A renewed chorus of cheers followed, louder than before. Nobles rushed to offer congratulations, their excited chatter echoing across the courtyard.
In the midst of the commotion, Alena exhaled in relief. She caught Theo’s eye and gave him a grateful smile. He nodded back, the ghost of a grin playing on his lips.
But the ease blooming in her chest faltered.
A familiar presence brushed against her senses.
Leukos.
She didn’t need to look to know he was watching her; she felt the heat of his gaze on her skin. When she finally turned, obsidian eyes met hers, tracking the lines of her armour with open intensity. The air between them tightened, her pulse rising to meet it. She swallowed, forcing herself to hold his gaze as the rest of the world blurred to silence around them.
“Alena, welcome back!” Nik’s warm greeting broke through. He stood beside Kaixo, his hands resting gently on the boy’s shoulders, smile bright.
She managed a faint, genuine smile in return.
Nik glanced towards the shattered gates, his expression shifting. “I’m glad to see you both safe,” he said. “But… where’s?—”
“Kaixo needs food and rest,” she cut in too quickly. Nik frowned, but she ignored it, kneeling before Kaixo. “You can catch up with everyone later. Let’s find you a bed.”
Kaixo’s small hand curled around hers, his sun-kissed face shadowed by fear. From the corner of her eye, Alena caught Nik and Leukos exchanging a glance. Apollo padded closer, nudging Kaixo’s legs gently. “He’ll stay with you.”
“And so will I,” Phoebe added from behind, the horses following close. A guard moved to take the reins as she extended a hand to Kaixo. “But we should greet the queen first.”
Leukos took one look at the Amazon and his expression darkened. “You!”
Phoebe lifted her chin with a teasing smirk. “Fancy meeting you again, pretty boy.”
Alena glanced between them. “You two know each other?”
Leukos narrowed his eyes. “She’s the reason I ended up in the hands of slavers.”
Phoebe offered a sheepish smile, while Alena raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. You never mentioned that.”
Phoebe shrugged. “You never asked.”
Before Alena could press further, the queen approached. The gathered nobles instinctively parted for her. Dressed in white, gold, and amber, her ceremonial robes shimmered with regal splendour, echoing Leukos’ own attire. The golden jewellery at her ears and throat caught the light. Her thick, honey-brown hair was coiled into an elegant braid crowned with amber pins.
She was radiant, voluptuous, and breathtakingly feminine.
Alena felt painfully awkward beside the stunning woman, her skin prickling beneath the Cyprian’s revealing armour.
Phoebe bowed her head. “Your Majesty, congratulations on finding your soulmate. What fortunate timing as well,” she said, shooting Alena a pointed look. “Apologies for the gate. We tried to reason with the guards?—”
The queen waved her off with a luminous smile, practically glowing as she clung to the Tirynthian officer’s arm.
“It’s no matter,” she said warmly. “In truth, without your interruption, the Sea God might never have declared us soulmates, and my unfortunate wedding to Leukos might have gone ahead.”
A collective sigh of relief rippled through the court. The officer, eyes soft and unguarded, pulled the queen close and brushed a tender kiss across her hair—the look of a man who had waited a lifetime for this moment. They were so wrapped up in one another, so grateful for the unexpected turn, that Alena almost looked away. But she couldn’t suppress the pang of envy that tightened her chest—two souls bound by something sacred and unbreakable.
The priest stepped forward. “Your Majesty,” he cautioned, “perhaps it is unwise to invite them to stay, given the Sea God’s anger. It could bring misfortune upon us.”
Phoebe slapped his shoulder with a grin, earning shocked gasps from the nobles. “That’s quite all right. The Grey-Eyed Maiden sent the Omega herself.”
The priest’s eyes widened. “Truly?”
Phoebe’s smile sharpened, her patience thinning. “How else do you think we crossed the barrier?”
The queen’s face brightened. “Despoina, show them to the guest rooms and bring food.”
