Daughters of Lyra: Heart of an Assassin (11 page)

Reaching her door, he
knocked and waited. After a few seconds had passed, it opened
inwards and Natalia poked her head around it. Her eyes were sore
and red, her cheeks stained with tear tracks. She stepped back and
allowed him to enter, closing the door behind him. His gaze
followed her as she went to the end of her bed and stood there
looking lost.

His heart
ached.

Nothing he could do now
could make his punishment worse.

He walked to her, wrapped
his arms around her shoulders, and held her close to his chest. She
sobbed against him, her hands pressing into his chest, and her body
trembling in his arms. He pressed kisses to her hair and whispered
soothing things, not wanting her to cry over her family or
him.

“
It is over for
me, Natalia,” Ixion murmured into her hair and she looked up at him
through wet eyelashes. With a slight smile, he wiped away her tears
with the pad of his thumbs and cupped her cheeks. “I will likely be
executed for the things that I said to your brother and
father.”

Her eyes grew wide and
then a spark of warmth filled them. “Thank you.”

“
They deserved
it—”

“
No,” she
interjected and dropped her gaze to his chest before shyly raising
it up to meet his again. “For last night… for giving me a moment of
normality and letting me experience love.”

Her voice hitched on that
final word and he ached for her, to see the hurt in her eyes and
know that she was thinking this was the end for them.

“
Do not speak
like that,” he said and rested his forehead against hers. Her
breath was soft and warm on his lips, so close to his. “I will not
leave you here.”

She drew back, shock
flittering across her face.

“
I will take
you away to a place where you can be free.” He held his hand out to
her. It shook and he cursed it. Now wasn’t the time to look weak in
front of her. He wanted her to see how strong he could be for her,
how he would protect her from a life that made her miserable, and
would do anything to bring her happiness. “We can go somewhere no
one will look for you.”

“
No.” It was
the answer that he had expected deep in his heart. She wasn’t one
to run away. “I can’t leave… I have a duty to my people. They need
me now more than ever.”

He touched her face,
immense sadness filling his heart. “Then I will watch over you…
somehow… we will be parted but I will always watch over
you.”

Tears streamed down her
face and she hiccupped on her sobs. “I don’t want you to
leave.”

But she couldn’t leave
with him. To remain here would be a death sentence for him. The
pain in her eyes spoke of confusion and fear.

“
I don’t want
to have to choose between you and my family… am I so bound by my
title that I can’t even escape when offered the chance?” She turned
away from him and wiped the backs of her hands across her face. “I
have a responsibility… but I love you.”

Someone knocked at the
door.

Natalia said
nothing.

Ixion stepped up behind
her and hesitated a moment before placing his hands on her
shoulders.

“
I love you,”
he whispered, knowing that she needed to hear him say it, and that
it would comfort her through whatever darkness lay ahead of them.
“I have loved you for seven years. I have watched you all that
time, watched over you, and nothing will change that.”

He pressed a kiss to her
hair and then walked to the door. His hand shook as he opened it,
expecting to find her brother and father on the other
side.

It was neither of
them.

Renie’s face was a picture
of deviousness and excitement. She pushed past him, bursting into
the room and going straight to Natalia. Ixion raised an eyebrow
when a young man followed her in at a more refined pace. White skin
and blue hair. His eyes were wrong somehow, with bright blue pupils
and black irises. Was this the prince of Vega that Renie was going
to marry?

Ixion had never seen such
a strange looking male. He appeared nothing like the pictures Ixion
had seen of Vegans.

“
I have a
shuttle in the royal port,” Renie said in a rush of words. “Yellow
and silver. It can fold space. We can take you both to Vega and
Tres will protect you!”

Tres? Ixion looked at the
male. He didn’t look particularly strong but there was a confidence
about him that said looks were deceiving.

“
I heard about
what happened,” Renie continued in a blur. “Rezic is
furious.”

“
And father?”
Natalia said in a solemn and calm tone.

Renie shook her
head.

“
We cannot
flee,” Ixion said and Renie looked at him, her dark eyes large and
round, reflecting her confusion. “Natalia refuses to.”

“
You’re insane.
Rezic will kill Ixion.”

“
It would be
interesting to see such a fight,” the Vegan said and drew his gaze
down the length of Ixion. “This male seems competent at
killing.”

“
It would go
against my creed to raise a hand against one of this family,” Ixion
said with a frown.

“
I’ll go,”
Natalia said and everyone looked at her.

“
To Vega?”
Renie sounded as surprised as he felt.

Natalia shook her
head.

“
No. I’ll go
and speak to father.” Determination flashed in her green eyes and
Ixion knew that she would give her father another piece of her
mind. “If he refuses to let me live my own life… then I will leave…
but I can’t leave without fighting for what I want.”

Ixion’s heart thudded
against his chest. She was going to fight for him? His beautiful
princess loved him that much?

“
Then I am
going with you,” he said, looking her straight in the eye. “As your
personal protector.”

He wouldn’t let anything
happen to her.

***

Natalia’s palms were
sweating as she walked through the wide corridors of the palace,
Ixion at her side. She kept trying to find something to say to him,
but her thoughts weighed her down. What if she couldn’t convince
her father to grant her some freedom? What if by going to see him
now, she was condemning Ixion to death? Her father could easily
have his personal guards with him. The four of them could overpower
Ixion. It was a thought that made her ache inside and want to tell
Ixion to leave on the shuttle that waited for them in the royal
port. She couldn’t bear the idea of losing him.

