"Don't go," William said quietly.
I turned to him. I didn't want to leave but it was obvious Micah did not want me here.
"I have to. You may think you've made your decision but you need to think about it more. This isn't just about us."
"I know that, Lilith. I also know that it would be best for the realm to stop these wars. We can stop them by joining the territories together again."
"Yes but that will result in civil war. At this point, I'm not sure which is better," I said softly.
I desperately wanted to be selfish but I knew I had thousands of kinetics depending on me to make the right decisions.
"Just think about it for a few weeks and make your final decision."
He he nodded lightly in agreement. I hoped he really did think this decision through. It shouldn't be taken lightly and I would be thinking it over in detail, weighing my options.
I turned and made my way to the front of the castle and over to my waiting black car. My driver opened the door and I slid into the back seat. I glanced over to see William watching my every move intently but he stayed put thankfully. I couldn't deny that my heart physically ached for him. I wanted him so badly but I would have to be smart about this.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
A week passed without incident.
Two, then three, then five.
I was growing restless without William and I couldn't figure out why he hasn't contacted me. Micah was still holding off the wolves and as he promised, there were no attacks on kinetics. Still, I wasn't sure what happened to Alex and that bothered me. I wanted a say in her punishment or at least to know what her punishment consisted of. I wanted retribution for her crimes against me. I wanted her to pay for what she did to my father.
"Your Majesty," one of my council members attempted to get my attention.
I glanced across the black table at her while absently playing with my pen.
"Yes?"
"The budget?" She reminded.
I sighed and sat up straight, "What are they requesting?"
"Three million for the year."
"That's fine," I approved.
I watched Anastasia make a note from her chair as the budget meeting continued. These meetings held no interest for me at the moment because all I could think about was William. I didn't care if he had made his decision or not. I needed to at least hear his voice.
"Anastasia, may I see you in the hall for a moment?" I requested.
I didn't wait for her acceptance or to see her timid expression. I simply walked into the hall. Naturally, she followed and closed the door behind her. I placed my hands on my hips but didn't look at her.
"I need you to do something for me," I started.
"Did I do something wrong, Your Majesty?"
"No. I need you to do something and it has to stay between us. No one can know about it."
"Of course."
"I need you to find a way to contact the prince. I cannot stress your discretion enough. If Micah finds out about this, we risk a full scale war."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will get started on it right away."
"Thank you, Anastasia."
With a graceful nod, she was on her way. I trusted she would find him quickly. I didn't pay her to be slow at her job. She had been with me for years and she never disappointed me. This would be no different.
I entered the boardroom again noticing Edwin and Edward looking at me curiously. They may silently question me but they would never be so bold as to say something.
"Where were we?" I asked as I took my seat at the head of the table.
"Defense. Our weapons department is developing new technology. They would like an increased budget for the year."
"We can't support an increase," I stated.
"We can cut back on the welfare programs," Sarah suggested.
"No," I said.
"Where else are we going to cut?" Edwin asked.
"We can cut your salaries," I suggested. My sense of humor was rather dry and it was difficult to tell when I was joking.
They all fell silent and tossed nervous glances around the room. I rolled my eyes.
"I was joking. Relax."
They seemed to release a sigh of relief almost simultaneously. God forbid I touch their beloved salaries.
"Why don't we cut one percent from each department and push it into weapons?" I suggested.
"Agreed," Edwin said.
The rest nodded in agreement. I didn't like cutting from others but it was necessary. We needed to develop new technology to aid in the war against the wolves. We were fighting on all fronts and I wasn't sure how much longer we could hold off the vampires, wolves, and witches. It was putting a massive strain on us and we desperately needed the new technology.
"Moving on," Edward prompted, "What is the status of the group responsible for Lazarus' death?"
"Micah said he will handle it and he will," I responded even though I was losing faith in him as well.
"If he won't handle this then we will be forced to veto your order," Edward responded.
My temper flared at his insubordination. How dare he think he could ever overrule me. The point of me being in power was to rule the race the best way I saw fit.
"And cause a full scale war? What happened to your common sense?"
"You are blindly following Micah just the way he wants."
"No. I am being politically correct so I don't risk annihilation. If you are going to be stupid enough to chose to act against him, you will be exiled. Would anyone else like to question me?" I demanded in a low, deadly, tone.
"No, Your Majesty," the rest responded quietly.
