Page 29

Annalise

T he palace is alive, but not with the bustle of an upcoming event. It breathes with the promise of revenge. Contrary to my beliefs, Cyrus has not gathered his army to go after Elias and the rogue humans who will fight at his side. He has extended Felix’s plan, sending more of his men to protect the surrounding provinces and the capital as well, while handpicking the elites he wants to take with him to end Elias.

Among those elite is Felix, and regardless of my desires, I have been confined to the palace. Cyrus is confident he has found Elias’s location, throwing his plans into action—plans he wants me to have no part in.

Since that night, he has been adamant about not changing his mind. He wants me to remain behind and safe, letting him deal with Elias. But that is not enough for me. And though he claims he can burden my hatred for this decision, I won’t allow him to. He deserves my anger, not the hatred I have reserved for Elias.

Joan and I have been observing from the upper balcony most of the morning as the king and his generals plan for this upcoming battle. My attention remains focused on Cyrus as I once again try and figure out this beast’s current state of mind. On the outside, he looks the same as he did. Even his authoritative demeanor remains unshaken as he gives orders. But his openness with me the other night has forced me to see what I wanted to remain ignorant of.

Cyrus’s desperate need for my existence has transpired through the death of an entire kingdom, wiped from a map within days by one beast. Cyrus’s rage spread to others because of me, and he shows no signs of regret, the death of thousands not even crossing his mind. Cyrus is a dangerous weapon, threatening the existence of anyone who would do me harm. Elias himself, though I hate him, was right about Cyrus’s kind. They are dangerous and shouldn’t exist. And Joan’s words to me the other night have made me see this development for what it is.

I am what stands between Cyrus and destruction. I am what calms his inner beast.

My stomach twists as I continue to study him, his movements lithe and predatory as he speaks, and it makes me realize just how little I know about Cyrus. Up until he made the decision to show me himself, I had no idea what a beast was truly. His words concerning his mother and her bloodline are cryptic at best, describing that they are drastically different from the beasts of this land.

When I tried to get to know him, he only told me bits and pieces of his past, always keeping his origin far from the conversation. But now, that origin is on my mind more than anything else as I consider what being by his side shall entail for the rest of my life and possibly seeing it in Ciel.

I eye Cyrus carefully as my heartbeat rises.

Why would a creature as powerful as him fall for someone like me? And if something happened to me, and he spiraled out of control, would anyone be able to stop him?

It makes my plans feel rash and much more dangerous as I put them in motion. If things go wrong, and something does happen to me, will Cyrus be able to handle it? Or will his kingdom perish under his grief?

“Your Majesty?” I tense when I feel Joan’s hand on my shoulder, turning to face her.

“Yes?” I say, suddenly, out of breath.

“Calista has accepted your invitation for lunch,” she says.

I quickly try to compose myself, but Joan has already noticed my mood, placing her hand on my back in comfort.

“Anna… are you alright?” she murmurs.

I nod, quickly stuffing down the new terror that has begun to creep its way into my mind as I make my way out of the balcony.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

For once, I am grateful to have had beast training in the past. I know how to maneuver the palace, ignoring the looks of beasts even if they are stolen glances. And while I recall very vividly what Cyrus once said to me about not ruling in the same way his mother did, I still command respect with my demeanor. I still can show the beasts surrounding me why Cyrus chose me— why their king, who is unmatched in power, chose someone like me.

Since I’ve decided to no longer fight the path chosen for me, I’ve decided to step into the role of Queen. I know that Cyrus is busy ensuring his kingdom’s safety, but once the dust settles and there are no more threats, I will no longer be able to hide. Ciel will be introduced soon, and I will be by his side.

No one else.

As I step into the sunroom, Calista is already seated. She gently rocks the small infant in her arms, a gentle smile on her lips as she looks down at her. My eyes widen slightly as I take in the sight. With everything that has been going on with Cyrus and me and my memories returning, it slipped my mind that Calista had given birth the same day Elias burned down Felix’s estate.

I quickly note that Dimitri stands silently behind her, his eyes trained straight ahead as he refuses to acknowledge my presence past the bow he gives once I enter the room. I haven’t seen him since the day Elias attacked, and all I’ve heard about him since is that he survived. But here he is, his eyes focused on the child in Calista’s arms as he once again avoids my gaze.

