With the majestic hot drink reviving my senses, I went into the bathroom to prepare for the day.
Technically, I was giving Camillia even more time to rest than I’d originally promised, but Melek had put me in a good mood. Which had probably been his goal, the sly little prince.
After a long shower—where I thought about Melek’s fantasy involving red silk and a certain female—I put on an all-black suit. I didn’t really like other colors, but I occasionally indulged Melek’s requests when he had specific outfits in mind.
I warmed the bristles of a comb and ran it through my long hair, the strands instantly drying from my heated magic. Then I pulled it all back at my nape and gave myself a once-over in the mirror.
Why do I care what I look like?I wondered.I’m the fucking king.
This girl meant nothing to me.
Well, that was a bit of a lie. She’d somehow managed to tangle herself up with two of my mates, and she’d seduced my Warden—someone I had begun to trust.
Az had been right yesterday about me not truly being disappointed in Ajax. He’d proved himself to be most admirable. I wasn’t going to dismiss him over a fling with a female, especially when my prince and Commander desired her, too.
Still, I needed to make it appear as though he were being punished for his mistakes. A bridal candidate had escaped on his watch, and several of my Hell Fae knew it. I would be seen as weak, or possibly showing favoritism, if I didn’t address that problem.
Of course, I could do whatever I wanted as king, including allowing him to be with the girl despite his non–Hell Fae status.
But I would have to play the pieces on the board correctly for it to work. Because now was not the time for me to make moves that could be construed as fallible or uncharacteristically soft.
I needed to appear strong and capable and in control. It was the only way to ensure that my constituents would feel safe. I needed them to fear me in order to respect my rule.
Because a cruel king would handle the threat against his realm and end it without flinching, while a tenderhearted king would be inclined to negotiate, which could risk innocent Hell Fae lives. I would always be the former and never the latter.
With that thought in mind, I left my quarters and headed down the hall to the room Melek had given Cami. It was deep within my personal wing and typically reserved for Az, but Az rarely stayed the night. Lately, he much preferred his cottage just outside of the bridal arena, or occasionally, Ajax’s place in the woods.
I briefly considered knocking on the door but decided better of it. This wasmydomain. A king didn’t have a need to knock.
So I teleported into the living area instead.
Melek’s scent assaulted me the moment I materialized, making all the hairs along my arms dance as I half expected to find him lingering somewhere inside the room.
But no.
It wasn’t my little prince; it was hismagic.Everywhere.
Because he’d completely redecorated the formerly modern space.
Oh, the reds and blacks had remained—as was the usual theme throughout my home—and the walls were still burning beautifully.
But everything else was different.
“Is that a pizza oven?” I asked, making my presence known.
Ajax bolted upright from his position on the couch, his face riddled with sleep lines.
Apparently, fifteen hours hadn’t been enough.
Camillia walked in with a towel on her head, her body clad in a silky red robe that reminded me of the ribbon Melek had weaved through his fantasy.
The moment she saw me standing in the living area, her jaw dropped and she instantly started looking around the room as though hunting for someone or something.
I frowned. “Are you searching for a weapon? Because I promise you it won’t save you.”
“N-no, Your Highness. I… I’m not sure… Am I supposed to bow? Or curtsy? Or…?” She ended up executing an awkward move where she bent her knees while leaning forward at the hips and nearly face-planted on the floor. Instead, only her towel touched the ground as it slipped off her head, leaving her damp strands hanging around her like a wet mop.
I blinked at her. Thisis the female that has all my men tied up in knots?
