Page 61 of War of Her Heart

I just hoped with the dress I had chosen that I could blend in with the crowd and not look like an outsider.

But when I walked in, I realized that it didn’t matter what I wore, everyone’s eyes were on Sebastian, too concerned about how they presented themselves to him to notice anything else.

It was mostly ladies, who had come from every realm, with a few men scattered throughout. I had never seen a more diverse group gathered, and it was wild to think that all of this was because of him.

The most feared and powerful Sovereign brought in ladies from all over the kingdom for a chance to be with him.

He was an anomaly.

A Sovereign who had no plans to follow Queen Mother’s rule of marrying from the royal lines, he was a chance for any fae to up their family’s station. And he was beautiful, which helped.

Sebastian sat lazily on his throne, staring at the glass wall across the room. It seemed like his go-to move; he showed no emotion on his face. It was odd to see him like that when he showed a completely different side to me when we were alone. It seemed as if he had an internal switch that he could flip in a second to become what the kingdom thought he was.

But he had become so much more than that.

He was dressed more formally today in a solid black suit that was tailored to fit him perfectly. It would have any female stumbling when they caught sight of him.

Which it did.

Most of the ladies stood back but the few that were brave enough to approach him were given nothing more than a glance before he fixated his gaze back on the spot outside that seemed more interesting to him than the fae fawning over him.

But the part that had my eyes locked on him was something I hadn’t yet seen during my stay here: his crown. The crown of the Sovereign of the Night Realm. The crown that was given to the first Sovereign of the Night Realm after his victory over the others in Queen Mother’s games. A symbol that showed his station and superiority over everyone else in the room.

Even with everything I knew about him, it was easy to forget who he was in our day-to-day conversations.

But with his crown, he looked like nothing but power.

I stayed with Bronwen because even with her wanting to mingle with others, it seemed like a better choice than my other two options: sulking awkwardly in the corner or finding my father and staying with him, which would mean being near Calum and Nathara.

No, thank you.

Bronwen looped her arm in mine as we walked through the crowd. She spoke to a few ladies from other realms, but nothing seemed significant enough for me to pay attention to until she stopped behind a tall, statuesque female with long white hair that was tied back in braids. When my eyes met her gray eyes as she turned around, I knew exactly who she was.

Eira. Calum’s cousin from the Ice Realm.

She was the firstborn of Celine’s older brother, who was the current Sovereign of the Ice Realm, and she was next in line to the throne.

Eira had the same purpose as every other female here today, except she had the upper hand. She was strong as she can wield ice and transfer, and, possibly the worst part, she may have been the most beautiful female I had ever seen.

Eira was poised, elegant, and powerful. She would be a perfect match for Sebastian.

Even though I had no right, and frankly no reason, I didn’t like her being here. I didn’t want him to see her. I didn’t want him to spend the night with her.

“Violet? I didn’t know they would bring you here with them. That’s . . . odd,” she said as she cocked her head to the side. She knew of our relationship, and even though I had never experienced any ill will from her, I never forgot who her aunt was and where they both were raised. There was ice in the hearts of the females of the Ice Realm.

I had read about it before. It dated back to the first Sovereign of the Ice Realm. He was a very charismatic fae who had plenty of fun before, during, and after his victory. He charmed every female he met, except his wife.

Each of the first Sovereigns married from their respective realms to begin their bloodlines, but the Queen Mother handpicked each of these females to ensure the purest start to the bloodlines.

His wife was nothing like the fae he had his affairs with. She had white hair, gray eyes, and porcelain skin, and the Sovereign, well he enjoyed . . . a little more color.

She watched as he showed affection towards others; he had several mistresses. His wife grew cold, even towards her own children. They said because of that, every daughter in their bloodline had a cold and bitter heart.

It sounded like a made-up story, but I experienced it firsthand with Celine. Regardless of her opinion of me, a mother should be warm and loving to their children.

Calum never received that from her. Nothing he did was ever good enough, which meant he was always fighting for her approval. I think that was why he tried so hard to become the perfect Sovereign. He hoped to gain his mother’s love.

“What’s odd is that after decades of rejection, you still show up to Lulenacht in hopes of finally snagging Sebastian,” Bronwen snapped at her. I guess she caught on to her condescending remark.

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