Chapter 15
Pena POV
I loved the rain. The calmness before the storm was a reference I could never understand. For me the calmness resided in the storm itself; a kind of powerful natural thing that brought comfort to me. The loud intraciousies of thunder and the bright shows of lighting, that didn't bring me fear. Actually it rather brought me a certain kind of joy. The rain taught me of the beauty in chaos, how even such untamed, misjudged phenomena can be so incredible beneath the surface.
Kado. My mind began to rouse from my dreariness. I was wearing Kado's sweatshirt still, I laid on the floor with his headset playing faded songs tangled in my hair. I was so tired, drifting in and out of consciousness. Kado, he was at his desk once again, overwhelmed by his work to no end. I found myself tilting my head to look over at him sometimes. He looked so enthralled in whatever he was doing all the time. Every now and then he'd glance at over his shoulder. Sure it was judgmental, but I could tell he was wondering about what I was doing.
He ignored me though almost the entire time I laid there.
And yet…
"Pena," I heard the throaty voice over my head. It had a musical little tone to it, trying to coddle me awake like a sleeping baby.
"Mmmm," I groaned, stretching my limbs and as my eyes fluttered open.
A blurry vision of Kado appeared, crouching over me with overgrown bloody hair falling over his endearing eyes. Arms laid over his knees, he just glanced down with a single raised eyebrow, unquestioning of my strangeness.
"Did I fall asleep again?" I asked, my voice rusty and loaded.
He just smiled with amusement. I have to admit he was handsome like that; quite playful with my name on his lips.
Clearing my throat, I attempted to lift myself up, ungracefully if anything. My spine was sore, each vertebrate slightly bruised by the uncomfortable, coldness beneath. I must've looked like I'd been run over by a car.
"You'd be more comfortable if you just laid in my bed," Kado muttered, trying to wake me up with that mocking way he flirted.
"I don't want to catch diseases," I shot back, raising both my eyebrows at him and twisting my head back and forth to stick my tongue out at him. "You shouldn't sleep on the floor then," he said, his floor actually probably the cleanest portion of his room.
I rolled my eyes, his hand reaching out to take mine. He was always so put together, as that was expected of him I guess. Always in a suit, always standing up straight, always acting like he didn't give a crap about anything expect his duties.
Even so, sometimes he let go of all that. Sometimes he was just vulnerable, showing me his songs, and letting himself laugh with me.
I liked those moments he was just a boy who forgot he was a king. It was rare, but those moments were mine anyway and I took pride in them.
"Oh!" The ground seemed to slide out from under me as I lifted, I stumbling down. In a reflex, I reached for Kado's shoulders. He caught me with a single movement of his arm, the rest of his body still. Those glassy brown eyes caught me too. With his arm wrapped around my waist and my palms clinging to the muscles on his shoulders, he smirked, so proud of himself for that moment.
"Sorry," I winced, quite embarrassed.
"You're ridiculous." He smiled, unbelieving of how clumsy I could be when my guard was down.
"Take a shower. It'll wake you up." He added, finally pulling me upwards to stand on my own two feet.
"Ok," I grouched, dusting myself off.
"Here, I'll walk you out," He followed me to his door, opening it for me as he proceeded into the hall and took my hand in the crook of his arm. I knew it was only for the sake of publicity; so his country would think him human enough to want to find a woman. But sometimes, I forgot it was all just a game.
Sometimes, I let myself believe we had something- And we did... in a way. Kado and I became attached to one another in that way friends do; trust and reliance was implied. He used my music to soothe him whenever the world overwhelmed him. He used me to convince his people he had a heart. I used his generosity to stay away from a war-ridden place. I used him to avoid the loneliness that came with being separated from my family.
I think we enjoyed each other's company nonetheless; at least when we weren't annoying one another to no end.
"So what am I to expect tonight?" I asked, the infernal silence starting to drive me mad.
"Just a few hours of subpar champagne, too expensive oerdeurves, arrogant, upperclass, ancient snobs, and infernal lines of question." God sometimes his negativity was repulsive. He saw me shake my head in disappointment and scoffed, "perhaps the occasional compliment on how pretty your hair is." but he always recompensed.
