Page 21

Annalise

I feel numb at this moment. I don’t know if it’s my adrenaline or if I truly am that confident. Whatever it is, I am grateful for because I do not feel fear. Two guards have been assigned to escort me into the ballroom. It is the very same ballroom Marzia had me beaten by the king himself in. But I will not let that affect me. The past does not matter. I am no longer who I was in the past.

I keep my eyes trained forward in the way I’ve seen Cyrus do as we step past nobles who are waiting in the hall. The murmurs of my title hang in the air as we pass, but I do not allow them the honor of looking me in the eyes. The music and chatter grow louder as we approach the large archway that opens into the ballroom. I was once dragged in here by chains. Now, I walk of my own free will.

I note that he head of Cyrus’s seal suddenly comes alive. The warmth spreads further than usual, igniting the memory of his words to me this morning. No matter how it looks to the public, I am not alone. I repeat the words in my mind as we round the corner, each guard standing at attention as I enter the ballroom. The guards in front of me silently separate, allowing the servants on duty to open the doors for me to reveal the ballroom.

My entrance is at the top of the double staircase, and just as my title is announced, the chatter of the ballroom instantly ceases.

I slowly look among the nobles of the ballroom, mimicking what I’ve seen Cyrus do. I do not smile. I do not show emotion. I am above them. I bow slightly in greeting to the room before turning to approach the king where he sits. I keep my chin raised as I descend the steps in the room full of beasts who watch me.

My gaze finds Cyrus. He’s as terrifying as he is beautiful as he slowly stands. His hair is free, his crown holding it out of his face. I know the gleam in his eyes. I’ve seen it millions of times before in the confines of his chambers.

Lust.

For once, it gives me comfort as it is openly directed towards me. And I know the entirety of the beasts in attendance can see it as well. They can see just how I brought the king of the beasts to his knees. I stand before him, and instead of keeping an emotionless expression, I smile.

He is the only beast I will acknowledge.

“Your Majesty,” I say as I bow.

Cyrus looks stunned for a split second but covers it very quickly.

He gently reaches for my palm, bringing it to his lips.

“Anna…”

I’m shocked when he whispers my name instead of speaking my title. My body instantly reacts against my judgment, heat pooling between my legs from the way he says my name. His grip tightens only slightly as he steps away from the throne, keeping my hand in his. We both descend the remaining steps of the ballroom, and I feel the heat of his seal growing as we step onto the ballroom floor.

Cyrus pulls me in close, his hand pressed against my lower back as he presses me into him. I focus on his words to me this morning as I stand this close to him. The encouragement in his tone. It’s taken months of practice, but I am able to force my heartbeat to remain steady as he looks down at me in front of the whole of society.

“The king has chosen his partner. He will now grace us with the first dance to signify the opening of the season.”

Now that Cyrus has staked his claim and opened the season, he has been pulled away to fulfill his duty as king, meaning he must meet with the newly promoted nobles as well as the generational families to be updated on matters in each region.

It has been difficult to remain poised when I can feel the eyes on me as I walk around the ballroom. But no male beast would dare approach me, and the women are now scheming on how to intimidate me. I pull a champagne glass from the passing servant’s tray, bringing it to my lips. The taste is bubbly and slightly sweet. I know that I must be careful of how much I ingest, seeing as the beast’s alcohol is much stronger than what a human body can ingest. I learned that the hard way, the first night Cyrus and I were ever intimate.

I silently make my way to the balcony doors, stepping outside. The cool air feels nice as it gently blows my hair away from my face. I do wish Joan was here. She could tell me what, if at all, I am doing something wrong.

“So you are the duchess with the face of a goddess.”

I turn to see three beasts coming near me. They are beautiful, of course, and one of them I recognize as one of the beasts that frequented Cyrus’s chambers. She clearly does not recognize me, however. It is another sign of how little the beasts think of slaves. I eye them silently as they approach, not letting any fear manifest itself. I knew this would happen. And I see why Cyrus couldn’t interfere. Not only would it make me seem weak, but he is currently doing his duty as king. He cannot be bothered with me every time someone looks at me wrong.