"Good. I think we've done enough for today. Sarah, will you submit the approved budgets so they are on time?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Sarah responded.
I crossed my arms and sat back in my chair while the others cleared the room.
I was left alone in the giant conference room even though I didn't necessarily want to be alone.
"Your Majesty," a servant girl called my attention to the open doors.
"Yes?"
"The vampire princess is here to see you," she informed me.
I cocked my head to the side, unsure if she was mistaken. William' sister was here to see me? But why? She had very little political standing. Her expertise was more in the realm of fashion and beauty. From my understanding, she wasn't totally vapid but she had little interest in ruling or anything concerning politics.
"Send her in."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The girl left but returned moments later with a girl that looked remarkably similar to Emma. She clearly belonged in William's perfect looking family.
"Hello," she greeted with a light smile.
I stood to greet her, "Princess Evelyn."
She wore a floor length, pale pink, silk dress. It wrapped around her petite body until her waist and lightly floated away. She was whimsical, almost faerie-like. This family had a way of making me feel like a warthog. I had never wished to be out of my skin-hugging black combat training pants and boots but after being subjected to Evelyn and Emma, I second guessed myself.
"It's nice to finally meet you. I wasn't sure you would see me."
"I just finished a meeting. What can I do for you?"
"I was just interested in meeting my brother's mate."
"Word gets around quickly," I commented.
"Nothing stays a secret from me," she said with a smile.
"You came all this way just to meet me?" I asked.
"Is that odd?" She asked, innocently.
I shrugged, "I'm not sure. Depends on who you ask I suppose."
"So, what can we do to get to know each other?" She asked excitedly.
I couldn't help but be confused by her. She was certainly odd and very different from William. I was perplexed by her.
"Um, I don't know. Did your parents ask you to come here?"
"No. My father would be furious if he found out I was here."
"I see."
"So, what are we going to do today?"
"I was going to participate in a training course."
"You're allowed to do that?" She asked.
"Of course. I am queen," I reminded her.
"Yes but that's what the men do."
"Kinetic women pull their own weight around here."
"May I participate?" She asked.
"Your father and your brother would kill me if anything happened."
"Then ensure I will not be harmed!" She giggled.
"Um, okay. If you want..."
"This is exciting!"
"Come with me. You can't wear that dress."
She looked down at her dress then back at me with a smile.
"Thank you."
I started towards the door and passed her in the process. She followed as if she was completely comfortable in enemy territory.
We walked up the stairs to my bedroom in silence. I walked directly into my closet and grabbed her a pair of pants, a shirt, and boots. She was about the same size as me so I thought they would fit just fine.
"Here," I said as I handed her the clothes, "the bath-"
She turned her back to me, "Unbutton me?"
What the hell?
Was this what girls do? Call me modest but I wasn't changing in front of her or anyone.
I hesitated but started to unbutton the back of her dress for her.
"There you go," I said awkwardly.
"Thanks," she returned with a smile.
She dropped her dress and the pile of clothes on the floor.
"So how often do you do these training things?" She asked.
I looked anywhere but at her. I had never been in a more awkward situation and I prayed this never happened to me again.
"Um, every day."
"Cool. So what else do you want to do today?"
Jesus, this girl had no boundaries.
"I have no idea."
A light knock on my door pulled my attention, thankfully. I didn't care who was on the other side. I just thanked them for being there.
"Go ahead. It's just a girl," Evelyn said as she slipped on the pants and leaned over for the shirt.
I shook my head and pulled the door open to reveal Anastasia.
"I found him, Your Majesty. He is in a meeting with the Alpha."
"Than-"
"William?" Evelyn piped up.
I couldn't help but discreetly roll my eyes.
"Why didn't you just ask me?" She asked.
Anastasia looked shocked by Evelyn's presence but I didn't care to explain.
"You just got here."
"Yes but if you wanted to keep tabs on my brother you should have just asked me," she said with a coy grin.
"I'm not keeping tabs on him," I quickly denied.
"It's okay. If I had a mate I would keep tabs on him too."
I sighed in irritation.
"Seriously. I'm not. I needed to contact him for something."
"Like what?" She asked.
"Something."
Her smile widened, "It's okay if you just wanted to talk to him. He is your mate."
My eyes shot to Anastasia who looked even more surprised by Evelyn's slip. I grabbed Anastasia's arm and pulled her in the room, slamming the door shut behind her.
"No one can know about this," I looked directly into Anastasia's eyes.