"You think my hair is pretty Kade?" I teased, nudging him with a sneer.
"I just started tolerating you Pena. Don't ruin it for yourself." He said, his childish smile betraying him.
"Nothing to be ashamed of. I think your hair is pretty." I admitted, the words leaving my mouth before I thought them through.
"Not a very popular opinion around here." He said.
"Have you ever said thank you before?" I asked, genuinely curious.
He looked at me with furrowed brows, a bit insulted.
"Don't get me wrong, I know you're so used to having everyone at your beckon call, but have you ever actually thanked anyone for anything?" I asked, still smiling.
Sometimes, I think he was taken aback by how relaxed I was around him. He thought I still saw him as the little boy who pushed me around and stole my toys.
"Are you calling me rude?" He accused.
"Only slightly," I lied, my socks sliding on the floor as I barely even lifted my feet.
"You're not exactly the picture of courtesy." he shot back, looking down at my feet as if i was pretending to ice skate.
"Ah yes but I have the excuse of not being raised in a castle." I raised a finger at him and he scoffed.
"Where were you raised? A barn?" He said, looking down at my too casual for a castle clothing.
"That's a cheap shot Kade, even for you." I smirked, unwilling to let him put my good mood down. I added, "I was raised in a forest actually, quite a beautiful one I might add. Of course, the town we had to go into wasn't the fanciest. It was necessary though, given my father's occupation." He seemed interested in what I had to say, curious even. The slight shift in tone of the conversation was not one I meant to set into motion.
"What did your father do?" He asked. I was reluctant to answer. He'd never asked me something that personal before. I wasn't sure I was ready for that yet.
"He's a leader- a soldier." I corrected, always thinking of my father in a more dignified light than I should've.
"In the war?"
I nodded.
"And your brother? What's his name?"
"Kali. He's a bit older than me- a soldier too." He nodded, making a mental note.
"Do you miss them?" He asked, his hands placed coyly behind his back as he continued down the hall with me.
"More than you know." I sighed, tugging at the pendant around my neck. Kado sensed my distress and quickly tried to make me smile again.
"Sometimes I wish I could get some time away from my brothers," I laughed.
"but if we're ever apart for more than a few days, we just start to miss each other." He drew his hair back with a single motion of his hand.
"You really love them don't you?" I asked, his smile telling me more than his words. His jaw flexed and he answered trying to be serious, "They're a pain the ass, but they're tolerable I guess." Oh what a boy.
"You're such a boy, Kade." I teased, his eyes rolling at me again.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" he was so sensitive despite his gruff exterior. I answered quite happily, "Boy's are scared to admit when they care about things. And I speak from experience." I pointed at his chest, unwilling to let him prove me wrong.
"That's preposterous. I'm not like that." he insisted, his forehead crinkled up.
"Mmm," I hummed. "You're wrong."
"I'm wrong am I?" He asked, only indulging me at that point.
"It's one of the rules remember?" I reminded him.
He stayed quiet after that, reminiscing on the rules we'd made together. There was such a nostalgic quality to the way he looked down at the glossy floors of the castle. Though it may have been only in his own mind, Kado had such a gentle approach to everything in his life. At every turn, he was defensive, angry, anxious, cold to the world around him. But if you only took a moment, you could tell that beneath that wall he put up for himself, there was something worth finding.
He was my little storm.
"So why do you like it?" He drew me out of a daze.
"Hm?"
"My hair. You said you liked it. Why?" oh, that.
I stumbled over my words, "It's a kind of compliment to your personality." I made up on the spot.
"How so?" He asked. I couldn't very well tell him it was such a beautiful, passionate color that I wanted for myself rather than the dull, nauseating yellow on my head.
"Your hair may be obnoxious and a little angry looking," I said, one of his eyebrows drawing up.
"but it's quite unique. It's soft and subtly inhuman." I said, stopping in the hall, the door to my room too close. I didn't want to stop speaking with him, my only solution to just make time stop.
