Page 164 of Night's Fall
“She was the most impressive candidate,”Isaid hesitantly.
He jerked up his chin angrily and started dragging me again.
“Honey,”Icalled. “Pleaseslow down.I’min heels.”
He slowed, but even so, his determination to get where we were going didn’t ebb one bit.
We passed about ten more rooms, turned down a hall, went up some stairs, passed another five, andIwas beginning to lament wearing my sleek, black, patent leather pumps, even if they were normally pretty comfortable.Whatthey weren’t was designed to hike two miles on plush carpet or otherwise.
Fortunately,Alekseiturned again, into a room that was a study of red and burgundy, gilt-edged furniture…and royals.
The king andErrolwere sitting together on a silk damask couch the color of a red rose.
The king was scowling atAleksei.
Errol was fighting a smile.
The queen was pacing the area behind the couch.
Timothee was slouched in an armchair to the side of the couch, one ankle resting atop the other knee.
He was smirking.
The princes thought their big brother was in trouble and neither seemed to realize this was not the case.
And my jangled nerves jangled more intensely, because there was also the gloriousPrincessAleece, my first vision of her in person.
She was the picture of her mother, with her burnished-chestnut hair, generous mouth, upturned nose, soft brown eyes and peaches-and-cream skin (though, her features were more delicate, whereasQueenCalisa’swere lush).
She was wearing one of the trendy new fly suits in olive green—boxy and utilitarian, the luxuriant silk that crafted it made it hang seductively and cling impishly, rendering it casually sexy, like the wearer didn’t give a stuff that she looked fabulous, but she still looked fabulous.
Aleece was reclined on the arm of another chair, looking relaxed, but like she had places to go and things to do, so she had to be ready to pop up and do them at any time.
But the instant her oldest brother walked in, she straightened, and after a swift glance at me, her gaze locked onAleksei.
She was reading her brother perfectly.
I already knew this, but this made it clear she was a far brighter bulb than the other two.
I couldn’t think onAleecemuch, becauseIwas in thePalaceand in the presence of the king and queen, and even thoughAlekseididn’t release my hand,Iswayed an arm out and affected a curtsy.
I was barely down beforeAleksei’shand was pulling me back up.
AndTimotheewas talking.
“She drags my brother to the passing ritual of a traitor, guess it’s not a surprise she doesn’t know she doesn’t have to drop a formal when she’s in the family’s informal drawing room.”
“Tim, take heed,”Aleecesaid urgently.
Too late.
I’d lostAleksei’shand.
And now he was a man on a different mission.
“Aleksei!”Icried, panic-stricken.
Timothee finally cottoned on to the threat, and he scrambled out of his chair just in time to be nose to nose with his older brother.
