Page 17 of Royal Mate

17

P aige, The Queen’s Castle

The gilded double doors swung open, and I stepped into a room that practically hummed with power. The ceilings stretched impossibly high, painted with shimmering constellations that pulsed faintly, as if they were alive. Rich golden tapestries lined the walls, bearing the royal insignia I was beginning to resent. Beneath my feet, the polished obsidian floor reflected my every step, reminding me there was no hiding here—not from them, and not from myself.

I wasn’t sure if this was the dumbest thing I’d ever done, or if that award belonged to falling into the pool in the bride testing room. I was here. I needed to be here. I needed to find evidence about what happened to my parents.

A computer, or even some simple desk drawers could yield answers.

At the far end of the room sat Queen Alienor, poised like she was carved from the very stars themselves. Her gown shimmered as she stood, each fold catching the light like liquid silver, her hair a sleek coil of gold, not a strand out of place. Her eyes made my stomach twist—a pale, piercing blue that saw far too much.

Instead of feeling like I was in a fairy tale with the fancy gowns and gold thread, I felt like I was in Louis XIV’s court, ready for my head to be chopped off.

“Ah, Princess Paige,” she said, her voice like the sweetest honey drizzled over something sharp. Like a guillotine blade. “What a miracle! The jewel of our kingdom has returned.”

I forced a smile, dipping into a curtsy as protocol demanded. I didn’t need to be schooled by Sorcha and Catriona to know this. The weight of my new gown—the cascade of deep blue and gold—pressed heavily on my shoulders. The ones I was told to ‘roll back and stick my boobs out’. “Queen Alienor.”

Before I could straighten, I caught the sound of confident footsteps behind me, the distinct click of polished boots against the obsidian floor. Prince Martainn might as well be my shadow. He hadn’t been out of arms’ reach since we’d left House Natosi. It was as if he feared I would disappear.

My betrothed. I had to admit, he was handsome. No. Fucking gorgeous. His eyes were a dark shade of blue-gray, like storm clouds. His hair wasn’t quite as white as Addan’s, the shoulder length strands glimmered with a bit of gray, more the color of steel than silver. He was young and fit, his body filling out every inch of his tailored white suit. If I wasn’t obsessed with Addan, marrying the prince would not have appeared to be a bad option.

He carried himself with an easy arrogance, even if his forced smile was too wide, too self-assured, as he looked me up and down like I already belonged to him.

Of course, he believed we were to be married. That he would be my husband. Rule at my side. Father my children. Ugh.

I hid the shudder that coursed through my bones at the thought of him touching me. God help me if Addan’s family turned out to be the traitors. I wasn’t sure I could honor my betrothal to Prince Martainn, even if my Addan ended up in a prison cell. Then again, I would have no choice. I would have to choose someone, and my mother had chosen…Martainn. Ugh.

“You are stunning. A true beauty.” His voice was low and smooth, but the desire I heard in his tone made my skin crawl. I didn’t want anyone but Addan looking at me like that. “Even more radiant than I imagined.”

How could he imagine me being anything at all if he thought I’d been dead all these years? I straightened, keeping my tone as neutral as I could manage. “Thank you, but how did you imagine anything at all unless you knew I was here? How long have you known I was alive?”

Martainn didn’t respond. His mother did.

“Oh, child, I am the queen. We knew about you within a few hours of your arrival. My loyal guard, Peadair, informed me that same day. But you have been… indisposed since then.” Queen Alienor’s lips curved into a smile that seemed almost maternal. She gestured for me to sit on a plush settee near her throne. “Come, my dear cousin. Sit with me. We have much to discuss.”

Her hand settled lightly on my arm as I complied, a touch meant to reassure, but it felt like a shackle. She had me where she wanted me—at her side–mere days away from being married to her son and bred to make future queens.

I sank into the cushions, every instinct screaming to stay alert. I would bet this palace had a dungeon and I suspected that, despite their smiles, both Alienor and her son might be happy to lock me up in one.

“This transition must feel overwhelming,” Alienor began, her tone soothing. “But I want you to know, Paige…may I call you Paige?” When I nodded, she continued. “You’re not alone in this. I will be here for you every step of the way. The throne is a heavy burden, but there’s no need to rush into it. You are young. There is so much to learn before you take on such responsibility. With your background, it could take some time.”

There it was—the velvet-coated blade. She may not be the one who killed my parents, but she was the one who benefitted most from their deaths. Did she expect me to believe she had no problem ceding power to me? I nodded, keeping my expression carefully neutral, and tried to unclench my jaw. “I appreciate your wisdom and guidance, Aunt.”