"Doesn't sound like much of compliment." He said, his hands placed firmly in his pockets as he turned to face me.
"You're wrong about that too." I smiled, never letting my gaze drift from his own.
"I also like the color; that shade of red. It's powerful." Damn my pride. He deserved to know what I thought. Trust, right?
"I don't. Like you said it's a little obnoxious," He said, gazing up at the few locks out of place.
"I would've prefered something a little more… normal." He said, fixing on me again.
"Normal's boring." I whispered, only noticing now how close he'd gotten to me, his body facing mine.
"Only for people like us," He smiled, his chin tilted down to stare into me. I closed my eyes and smiled, whispering back, "Aye, only for people like us."
Suddenly, Kado's eyes drew above my head and away from mine, staring at something in the distance. As I turned to look at whatever caught his attention, he stopped me, grabbing my hip and holding me so that we remained face to face.
"Don't freak out ok?" He whispered, his eyes tender and warm despite the darkness beginning to take hold of the hall around us.
Afraid of what he meant, I stayed perfectly still, silent, my muscles tensed up like , his fingers drew up to meet my jawline, the entirety of his hand covering my cheek. He felt warm against the cold of my skin, his hand shifting to cup my face.
"What are yo-
Then his his lips came down on mine, stealing the words from my mouth. I gasped slightly, the unexpected feeling sending shivers through my spine. My eyes remained open, but they closed as I relinquished in the taste of him.
Kado let a heavy breath go when he tasted me, as if he'd been waiting for it a long time. His lips were bigger than my own, almost wrapping around me as he kissed me. Only staying there against me for a few seconds, he took my bottom lip into his mouth. Softly, gently he kissed, but still there was a certain hunger in the way he held me. His soft spoken colon and some indescribable scent that could only be his own made its way into me and paralyzed the rest of my muscles. I tried to kiss him back, artlessly if anything. In the hold of his hands, I reached up for his neck with a single palm and he pulled me up by my waist onto my tiptoes.
It was only when he let go, I took a breath myself. His nose was nuzzled up against mine and I heard him swallow and bite his lip. When I pulled my face away, I saw the restraint in his eyes. He was holding himself back from doing it again.
"Pena," he whispered, objecting to my pulling away. I was breathless, my mouth feeling the separation from him all too much.
Still, the bite of reality kept my mind wary of him.
"Did you do that because you wanted to?" I asked, noticing his gaze still piercing through me.
"Or because of the camera behind that pillar?" He didn't even look away from me, but there was a difference in how he looked once he heard my words. He knew I wasn't stupid, but sometimes he let the fact that I was a woman cloud his judgment.
The lust was gone from him and he sighed, controlling himself again. I had a sense he kissed me for the sake of his own publicity. But he wanted to do it again for a different reason.
"I'll see you at the banquet Pena." He said quietly, feeling the need to say my name as much as he possibly could.
"It should be fun," He added, placing his hands back behind him.
He went to walk past me, leaning down to whisper something in my ear, "Thank you," his words stung me, but not in the way you'd think. It made my body stir, made me want to follow him back to his room and argue with him again, let him take me over; no matter his motives.
But I didn't.
"What for?"
His face turned and he smirked over his shoulder.
"Kissing me back,"
Kado POV
Banquets were never really my thing. They were good for business; a promotion angle I could use. Sure, I preferred a meeting room with a single long table and two chairs at the heads to strike deals rather than a ballroom. However, when nobles with more money than sense were drunk out of their minds, it was easier to manipulate their coinpurses. There is no greater friend to deception than alcohol. At least that's what my father said when he taught me how to rouse donations for the troops.
The Hunger Banquet was no different; just a way to stock up on money to feed the starving soldiers on our borders. I found it ironic that an event meant to raise money for the hungry was serving $600 bottles of champagne and equally uselessly expensive dinner plates. The entire ballroom itself was decorated in lavish strings of argent, the tables crystalline white with only hints of silver outlining them. Grey and gold were the colors of the crown, the silver and white quite understated compared to the usual eccentric flashes of money we threw around to appeal to our country.
