Page 68 of Courting the Dragon Prince

“Of course.” The servant bowed.

His mother stared out the window. Moments ticked by as they waited.

After several minutes, the door opened, and a servant entered and announced, “King Alaric and Queen Consort Adelina of Draconia.” The servant bowed.

“Good morning,” the king greeted as the two entered and took seats.

Onyx frowned. Where was Luther?

“We must apologise,” the queen consort said. “Prince Luther isn’t with us.”

A muscle twitched in the king’s jaw.

Where was Luther?

The servants entered, bringing the tea along with a trolly of dainty cakes and slices. They began to pour cups of tea and hand them out.

“Unfortunately, when I went to inform Prince Luther about taking tea together this morning, he seemed to have already left his room.” The king paused. “No doubt off to stretch his wings.” The king smiled tersely, as if not quite believing his own words.

Warden Flint took a cup from the servant. “That is no matter. Now that our families are united, there will be plenty of opportunities to gather.”

“True.” The king took a sip of his tea.

“It was a lovely wedding yesterday, wasn’t it?” the queen consort said to the grand warden.

But Onyx’s mother stared out the window, not seeming to have realised the queen consort was trying to engage her in conversation.

“It was,” Onyx said, smiling at the queen consort. Onyx glanced at his mother. At least she was here today and had been at the wedding ceremony yesterday.

But where was Luther? Had he gone out after Onyx left? Had he sought out Prince Elias or one of his other many lovers staying at the monastery?

Bile gurgled in Onyx’s stomach, and his fingers tightened on the porcelain teacup in his hand.

They’d signed the marriage contract just yesterday. Even if they’d not pledged fidelity, Onyx felt that fucking someone else on one’s wedding night was … rude.

And despite the state of their marriage, Onyx had thought the wedding night had gone well. He’d thought, at the very least, he’d satisfied Luther.

Apparently not. Onyx tried and failed not to feel humiliated and hurt by that realisation.

“How are you finding the weather here?” the queen consort asked his uncle.

“Pleasant enough,” Warden Flint said. “Although, I miss the mountains.”

“I can understand that,” the queen consort said.

Onyx drank his tea, not paying any attention to the stilted small talk, mind too consumed with thoughts of his husband and who he could be fucking at that moment.

The door opened. A servant entered. “Prince Luther,” the servant announced and bowed.

Luther stepped into the room. He pushed his messy hair back from his face. Bags hung beneath his red eyes. Whilst his clothes looked clean, they appeared askew, as if rather hurriedly put on.

“Apologies for being late.” Luther smiled tightly. “I didn’t realise we’d be having tea together this morning.”

He sat, with no explanation for where he’d been and why he was late.

Onyx held in a breath, trying to control his annoyance. Whilst it was true they hadn’t known they’d be having tea together, an explanation would have been appropriate.

Onyx sipped his tea. Had Luther really found Onyx so lacking in bed that he’d sought out one of his other lovers afterwards?