Adele and Zayden looked at each other a little shocked but tried not to smile. It only made it easy to dash their hope.
“But that all changed quickly. The world will not allow these unions to take place and it seems I must be the one to end them.”
Zayden stood up to defend Adele by taking a stance in front of her. “Father, no. I will not allow you to sentence them to death.”
I rose to my feet.
Everyone stood still, nerves shattered and hearts heavy. My judgment could be as severe as I wished and it only made them anticipate to know it more.
“The decision will be mine to make. I cannot overlook everything that’s happened.”
“Father, please. They’re not—”
“They came to kill you!” I shouted, echoing my voice and even making the Kalu Assassins shutter in fear. “That is simply not something that should be taken lightly by anyone!”
“Things changed.”
“Kalu’s will, will never change! And yet by letting them into your hearts you have left the door open for the enemy into our house! Into our city! The people here have lived peacefully behind the walls and I will not have you compromise their perfect way of life by bringing them fear!” I took a breath, lowering my tone to a more normal level. “This will be dealt with quietly, not publicly. No one will ever know they have even existed here.”
“What are you going to do?” Zayden asked.
I didn’t answer right off. I started to walk around the table and gave them time to think things over on their own. “I am going to my quarters where I do not wish to be bothered until dinner. Do with your time what you will but I expect you all to be present.”
Chapter 21
Zayden
He walked out without giving me an actual answer. I wouldn’t have it. “Stay right here.” I left the conference room after my father and hurried down the hall to catch up. “Father, wait!”
He kept walking. “Didn’t I say I didn’t want to be bothered?”
“You are yet in your quarters. I just need to know. You have to give me a real response.”
“Do I?”
“Yes.” I stopped him and we turned towards each other. “What are you going to do?”
I was waiting for an answer but my father looked around and took my arm, pulling me along with him. “Well, I’m surely not going to have this discussion out in the open.”
I walked briskly in my father’s grasp straight to his quarters. The door was closed and we were locked inside. “Now will you?”
“And what is it you want me to do? Praise this treason? That’s something that’s just not going to happen.”
“I never expected it to be. That’s why we lied about it.”
“If you came to compromise some agreement, you already know where I stand. What is it you want from this?”
Silence hit and my eyes traced the tiles on the floor. I already knew the answer but I was still torn about what to do.
“Well? Tell me you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking.”
I was curious. “What am I thinking?”
“You know what you’re thinking and the answer is no.”
“Maybe it wasn’t in the form of asking you.”
My father took a breath and I knew I was going to get some kind of lecture from him. “You walk away from your crown and Seni will burn. Is that what you want?”
“No but—”
“Then stop with this obsessive compulsion for this girl that can never be in your life! They belong over there. We belong here. That’s the way the world was meant to be.”
“If that’s true then just let them go back. Send them home.”
“You want me to just let the enemy leave after everything they’ve done like they should simply get away without paying a price? No. The Kalu Assassins stay until I see fit to release them in whatever manner I choose.”
“Father—”
“No, Zayden. That’s my final word. They stay. Make any attempts to leave before my judgment and you might as well gather the necessities to be sending them back without their heads. Am I clear?”
I sighed and lowered my head. Continuing this could have made him pass that harsh judgment now. “Yes, sir. I will not attempt any such thing but I wish that you would take the appropriate time to think this through properly. They are not at fault of your past. They are more of the result.”
He started to smile and became intrigued. “Really? How so?”
“I know who Adele is and where she came from. How else would her parents have met if not of that past? We were all born after it and not long. Whatever happened back then effected how we got here. Don’t condemn them because of that.”
“I won’t have to. There are plenty of other things I could condemn them for just from being who they are.”
“Father—”
“But I understand your purpose for saying so. I will take in consideration of your request so long as you make sure they spend their days here comfortable. They want to share in our luxury, they’ll have it. They’re still seen as our guest after all and we always take care of our guests.”
“So, even with you knowing, it’ll be like—”
“You don’t want anyone else finding out about this, do you, Zayden?”
“Of course not.”
“Then this is how it’ll be until I make my decision. Everything will seem as it was. Do as you normally would have done hadn’t I confronted you about the truth and that includes dressing up the little minxes and having them join us for dinner.”
“If that is my King’s wish, it’ll be done.”
“Relax, my son. As future King, you must not let the little things bother you. Go now and we’ll take this just a step at a time.”
“Father.” I bowed my head and left my father’s quarters.
I didn’t much like this plan and I could only foresee how others were going to react.
Chapter 22
Izin
“What are you going to do, Izin?”
I turned and saw Kathryn standing in the doorway to our bathhouse. “I haven’t made a full plan yet. Perhaps I just let them sweat a little. They might come up with a plan that meets both of our needs.”
