CHAPTER 11: THE ROYAL GUEST
1228 Words
ELARA'S POV
When we arrived, I was able to spot the king first, but I quickly looked away, focusing my attention on the other guests and praying he wouldn't notice me.
There were two men and a heavily pregnant woman in the room. The three of them seemed to be having a conversation with the king.
There was something different about him tonight.
He looked more relaxed, like he was comfortable with this group of people.
One of the men said something, causing the others to laugh out loud. I hurriedly placed the food on the table, standing behind Amara as they carried on eating.
I looked at their cups to see if they needed a refill and puffed out a breath when I saw that they were still filled.
“So, have you thought about your mother's proposal?”
One of the men asked.
I continued to pay attention to them, focusing more on the two men bickering amongst themselves while trying my best not to look at the king.
“You know how Kieran is, Darius. He shares everything with his wife.”
The man spoke, addressing the other as Kieran.
“I do not.”
Kieran frowned.
“Not yet, Elijah,” he added.
Elijah stuck his tongue out in a childish manner, causing the others to laugh at him.
As I watched them, I couldn't help but be amazed at how human they looked with their emotions and expressions.
They didn't look like the merciless beasts humans had always described.
They looked almost... normal.
“You are just jealous because you haven't found your mate yet, Elijah.”
“Darius,” Elijah called, but he got no reply.
“Darius.”
I shifted my gaze away from the duo and towards the king, and my breath caught in my throat when I saw his unwavering gaze fixed on me.
I fiddled with my fingers, quickly drawing my gaze away from him and lowering my head.
“Do you two have to argue every single time we are together?” Darius finally asked.
I lifted my head a little, looking in his direction to see that he wasn't looking at me anymore.
I caught myself checking him out, embarrassment flooding through my body.
A nudge came from my side, and I turned to look up to see Amara staring at me with furrowed brows.
Her head moved in the direction of the table where the king was.
I quickly looked away from him, my face turning red for having been caught checking him out.
The pregnant woman, who they called Neve, had her eyes on me.
She was about to say something when the king cut in.
“I need another drink.”
I quickly marched forward with a jug of juice in my hand, walking towards where she sat.
Why did she have to sit so close to the king?
My hands visibly shook, and I felt the stare of the king on me as I moved closer to fill her glass.
When her glass was full, I tried to back away from my spot.
“What is your name?”
Her soft, song-like voice stopped me.
When she asked my name, I realised I had been staring at her without permission.
I hurriedly kept my head down.
My heart was beating fast, praying she would let my mistake go.
I heard soft laughter before she spoke again.
“You can raise your head. I'm not going to hurt you.”
I slowly raised my head.
I looked up to see a smile on her face and warmth in her eyes. She looked genuinely kind.
“I guess it's rude to ask what your name is without introducing myself.”
She smiled.
“I'm Neve, and this is my husband.”
She pointed to the man beside her, who was staring at me.
“The very jovial man over there is Elijah,” she said, pointing at the other man.
Elijah winked at me, causing me to blush.
“And lastly, Darius, who I'm sure you already know.”
I looked up to see his gaze fixed on me.
His back was relaxed against his seat, a cup in his hand as he simply stared.
“Isn't she a beauty?”
Neve spoke, directing the question at the three men while keeping her eyes on Darius.
“How in the hell did you all get the beautiful women, every single one, and I get the ugly old ones?”
Elijah pouted.
“That's because the elders are scared you might get one of them pregnant before finding your mate,” Kieran replied, rolling his eyes.
“Not fair.”
“Suck it up, Elijah,” Neve said before turning back to face me.
“I'm still waiting for your name.”
She teased, and I remembered she had asked me a question.
“My name is Elara, ma'am,” I answered nervously.
“Ma'am?”
She frowned slightly.
“You can call me Neve.”
Once again, I was left shocked.
She was asking me to call her by her name.
She hadn't looked at me with disgust.
She was actually speaking to me as though I was a person.
As though I could be her friend.
“Neve,” I repeated softly.
She smiled.
“Much better. Since we're going to be friends.”
“Damn, she is just so adorable,” Elijah blurted out.
The rest of them rolled their eyes and gave him pointed looks.
“What?”
He shrugged.
“You know how I get in front of beautiful women.”
Elijah earned another eye roll from the others.
“Darius, I promise to do anything you want. Anything.”
My body stiffened.
“If you give me Elara.”
“No.”
The king replied immediately.
His voice was plain and cold.
“Come on. It's not like you would even notice if she was gone. I could have her whimpering underneath me in an hour.”
Fear gripped my heart at the thought of the king giving me away to him.
“I wouldn't say that if I were you.”
“Really, Elijah.”
Neve and her husband both spoke at the same time.
Different expressions crossed their faces.
Neve looked fearful, while Kieran had the look of someone thinking, Why am I not surprised?
The man in question merely shrugged his shoulders with a smirk on his face.
“You both know I'm right.”
He looked directly at me.
“I mean, look at her.”
My body became stiff.
“She has a body to die for. It would be a waste if she withered away in this palace without her body being worshipped.”
Elijah leaned back in his chair.
“I could think of a number of things—”
“And I suggest you think carefully if you expect to see the next day.”
Darius's voice cut through the room.
Low.
Cold.
Threatening.
The atmosphere in the room immediately changed.
My eyes widened, and I found myself looking at him again.
His expression had changed completely.
The relaxed man I had seen moments ago was gone.
In his place was the king everyone feared.
Darius Valen.
And for some reason, his warning had been directed at Elijah because of me.
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