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He laughed and took that as leave to open my bedroom door and walk in. We’d grown up right down the road from one another. Our parents were good friends, working with one another on the Rajyvik Training Facility among other things. Alexei was my training partner and best friend, and never once let an opportunity to pick on me pass whether I was Princess Izzy or not.

He came in, gave me a wink, and then leaned against the wall just inside my bedroom door. He was dressed in all black as usual. His dark hair fell short of his ears, but his blue eyes were what drew me in time and time again. Whether we were sparring or just hanging out, his eyes would spark like literal fire, making his blue hue that much brighter.

“I really hate you sometimes,” I said, catching his silhouette in the mirror in front of me.

My mother’s old room was now mine, which my fathers never ceased to remind me of. I’d made it my own though. Papa Nicolai had bought me the vanity that sat in front of me at an estate sale when I was thirteen. It was gold and ornate.Fit for a Queen,Papa Nic had said.

“Aww, you don’t mean that, Izzy.” He moved forward and placed his hands on the back of my chair. He bent down so we could both be seen in the mirror. “Are you almost ready?” His gaze caught on my hair, then my makeup. He could always see right through me and knew I wore these things like a costume when I had to. Otherwise, I was just me.

My stomach tightened. “It’s time?”

Alexei shrugged. “Your mother sent me up here to get you, so it must be. She seems off, by the way. Would you know anything about that?”

I peeked up at him and bit my lip.

He pushed away from the chair. “I’m guessing you had something to do with it?”

I shrugged. “If sneaking out and watching the clans come in bothered her, then yes, I suppose I did have something to do with her being off.”

He shook his head. “It’s a wonder you’ve lived this long.”

“Oh, come on. You’re not mad.”

“You could’ve told me, and I would’ve went with you.” His gaze seared into mine, saying something without saying it.

He didn’t need to. I’d heard it too many times before.With my premonition of what would happen, why did I do things to push the limits?“I can do things on my own.”

He rolled his eyes. “Obviously.”

I pressed my lips together. Alexei hated this plan. He knew everything. He knew about my premonition and the deaths and all that would happen, but he hated this particular idea, my grand scheme to join the clans forever. He would be the last person I would’ve invited to scope out my future mates. Why couldn’t he see that?

“I’ve heard Christian tell you they can stop this at any time. No one will think less of you.”

That was a lie, and we both knew it. I’d already made my decree. What kind of queen would I be if I always went back on what I said? Especially with this. It was the right thing to do. I knew it in my heart, and Iwantedit. That was the part he always seemed not to hear. I wanted what my parents had, and this was how I was going to get it.

I stood from the chair and untied my robe. Pulling it off, I dropped it on the back of the chair and faced Alexei. I wasn’t going to get into this with him now. He’d get over it. We would always be best friends. “I’m ready.”

He looked up, then blinked. His stare scanned the length of my dress before meeting my eyes again. He stood a little taller and bowed his head before holding out his hand. “I’ll take you down then, Princess.”

Nerves settled in my stomach. I hated when he acted like I was his superior. I placed my hand on his forearm anyway and we walked from the room. Alexei had moments like this from time-to-time. We could be training one second and then the next, he acted as if he was my subject. I never asked him about it even though it always struck me as odd. As far as I could tell, I hadn’t done anything differently between one second and the next even though his actions said otherwise. Instead, I blamed my future title even though I never threw it in his face. I never asked him to call me Princess, and I’d never ask him to call me Queen. We were far too close for him to think he was beneath me in some ridiculous royalty hierarchy.

Conversations rose up from below us as we made our way down. I descended the stairs with my heart in my throat. My mother’s voice floated upwards, along with at least Papa Nic’s and Papa Christian’s. I could also hear Natalie Rajyvik’s voice, Alexei’s mother. She and my mother had grown close. A long time ago, Natalie’s brother had been my mother’s instructor at The Fort, but those times were long past. Samuel had passed in the Dumont Clan uprising. He’d died to save us, and even though I wasn’t doing anything as dramatic at the moment, I knew I would when called on.

The training facility still held the name Rajyvik, but it wasn’t just Rajyvik’s who ran it any longer. It was led by the best fighters—vampire and human. Alexei, for instance, had gotten a position there right after graduation last year. He was the best at hand-to-hand skills I’d ever seen. He would say he was the best but one, but as Princess, it wasn’t in my destiny to help out at The Fort. It hadn’t even been my mother’s even though she loved it so much and helped when she could.

Papa Christian lifted his stare first, causing my step to waver. Then, the rest of them turned like an invisible wave had gone through the room, making them stop to look up at me. I put my princess face on, the barely there smile with the carefully controlled countenance.

Mother moved forward. She stood at the bottom of the stairs and waited for me to come down. Her face was one of pure joy. Her fingers slid over my cheek as she smiled at me, tears hovering in the corners of her eyes. She was beautiful as usual. Whether she was training or just hanging around the house, she held an aura that made me strive to do better. Ariana Ravana was revered as was my grandmother before her. I came from a strong line of women, of queens, and I would do the same.

In my own way.

Alexei stepped away and allowed the rest of the party to ooh and aww over me. A fierce heat swamped my cheeks, and Papa Nic tapped my cheek playfully.

Natalie grinned, too. She peeked at her son and then turned her attention to me. “I can’t say I envy you this, Izzy. There’s so much weight upon your shoulders.”

I went to shrug, but my mother answered first. “She can handle it.”

“Of course,” Natalie said, not in the least bit offended. “I wasn’t talking about uniting the clans, I was talking about the six suitors who await her at The Fort.”