The Reluctant King (The Star-Crossed Series)

by Rachel Higginson

  Everyone laughed at my expense.

  Psht.

  “Hey,” I put my hands up and backed away. “You guys are home now, why don’t you take a crack at it. I’m sure you have a better opinion on which China pattern you want to use,” I narrowed my eyes at Eden and Kiran, not even caring about the exasperated look Kiran gave me. He married the girl, China patterns were his responsibility now.

  “You’re right,” Eden sighed. “Besides I haven’t made a decision yet as Queen, what better way to initiate myself.”

  “This way, your Highness,” Lilly laughed, and led Eden down the hallway with Kiran, Sebastian and Talbott following closely behind.

  Eden turned to give me a small wave and a look that promised she would find me later to catch up. I gave her an encouraging smile and watched the group walk away. Eden had grown up a lot since I saw her last. She had always amazed me with her ability to make quick decisions and take everything in stride; Lord knows she was thrown into this world without much warning. But she had struggled to adjust; nobody knew that more than me. She had fought tooth and nail against this life, but now that she had it…. it suited her. Kiran, royalty, married life…. it all suited her. She was at peace for the first time maybe ever and so disgustingly happy that I couldn’t ignore the pang in my gut that envied her.

  Was it love that did that to a person? Probably not. It probably felt good just to not have someone constantly trying to kill you. I mean, I felt that sense of relief too, so I was probably just as happy as her….

  The big brass doors of the castle entrance opened and the late fall light streamed into the corridor turning my eyes. Long, tanned, perfect legs caught my attention first. The hazy sunlight lit up around those two extraordinary limbs and my eyes followed the flawless line from tiny, delicate ankle to where the hem of her shorts stopped mid-thigh. I snapped my mouth shut.

  In my defense, cascading light from the doorway partially blocked her from view until the door had firmly closed behind her. But if I was really honest with myself those legs demanded attention, and her tiny little fashionable shorts put them on display just for me. My eyes finally traveled up an effortlessly sexy figure and to the most startling golden brown eyes I had ever seen.

  In our culture, our people had every shade and color of eyes. Angelica’s were actually purple. Golden brown should not have been so startling, but the richness and depth to that particular shade of brown displayed underneath thick lashes and on a face so perfectly pretty and delicate was a little disconcerting.

  Their owner cleared her throat, waiting for me to acknowledge her. Had she said something? Was I supposed to answer a question? Shoot, I had spaced out again but this time for an entirely different reason.

  “I’m sorry, did you say something?” I asked, still in a daze over those mile long legs.

  “Have you seen my brother?” she asked, her voice a touch amused and a touch…. irritated? “Seraphina and I changed our minds; we want to borrow his car.”

  “Your brother?” I clarified, my eyes falling from those startling golden brown eyes to her full lips that were pouted into a frown. “Uh… who’s your brother?”

  “Sebastian Cartier?” she clarified like I was the biggest idiot on the planet. “He just walked in here, I swear.” She had the sweetest English accent that clipped all her consonants precisely.

  “Uh, he went that way,” I muttered like I was nervous…. like I was not the king I was.

  She straightened her shoulders and flicked her eyes over me with an obvious tone of disgust. What had I done to her?

  “At least when Lucan was King I didn’t have to worry about him ogling me like a caveman,” she mumbled walking past me.

  Ah, that’s what I had done. I consciously hinged my mouth shut and tried not to snap at the way she defended Lucan. She was right…. I was ogling her.

  “I apolo-“ I started.

  “Don’t bother,” she looked over her shoulder, dismissing me. Dismissing me!

  “Mimi,” I snapped my fingers, proud of myself for remembering her name.

  “Amelia.” She corrected me, turning around and walking backwards. Immortal or not, I was always impressed when a girl could balance in high heels and hers looked especially dangerous as she walked away from me. I forced my mind back to her face as my eyes wanted to linger on those legs and the word “dangerous….” “Only people I like get to call me Mimi,” her tone was ice, but those golden brown eyes were definitely not cold.

