Render Me Starless

♛ | Chapter 30 - "jealousy and jilth"

The sun was setting as I got ready for my day, putting on my favourite pair of jeans despite the enormous range of skirts and dresses there were. I smile over my shoulder in greeting as Orion walks into the closet. "How'd you sleep?" he asks. Admittedly, I hadn't had a decent night's sleep since we got back to the throne. The whole giving me away thing still had a cozy seat in my mind and my bed was much too lonely for my liking. "I slept okay," I reply, despite my thoughts. "You?"
He responds with a disregarding 'fine' before he walks in further from where he had been perched.

"I've got the council meeting that I have to be at shortly. Maxwell will escort you to Jilth's lesson if you want."
I nod. This was the council meeting that the king wasn't invited to. I wasn't sure how Orion was going to have everyone keep this a secret considering this was about their king, the man they had pledged their allegiance to. But it was Prince Orion so I had complete faith. "I would totally force you to let me go with you but I don't think Sir Jilth will like that very much. I don't think he would appreciate me skipping our first lesson," I say.

The roaring jealousy in me encouraged me to join my mate, not liking the idea of Lady Angelina being with him, even if it was for a meeting. I push that away though. We weren't petty highschoolers. He was a prince and I was to be his princess.
"You know, you are above Jilth. You don't have to call him Sir Jilth or even attend these lessons if you don't want to," Orion says as I'm done putting my hair in a ponytail.
"I don't really feel above him," I admit. It felt like I was back in highschool with Jilth being my teacher. I was expecting a detention as soon as I entered the library which was where the lessons would be held.

"You will," he promises and takes my face in his hands, giving me a light peck. "You will be my queen some day."
I groan lightly, resting my forehead against his. "Don't remind me," I grumble, however it was half hearted. Being so close to Orion was an instant high.
"You'll be fine, Astraea," he says, leaning back. "The Lords wouldn't have paired you with a prince if you couldn't be a princess. Remember you were made for me, and I, you."

I sigh, "right, yes." Me being a queen still wasn't something I could see myself doing but then again, I didn't see myself with a mage prince months ago. Well, you didn't see yourself being traded off while your mate was given a new one. Angelina could go su-
"What has you so worked up?"
I internally curse Orion's ability to read me so well. "Nothing," I smile at him, taking a step back. He narrows his eyes slightly, crossing his arms and silently waiting. I huff, crossing my own arms. "It's seriously nothing," I repeat. He raises an eyebrow, unimpressed. I groan, knowing he wouldn't relent. "Angelina," I finally bite out, hating that I was jealous in the first place.

He didn't look surprised but then again, was he ever? "What about her?"
"What if she turns to your father and tells him everything?" I say the first thing that comes up in my head, still grappling with my jealousy. My question was a real concern though. After all, she was all ready to go with the king's plan.
"I know Angelina. She will see reason," he responds.
His words put kerosene in an already burning flame. "And you can't un-know her?" I mutter, looking down.

I hated that I was letting myself act like this. Plenty of women had flirted with my mate right in front of me but it had never made me feel like this. I hated it. I suppose I knew that those other women really didn't have a chance at my mate, but Angelina did.

"I have another mate for you," the king's voice whispers into my mind. Stop thinking.

I'm pulled into Orion's arms, shocking me out of my thoughts. "Do you want to come to the meeting with me? I can reschedule with Jilth," he offers. I wrap my arms around his waist. "No, that's okay. I trust you and I'm just being irrational," I mumble into his chest. He was so tall. And hot. And mine.

"You're not being irrational. Your feelings are completely valid. If it makes you feel better, I would be reacting a lot worse if I were in your position," he says, giving me a light squeeze.
"That does make me feel better," I admit.
"You and you alone have all of me. You have my forever, Astraea." He gives the top of my head a kiss. His words lull me into a bliss I hadn't felt before.

This time, I let my heart do all the talking, shoving the worries and insecurities of my mind away. I pull away and stand on my toes, reaching my arms up to cup Orion's face. He meets my lips half way and I mold my body with his. I groan into him as his tongue sweeps over my lips and I open them for him, getting high off of everything Orion. He rips my hair tie off my hair and delves his fingers into my locks as he deepens the kiss. Sure, I've had my fair share of kisses but nothing could compare to the feeling of my mate.

With him, nothing else mattered. With him, it was only us.

I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him impossibly closer. This was heaven on earth. He was heaven. I bite his lip and earn the smallest of groans from my mate. His lips travel to my neck and I don't complain, coming up for some much needed air. Orion tilts my head for me, giving himself more access and he swirls his tongue on my skin. "We should stop," he mumbles against my neck just as he finds that spot. I don't stop the soft moan that escapes. "Should we really?" I whisper.

His sin of a mouth gives me neck one last suck before he detaches himself and I pout. "If we want to complete the bonding ceremony, we should," he says, always the voice of reason. Orion pecks my pouted lips and sends me a small smirk. "Your neck has never felt or looked so good."
I quickly catch onto his implications and turn to face the mirror. Hickeys. Everywhere. I groan and go to cuss out my mate but the mage is gone.

Of course.

As soon as I enter the library, Sir Jilth is already starting the lesson. "Tardiness isn't a tolerable trait in a Lady of Starlight."

I refrain from rolling my eyes as I catch sight of the short man. "I apologise," I say, not particularly sure about how I should be responding. He meets my eyes and doesn't hide his scrutinising gaze. "You should also apologise for your jeans. And Lords, that horrid scarf."
I let out a small sigh. You'll be fine, Strae.

✦✧✦✧

Later that day, it's no surprise when I can't sleep. I huff and get out of bed, walking over to my balcony. The sun was starting to greet the sky. It was beautiful but I already missed the stars. And I missed my mate. The meeting had gone well and Angelina had kept to herself and wasn't going to spill to the king. Orion had also assigned somebody to the Lady of Draco to make sure she kept her promise but she didn't know that.

The familiar shadows embrace me as they swirl around my legs, letting me know my prince was here. I suppose I wasn't the only one who could sleep. I turn to see him leaning on the doorway, watching me. "Couldn't sleep either?" I ask. He shakes his head and holds out a hand for me. I take it and we silently make our way out of my room and into his. "You know, you could just move into my room," he says as we slip into his bed.

"You don't want to wait till we've completed the bonding ceremony?" I ask.
"You can't sleep and neither can I. Besides, it's not like we'll be breaking any rules," Orion pulls me to him and gives me a soft kiss. "Why wait?"

True. Why wait when I can have this hot piece of ass next to me every night?