Page 94 of Fake Fae-Ancée

"She is my fiancée," Yuri answered, squeezing my hand that rested on his arm. "And she is my future queen."

Another excited murmur ran through our audience, even more people crowding in front of us, more excited chatter erupted I didn’t understand. But I didn’t need to. I saw people checking their phones and freaking out, probably spotting our arrival at the red carpet just minutes ago now all over the yellow press channels. And social media was most likely going crazy, too.#Princereturns #Prophecycometrue #Allhailkingyuriand so on.

Suddenly, I felt Yuri stiffen next to me. The crowd in front of us parted and a beautiful woman in a bright yellow ballgown stepped in front of us. She was delicate, with white skin, dark brown hair cascading down her shoulders in lush waves. She dipped into a low curtsy.

"So we meet again, my prince," she said with a slight accent. "It’s been a long time."

"Lady Anastasia," Yuri growled through clenched teeth.

Then her gaze hit me, hard as metal, buzzing with open hostility.

Yuri

Of course,she was here tonight. Everybody who was anybody was here tonight. But I had wanted to meet Lady Anastasia again just as much as I craved a root canal without narcotics.

"The prodigal son returns," Anastasia chirped.

"It is a pleasure, dear cousin," I said, conjuring up all the countenance I had within me.

Anastasia embodied everything shifter nobility considered desirable in a woman of good breeding. A thin, ethereal being that was nice to look at, with no powers, and of course no visible Bear, since shifting was reserved for males only.

She gave me a smile that was as genuine as her fingernails, possessiveness glinting in her eyes. As if she had finally found that one special toy again that had been taken away from her a long time ago. Technically, she was my cousin. This had not stopped my father from choosing her as my future queen in his lifetime, despite Yli-Pekkala Baba's objection that Anastasia was by no means the girl from my prophecy.

"So, this is her," Anastasia said, popping her fan open and looking at Kai from down her long, straight nose. "A Fae-born."

"The Lady McKenn to you." The rumble escaping my throat was a lot more fierce than intended. I gave Kai’s hand on my arm another squeeze and pulled her closer.

"I see." Anastasia smirked and then made a faint curtsy in front of Kai, as the protocol demanded. But she managed to make it look like a dismissive nod.

To the outside world, Anastasia played the role of a fragile, demure girl with the perfection of a special trained elite soldier. Even the usurper Yegor, whom I had been looking out for, with Bear growling in the back of my mind from the moment Kai and I had entered the hall, had wanted to set me up with her.

Kai unlooped her arm from me and dipped into a deep curtsy herself, that noncommittal smile still plastered on her face. Apparently all the etiquette training with Bates, Baba and the dance instructor had kicked in fully now.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Kai said, completely unimpressed and not sounding like Kai at all. All the muscles in my back tensed.

Giggling, Anastasia turned to me. "I see you taught her well. It probably took months to train her properly."

"I was also trained not to be rude," Kai said next to me, calm and composed. But the steel had returned to her voice. Anastasia must have heard it too, because her eyes widened slightly, sweet smile turning into a condescending grin.

"How convenient." Then she turned around, shooting me another strange look as she did so, and rushed off, fan popped open.

I grit my teeth.

"I suppose that we just had first enemy contact," Kai said drily.

I gave a slight huff. She was right about that, and more would follow. And soon. And I had no doubt she would be able to handle it. Still, Bear gave a low and protective growl.

"I should have said something." I held out my arm to her, and I was almost relieved when I felt her warm hand, reassuring and firm, through the fabric of the parade uniform.

"No need." Her brief smile shot all through me, from my toes to the tips of my hair.

"No one talks to my fiancée like that."

"Technically, I'm not..."

Her voice wavered slightly as she looked at the floor, and the sobering truth in her words brought me back to reality.

For a minute there, I had actually forgotten what we actually were. I wanted to say something in reply, but just then the lights in the hall dimmed and an excited murmur went through the crowd around us.

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