The Sun's Shadow

Chapter Twenty

Roman continued to bring her flowers and ask for her presence, whether it be a picnic or a late-night stroll through the gardens. The Queen taunted that it was his way of courting her. Everyone told her that she should be grateful.

Given her afflictions.

Only one person wasn't so congratulatory. Ele hadn't seen Kaanan since the banquet where she had to witness his cousin lean into him adoringly as he announced their engagement.

After days of her falsely accepting Roman's gifts and affections, she had to dig deep to the root of what held her back from falling for him. Sunken in her gut like a meal gone sour rested the all-knowing truth.

The Prince still lingered in her heart and soul. His touch. His smile. His damn tousled hair that looked good no matter what. She needed to squash these feelings for him- But how?

Acting on a whim, she adorned her shawl and ventured into the halls. He always lingered around the castle, she knew because she'd constantly have to avoid him wherever he wandered that day. Sometimes the kitchen, sometimes the gardens... From time to time, she even caught him watching Roman and her on their outings.

Was he just keeping an eye on his pet?

Her lip curled and her head continued fueling her fury. From now on, she would decide her own fate around here. If Roman really wanted her as a mate, then she should be free to choose that.

While on her hunt for the Prince, she recalled what would have fallen on this day if not for him taking Sloane as his mate. The public mating that the King ordered. Thank the gods it had been called off.

Eventually, whether it be from her relentless search or the smell of her faenix blood calling to him, she happened upon the Prince roaming the halls.

They stopped dead at the sight of one another. Kaanan tried to resist pulling in a lungful of her scent and failed. Ele caught the way his nostrils flared, but her gullible mind thought it symbolized his displeasure at seeing her.

"Ele."

'Prince Kaanan.'

The stare-off continued.

"What brings you this far from your room? I haven't seen Roman..." When he trailed off, it was because he had to bite his tongue from saying anything he'd regret. She had a suitor. He had an upcoming wedding. Why ruin that?

She devised a plan on the spot, 'I just came to thank you for all you've done for me.'

"And what's that, hm? Nearly killing you on multiple occasions? No need to thank me for that," He muttered dryly. "I do that for all the girls."

A playful tone appeared in his voice now and she relaxed her tensed shoulders. Back to being friends so fast? But she needed to know more.

'Today would have been the day. I think...' Ele feigned bravery and confronted him about what's been on her mind. 'I think you took your family's offer of marrying Sloane to save me.'

If a vampire's skin could pale, now would be that moment. He felt his blood draining and he craved to disappear in the tense air that separated them. It didn't surprise him that his clever faenix came to this conclusion.

"What makes you think I don't love Sloane? You know, we're distant cousins anyway. It's not..." He paused and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's not so weird."

Ele understood the custom of royal families marrying their distant cousins in order to keep the bloodline pure. What she could not understand was how Kaanan got through life being such an awful liar.

'Right.' She agreed, nodding while she sarcastically signed. 'You love Sloane as much as I love Roman.'

Without a voice to represent her sarcasm, he grit his teeth and a low growl emerged from his throat. "You love him?"