Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
“He’s hideous and terrifying. Because he needs to be. Cretins like Arnaud wouldn’t quake in their boots if he wasn’t.” One side of his lips went up. “I’m teasing, darling. I am gladly the Beast to your Beauty. We are a fairytale after all.”
Dropping that world-rocking nugget, he strolled out.
I am so totally and completely and limitlessly and enormously and endlessly falling in love with you, I thought.
My beast sighed.
Comet jumped up on the bed and shared Aleksei didn’t give him enough breakfast.
I set my coffee aside, reached, snatched him to my chest, shoved my face into his soft fur and decided it was good I lived a life with no dreams.
Because when they came true anyway, it sure was something.
Chapter 29
Values
“Oh my gods! It’s stunning! The butterfly detail is lie-yeef!” Princess Aleece exclaimed. “Look, Mom. Isn’t it perfect?”
She passed my Palm to Queen Calisa.
I took a sip of tea.
Queen Calisa had invited her daughter to our get together, which I thought was cool since I wanted to get to know her better, and she was so down to earth, it helped with my nerves at hanging with a queen.
We were in another room on the second level of the Palace. This one was decorated in salmon, butter yellow, and bone. It was feminine and refined.
We sat on sofas opposite each other and perpendicular to a fireplace edged in gold-veined, ivory marble. The layout of a traditional tea, complete with finger sandwiches, biscuits and little cakes, was on the table between us.
I’d since learned that I didn’t have to formally curtsy in times like these (Aleksei told me what Timothee’s mention of “dropping a formal” meant, and further explained Madam Garwah probably didn’t mention it because, “She’s not family, love. I doubt she knows the inner workings of the things we do that are unseen by the public.”).
I still needed to curtsy. But just a bob.
This I’d done when I’d arrived, and weirdly, it seemed natural.
Queen Calisa squinted at my Palm in a way I wondered if she needed her eyes lased.
“It is quite stunning,” she murmured, then offered my Palm to me.
I reached across the table and took it.
“Who is the designer again?” the queen asked.
“Lancet,” I answered. “He’s just emerging on the scene. Me wearing a design of his, I think, will be helpful to him.”
“Rest assured, it will,” she replied, vaguely wafting off the essence of pleased that I went with her advice before she shook it off and daintily sipped tea.
I was beginning to like Aleksei’s mom unreservedly. She wasn’t a warm female, but she was danged cool.
But I fought checking the time on my Palm.
My parents would be headed here soon.
And I had a decision to make.
I knew Aleksei’s ploy with this. Tie me up with his mother and sister, something I would think I couldn’t get away from, and that way I’d let him non-physically “tear them apart” without being there.
But before he went to a breakfast meeting that morning, I’d put my foot down. I made him promise he would connect with me before meeting with them.
He promised by kissing me deeply first, then giving me the words after.
It was a good way to make a promise.
But since then, no matter how often it clogged in my brain (and it clogged my brain often), I hadn’t made the decision.
“You’ve needed to defer instruction with Madam Garwah, considering your quarantine,” the queen broke into my reverie. “But now that the unpleasant business that muted your beast is concluded, you’ll be resuming, yes?” And this last was an order veiled in a question.
“I only have a couple of sessions left, and I’m back on it this evening,” I assured her.
“Excellent,” she murmured.
“Your beast and Aleksei’s are so perfect,” Aleece mooned, sitting back in the corner of their couch, crossing her legs, her expression dreamy. “I’m totally waiting until I find my mate.”
Queen Calisa gave her daughter a sharp look.
Mm.
Seemed the queen had other plans for the princess.
“Destiny obviously knows what it’s doing,” Aleece decreed. “Sure, it makes me throw up a little in my mouth to say this, but there’s no denying my big brother is not hard on the eyes. He’s all dark and big and male, and you’re all blonde and rosy and female, and your beasts are just the same.” She frowned. “Not to mention, Anna used to complain all the time that it annoyed her he preferred to stay in, cook, read, chill. She was a nightlife kind of female.”
For a bright moment, I forgot about my parents’ imminent visit and considered this.
I considered it more as Aleece continued speaking.
“He’s always been like that. He liked the quiet spaces. Preferring to be in his suite, reading or studying. Out taking the dogs for a walk. Holed in the corner of the library. He was all about perfecting the art of the chill. Tim and Rol teased him about it all the time, but he didn’t care. That was just who he was. The fact you two have that in common is double, ultra mega. Everyone thinks Aleksei is this whirlwind. He’s not. He’s a long storm.” She grinned. “Sometimes a thunderstorm, but that doesn’t happen very often.”