Downfall: Kingdoms of Sin, Book #1

by Aster, Willow

  My mother steps beside me, snapping me out of my thoughts. She puts her hand on my back and says, “Come inside, dear. You won’t win him over by hiding. It could be that he’s resentful about this arrangement,” she says in her most soothing voice, “but once he gets to know you, he’ll be a changed man. You’re every man’s dream.”

  I groan. “Of course you’d say that, you’re my mother.”

  “A queen never lies,” she says, her lips twitching with a smile. When I level her with a glare, she sighs. “Eden, anyone with eyes can see your beauty.” She rubs a lock of my hair between her fingertips. “And that’s only the surface of who you are. Your father wasn’t exactly head over heels for me the first night we met either, you know. But after we were married, we grew into our love.”

  I follow her in. I must have been outside longer than I realized because the tables have all been cleared and the dancing has started. Couples seem to be forming already, the shy, heated look of interest apparent. Fathers and daughters are dancing together too and it makes me miss mine more than ever.

  It doesn’t take long to spot Luka. He’s the one surrounded by all the beautiful girls. A few princesses that I recognize—the paparazzi has hounded all of us since we were born—and a couple of other girls that I don’t. Luka’s confidence, the glint in his eyes when he laughs, the way he looks as if he could either crush you or eat you alive—the combination of those things and all of the secrets underneath make every eye gravitate to him.

  He looks my way, as if he feels me staring holes through him. His eyes roam down the length of me and back up, and with each second that ticks by I get increasingly antsy. When his eyes land on mine again, his lip curls into something between a smirk and a sneer. Even after our less than great introduction, I want him to come claim me right here, right now, in front of everyone, but he doesn’t. I clench my hands into fists and watch as he turns from me and kisses each girl surrounding him on the cheek. They throw their heads back and laugh at something he says. He looks at me over his shoulder. Is he talking about me?

  The next thing I know, he’s stalking toward me.

  “Dance with me?” His voice is silky smooth.

  He holds his hand out and waits for me to take it. When I don’t right away, he bends to eye level.

  “Come on,” he says, finally taking my hand in his anyway and kissing it. “Let’s make the mothers happy. Send them on their way thinking their babies are going to be okay.” His voice is mocking, but he pulls me flush against him and I forget to be annoyed with him. Our bodies fit together, getting along far better than we seem to be able to so far.

  I sigh and he leans back a bit to look at me. “Why the disappointed face?” he asks. He laughs under his breath. “Surely you did not think we were going to fall in love at first sight?”

  His words are cruel, but his accent is so alluring, it cuts some of the bite.

  “I’m sure it’s no secret by now that I’m not happy about this marriage,” he says, smiling past me to someone else. Probably one of the girls giggling behind my back. I stop dancing and he pulls me closer, his hands gripping my hips.

  When his attention focuses on me, he stops dancing too and we stand in the middle of the floor for a moment, studying one another. His eyes drop to my mouth and for a moment, I think he’s going to kiss me. My insides tremble. He shifts to my ear, so close his lips touch my lobe.

  “Such a delicate creature,” he whispers. I shiver and feel his lips lift against my ear. “I want you to know that I’m looking forward to making every inch of you mine. One day. But we’re not married yet. And know that I will never be yours.”

  I push his hands off of me and walk away. What does that even mean? My entire body is heated with his promise of making me his, but his last statement douses me with such cold fury I’m shaking.

  * * *

  My mom knocks on my door a few minutes later. “Eden? Sweetheart, open the door. I’m worried about you.”

  I let her in before anyone else can hear her. It’s strange—I haven’t seen anyone else in this wing so far. I look down the hall after she enters and all is quiet. She sees my face and her shoulders sag in worry.

  I’ve gone along with our customs, never questioning my parents’ wishes or even believing there is another way. Both of our countries greatly benefit from our marriage; therefore, it is the right thing to do. I’ve hoped that Luka has the same level of honor and commitment to his family as I do, but if tonight has proved anything, it’s that I know nothing about him at all. Nothing but the list of his family’s assets so long it could fill volumes.

