by S. J. West
“I can't believe you get to ride in the royal carriage,” Eliza says excitedly, showing far more enthusiasm than me about the event.
“I would rather not have to,” I say, dreading the ride to the palace through town.
I was told everyone in Cirrus who wasn't invited to the palace would be watching me make my way to the castle. Being gawked at by strangers wasn't exactly something I was looking forward to.
“Empress Catherine simply wants to show you off,” Millie tells me, straightening the collar of my coat until it's flush against my neck. “The people of Cirrus love you, my sweet, and that woman knows it. If it appears that you accept the royal family as your own, I believe she hopes to earn favor amongst the populous. Just think of it as a little act of goodwill between you and your future mother-in-law. Now, put on that lovely smile of yours and get ready to wave to the people you intend to help one day.”
“I hope to help us all, Millie,” I whisper.
Millie winks at me and turns to head towards the door.
Once we're outside, a footman helps me into the crystal carriage. It reminds me a lot of a fairytale one in an old fashioned story about a girl named Cinderella that Millie used to read to me when I was a child. Two holographic white horses with light blue plumes on their heads are controlled by a holographic driver to perpetuate the illusion that the carriage is being drawn through town by old fashioned means. It's all illusion and fantasy, but I suppose people need to imagine the unreal sometimes.
It seems as though everyone in Cirrus is gathered along the side of the street between my home and the palace that evening. They wave to me and cheer me on as I pass them by. Some even yell that they love me. It's all exceedingly strange. I've done nothing to warrant such devotion, yet I seem to have become a beacon of hope for those in Cirrus. It makes me wonder how those on the surface view me. Do they see me as their best chance at a better life once I'm crowned empress? Have they placed all of their hopes and dreams on my ascension to the throne? Or do they believe I'll be just like Empress Catherine and turn a deaf ear to their pleas?
The more I think about what it means to be empress the more my stomach churns with nervousness. I want to help as many people as I can, but will I be able to? Since Levi is one of the holders of a seal, I know I will most likely have to kill him one day to retrieve it. At least, I assume I'll need to kill him. Could there be a way to retrieve the seals without having to murder all seven of the princes of Hell? I don't relish killing, but I know I'll do it if I have to. Yet, it seems like there should be a less brutal way of taking the seals back.
Once my conveyance finally reaches the palace, I am escorted by a servant to the ballroom. I stand at the top of the stairs and survey the crowd of people below, desperately seeking out the one face I most want to see. But, Malcolm is nowhere to be seen.
As the herald announces my arrival, the servant who escorted me helps take off my coat.
“Lady Annalisse Desiraye Greco,” the herald announces to all present, causing everyone in the room to look up at me, “future Empress of Cirrus and bride-to-be to Emperor Augustus Amador.”
As I walk down the staircase, I see that Empress Catherine and Levi are sitting on their thrones on the dais. My eyes are immediately drawn to Catherine because I notice something doesn't look quite right about Auggie's mother. Her eyes hold a frantic quality, and her face doesn't look entirely right either. Something is definitely wrong with the empress.
Levi's eyes travel the length of me, and I feel myself involuntarily shiver at the undisguised lust he shows. It makes recognizing the charlatan he is easy enough though. I don't have to keep reminding myself that even though he looks like Auggie he isn't my best friend anymore. It sickens me to know the beautiful spirit who was my best friend has lost his life to something so despicable. I vow to make Levi pay for ending the life of someone I loved before it was his time to leave this world.
I walk up to the dais and curtsy.
“There's no need for you to lower your head in our presence, Lady Anna,” Levi says. “You will be crowned empress in the morning. In fact,” Levi looks over at Empress Catherine, “don't you think it's time you stopped pretending you have any real power anymore, mother? My future wife is more than competent to take your place.”
I look to Empress Catherine. Her eyes meet mine, and for the first time in my life, I see fear on the empress's face.
“Of course, Augustus,” Empress Catherine says, standing from her throne but not looking the least bit sorry to leave it, “whatever you want. You're ruler here now, not me.”
“I'm glad we finally came to that understanding,” Levi snickers as he watches the empress stand from a throne she proudly sat on for most of her life.
After the empress descends the steps of the dais, she walks over to me.
“I wish you the best of luck during your reign,” she tells me, leaning in to kiss one cheek.
“Be careful,” she whispers in my right ear before moving to kiss my left cheek and saying, “that is not my son.”
Empress Catherine takes a step back from me, and I see why her face looked odd when I entered the room.
Just underneath her make-up, I can see a faint patch of blue and purple below a slightly swollen left cheekbone.
I don't need to ask who did it to her because the answer is obvious.
“I will take care of Cirrus and its people,” I tell her, hoping she knows she is included in my remark.
Empress Catherine smiles faintly before walking away to mingle with the other guests.
“Come, Lady Anna,” Levi commands like I'm some sort of animal who needs to be led on a leash, “take your place by my side as future ruler of Cirrus.”
I walk up the steps of the dais and sit in the throne beside Levi. As I look out into the crowd, I notice they all seem to be dissecting my every move. I have a feeling their scrutiny will be something I have to live with for as long as I reign over Cirrus.
