Page 133 of A Monarch's Fall

“Even if she wished to try?” he asked.

“Never,” I answered, the growl rumbling in my chest vibrated through my entire being.

“Calm down, Selene,” he instructed.

“You’ve been plotting behind my back with Dennis Aqua, the very enchanter you sent my way, to torture my soul match, and you request that I calm down? Does your betrayal know no limits?” I replied.

“It was you who requested his services —”

“And it was simply a coincidence that you were already working with him?” I challenged.

“No,” he admitted. “The problem with your pet has been building for months. I wanted to know all our options.”

“She is mine. She will always be mine,” I stated.

He sighed dramatically, but I heard the way his heart sped up and scented his anger.

“Enough of this for now. We are officially late,” he decided and opened the door of his study.

It was necessary for me to take a few calming breaths before I could school my features and follow.

The ballroom was beautifully decorated, and the chandeliers from the domed ceiling provided much-needed warm lighting. In the spring, when the conference was usually held, natural light would flood through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, but given the grey light of the early winter, that was not possible. The room was loud with the clinking of glasses, the scraping of chairs and over two hundred voices. Each House had its own tables.

Father waited while I entered first. The master of ceremonies announced my arrival.

“Representing House Ardens, Her Royal Highness Princess Selene Borealis,” the already seated and waiting nobles and councillors applauded, and an usher showed me to my table.

I was the only representative for House Ardens and discovered that I had been seated not with the miscellaneous tables shared by the smaller Houses but at a table meant for ten entirely on my own.

Was it some attempt to embarrass me? It was hardly an oversight. I ignored the curious and scandalised glances from the tables around me. If my father wished to humiliate me, I would not give him the satisfaction of a reaction. I smiled as his arrival was announced.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you His Royal Highness King Nyx Borealis.”

The applause was appropriately loud, but I noticed that some in attendance looked less than impressed. It was clear that my father’s popularity was no longer as stable as it had been.

I caught General Creel’s eye across the room as my father was seated. He looked visibly displeased and out of place in his military mess dress, like he had been forced to dress up for an occasion he would rather avoid. He raised his eyebrows and looked at my table and back at me. As subtle as always, it was obvious he was curious why I wasn’t sitting with Borealis or why I was alone. I simply shrugged in answer and brought my attention back to the room. Near the servant entrance, I saw Rylan standing to attention, his gaze travelling across the room. We made eye contact, and he gave me one reassuring nod.

I pushed down my building anticipatory anxiety and accepted a drink offered to me by a server. The orchestra began playing quietly in the background, and as it did, the surrounding tables grew quiet.

Father stood to begin his opening speech, but was interrupted by the clashing smash of a server dropping a tray of glasses.I was embarrassed that I had flinched and instinctively looked to see if anyone had been watching me, as the room filled with the tutting sound of displeasure and the server being scolded by the surrounding tables. Rylan caught my eye, and he grinned knowingly before giving me a reassuring nod that everything was okay.

I turned my attention back to the server who had dropped the tray, and several servers who were helping to clean up.

“We will give the staff time to rectify this mishap, accidents happen after all,” Father announced, jovially.

“I’m so sorry, everyone,” the server said as he stood up, carrying the circular tray holding the shattered glass.

“Apologies aren’t necessary,” Father said, but I knew he would be furious. Not of the mess that delayed his introduction to the start of the conference, but that a lowly server would address the room.

“No, I really am sorry,” the server continued, and something about him was off.

I glanced back at Rylan and saw that he had already taken a step away from the wall towards me.

“For The New Foundation!” the server roared, and I looked back to see that he had taken a large shard of glass and attacked a councillor from House Thyella, the shard sticking out of his neck.

The screaming was instant.

A royal guard rushed the server, knocking him to the floor. They struggled, chaos erupting as people scattered from their seats and tables.