“Your needs are to have them out of here. You do that and Zayden will follow her. You do that and you’ll be pushing away our son. It would be dangerous for him.”
“I’m sure Zayden is aware of the consequences, my love. What he chooses will be his choice.”
“If you only really mean that, you’d let him have this now and allow them to go when they pleased if that’s even what they’d do at all.”
“And how would they stay here? In hiding? Pretending to be someone they’re not?”
“It’s what we’ve decided on—long ago.”
I sighed and stepped closer to her, gently touching the skin of her neck. “I know where your heart is, my love and once mine was there too but times have changed. Things like this aren’t easily done anymore and with there being so many, it would only be harder. Let it happen long enough and the Leccans will realize that they never sent three mere warriors to aid us. That could lead to their exposure and I’d either be a fool for not seeing it or accused of being involved which is what I would be.”
“Izin, just—”
“Please. I’m begging you. Just be with me on this. See my reasons. This. Can’t. Last. The future we once envisioned died a long time ago. The world is not going to accept peace this way.”
“Then how will it, Izin? Tell me that.”
“I don’t know but it wouldn’t be up to us. Kalu’s crazy Queen has something to do with keeping it this way. It’s not our responsibility to change it.” Kathryn lowered her head like she had bowed and I lifted her chin. “No despair, my Queen. Everything has an end even a time such as this.”
I kissed her in hopes to end her worry but these days it was much harder to do. I had to fully distract her with something she would never want to associate Zayde
n with.
I put a gentle hand around her back and got her to step in closer. I knew she wanted to turn around her mood when she let out that moan of desire and she was right where I wanted her. The door was locked and I spent my afternoon fully in her company.
Chapter 23
Adele
“Well, what happened? What’d he say?” Troy’s voice was anxious the second Zayden stepped back inside the room. He noticed him before anyone and I turned to see what he had to say, not that I was too interested. I already knew how this was going to end.
“He doesn’t know what he’s going to do yet but he wants it quiet like he said. You’ll be staying here as guests and everything will remain the same as if he never knew.”
“So, you don’t think we should just leave?” Jaylyn asked.
“Ah, no because—well—you can’t leave.”
Now he caught my full attention. “What do you mean we can’t leave?”
“He’s not allowing you to leave—just yet.”
I sighed and sat in one of the chairs. “That’s great. So, he’s just going to make us stay here?”
“Until he can decide what to do with you.”
“That’s not exactly a good thing.” Ruby muttered.
“Don’t worry. I don’t think it’s going to come to that.”
“You don’t?” Jaylyn wondered.
“How do you know?” Darius asked.
“The way he was when we spoke. Give it enough time and he may at least just send you back.”
“How much time?” I asked.
“I’m not sure but we’re just supposed to go about our time as we would have normally done.”
“Not as easy as it sounds.”
“Things will be fine. He’s the only one that knows and isn’t going to risk telling anyone else.”
“So, what do we do now?” Jaylyn asked.
“Well, I’d like to get clothes on before I make it any more obvious about who we are.”
Zayden smiled and took off his jacket, draping it over my shoulders. “There. That should get you back upstairs safely.”
“Thanks. I guess now I’m going to go finish the nap I was rudely awakened from. What are you guys going to do?”
They looked around at each other.
“I’m not really sure.” Ruby answered.
“I really hate to say this—” I sighed because it was true. “But you should probably confide yourselves to a room just so you stay out of trouble.”
“Okay!” Jaylyn smiled, hooking her arm through Troy’s. “No one should want to disobey that order!”
I sighed again. “I’m leaving.”
I turned and Zayden immediately followed. “Right behind you.” We went back upstairs to his room and got back in bed. “You all right? You seemed a little stiff walking up here. Are you worried?”
“Shouldn’t I be?”
“Of course not. You get to stay for now.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not over yet. Something could still happen when he makes his choice.”
Zayden smiled and kissed my head. “Stop worrying and go back to sleep. I don’t think you got enough.”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I knew I didn’t get enough but still had this fear burning inside me. I didn’t know what was going to happen now that we were being forced to stay here longer. No one knew, not even the King.
Zayden wrapped his arms around me and my thoughts just melted away. I no longer felt worry but peace and was able to fall back asleep in his arms where I knew I’d be safe but my dreams soon led me into a worry of another kind.
It was bright. The sun was shining on the gleaming waterfalls in the background and their sounds carried in the mountains. I stood in an open doorway, looking outside. My eyes shifted and focused when sounds of another kind echoed around me. “Hey! That’s not fair!”
It was the training ring like the one from back home and he was there, Seth, standing adjacent to another boy, each holding a wooden practice stick. I didn’t seem as surprised this time and watched them fighting back and forth. They were good for ones so young. Blocking and swinging their practice stick around, they made it look effortless.
“Hey, mother.” Seth glanced towards me with a smile while he blocked a hit from his opponent. He really did have Zayden’s eyes.
