The thought made me sick to ponder, so I pushed it away.
“It’s not something we need to consider right now,” I said softly. “You wouldn’t become an emperor for a really long time, anyway. Who knows? Your grandpa is a full-blooded Elf. He’s immortal. Maybe he never dies, and you cork off before he does. Then you’ll never have to take the throne.”
Charlie smirked. “Wouldn’t that be great.”
“In the meantime…” I held a breath. “Maybe you should try mending things with your dad.”
Charlie gave a skeptical sound. “I don’t want anything to do with him.”
“That’s fine, too.” Personally, I couldn’t give a flying fuck if we never saw Cameron again. “We should probably just relax for the rest of the night, and put all this heavy stuff aside. I bet you’ll feel better in the morning.”
Charlie crossed his arms around his middle. “Yeah. Probably.”
Oberi jumped off the bed. He put his nose to the ground and sniffed around the room, observing his surroundings. When Charlie stood up, Oberi walked beside him, to escort him to the bathroom.
“I’m gonna wash my face real fast,” Charlie said. “Can you give me a second?”
I felt a pit of loneliness form within me as I realized he was trying to pull away. “Sure. I’ll be waiting.”
I heard the faucet turn on as I wandered out of the elaborate bedroom. I found Kallie and Marcus in the main room, sitting on the chaise lounges and having a feast. The servants had dropped by several carts that were loaded with food. There was salmon, prime rib, and an abundance of vegetables that the Elves grew underground. It smelled delicious. I popped a steamed asparagus into my mouth, and nearly died with how good it tasted. The Elves’ cooking was a hell of a lot better than the stuff they served at the Institute, that was for sure.
“Is he okay?” Marcus asked as I stood over a cart, trying to decide what I wanted. He’d poured himself and Kallie a few glasses of wine. He tried to hand one to me, but I waved it off.
“No,” I answered honestly. “He’s taking it really hard.”
“A crown’s a lot to handle, even if you always knew you had one,” Kallie said as she relaxed in the warmth of the fireplace, which the servants must’ve gotten going. “I feel for him.”
“You’re certainly right at home,” I told her sourly.
“I’ve spent the last year of my life trying to get back into a palace,” she shot at me. “Now that I’m in one, I’m milking it for all it’s worth.”
“And what about you?” Marcus asked me as he fed Rishi bits of salmon. “How do you feel about the whole situation?”
I shrugged. “I’m ready to bear the fruit of his loins.”
Marcus sputtered, while Kallie smirked. “You sure went fromI’m too cool for datingtoI want his Elf babiesreally fast,” she teased.
“I don’t make any decisions unless they’re spontaneous.” I shrugged and ate a piece of chocolate as I splayed out on the lounge like the future queen I was. If I was preparing to be an Empress, I’d better start practicing.
“You aren’t exactly the mothering type,” Kallie quipped.
“So?! I can push a baby out my hoo-ha, just you wait and see!” I shouted obnoxiously.
Marcus spat out his wine, and it dribbled down his chin and onto the couch. Kallie cackled.
The door opened. We all got really quiet as Oberi led Charlie into the room. Charlie sat down on an armchair. I began making a plate for him. I set it on the coffee table beside him, and he started eating. I physically felt his mood lighten through our bond as he consumed dinner, which made me a little more at ease. Oberi seized a steak off one of the carts and began devouring it all by himself, chomping the meat into bits so he could savor every delicious bite.
“It’snotcooked too well. You’re being picky,” Charlie shot at Oberi. Oberi snuffled and choked up a bite of prime rib, which Rishi scampered over and swallowed. I wrinkled my nose.
“Aren’t we going to decide when we’re leaving this place? We can’t stay here forever,” Marcus said.
“Uh, there’s no decision to make,” Kallie said. “Emperor Cassiel said wecan’tleave, so I guess we just have to listen.”
She didn’t have me fooled. She’d leave if she wanted to, but clearly, that wasn’t an option to her, seeing as how she was back to being treated like a princess again.
“Our families are going to worry about us. We can’t just up and vanish,” Marcus argued.
“Why not?” Kallie asked. “I’m sure we can get a message to our parents somehow, telling them we’re safe. It’ll be fine.”
