Connor was in his chair. Connor was taking his position, his power. He was claiming that title of “monarch” everyone had been going on about. A title Austin knew Connor didn’t give one damn about.
Coldness radiated from Connor, billowing off his skin like smoke, as if he were filling the room with the immense pressure of the deep seas with his mere presence. The weight of it pressed oppressively down on Austin’s shoulders. His head grew heavy, wanting to bow. Everyone’s head was down. Even Kas, even as he clutched desperately at Hal’s arm, had submitted.
Everyone except Tristan. A spike of pride shot through Austin.
The confusion and fear slid away, leaving only anger.
Connor wasn’t the only one born from a monarch.
“Fuck off,” Austin hissed under his breath, and the urge to submit vanished, that weight unable to touch him.
Austin climbed out of the pool and was finally spotted by those in the court. He strode naked across the hall. Connor broke eye contact with Tristan and met Austin’s furious gaze. “Don’t give me that look. I only came to find you, andhepicked a fight.” He gestured in Hal’s direction. “Took one look at me and said, ‘kneel.’ As if—”
Austin dumped the octopus onto Connor’s lap.
Connor’s mouth snapped shut, all the colour vanishing from his face. Austin saw the flare of genuine panic in Connor’s eyes as he took in the octopus, who promptly began running her tentacles all over his body, making him shake. Austin might never have managed to be truly close to Connor, but they’d dated for years. He knew him well enough to know his fears. The ones that made him sharp and angry, and the ones that made him freeze in terror.
“If you ever set foot in this city again, I will order every octopus and squid in the ocean to find and bite you. You will never relax on the water reading your books again. There will alwaysbe tentacles hunting you from below,” Austin seethed. “I will take the peace the ocean gives youaway.”
Connor stared white-faced up at Austin.
“Do you understand?”
Connor gave a stiff nod. A tentacle was feeling around his ear, and he was shaking. Behind them, a furious, spitting noise came from Adonis.
“Leave, right now.” Austin held out his hands, and the octopus clambered back into his arms. Connor got shakily to his feet, heading straight for the pool Austin had climbed out of.
“Come on, Adonis,” Connor said thickly. Without looking at Austin, he stepped into the water, disappearing from the throne room with Adonis behind him.
People gasped as the pressure of the deep ocean vanished. Kas helped Hal sit up, carefully examining his throat. Tristan’s shoulders heaved as he stared into the pool Connor had disappeared into. If it had been big enough for him, Austin suspected he would have followed—now that Hal wasn’t being held by the throat. Austin placed the octopus down and retrieved Hal’s crown. He cleaned it up as best he could, doing his best to hide some of the crushed blossoms.
“The gardener’s daughter will have to make you a new one.” Austin placed it carefully atop Hal’s head.
Hal stared at him in pale-faced surprise. Austin’s anger began to swell again. Connor had really just come in here and caused a mess, hadn’t he? Made Hal lose face in front of his delegations, in front of Desor, and knocked him onto the ground. Stupidly, for nothing.
“Would you wear this, Austin?” Hal shrugged off his finely embroidered jacket. “Before Tristan tears someone’s eyes out.”
Austin looked over his shoulder. Tristan was at his back, examining each and every person in the room with pointed intensity. Nobody dared lift their head.
“Did you just…win? Against the monarch?” Kas asked. He was staring at the throne, where the octopus was making elaborate curling shapes with her tentacles. She knew she was sitting on a throne. Perhaps all female octopuses thought themselves rulers.
Austin slipped on the jacket, folding up the embroidered sleeves. “We used to date. I know him very well.”
Kas helped Hal get shakily to his feet. Tristan watched his brother closely before stepping up to Austin’s side and placing his hand against his lower back.
“Will you make sure she gets back into the tunnels okay?” Austin asked Hal, indicating the octopus. “And thank her for me. She guided me through them.”
Hal nodded.
Austin turned to Tristan. “Is your work done here? My arm is very tired from bringing Eli with me.”
Tristan nodded.
They left the hall, and everyone kept their eyes pointedly averted. Even the king and queen didn’t dare lift their gazes. Austin noted that they stood very close together, their guards mixed together to protect both monarchs. Desor, though staring between his feet, had a thoughtful look on his face. His mouth moved, quiet words muttered to himself. A carriage was already waiting at the steps of the palace, and Tristan offered his hand to Austin, guiding him in ahead.
It was only as they sat that Austin’s adrenaline began to fall.
“I bet he came looking for me over that issue with Laurence and Kit. Probably to give out to me for kidnapping them.” Austin’s hands curled in Hal’s borrowed jacket. “I’m sorry that happened to Hal. And of course it had to happen in front of your father!”
