Till Death Do Us Part

SIX

The atmosphere outside the castle was frenzied as people gathered, eagerly awaiting Celeste's arrival. Reporters from various news outlets were lined up, each armed with a pen and a notebook, ready to capture the words of the king's lover. Joan Bennett, who worked for Lycan Today, turned to her colleagues and said, "Here she comes," as Celeste's car came into view.

Celeste's hands trembled nervously as she caught a glimpse of the cameras and the throngs of people through the tinted windows of her car. She could see the paparazzi eagerly awaiting her every word, their pens, and microphones at the ready to capture the latest scoop on the king's lover.

"We're here, m'lady," the driver said, getting out of the car and waiting for her to join him.

"Can I have a few minutes, please?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

He nodded understandingly and stepped aside, waiting patiently for her to be ready.

"Okay, Celeste," she muttered to herself. "You are strong, intelligent, beautiful, and you can do this."

Despite her confident words, Celeste could feel her social anxiety starting to rear its ugly head. A problem that had plagued her since she was young. Her time in Zedraya had been the first time she was truly out on her own, and she had relied on a select few people she worked with daily to bring her plans to life.

Her thoughts turned to him, and she felt her fists clenching involuntarily on her lap. She took a deep breath to steady herself, then knocked on the window to signal that she was ready.

The door opened, and the driver offered her a hand to help her out of the car. She took it, feeling a rush of nerves as she stepped out onto the pavement. Cameras flashed in her face, blinding her momentarily. Despite her attempts to ignore them, she was bombarded by a barrage of questions from the paparazzi, each one more intrusive and hurtful than the last. Celeste did her best to ignore them, but she could feel her anxiety mounting with every passing moment.

Celeste let out a nervous smile. She had been hounded by the paparazzi her entire life because of her family, but she would never get used to it. She felt so out of place as the questions got worse and more hurtful. She was ready to just get back in the car when she found herself engulfed with hugs.

Meira, Mazikeen, and the others had come to greet her, their smiling faces a welcome relief from the harsh glare of the paparazzi. Celeste let out a sigh of relief, feeling her tension slowly dissipate as she hugged her ladies-in-waiting tightly.

"Oh, Cel! We missed you so much!" Meira said happily.

"I've missed you guys so much!" Celeste exclaimed, hugging her ladies-in-waiting.

"Of course you have, we're the best thing in your life," Mazikeen said, pulling the three of them into a hug.

She was about to speak when her fiery red-headed assistant Melody rushed over. Her messy hair and hurried demeanor indicate that they have little time to waste. "I have five minutes and a lot to cover," Melody said, messily opening one of the files she had.

"Already?" Celeste said, turning to face the pathway. "I just got here."

Celeste straightens up, the weight of her responsibilities settling heavily on her shoulders. They have important work to do, and Amelia's betrayal cannot be ignored.

"We have a few possible cases, but this one you'll wanna take a look at," Melody said, holding up the folder so Celeste could read it.

"You've got to be kidding me," Celeste said angrily after reading the first few sentences. "I thought I told her I didn't want to see her name on my list ever again, and if I ever did, she's done. I did tell her that, right?"