Levi leans toward me and whispers, “Tell me Lady Anna, how did you survive Amon's visit to you last night? I didn't expect you to see the light of another day much less make it to this little soiree of ours. What happened after I left the two of you alone?”
“I killed him,” I say bluntly but in a low voice, not even bothering to sugar coat my words as I look Levi in the eyes.
His surprise is...amusing. The widening of his eyes. The way his jaw slackens wordlessly makes me smile. I want to hurt him. I want to scare him so badly he doesn't have time to think straight.
“Where is my father?” I demand while I have him off guard.
Levi stares at me for a moment then narrows his eyes. “I think you're lying. Not even your real father can kill an archangel.”
I hold my hand out to Levi.
“Care to test me?” I taunt.
Levi looks at my outstretch hand like it's a snake about to bite him.
“I don't have to test you,” he says, not sounding quite so sure about his safety around me anymore and shrinking back into his throne, “because you have to be lying.”
“Where is my father?” I demand again angrily, trying my best to keep my voice low in front of mixed company.
Levi smirks. “Why would I tell you where I've hidden Andre? It's the only thing I have to use as leverage against you.”
“Then he's alive?” I ask holding my breath because the next words which come out of Levi's mouth will either be the truth or a lie.
“Yes,” Levi says. “He's alive.”
The heaviness inside my chest partially lifts, and I breathe out a sigh of relief.
“Can I see him?” I ask, being careful not to let my question sound like I'm begging. I won't willingly grovel at Levi's feet if I can help it.
“No,” he says without hesitation. “Not unless you are a good little girl who does as she is told. Then, I might think about letting you see him. As it is, I've decided to let you live. You might be useful to me in other ways.”
I look back out a
t the crowd and feel heaviness return to my heart. Levi knows he has me now. I won't do anything to jeopardize my father's life. I'll act the way he wants me to act until the time comes when he must pay for what he's done.
There is a slight commotion at the top of the staircase leading into the ballroom. I look up and feel my pulse begin to quicken like my heart is about to grow legs and run up the stairs without me.
Malcolm has arrived.
His long black hair is pulled back into a ponytail which only accentuates the striking bone structure of his face. He's dressed in a black suit with a short one inch collar around the neckline, which is what almost every man in the room is wearing except on him it actually looks dashing. There is a small silver pin on the short collar slightly off center from the middle of his neck. At this distance, I can't quite make out what it is.
“Your... m-m-majesty,” the herald says, fumbling slightly with his words and looking as shocked as everyone else in the room. “I humbly present Overlord Malcolm Xavier Devereaux.”
I'm not sure there's a person present who doesn't gasp and immediately turn their eyes to the top of the staircase.
“I can't believe that fool is actually here,” I hear Levi say beside me, but even his derisive words can't make me turn my gaze away from Malcolm as he descends the staircase.
If anyone looked the part of an emperor or a king, it was Malcolm. With just one glance at the crowd of people below him, Malcolm immediately takes command of the room. I am concentrating on his face so intently that I almost miss the wolf head cane he's using to walk down the stairs with. It’s an odd looking cane with two silver wing shaped adornments a few inches below the wolf’s head on the shaft. The hitch in his gate isn't extremely pronounced, and he seems to be using the cane as more of a prop than a real aid in his walking.
Once he’s at the base of the stairs, his eyes drift to the dais and to me.
I can't prevent the smile which lights up my face any more than I can stop the beating of my heart.
Malcolm makes his way across the ballroom floor to me, our eyes lock and, for me at least, it feels like we are the only two people in a room bursting at the seams with them.
“You better be careful,” Levi whispers to me, leaning in close to my ear. “His heart has always belonged to someone else, my poor little dove. And not even your beauty will be able to tear his loyalty away from her memory.”
Levi's words penetrate through my happiness, tainting it. I look over at him.
“What was her name?” I ask him.
“Why don't you ask lover boy for yourself?” Levi sneers, sliding back into his throne as he watches Malcolm's continued progression towards us with undisguised hate.
As Malcolm reaches us, Levi says in a rather haughty voice, “Overlord Devereaux, to what do we owe this rather unexpected visit? I believe this is the first time you've been to Cirrus, correct?”
Malcolm doesn't bow to us like most people would when first greeting royalty. Instead, he simply stands before us at his full height with his cane held off to the side of him and stares at Levi like he’s indulging a child’s question.
“It's not every day your ruler gets married,” Malcolm says pleasantly. “I thought I would come up to give the two of you my blessing on your imminent nuptials. I'm happy to see that the money I earned for you this past year with my hard work has been useful in providing the means with which to throw yourselves such a lavish party. I'm sure the wedding will be just as extravagant and costly.”
I hear a few snickers in the crowd, but they are short lived.
“Yes,” Levi says while plastering a smile on his face, “thank you so much for paying your tribute this year. I dare say it was quite a large sum. Tell me, Overlord Devereaux, just how is it that you make so much money for us?”
“Hard work,” Malcolm answers. “You should try it sometime.”