Women wore dresses of navy blues, blacks, dark greens, and other mind numbingly boring colors. Men wore their monkey suits, my own quite tight around the neck. As I went to adjust my tie, Harry dusted off my arm.
"Kado," he called, trying to fix the mess that I was.
"Your hair," His quiet voice mumbled, motioning for me to fix it.
I tried to comb it back with my hands unsuccessfully. It was really starting to become a hassle to even have it on my head. The only thing that made me want to keep it was the memories of my mother coursing her hands through it trying to comfort me. Getting rid of my hair was getting rid of the memory.
"How have you been?" I asked my little brother, only now noticing his blue hair had been cut slightly shorter in a Phoenix's layer style. He shrugged, smiling with the shy full joy he was known for.
"It's stressful sometimes; having to try and find a girl in front of millions of people," He said, trying to keep himself from sounding weak by straightening.
"But I'm starting to get to know them and I just feel like some of the girls bring out something in me I didn't know I had. It's pretty cool knowing that one of them is going to marry me." His hands were shoved in his pockets as if he was ashamed, but I couldn't have been more pleased with how he composed himself.
"I know you don't get it." He said, a certain confusing drawing over me when I realized he didn't think I could at least be proud of him. "I know you just want this to be over so you can go back to only focusing on your war, but," He paused, noticing how hurt I was, I think.
"Never mind. I get how you must be feeling." He corrected himself, but still I knew he thought I was wrong.
"Harry," I muttered, calling him back to me.
"I know I don't say it enough," his little blue eyes looked up at me so innocent looking, his maturity not yet apparent in his youth. "but all I've ever wanted since the day each of you were born; Kent, Kine, and you all the same; was for you to be happy."
He smiled, pulling the sleeves of his tuxedo down to cover his wrists.
"What's so funny?" I asked, trying to smile with him.
"Nothing, nothing," He insisted, scoffing a laugh away. I gave him a serious look that meant echoed the words tell me without ever being spoken.
"We've always been happy Kado; you've always been a good brother. You just forget about your own happiness sometimes. I think that's where you're wrong about the selection. Maybe there really is a girl here who could make you happy."
Harry was much more intelligent than I gave him credit for. He knew Pena and I were only involved in a kind of business partnership, although the parameters of that were beginning to become unclear. Little by little we were starting to get closer. I trusted her with things I didn't even trust my brothers with at that point; my piano, my songs, my music, my bedroom, my paperwork, my thoughts, my memories. They were all starting to become hers just as much as mine.
As Harry and I stood by the entrance to the ballroom, a few reporters came in to interview us. As per my father's instructions, I answered a few brief questions on the selection; about its affect on my brothers, the castle, how it brought new cultures and experiences, etc. Whenever a question about Pena came up I simply nodded my head saying it was too soon for me to single out any women. If I had to smile any longer I swear my face would've broken in two.
Harry was adorable and charming as always, naming the few girls he'd gone on dates with and how they touched him. God, he made me seem like I kept my heart in a fridge at night.
"Heads up ladies and gentlemen the fun one has arrived," Kine cooed, wearing a tuxedo perfectly fitted to him, custom made, and more expensive than Harry and I's combined. The spoiled brat did not disappoint when it came to eccentrics.
"Oh god," I mumbled, watching Kine stroll in with a long stride and open arms to welcome the flashing cameras. With a prideful smirk he walked out in front of Harry and I, grabbing the edges of his tuxedo's opening to make his chest appear less flat and bony.
At least he was getting enough attention for me and Harry to slip out unnoticed.
"What a peacock," Harry laughed, following me into the ballroom filled with waiters carrying silver platers of drinks and oeur d'heurves. The stage beheld a small orchestra led by an aged conductor my father had known for year. A single lonely microphone stood at the center of the stage begging for a beautiful woman to take it to her lips.
Pena would look good up there, I thought to myself, picturing her there in her big fuzzy socks and boy shorts, shyly singing to a crowd of people; a people who would soften at the sound of her voice.
"Hey," Kent called, holding a glass of champagne and nervously pacing back and forth. This was his big night after all.