"Yes, Your Majesty," she responded in fear.
"I mean it, Anastasia. I am trusting you with this. No one can know until he and I decide if we are going to proceed."
"If?" Evelyn asked skeptically, "Sweetheart, it's a done deal. You're his."
"What are you talking about?"
"He made his decision weeks ago."
"He hasn't tried to contact me."
"That would be due to my father. He has kept William incredibly busy this last month."
So that was why he hadn't tried to contact me? Was that really a good enough reason?
"I know what we can do for the rest of the day!" Evelyn stated, "We can get you ready to see William tonight!"
"What's wrong with this?" I asked as I looked down at myself. He had seen me in this every time we came into contact and he seemed fine with it. When I did wear a dress, he didn't comment so why would my appearance matter?
"You look like a boy," Evelyn said in a blunt manner.
Anastasia was tense at how blunt Evelyn was being.
"Don't you think she looks too masculine?" Evelyn asked Anastasia.
I looked to a horror stricken Anastasia, slightly amused by her discomfort.
"Well?" Evelyn asked.
"My Queen is always beautiful," Anastasia responded.
Evelyn rolled her eyes, "Of course she's physically beautiful but I'm talking about her attire. You are going to help me with her."
"That's not necessary," I said.
"It is. Come. Lets do your training course."
Without further discussion, she led the way out of my room and to the stairs. Anastasia and I exchanged glances but followed the demanding princess downstairs.
I led the way out to the training yard and surveyed the progress. Men and women worked harder, pushed further than any other army. They were the elite.
"So where do we start?" Evelyn asked.
"What do you know how to do?"
"None of this. That looks fun," she pointed to traditional weapons training.
"That's my favorite. Come on," I prompted.
We approached the field and watched as two men finished their fight. Both were glistening with sweat on their well-formed bodies. I took note of how Evelyn glanced slyly at the men but I didn't comment. It was none of my business.
"Well, if I had known how handsome kinetic men are I would have made friends with you sooner," she leaned into me.
I laughed lightly at her comment but crossed my arms and waited.
"Your Majesty," the men greeted together with a bow.
I nodded once in acknowledgement. Evelyn put on the seductress charm though.
"Evelyn, this is Joel and Nathan."
"Pleasure to meet you," she purred.
The last thing I needed was Evelyn to have a fling with a kinetic. Micah would really lose his shit if that happened.
"Pick your weapon," I prompted.
She bounced over to the gold table littered with weaponry. Joel and Nathan watched her with great interest as she ran her delicate fingers over the metals.
"May I make a suggestion, Princess?" Nathan called Evelyn's attention.
I tossed him a pointed look but he simply smiled at me and walked over to a waiting Evelyn.
He helped her select a sword that was slightly too big for her. My guess was so that he could teach her how to hold it.
"Aren't you going to pick one?" Evelyn asked of me.
I approached the table and picked up the only sword I ever used. It was the same sword my father used. I went to stand next to her as Nathan positioned her hands correctly. Of course, he used a little more contact than necessary but Evelyn was a grown girl. She could make her own decisions.
Evelyn, Nathan, Joel, and I went through basic techniques. Joel and I sparred for Evelyn so she could see what it looked like. It was surprisingly a fun afternoon. I actually laughed and enjoyed myself. It felt amazing to have that kind of release.
Evelyn and I walked back towards the castle, laughing lightly. I couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to her and be around another vampire.
"I am so excited to get you dressed up," she exclaimed.
I laughed, "Good luck."
"It will be fine! William is going to love this. Speaking of which, you should call him and invite him."
I bit my lip, "I guess I could."
She cocked her head to the side, "Why do you get so uncomfortable with romantics?"
I laughed, "I just...I'm not accustomed to doing these female things."
"You mean dating?" She asked skeptically.
I suddenly felt uncomfortable as we headed upstairs with Anastasia. I mean, Anastasia knew I had never dated but no one knew I was still a virgin. They probably assumed I just kept it quiet.
"I mean men in general," I said quietly.
Both women exchanged a confused look before resting their eyes on me. Anastasia closed my bedroom door behind us and joined us at my closet.
"It's like riding a bike. You can't forget how to deal with men," Evelyn laughed.
"I've never..." I trailed off.
She stopped looking through my closet and turned back to me.
"You mean, you're a virgin?" She asked in amazement.
