you won’t love me, but I’ll love you, so I’ll die.” She yawned, then prodded my side. “You’ll let me go, right? When you fall in love with her?”
I clenched my jaw.
Fall in love with who? The mysterious Lillia she was talking about?
Impossible.
The drunken, rambling woman in my arms had me making a mental list of nobles to hurt merely because they ran their insolent tongues.
How could she think I’d fall in love with someone else? That I’d let her go?
I would die before I considered something so foolish.
“That won’t happen,” I said, kissing her hair. “Don’t worry yourself thinking of such things.”
“No, no.” She gripped my shirt tightly and tilted her head back, staring at me hazily. “You have to promise to break up with me when you fall in love with her, okay?”
“I can’t do that.”
“Yes, yes, you must.” She pressed herself against me, and thank God there were thick bedcovers between us, or I might have taken that action the wrong way.
It was tough enough to lie here next to her as it was.
“Promise me!” Tears welled in Alicia’s eyes, and the sight of them was a punch to my gut. “Don’t let me die!”
Shit.
Forgive me for lying to you, darling.
“All right,” I said, cradling the back of her head. “I promise I’ll do as you wish. Please don’t cry.”
She sniffed, snuggling right into me. “Thank you. I don’t want to die again, Kalon.”
A chill ran down my spine at her words, and I held her even tighter. What kind of trauma did she carry within her to think such horrid things?
That I’d abandon her?
That I’d love another?
That I’d let her die?
The very thought of it made me sick.
“Sleep now,” I whispered, tucking her head beneath my chin. “And forget these frivolous notions when you wake.”
“Okay,” she whispered back, exhaling slowly. “G’night.”