"Hey, are you okay? You look a little jittery." Harry said with concern.
"yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he said, sipping the drink unconvingly.
His gaze met mine and he spat out some of the alcohol.
"Oh god, Kado your hair. Your hair. You said you'd take care of it. Jesus Christ you look like you should be pelted by tomatoes- no, no. you look like you're wearing a wig that was pelted by tomatoes."
"Kent calm down, no one's going to be paying attention to my head." I assured him.
"Yeah, this your night. Everyone is going to be completely focused on you." Harry wasn't the best at comforting people in times of stage fright.
"That doesn't make me feel any better. They'll want me to talk about the selection. I thought this thing was supposed to be over by now." Kent was full of nervous ticks, his fingers fidgeting on the glass.
"It's been like three weeks dude." I reminded him, exasperated by the matter myself.
"and still I have no girl that even begins to meet my standards."
"then lower them." Bad move Harry.
"Shut it smurf head." Kent yelled.
"Hey, hey no need to bite his head off. Let's remember where we are." I tried calming the situation down a bit, the nobles still walking in starting to stare.
"I'm sorry Harry. I'm just a little on edge." Kent said, lowering his voice. Harry nodded, silenced as he wasn't used to being yelled at.
"I read your speech Kent. They're going to love it." I patted his back, feeling his lungs tight. He needed to breath.
"Well if a carping, pessimistic old sod like you liked it, maybe it's worth a shot." Kent smiled, reminding me of when I was in his position three years ago in my 18th year.
"Go get em,"
Harry and I each patted Kent's shoulders as he walked to the service hall, going through the kitchen in order to reach the wings of the stage. He wasn't supposed to give his speech until about an hour after everyone had arrived. Still, the fusspot wanted to make sure everything was perfect.
"Where's Kine?" Harry asked, adjusting his suit sleeves needlessly.
"Still peacocking," I answered, looking down the long red carpeted stairs at the paparazzi father foolishly let into the castle. Publicity is good for business and what not, but it was a risk. When Pena came in wearing pants and a t-shirt or worse everyone would expect us to mingle and act like we were a couple. Dad wasn't too happy about my show of favoritism towards her. But hey it got him upset enough to actually pay attention to me on the subject of war. My father may have been insensitive but he was an intelligent man. He could tell Pena and I were in no way in love with one another like the selection suggested we should be. He realized what I was doing and struck a deal to make the best of the situation. Our deal included me continuing my 'romance' with Pena while appearing to keep my options open. In exchange, he actually would read through my ideas, present them if he thought them equal to his own. Still, he made it clear this selection was ending with a ring on my finger…
Other noble men my age were starting to keep their eyes open for the rejects of the selection; wanting their own wives to aid their social status. Dad convinced us to keep Katherine in the running because she was a favorite, Kent, Kine, and Harry preaching for three to four girls while I kept my mouth shut. I gave the strategic reasons for Pena and Katherine's remaining in the selection; two favorites on the arm of the heir was always a plus. The people seemed to like Pena's casual nature, how down to earth she was. They admired her beauty, her defiance, as most subjects of the crown do. If only they knew how domineering she could be.
Speaking of domineering, here came my brother, accompanied by three noble boys we grew up with. Jason Tarley, Stephen Huxley, and Arthur Ferway. I hated all three of them; each one of them more arrogant than Kine and without the redeeming quality of being tolerable.
Jason thought he could have any girl in the world simply because of his money, Stephen wanted to rule the world and he wasn't subtle about it. And arthur was just an asshole.
"Kado, Harry!" Arthur welcomed us with open arms, tan from his trip back from whatever tropical place he decided to hide away.
"Hey guys," Stephen, went to shake Harry's hand and planted a friendly embrace on him. Both knew better than to try and touch me.
"Kaddddo," Jason went to reach to shake my hand. I did not welcome his casualty. Instead, I let my arms hang at my sides, ignoring the motion of his hand facing me.
"You rotten old boy, you've always been so formal haven't you," he smiled, patting my back with a loud thump that made me want to throw him down the stairs.
Watch yourself Tarley, I thought, my eyes burning holes through him.
