Chapter 24 Let The Games Begin
Let The Games Begin
The clock chimed six times, emitting an eerie ambiance over the formal dining hall.
Between my fight with Landon and the weight of what was at stake with this impending mission, my nerves were getting the best of me.
I’d forgotten what a nuisance anxiety was, but these feelings provided me another reason to ensure the bargain never broke.
We would defeat the Ice Goddess.
All would be well.
At least that’s what I tried telling myself, but the insistent tapping of my fingers against my thigh said otherwise.
A day had passed since returning to my queendom, and Landon, Reena, and I now stood in the grand dining hall.
Instead of speaking, we let the ticking of the clock fill the tense silence.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one experiencing jitters as Reena moved to straighten the place settings for what felt like the millionth time.
However, my gaze kept finding its way back to my bodyguard, noting the way his jaw ticked, though he kept a casual stance.
Since our argument last night, I’d barely seen Landon, only in passing as he fled to the outdoor training grounds this morning, not even bothering to invite me to train together as we usually did.
So, I did my best to not let Landon’s childish behavior get under my skin by spending the day packing for the upcoming journey.
Well, Reena packed while my snakes and I recharged by the fire.
I was still contemplating how to tell my lady-in-waiting and Landon about what I’d learned of the gods’ existence, when a familiar nasally voice sounded behind me.
“Your Majesty, everything is set for tonight’s guests,” my head butler said, his dress shoes tapping against the blood-red and black marble floors.
Reena’s shoulders visibly inched up as she kept her back to Gustavo, her grip tightening on the gold fork in her hand. Ever since I hired Gustavo a few years ago, Reena despised the man, but I tolerated his annoying habits purely for all the gossip and havoc he wreaked.
There was never a dull moment when Gustavo was around.
“Marvelous. You gave the servants the night off, as I commanded?”
He stopped a few feet away, straightening his bowtie as he stood stiffly and side-eyed Reena.
His black hair was slicked back, and his thin mustache appeared freshly trimmed.
It was such a hideous shape, and maybe without it he might actually be handsome—if it also wasn’t for his pompous attitude and grating voice.
“I did, Your Majesty.” He braced his right arm across his midsection, offering me a bow. “Yet, it seems one lingers.” Gustavo glanced sideways at my lady-in-waiting once more, causing her to finally spin toward him while holding a golden butter knife.
“I am the queen’s lady-in-waiting, may I remind you, not some servant.” She pointed the knife at my butler.
My brows rose at Reena’s outburst. She was never one to display acts of violence.
As if remembering herself, her mouth parted and her eyes found mine.
“Apologies, my Queen.” She set the knife on the dining table, then wrung her hands in her plain grey cotton dress.
“Don’t stop on my account. I do love a good show.” My lips curved into a satisfied smile, causing Reena’s cheeks to turn pink from my approval.
I was all for putting a man in his place, especially when he talked down to me. So, I was pleased to see my lady-in-waiting finally taking after her queen.
Gustavo, on the other hand, looked furious at her behavior, puffing his chest while restlessly adjusting his bowtie. Reena rolled her eyes, making me bite the inside of my cheek in order to stifle a laugh.
Gods, the two of them were so entertaining—I should have made them put on a show over dinner years ago.
The clock chimed again, pulling me from my thoughts and reminding me I had guests arriving any moment.
Gustavo most definitely couldn’t be here when the Serpent King arrived, and he absolutely couldn’t witness Evander shapeshifting into a direct reflection of his queen.
Knowing my butler, he would spread that bit of gossip like no tomorrow, and our whole plan to fool my people into believing Evander was truly the Serpent Queen would crumble before it even began.
“That is all. You are dismissed for the evening, Gustavo.”
He offered me a nod and one more deep bow, backing toward the exit but not before throwing Reena one last disapproving glare. The daggers she shot back made his lips purse as he turned on his heel and shuffled off.
Someone tapping their foot drew my focus, and I glanced around to quickly discover it was Landon creating such an irksome sound.
I glared at him, willing him to stop, yet he avoided my eye, making a point to look everywhere but at me.
He glanced down at his blood-red cloak, making a show of smoothing a nonexistent wrinkle, all the while looking like the perfect picture of boredom.