Levi smiles grimly. “How is life on the surface these days?”
“As well as can be expected with what we have to deal with.”
“So I supposed you don’t have parties as extravagant as ours down there?” Levi asks.
“I live a rather frugal life,” Malcolm replies. “I don't need much to live on in the down-world. But, even a meager means down there can make you a king.”
“A king?” Levi repeats mockingly. “Is that what you think of yourself? Do you feel as though you are the king of the down-worlders?”
Levi laughs but no one else joins him.
“Your words,” Malcolm says with a small smile as Levi's laughter dies, “not mine.”
I can feel Levi seething with hatred beside me, but he keeps his temper in check. He begins to chuckle again but there's no mirth behind the sound.
“Have you met my future wife yet?” Levi asks, standing from his throne, grabbing one of my hands, and jerking me out of the seat of my own throne, forcing me to stand up beside him.
I see Malcolm's jaw tense and eyes narrow on Levi. If someone could die from just a look, I would imagine Malcolm's stare at Levi in that moment would have accomplished such a task.
“Her name is Lady Annalise, if you didn't already know,” Levi says. “And tomorrow she will be my wife in every way that counts between a man and a woman.”
Levi's words aren't lost on me, and I know exactly what he's insinuating. I hear a few of the women in the crowd giggle because they know what he's talking about too. My cheeks grow warm, and I hate the fact that Levi's lewd remark has made me blush uncontrollably.
Malcolm remains silent, but I can see the muscles of his jaws tighten even further. Finally, he looks above us to the band on the balcony and tilts his head to them. It seems to act as a signal because they immediately take up their instruments and start playing a waltz.
“May I have the honor of dancing the first dance of the evening with your fiancé?” Malcolm asks Levi.
Levi smiles politely, but I can tell it's just for show.
“Of course,” Levi says. “I would hate to deprive you of such a privilege while she's still intact.”
Levi practically throws my hand away from his, and I immediately turn towards the stairs to walk off the dais and put as much distance between him and me that I can. I'm so focused on getting away from Levi that I don't notice Malcolm has moved until I'm at the bottom step and see him standing there waiting for me.
He holds out his hand to me, and I gladly slip mine into his. He throws his cane to a man in the crowd, and it's only then that I notice Jered is present.
“Keep that for a moment please,” Malcolm tells Jered before he pulls me into his arms and gently presses me up against his torso. He twirls me around the ballroom floor, making the people there move out of our way whether they want to or not.
“He has my father,” I tell Malcolm as we dance across the floor. The blaring music from the band helps hide my words. “But he won't tell me where he is.”
“Of course he won't,” Malcolm says in disgust, “he'll use Andre's safety against you for as long as he can. That's the sort of creature he is.”
“I won't let him touch me,” I say with grim determination. “I'll kill him before I let him do that to me.”
A faint smile tugs at the corners of Malcolm's lips. “I’m glad to hear it.”
We continue to dance, and I can't help but stare up at Malcolm. I don't care if everyone in the room is watching us. I don't care if they see how I feel about the man holding me in his arms. If there was one thing my father taught me, it was to stay true to myself and my feelings for others. He always said that love for others isn't something you should try to hide. You should never feel ashamed for caring about other people just because some think it's inappropriate. I feel sure that anyone who sees me look at Malcolm will instantly know that he's captured my heart in the palm of his hands, and he is the only one who can decide its fate.
My eyes are drawn to the silver pin I saw earlier on the short collar of Malcolm's black jacket. I recognize it as a flower, a lily.
“Is that a family heirloom?” I ask him, keeping my gaze centered on the pin.
“Yes,” Malcolm answers, not seeming to want to talk about its significance.
“Did someone you love give it to you?”
“Yes.”
I don't press for more details. It's obvious he doesn't want to elaborate on his answers.
I decide not to let the moment be ruined and simply enjoy the feel of being in Malcolm's arms. Joy in life is fleeting, and I intend to soak up every last second I can steal with Malcolm because I have no way of knowing how many of these moments I will get. As I let my gaze drift up from the pin on his collar to his face, I catch him staring down at me with the same look of confusion he had the night before.
Why do I confuse him? Why won't he simply let me in?
CHAPTER Ten
As the waltz comes to an end, I feel myself involuntary grip Malcolm's hand and shoulder tightly, not wanting to let him go just yet.
“Anna,” Malcolm says in a slightly strained voice, “you're hurting me.”
I instantly loosen my grasp. I look up into his clear blue eyes and see the light of amusement dance there as he looks down at me.
“I'm sorry,” I tell him. “I usually have better control over that part of myself. Are you all right?”
“I'm fine,” he says with a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I just forgot how strong you girls could be. You're stronger than any of us, you know.”
“We all were?”
Malcolm nods, “Yes.”
“Was she as strong as me?” I ask.
“She who?”
“The one you said was dearest to your heart. The one you made the promise to about helping me...”
Malcolm's face becomes completely expressionless, like a mask has descended, covering his features to hide his true emotions from me.
“She was strong in a lot of ways but physical strength wasn't one of them.”
“What was her name?”
