Chapter 10 Calytrix
TEN
CALYTRIX
The doors to the banquet hall were drawn open for us, and we made our entrance.
I was uneasy. I had been all day, and not for the logical reasons either.
Sure, we were setting off to a new and unknown future, and we should have been feeling all kinds of emotions, but this was different.
I felt torn, split apart. And it had nothing to do with leaving my home.
I was still here, and I already felt like part of myself was missing. I wanted to run away, but not like I did before. Not to escape my fate, that had no bearing on this feeling. This was almost tangible—it felt like something was pulling me away, though to what, I didn’t know.
Nova had been chatting away incessantly as we readied ourselves, but I could not join in, and I had taken comfort in her filling the silence while my mind was such a mix of unidentifiable feelings.
I’d managed to pull myself together for this event, though the feeling never let up, but once we left our quarters, I forced my focus on the dinner.
We strode into the room, arms linked to show solidarity, with our heads held high, and watched as our father turned and was forced to swallow his disapproval in front of our guests.
He was furious that we had defied him and shunned the monstrosities he’d ordered for us to wear.
I was sure he’d had no part in the selections personally, nor did he know what the chosen gowns had looked like, but he would know these were not them.
We had picked far more form-fitting gowns in sheer fabrics.
Not the modest lines he would have authorized for such an event, instead, they were cut low in the neck and high in the slits.
It was not a move of disrespect against our father, nor our kingdom.
Simply a matter of claiming our autonomy in the only way we could without threatening the stability of a fragile treaty.
In fact, our love for Light was on full display, with the rays of the sun delicately beaded across the diaphanous fabrics.
Our gowns were each shades of gold and bronze.
Not identical, instead a pair. We were an unbreakable duo, stronger together, and we wanted everyone to see it.
To know that once we were separated from our home, we would not be weakened, we had each other.
Father’s hard stare held as we approached, but he was forced to hide his irritation and greet us for the benefit of the watching crowd.
“Daughters, you look radiant,” he said through gritted teeth.
We dipped into short curtseys and then were saved from further tension by the tapping of silver on glass.
We were guided to our seats, while Father had to remain to greet all of his dignitaries.
As expected, Father’s chair was at the head of the banquet table, and Nova and I were seated at either side of him, facing each other.
Alaric was seated beside Nova, and the General of the First Kingdom slid into the seat beside him, ensuring his security, I supposed.
His mate claimed the seat to the opposite side of the table, which left the seat beside me available.
I tensed, anticipating the guard who had caught my eye to fill it.
I waited, then scanned the room. Guests were still filing in and taking their assigned seats, but I didn’t see either guard anywhere.
Then, from behind me, I felt a presence, and I looked up to see the guard who I believed to be the general’s twin slip into the empty seat beside me.
Disappointment sank like a stone in the pit of my stomach.
So where was the other guard? No seat was saved for him as the seats quickly filled up along the long table.
He wasn’t coming.
I was disappointed. No, that was a lie to myself.
I felt mournful, and I wasn’t even sure why.
He was merely a guard to the prince. I should not have noticed him, and he definitely should not have noticed me.
Guards were supposed to look through us and only exist to us should danger present itself.
So why had he kept staring at me like he did?
I didn’t like the question sitting in my brain with no way of answering it.
I was relying on seeing him again this evening to get some measure of him and what he was about.
Which was ridiculous, it had to be just first impressions that had him looking my way.
What did I think? That he would sit at dinner staring at me in front of the rest of his party?
That would never happen. It would be a potential death sentence for him to disrespect the princes in such a way.
I had to be more realistic. Maybe I would find out more on the voyage?
He surely would be voyaging back with us.
I assumed he had simply returned to the ship to wait for our departure.
Hoped, a small voice in my head provided.
I hoped he was back at the ship. Seraphic save me, I could not have thoughts like that.
Attempting to rid my mind of such thoughts, I turned my attention to the prince and my sister. He sat stiffly beside her and looked distant and disengaged. Nova tried to start conversations, but each attempt was met with barely disguised disinterest. I felt awful for her.
Across the table, the mountain of a male who was the general seemed to exude a brooding aura.
I was aware of his mate softly speaking to him occasionally, and her efforts went unanswered, which I thought was exceptionally rude.
If my mate ignored me like that, the Gods knew I would not be sitting calmly by and not airing my thoughts on his rudeness.
A snort of amusement came from beside me, and I snapped my attention to the bored-looking male beside me.
“They can communicate through their bond,” he informed me, amused.
I remembered hearing something like that about dragons. “I thought he was ignoring her,” I whispered.
“He’s a moody arse, sure, but he would never ignore her,” he said conspiratorially.
I studied the general and saw the softness in his gaze as he looked at his mate that I had missed before. “Because he loves her too much?” I asked.
“That and the fact that she would make him pay in ways that are cruel and unusual,” he smirked.
I turned to look at the male, the twin who, beside his strong, healthy brother, was clearly a shadow of himself.
“Seriously,” he chuckled. “I wouldn’t fuck with her.”
I glanced at the slight female he was referring to and couldn’t make it fit, but then, I was capable of taking care of myself, too. I should never assume.
“So they are talking to one another right now?” I asked low, knowing dragons could hear better than other fae.
The male looked between them and nodded. “See that far-off look of longing in his eyes? She’s probably promising to do unspeakable things to him if he promises not to go all dragon on a duke tonight.
The general dragged his eyes away from his mates and settled his twin with a glare. I realized he had heard everything as a menacing smirk crept across his lips. “She won’t stop me from going all dragon on you, though, brother.” he growled, though his tone carried no real threat.
My seating companion shook his head in amusement and turned to me.
“I’m Kol,” he murmured as if he was not meant to introduce himself.
I supposed it wasn’t really a guard’s place, but neither was sitting at the banquet table.
Perhaps the invitation was extended because of who his brother was, and maybe that’s why the other guard was not present.
He could be guarding the hall or something, yet I somehow felt he was not in the palace.
It was most strange to think I could sense he was not close. He was a stranger.
“Calytrix,” I introduced myself in equally hushed tones. “You are twins?” I inclined my head across the table.
Kol rolled his eyes, “By the Goddess’ unfortunate will, we are.”
I giggled, instantly warming to this male, despite his affiliation to the system I was captive to and his worship of a Goddess we didn’t believe in here. “Where is the other guard this evening?” I asked as casually as I felt able.
The general stiffened, and I didn’t miss it, but beside me, Kol didn’t miss a beat. “Lucky bastard was called away. I had no such fortune.”
“You do not wish to be here?”
Kol looked across the table at my sister and her stoic prince. “Do any of us?” he asked simply.
He had a point.
At that moment, shuffling rippled through the room, and fae rose as Father passed to take his seat.
All except the prince, and my sister and I, who were not expected to do so.
As the room collectively sat, a hum of conversation filled the space, and despite my father’s presence, the sense of pressure around me relaxed slightly.
Knowing the mystery guard wasn’t coming, I had no option but to put him out of my mind.
The first course was served, and I picked at the food, listening to my poor sister try and fail to engage her fiancé in conversation.
He had no issue engaging with Kol, in fact, Kol seemed easy with everyone except his brother.
I couldn’t fathom being at odds with Nova and wondered the cause as he filled the voids in the stilted conversations across the table.
Though, as he spoke, I got the sense he was just going through the motions.
He was somewhere else in his mind when he wasn’t making comments to his group.