I didn't respond. I simply crossed my arms and looked at the suddenly interesting stone floor.
"You say that like it's a bad thing," I muttered.
"No, no! I think that's amazing. I just wasn't expecting it."
"This is strange talking to you about losing my virginity to your brother."
She smiled, "Would you rather talk to your friends about it?"
I half laughed, "I don't have friends."
"You don't?"
I shook my head.
"Well, don't think of me as your future sister-in-law. Think of me as your friend."
Oh God. She was thinking that far in advance? I was barely learning of his acceptance of me.
"Call him."
I turned to Anastasia and she handed me a phone after dialing a number. I pressed it to my ear to hear ringing.
Each ring made me more nervous but right when I was about to hang up, William's liquid gold voice fell over the line.
"Hi," I stuttered quietly.
"Lilith?" He asked.
"Um, yes."
The line fell quiet and I bit my lip, feeling my anxiety creep in.
"Lilith," William said again.
"I'm here...I just really don't know what to say," I admitted.
"You could start with why you're calling," he responded.
"I, um, I-" I was so bad at this, "I have some things to discuss with you and I was hoping you were able to fit in a meeting."
Evelyn slapped my arm and scolded me for turning the conversation professional.
I sighed, "I want to see you."
"You do?" He asked.
Evelyn nodded slowly as if I was the dumbest person alive.
"Yes...I miss you," I admitted.
"I'll be there in a couple hours."
"You will?" I asked in surprise.
"Of course. I'll see you then."
I looked at the now-void phone as if it had told me the greatest secret. William was willing to drop what he was doing just to come to me? That had to mean something.
"Go shower and make sure you wash everything," Evelyn emphasized.
If I had the ability to blush, I would have been such a deep red I might have looked like I had human blood in me. I would have been stupid to miss her implication.
I disappeared in my bathroom and showered well. I took my time to shower, not really wanting to rejoin Evelyn and Anastasia just yet. I wasn't sure what they had in store for me but I was pretty sure I wouldn't like it. I didn't like dressing up and I wouldn't like their frilly things.
After an hour long shower, I felt relaxed enough to let them do what they wanted.
I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my body.
"Finally!" Evelyn exclaimed causing me to jump.
"How long have you been there?"
"Long enough to know you've been hiding a cute little figure under those boy clothes," she responded as she shoved a glass of wine in my hands.
I would need more than one glass to deal with them.
"Lets get started," Evelyn said as she led me to my vanity and sat me down in the chair.
She had Anastasia dry my hair with a soft curl which was odd for me. I never did anything to my hair; it always just fell pin straight to my waist. It actually looked nice if I chose to put any effort in. Granted, this was a one time thing and I would probably never take this amount of time to fix myself again.
"Okay so you have two dresses. Which one do you want to wear?" Evelyn asked, annoyed by the lack of selection.
"Uhm, I don't know."
"Perfect. The black it is," she ignored my indecision.
I stayed quiet as she approached me with the dress. I started to walk towards the bathroom since they clearly weren't leaving but Evelyn stopped me.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"To change?"
"Drop the towel. You need to get over this extreme modesty."
I was shocked she would be so bold as to say something like that. She sighed and rolled her eyes but gripped the towel and pulled it off, leaving me in my underwear. To say I was mortified would be a grotesque understatement.
She had me step into the dress and pulled it up over my hips. The silk fabric hugged my body just to my waist then spilled to the floor. She slipped my arms into the three-quarter sleeves and buttoned the low back, leaving half of my back exposed. I wasn't even sure why I had the dress but I was suddenly happy I did. She straightened the white gold crescent pendent necklace I always wore and stepped back to admire her handy work.
I couldn't believe how long it took them to prepare me but when I looked in the mirror, I didn't feel plain anymore. I actually felt pretty and a small part of me was excited for William to see me. Maybe dressing up once in awhile wouldn't be such a bad thing.
"You are stunning, Lilith," Anastasia said in awe.
I had never heard my name from anyone except my father and William's family. It was odd to hear Anastasia say it. Even she caught her slip and looked terrified I would react.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I-"
"It's fine. You may call me by name," I assured.
She nodded once in acceptance and looked relieved. I never demanded she call me by such a formal title; she just always did it.
A knock on the door pulled our attention. I knew it was William just by the sudden tugging in my chest. I was nervous and excited at once. I wasn't sure how he would react but I hoped and prayed he at least appreciated this new look.