Page 37 of Lost Heir
Mykal’s expression darkened, and he took a step toward me. “I wouldn’t be so quick to reject me, Princess. You never know what the future holds.”
“Iam the master of my future and you’re not in it!” I whispered back. “Don’t think for a second that I’ve forgotten your part in all of this.”
Mykal’s face softened. “Apologies, Princess,” he murmured. “I should not have taken advantage of you in that manner. Unfortunately, unlike you, some of us are not the masters of our future.”
I frowned at his admission, wondering what he could possibly mean. According to everyone, he enjoyed a very good relationship with the King of Keldara. He was practically an adopted son since the king had no heirs. But his words hinted that he lacked freedom. I wanted to pry, but that would mean I was interested in his fate, which I certainly wasn’t.
I rolled my eyes and tried to step around him when Mykal quickly took ahold of my wrist. “Lyanna,” he whispered, “I’m not your enemy. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t want to hurt you, much less see you get hurt. I know you must feel safe at home, but trust me, you’re not safe anywhere. If you’re ever in need of aid, know you can count on me.”
I furrowed my brows and peered up at him. His expression mirrored his deadly serious tone. “Why? Why would you help me?”
He sighed and released my wrist. “Sadly, you’re a victim in all these political games and I don’t think you deserve it. You’re too good to be involved in this mess.”
“How do you know I’m good? I could be a horrible person.” I lifted my chin defiantly.
Mykal smirked. “I have eyes and ears everywhere, Princess. I would know.”
Tired of this circular conversation, I pushed past him and stomped away. He was the last person I wanted to speak to right now. The farther I was from Mykal, the better.
12
Isearched the crowd for Ronan but couldn’t find him anywhere. In the meantime, I was stopped by almost everyone in attendance. I politely excused myself from one fawning group before I turned around and saw Adler, the third prince of Eldwain standing next in line.
“Princess Lyanna.” He took my hand in his and gave it a light kiss as he bowed. “It’s been a long time.” He lifted his head with a smirk and a wink. “You’ve grown into quite a woman.”
I quickly snatched my hand back, feeling oily and unclean under his touch. “Adler. It’s been a long time.” I stared up at the silver haired half-fae with barely disguised unease. His hazel eyes, so much like Caelan’s, glinted back at me with the knowledge of how I felt about him.
“It really has. I thought you were all but dead. Had I known you were still alive, I would have made an effort to find you myself. Maybe then it would bemeasking for your hand in marriage instead of my little brother.”
I rolled my eyes. “As if you would have bothered. Youwere never interested in me before, why would you be now?”
He shrugged. “You never know, Lyanna. Things could have been completely different—”
“But they’re not,” I interrupted. “You’re just mad because Caelan’s attempt at a marriage alliance could earn him Eldwain’s throne,” I declared confidently. “I might have been gone ten years, but I haven’t been living under a rock,” I retorted.
Adler snorted. “Well, then you must know King Malik would never agree to a marriage between you two.”
I shrugged. “You never know, Adler. You heard my mother. She’s very keen on this marriage.”
I wasn’t normally this petty, but Adler had irked me since we were children. He had a tendency to pick on Caelan since he was the youngest of the five princes, and since Caelan and I were such good friends, that meant he picked on me as well. He had a cruel streak that must have bled into Caelan’s personality over the years. Once when we were young, he flung Caelan into the lake before he knew how to swim and watched him indifferently as he gasped and almost drowned. If Marcellus and I hadn’t been around to fish him out, Caelan would have surely died that day.
Adler rolled his eyes. “You might have fooled me ten years ago with that lie, Lyanna, but not now. The two of you have been apart for a very long time, and it shows.”
I wanted to argue, but I’d made my feelings known all night. There was no use refuting them now. “I’m not interested in joining your family’s political strife—”
“Good,” Adler interrupted. He grinned wickedly. “Then stay out of it, because I will never allow an alliance with Valoria … At least not through my brother.”
I stepped toward him and lifted my chin to look up intohis smug face. “That’s not up to either of us, so move out of my way, asshole,” I growled. Pushing my shoulder into him, I almost knocked him over as I stormed around him.
I was tired of so many …mengetting in my way, thinking they knew better than I did what I wanted in life. There was only one man I wanted to see, and he was nowhere in sight.
Lifting the skirt of my dress, I bustled out of the Grand Hall and angled toward the gardens, hoping I would catch him outside. The air was cold and winter’s early chill was making itself known in the north. My skin prickled with goosebumps as I searched the area for Ronan. Relief swam through me when I found him in the garden maze with Silas.
“Ronan!” I yelled and hurried toward them. Silas and Ronan turned around, and to my surprise, young Henry was with them.
His eyes were as bright as the stars in the sky when they caught sight of me. “Miss Leila!” Henry shrieked as he pushed past the Crimson Clan warriors and ran toward me. Meeting each other halfway, Henry wrapped his arms around my mid-section without a care in the world. “Miss Leila, I’ve been so worried!”
I squeezed him tightly. “By the goddess, Henry! Where have you been?”