"How have you been? The crown feeling heavy yet?" Jason asked, laughing as his yellow hair was cast back in a crazy amount of gel.
I was better before you showed up.
"Been fine,"
He laughed, Arthur coming up behind him to greet me.
"We've been watching the selection; you've got some real pretty girls here," Arthur said, grabbing a champagne glass from a passing waitress, staring at her ass as she walked away.
"Aye they're lovely," Harry said, attempting to own his humility among the group of boys with less class than pigs.
"Lovely's a word," Stephen murmured, rousing a chuckle from the other two.
"Have you found out just how lovely some of them are?" Jason nudged Kine's arm as if he were a fourteen year old boy trying to get the gossip on who'd fucked who. Actually that was exactly what he was doing.
"No no boys, that's against the rules until the wedding bells remember?" Stephen joked.
"Aye, but the rejects are fair play until their suitcases are packed are they not?" I may not have been the most gentlemanly when it came to women, but Arthur made me look like a feminist.
"I liked the young one with the light blonde hair, what was her name? Kasia?" Stephen said. Kine looked upset at his words. Kine may have played all this off as just a fun little game for him to test his prowess with girls, but he'd come to care for a few. Having to let Kasia go was hard on him.
"She had a nice little walk that one. Why'd you have to let her go ey Kine?"
As I saw his face shift slightly and his head dip into his glass, my mouth went ahead of my head, "Have some Respect." They all turned to me, unused to my voice in the conversation.
"They're still people after all," None had the audacity to laugh at my words, but I could tell Jason was holding himself back from chuckling at my sudden defense of women.
"It was only a compliment," Stephen defended
"Aye. We're honoring them," Arthur held up a glass. They obviously didn't know the difference between honoring and demeaning. Perhaps they thought because of where they stood in the world, their mentioning of someone was an honor to whoever they were mentioning.
Honoring them like prized horses at a fair, I thought, taking my first long drag of alcohol, unwilling to talk with these men sober.
Kent returned, bear hugging his friends he hadn't seen in some time and joining the conversation that had me looking for a noose.
"Are there any you're just keeping for appearances? I'd like to weigh my options tonight," Jason said, entitled as ever. I wanted to take him by the scruff of his shirt and tell him exactly where he could weigh his options. Alas, his dad owned a weapons manufacturing company. Sadly needed at this point in time.
"Afraid not. I haven't really begun ruling out any of them yet," Kine said, still thinking of Kasia. I could tell he missed her. Father shouldn't have pressured him. He should've given him more time to decide.
"You've got some pretty little ones on your roster don't you." Arthur said, watching some of the selected walk up the stairs and into the ballroom.
Beatrix and some other girl who's name I couldn't remember walked in together, Beatrix's navy blue matching the orangy color of her hair. She looked over at Kine for a second, smiling as she put her head back down and walked into the white and silver of the ballroom.
"You boys don't realize quite the opportunity you have," Jason laughed. God could they think of anything but sex?
As the other selected began coming in, two by two, the question answered itself quite readily.
"What about you Harry? You've got any to spare?" If any of them tried taking advantage of Harry one more fucking time, I swore I'd throw them through the windows.
Harry shook his head no, meeting the eyes of the youngest in the selected, a little African girl barely sixteen years old. She was such a little thing; one of the only ones I actually saw innocence in.
Arthur's eyes lingered a little too long on the long black hem of her dress and Harry cleared his throat authoritatively.
Good boy. I thought to myself.
"Kent?" Stephen questioned. If any of us were going to let them take a shot at one of the selected it would be him.
"No, no. Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not sharing anytime soon," Kent never made any eye contact with any of the girls that walked up. Neither did I, but well you know where I stood on the selection.
The rest of the selected came through all wearing dark, dull colors, some more overstated than others. The little music of the orchestra began playing and the banquet had all its guests mingling around the room; with the expection of a few remaining nobles and… pena.
"What about you Kado?" Jason asked, playing with fire a little too closely.
"What about me?" I asked, keeping my eyes fixed on the banquet room, observing the men I'd have to talk to about the strategies of regaining the Barren's border.