“Hi, Seth.” I waited, seeing how long my dream would let this conversation go or if it meant anything at all.
“Heard any news?”
I was confused and squinted my eyes. “What news?”
“From father. You said we would in a few days about when he’s returning.”
Breathlessness hit deep in my chest.
Father? What did this mean? Zayden? Was it true? Could it be? My thoughts spiraled around all of these questions and left me in a lost stare. I didn’t know how to answer, not knowing it myself and just stood still.
“Mother?” Seth stopped fighting with the other boy and the three of them all looked over at me.
“Adele?” The brown-haired boy asked. Him speaking to me had only shocked me more. His hair was brown but he had those bright green eyes that were very familiar to me but I still couldn’t speak. “Adele?” His voice was getting lower and my vision was blurring. I couldn’t see them anymore but the voice remained and began to change into a female’s voice. “Adele? Adele?” My eyes finally opened and Jaylyn was leaning over me with her curls draping over her shoulders. “Hey. Wake up, sleepy. We have to get you dressed for another lovely dinner.”
I looked towards the windows at the darkening sky. “Oh, great. Already?” It felt like I had just fallen asleep, not that I’ve been here all day.
“Yeah.” Ruby sighed. “We know.”
“Don’t be like that.” Zayden said. “Act happy and things will—hopefully turn out happy.”
I met Zayden’s eyes as I sat up and I was just in wonderment. Images of my dream were still with me but the words that I heard were ringing even louder in my head. I wanted to tell him with every ounce of my soul but I just couldn’t. Something was stopping me. I didn’t want him to become too hopeful that he was right. Without knowing the King’s true decision, I didn’t want to fuel the hope of something I knew I could never have.
Instead, I just smiled and replied with a joyless tone. “Again, not easy to do.”
“Be glad that he’s taking time to think about it. A quick judgment could have been a lot worse.”
I sighed and stood in front of him with my hands on my hips. “Well, expect me to go like this? Look at them. They looked dressed.”
Ruby and Jaylyn just smiled while they stood by, wrapped perfectly in simple shades of copper and rose silk.
“Don’t worry.” Jaylyn said. “There’s a dress for you.”
Zayden looked to the door and Darius picked up a box sitting by it, walking it over to me. “Kathryn brought this for you. It should do.”
I quickly flipped the cover back and revealed a dress shining in purple silk threads. It looked perfect as always. “Where did he get her?”
“What do you mean?” Zayden asked.
“Kathryn.” I said, taking the dress out of the box. “She’s amazing. If we stay here any longer, I’m not going to be able to go on without her.”
“Unlikely that she would go back with you but if you wanted, I’m sure you could give it a shot.”
“I’ll be right out.” I brought the dress with me back towards the bathhouse.
“Don’t be long. We’re running out of time.”
Like I needed to hear that we were running out of time. It was something I always knew.
Chapter 24
Jaylyn
The dining hall was empty. The King had yet to arrive for dinner and we found ourselves there first.
“Well, I like this.” Adele said.
“Don’t get your hopes up.” Darius laughed. “He doesn’t have to get here first.”
“Take a seat.”
We sat in the exact seating order as we
have the previous night and silence overwhelmed the table. No one spoke. We sat still like statues, waiting for the King.
My eyes were on Troy across from me and it was as if we were speaking without words. I was worried. Troy merely looked at me with confidence, trying to convince me to do the same but my eyes were denying it completely. How could I stay confident about being here, knowing the King was about to pass his judgment on us any time, perhaps even tonight? Staying calm was just something I couldn’t do. I couldn’t leave here without him.
Echoing of a steady pace forced me to look away. The doors both opened together and the King walked through. He wasn’t looking at any particular thing but his expression seemed less than happy nonetheless.
“You’re late.” Zayden stated a little sarcastically.
“I’m never late.” Izin replied, his voice seeming just as stern as his look while walking to the head of the long table. “And your attempts to make yourselves appear early is displeasing.”
“That was never our plan, father. I expected you to be here already.”
“Then you expected to keep me waiting? Not a very good turn on your road of salvation.”
No one said a word.
Three servants came from the kitchen with a cart full of silver covered trays. It was wheeled to the table and a tray was first given to the King and uncovered for him.
Adele looked next to her at Ruby and lightly shook her head. Ruby was a little confused at first until Adele’s tray was put in front of her, cover lifted and Adele didn’t reach for a utensil. Ruby’s eyes widened a little more just from what she was insinuating and quickly turned her head towards me just as a tray was set in front of me. I didn’t like the look of that at all.
The cover was lifted on my tray but I couldn’t touch it. The smell of delicious food rose up in steam, hitting my face, just causing me to want it more. It smelt so good.
Deciding Skies (Fate's Intent Book 2) Page 12
