Veldore briefly introduced me to the Lady Cassus he had been conversing with before stowing me away from the ever slimming crowd that had gathered in the sunrise of the grand hall.
I knew what was coming before it came.
"What did they say?"
I smiled. "Nothing too bad."
His eyebrows dipped towards his nose slightly as he looked down at me and glared.
"So calling one a poltroon is no offence?"
I cringed, right, the alpha's hearing, of course.
I had not intended to lie, only it hadn't really offended me as much as it might have had I not felt so in control of the situation. And then there was the fact that I felt rather worried for their health around Veldore. Not that I was impartial to a small beating of the three however I was more convinced Veldore's claws were intending to do a little more... Life risking damage to them.
It was simply the fact that they were human, in a sense, and therefor my moralistic side insisted on defending them.
His anger was obviously too easily roused and considering I was about to sneak out to the part of the forest I had nearly been molested by his brother it would probably be in my favor to make sure his anger was not already swallowing the ground before I'd even set foot out of the grounds of his castle.
"It did not bother me." I shrugged. Intent on avoiding the subject I gave him a small glare. "You were testing me?"
He shrugged. "Was I wrong to?"
He took my hand as he tugged me forward back into the shadows of the ballroom.
"I do not need to be tested." I insisted.
He looked down at me, his gaze lingering on my, there was a silent blue in his eyes this time. I found it hard to pull myself away from his stare and found myself sinking further into them every time I tried.
He sighed and with no forewarning slipping an arm around my waist and another around the nape of my neck, dipping me forwards to meet his warm soft lips.
I relaxed in his embrace and my body brooked into his, my shape fitting like a key in a lock in his hold.
Every time we kissed I felt so secure wrapped up in his love I could just ignore every thought running through my mind, any words or hits send my way. Just savor the taste of his lips on mine as his tongue slipped in between the parting in my lips and teased my tongue, gently tugging at it and circling it with tender ministrations.
It was hard to focus on my breathing when we kissed and I ended up trying for every breath of air I could snatch when our lips broke apart, my lips burning with a slow ache for more of his touch.
He sighed and buried his face in my neck, something he had to visibly crouch somewhat to do so.
A silent shiver ran through me as he rubbed his cold nose affectionately over the tender flesh he had so recently marked.
"Cinde I do not mean to be disagreeable. In this time it is important you simply keep in mind that I do love you. If I ever seem to indicate otherwise it is by the force of another reason."
I nodded stone faced, worried he might be able to sense the guilt slipping through my fingers.
Here he was declaring his love for me and here I was plotting an escape plan to fulfill a promise that may not even be so important after all.
I was acting spoilt yet even Veldore's declaration could not change my intentions.
"I love you too." I breathed, a simple set of words carried by the vague chilling breeze. I did not need to look to know Veldore was smiling, it was the atmosphere that spoke more clearly than his expression.
Before I could turn to face him I felt his hand enrapture mine and tug me slowly towards the dance floor.
A new number was playing and it was one I recognized.
Luna Opertum.
It had been the music they played at the very first ball I'd been to, the one I'd met Veldore and, well, Eddergan.
He'd forced me to dance with him under the blackmail that if I refused he would tell my father I had attempted to harm him. The very memory was unnerving. Even now the fear of my fathers belt would often send chills down my back, even under the clear knowledge it was not a threat to be made anymore.
I felt Veldore's left hand nestle at the small of my back as he guided me with his embrace to the edge of the dance floor before we slipped into the appropriate positions.
His hand slipped under my arm and covered my left shoulder blade, while mine reached up to his shoulder and he nuzzled it slightly with the warmth of his cheek.
Together under the slow rising sun we danced.
Those dancing around us stopped to watch, forming a circle of free floor for us to cover with gentle smiles on their faces.
To be so coveted in someone's warmth, in everyone's warmth, it reminded me that even though my family had been unpleasant and downright vile to me, there was a world out there, with better people... Hell, I was mated to one.
Right from the start of our dance the sun had begun to color the room, yet as we continued light filled the room with colors only the gods could bless earth with.
My robes flung into the free sail of air as he spun me around, for a brief image of blurry smiles and clothes of every bounding color till I returned to face him once again.
His eyes settled only for a second on the dark sun image of his mark on my neck before gazing up past my lips and nose into my eyes, and there they remained.
So many questions resided in his eyes, so much curiosity, however I was glad he did not pause the moment with his questions as our footsteps danced in tune with each other. Every step he took forwards and back was followed by my own mirror movements of his. And although my own footsteps were much more gentle in sound they played a pretty beat to his own.
I felt the wind brush the soft curls of my hair in front of my eyes as once again his hand guided me for a small tour around the room before settling me back into his warm chest.
The mellow strings to a violin playing gaily in the background to my heart against his.
It was reassuring. The feeling of forever being so enraptured by one.
Of course I had never expected it to be Veldore. And I had made mistakes along the way, as he had himself. Yet it was the knowledge that throughout all we would return to face each other with the same love in our eyes that made me nuzzle his warm shoulder and breath out a sigh of relief.
When the music eventually slowed I felt my mate's hand rest at the small of my waist once again and guide me back away into the shadows of the hall, yet even in the shadows I felt nothing could hide us.
We were the center of attention. And the dance had left us with an unnatural glow that pulled us apart from any others there to witness.
"That was fun." I whispered into his chest, smiling.
"That, it was." He nodded. "With a past such as yours the talent you possess is unexpected.
I blushed. "I rarely dance well, however with you I do feel more at ease."
He did not smile, but I caught onto the slight twitch in his expression where he held himself back.
I was not sure why he insisted on holding the facade of an impenetrable man around me. Maybe it was being a king that had buried the natural lack of expression so deep it became instinct, to protect the thoughts within.
After all only a man who can read others thoughts can fear the reveal of his own.
For I had often heard a king's greatest fear was manipulation.
From the corner of my eye I spotted Verity walking towards us, her usual braids bobbing up and down at her jolly walk.
I looked up at Veldore and held his gaze.
"May I talk to Verity? I will be quick!"
He frowned, taking my hand in his as he turned to observe the person I had glimpsed at. "Verity? An adviser in training?"
I nodded.
"The one who ratted out your scent to me when you ran away?" The words slipped off his tongue easily but sounded harsh when it came to my running from him.
I blushed.
"Yes sir."
"How do you know her?"
I sighed.
The problem was that I had made it my goal to keep my mate happy and content in the hope that his hounding possessiveness would eventually cease. However it seemed I would have to find another way to convince him I would be safe without shackles on both wrists, I was only afraid I might hurt him in the process of doing such a thing.
"She is my friend, I met her at the ball before I-" I frowned. Don't bring up your escape. I had to remind myself.
When she reached us she curtsied energetically before Veldore. Her braids briefly hitting the sides of her blue bowtide dress.
"Your majesty!" She exclaimed, looking him in the eye without a even a shred of fear unlike the most. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am an acquaintance of Cinde's. Would you spare a moment of your mate's time?"
I knew right then and there that the way she had worded it was perfection. Slipping in the acknowledgement that I was his mate was reassuring to Veldore who seemed to deem everyone, even those already mated, a threat.
I sensed the smile dancing behind that stony expression and nodded a thanks when he stepped away and signaled with a wave of his hand for us to move on and converse as we wished.
He briefly let me know that I was to make my way to his bed chamber in no less than an hour or the guards would come to retrieve me. I nodded and reassured him I would be on time before Verity locked arms with me and tugged me away into the crowd.
A sly smile tugging gently at her rosy cheeks.