Her smile deepened. “Please, call me Mother. You and Martainn will be wed very soon, after all. You will be my daughter. We are family.”

Family. The word twisted in my chest like a knife. She and Martainn were my family? I suspected the knife I was feeling wasn’t in my chest, it was in my back.

No. Technically, they’d done nothing wrong. Not yet. I had no proof. No evidence. Nothing to go on but General Niemini’s suspicions and warnings from the Natosi family, who could just as easily be my enemies as these two.

Although, even without Addan clouding my judgment, his family made me feel a lot more at ease than these two. Of course, my nerves could be due to the three-story open ceilings, stony-faced guards stationed every few steps around the room, and the way Martainn’s eyes kept dropping to linger on my breasts. Or it could be the fact that I knew my mother had been murdered in this castle.

If I believed in ghosts I’d be screwed. Never sleep again. Not here.

Was this where it happened? In this room? Had my mother’s blood pooled on the floor? Had her screams echoed off these very walls? I swayed on my cushion as all the blood drained from my face.

“Oh dear. Are you unwell?” Alienor’s hand wrapped around my arm to steady me.

“You’re scaring her, mother.” Martainn made a noise of impatience. “You’re overcomplicating things,” he said, sauntering closer. He leaned down and tilted his chin up to look me in the eye. “Paige will be fine. Won’t you? She just needs to trust us.” He reached forward and placed his hand on top of my bent knee. “Isn’t that right, darling?”

Darling. My jaw clenched trying not to vomit, but I managed a tight smile as I turned, breaking contact. “I trust that the two of you have the kingdom’s best interests at heart.”

That was, at least, the truth. I hoped they did. I didn’t believe it, but I could hope they weren’t total assholes.

Alienor’s hand squeezed mine gently, as though rewarding my diplomacy. “Exactly. And on that note, the wedding arrangements are already underway. Even with short notice, it will be the grandest celebration this kingdom has seen in decades. Of course, you won’t need to worry about a thing. My staff and I will handle all the details.”

She waved her free hand in the air as if the complications of a wedding were like butterflies.

“That’s… very kind of you,” I said carefully.

“Kind?” Martainn stood tall. He looked like a proud peacock. “It’s tradition. You’re lucky to have Mother organizing this. No one does it better.”

I wasn’t sure exactly what he meant by it, not when it came to her.

I didn’t trust myself to respond, so I could only nod. I doubted the queen would lift a finger to do anything herself. She probably had an army of staff taking care of every detail, scurrying around like elves at the North Pole in December. As I had no intention of going through with the ceremony, I didn’t feel like wasting energy arguing. If I were marrying Addan, however, I’d want to select everything myself. A dress. Flowers…

If Addan’s family was implicated, if I were forced to choose the prince, I doubted I would give a shit about the ceremony. I’d do my duty, do my best to be a good queen, continue my mother’s bloodline, but I’d be too broken-hearted to care about something so frivolous as a wedding.

Alienor’s voice softened further, as if she were delivering a gift. “While we prepare for the wedding, I would like us to spend some time together, Paige. It’s important that you are fully prepared to take on the responsibilities of queenship—when the time comes, of course. There is no need to rush this transition. Stability is key for our people, as you will someday understand.”

Stability. Continuity. Control. The meaning beneath her words couldn’t have been clearer. She was the one who kept things stable. She’d still be queen. She’d still be in control.

I was an unexpected blip on her ruling radar.

I swallowed the angry knot rising in my throat. I had to remember I was acting. Playing a role. “I understand. I don’t know anything about how to be a queen.”

God. I didn’t want to be in this place, not when I suspected she was behind my mother’s death. But I had to be here. Alone. I had to snoop around. I had to keep their trust, make them believe I was putty in their hands. If I got caught wandering, I could play dumb. She made me out to be a twit, which in my search for the truth, her belief would only help me.

To start, I needed her to dismiss me. Not just from her presence, but as a threat to her power. I needed freedom from suspicion and prying eyes if I was going to sneak around the palace, break into her security system and find out who murdered my mother.

If she thought I was a lost, clueless ding-a-ling from Earth, then I’d roll with it.

Alienor beamed at me, but her eyes betrayed nothing. “Good. You are so much like your mother. She would be so proud to see the woman you’ve become.”

I tried not to let the words mean anything. I failed. The mention of my mother hit me like a blow. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my composure.

