Page 36 of Under the Lion Star

“Sanna,” I took a deep breath, not wanting to take out my rising panic on my sister. “Liras is standing over there.”

“Oh, Gods,” Sanna breathed, her eyes moving to where Liras stood guard near one of the columns surrounding the space.

Liras saw us looking over at him and began to head in our direction. It was probably the first time I had seen him away from Orin’s room, and I wondered if it was a moment of respite for him or if he was filled with worry over the state of my brother.

“I need you to watch over Sanna for a bit,” I said, placing my hand on his shoulder.

“Of course,” Liras nodded.

With haste, I moved toward the hall where Z had disappeared, but a firm grip on my elbow stopped me.

“Do not fuck with Zialda,” Atlas growled.

“I just need to keep her away from Orin,” I explained. “She and I are friends, but if you’re so quick to claim her as yours, maybe you shouldn’t be planning dalliances with women like Ella, yeah?”

“It’s not like that,” Atlas sighed. “Alda is important to me. Just don’t forget that.”

“She’s important to me, too,” I retorted. “And I don’t have time to do this with you right now.”

With a harsh shrug, I extricated myself from his grip and continued my movements toward Orin’s room. My brother had never been a threat to anyone undeserving, but the lost soul that currently inhabited his body could be dangerous for all I knew. It was imperative that I intervened for both his sake and Zialda’s.

Chapter 10

Zialda

The string of curses that left my mouth as I navigated the castle was not ladylike. My mind kept returning to the image of El standing atop the dais as I walked in the direction that Sanna had pointed me in. Not El at all, but King Leor.

El. L.

“What a fucking asshole,” I whispered to the empty hall.

Sparsely lit by torches, the hall was dim and silent. The large archways above flickered with light from the sconces along the walls, scenes of artwork just barely visible in the dark passageways.

My feet stopped in front of a large wooden door, the glow of firelight pouring out from underneath. I figured that was where I would find Prince Orin. I’d feed her brother, give my pleasantries to Sanna, and then use Nima’s food coma as an excuse to leave early.

I knocked at the door and waited several moments, but no answer came. Thinking maybe he had fallen asleep, I hesitated. The plate in my hand reminded me of Sanna’s concern for her brother, and I pushed the door open to find a place where I could set the meal and leave.

A large hearth lit the room, the warmth seeping through the space. Moonlight trickled in through the massive wall of windows that overlooked the imposing wooden bed. Encased in black silk sheets, the smooth sheen of the fabric let me know that no one had slept in it for some time, and I wondered if I had made a wrong turn somewhere during my journey.

As my eyes drifted over the space, I landed on the large frame of a man sitting in front of the fireplace. He was perfectly still on the floor, his legs bent in front of him and his forearms resting on his knees while his hands hung limp between them.

“Prince Orin?” I took a few tentative steps.

He made no move that signaled he was aware of my presence, and not wanting to startle him, I loudly cleared my throat. Still, he sat motionless, focusing on the fire as it crackled in front of him.

“Sanna said she was worried about you missing out on the food offerings, so I brought you a plate,” I stepped further toward him.

Frowning, I placed the plate on the floor just before his feet. His eyes tracked the movement, and he reached out to tear off the corner of a roll. He chewed without thought, as if he weren’t able to taste at all.

I sat on the floor next to the hearth, facing the prince and wondering what thoughts filled his head, if any.

From the new perspective, it was far more evident that I was looking at a nineteen-year-old. His face was similar to Leor’s, but his lack of expression was much more apparent on his younger features. Even sitting, I could tell he would stand a few inches taller than his brother, but his limbs were thin and lanky. It didn’t fit the tales I’d heard of the elf who had been described as a beast on the battlefield and had earned the moniker of the Butcher Prince.

Instead, I was looking at someone who was very much still a boy.

His eyes remained fixed on the fire as he absent-mindedly ate the food from the plate. Bits of conversation Leor and I had filtered into my mind. He had stated that his brother was broken but seeing it before me was hard to stomach.

While I had felt comfortable talking to Sanna earlier, offering her words and advice as I would have done for my sisters, I honestly had no idea where to begin with Orin. He had not even acknowledged that I was in the room with him. How did his family hold it together, knowing someone they loved was in such a state?

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