The Shadow Kingdom

Chapter 24i

I am so damn tired of being jealous and insecure with the man who obviously loves me. Throughout the song, Adrian's dark eyes never leave mine, but every few seconds, I catch a glimpse of another girl, and it makes me smile. I know what they're thinking – "Who does this Ashcroft bastard think she is?" Let these preening bitches envy me for a change. Tonight, I am the only real princess here, and he is the prince. No. He is my prince.

The song ends with Adrian holding my leg against his side, and his face is less than an inch away from mine. I thought he was about to kiss me when he whispered, "My apologies, Ashcroft Highness. I have a few other charges to attend to tonight." I release the breath I that I didn't know I was holding. Reluctantly, I let him go, but I hold my head high as I stride out of the circle like a runway model.

Not surprisingly, Arianna is the next one in line. The way she comes to life around Adrian makes me feel as though maybe the two of them weren't just an affair or at least not for her. I take her place in the circle, and the two girls next to me whisper something in Mandarin, followed by a quiet giggle. I have no idea what they said, but I probably don't want to know.

Diana however, happens to be standing behind us. "Hey, bitches. You're not just insulting her; you're insulting my brother. You might want to take a look around to see who might overhear before you talk shit about your crown prince." The two girls promptly shut up when they notice the P90 she's carrying. She leaves the ballroom for the patio, and I follow her, happy to get away from all the women who are pining after my man.

There is an equally large crowd in the backyard, but Diana finds a table out of the way. She drops the submachine gun on the table and kicks off her Ralph Lauren shoes. I sit down with her and quickly follow suit. Oh, sweet relief. The feeling of the marble tiles is exquisite. "What did those girls say about me?"

"They said that when Adrian moved to America, he must have wanted to try some vanilla ice cream." Diana takes a bottle of pills out of her handbag and swallows one. "Those bitches were asking to lose their tongues." She also takes out two pairs of flat sandals. "Here, put these on."

"Oh, you're a lifesaver," I say as I slip on the shoes. "What are those pills?"

"Hydrocodone, painkillers. I've been addicted to them since I was ten. It's an occupational hazard." She closes her eyes and releases a massive sigh. "You have something you want to say?"

"What do you know about Arianna Chen?"

Diana grins. "So you've finally met Arianna. She is House Chen's prized flower. The girl's had a crush on Adrian since before I was born. Adrian's mother has always been trying to get the two of them together."

Despite myself, I still feel compelled to ask, "Do you know if she and Adrian have..."

"What?" Diana sneers. "You think I know all the details of my brother's sex life?"

"Right. Never mind." I forgot that our sisterly bond still has a few splinters.

Diana slaps her leg and releases an awfully demeaning laugh. I would be insulted, but over time, I've built up a strong resistance against Diana's condescending personality. "No! I know for a fact the two of them have never been together. Adrian keeps his affairs more low-key. He likes to 'dabble with the commoners' as his mother would say. It pisses Octavia off to no end."

It's good to know that Adrian does have some self-control. "Adrian asked me to marry him." My quiet statement brings out Diana's soldier countenance. "I haven't answered him yet."

Diana has made it blatantly clear that she loves Adrian just as much as I do. No matter what happens, there will always be that one true bond between us. "What have you decided?" She asks.