  “When our kids ask about the first time we met, we’ll have a horrible story,” I say, my eyes filling again.

  “I have a feeling it will all turn around. Tonight was simply the prologue—you know how prologues are typically a bit troubling? Well, you have plenty of time to make your story a good one,” she says.

  Her brow creases when she sees my tears falling. Her arms wind around me and she holds me tight. “Oh, my sweet girl. We will miss you every day. It’s hard to believe this time has already come.” She leans back and puts her hands on my cheeks, studying me intently. “I know you are in good hands here. And that boy—he has some growing up to do, but you know your father and I wouldn’t have agreed to this if we didn’t feel it was a good match.”

  I nod. “I know you wouldn’t.” I give her a shaky smile. “Let’s hope you’re right.”

  Her smile drops a degree with those words.

  Somewhere in the unspoken rules, I think it probably says: A girl does not question her queen, even if she is her daughter. Another case of I’ve never been the sort to do so—why start now?—except it’s beginning to hit me that my entire future is in someone else’s hands, and my marriage might not turn out as well as it did for my parents. Why have I not thought of this before now?

  She kisses my forehead and pulls away.

  “Everything will be okay,” she says.

  She turns and gives me one last hug. I try not to think of how long it will be before I see her next, the homesickness already settling in my bones.

  I swallow my panic and dutifully kiss her on each cheek, my heart feeling hollow as she walks away.

  Chapter Three

  And this is what I am still telling myself the next morning—everything will be okay, everything will be okay, everything will be okay—as I wipe the tears that keep falling. I’ve given up on sleep and walk out to my balcony to watch the sunrise. I barely slept at all, playing and replaying what was said the night before; the girls watching our every move; the way Luka looked at me; how his arms around me felt, despite his awful words…my mother leaving me in a strange country alone.

  I’ve been without my parents a lot, but I’ve never been without my siblings. I think about everyone at home—my half-brother Jadon, and my sister Ava. Out of all of them, I’m closest to Jadon, but at the moment, all of them feel especially precious to me. I don’t know if I can stand being without them.

  My face feels raw from crying for too long. I step to the edge of the balcony and look out at the water, trying to think about something else, anything else. The water laps gently onto the sand and eventually lulls me into a more peaceful state of mind.

  A girl’s shriek catches my attention and I look across the way to the balcony to the left of mine. Any peace I’d found evaporates when I see Luka’s blond hair. He’s chasing Princess Nadia, one of the girls he was talking to last night—I only know for sure because I researched each girl after I came to my room. I avoid the tabloids as I’m in them most of the time, but I should’ve done my research before coming here. Everyone has changed considerably since I last looked, including Luka.

  They’re both in their underwear and she’s laughing hysterically. He catches her and kisses her neck and she laughs harder, hugging him. I gasp when he turns to put his arms around her and sees me standing there, watching them. It’s not close enough to hear what she says, but close enough
that I can see his teeth clench his full lower lip. His eyes shine as his hands go lower and lower, until they cup her hot pink floral backside. My chest feels tight. She looks up at him, her back to me, and his eyes never veer from mine. I’m too stunned to look away. With one last glance at me, he pulls her tighter against him—kissing her, grinding into her.

  I make sure I’m inside before he looks up again.

  * * *

  I don’t leave my room for three days, and only then because it’s the first day of classes. Brienne hovers over me, lamenting the fact that I barely eat the food she brings.

  “You’ll be starving by lunchtime if you don’t eat a little something now,” she says, setting toast and tea next to me. “How about I fix your hair while you eat the toast?”

  I sit on the chaise lounge and think for a moment before I speak. I’ve had a lot of time to think over the past few days. I clear my throat and pick up the pale pink boots Brienne has set out for me to wear with my short, flowy black dress. It’s a stellar combo, one I would’ve worn but didn’t expect her to choose. Once again, I realize she’s done her homework.