“Thank you.” I tried to call her Mother. Nearly choked on the word. I had no mother. And coming to this planet, learning that I looked like my dead bio-mom? That she died protecting me? That she died because of a conniving traitor, one that could be smiling and patronizing me right now?

Fuck, the thought made it really hard to act all familial. It also made me sad. I’d longed for a real family my whole life. I didn’t want Alienor to be evil. I didn’t want to marry her son, either. But that didn’t mean I didn’t still long for family. If they were innocent, not traitors, maybe we could all be friends.

In fact, I hoped Alienor was half as kind and innocent as she was acting. Even if she were innocent of my mother’s murder, I didn’t doubt that this warm and fuzzy bit was an act. She was a queen. Of an entire planet. She had to be tough as nails. Right?

Her son, however… Did he just fondle his junk in those tight white pants? My nose crinkled before I could stop it.

GAH! He did it again, his erection on full display. Well, at least the prince’s desire for me was not an act. Unappealing, but genuine.

Shit. To be fair, if it was Addan grabbing his erection I’d be panting with lust. The only dick I was interested in was Addan’s, and he wasn’t here. My pussy clenched with longing for him. For my Resonant.

No matter how hard Martainn’s dick got, it would never satisfy me. Hell, I wasn’t letting it anywhere near me. Maybe I’d sleep with a knife.

Martainn, apparently bored with the conversation his mother and I were sharing, leaned closer. Too close. His hand brushed against mine, and his grin returned, sharp and wolfish. “You and I should spend some time alone, don’t you think? We need to get… acquainted. After all, we’ll be husband and wife soon.”

My stomach churned. I smiled politely and slid my hand away, folding it neatly in my lap, wishing I had that knife now so I could stab his hand.

“Of course. I’d like that.” I swallowed down the bile rising into my throat at the idea of anyone touching me but Addan. “When time allows. I was hoping the queen would give me a tour of the castle. I did once live here. I’d love to see the rooms my mother used to favor. Maybe the nursery where I slept as a baby?”

His grin faltered, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. Apparently, he wasn’t used to being evaded. He was young, at least a decade younger than Addan. Next to my general, he looked like child, not a grown man. Before he could press the issue, Alienor spoke again, her tone light and commanding.

“Martainn, darling, give her some space. There will be plenty of time for bonding after the wedding.”

Martainn scowled, then shrugged as if the slight didn’t matter. I had no doubt he took bonding to mean fucking. “Fine, fine. But don’t keep me waiting, Paige.”

He sauntered to his seat, draping himself across the armrest like a butt hurt king in waiting.

Alienor rose gracefully, extending a hand to me. I couldn’t miss the way she held her chin, the way her shoulders were rolled back. Regal. Elegant. Commanding. “Come, my dear. Let me show you about, as you requested. I will introduce you to the staff as well and show you to your mother’s old chambers. I had them prepared for you. I thought you might like to sleep in her old bedroom?”

“I’d love that.” It was the first truth I’d spoken since I walked into the building. It might’ve been the first truth anyone had spoken.

I followed her through another set of towering doors, down a corridor lined with more of those ever-present tapestries. Martainn trailed us at first, then eventually wandered off, evidently bored as we toured for over an hour. I met so many people, I would need a decade to memorize all their names. Every step felt heavier as we approached my parents’ former chambers. Their private quarters were situated at the end of a very long hall, where a pair of ornately carved doors awaited.

Alienor pushed them open with a flourish.

“These were your mother’s chambers,” she said, her voice almost reverent. “I thought it fitting for you to have this space. A place to connect with her memory.”

I stepped inside and the air seemed to shift, wrapping around me like a whisper. I’d come across a galaxy to be here. To be in the place where my parents lived. Where I was sure, as a baby, I’d spent time with them.

This was the closest I’d ever come to them. Or perhaps ever would.

The room was exquisite—too exquisite. The bed was draped in silken sheets that rippled like water, and a grand window overlooked the glowing gardens, where flowers pulsed faintly in the twilight. The slight scent of a flower that smelled like jasmine lingered, mingling with something metallic and cold.

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “Thank you,” I managed. “I hope I’m not putting you out.”

She shook her head. “Oh, no, child. My rooms are on the second floor. These have been thoroughly cleaned but have remained unaltered. A tribute to your mother’s memory.” Alienor smiled, the picture of maternal grace. “Rest, Paige. I have ordered a meal delivered to your rooms. Eat. Sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll begin your training.”

She swept out, leaving me alone.

Training.

