60: A Message from the Queen

Quincy St. Martin

“What are you doing here?” he growls.

The lust and hunger in his expression less than a second ago are replaced by rage, turning his eyes dark and cold, and his face menacing. His body is now in a threatening stance.

The woman shrinks back.

“Your mother sent me,” she whispers almost inaudibly.

With a loud roar, he picks up a side table and sends it flying across the room. It shatters into little pieces and there is a dent in the wall now.

The woman cowers even more, and I hear footsteps running up the stairs. Very soon, everybody bursts into the hallway to stand behind me.

The woman’s big blue eyes are now glistening with unshed tears, and her lips are quivering.

“You…You didn’t answer the conference call, so she sent me h-h-here.” Her gaze travels over everybody before it fixes on me.

Hurt and anger settle on her face. It’s evident that she’s still scared, but her jaw sets in a determined line as she watches me.

“She sent you a message. Queen Sophia wants you to mark me before we go back in a few days or else—”

She doesn’t get to finish delivering the message. A table lamp smashes into the wall just inches from her head. She screams and hides behind the door.

“I am never going to mark you!” he yells before he stalks aggressively and purposely toward her.

“He’s going to kill her,” whispers Penny, sounding excited.

Oh, God, and I thought I was crazy.

“Caspian,” says Lazarus warningly from right behind me.

Caspian turns his angry gaze on Lazarus, eyes dark and wild. They immediately fall on me. Our eyes lock for a long time.

Rage and frustration are visible in every line of his body. Wordlessly, he darts over to the open balcony door and jumps out.

***

I learn that the woman is Lady Celeste. She was sent by his mother, the queen herself.

After Caspian left, Lady Celeste was moved into a guest room, all the way to the other side of the house, on the second level.

Surprisingly, she went meekly without any protest. I guess the prince’s violent outburst really scared her tonight. Apparently, she arrived around noon today, but her clothes are already hanging in his closet.

One of the maids is now taking them all off the hangers, while another is collecting her shoes, makeup, and toiletries and packing them back into her luggage.

The woman doesn’t travel light. There are fifteen large bags of luggage altogether.

In his bedroom, Serena is stripping Caspian’s bedding, where Lady Celeste had slept earlier.

“There goes thousands of dollars’ worth of bedding,” announces Genesis as she watches Serena stuff the silky periwinkle blue material into a huge garbage bag.

“Is that really necessary?” asks Jorden, who’s been watching everything with fascination.

I hear Penny and Genesis laugh. “Oh, yeah! Washing the sheets wouldn’t get the smell off,” answers Penny. “The smell lingers, for us.”

“This whole floor belongs to the prince. He doesn’t allow many people up here. If he came back to the smell of Lady Celeste on his bed, he’d destroy the whole floor,” adds Genesis.

“He’s been saving this space for his erasthai,” adds Serena, looking at me. “Everywhere we went, he was always saving his space for his princess. No other woman was allowed in his suite except for us.”

***

“Are you sure you don’t want any more tea?” asks Serena.

“No, I’m good. Thanks, Serena.” I place my empty cup on the table.

We’re sitting in the great room on the main floor, and I can see the space more clearly. It’s high-ceilinged and open, painted white with splashes of bold hues—reds, blues, greens, and yellows—from big original paintings to furniture. One room flows to the other beautifully.

The decoration consists of clean modern lines, yet is also rich and opulent. It’s warm, welcoming, and comfortable.

The back wall is dominated by floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Even from where I’m sitting, I can see beautifully illuminated two-tiered pools.

The water from the top pool runs down to the second one in a cascading waterfall. The darkened beach is visible in the background.

There are only a handful of us left in the great room—Serena, Lazarus, Genesis, Constantine, and me. Penny, Darius, and Jorden have gone to bed.

Jonah left not long ago. Before he went, he asked if I wanted to go home with him, but I told him I was going to stay.

I promised Caspian that I wouldn’t run away from him. I’m keeping my promise. We need to talk and clear things up in order for us to happen. I wonder where he is right now.

“The housekeeper has put a new sheet on the bed. So if you want to rest, go right ahead,” says Serena.

“This is your home now. Feel free to do whatever you want, Q,” Genesis announces.

She started calling me Q after she heard Jorden a few times tonight.

“No, I’m just going to take a walk down the beach if that’s okay.” I feel the need to be alone for a bit. Tonight has been very eventful…in more ways than one.

“Yes, that’s not a problem. It’s mostly private beach, so you’ll be safe. You won’t see anybody except maybe our immediate neighbor, if you happen to wander too far to the south. If you go farther, you’ll see the pier. The other side is mainly rocks,” answers Constantine.

The backyard is brightly lit. The soft and haunting sound of Serena’s violin follows me as I walk down stone steps to the beach.

The moon is bright, and I can see the white sand stretching for miles. A strong wind brings the briny smell of the ocean with it.

Growing up, I had always dreamed of living by the beach with my Nana. I wish Nana could be here now. I wish Nana could’ve met Caspian and all of his friends. I like them all.

I haven’t known them for too long, but somehow I feel close to them already.

I walk for miles, almost to the pier, and then I decide to turn back. I think it’s way past midnight by the time I reach our beach again.

The house is not as brightly lit as before but some lights on the main floor still glow.

The sound of the violin has stopped. Only waves lapping the shore accompany me now.

The night air is getting chilly, but I don’t feel like going back inside yet.

There are a couple of lounge chairs on the beach, so I lie down on one. I always dreamed of sleeping with the sound of the ocean. I lift my head when I hear footsteps approaching. A tall figure is walking down the stone path. His dark hair glows in the silvery moonlight.

Constantine is making his way toward me.

“Here.” He drapes a cotton wool blanket he’s been carrying over me. “You’ll need this. It’s getting cold.”

“Thank you,” I tell him, pulling the blanket up to my chin.

He lowers himself onto the chair next to mine and stares at the sea silently. His expression seems thoughtful. We sit like that in a companionable silence for a long time, just enjoying the wind and the sound of the ocean.

Finally, he sighs. “He’s under a lot of pressure, you know,” he says. “But he’s trying hard to hold on to you.”

I glance at him.

“My cousin is… Well, my cousin is a lot of things. He's spoiled. He’s used to getting his way, and he’s used to people falling over backward to please him. He’s impatient, stubborn, rude, a little childish sometimes, and he’s not used to asking. Whatever he wants, he simply takes.”

I give him a slight smile.

“So, thank you for staying. It can’t have been easy.” His lips curl up into a little impish smile. He shakes his head, and says, “I’m not even sure if he’s worth the trouble.”

I have to smile wider at that.

Then his face turns serious again. “He has never cared about any woman, but he loves you. There’s only a handful of people he trusts, loves, and lets into his life. To those few that he lets in, though, he’s protective and loyal to a fault.” He straightens up. “It might seem like he doesn’t care, but he carries a load on his shoulders, and he worries. He needs somebody in his corner. He needs you more than he’ll ever let on.”

His handsome face is pensive. I don’t know what to say, so I just wait for him to go on.

“With you, he’s trying hard to be patient and become a better man. That’s why you’re not bearing his mark yet. You’re driving him crazy, and we’ve never seen him this way before.” There’s a hint of a smile on his lips again. “But I think you’re good for him.”

He stands, but before he walks away, he turns. “You’re more than worthy of him. We’re glad he found you. Welcome to the family.”