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“No, of course not,” he promised. “But you’re worried about nothing. After you deliver your speech at the gala, you’ll have everyone eating out of the palm of your hand. Once we have their approval, this will just be the icing on the cake. You’ll see.”
I wished I shared in his confidence, but I couldn’t bring myself to feel the same amount of excitement that he seemed to anticipate. Perhaps it was all too much, too fast for me, or maybe it was the mental image of Stralia’s dirty look when I had interrupted the chess game all those days earlier. Whatever the reason, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Cade was planning for a future that we didn’t quite have yet.
And I still wasn’t sure that he was being honest about his feelings about Stralia entirely, either.
I’ll tell Maywin to keep her ear to the servants,I vowed.If she hears anything about Cade and Stralia, I’ll confront him right away. In the meantime, I intend to savor this budding… romance?
I blushed at the simplicity of it, but maybe that’s precisely what it was, and I was only creating my own problems to avoid the butterflies attacking my gut.
“Come along, My Queen,” Cade said, shattering my reverie. “It’s time for dinner, and I’m starving. Shall we?”
“Yes… My King,” I replied, and Cade chortled, pulling me closer.
“Now you’re getting into it, Zephy. You’re a quick study, aren’t you?”
Chapter11
Cade
“Aren’t you getting cozy with your little wifey?”
I whirled around, a scowl piercing my jaw, when Stralia again appeared in my suite. How the hell did she keep getting in there so stealthily? I reminded myself that she’d been doing this for years and, therefore, had tricks that I hadn’t considered before now.
Sighing heavily, I glowered at her, folding my arms over my chest as she approached. I tried to ignore her, maintaining the displeased expression on my face.
“How many times do I have to tell you that you can’t just show up here anymore?” I barked, my patience with her fully expiring now. “This isn’t a game, Stralia.”
“What’s the matter, Cade? Are you afraid that your little wifey might learn that you really love me?”
She sashayed toward me, her hands extended, and I realized she wore nothing but a sheer nightgown, revealing nubile curves beneath the sheathing. Once upon a time, they would have dissipated all of my anger, but now, they only irked me more, and I looked away, my cheeks reddening in dismay.
“Stralia—”
“And the way you spoke to me in front of her!” she went on, placing her open palms on my face. “I almost believed you myself.”
I pushed her away, anger rushing through me. “Have you completely lost your mind?” I snapped. “Get out, and don’t come back here! The next time you pull something like this, I’ll have you removed from the palace. I might even have you banished.”
I didn’t like speaking to her this way. We had been so close at one time, and it was possible that I even loved her. But she knew the gravity of the situation, and still, she continued to go against my wishes. Looking at her now, I had no romantic feelings toward her at all. I didn’t want anything to continue between us.
Stralia gawked at me, her face twisting as she recognized the truth in my words. “You wouldn’t have me banished!”
“I told you that I don’t know what is happening since Zephy arrived. You’ll ruin everything if you continue with this nonsense!”
“My love for you isn’t nonsense!” she shot back, her eyes glistening. “Don’t you love me anymore?”
“Stralia, I don’t want to hurt you,” I said, not fully knowing what to say.
“So don’t hurt me, Cade,” she begged. “Promise me that I am the only one you will ever love.”
“I can’t do that, Stralia,” I told her. “I care about you. I really do. But we can’t continue with any sort of romantic relationship now or in the future.”
Stralia’s eyes narrowed. “Do you really mean that?”
The question weighed on my gut like a rock, but before I could respond, there was a knock on the door, and I inhaled sharply, knowing it was Zephyrine calling on me for our training date.
“Dammit!” I swore, knowing that Stralia’s presence was not apt to be well received by my future wife. “Stralia…”
She smirked lightly and shrugged, unbothered by my discomfort. For half a second, I contemplated pretending that I wasn’t there, but I refused to reduce myself to that level. I scowled at the blonde and stalked toward the door, casting Stralia a warning look.
