Page 87 of Empire's Curse

“As the oldest—” he began.

Nikator rolled his eyes. “I’d rather be governed by anyone else.”

“Governed? I’m fairly certain His Majesty rules over us,” Atreus said in a serious tone, just as Vita pulled closer to Daiyu and murmured, “See, I told you they think they’re the leaders.”

Daiyu laughed at the quibbles among the group, but her laughter subsided when she noticed that the demon boy was staring at her intently, his face void of expression. There was something unnerving about his gaze; maybe it was the red and black combination, but it seemed like he saw more than he let on. And that thought sent a shiver down her spine.

“Maybe you should go see His Majesty?” Thera said, jerking her chin toward the throne with a wink. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.”

“Oh?” Daiyu clasped her hands together in front of herself to keep from fiddling with her fingers, suddenly not sure what to say or what expression to wear. “I’m not sure he’ll care?—”

“Nonsense!” Her smile was contagious as she leaned closer to her, and Daiyu could smell the powerful scent of roses on her. “He’ll be thrilled to see you.”

Maybe it was the push she needed because she found her gaze straying to the grand throne he sat upon. She licked her lips. “Well, it would be impolite not to greet him, I suppose …”

“Oh, I think so too.” Another nudge and wink.

“Well … I suppose I’ll send my greetings.”

With a few more smiles and nods to the group, she departed from them and began making her way through the crowds. Her heart sped a million beats a minute and her hands trembled with anticipation. She had no idea what she was doing. What would she say to him? Why was she so nervous? It didn’t really matter, she wanted to tell herself, whether she saw him now or later, because at the end of the day, they would marry and that would be that. She wasn’t marrying because she was in love with him, so why was she so giddy to meet him all of a sudden? It wasn’t like they were lovers who were separated by war and only now reunited.

She somehow avoided bumping into soldiers until she was in front of the dais the throne was on. Muyang didn’t seem to notice her until she lowered herself into a bow.

“Your Majesty, congratulations on your return,” shemurmured, staring down at his boots. “I’m happy to see that you’ve returned victorious.”

Everyone else seemed to disappear from the room until it was only both of them. Her surroundings blurred into nothingness and she swallowed down the nervousness clogging her throat. When she finally raised her eyes to meet his, her chest tightened at the smoldering blackness of his gaze. A slow smile curved at the corner of his soft mouth, and all the weeks separated from one another seemed to disappear in that instant.

“My sweet, littlefiend,” he murmured, so softly that it was almost lost in the sea of voices all around them. Her heart skipped a beat and she inhaled sharply—that one word sent a shiver down her spine, tingling her every sense.

“Your Majesty, please don’t call me that,” she whispered, lowering her head to keep from staring at him. She could feel the warmth spreading up her throat to her cheeks.

“Come closer.”

Daiyu hesitated, looking between him and the others surrounding them—everyone else was in their own world, speaking to one another or drinking or eating. No one was paying attention to them.

She stepped up the dais until she was two feet away from him. She laced her hands together and couldn’t help but stare into his eyes that reminded her so much of a starless midnight sky. There was something otherworldly dark about him. So intoxicating that she wanted to inch closer to examine him. Tolearn.

“My littlerabbit.” He spoke the word calmly as he swirled the contents of his cup. He took a sip, closed his eyes, breathed in deeply, and then stared at her again. The shadows of the room played across the sharp planes of his face. “Have you forgotten that you can’t stare into my gaze so boldly?”

She blinked, for a moment forgetting herself before she stared down at her feet. “I—Forgive me, Your Majesty.”

“Did you miss me so much that you wish to imprint my image in your memory?” There was a teasing quality in the deeprumble of his voice that told her he wasn’t trying to reprimand her. “Don’t look away. Let me admire you.”

Daiyu peered down at him, suddenly caught in his gaze. She couldn’t look away even if she wanted to—and she didn’t want to. He stared at her unabashedly, his dark eyes flicking over her face, studying her hair, and then following the curve of her neck and down her body. She fidgeted with the end of her sleeve. It seemed inappropriate for him to stare at her like this. Like he wanted to see every inch of her.

Muyang rose to his feet in one swell movement and he was suddenly inches away from her, a slow curving grin on his wicked face. He held his hand out to her. “Would you like to take a walk with me?”

She stared down at his smooth, pale hand, with calluses along the palms and small cuts running over his fingers. Tension coiled in her lower belly, and she wasn’t sure if it was anxiety or thrilling anticipation that made her so giddy. Or the fact that he was requesting something of her when he could have easily ordered her to walk with him.

Slipping her hand in his, she nodded slowly.

They descended from the dais, his hand secured in hers. The crowds of soldiers, as boisterous and lively as they were, parted for them as they swept through the room. Daiyu could feel everyone’s eyes on her and she didn’t know what to think of all the bowing and nodding and respect aimed toward them—aimed at him, but it felt like they were also showing respect toher.

Muyang took her out of the throne room into one of the balconies attached to a random hall she had never been to before. The cool night air brushed against her skin and the sky was bedecked with a thousand glittering stars. Daiyu breathed in the crisp air and found herself drawn to the scenery below them. The capital sprawled in the distance, the houses and buildings forming shadowy spikes and forms in the night, so unlike their usual busyness. Here, in the quiet of midnight, everything seemed to remain still. Like someone had painted the night city with a heavy, inkybrush and left it immortalized for all to gape and gawk at its beauty and massiveness.

“It’s a beautiful view,” Daiyu murmured, her hands curling over the railing as she leaned forward. The wind greeted her, carrying the familiar city smell of woodsmoke.

“It is.”

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