The king's shadow

Chapter 16: The King's Shadow

Evelina's heart seemed to race in her chest as she walked away from Kaelen, her mind awhirl. She didn't want to leave him. She didn't want to be away from the only one who seemed to see her, to not treat her as some fragile princess wrapped in silk and expectations. But real life was catching up, and every step that brought her further away from Kaelen made her realize more heavily the burdens that were binding her.

The corridor was quiet as she hurried down the hall, her footsteps echoing in the silence. She tried to steady her breathing, but her mind was too chaotic, too full of Kaelen's red eyes, his stern words, and the strange, magnetic pull that seemed to grow with every encounter. She had been warned. She knew it wasn't wise to get too close to him, that he was dangerous, and yet.

"Princess Evelina."

The voice cut the silence, sharp and commanding. Evelina froze, her heart leaping to her throat. She didn't need to look; the chill in the air, the weight of his presence, was unmistakable.

King Lysander.

Slowly, she turned, smoothing her face into neutrality, into princess-like blandness. The tall figure of Lysander loomed in the hallway, golden armor glinting in the poor light. Dark eyes locked to hers, unreadable. A king, ruler of an entire empire, and she his betrothed-nothing but a pawn to be used in games of power and politics.

Evelina tried to push the sudden wave of guilt down, but it lingered, gnawing at her insides. She knew she had obligations, duties she could never escape, but her heart was no longer certain of where it belonged.

"You're late for dinner," Lysander continued, his tone firm but not unkind. He motioned for her to follow him. "I trust you've been. well?"

Evelina swallowed hard, her hands fisting tightly at her sides. He was always so formal, so composed, but something in his smile, in the way he held himself, was unsettling, as if he waited for her to fall in line. She had never loved him, not the way a wife should love a husband, but she had always respected him. Until recently, when her heart had started to betray her.

"I am all right, Your Majesty," she replied, a hint of an attempt at laced calm. "I was. lost in thought."

Lysander raised an eyebrow, peering sharply. "I see. What were you thinking about?

Her pulse quickened. He was more inquisitive than usual, and she wasn't quite sure why. She could sense the tension in the air, that subtle undercurrent of danger that seemed to follow him wherever he went. "Just. the duties ahead," she said, careful not to say too much.

"Good," Lysander said, stepping closer. His eyes were calculating as they studied her, his lips curling into a smile that never quite reached his eyes. "For your duties are so much more important than whatever distractions you might find in this place."

Evelina's throat constricted, but she refused to break the stare. She had seen Lysander's ambition before, his relentless drive to rule. And she knew he would not stop until he possessed her, body, heart, and soul.

He moved one step closer to her, his voice low enough to be heard only by her. "I trust you have not forgotten, Princess, what was agreed between us. You are mine. And I will brook no. entanglements."

Her heart stuttered in her chest, but she kept her composure. "I haven't forgotten, Your Majesty," she replied softly, though the words felt like ash in her mouth. Her betrothal to Lysander had always been about power, about securing alliances for their kingdoms. It had never been about love. But lately, she had begun to question the cost of her obedience.

Lysander's eyes slitted, and for a moment-a moment only-Evelina could have sworn she saw something darker within his gaze, something possessive, something dangerous. It crawled along her skin. He did not love her; he never had. But he wanted her, as his possession, and for no other reason.

"Good," Lysander said finally, his voice cold, his smile twisting into something more like a sneer. "I wouldn't want to have to remind you again."

She nodded stiffly, trying to ignore the shiver running down her spine. She wasn't afraid of him-not really-but she couldn't deny the power he had over her. He was a king, and she was his bride-to-be, for goodness sake. Few men dared to defy him.

"Coming," Lysander ordered, nodding toward the dining hall. "We have much to discuss, and your presence is required.

Evelina nodded, the wheels in her mind already spinning with thoughts of Kaelen, his warning, and a bond growing between them that she could no longer deny. She wanted to fight for the right to choose, but she knew what would happen. Her life was gilded bars, and Lysander had the keys.

They walked in silence to the grand dining hall, his presence suffocating her. It was as if, with every step, the distance between them grew wider-between her and the life she had always known, between her and this dangerous, enigmatic demon who somehow had started carving a place in her heart.

The murmurs of the courtiers and nobles, the laughter and chatter of a kingdom that was yet blissfully unaware of the storm brewing beneath its surface; all these assailed her ears as they entered the hall. Evelina sat at the head of the table next to Lysander, who had already begun to speak to the other guests in a firm, authoritative voice.

Yet, the only one that came to her mind was Kaelen. She couldn't seem to get him out of her mind and keep off the feeling that he was part of something she couldn't understand. Every moment in his company, the carefully built walls around herself crumbled down, and the more she saw of him, the more she realized she didn't want to be confined by the life Lysander had mapped out for her.

Just as she was about to take a bite of the food in front of her, the heavy door to the hall suddenly opened, and with a sudden chill, it swept through the room. Evelina looked up to where Kaelen stepped into the space, his red eyes glowing bright with intensity, his presence like a storm that suddenly swept into the calm.

Lysander's gaze flickered briefly to Kaelen, but it was the slightest of moments, barely noticeable, before he turned his attention back to Evelina, his lips curling into that cold, calculating smile.

"You have a visitor, Princess," Lysander said, his tone now laced with something she couldn't quite place. "It would appear Kaelen has come to join us for dinner.

The room fell silent as all eyes turned toward the demon, and Evelina's pulse quickened. It was there: the tension between her betrothed and the demon-an electric charge that coursed through the room. She could see it: the growing unease of Lysander, Kaelen unreadable, the way her heart seemed to race in time with the beat of her desire for something more.

And when the demon drew closer, she knew the game had changed. No longer duty and obligation but something so much more hazardous.