No Greater Love {Completed}

Page 23

"There is a little boy inside the man who is my brother... Oh, how I hated that little boy. And how I loved him too."
- Anna Quindlen

Kylie's POV

"Kylie are you listening?" The queen said angrily.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so tired. I haven't slept very well these passed few nights." It wasn't the truth but it wasn't a lie either. I was tired and I did suffer from lack of sleep, but it was only because I hadn't seen or heard from Jared. I could tell that there was something that she was keeping from me, and I had a feeling it had to do him.

"As I was saying. I'm planning a ball in your honor."

I looked at her quizzically. "A ball? For me? Why?"

She turned around from her vanity and looked at me directly. "Does the queen need a reason?"

"No, it's just that this is such a surprise."

She smiled sweetly. "Well you can thank me later. How do you feel that Shannon Leto? He's quite handsome is he not?"

I hesitated. I didn't want to respond in the wrong way. "He certainly must be handsome if he has the pleasure of your attention, Mother."

"And his brother?"

"What about him?"

"Do you find him handsome? It's alright. You can be honest." Her voice was sweet, but there was something else behind her eyes that I couldn't decipher.

"He is quite handsome I suppose."

"Shall I invite him to the ball?"

"Only if you wish to, Mother." I couldn't look at her directly, so I began to knit."

"It's your ball, and I want you to find a worthy mate to spend the rest of your life with you."

"Are you serious?" I looked at her my heart was pounding in my ears. I couldn't believe what I just heard.

"Of course, my dear little one." She stood up and made her way to me. She placed her hand on my head and kissed it. "I think it's time you had your happy ending." The way she said ending sounded wrong and sent shivers up my spine.

All I could do was nod.

"I know! I'll invite all the human servants and then you can have your choice! How does that sound?"

"That-that sounds perfect," I smiled at her as sweetly and calmly as possible.

"Good girl. You're free to go."

"Thank you, Mother." I stood and curtsied to her before leaving. I needed to find Shannon. Something wasn't right, and with him being her new lap dog maybe he would know.

As I passed the human servants I asked where I might find him. One of them told me to look in the training hall, so I did, and there he was training with a metal baton in hand swinging it at his opponent.

"Commander Leto," I called from the entry way, but he didn't appear to have heard me. "Commander Leto!" I shouted.

He grabbed his opponent's baton and used it as leverage to knock the other man down and pin him under his weight winning the match.

"Yes, Princess," he said standing and bowing to me. It seem halfhearted. He probably only bowed because others were around.

"May I speak to you in private? It's about security arrangements."

"Of course, Princess."

He walked toward me and that's when I realized he was shirtless and drenched in sweat. Heat quickly rose to my cheeks, and I looked away and walked to the hall guiding him to anywhere out of the ear shot of others.

"What?" He said none to kindly the moment I turned to look at him.

I stood shocked at his instant hatred. "Why are you so angry at me? I've done nothing to you."

"Oh, but you have. Thanks to you my brother is locked up somewhere where I can never see him until your death."

"What? But I'm immortal. I'll never die."

"You poor naive soul. The queen knows of you and Jared. She plans to kill you. When I'm not sure, but she's asked me to do."

I backed away from him. "That's... No you're lying."

"I'm not. Why else do you think she's taken me out of the reapings and practically handing me the job of the high commander?"

"So you're going to kill me."

"No I'm not."

I stood staring at him confused. "But-"

"I'm going to spare your life and maybe get you out of here, but don't confuse me saving your life for being out of the kindness of my heart. It's not. I'm doing it for my brother. Not for you. If he didn't love you so god damn much I'd kill you right here on the spot."

"Why spare me then?" I had the biggest urge to slap him, but didn't want to push my luck.

"You're the only woman I've ever seen him care about like this. To kill you would mean to kill him too."

"But you still hate me?"

His hazel eyes bore down on me harshly. "If you want me to like you, prove yourself useful and find out about this ball the queen is hosting in your honor. I highly doubt it'll be what you think."

"So you knew? How long have you known?"

"For a few days now. I figured once you found out you would come straight to me."

I swallowed hard, and looked down at the floor. "How am I suppose to figure out what she's really planning? She won't tell me."

"Figure it out." With that he walked away, and I was left staring after him.