Training. It didn’t sound like it was going to be anything like the makeover and girl talk I’d had with Sorcha and Catriona.

The silence that followed felt like a living thing, pressing against my chest. I let out a shaky breath and leaned against the door. My gaze roamed the room. The weight of grief and frustration pressed down on me, but so did something else—a spark of determination.

I moved around the room, brushing my fingers over the various pieces of furniture. As if by touching them, I could touch my parents. The air hummed softly, and to my surprise, a faint glow appeared on the wall to my left as I walked by. I froze. Stared.

What was that?

I stopped and went to it, discovering a panel had shifted to the side, revealing a glowing handprint that looked like some kind of scanner.

There really was fancy computer technology on this planet! Holy shit.

“Please confirm your identity,” the voice directed.

Oh my god.

I lifted my hand and pressed my palm flat against the smooth surface. As I expected, it looked like about a dozen lasers moved over my palm. Just like fancy access panels in spy movies.

“Princess Edelene Merrienne Peigi, welcome home.” A serene, feminine voice filled the air. “I am at your service.”

“Who…who are you?” I froze, my breath catching in my throat. “How do you know who I am?”

“I am the Royal Interface System, designated caretaker of the royal archives,” the voice replied.

Holy cow, it was space artificial intelligence. A computer talking to me in a legit conversation. What else could it do?

“Your genetic signature has been scanned and recognized. How may I assist you, Princess?”

“Do you… do you assist Queen Alienor?” I asked. I didn’t dare poke into things if I knew the queen would find out. Even more spy films taught me that the bad guy always found out.

“No, Princess. Access to the RIS is restricted to Queen Madallaine, her Resonant, Ambassador Lorient, and you, Princess Edelene Merrienne Peigi, heir to the throne of Insuri.”

It didn’t make sense if the RIS gave the royal family access to royal archives, and Queen Alienor was royal... “Why not anyone else?”

“I assist the royal Peigi bloodline. Per Queen Madallaine’s command, this access only responds to Queen Madallaine, her Resonant, Ambassador Lorient, and you, Princess Edelene, heir to the throne of Insuri. To activate my systems, I must identify and confirm royal DNA with my biosensors.”

“What about Queen Alienor?”

“Per Queen Madallaine’s command, this access only responds to Queen Madallaine, her Resonant, Ambassador Lorient, and you, Princess Edelene, heir to the throne of Insuri.”

The voice was lovely, but I wanted to throttle it for repeating itself. A hidden access panel only opening for me? Since my parents were dead, it had been… waiting for me?

Did Queen Alienor know about this?

“Doesn’t Alienor have royal DNA?” I was not taking any chances. This could be a test. Or a trap. “Do you talk to Queen Alienor?”

“Princess, I do not recognize Alienor of House Seppani as queen of Insuri. Alienor does not qualify for access to the RIS system. Queen Madallaine’s instructions were very clear. This access only responds to Queen Madallaine, her?—”

“Enough. I got it.” My pulse thundered in my ears like a herd of wild horses. This was it—my chance. I paused, thinking of what information I wanted.

“I need access to security footage,” I said, stepping closer to the glowing panel. “Specifically, the days leading up to my parents’ deaths. I need to identify who killed them. How. Why. Where, exactly. How I ended up in a pod on the way to Earth.”

The AI hesitated, its light flickering faintly. “Accessing restricted files. Files located. However…”

I leaned closer, pressed my forehead against the wall next to my hand. I hadn’t removed my palm even though I was pretty sure the system was done doing whatever it was going to do as far as scanning me. “However?” I barely breathed the word.

“Queen Madallaine Edelene Peigi stored private messages for you in the royal archives. Would you like me to retrieve them as well?”

What? Private messages? From my mother? Oh my god. Yes! My heart pounded and I felt lightheaded.

“Yes.” So proud of myself for not shouting. “Yes, please!”

“Please step away from the illumination table.”

“The what?” I stumbled back three steps and suddenly a circular column rose from the elaborate pattern inlaid in the marble floor. I would never have noticed it. Not in a million years. And that was probably the point. Go, Mom. Secret access panel. Secret scanner. Secret messages. I really was in the thick of a spy movie now. Hopefully I didn’t get myself killed.

The panel’s glow intensified, lights shooting out of the panel as a holographic projection began to form on the top of the column before me. My heart pounded as fragments of a story I had waited my entire life to uncover finally began to unfold.

The holographic projection shimmered, its edges wavering like mist caught in a breeze. Then, as if drawn from the very air, a vision of my mother appeared.