Twisted Love

Chapter 18

Levana

"Is this fine, Your Majesty?" Sybil asked quietly, accommodating her words with a bow. Levana turned away from the window and glanced towards the vial resting on Sybil's waiting palm.

Carefully, she plucked the vial of poison off of Sybil's hands, inspecting it in the dim light. "Perfect," Levana purred with satisfaction. "And I expect that this concoction will be poured into the emperor's dinner at the royal banquet tonight?"

Sybil dipped her head respectfully. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Levana's perfectly painted eyebrow arched elegantly. With a bite underlying her tone, she continued, "And everything will go to plan, am I correct?"

Again, Sybil nodded. "We will not fail you, Your Majesty."

"Hmm. I would think not," the Lunar queen responded flippantly, turning back to the window. Taking that as her dismissal, Sybil bowed once more and backed out of the room slowly.

Meanwhile, Levana smiled evilly as she watched the emperor take his daily stroll outside in the palace gardens. Little did he know what would happen to him next.

***

Cinder

"Wow, the banquet, how exciting," Scarlet drawled sarcastically as she watched the news through the tiny television plugged into the jet's walls.

From the nose of the jet, Thorne called curiously, "The banquet? It's tonight?"

"Yeah. And Her Nasty, Disgusting, Needs-to-go-die Royal Majesty is also attending. I'm sure Kai will enjoy that." At the mention of the prince's name, Cinder noticeably stiffened. She was glad that she was alone in a room, tinkering with some of the jet's broken counterparts.

"What happens at the banquet?" Wolf asked. He and Scarlet were sitting side by side, knees touching, sharing a can of tomatoes. Grabbing the fork from Scarlet, he popped another red vegetable into his mouth.

Grabbing it back from him, Scarlet shrugged. "I don't know. I guess all of the important people just group together for one big feast and pig out and get fat or something." She chomped on another tomato, juice squirting out onto her mouth. Wolf handed her a napkin, which she accepted gratefully.

"Actually, it's just one gigantic broadcast for the Selection. I'm sure you noticed there haven't been many Selection broadcasts lately, so this is supposed to make up for it. Settle any skirmishes on the borders and keeping the public busy. Everybody's attending. Including the Emperor."

"Huh. Isn't that kind of dangerous?"

"How?"

"Grouping all the royals in one room at one time."

Thorne shrugged from the pilot seat. "I guess. But the security is really packed that day. Nobody's going to get through."

***

Kai

"Another banquet, another day," Kai sighed, bored as the maids adjusted his suit for the thousandth time today. Torin handed the maids the red sash that was supposed to drape across the prince's chest.

"Indeed, my prince," he answered.

"Is this just another publicity stunt?"

There's a pause before Torin answers.

"Some might phrase it that way. I would call it entertainment for the public."

Kai sighed again. So he was right. Pulling on his silk gloves, he stepped down from the step that the maids had put him on so that they could fit his suit. Glancing at his desk, he frowned slightly at Cinder's red high heel, still resting on top of all the files.