"Everyone knows you're pretty reclusive when it comes to your girls." Jason added, looking down at the red-carpeted staircase himself.
"Are you going to be generous?" Since when was I ever generous. My ability to never show emotion ceased for only a second as I pictured my fist breaking his nose.
"He doesn't give a crap." Kent said, surprising all of us.
"He thinks this is a waste of time, don't you Kado?" Oh that conniving little parasite. He wanted me to admit it. He wanted me to admit in front of all my brothers and all their friends that I, the heartless, always composed, always quiet prick of prince let myself fall for a girl.
He was wrong. And I wasn't going to let him win this one.
"Right." I said with shrug, Jason smirking so wildly his face should've broken in two.
"I especially liked the one with rapunzel hair; the one with those really sexy eyes," Jason commented to Arthur. Those eyes are mine. I surprised myself at the spiteful threat in my thoughts.
Both of them chuckling as they talked about what they fantasized doing to her. Considering I entertained the idea of hanging them for even touching her, this was crossing a line. Pena was not my love, but as far as they were concerned she was mine. If they only know how under the monotone expression of my face I was plotting ways to torture them just for the way they spoke about her.
The orchestra got a bit louder, the slight sound of a base intensifying as they shifted keys. My father entered the room, everyone bowing their heads or curtsying only slightly for their monarch. He was wearing the grey and gold of his house, his beard shaven clean. It took years off him I admit. But my brothers and the pirannah's eyes were not on my father. All of them were focused on something at the bottom of the stairs.
"Um, Kado…" Harry muttered, placing his hand on my shoulder to call my attention over to what he was staring at.
"What?"
He pointed slightly to the flashing cameras and rowdiness of paparazzi being held back by large security guards. Their excitement was much greater than for their princes' arrivals, or even the king's for that matter.
Beyond the flashing of the cameras was the silhouette of a woman.
Tall and thin, she walked up the stairs with a column cut dress; a currant red that was more powerful than any color in the room. Gold stencils shimmered slightly on the cuts of her waist and up the sides of her torso. The golden line followed down the sides of her legs, long open slits in her dress reaching from the top of her thigh to the hem of the dress.
The material clung to her body like a second skin, the temptation in a single bared shoulder overshadowed by the grace in the way she moved. Her hips, her mile long legs, her breasts, and everything on her body I'd ceased to notice before was shown to me in that dress. And it made me want to tear it off her.
Pena had never worn makeup before today, something else I hadn't noticed. The black of her outstretched eyelashes, the dark lines drawing her eyes, the red lips matching her dress, it all bled of power, dominance, a beauty that could only be found in a queen.
And that's exactly what she was that night.
I found myself staring at her, as did everyone else in the room when she walked in. Her eyes never met mine once.
Instead she walked past me without even a flicker of interest in those big blue eyes I wanted to look into before I kissed her again.
"No offense Kado," Jason's voice was only slightly audible over the blood rushing through my ears as I looked at the girl no one else could have.
"But you're an idiot if you think that is a waste of time."
I ignored him, desperate to walk over to her, to talk to her, to carry her back to my room and show her how much I wanted her.
But she was angry at me that much was obvious. the kiss I gave her in the hall a publicity stunt for my image. And she knew it.
Maybe I did only want to kiss her for a picture in the newspaper, but once I touched her, once she started kissing me back…
She was standing at the bar with her friends, her predatory, superior stare glancing across the room. She wasn't searching for me, but it was nice pretending she was.
As I went to walk over to her, Kent reached his arm out to stop me and I swear I was entransed enough to break it off him.
"Remember what father said." he said calmly, looking up at me with dead serious eyes. "I'm sorry I played around with you, but if you go talk to her, dad is gonna have your head." He reminded me, making my blood stir all the more.
"Talk to her once the banquet is over."
I wanted to head over there more than anything, not just because of how she looked, but because of how much I needed to talk to her. I still had enough power to recollect myself, to take a deep breath and let myself look away from her; focus myself back to what needed to be done.
But this was. Not. over.
Pena POV