Heir of the Gods

Ch. 12: An Unenchanted Moment

Cassia wished Marcus had given her more time. Her velvet dress was nice enough, with heavy skirts that rippled down in forest green folds. The sleeves were long and tight, the bodice fitted and elegant, but not scandalous.

But she had no crown, the only adornment she'd allowed a small pair of emerald and silver earrings. Her hair was in a braid over the crown of her head, ending in an elegant bun at the nape of her neck.

Symbols had power. With her rich clothes, she was a lady of the court. With a crown, she was a princess of the realm, blooded with power and the immutable right to command.

But she did not have the time to send for one.

After Marcus left, she'd stowed her book beneath a bush covered in bright yellow flowers shaped like stars, not even trusting it to her ladies. They had trailed back into the sunroom after Marcus had left, and Cassia had ordered them to remain there while she saw to a few private matters.

The only one to give her a sharp, knowing glance was Claudia, but none of them dared to question or rebuke her as she strode from the room.

When she arrived at the king's council room, just a floor above the throne room, the doors were closed and flanked by two guards. Quickly, she changed her walk from a commanding stride to a feline stroll, making her hips sway more than usual.

A sultry smile found its way onto her lips and she watched in satisfaction as the guard on the left side of the door let his gaze slide down to her chest. That was the one she angled for.

They both bowed, but the one on the right said, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but the king is unavailable at the moment."

Your lover spends quite a lot of time with the guards.

She gritted her teeth as Marcus' words came back to aid her. Lowering her voice to a purr, she said, "General Julianus sent for me." She batted her eyelashes at the guard on the left. "I've spent a great deal of time studying the Mortanians, you see, and he thought I might have something to offer concerning how to deal with the, ah, issue in Antelium."

The two guards exchanged glances and she knew Marcus had fed her exactly the right words. This was to have been a private council with only those summoned knowing the exact details of why it had been called.

"The general summoned you?" the one on the left said.

"Which general?" the other snapped.

She was fairly certain she'd already named her general.

"Julianus," she said, her voice a touch cooler. "General Calix Julianus." Recognition and admiration flickered in the eyes of the guard she was looking at. She smiled again and lifted her hand about a head and a half taller than she herself was. "About this tall? Dark eyes?" Her smile slipped to something a little more female. "Strong chest to hold up all those medals?"

Now they both smirked and doubt rose up in her for a moment. Had Julianus perhaps... bragged over his bedding of the Heir? She had wanted a few rumors, just enough for doubt to flicker in the eyes of other men who believed they had some sort of right to her. But to think of Julianus...

No. No, Julianus had never struck her as the type to brag over conquest where the bedroom was concerned. He was more the type to keep his private life to himself and offer up clever taunts that served just as well.

She kept that small smile dancing on her lips, even as she stared down the guards. They exchanged glances and the one on the left muttered, "If Julianus sent for her..."

Cassia very nearly held her breath until the one on the right nodded. Her smile turned gracious when they both bowed and apologized for the misunderstanding. They opened the doors for her, the sounds of quarreling men flooding out into the hall.