Alarik stepped to her other side, offering his as well.
Reiya didn’t hesitate, her fingers brushing the crook of each arm. There was something surreal in the gesture—so simple, yet so symbolic. Once, she might’ve flinched from it. Now, she stepped forward with quiet resolve.
The soft rustle of fabrics blended with the rhythm of their steps as they made their way to the dining hall.
Chapter Forty-Four
REIYANA
The warm glow of hammered brass lanterns bathed the dining hall in flickering gold. Jewel-toned silks draped the space, and the air was thick with the mingling aromas of exotic dishes: slow-roasted pigeons stuffed with nuts and dates; saffron rice with orange zest; shaved fennel, mint, and blood orange salad.
Fountains gurgled from the adjoining garden, the sounds weaving through the easy conversation, a backdrop to the camaraderie around the table.
Reiya sat between Lady Neda and Thalina, the latter unable to stop fidgeting, practically thrumming with excitement.
“Thalina is not often allowed to stay up this late,” Lady Neda chuckled. “Let alone dine with the adults.”
Reiya smiled at the girl. “This is a special occasion, after all.”
Across from her, Kaelen and Alarik occupied seats closer to the king, who presided over the gathering with a presence that, to her surprise, felt less imposing than before. Despite the sharp scrutiny of their first meeting, King Azarion carried a warmth that softened the formality of the evening. His laughter was rich, filling the space with an ease that bridged the distance between them.
“I had an entire guard unit searching for Kaelen once,” the kingshared, shaking his head as he reached for his goblet. “He was supposed to be in a council session yet was nowhere to be found.”
Reiya arched a brow. “And where were you instead?”
Kaelen smirked, looking entirely unrepentant. “With the horses.”
Lady Neda let out a soft sigh. “Of course you were.”
Alarik huffed a quiet laugh. “Not just at the palace stables, but at the far end of the city, testing a new breed of desert horses. We had ministers debating tax policy while he was galloping through the dunes.”
The king exhaled, though amusement lined his voice. “It’s a miracle you know anything about governance at all.”
“I simply prefer learning outside of a room full of stiff-backed ministers.”
His father arched a brow. “So that’s why I always had to smooth things over with the council afterward.”
She turned to Alarik. “And you never tried slipping away?”
He shook his head, his expression amused. “No need. He usually caused enough of a distraction for both of us.”
Kaelen shot him a grin. “That’s what brothers are for.”
Since it was a family dinner rather than a formal affair, Lady Neda sat at the king’s right hand. She matched his surprising warmth with a quiet grace that never made her seem withdrawn.
Reiya observed them together. It wasn’t unusual for a widowed Alpha to remain unwed after losing an Omega bride, especially if they’d been bonded. Tradition might call it a noble choice—an act of eternal loyalty—but she suspected the court had pressed the king to remarry soon after the mourning period ended.
Still, for a royal Omega, the situation would’ve been vastly different. An Omega widow didn’t have the luxury of solitude; her rarity ensured society’s demands, her personal wishes secondary to duty.
Reiya studied the consort, searching for any trace of discontent at not being crowned queen. As the king’s lady, trusted partner, and his daughter’s mother, one might expect a flicker of resentment, but she sensed none. Lady Neda’s quiet contentment stood in stark contrast to the bitterness that had destroyed Alarik’s mother.
Perhaps it was her modest upbringing that allowed her the quiet contentment as a consort—but Reiya admired it all the same.
Instead of jealousy, she saw something far more compelling: the quiet intimacy binding them. It might not be the same as the bond between Alpha and Omega, but it was precious, nonetheless.
It existed in the unguarded moments between conversations, when the king served Lady Neda from the platters of food and urged her to eat more, taking care to offer her only the choicest cuts. It was in her soft laughter as her hand briefly found his, an unconscious but telling gesture that spoke volumes.
This was more than duty or the subservience of a Beta consort to an Alpha king.