  “Then I’ll have to convince you that you like me,” I returned, feeling proud of myself for very unpracticed witty banter.

  “Fat chance of that,” she laughed mockingly in her cute British accent and then turned around and walked away.

  I shook my head, still not really sure what just happened. That was Mimi? She was definitely not a child. I stared after those legs wondering if maybe I was remembering the wrong person from three years ago….

  Chapter Three

  “Are you alright, Avalon?” Kiran asked for the third time, well, the third time that I could remember.

  “Uh, fine,” I mumbled in response. I shook my head a little, making the crown I was wearing jostle obnoxiously against my scalp. I shouldn’t have been worried about my hair…. I should have been above all that. But I reached up to smooth out the long strands that got pulled from my low ponytail. I could be such a girl at times, it was annoying. It wasn’t even technically a ponytail, it was this messy bun thing a girl at Canesbury taught me years ago. She said it made me look more grown up and less biker-ish and hell if I couldn’t remember her name but I’ve kept that piece advice with me after all these years. Plus, I have to walk out in front of several hundred people in about two minutes and I want to at least appear as though I’m right where I belong.

  Not to mention there’s a certain pair of legs I can’t get out of my head attending the dinner tonight….

  “Do you want to skip the whole introductory speech? I can just go right into what I’ve written,” my brother in law offered kindly. We were standing in the foyer of the castle waiting on Eden while the rest of our invited guests gathered in the main square to mingle and wait for our arrival. I was not the only one anxious for Eden and Kiran to come back to the castle and thus their elected roles as co-King and Queen. And even though it’s not the entire Kingdom waiting on us, there is still a very healthy showing of Immortals filling the Citadel this weekend.

  “Yeah, that would be great actually,” I replied. “Uh, just remember to thank everyone for coming…. I like to remind them they have a choice.” I smiled, trying to ignore how awkward it was “sharing” this job. Kiran probably knew what he was doing way better than me, but I couldn’t stop myself from reminding him of the smaller points I felt were important. “Oh and I was planning on announcing Talbott and Lilly’s engagement, but it will probably sound more sincere coming from you.”

  Kiran let out an amused laugh, “Are you telling me it wouldn’t be sincere coming from you?” I watched him bristle in just the smallest of ways, tension stiffening his shoulder blades. I had seen it lots of times before and I had to suppress my own urge to laugh. Kiran was one of my closest friends and not just because of his relationship with my sister. We had formed our own bromance over the time I was imprisoned here before we killed his dad. Even though we didn’t always see eye to eye, he was in the very small circle of people I absolutely trusted.

  “Talbott seems to think I care more about what their marriage means to the Kingdom by way of example than about them as a couple,” I admitted, shrugging sheepishly.

  Because it was partly true.

  “Do you know what? I’ll go ahead and congratulate them, it will definitely sound more sincere coming from me,” Kiran agreed, giving me his famous cocky half-smile.

  “Good,” I grunted. “I think my speech was going to make him mad anyway.”

  “Why is that?” Kiran asked, but his eyes had turned to Eden who was walking across the hall to us.

 
I smiled at my sister, so happy to have her home. Her hair was pinned up tonight and while Kiran mumbled stuff to her about the way she looked…. stuff I chose to ignore, I admired the bright glow of her navy blue tattoo under her ear lobe. Her magical color used to match mine exactly, the brightest, most brilliant color of blue. But since her marriage, or rather the consummation of her marriage to Kiran, her magic had mixed with his and now both of their magics had turned a rich navy blue. I couldn’t care less about the color that meant Kiran and Eden were forever bonded, but damn it if I wasn’t still jealous over that glow in the dark tattoo.

  “Because he was going to confess his undying love to Lilly and beg her to leave Talbott and marry him instead,” Eden laughed at me, her black eyes sparkling from the humor of it.

