A Beast's Tale

Chapter 78

She had golden curls, generous curves, a gentle smile, and no appeal for me whatsoever. Far more interesting was the silent drama unfolding between the reunited brothers. Rio looked every bit the prince in a teal jacket adorned with gold and deep blue accents and a pair of spotless white pants, and his eyes had lit up the moment he'd seen Arianna. The smile she'd returned to him was as sunny as his, and the cousins' embrace had lasted a long time. She had been wiping tears away when they parted. He had then introduced her to Belle, and now, as he turned to face Emidio, everything changed. His smile became more like a grimace. He took a step forward and to the side, positioning himself between Belle and his older brother. Emidio came to him with a polished smile and an outstretched hand, but Rio did not accept the handshake. After an awkward moment, Emidio dropped his hand to his side.

"At least the mutt hasn't forgotten everything," Silvio muttered. He was standing with me, arms crossed over his chest, scowling at the unfolding scene. Emidio's features were similar to Arianna's, with softer lines than the more angular Silvio, but he was too polished. His brushed-back azure hair, his brilliant smile, his expressions of joy and relief upon seeing Rio—it was all affected. He's rehearsed this. Silvio knew it, and so did Rio.

"I'm sorry," Emidio said to Rio. "You still don't have all your memories back, do you? Well, I'm sure you'll remember when you come home to Benitoite. Our father is so looking forward to seeing you again, as is your mother. We'd given you up for lost."

"Sorry to disappoint, but Belle found me!" Rio laughed and rested his left hand on his sword hilt. "The king will probably want to reward her for that, won't he? And she deserves it! She's the most amazing, beautiful, kind—"

"That's enough, Rio," she protested, blushing.

"I can't help it! You're so wonderful that two kingdoms love you now. I'll bet you even get an armed escort when you come to Benitoite. All the Rhodolitian princes love her, and—"

Silvio huffed and turned away. "As if that'll stop him from tryin' somethin' stupid."

I followed Silvio out of the drawing room and down the hall. "I wish you'd left your internal conflicts in Benitoite."

"Hey, it ain't my fault the rotten mutt has been hiding out in Rhodolite. I don't even know what he was doin' here three years ago, and unless seein' that jerk triggered somethin', he still doesn't remember, either. You boosted security?"

"I'll ensure he lives until you can get him into Benitoite. After that, he's your problem."

"I ain't worried about him as much as her. I know what that mutt was tryin' to do, talkin' about how important she is and all that, but he just made her a target. Emidio will go for her first. He won't touch the pup until he's out of the palace."

"I've already assigned bodyguards and poison testers to both of them."

Silvio nodded. "I'll put a couple of men on Emidio. Ah, I hate this crap. At least it'll be over soon. That idiot'll probably try somethin' before the gala's over, and then he can rot in jail here until I can get him back to Benitoite for his trial. He never was very bright."

A chuckle preceded a distinctive thunking sound. I glanced over at Gilbert, who emerged from the shadows to fall in step with us. "Royalty really are scum the world over, aren't they?" he commented.

"Where've you been hidin'?" Silvio asked.

Gilbert shrugged. "I had things to do. More importantly, what will you do about the lovely Princess Arianna, hm, Chevalier?"

"About that." Silvio jerked my office door open and stormed inside, his jewelry jangling with every step. Clavis was sitting on a corner of my desk, flipping through paperwork, and Nokto was paging through a textbook. Silvio claimed a seat in front of my desk and crossed his legs as he leaned back in the seat, smirking at me. "Since her parents aren't here, guess that means you're negotiatin' with me."