Hate or Love

First and Last Dinner

Words were all forgotten when Estelle took in the view, blinking a few times so she could make sure that what she was seeing was real. Why hadn't no one told her how beautiful the royal court of the Elves was?

It was a different kind of beauty from the one she lived in. The palace was fully in white and golden, statues of Gods and Goddesses everywhere. Small fountains, endless surfaces of marvelous gardens and flowers, it was all so peacefully beautiful, and she hadn't even stepped inside yet.

There was magic in the air, Estelle could feel it almost brushing her skin. Some ladies, all wearing light colored floaty gowns, were sat on the freshly green grass, some reading, some others obviously gossiping, and by the way all eyes were on her, it was not hard to tell who was the center of the gossips today.

Julian lead her inside the palace, and all the while she couldn't help but admire everything that surrounded her. It looked like white and golden was the theme for all hallways and rooms. It contrasted the castle she lived in a lot, but she couldn't say it wasn't the most beautiful palace she had ever been.

Not that she was going to admit it out loud. Elves were proud enough as it was, there was no use stroking their ego further more.

"This way, Evelyn and Arthmael are waiting for us..." Julian's voice blended with the background, she wasn't able to hear it anymore, not when her eyes met with a pair of ocean blue eyes.

It felt like something crashed her from inside. Everything and everyone else around her disappeared. There was only him. Her mate. Her mate that for a few, long, overwhelmingly long seconds, she forgot she had to hate.

And never once he looked elsewhere but at her.

If Estelle had thought he was beautiful before, now beautiful didn't cover half of it. The elf was mesmerizing. He shone like the sun, his long light blonde hair tucked on the back of his head, falling loosely on his back, showing off his strong pale face and sharp jawline. His hand behind his back, his clothing white and gold, as well.

Had there ever been a more graceful man than him? Estelle highly doubted it.

"Welcome to my court, Princess."

A shiver ran down her back. His voice was even more attractive than she remembered. Everything about him was attractive.

He made a few steps towards her, the look on his face unreadable. And only when he reached to take her hand in his and kiss the back of it, she realized she had been admiring her enemy for minutes.

Instantly, Estelle made a step back, raising her hand to stop him from coming closer. "That's not necessary, Your Majesty." Her voice was bitter, sarcastic, while she urged herself not to break eye contact with him, so she wouldn't show him that he affected her in any way. Which was way harder than she had imagined, every fiber of the King was cold and intimidating.

Luis, screaming happily and running to Evelyn's opened arms, finally made the surroundings slowly appear again, as if with magic. Estelle hadn't seen her youngest brother this happy in months. But then again, all her brothers had a strange habit of falling for the elf Princess, therefore, she wasn't really surprised anymore.

"Stelle." Arthmael smiled at her, reaching forward to let a small kiss on her cheek. If she would have been the same as the stupid girl she was a few months ago, she would have been flustered. Back then when she, and everyone else, had had no idea he was actually her big brother. "You look pretty," he told her.

"Don't I always?" Estelle answered. For a moment, it was easy to fall into old habits of being the lively, joyful Princess of the family. To forget everything that had happened, things that couldn't be reversed, nor forgotten.

Instinctively, her eyes once again found him. Like she was drawn to him by a force bigger than hers, and he never once tried to hide that he was obviously studying every bit of her.

"You do." It was Evelyn that answered, a sincere smile on her face and her arms around her big, swollen belly.

Estelle couldn't help it, her lips rose up to a small smile. "How are they?" She asked.

Evelyn groaned. "Tireless." She was supposed to sound annoyed, when in fact Estelle could see nothing but happiness radiating from the one she had called her bestest of friends once.

"I'm thrilled to know you accepted my invitation, Your Grace."

Estelle forced her wolf on the back of her head. Only the sound of his voice made her feel so alive, it was almost scary. "Did I have another choice, Your Highness?"

For the first time, she saw something that resembled a satisfied grin on his face. "Oh, believe me, Princess, we always have a choice."

She gritted her teeth together, narrowing her eyes at him. Was he implying that she wanted to come here? When in fact all she wanted was to be miles and miles away from him.

All he woke up inside her was hatred. And memories of that night she so much wanted to forget.

"Estelle, Julian, you must be tired. Do you want me to show you to your chambers?" Evelyn asked them, making it obvious she wanted to ease the tension.

Estelle shook her head, plastering the same smile on her face. "You don't have to, I don't want you to get tired. A servant would be enough."

"Let me show you." Without waiting for her answer, Arthmael slipped his arm on hers, dragging her outside of the room.

But the way to the guest chambers was silent. What was there to say, after how much things had changed? After what had happened on the trial that day?

One day Arthmael had been part of her family, one of the people she loved the most in the world, and in the other their father had ended up dead, everyone had found out he had an affair with their stepmother, and that she actually had been his mate all along. He had ran away, had been blamed for betraying his King, nearly executed, declared innocent at the end, and was now once again Commander of their army, but married to his former Queen, waiting for their children to be born.

Could they talk about any of these things? Where would they even start, anyway?

"Here," Arthmael showed her the rooms where she would be staying. They were decorated to perfection, but it didn't make any sense why, when in fact she would be staying for less than two days only. "Victor... has taken care himself for this to be perfect."

She bit the insides of her cheek. Why would the King personally take care of the chambers, there were maids for that.

"Do I have to go and thank him now?" She chuckled bitterly, walking towards the bags that her maids had already dropped off, just so she could avoid her brother.

Arthmael let out a sigh. "Stelle, he isn't really that bad―"

"Arthmael, can we please not talk as if everything is normal here?" She snapped, letting all her anger out at him. "This is all a facade for the people to see, we all know there's no damn way things can go back as they were before. Once The Council realizes we are at peace, and his coronation ceremony is finished, I'll be leaving and never turning back. So you don't have to worry, nor you have to defend your brother-in-law in front of me."

There was a disappointed look on his face, one that Estelle did not care about. "I see." He nodded once.

"You do. So now please, can you leave my chambers? I want to rest." The last thing she wanted to do was rest, but it was the only way to get him out of there.

"Of course." He reached the door, before turning his head back once again. "Victor wanted me to tell you he expects your company for dinner tonight."

Her heart skipped a beat, but she didn't let it show on her face. "Tell your King I will gladly join him." She let sarcasm show on her voice. "And tell him to enjoy it, because it will be his first and last dinner in my company."