  “It’s a joke,” I shrugged my shoulders at Kiran whose mouth had dropped open from shock. Eden opened her mouth to call me on my crap, so I tried to explain quickly. “Well…. kind of a joke. What? I like Lilly, she doesn’t talk too much, she doesn’t care about the whole King thing and I don’t have to make an effort to get to know her. So even if I’m not serious about asking her to run away and elope with me, I am kind of bummed that Talbott’s taking her completely off the market.” I grinned widely so they really did see the humor in the confession I was not at all serious about.

  “But you need a girl to care about the whole King thing,” Talbott interrupted, walking up behind me. Shoot… hope he was not too mad. “It’s the only way you’re going to get a girl.”

  “Was that a joke, Talbott?” I laughed. It was a good thing we hadn’t joined the party yet. In front of the people I had to be the responsible, prodigy leader I was born to be. But with this group it was nice to just act my age every once in a while.

  “Here is the thing about my brother though,” Eden narrowed her eyes on me, her face turning completely serious. “Even if Lilly was the girl of his dreams, he would never destroy the opportunity for the Kingdom to watch a Shape-Shifter marry a Titan. He wouldn’t do it. He’s still too dedicated to the cause to let a little thing like love get in the way.”

  “What?” I put my hands up when Kiran’s gave me an admonishing look. “Eden’s right, it’s a fantastic opportunity for the Kingdom,” I grinned widely at Talbott who had protectively sidled Lilly up next to him.

  “So there really is no chance for a quiet little ceremony with only our closest friends?” Lilly murmured, her green eyes accusing me of betrayal.

  “Not if you want the blessing of the King,” I smirked, happy to be able to use that to my advantage.

  “You can have my blessing, Lills,” Kiran counter-argued.

  “And mine,” my traitor sister piped up.

  “You two have been MIA for too long for your opinion to really count. Besides, Lilly and Talbott really do care about the Kingdom enough to not want our people to go completely extinct. They care just enough to break through the bigoted boundaries and have a big old wedding to celebrate true freedom,” I laid the guilt on thick knowing everyone in this circle would cave at my sound logic.

  “Well, when you put it like that….” Talbott sighed bitterly, sending Lilly a pathetically apologetic look.

  “Alright, then,” I clapped my hands together triumphantly. “What are we waiting on? Let’s get this party started!” I said it sarcastically, but I couldn’t hide the excitement I felt for the evening. I wasn’t usually enthusiastic about any kind of palace function, but the prospect of sharing Lilly and Talbott’s engagement with the gathered community had put me in a good mood. There was something else too, something that had ignited the blood inside my veins and made me just a little bit nervous for the evening ahead, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.

  “We are waiting on Sebastian and Seraphina, but I suppose we should head on out there. They can catch up later,” Kiran replied.

  Talbott walked ahead and held open the door for all of us to pass through. We walked down the ancient castle steps that led out into the main square. Two silk, sheer white tent covers ran the length of the square. They looked modern and sleek in front of the antiquated backdrop. I had been asked my opinion on the décor but had deferred to Lilly before Eden came home. And I was glad I did, I could never have come up with something so simple and stunning at the same time.

  The gathered crowd paused at our arrival, all stilled and waiting for one of us to say something. I led the way to the head table where I hesitated for a moment at the middle chair. Everyone waited for me to take a seat, but glancing up at my brother in law and sister I decided the best place for me to sit would be to his left and let Kiran have the middle seat. I moved over accordingly and it felt like the rest of the square had been frozen in time. I offered that benevolent smile I hadn’t had time to practice again and was met with wide eyes and slack jaws.

  Kiran gave me a questioning look, but quickly fixed his features into confidence. I didn’t see what the big deal was. We were both technically King. Granted, I was King because I had been voted as King. Don’t even let me start on the irony of that one…. And he was King because he had married my sister. But still, we shared the title together.

  And now that they were back, we would share the responsibilities together too.