  “I know you’re just doing your job, but don’t worry about me. I’m going to be easy for you.” I slip my boots on and look up at her. “It might take me a while to adjust, but I will. I’m fine running my bath, doing my hair—unless it’s a special occasion, but even then, I’ll be okay. Most of the time I’ll eat in the dining hall, and if not, I can let you know ahead of time. How does that sound? Clean sheets once a week—I don’t mind putting them on. If you just want to do something, you could keep things dusted or do the laundry—” I snort. “I’ve never done laundry, but I should probably learn, right?”

  You could hear a needle drop, it’s so quiet.

  “Something tells me I wouldn’t even be allowed in the laundry quarters, would I?”

  She shakes her head solemnly, eyes wide.

  I lift an eyebrow. “There’s always washing by hand…”

  Her mouth drops further the longer I talk.

  “Honestly, if you just want to hang out here all day and read, I’m fine with that. When Dean Hightower or Mother asks how we’re getting along, I will tell him ‘beautifully.’ I vaguely remember seeing you occasionally in Farrow, but it seems Mother has an attachment to you. I hope we can be friends too.”

  “Your mother saved my life. I owe her everything.”

  I stare at her. “I didn’t realize.”

  She lowers her head again and it seems that’s all she’s going to say.

  “Whatever arrangement you have with her, I’m letting you off the hook while you’re here.”

  “I’ll do my best to stay out of your way, Lady Eden.”

  “No, that’s—” I sigh. “I just need this time to be…you know what? Never mind. We’ll figure it out as it comes.”

  I stand up and smooth out my dress. I pick up the mini iPad the university gave to me when I arrived, tuck it in my small bag along with my lip stain, and walk toward the door. I give Brienne a tiny wave, and when I step out, I make sure Nadia and Luka are nowhere in sight.

  * * *

  Unfortunately, I can’t avoid them any longer. They’re in my first class, walking in at the last second and looking like the perfect couple. I feel him before I see him. When I look up, he’s staring at me, his eyes doing their sweep up and down me. I can’t tell if he likes what he sees or despises everything about me. He stalks toward me, Nadia following close behind, and when he sits down next to me, he leans near my ear.

  “Next time I’m visiting Nadia, why don’t you come over? I’ll let you get a closer look. See the goods you’re purchasing…”

  “So far there’s nothing about you that I want to buy,” I tell him.

  His head tilts as his finger traces a shape on my arm. I flick it off of me and he chuckles.

  “Is that jealousy or just your temper on a normal day?” he asks.

  “Are you a prick or is this just you on a normal day?” I turn and face him then. He’s so close I can see his pupils dilate.

  His jaw clenches and he slowly takes a step back. He laughs under his breath and it sends a shudder down my spine. I stare at him until he looks away.

  “I should’ve known my dad would give me a pious bitch.” His head tilts back and he glares at the ceiling.

  Out of all the things I expected to feel for my fiancé, hatred was not one of them.

  * * *

  Toward the end of class I’m still so shaken, I try to get my things together so I can walk out quickly and end up knocking my iPad and phone off of my desk. I lean down to pick it up and collide heads with the person on the other side of me. I hold my head and look up and the guy is doing the same, looking apologetic.

  “I’m so sorry,” he whispers.

  I shake my head. “I’m sorry.”

  His fingers lift to touch the spot on my forehead that feels like it’s growing by the second and I hear a chair scrape behind me. Luka knocks the guy’s hand off of me and I turn to look at him.

  “Hands off,” he growls.

  I glare at him and he sits back down in his chair, glaring right back.

  Still shaking my head, I turn to the guy next to me as he places my things back on my desk. The bell rings and I gather everything and put it in my bag.

  “Thank you,” I say to the guy on my left. “Is your head okay?”

