The Reluctant King (The Star-Crossed Series) (5 page)

              When I had seen her earlier today I thought she was visiting villages out of charity. But she was going with Seraphina, so maybe they were just sightseeing. Maybe she was more spoiled than I had given her credit for. My eyes floated over her again as she looked at Lilly and Talbott with seemingly real affection and happiness. She didn’t appear stuck up, but wasn’t that how she had been raised? Privilege and prejudice all under the guise of well-intended benevolence.

              Just like Lucan.

Chapter Four

I swallowed my irritation and outrage and turned my attention back to Kiran who was closed out his speech. I might have to break our no-connection rule with Eden if I was asked specific questions about this speech later. She would understand. And I would make sure I did it only when she and Kiran were in my direct line of sight. Wouldn’t want to make things weird between us. Plus she used to fish for information all the time in my head. I half wondered if zoning out ran in our family.

              Kiran offered a few more closing remarks and then bid everyone to enjoy their meal. He was greeted with another standing ovation of applause, but this time it was directed at him and Eden. Eden rose half out of her seat and nodded sweetly to the crowd, her cheeks heating with shy embarrassment. Kiran waved away the applause as well and sat down to his meal. Waiters appeared with covered plates and set them before the guests. Our table was served last by my specific request. 

              When the tables had turned to their plates and the soft murmur of voices and the clinking of silverware against porcelain floated through the cool autumn evening, Seraphina, Sebastian and Amelia made their way to the end of our table. The three of them sat down on the opposite end of where I was. Eden leaned forward to welcome them, and I leaned forward to offer the same kind of polite greeting, but a hand on my arm turned my attention away.

              “Do you still have your headache?” Angelica asked. She was seated next to me, and Silas and Gabriel were down from her. We had the only long table in the square, all of our guests sat around circular tables, able to easily converse. This was a tradition from when Lucan and his bloodline reigned. The king at the head table, and all the peons left to sit in the audience. Next dinner function I would say something, the Kingdom needed to realize we were equals.

              “Uh, no, I’m better,” I answered realizing I had taken a while to respond. “Sometimes this job is overwhelming in ways I never expected.”

              “I understand,” Angelica patted my arm sweetly. “When you put on the crown, I’m sure you didn’t realize how much of your time would be dedicated to public appearance.”

              “Exactly,” I relaxed a little. Angelica knew me well and it was nice to not feel like I needed to explain myself, or apologize for feeling stressed. I was sentimental enough to look at her like a mother-figure or even a grandmother, but I loved her, genuinely. She was my Angelica. She raised me, or really contained me, and still looked out for my best interest. “It will be easier now that Eden’s home.”

              “In some ways, but in others it might be more difficult,” she offered gently.

              I wanted to ask what she meant, but a quiet commotion at the other end of the table caught my attention. Amelia was speaking with a waiter about the plate in front of her; she gestured down to her plate and then put a tender hand on his arm. He floundered in response, his face flushing red immediately. I watched him apologize, looking more and more flustered, before he took the plate from her and rushed back toward the castle kitchen.

              “Is the meal not to your liking, Mimi?” I asked as softly as I could manage while still being heard. Amelia turned her eyes my way, startled by my voice.

              I met her golden brown eyes and held her gaze. I watched her expressive face flicker with emotion from surprise to something like fear and back to a steely resolve. She didn’t seem willing to break our gaze, but there was something underneath her cool exterior that made me nervous…. like I was about to have my ass handed to me.

              “I’m a vegetarian,” she explained with controlled patience as if I should have known. “I don’t eat meat, in fact, steak is one of the more offensive proteins you could have served me. And it’s Amelia.”

              I held back my laughter at her rude answer. I wasn’t at fault for her plate mix up, but I was disturbingly happy that it happened. An excited energy edged into my nervousness and I enjoyed her candid response. She was a fiery one.

              I should have apologized…. that would have been the diplomatic thing to do.

