FIRE NATION

CHAPTER 1

Lalisa frowned, struggling not to yawn as she surveyed the line of men and women kneeling at the foot of her throne. The duty weighing upon her had already put her in an unpleasant mood, but the disappointing selection only made it worse. Weak was far too kind a word for most of them, and not one seemed worthy of the honor she was prepared to bestow. Honestly, this was all father could find? This is the best the Fire Nation has to offer? If I didn't know better, I'd almost think he didn't want me to pick from this pitiful group.

She peeled her lips back in disgust, huffing through her nose. From the top of the steps, Fire Lord Larce watched her every move, waiting for her to make her choice. The heaviness of his gaze made her bristle, but she tried not to show it. She and her father were caught in an uneasy balancing act, and any sign of weakness could tip the scales of power in his favor.

This is all Bambam's fault. What was he thinking, running away with Minnie? Only he would be stupid enough to pick an infertile beta as his mate and get himself banished.

It had been an incredibly foolish decision on both their parts, although one she had relished at the time. Minnie had been her best friend, but having her elder brother out of the way was worth the loss. She had always planned on securing the throne for herself anyway. Alpha though he was, Bambam had never been worthy of the power that came with it. His cowardice had left the way clear for her, and she hadn't even needed to challenge him to agni kai first.

Only after Bambam's abrupt departure had she realized power wasn't the only thing that came with being next in line to the throne. All the expectations that had once rested on Bambam's shoulders were now hers to bear. That was why, on what should have been the festive occasion of her twentieth birthday, she was stuck sifting through the inbred stock her father had scrounged together for her. At least she had the circus to look forward to later. The performers were usually good for a laugh—and if they weren't, she always found creative ways to liven up their shows.

With one last glare of annoyance, Lalisa turned away from the omegas and faced her father once again. He didn't speak, but she could tell by his stony expression that he expected her to make a decision. And a decision she would make, but on her own schedule, not his. "An... interesting selection, father," she said, deliberately measuring the space of her pause so he would catch her meaning, but have no excuse to reprimand her for it. "However, I need more time to weigh my options."

"More time, Lalisa?"

Lalisa could tell Larce was angry, but she didn't care. She was more than his pawn, more than a way for her father to assure himself that some part of him had cheated death. "Yes." The single word carried all the weight she could put into it. "Choosing a proper omega to carry on our family's proud legacy will take careful thought. The choice is an important one."

Larce looked as though he wanted to disagree, but to her immense satisfaction, he didn't insist. Appearances were important to him. The Royal Family was supposed to be above petty squabbles, especially when it came to personal matters like producing an heir. Divinely appointed rulers of the world had no need to reprimand their daughters, after all. He nodded his head once, and Lalisa smiled. It was as close to a victory as she would get.

"You have until after the feast. The entertainment should be arriving any moment." He aimed a stare at the guards, and two of them hurried to open the massive double doors leading into the grand hall.

Completely ignoring the omegas she had just rejected, Lalisa took the stairs at a leisurely pace, returning to her throne. She didn't even bother waiting for them to be led away. They would be kept somewhere nearby, but she already knew she wouldn't be asking a single one of them to return. She was under a lot of pressure, but she was far from desperate. There would be plenty of omegas at the feast for her to choose from.