Calista looks up as I enter, her smile growing as she takes me in. She stands as I approach, bowing to me, and it throws me for a moment. But as I recall, even when I had lost my memory, Calista treated me as her Queen.

“Your Majesty. You are looking well,” she says.

I blink in confusion as I study her.

“As are you,” I say in disbelief. Calista looks as resilient as she did the day we reunited at that dinner. Not like she just had a baby and lost her home only weeks ago.

She chuckles, her dark blue gaze meeting mine.

“Don’t let my looks fool you. I am a beast, so it is natural for me to heal. But for the next six months, I am afraid I am as weak as you once were,” she says.

My eyes widen slightly as she comes to stand next to me.

“Would you like to meet her?” she asks.

I slowly nod, my heart fluttering as Calista hands her to me. My body instantly warms comfortingly at the contact of the small child in my arms. A chuckle of disbelief leaves my lips as I take her in, my eyes burning with unshed tears.

“She’s so beautiful,” I whisper.

And she is. Her eyes are closed, her breathing steady as she slightly wrinkles her nose. It’s baffling to me that she is the product of Felix and this beast in front of me, making me all too aware of how fucked the situation is while Dimitri is no more than five feet away.

“You are more natural with her than I was,” Calista says.

Her smile is reserved as she moves closer to me, watching me curiously.

“I’ve had practice,” I say, offering her a smile. “You’ll get used to it,” I add as I move to hand her back to Calista. Calista shakes her head, however, gesturing to Dimitri as she moves back to the cushions.

“Being a mother isn’t something I wanted. I had hoped my feelings would change when she arrived, but they haven’t. She still feels like a duty, nothing more,” she says as she watches Dimitri take her child from me. I see amusement in her gaze that I’ve always reserved for Felix as she somehow taunts Dimitri.

His eyes meet mine, and I am instantly reminded of our conversation seconds before Elias discovered us.

“You’re lucky not to remember what has happened since the destruction of our village. Don’t go looking to remember. It will be much more painful for you than what you are going through now.”

He was right. I wish more than anything I could erase this constant pain that overtakes me. But I can’t. And so, I will use it to fuel my actions even if they are foolish.

Dimitri gently takes Rhea, and I once again feel my heart aching as I take in the expression on his face. He looks at her with adoration—adoration that was once reserved for our children. But will never be. I’m sure he felt the same way watching me fawn over the child of Cyrus.

“Take Rhea while we discuss,” Calista says.

Dimitri once again bows, making his way out of the room when I remember that I am the one in charge, not Calista.

“Dimitri,” I call to him.

His footsteps falter, and he turns to face me, his eyes still lowered.

“Look at me,” I say gently.

He lifts his gaze, and I close the distance between us, placing my hand gently over his. I look into his eyes, hoping he understands without me voicing it.

“Thank you for everything you did while I was away. And for your kind words. And for risking your life to protect me and Ciel…”

“It was my duty—”

“No. It was more than that. And I’m thanking you,” I say.

Dimitri’s eyes widen, slightly turning glassy as he studies me.

“You’re welcome, Your Majesty.”

I offer him one last smile before making my way to where Calista sits, and she’s watching me with a strange expression, but doesn’t dare to correct me for what I did. I am in control now. We both know it.

I silently compose myself as I take a seat. I know how the beast hierarchy works. What I’m about to do is reserved for a beast who can back up their words with power, and I don’t have that.

“You said you owe me your life. And that you are loyal to me. Is that true?” I ask. Calista’s eyes sharpen slightly as she studies me, learning my body’s current state in a way I never can with her.

“I would never lie about something like that, Your Majesty. I meant every word I said. I am your loyal subject,” she says.

“Mine. Not Cyrus’s?” I ask.

To my shock, Calista smiles, and it’s chilling. It’s nothing like the smile she used when looking at her daughter.

“Careful, Your Majesty. One would think you are asking me to commit treason,” she says.

I chuckle, shaking my head. “Not treason. But I know the king will not be pleased once he finds out what I have done.”