Page 167 of The Wild Prince's Favorite
Alezya didn’t say anything.
She only lowered her head, letting her hair fall around her face, hiding the hatred she was feeling for her father at that moment.
She tightened her fists until her nails drew blood. Anger dominated her pain. Never had she believed she could hate the man more than she already did, but there she was, proven wrong.
She was silently grieving for a mother she’d already lost once, and shivering at the horror of facing the same fate, dying in a cold, icy pit. It formed an unexpected resolve in her. Despite the painful protests of her body, Alezya forced herself into a seated position, drawing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.
It was cold, so cold that she wasn’t sure she would survive more than a day in there. She was grateful for the sun rising, but there was no way she would last a night in this place... and Kein couldn’t rescue her this time. The ice above her would crumble and bury her alive under the weight of a dragon. Her only hope was for Kassein to locate her, but within a day, it felt impossible...
She let out another tear, and then a full sob.
She tried to hold onto her memories of Kassein’s warmth or Lumie’s smiles.
Of delicious meat soups around a fire pit, of hot dragon scales, and a funny man in layers of coats. She wondered if they would look for her again... She had left the Dragon Clan twice. How could they forgive her and come look for her again after that betrayal?
“...I love you,” she whispered to the silence, snow and ice surrounding her.
Then, she let out a shivering exhale, closed her eyes, and rested a wet cheek on her knee.
Chapter 14
A heavy downpour was plaguing the south of the Empire.
It had started almost as soon as they had flown past the Shadelands and left the Onyx Castle behind. Kiki was usually one of the fastest dragons, but the rain and her load of two adult men slowed her down considerably, and the sun had set behind the dark clouds by the time they landed in the gardens of the Imperial Palace.
Tievin was drenched, all of his fur coats rendered twice heavier than usual, and his teeth were loudly chattering. The usual green grass around the lake the palace surrounded was so saturated with water that their shoes sunk in by half an inch. Kassein unloaded their luggage, mostly Tievin’s, while his Intendant tried to disembark, but the operation was rendered quite difficult by all his oversized layers. Eventually, he tripped and inevitably landed on all fours.
“By the mighty dragon,” he grimaced.
He was still a bit green from the trip and looked seconds away from puking in the grass. Kassein didn’t say anything, glancing around while his Intendant regained his continence and equilibrium.
He had forgotten how sad and boresome this place could get during the rainy season. There were a handful of servants nearby walking under the white stone arched pathways of the palace, and upon recognition, a couple of them opened their eyes wide before running inside, no doubt to warn the Emperor ofthe unexpected arrival. Kassein had thought it best to fly straight to the Capital without forewarning, not leaving any time for the rest of the family to try to come. He already didn’t want to be here and dreaded running into anyone.
He hadn’t set foot in the Capital in a long time now, and he certainly hadn’t missed it. This place had banished him as much as Kassian had, making him feel unwelcomed, if not feared by the locals. Even the Imperial Servants, whose duty it was to literally serve the Imperial Family, didn’t come out to greet him, only observing him from afar like an unexpected storm cloud from the safety of the archways.
Kassein glared back at them, slightly annoyed. He might not have been the most popular, but he was still an Imperial Prince, and Kein wasn’t even around to give them a fair excuse to stay away.
“So improper,” Tievin scoffed as if he’d read his thoughts. “The Imperial Servants’ training seems to be lacking nowadays!”
He had said it loud enough that a couple of Imperial Servants heard it and felt compelled to go against their instincts and approach, albeit they made a noticeable detour around Kassein to come and grab the luggage.
Kassein couldn’t help but notice that even Kiki seemed to be more easily approached than he was... He shook his head in resignation and moved to get inside the palace, Tievin two steps behind.
Everywhere he went, there was a mix of reactions, going from wide, stunned eyes to some servants swiftly turning around and disappearing out of sight. There was something unnerving about still being so feared after so much time had passed, but at least no one dared to stop him on his way to the throne room. Even the guards seemed unsure what to do, shocked to see him,nervous about his determined approach, and unwilling to stop a relative of the Emperor, even the least popular one.
The only thing to slow Kassein down was the feeling of dread torturing his gut as he got closer to his destination. Tievin was somewhere behind him, moving more freely after having shed the drenched layers and leaving his luggage to be carried by servants, but Kassein couldn’t hear anything; it was as if everything else was tuned out, his being solely focused on the impending encounter.
The last time he had seen his brother had been a terrible moment, a memory he didn’t even want to remember, but his head was forcing him to. The fury and disappointment of his brother. The harsh words that had echoed around the walls, giving him the appraisal he’d always known as the failure of the family, an Imperial disappointment. Kassein’s throat tightened and his nerves tensed.
He could feel his spine going stiff as steel, his muscles tense, his hands sweaty, his mouth dry. He hated every bit of this, every step that took him closer to his brother. The only thing that kept him going, the thing that had prevented him from having Kiki turn around during the long hours of this journey, was Alezya.
He wanted to be that man for her. If he turned around now, he would never be the man she deserved. It was as simple as that.
Not easy, but simple.
He held onto the memory of her, of her smell, of her silky hair, of her smooth skin and shy smiles, as he reached the large doors.
He hesitated behind the threshold, so tense he feared he might never be able to take another step again. It was Tievin’s voice that unexpectedly grounded him, snapping him away from his internal chaos.
