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Because she was perfect, Lysander thought broodingly.
Too perfect for someone like him, with his kingdom still in disarray and danger and betrayal threatening Lysander at every turn.
He hadn't been lying when he had told her he needed to shift into Ammon's form to take stock of the property and sniff out any potential lapses in security. But she hadn't been wrong either, for Lysander had caught the tail-end of her thoughts while he was climbing into their balcony.
Something definitely was up.
And her wifely intuition, as she called it, had sensed things correctly.
Over two years ago, she had come to him after Domenico and Misty's wedding, shy and nervous but somehow still finding the courage to propose to him. But because she had caught him at the lowest point in his life, pride had prevented him from saying yes, and only the memories of their time together when she was eighteen had kept him from selfishly lashing out. Even as a bitterly furious voice inside him had taunted Lysander about Estrella offering herself as his bride out of self-pity, he had forced himself to ignore this and somehow found the strength to keep his voice gentle as he told her she was too young for what he needed.
But after his visit to the jinn, the twins had delivered his letter to Estrella...
His jaw hardened.
She must've thought he had changed his mind about her, and it was why she had been working so hard all these years to rebuild his kingdom. Their kingdom.
But the problem was...that hadn't been the case. He still thought her too young for all the burdens that came with being his princess, and the fact that she had been doing well didn't change that. How could it when the changes had come at such a great cost?
Because of him, she had been forced to play nice to asshole politicians and turn a deaf ear to her conscience when negotiating treaties with other races. Because of him, she had to publicly defy Domenico Moretti, and while it had not destroyed the relationship between the siblings, it had nevertheless required the Lyccan prince to formally declare its neutral stand towards his sister's affairs.
If Lysander had the power to break their bonds, he would have long done so, the moment he realized how the Fae crown had turned her personal life into shambles. But he could not. The only one who could destroy this bond was Estrella, but he knew, even without asking, that she would rather kill herself than do so. But as to why that was...
Could it be self-pity? Some other motive he didn't yet know? Or perhaps it was because of those words she sometimes cried out helplessly, when she seemed unable to contain herself?
Did Estrella truly love him?
He wanted so fucking badly to believe in that.
And he would've...if not for the prophecy.
A wall that breaks his heart
This one was literal enough, since Misty's maiden name was Wall.
The one that shines to make it beat once more
The second line couldn't be anyone else but his Star.
A beast to overcome
This line foretold the role that Ammon would and have begun to play in his life.
And a betrayal that may ruin all
The last line was also the last puzzle to solve. Who would betray whom?
Chapter Thirteen
Despite invitations only having been sent less than 24 hours prior to the party, everyone was quick to confirm their attendance. It was so very rare, after all, for the great Domenico Moretti to host a ball, and for his elusive but now legendary brother-in-law Lysander Allard to be its guest of honor only made their names on the guest list all the more delicious.
And true to the guests' expectations, the paparazzi - upon catching wind of the exclusive fete for select Lyccans and Faes - had come in droves and words like 'party of the year' were constantly being bandied about. So enthralled were the guests at their newfound celebrity status that none of them seemed to notice the grimness underneath all the glitter, sparkle, and revelry.
Not a single one was acting guilty or suspicious, not a single one was giving himself away as a double-crossing spy...or an idiot who had accidentally said too much.
It was something they all expected, which was why they had a particular Lyccan guest going around, chatting everyone up while she put her skills to use.
Lysander's gaze tracked Matilda Fontabella's movements as she struck up a conversation with another group of guests. The Lyccan princess was said to have a talent for sniffing out liars, and they would know soon enough if this was true.
In the meantime...
He, too, had his own role to play.
As soon as Lysander came out of the balcony and back into the ballroom, the beast inside him immediately bristled. Being surrounded by so many Lyccans still didn't sit well with both man and beast, and he had been constantly fighting against the urge to snatch Estrella out of anyone's reach and lock her in a cage where no other man would be able to look at her.
