Jalisa lowered her head. “You don’t have to worry about us not returning. We are loyal subjects. We won’t take any more of your time. Thank you.”
Queen Tunisa raised a finger. “One thing. It’s important that our people are safe on their travels and that means doing everything within your ability to protect yourselves. You must be claimed before you go.”Jalisa’s tight smile faltered, but she didn’t miss a beat. “Of course, we will make sure we do before we go.”
King Obram raised a hand, and an attendant rushed to his side. “No better time than the present. Show them to a vacant room,” he said to the attendant before looking back to us. “When it’s done, come back to us before leaving tonight. Lovely to see you both.”
And with that, he was already looking over our heads at the next guests. Jalisa stood there frozen, and I didn’t need the bond to know she did not like that idea. However, it was clear with how easily we were dismissed that the king and queen were not up for arguing. I gently pulled her to the side, out of the way of the next guests.
“I cannot do this now,” she whispered, eyes wide as she looked around the room, but I didn’t think she was seeing anything, instead lost in her own head.
The narrow-faced attendant stood in front of us. An unnecessarily snooty look on his face. “Follow me.”
I’d wanted to claim Jalisa for years now, but not like this. Not forced. Not when she wasn’t ready. I didn’t want her associating me with the aggressive asshole her parents had tried to push on her or for her to feel like a powerless omega. But it seemed, I wouldn’t be able to escape it.
I fucking hated royals.
Chapter Thirteen
Jalisa
Iknew the king and queen were devious, but it still came as a shock. They were forcing marriages, so why would I be surprised that they would force claimings? Having more claimed alpha and omega couples in the kingdom only strengthened them.
Ivan kept hold of my hand as we followed the attendant out of the ballroom and down a hall of the castle, off to the right. We entered what appeared to be a dark sitting room with a red velvet chaise lounge and a lit stone fire in front of it. Off to the sides were covered windows and other seating.
The attendant bowed and left, closing the door. I heard a click. “Did he lock us in?”
Ivan looked around the room, brows furrowed. “Leaving a lit fireplace unattended seems dangerous, and what do people do in this room? There’s nothing but seats and tiny tables?”
“It’s a sitting room. When one has guests over, they come here to chat and have tea and light bites.”
“Can’t you do that in the living room or kitchen? Nobles are wasteful.”
I let go of his hand and moved to the chaise lounge in front of the fireplace. “That feels like the least important matter right now, don’t you think?”
He followed close behind me, chuckling. “Of course, I was trying to lighten the mood.”
I shot him a death glare. “I don’t think that’s possible.” I flopped down on the chaise lounge very un-lady like and not caring. “Why would they lock us in the room? Do you think they are watching us with some spying spell?”
Ivan nodded. “You’d think they’d have better things to focus on. If they wanted us to be bonded, they could have enforced it at the wedding. Why wait?”
“Because the upper class likes to play games. Everything is a power move for them, and the most satisfying moves happen in increments. That way you can manipulate emotions and minds along the way. Go in for the kill when your opponent is at their lowest point. You use less energy that way.”
Ivan sat down beside me, his face scrunched in disgust. “Do you all get educated in this? Is there a textbook on how to be an asshole to the masses?”
I gave a dry laugh. He was very unconcerned about anyone overhearing him call our court names. He was always unbothered by the elite. It was a trait I loved about him, even if it sometimes got him in trouble. “No schooling. Just life lessons we were always made to hear and witness.”
“So, what do you think was the reason this time?”
“They waited so they’d have a bargaining tool. Every kingdom wants omegas and alphas to unite. It strengthens them with that heightened magic. I wouldn’t be surprised if, ultimately, they were still alright with this marriage because you were an alpha as well. But forcing a claim, that’s distasteful. It would make them no better than us Nodoorians and the citizens wouldn’t like that. Especially with dissenters running around causing chaos. No need to grow more of those followers. This way, technically, it was our choice, and they get no blame.”
“So, they waited for the right moment when we would need them. How do we know they aren’t behind what happened to me so that we would be forced to come to them?”
That thought had not escaped me. However, that felt like too much work on their part. There were easier ways to make our lives uncomfortable enough to go to them for a favor. Getting Ivan removed from the military, raising our housing cost, putting Ivan’s family in debt, shunning my family. We didn’t even have a cure to barter for. Just a hope that the human realm could help him. Also, no king or queen would willfully risk the health of an alpha soldier. That was wasteful. Still, I couldn’t remove the possibility. Just another set of names to add to our growing list.
However, we didn’t have much time to debate the reasons. We were on a clock, and I had to wait later to get comfortable with being claimed. I cared for Ivan, but we had things to work through. This wouldn’t be a temporary matter, even if the marriage ended. Still, despite my own doubts, I’d put him in this mess. He’d gotten hurt because he agreed to marry me. He was only here, in this city, because of me. I brought all of this on the moment I broke up with him without telling him the truth. He could lose everything because he never gave up on me. Even if claiming terrified me, I couldn’t fight this for Ivan’s sake.
I opened my mouth, not certain what to say, but Ivan spoke first. “Don’t do this out of guilt, Jalisa,” he began. Had he read my mind? “You don’t owe me anything. This could have happened if we never broke up and were back in Nodoor. An omega unclaimed would never last for long there. You can say no, and we can just figure something out right here in the realm.”
Those green eyes looked so sincere when he spoke. There was nothing false; he really would give up his health for my comfort. That just made me feel guiltier. He was good. When it came to me, he was always good. I needed to get out of my own way about being claimed. “No, I want you to claim me. If I have to be claimed, you are the best alpha I could be with. The only alpha I would want.”