Then, his gaze rose to the ticking clock, the buckles on his knee-high boots rattling from his insistent tapping.
“Stop that,” I commanded.
My bodyguard pursed his lips, the only indication he heard me as he continued to fidget his foot.
“Landon, you’re being ridiculous.”
He whistled to himself, glancing at his shoes instead of responding.
My teeth ached from how hard I clenched them to stop myself from saying something that would undoubtedly make the situation worse.
So, I bit my tongue while we waited for the Serpent King, but this disrespect from my bodyguard would be addressed at a more appropriate time—like when I wasn’t waiting for an immortal male who apparently didn’t understand what it meant to arrive on time.
Looking at the clock once more, I noted he was creeping close to being ten minutes late.
Bastard.
How dare he make the Serpent Queen wait?
I let out a loud exhale through my nose, because what choice did I have but to bide my time when I lacked portal magic?
Even if I did have such abilities, I wouldn’t know how to navigate through the gods' realms to the library the king discreetly mentioned. As much as it irked me, I needed the Serpent King’s assistance to successfully take down the Ice Goddess.
It was when I was blowing a piece of loose hair falling in my eyes that I noticed small, golden particles sparkling before me.
The shimmering dust began doubling in size as they glowed brighter, practically vibrating the air.
Then, there was a bright burst of golden light, causing me to quickly shield my eyes.
Landon cursed, blinded by the sudden luminescence.
I smirked at that fact as I shielded my eyes. When I could see again, I dropped my hand and smelt the haunting notes of smoke and amber, right as my eyes locked onto the Serpent King’s hypnotizing eyes.
A beautifully wicked smirk was upon his lips, and his green eyes popped against the dark green button-up he wore. Ever so slowly, his gaze trailed down my body, snagging far too long on the high slit of my burgundy velvet skirt fanning onto the marble floors.
I did my best to not fidget under the weight of his stare. Instead, I looked down my nose at him, though the behemoth was at least half a foot taller than me—even in my beloved heels.
“For someone who preaches about manners, yours are truly lacking. First, you’re late. Now, you forget how rude it is to stare.”
My words pulled the king from his trance, his eyes dragging up my figure to finally meet my gaze.
“It’s not rude to stare at a gorgeous piece of art, now is it?”
An irritated scoff rang through the tense air, and I knew without seeing that it belonged to my bodyguard.
Behind the menace lurking before me, I caught sight of Evander glancing at the black ceiling, his brows raising as he stared at the golden serpents carved into the crown molding.
“This place is so—” he started, but I cut him off.
“Sensational, isn’t it?” I puffed my chest with pride as I, too, glanced around the room and towards where he stared at my scarlet, rectangular dining table.
“I was going to say something more along the lines of over the top, but sure, sensational works too.” Evander gave me a small smile, finally turning his attention to me.
I clicked my tongue as a scoff trickled from my lips. “You literally live in a damp cave. Thus, your opinion on my decor is irrelevant.”
Now, it was the king’s second-in-command’s turn to wear a shocked expression, his jaw hanging open as I strode past him.
“Everyone, sit. My cook prepared supper before I dismissed him for the evening, along with the rest of my servants. No one will bother us.”
Taking my seat at the head of the table, Reena promptly fell into action.
She served me a scoop of rosemary potatoes, since I had no servants to do it for me tonight.
However, my gaze flew past my lady-in-waiting and to the man who was taking a seat at the other head of the table.
The Serpent King smirked at me as he picked up the black napkin atop his plate, fanning it out onto his lap once again like a pompous asshole.
I clenched onto my armrests as he acted like he was my equal by assuming the seat across from me. He was doing exactly what I did to him in his realm.
Fucking. Menace.
The sound of irritated hissing filtered through the room. The king arched a quizzical brow as he speared a large piece of steak onto his plate, his eyes flicking to the irritated serpents now spiraling protectively around my arms. My budding anger must have awoken them.
“Do your snakes typically dine with you?”
“They make better company than certain guests,” I quipped, giving him a cursory once over as I popped a potato in my mouth. I bit down hard, hoping to release a smidge of the tension coiling within me.
However, there was no curbing my irritation as the Serpent King languidly started to cut his steak into small, bite-sized pieces.