The truth was that Eltanin's predatory nature had attracted many women. He had never been emotionally invested in them and hadn't cared as to how they felt around him. He would get what he wanted, and that's where the relationship ended.
The shock of white chiffon fluttered, capturing his attention as she moved a few paces in front of a few girls and nervously gazed at the entrance. Was she looking at a man? Jealousy burned inside him like hot molten iron. He looked at the entrance, his obsidian eyes flickering silvery with an unwarranted fury, but there was no one there. A figment of his imagination then.
His gaze returned to her, with a little of his fury replaced by impatience. Maybe he would lock up the 'little girl' and keep her there… for a long time. A shudder passed through his body at the thought, and a shaky breath escaped his lips. He hadn't felt like this before.
Ever.
He noticed that she nervously shuffled closer to Petra, who was yet another one of the women who wanted to marry him. He focused all his energy listening to them through the babble of the crowd and the loud music. He had never seen her before and so it intrigued him that she was friendly with Petra, the second princess of the Aquila kingdom, who he knew well.
---
"Where is Prince Rigel?" she asked Petra, anxiously scanning the room.
Petra turned her face while drumming her fingers softly on her wine glass and smiled sweetly. She took a flute of red wine from a passing waiter, handing it over to the girl. "Patience. He hasn't come from the room upstairs yet," she said smugly. "And you can't go up there yourself, my dear."
A muscle feathered in his jaw as a familiar pang of jealousy burned a hole in his chest. Why was she looking for Rigel? She was quite new; he hadn't seen her before in these circles. So, why then was she seeking Rigel?
The red in his eyes was crazy. He clenched his jaw to resume control over himself, but he was quite out of his element tonight. But what she did next brought him right back to where he was.
She sipped her wine and licked her lips, making them redder. She rubbed her neck feeling skittish. "Why can't I go up there? Is it exclusive?"
Petra chuckled. Rigel was indulging in his favorite hobby. There must be at least half a dozen girls up there with him. She leaned closer and said, "Because the guards won't allow you unless you are invited." She then pointed at the two stern guards with spears, stationed at the landing of the white marble stairs. "You have to wait for him to come down and, by my guess, he won't be down for a long, long time." She giggled and finished her wine.
The girl was so jittery that she gulped her wine down as she anxiously gripped the side of her gown while surveying the shadows behind the heavy wooden doors. Petra curled her finger to call a servant with a tray of wine. She picked up a large Bordeaux this time, and handed it to the girl. She accepted it without a second thought.
From the corner of her eye, Petra glimpsed at Eltanin, who was still with Eri who was leaning towards him and murmuring something in his ear. She knew what Eri was up to, and she was going to dash Eri's plans soon. The princess was finding ways to trap Eltanin so that she could become pregnant with his child.
Though Eri thought that this was a secret, the whole kingdom knew and laughed about it behind her back. She seemed oblivious to this, however, and continued on with her endeavors.
Smirking, Petra flicked her auburn hair behind her shoulders and smoothed her burgundy silk gown. In a low voice, she leaned over and asked, "Do you want to meet Rigel urgently?"
The girl took a large swig. "Yes."
"I can help you," said Petra as she side-eyed Eri. For her plan to work, she would use this silly girl, sneering on the inside at her vulnerability. As if meeting Rigel as a commoner would ever be this easy.
The girl snapped her head at Petra as her mouth opened in the shape of an O. "How?" she asked as she breathed excitement, her wide blue-green eyes shining through her golden face mask.
Petra pursed her lips, stifling a laugh.
"Gulp that wine down. I am going to take you upstairs at the first opportunity." She sized her up and scoffed. All of these common girls wanted to spend time with Rigel, but, with the way Eltanin was looking at her, she needed to be taken out of here. Preferably to Rigel's room. Once she was with Rigel, Eltanin would lose his interest. She was going to kill two cravets with a stone. And then she would go to Eri and expose the poisonous powder that was concealed in her large thumb ring.
The girl almost squealed with happiness, which brought Petra a moment of introspection. Her hand went to her waist, and then she looked at the entrance again as if there was someone there, standing in the shadows.
---
Eltanin was one of the most handsome and wealthiest men in the Araniea. It was rumored that the ancestors of Alkaris were charged with the protection of the golden apple tree that belonged to Hera, Zeus' wife. A dragon's spirit coiled around the tree to defend it from those who would dare to steal its apples. The tree was somewhere in the palace grounds and was known only to the Royal Family.
Eri had always wondered what it would be to own some of the apples.
"Do you want something, m'lord?" she asked, her voice dripping with a sweet venom. She had been trying to entice Eltanin ever since she came to the ball, about two turns of the sand glass. The ball was well coveted, and she had needed her father's influence just to get inside. Her father had had to beg Fafnir to get Eri an invitation.
Wearing a red silk gown with a plunging neckline and lacy sleeves, she looked resplendent. In fact, she thought that she looked even better than Petra. Eri and Petra had both been vying for Eltanin's attention for a long time. They had been trying to sabotage each other's plans to get near him. While Petra was extremely manipulative, Eri was direct. The two princesses were considered to be quite a beauty by their subjects. And tonight, Eri had dangerous plans up her sleeve.
If her plan came to fruition, and she managed to enter his chamber and sleep with him, she knew she had him in her grip. And tonight, she was confident she would do it because she had drugged him.
Quite heavily.