Page 3 of Ira

Captain Soren was also a strong prospect. Perhaps Tallulah—confident and social, but not as excitable as Verity—would choose him as a mate.

That only left Meera, with the entire realm at her disposal and seemingly no interest in anyone if her scent was anything to go by. I glanced at Andrus warily. She would have a low opinion of herself indeed if she chose him over every other option in the realm. Andrus was only capable of loving himself, and he did so most assiduously.

“Did you have someone in mind as the object of your affections?” I asked dryly.

“Not Astrid,” he replied immediately, recoiling in disgust. “I can’t imagine anyone would want her.”

“I can’t imagine she wants any of us,” I pointed out. Astrid had put herself at great risk with her own kind to be here, but she’d done it for her sister. That she had to live among the Shades now was probably the worst part of all of this for her.

I could appreciate that, while still finding her personally repellant. As my parents always pointed out, nothing could undo what was done.

“True. That leaves Verity, Meera, and Tallulah,” Andrus mused. “I have no interest in Meera. I’ve never seen anyone so glum in all my life, of any species.”

“It must have been a tremendous adjustment for her to come here. It’s unsurprising that she is experiencing some sadness over leaving her previous life behind.”

From the moment they’d arrived, Meera had been the former Hunter who I’d paid the most attention to. Perhaps because I recognized something of myself in her. Upon joining the Guard, we’d spent weeks in training and had no contact with the outside world. Even though I’d desperatelywantedto join the Guard and leave my life in Sunlis behind, actually doing it had been somewhat bittersweet.

Or perhaps I’d misread the situation entirely, and I was seeing what I wanted to see, based on my own experiences.

Andrus snorted. “You are always so quick to jump to someone’s defense, Verner. What for? Have you even spoken to this female before? How do you know she’s worthy of your compassion?”

“It wouldn’t be compassion if it had to be earned.”

Andrus fell silent for a long moment, but I suspected it was because he hadn’t understood my words rather than because he was mulling them over.

“Did I see your parents at breakfast this morning?” he asked eventually because Andrus wasn’t good at silence.

“You did. They arrived last night to stay for a week. Remind the court of their presence, and so forth.”

Andrus made a disgruntled sound of agreement, and on that front, we could relate I supposed. His mother often did thesame, taking over the family apartments that we usually had to ourselves.

The difference was that Andrus relished the day when the title would become his, and he was free to lord his presence over everyone. I shared no such desire. I didn’t want a life of endlessly spinning in circles, accomplishing nothing of value while constantly being praised for my supposed achievements. I wanted togenuinelymake a difference.

The two of us drew up, standing at full attention at the sound of the royal couple’s approach. Once upon a time, these halls had been mostly silent—save for occasional smatterings of conversation between the king and the captain or Prince Damen’s laugh. Queen Ophelia had brought this entire wing of the palace to life with her presence.

“…I think they’re adapting well. Or as well as can be,” the queen said to her husband, walking with her arm tucked into his. “And hopefully, the lifestyle advantages here—or at least the lack of financial pressure—will help make up for the lack of conveniences.”

“Some seem to like it here more than others,” King Allerick said gruffly.

His wife grimaced, nodding in agreement. Were they worried that more would leave? That was a bleak thought. Travel to the human realm to feed was currently forbidden, which meant we were reliant on the energy stores here to feed. Tosurvive. Those stores were currently being fuelled by ex-Hunter lust, and it was a tall ask for the queen to keep the entire realm fed on her own, though her and the king seemed to be doing their valiant best, given how much time they spent in their room.

I should make more of an effort, I thought suddenly. I’d mostly kept to myself, observing out of curiosity from a distance. After all, there were many far more desirable males than me for the ex-Hunters to choose from. I would only be makinga nuisance of myself by adding to the crowd of Shades that constantly hovered around them.

Perhaps that approach was wrong, though. They would needfriendsif they were going to grow accustomed to life here, and there was no reason why I couldn’t be a friend to them and help them with that, if they were open to it.

Andrus and I silently greeted the royal couple as they passed us, and my resolve grew steadier in my mind. I would reach out. I would make more of an effort. I would show the ex-Hunters who lived here that not every Shade was interested in them purely for the purpose of generating power for the stores. We may have needed it to survive, but we could hardly expect them to feel any desire if they weren’t comfortable first.

The king and queen were envisioning a whole different kind of future for the realm, and I intended to be part of it.

After years of working at the palace as a guard, it always felt strange to sit at one of the long tables in the dining hall and shred meat with the courtiers who lived at the palace as though I was one of them, even if I technically was. I vastly preferred to simply visit the palace kitchens and help myself to whatever food was left over—Calix seemed to tolerate my company better than he tolerated most.

It was fortunate that my parents, for the most part, preferred to stay at Sunlis, limiting how often I had to endure this.

“Lots of change,” Father murmured, surveying the dining hall with a critical eye, his plate of food sitting untouched in front of him. The seasoning was never to his liking here. Perhaps, if I had a death wish one day, I’d pass that on to Calix.

“Lots of change,” Mother agreed stiffly. Her gaze was fixed on a section of one table near the front of the hall, where three ex-Hunters sat, surrounded by an adoring crowd of male Shades, all pressing in closer, shamelessly trying to get their attention. Why did they never give them more space? No one would want to be boxed in that way—human or Shade.

Between the three new arrivals, the vibrant ex-Hunter queen sitting on the dais and her brooding sister skulking around one of the side doors, I supposed the dining hall did look a little different from the last time my parents had visited.

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