Page 83 of Royal Lies

I was just about finished with my potion after three or so hours of brewing and trials when the door suddenly busted open. The swift frozen breeze of winter and snow attacked my nose before the brother I was a bit peeved at entered the room.

"Brother, do close the door. It's getting a bit drafty here; it's not good for my patient." I could practically feel the eye roll he was giving me at my statement. I rolled my eyes back as I poured my last concoction into the vial.

"I assume you did what I'd suggested," I turned to face the bedraggled man, but his perfectly combed hair and neatly ironed shirt sure conflicted with the madness going through his mind. His eye trained on the love of my life.Well, isn't that suspicious.

My brother has always cared for my bond. But I had always assumed it was platonic. Perhaps her death had finally caused the man to open his eyes to new feelings. If so then that would be quite troubling.

"I want a damn explanation!" He shouted as the door shut with a slam. I smiled in greetings before turning back to my brother as I arched a brow. Was he seriously going to act like this now? He'd just been crowned king for lords’ sake, show some self-restraint. As if he was reading my mind, Eli cleared his throat.

"How is she?" He asked more calmly as he straightened his already clean-cut button-up. I nodded, gently pouring the blackish liquid past her lips. To be fair I did have the potion midway done before I even came here just in case. Not that I was expecting this to happen. I figured she must have had some memory loss to not have sought me out once she reincarnated. I didn't, however, account for Luna to poison Evie. The best I can do for her now is hopefully restore her memories, as there isn't any possible potion I could usenowas an antidote to whatever Luna had implanted into Evie's system.

Hopefully, when Evie awakens she’ll know what to do.

"She’ll be a little unstable, but shewillbe better. So, how did the king respond to your request? You came back rather quickly. I was expecting you to take at least an hour longer." I asked, going back to my little desk in Evie's room. Turning I smiled softly back at my brother. Honestly, barging in here, did he not have his manners in this life?

Sighing, Eli slouched onto the soft blue European button-tufted sofa near the edge of the room, "As expected, the bloody bastard didn't even think I could take him on. Had the servants prepare the whole thing in a matter of minutes. Of course, I took him down, it took less than a few minutes."

I cocked my brow, sighing, “Brother- we may not be blood-related in this life, but I am still me. I know what I’m doing especially with Evie, there’s no need foryouto be here." I am a bit peeved he'd even doubt my skills. So what if I had a different face in this life, my skills were still as sharp as ever. Sure hedidn't say it out loud, but the fact that he was even here meant that he didn't trust me.

"Unlike someone I know," I muttered under my breath so he wouldn't be able to hear. After all, I was still bitter about this whole ordeal. I mean if only my brother hadn't played his whole “I'm the fucking alpha” and trusted her withhermemories, for fucks sake. Yes, of course, I figured things out, I mean Evie practically told me so with her damaged body. She wouldn't even be in this position if she'd remembered that spell. No way would she have let herself be so vulnerable and exposed. But now is not the time to pin the blame on my brother. I sucked in a breath cooling my nerves.

"What?” Eli barked, sounding a little confused and offended. Rolling my eyes at him I only cocked a brow. He got offended by everything and anything honestly did he even hear me?

My darling Evie might love to play games with him. But I liked to play them slightly differently, which meant no angering the little king.

"What?" I plastered a confused look towards my brother to throw him off his game to make it sound like he was just hearing things. Specifically to make sure that he just mistook my muttering as nothing but a jostle in the wind.

Even more confused now, my brother stared back at me blinking rapidly as if trying to puzzle things together. Eyeing me suspiciously as if to get me to admit to my little lie, I frowned back at him. My brother sat down shaking his head, “No- nothing, it must be the wind."

I smiled inwardly, one point for me and zero for Eli. I do love messing with him, take it as payback for all this shit he was putting me through with my dear Evie. Just because I'm more outwardly calm doesn't mean I'm not still pissed.

Despite having just returned from a battle against the king, I have to say his appearance was as impeccable as always. Hiswhite button blouse and navy blue trousers were not in the least bit wrinkled. However, the fact that he didn't just flash here was no doubt a sign that he was worn from the battle with the former Winter King, as much as he was trying to hide it. Well, I guessheis the king now. Then again, the fact that he's storming down here makes it all too clear who won. I don't even need his words of confirmation to know. After all, you can't win a duel for the throne without killing your opponent, at least not in the Wolf Court. But Iamsurprised the former king agreed so quickly and to have the battle on the spot.

Hmm, strange. Or perhaps the former king was so confident that he could win he accepted and had the duel to get it over with. No, if I knew my father, he was never a spontaneous man no matter how prideful he was of his strength. Though could I truly call him a father in this life?

"Eli- I don't think this is a very good time to have a chat with me right now. Why don't you focus on managing your court? You'd gain their trust a lot more that way rather than allowing our dear sister to take your place." I stated because if I was being truthful I was a bit peeved at my brother and his presence was not helping cool my anger.

Eli, being here must have meant he left the after-duel chores to my younger sister.

"I-" Eli began, poking at my thin patience. I could feel the sudden shift in the air as the room chilled a little, a nice frosty breeze fighting against the frozen ground. Oh, so he was pissed too? Please, what did he have to be angry about? This washisfault.

I smiled blasting back against his frozen floors with my cool breeze, "Brother, I recommend that you do notpushme, king or not, we both know-"

"That Akasuki will still stay here and we will have a chat. Lords know this will be my only opportunity to do so with bothmy brothers' blood or not." Snow's placid monotone voice came in piling a drizzle of frost against my wind. Behind her was Akasuki, my former master in this life.

I opened my mouth to protest. After all, I need to monitor Everetta's pulse and her reactions to the antidotes. As I was about to explain all this to my little sister she held up a hand to halt the words ready to burst through my throat. She sighed giving me one of her famous ‘do not test me’glares.

" I. Have. Held. This. Court. Together. Alone. For the past, I don't know, seventeen hundred sun-cycles? And all I'm asking is a simple conversation with two of my dearest brothers, whobanishedme from this realm my other lifetime. Now, won't you both join me in my studies?" Without another ounce of breath, my little sister turned strolling away in her elegant blue silk ball gown.

I cleared my throat, "Brother, after you." I gestured a hand out of the frost-covered room, the windows glazed in ice as the floors were blanketed in freshly fallen snow.

"Don't mind if I do." Eli nodded as he hurriedly scrambled off the sofa, scurrying out of the room. I heard a heavy sigh and Akasuki's mutter beneath her breath, "Idiots."

It was awkward, really awkward as we both stood there like toddlers under the disapproving ire of our youngest sister. How in the lords were we even in this situation,shewas the youngest of us. Snow made no moves to cross her arms, or even tap her foot like Eli or I tended to do when we were angry. All she did was stare with her cool blue gaze, her icy temper cooling the room to a bitter cold, under negative one hundred degrees Fahrenheit.

"So-" Eli trudged, only to bear the sole brunt of our younger sister's rage as her frosty snow-blue eyes turned their roaring chill on him.

"N-Never mind," Eli muttered efficiently, tucking his head under his white collar.

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