Ixion stopped in front of
the door to her father’s chambers. She didn’t bother to knock. She
barged straight in and relief swept through her when she saw that
her father was alone, sitting at his desk, looking straight at her
as though he had been waiting for her to arrive.

Her nerve almost failed
but the feel of Ixion close by strengthened her resolve to face her
father. She had been silent too long. She wouldn’t hide her
feelings anymore. It was time that her father knew how hard this
life was for her and how much it would hurt her if he made her
marry someone that she didn’t love.

She came to stand before
him, her gaze unwavering. Ixion closed the door and remained near
it, as though guarding her from anyone who might
intrude.

“
Ixion gave me
a lot to think about,” her father said and she was tempted to look
at her assassin but kept her eyes fixed on her father’s. “As did
your mother when she heard about what had happened.”

Natalia’s heart missed a
beat. She smiled inside, pleased that her mother had chosen her
side just as she had hoped that she would. She was sure that her
mother had mentioned more than just what had happened today. She
would have mentioned his whole idea of finding Natalia suitors
too.

“
I have long
let my children run wayward, but I need a firm hand to guide them…
one that will be willing to stand up to them.” Her father stood and
his gaze shifted to the door. “One like Ixion.”

She heard him move and
couldn’t stop herself from looking at him this time. He seemed
shocked by her father’s words, as surprised as she felt. Was her
father granting Ixion a reprieve?

“
I saw Aiden
and Ciel in a light I did not like the other day, and saw my
daughter’s strength, and I knew that she was fighting with a
reason. You.” Her father picked something up off the desk and held
it out in Ixion’s direction. Ixion moved across the room to her and
stared at her father’s hand. It was his insignia. She hadn’t
noticed that he had lost it. Had he cast it aside after seeing the
way her family had treated her? “You are free to return to us
without repercussion… if you will train my sons in combat and help
me turn them into men worthy of their titles.”

Ixion didn’t move. He
stared at her father, his purple eyes impassive and
emotionless.

“
What of
Natalia?” he said in a calm tone.

Her father looked at her.
“My daughter has long done the duty of her brothers as well as her
own. From this point forward, she will guide them also, ensuring
they take responsibility and behave as expected of their status.
Ixion will be assigned to her—”

“
Assigned?”
Natalia broke in and snatched Ixion’s hand, holding it tight. She
was ready to flee with him right now if her father was daring to
suggest that they go back to normal, that she give Ixion up. “I
don’t want Ixion to be assigned to me, just like I don’t want my
husband chosen for me. I love Ixion and I will be with him, even if
that means we leave the palace.”

Her father held his hands
up. “I have already had one daughter threatening to give up her
title in order to marry the man she loved… and one is enough. I had
intended to say that Ixion will be assigned to you as whatever you
choose him to be—your personal assassin or future
husband.”

Natalia blinked, stunned
into silence. She was sure that she had heard him wrong. Her father
was stubborn, just like his brothers, and it wasn’t like him to
back down so easily and give in to someone else. It could only mean
one thing. He really did dote on her as much as her mother said. He
loved her and wanted her to be happy.

Ixion’s hand tightened
against hers. She looked at him, into his warm eyes that smiled at
her. He reached out and brushed her cheek with the backs of his
fingers. Her eyes slipped shut and she leaned into his touch,
savouring the softness and the love behind it.

The galaxy faded away
until there was only them, standing so close to each other, joined
in a tender caress.

The door slamming snapped
her out of the moment. Her gaze darted to it. Renie stood in the
doorway, her laser pistol drawn, with Tres beside her.

“
Are we
leaving?” Renie said in a hurried tone.

Natalia wondered if her
older sister was actually prepared to hold their own father at gun
point.

“
We’re
staying.” Natalia smiled at Ixion. He placed his arm around her
shoulder and drew her close.

“
I believe you
must congratulate your little sister,” her father said and Renie’s
eyes went wide.

“
He
agreed?”

“
It was his
idea,” Natalia said, still not quite able to believe it. Her father
wanted her to marry Ixion. She looked at her father, wondering if
he was going to burst out laughing any moment now and tell her it
was all a joke.

Her father smiled. “I
wouldn’t have parted with you for a lesser male. I have no fear of
your happiness or safety when Ixion is with you.”

Natalia blushed and then
grinned at her sister when it finally sunk in. “I’m getting
married!”

Her father laughed. Tres
said something which she didn’t understand but hoped was
congratulations.

“
Double
wedding!” Renie grinned right back at her.

Natalia hesitated and
looked at Ixion. He towered over her, the tendrils of his black
hair obscuring his eyes. His gaze slid down to meet hers and she
waited with bated breath to hear what he would say.

“
You haven’t
asked me yet,” she said, feeling a little awkward about how carried
away she had been. Ixion might not want to marry her.

His arm left her
shoulders, making her feel cold, and then he took hold of both of
her hands, standing before her. His eyes held hers, steady and
confident, but something lurked in their clear purple
depths.

“
Natalia… my
princess… I am not worthy—” He pressed his finger to her lips to
silence her when she went to speak. “Will you ever learn not to
interrupt?”

Her father laughed again.
The suspense was killing her. She didn’t want him to outline just
how unworthy he felt of her love and what she wanted to share with
him. She wanted him to marry her.

“
I am not
worthy of a royal wedding. My status is not that of a prince or
even a noble. I am merely an assassin, a servant of your family.”
He hesitated and then sighed. “I want to marry you more than
anything and make you happy, but I cannot stand before the
population and bring dishonour to your family by marrying you at a
royal wedding.”