“Annalise is my name,” I say.

I note that they are studying me with those dark eyes, eyes that shift slightly as they take me in. Their eyes focus on mine as well, and I know they are slowly figuring out just what I am.

“You know, there was a woman before you that the king was smitten with. She was meant to be the queen as well. But she overstepped, and now her body lies in a shallow grave in what’s left of her family’s estate,” one of them says.

The beasts on each side of her chuckle at the news. But the beast in the center continues her approach, her hands reaching for my hair.

“How long do you think the king will remain smitten with you—”

“Do not touch me,” I hiss.

I emphasize my words by slapping her hand away, allowing the heat of Cyrus’s seal to fuel me.

“Do not make the mistake of thinking I am so easily intimidated by your jealousy. It is pitiful and sad. And I shall store it in my memory so that when I am sad, I can remember that there are others worse off than me,” I say in irritation.

Her eyes widen slightly, and I note that her pupil is sharpening just as Cyrus’s does when he gets angry. And just like Cyrus, she is among the shifting class. But I cannot let this intimidate me, especially now. So, I remain bold, holding her gaze. Finally, she composes herself, stepping away from me.

“He will grow tired of you as he has with everyone else. And I will be in his bed as I once was. Even if you are queen,” she snaps.

I release a laugh, bringing the glass to my lips as I watch her walk back into the ballroom with her friends in tow. As soon as the glass doors close, however, my shaky breaths come out. I lean against the banister for support as my heart thunders against my chest. I don’t know how much longer I can do this. Acting like Cyrus can only get me so far and create more enemies. But they won’t give me an opportunity to be anything other than their enemy. I release an irritated breath when I realize my fingers are trembling.

“Fuck,” I whisper.

“Where did such a beautiful woman learn such a nasty word?”

I tense, whipping my gaze around to the far corner of the balcony. The light from the sconces doesn’t reach far enough, so I cannot see him in the darkness. But he slowly steps into the light as he approaches.

He’s a beautiful beast with dark hair pulled out of his face. He smiles gently as he approaches, and I notice dimples on the bottom corners of his mouth.

“My apologies, I didn’t know anyone else was out here,” I say, immediately noticing my mistake.

I have revealed to him that my senses are dull. He laughs softly as he stands over me, and I immediately notice his eyes. They do not match the beasts of this region. The dark blue of his eyes lightens immensely toward the center as he studies me.

“It is alright. I came to get away from the crowd. And found myself in the presence of good company,” he says softly.

I note that he steps into my personal space, something that most beasts know not to do unless they are issuing a challenge, especially since Cyrus has openly shown he favors me. It immediately puts me on alert. I take a small step back, and his eyes follow the movement before coming to rest on my face.

“I can see you did as well,” he says, looking back to the crowded ballroom.

I offer him a smile, stepping back once again but he follows me, closing the gap once more.

“I must be getting back to the evening,” I say, trying to step around him.

He angles his head, pinning me with that gaze. It’s terrifyingly eerie.

“So soon?” he asks.

He gently reaches for my face, but unlike my bravery a moment ago, I find it difficult to move in his presence. He pushes my hair out of my face, his knuckles brushing my cheek as he does so.

“The king should be more watchful of someone as beautiful as you. I would have their heads for speaking such vile things to you,” he says.

His fingers trail from my cheek to my hand, and I immediately step away from his touch, the glass I was holding slipping from my hold. I’ve been around beasts long enough to know their tells. He’s trying to provoke Cyrus for some reason by placing his scent on me. Finally, he laughs, his pupil visibly sharpening, roaming over my body in interest before he stands tall.

“Do you really want to return to where the women are plotting to kill you?” he asks in amusement.

It finally dawns on me that I am trapped until he allows me to leave. I cannot use Cyrus’s seal without raising too many questions, especially without drawing attention to myself alone on the balcony.

“Yes,” I say softly.

He mulls over my words, watching me intensely before holding his arm out to me.

“Well then, it would be an honor to escort you back inside.”