  “Much better than yours, I think. You might need ice. I’ll never forgive myself if I’ve left a bruise on Princess Eden,” he says.

  I flush. He smiles and I like the way his smile brightens more when I smile back.

  “I’m Thaddeus,” he says. “Call me Thad.”

  “Back off, Thaddeus,” Luka says. “She’s spoken for.”

  Thaddeus looks past me at Luka and Nadia. I turn and see that she’s clutching his arm.

  “Greedy much?” Thad says.

  I roll my eyes and duck out of the middle of them. I’m halfway to my next class when Thad falls into step next to me. He’s cute, although a little on the short side for me. It doesn’t matter—you’re spoken for…flits through my brain. I stop at the door and Thad frowns.

  “Looks like I’m next door. Maybe I’ll see you at lunch?” he says.

  Luka walks up and bumps into Thad. It looks accidental, but one look at his satisfaction is enough to know it wasn’t.

  “Move along, Thaddeus,” he says.

  I lift my hand to wave at Thad and he grins.

  I want to run to my room and hide in there just to breathe. I wonder if he’s going to be in all of my classes. If so, maybe I’ll try to switch some of my classes around. Nadia isn’t in this class, which makes me breathe a little easier, for some reason. A girl grabs the seat next to me before Luka can.

  “Mind if I sit there?” he asks her, pulling a sweet act that has my eyes narrowing.

  “I do mind actually,” she says, avoiding looking at him.

  I choke back a laugh, and Mistress Oleander begins class before he can argue. I look at the girl and nod gratefully.

  After class, she puts her hand on my arm and says, “You are way nicer than I’d be. I was sitting behind you in the last class and when you called him a prick, I almost clapped right in his face.”

  I cringe. “Not my finest moment.”

  But she stands there looking at me, her grin so wide, that I smile the first real smile all day. “Oh yes, it was.” She tilts her head back toward the door. “I’m Jasmine, by the way. Sit with me at lunch? I’ve always wanted to meet the Princess of Snow and I have to say, you do not disappoint.”

  Chapter Four

  “I’m afraid nothing can be done about your classes,” Mistress Oleander says firmly. Her smile does nothing to soften her statement. She slams her heavy book shut and grins wider. “Under the request of both of your parents, you and Prince Luka are to have every class together, as well as take part in our marriage enhancement therapy.”

  “Marriage enhancement therapy? What year is this
?” I lower my voice when she flinches, leaning in slightly. “We’re not even married yet!”

  She tilts her head to the side. “It sounds as if the two of you might really benefit from therapy,” she states. “Now, why don’t you get to lunch, you don’t want to miss out on our delicious Beef Wellington.”

  “I’m not hungry and I don’t eat beef,” I whisper, tears threatening to spill over.

  Her eyes grow wide as she reaches out to pat my hand and then stops herself, her etiquette taking over. “It’ll take some time to adjust to being so far from home. I came from the snow myself and all this sunshine just doesn’t seem normal at first!” She laughs, shoulders bouncing up and down. “Before you know it, you’ll forget what the snow is like.” Her shoulders stop mid-bounce when someone moves up behind me. “Ah, there he is. You have your work cut out for you, I’m afraid,” she says to him, shaking her head. “You need to convince our beautiful princess here that these classes are meant to help you both, especially the therapy.”

  “We just got here. I hardly think we need therapy yet,” Luka says, “though your class is a breath of fresh air.” He winks at the lady who has more wrinkles than I’ve ever seen on one person.

  She puts her hand on her chest, swooning right before my eyes. I roll my eyes and sniffle. I need to blow my nose and hide, damn it!

  Luka holds his arm out and looks at me then, his cockiness choking the air around me. “I’ll escort our delicate flower to the Grand Hall.” He picks up my hand and puts it through his arm when I don’t do it myself.

  I pull my hand away. “You wouldn’t know what to do with even one night in Farrow—the last thing you should call me is a delicate flower.”