Chosen (Omega Levi x Monarch Reader)

Chapter 17: Levi

For three days, Levi neither saw nor heard from the queen. Katarina and Hugh didn't have dates with her either, as far as he knew. One of the coordinators vaguely mentioned the queen was occupied with matters of government, and they left it at that.

No matter how many times Katarina tried to lift his spirits, he remained in a constant state of despair and anxiety. Every time he saw guards walking down the hall, he felt certain they were coming for him, coming to send him home or drag him to jail. As much as he dreaded either scenario, he almost wished the queen would just get it over with. It was better to set a broken bone quickly than to drown in agonizing anticipation of the pain.

But his feelings on the matter changed abruptly when a servant offered him a gold-trimmed summons to meet the queen that night. He held the thick paper with trembling hands, feeling as if he might vomit. This was it. She'd reject him and send him away.

"Cheer up, Levi," Katarina insisted while gently but firmly pushing him onto the stool in front of his vanity mirror. He didn't see the point in getting dolled-up just to be dumped, but Katarina wouldn't take no for an answer. "You don't know it will be bad. It could be good."

"There's no way it will be good," he grumbled. His eyes remained locked on the table, but he could hear Katarina rummaging through a drawer for whatever brushes, liners, and stains she desired. "I told her I'm a criminal. I've been a thief and a thug since I could walk. She'd never love someone like me, much less want me to be her Royal Consort."

He didn't see a point in hiding the full truth from Katarina. He didn't think she'd tell anyone, but even if she did, it wouldn't matter. The damage was done. The queen already knew.

"Well...yeah. That doesn't sound great, I'll admit," Katarina muttered with a shrug. "But you don't seem like a bad guy. You probably had your reasons, right? I mean, growing up in Ore..."

She trailed off, her words hanging between them. She knew how impoverished the town was, how unforgiving. There was no need to rehash it.

Honestly, Levi was just surprised she was being so open-minded. But Katarina had been surprising him a lot, lately.

She brought a stick of charcoal close to his face. "Here, let me line your eyes. I'll only do a little bit, I promise."

Levi sighed and dropped his chin into his palm. "There's no point. It's going to be bad."

"Oh, come on. It might be good. At any rate, the queen seemed to be in a chipper mood when I saw her this morning."

Levi blinked, and then his gaze darted to her face. "You saw the queen this morning?"

"Just in passing," Katarina clarified quickly. She stopped trying to draw on him with charcoal and turned around, furiously digging through a drawer for heavens knew what. "But she seemed happy. So, you never know. Maybe she'll surprise you tonight."

Levi scratched his fingernail on the table, thinking. Softly, he mused, "But that would be bad for you...wouldn't it?"

The clatter of brushes stopped. "Well...no. I mean, if you two really love each other, then I want you to be happy." Katarina's voice was light – almost too light. "Whatever happens, I'll be okay. I'm rich and pretty, after all."

"Will you?" Levi questioned.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

His brow furrowed. He'd never admitted to seeing Katarina and her father in the garden. Until now, he'd been content to mind his own business, especially since it seemed like something Katarina wouldn't want others knowing about. But now that the Choosing was about to end – one way or another – he had to make sure Katarina would be okay, whatever happened.