11. Sorcha

Chapter eleven

I stared at myself in the mirror, taking in this odd style of dress. It was a deep green. The top had a single sleeve that went over my shoulder and ended right above my belly button. The skirt was light, with two slits up either side, I assumed to accommodate the minotaur women's larger legs. I preferred it to the Peradonian style of heavy skirts and tight corsets. These were much more lightweight and comfortable.

I braided my hair half back to keep it out of my face before adding the headpieces Lunar had made me. She explained it was normal for minotaur women to decorate their horns for mating ceremonies and made me something to wear. It was a headband that had two horn-like pieces made from silver metal sticking from the top. They were adorned with metallic flowers and other swirly designs made from colorful metals.

I managed to strap my miniature dagger under the waistband of my skirt, hidden seamlessly. Once I was satisfied, I headed out of the bathroom and into the main room. Zarios was now fitted in armor obviously made for show. It was silver and ornate, with intricate filigree surrounding what looked like a crest I recognized from one of the books I picked up. It was akin to a king wearing a crown. Grand Claraks wore this crest to symbolize their position. His fringe still sat over his eyes, hiding any tell of what he was thinking. Over the past week, though, I felt like I could get a better read on him even with his eyes hidden.

He did a lot of huffing, but they were all different. His irritated huff was louder, while when he was amused, it was more of a light puff. He also didn't visibly redden when embarrassed or upset, but I noticed when I corrected one of the notes in his book earlier, his tail swished hard behind him. I had to hold back my laughter when it happened.

When he turned to face me, he paused. I wasn't sure why, he wore an expression I hadn't seen before. It cleared as quickly as it appeared. "Are you prepared for tonight?"

I scoffed. "Of course." Annoyance bled through my tone. I was sick of him underestimating me, of everyone, really.

He assessed me once more then adjusted his bracers. "When we go down, we need to make them believe we're together." He sighed, rubbing his horn. "Minotaurs are…affectionate with their mates."

I could feel my face heat. "What do you mean?" He hadn't mentioned any of this. Was it just hand holding? Kissing? Were we expected to get naked and fuck right on the table?

"Nothing like you appear to be imagining," he said, seeming to sense my thoughts. "They just expect to see physical touch, so keep that in mind."

I nodded, trying to keep my hot face under control. My mama had a reactive blush that was passed to me, and I cursed it often.

"Shall we?" he asked. He didn't wait for a response, he just headed towards the door. I followed, almost running to catch up. It felt like I was running after everyone in this kingdom. Though I was fairly tall for human women, I was much shorter than everyone here.

He comfortably led us through the corridor, telling me he'd been here before. I was sure to keep my guard up.

As we rounded the next corner, I could hear music streaming in down the hall. He stopped and waited for me to approach. When I did, he held out his hand. I hesitated for a moment but placed mine in his. His larger hand enveloped mine almost fully, making my anxiety dissipate a bit.

We took another sharp left, and before we entered the ball room, he leaned in and whispered, "Just stick by me and try to behave."

My eyes narrowed. "As long as you don't forget to tell me anything important," I whispered back sharply.

In the next step, we went from the annoyed allies to a couple who looked like they were in their honeymoon phase. I slapped a smile on my face, letting my gaze relax, and I could feel him do the same. It was almost unnerving how quickly we fell into this charade, but it was all the better for us.

The atmosphere when we entered took my breath away. We had stepped outdoors into the back garden. Beautiful flowers adorned each table, and large bundles of wisteria cascaded down the fences lining it all. I couldn't tell if they were growing there or added for the occasion, but they were beautiful.

We moved to the long, head table in the front. Atalin was there, her horns adorned with leafy greens and twigs that could easily look messy, but she made them look classy. Though she was slighter than most males around her, she held herself in the way someone in charge would. Her dress was similar in shape to mine, with the top and bottom being two pieces and two large slits down the skirt, though hers was much simpler, in a cream color that complimented her cherry-brown and white-spotted coat.

There were others milling around the space, drinking and conversing, but unlike what I was used to, everyone was in simple attire. Though it was all nice, we stuck out with all our extra jewels and color.

"It's great to see you both," Atalin said. "Please, settle for dinner and make yourselves comfortable."

"Thank you for your hospitality," I said kindly, being sure not to bow this time.

She smiled and was off, greeting another pair who'd walked in. It seemed people were beginning to settle in. We did the same, sitting at the head of the massive table. I was worried about needing to mingle with everyone here, but we weren't approached as we were served our dinner.

Drinks came soon after. I took a big swig, and when I put it down, Zarios leaned in. "Don't drink too much," he said. "We need to stay sharp. "

"I know that," I gritted quietly through my teeth. I was sick of him acting like I had no idea what I was doing. Like I didn't also have my future on the line.

We were served course after course of food until I was close to bursting. Eventually, dinner was done, and people were back to walking around. The music picked up, and people began moving to the dance floor.

