"Princess Yvette." A voice interrupted and Althea stopped, her face about an inch away from Naiari who breathed in relief.
She could not tell what Althea had planned to do but the disappointment and anger in her eyes told her that it was nothing good and she needed to be really thankful to whoever it was that had just interrupted.
She stared at Naiari while Naiari looked back at her, staring defiantly into green eyes ringed with gold. Althea straightened up and smiled at Naiari sinisterly before turning to the voice.
"Oh Ara." She said breathlessly while keeping a tight control on her temper and smiling sweetly. "I was just getting acquainted with the princess."
She was angered at being interrupted but she kept her emotions in check. Ara looked from Naiari to Althea with a knowing smirk then spoke.
"That is very nice but Princess Yvette's maid is here to take her up to her room now." He informed them.
Marie stepped out from behind him and Naiari smiled tremulously, feeling grateful to see the both of them. She wished she could hug Ara and thank him for being her savior for the third time already.
She swore to herself that she would try her hardest not to need his help again.
"Thank you my lord." Naiari said with a regal curtsy before following Marie out of the library and up to her room.
When she was gone, Ara and Althea studied each other silently then Ara broke the silence.
"Come to size up your rival have you?" He asked nonchalantly, his voice light with amusement.
"Whatever do you mean? I was curious about the human princess and I came to have a look at her myself." Althea denied haughtily.
Ara obviously disbelieving nodded, "And what did you think about our future queen?" He taunted.
Althea glared at him and started to walk away but Ara grabbed her wrist, stopping her from leaving.
She looked stonily at Ara's hand and up at his face before demanding in a no nonsense tone.
"What are you doing? Unhand me immediately."
Ara came behind her and released her wrist before trailing his fingers seductively down the cold skin of her neck.
"Why do you insist on chasing after someone who does not care about you?" He whispered softly.
"Ara, I do not have time for this." She said and started to walk away once more but with lightning speed he stood in front of her, impeding her progress.
"You insist on throwing yourself at a cripple when I stand here offering myself to you, why do you run away from the better choice?"
"Crippled he might be but he is still king which is far above your station will ever be." She answered and he dropped his hands and stared at her.
"If you accept me I will make you my queen." He said solemnly, his eyes losing the joking light in them and she sneered.
"You must think that I am one of those gullible servant girls whom you feed with your lies."
"They were not lies when I whispered them in your ears as you lay in my arms." He said smugly before roughly drawing her to him and kissing her soundly while she struggled against him then she finally pushed him and slapped him, extending her claws and scratching him.
They stood looking at each other, their chests heaving while blood dripped from his face as his wounds healed.
Althea stormed out of the library and left him standing there, his eyes grim and filled with determination then with determined strides he walked out.
•
"Where have you been? Why are your clothes bloody?" Lady Kassandra demanded when he came in as she looked at his disheveled face and clothes.
"Probably out chasing the maids as usual." Marcela scoffed.
Ara wordlessly walked over to the table and poured himse some wine and settled in the chair and took a sip before saying.
"No actually, I have been out ensuring that your rash decisions don't bite us in the back." He said and sipped more of his drink, "it was stupid to inform Althea of Yvette's arrival, you know that she has no sway over Kael and her presence here is of no use."
"Well, someone had to do something to stop that human!" She snarled angrily and when her mother glanced at her she calmed down and sat quietly.
"I cannot believe that today of all days we had a sorgord attack, only heaven knows when the wedding will take place." She said as she paced about anxiously.
"I think that it will be a good thing, the human seems to have a crush on me. We could probably put it to use and make her—"
"Keep your wandering penis away from her or I will place a curse on you that will cause it to shrivel up and fall!" She said, her eyes burning with irritation.
Ara reflexively covered his crotch with his hands as if he was protecting it from the curse his mother had just spoken of and Marcela cackled, making him glare furiously at her.
She stared angrily at her two children and stormed out to her room. She was thinking about how to garner power for them and all she was riddled with was a lustful son and a stupid irate daughter.
She had to find a way to keep her eyes constantly on Kael or else all her plans would fail miserably and she could not let that happen. She realized that she would probably have to dump that plan and move into a new one, there was no time to waste.
As for the human princess, she had told no one else about what she discovered. She was not even sure of what she had discovered she was only certain that there was something going on with that girl and she was not even aware.
Kassandra wondered briefly about the source of the magic, maybe it came from the mother seeing as the father had no powers. She shrugged, no matter. The girl was going to be the one who would take the fall.