Page 48 of Royal Captive
Shyllon snatched my wrist faster than I could track, shaking it roughly until the cube of cheese fell on the floor.
“Not that one,” he grit out, deadly serious. He took a moment to breathe, his face relaxing. “Calten, please fetch one of theothertrays.”
Calten stood slowly.
“And don’t even think about rolling your eyes at me—” Shyllon added quickly.
Calten grinned, shooting Shyllon a look. “Never, sir.”
My stomach growled loudly as Calten fetched a different tray of cheeses and meats from across the room, offering it to me with an exaggerated bow.
I eyed it warily. Why was this one preferable to the other?
Fae were odd. I grabbed a handful of cheese and stuffed it into my mouth before anyone could say otherwise. Nutty flavor exploded on my tongue and I couldn’t help my groan. It was so good!
I grabbed three slices of thick meat and wolfed it down. It was like venison, but with a more smoky flavor. More slices found their way into my hand. I’d eat the whole thing if they let me.
“Easy, now. There’s plenty more. Just make sure I inspect all of your food before you eat it,” Shyllon cautioned.
“For poison,” Alihandro offered smoothly, even as my mouth opened to ask why.
A piece of bread slipped between my fingers. I used the time to pick it up off the ground to compose myself.
“Poison seems a bit … subtle for the fae from what I’ve seen,” I said.
Alihandro and Shyllon winced while Calten chuckled. “I think you’ll be fine here, Princess,” he remarked.
Was his tone mocking or not? I couldn’t tell.
I stayed silent, needing to get a feel for exactly where things stood. Fate had apparently destined me to always be stuck between men and their power struggles, no matter which world I trod between.
Alihandro plucked a choice bit of meat from the forbidden plate they had smacked me away from. I watched him eat it with no ill effects.
“You have had a rough day. Do you wish to retire?” Shyllon asked, sitting up from his cushions.
Peace and quiet sounded amazing.
“Yes, actually,” I managed.
Alihandro stood, then offered me a hand. Intrigued at the sudden show of civility and chivalry, I accepted. With my other hand, I reached back and snatched what was left of the platter, gathering it to my chest. It was coming with me.
Alihandro grinned at me, addressing the entire room.
“Night all!” He dragged me past a bunch of smiling and laughing faces, with more than a few inappropriate innuendos thrown our way. My face burned red as he led me down the same hallway that led to the balcony, but then stopped in front of two large, wooden doors on the right.
He pushed the doors open to reveal a large suite. “Home, sweet home.”
I barely could take in the navy blue and gold color scheme before he dumped me headfirst on the bed. I somehow managed to hang onto the platter, a few cubes of cheese spilling onto the silk sheets.
“Sweet dreams, Princess. Don’t go wandering unless you want to end up playing with someone else. Shyllon keeps themore aggressive fae out, but you never know. You’re quite the prize.” A frown marred his lips.
I blinked, confused. “Where are you going?”
He grasped the edge of one of the bed pillars, his fingers stroking the smooth wood finish. “This is my room in Shyllon’s manor, but as you can see, I don’t really live here.”
Glancing around, it made sense. The room was pristine, and hardly looked like anyone lived in it, least of all Alihandro.
“I usually keep to my bunk near the other soldiers’ quarters. See you around.” He strode toward the door and I shot up from the bed, indignant.