"Would you like to dance?" Zarios asked.

My mind paused. It was a simple question that had an easy enough answer, but something in my brain held me back. Did he want to dance with me because of the plan, or because he wanted to dance with me ? The answer was obvious, and it shouldn't matter, but I couldn't seem to reason that with myself.

Though it would be silly, I almost said no. But then I saw something in his gaze—something warm, something meaningful that made me agree. I took his hand, and he led me to the dance floor. The music was upbeat as Zarios took my hand in his and wrapped his other around my waist, pulling me close. I had to crane my neck to look up at him.

He led us with ease, swaying us to the beat. "I'm still impressed you're such a good dancer," I said.

"I'm sure there are many things you'd find impressive about me, Princess."

My face heated. "That's one bold assumption. It takes a lot to impress me."

He snorted. We danced through a few more songs. Though I wasn't excited to come out here, I was having fun.

After the last song ended, the music slowed. For this song, Zarios pulled me somehow closer, and we were left to sway easily together. Though he had a lot of metal armor on that was cold to the touch, where there wasn't any, he was warm and soft.

I rested my head against his chest, and he seemed surprised until I whispered, "When should we slip out?"

He brought his head down near my ear. "Soon. We need to be careful. They can't suspect anything."

I nodded against him. Though I could have lifted my head, I stayed where I was. I told myself it was to keep up the illusion, but it was also…nice, in its own way.

When the song ended, I pulled away. "I need to run to the washroom."

He nodded, releasing me. "I will get us more drinks."

I made my way inside and found the washroom. I was washing my hands in the basin when the door opened, and Atalin stepped in.

"Hello," I greeted, careful not to bow.

"I was hoping to find you," she said.

I was surprised but held my neutral face. "Really?"

"Yes. I must admit, I was surprised when Zarios declared his mate-to-be, but you seem to have a spark."

"A spark?" I repeated.

She smiled. "Call it intuition. You seem to be more than just a princess to me."

Did she know? She couldn't. I laughed lightly. "I don't know about that. I was raised as any other royal is."

She hummed, as if unsure. "But why Valcor?"

"I'm sorry?" I asked .

She leaned against the counter. "As second in line, you probably could have married into any royal family you wanted, in any nation. Why this one? Did your parents force you?"

My brows furrowed as anger coursed through me. "No, I wasn't forced. I make my own choices. I didn't choose for the nation. I chose Zarios." For some reason, those words didn't feel like the truth, but they didn't feel entirely like a lie, either.

She smirked slightly, and I suddenly felt like I had passed some kind of test. "I think you'll be good for him," she said finally.

"What does that mean?" I asked. I knew I should keep my mouth shut, but the question seemed to tumble out on its own.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out." With that, she left me standing there, astounded.

Weird.

I shook it off. I needed to keep focused. We had to slip out soon to ensure we had enough time. When I reemerged, Zarios was by the bar. He had a drink, but he made no move to sip on it. Damyr was there with him, laughing loudly. It was obvious he'd had a bit much, but it was a party.

When I came up beside him, Zarios pulled me in. It took me by surprise, but I leaned into him all the same.

"Hello, Princess Sorcha," Damyr greeted. "Nice to see you again."

"Nice to see you as well," I said. "Looks like you're having fun."

He waved his tankard at me. "It is a party, of course. We'll be here all night."

That was good to know.

"If you don't mind," Zarios said, "I'm going to borrow my intended for a few minutes."

His voice took on a meaningful tone, one Damyr picked up on easily. "Oh, of course. Wouldn't want to bother the new couple."

Zarios led me away, his hand on my lower back. He led me to a row of bushes on the outskirts of the party, pushing us against them so we were in the dark corner. "What are you doing?" I asked him.

He leaned in, looking as if he were kissing my neck. "Giving us an easy way out. Follow my lead. But if you don't like something I do, tell me."

I nodded. His hands moved up my bare thighs to where my skirt split. I followed his lead, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. I let out a low laugh, really selling what we were doing. Being this close to him made desire spring through me, heating my lower belly. It was unexpected, but I allowed myself to enjoy it, even for just a moment.

His large hands moved over my body, down my legs, across my middle. When one hand snaked up and grabbed my throat, my mouth turned dry. I hoped he couldn't see my hard blush in the dark. Suddenly, I could feel his hardness against me. I tried not to react. It was a natural thing, and we were on a job. I knew I was getting too wrapped up in his touch, but I couldn't seem to stop. My mind felt torn between the lust I felt and the job I was here to do.

When he bent to whisper into my ear again, I had to suppress a moan. "We can slip into the garden and go around."

I smiled and batted at him like he'd said something naughty. He grabbed my hand and rushed me away, as if he couldn't wait. I was a bit sad this game we were playing was ending, but it was time for the real work to start.