              “Technically, I didn’t serve it to you, my staff did. And I had the kitchen prepare a vegetarian entrée for you. If you would have been on time, they would have known which place to serve it to ahead of time.” I offered a cocky smile and watched as her eyes flashed with dangerous heat.

              Aware that we had an audience, Amelia swallowed her annoyance and replied with a curt, “You’re right. I apologize for the confusion, it’s my fault.” Her throat worked to swallow and I found my eyes frozen to the pretty lines of her neck and the way she tilted her head trying to keep her composure.

“Still, there are less aggressive meats than a slab of steak,” she finished so quietly I almost didn’t hear her. I had thought she was struggling because she was embarrassed and apologetic, but it was self-righteous anger that sizzled in the air between us.

              “Filet Mignon is Eden’s favorite,” I smirked from my end of the table, anxious to hear how she would respond to that.

              “He’s right,” Eden interrupted from between us. “I’m sorry Mimi; Avalon was just trying to make me happy.”

              Before Amelia could reply the waiter returned with a brand new entrée, hidden by a silver dish cover. The waiter set it down with a flourish and lifted the cover dramatically. Amelia wiggled happily, clasping her hands together before turning her gratitude on the happy server.

              I swallowed a wave of annoyance that the waiter had been the recipient of her genuine smile before I waved off my emotions as ridiculous. Amelia could smile at whoever she liked, which apparently wasn’t me for whatever reason. I shouldn’t care what one spoiled kid thought of me.

              I didn’t care.

              I turned back to my meal and attacked my own steak as if it were still alive. It was cooked perfectly, with just the right amount of red and covered in a dark mushroom sauce. The bite practically melted in my mouth. Filet was an excellent choice for dinner tonight. All of the guests would appreciate something so delicious.

              Well almost all of them.

              I snuck a discreet glance at Amelia, watching her cut and taste a variety of autumn vegetables. She closed her eyes and savored the bite. I wasn’t close enough to hear, but I was certain she let out a soft moan.

              Every clear, rational, logical thought fled my mind and I found myself in a hazy paralysis waiting for her to take her next bite. Feeling the strength of my gaze on her, Amelia opened her eyes and shot me a loathing glare.

              “She doesn’t mean anything by it,” Kiran offered softly next to me. I heard the undertones of protective, brotherly love in his voice. He thought I would be angry at Amelia.

              “I’m not upset,” I replied curtly, not sure if that was true. I realized my fork was suspended halfway to my mouth and dipped my head to meet it aggressively.

              “Ok, good,” Kiran laughed a little in relief. “She isn’t staying long anyway, just through the weekend I think. And then she is meeting her mum back in Zurich for a humanitarian summit or something of the like.”

              “Humanitarian summit?” I asked, curiosity sparking inside of me. My blood heated quickly and I felt alive wondering about the pretty vegetarian at the end of the table. When was the last time something had truly interested me?

              “Mmm, yes,” Kiran talked around a bite of food. “Since their…. I guess you could say conversion…. Since Aunt Bianca and Amelia lost their titles they turned their money and their efforts toward the poor of humanity. They are very involved in numerous charities all over, and are trying to give away everything they own. Or it seems that way anyway. Jean will never let them become poor, but they’re right in that we could all live with a little less, don’t you think?”

              I made an agreeing sound, but didn’t push the conversation further. I felt the same way, and had tasked Eden with spreading our inherited wealth around the world in worthy causes. It was also something I had been trying to impress on the wealthiest of our people, but I had always tried to avoid Bianca and so we had never had the conversation. Even if, in the end, she had seen the necessity for Lucan’s death, she was still his sister. I had a hard time facing her, knowing how much I cared for my own sister and how hard it would be for me to lose Eden even if she were an evil tyrant. I had a hard time looking Bianca in the eye knowing I had been very instrumental in Lucan’s downfall and had a direct hand in his ultimate death.

              Our plates were cleared and people began to move around the outside space. There was a dance floor and the music subtly changed from soft background music to big band, jazz, rat-pack stuff that people could dance to. After the first of countless dinner parties, I had abolished the tired, boring formal dining that took five courses and sucked hours of my life into the meaningless vacuum of polite conversation. But in order to appease the people, which I was always about appeasing the people, I had compromised to three courses. Appetizers were served cocktail party style while everyone mingled, dinner was served sitting down and dessert was set out on elegant tables around the square for people to enjoy at their pleasing.

              I felt very diplomatic with that decision, until I realized the most important decision I had made as King thus far was about food….

              I got up from the table, knowing I had important hands to shake. Eden and Kiran had already been sucked into the endless polite politics of our culture and so I headed in the opposite direction, hoping for a whole divide and conquer scenario. Ok, mostly I was hoping the majority of people here tonight would want to talk to them and leave me alone.

              I walked toward the dance floor, not really with a purpose in mind, just pulled in by the expert skills of the musicians and the gravelly voice of the singer belting out Frank Sinatra. All ages of couples waltzed around the floor, lost in each other and the beauty of the evening.

              “Avalon, you must be thrilled to welcome your sister home,” an older woman grabbed both of my hands, squeezing them in her soft clasp. I couldn’t remember her name, but her accent was American so I felt like I should know her.

              “I am,” I replied easily, still trying to figure out her name.

              “And two of your closest friends, engaged? Things really are falling into place for you,” she kept hold of my hands and I tried my best to squash the urge to retract them. It was awkward holding them like this.

              “Yes, for me and the Kingdom. Our first cross-racial marriage, I cannot wait to see the ripple effects as the freedom of choice spreads through our people,” I preached.

              “Of course,” her eyes narrowed just the slightest and I wondered if she was one of the older generation that was having trouble embracing our new way of life. “Will it spread to you?” She recovered and I wanted to put my face into my palm. I asked for this.

              “One day,” I offered noncommittally.

              Laughter broke my concentration and I followed the sound to those legs again, standing a little ways away. Amelia stood with her back to me, talking with Jericho. I admired her for a moment, her short skirt showed off her long, tanned legs and her dress was all lace from slim shoulders to curvy waist, revealing a perfectly sculpted back. Her golden brown hair was pulled off her neck and up into something only girls had names for; one long strand of glossy hair had escaped and blew against the nape of her neck in the gentle evening breeze.

              It was then that I made my decision.

              I had to talk to her.

              “If you’ll excuse me, I see someone I need to speak with,” I apologized and when I saw disappointment in the lady’s eyes I improvised. “I know Eden was hoping to speak with you though,” I gestured with my arm, escaping her weird handhold.

              Excitement and entitlement sparked in her gray eyes and she released me immediately, “Of course, enjoy your evening.”

              “You too,” I mumbled, but I was already on my way across the space separating me from Amelia.

I kept my eyes on her slender back, promising myself it was so I wouldn’t accidentally meet some talkative person’s eyes and get sucked into another meaningless conversation. She was deep in conversation with Jericho by the time I got closer. They were laughing at something, and she had put a hand on his arm just like she had the waiter. She leaned into him, her laugh rose above all the other sounds like musical bells. At the same time I felt both relieved that I had an excuse to join their conversation and an obnoxious stab of jealousy that Jericho had somehow fallen into her good graces so easily.

I cleared my throat before I got to them, mentally berating myself for caring so much what one girl thought. She was exactly what I wasn’t looking for in a girl. Spoiled, rich, a symbol of the old Monarchy, a Kendrick…. a vegetarian. I almost turned away right then, realizing I wasn’t looking for a girl at all, and especially not this one.

“Avalon,” Jericho called out before I could turn away. “Mimi was just telling me about some of her humanitarian work in India.” Jericho turned a bit serious before continuing, “Avalon is always trying to get our people to give back to humanity and get involved in charities. He thinks we could all be doing something more with our money.”