  “It’s great to be back,” Kiran started into his speech while the rest of us sat and got situated.

  I tuned out immediately, smiling when people laughed and seemingly listening attentively when Kiran was not trying to be funny. But I heard nothing. It wasn’t a conscious effort to ignore his speech, but more like three years of practice at these things. Or hell, maybe three years of practice at tuning out life in general.

  Ugh. I was bored. So, so, so bored. And the reality of just how bored I was with this whole King-job didn’t really hit me until everyone had come home. My closest friends had been off exploring the world, traveling, dealing with real conflict and falling in love. And I had stayed behind to rule over a complacent people and their non-existent problems.

  I threw parties and made pretentious speeches.

  They dealt with real life conflict.

  I observed life.

  They lived it.

  I was once at the forefront of an exciting adventure, and even if it was the difference between life and death at least through it all I had felt alive. And now the apathetic, uninterested version of myself felt anything but.

  The crowd broke into polite laughter at something Kiran said and I joined in with a laugh I reserved especially for these functions. But then those legs appeared at the entrance to the square and the fake laugh died in my throat. I let my gaze linger on her exposed limbs, enjoying the style of her short black dress. I swallowed back the acute rush of lust I had never experienced so strongly in my life and let my gaze float over her figure and to her face.

  She was staring at me, accusing me silently of the offense I was guilty of. Again. Her golden brown eyes simmered with disgust and a faint creep of heat made its way from the back of my neck to my cheeks. I was embarrassed that I couldn’t keep my eyes in polite check whenever she was around, but not embarrassed enough to pull my gaze from hers. And even with the heated anger forcing her eyes to mine, she didn’t break contact until a standing ovation from the crowd interrupted our direct line of sight to each other.

  I cleared my throat, trying to find some equilibrium and stood with the rest of the crowd. I turned my head the same direction everyone else’s heads were craned and nodded with proud approval over Talbott and Lilly. Kiran turned back to me, offering an extra wide smile and clapping enthusiastically. His eyebrows rose as if asking for my approval and I nodded like I had listened with rapt attention to every single word he said.

  “I don’t think your cousin likes me,” I elbowed Kiran, nodding in the direction of Amelia. Our conversation was disguised under the raucous applause for Talbott and Lilly.

  “Oh, he’s just a little sore that his royalty status was taken away from him,” Kiran answered, misinterpreting who I was talking about
.

  I snorted a response, not really expecting that. I had taken away the royalty status from the entire Kendrick bloodline, Kiran was a fluke because he was married to my sister. Bianca and Jean Cartier had seemed more than happy to let their titles go and had been very supportive of every change I had made so far. If Sebastian was upset about losing his prince title, is that what Amelia was upset about too? Did she just miss being a princess?

  When I had seen her earlier today I thought she was visiting villages out of charity. But she was going with Seraphina, so maybe they were just sightseeing. Maybe she was more spoiled than I had given her credit for. My eyes floated over her again as she looked at Lilly and Talbott with seemingly real affection and happiness. She didn’t appear stuck up, but wasn’t that how she had been raised? Privilege and prejudice all under the guise of well-intended benevolence.

  Just like Lucan.

  Chapter Four

  I swallowed my irritation and outrage and turned my attention back to Kiran who was closed out his speech. I might have to break our no-connection rule with Eden if I was asked specific questions about this speech later. She would understand. And I would make sure I did it only when she and Kiran were in my direct line of sight. Wouldn’t want to make things weird between us. Plus she used to fish for information all the time in my head. I half wondered if zoning out ran in our family.

  Kiran offered a few more closing remarks and then bid everyone to enjoy their meal. He was greeted with another standing ovation of applause, but this time it was directed at him and Eden. Eden rose half out of her seat and nodded sweetly to the crowd, her cheeks heating with shy embarrassment. Kiran waved away the applause as well and sat down to his meal. Waiters appeared with covered plates and set them before the guests. Our table was served last by my specific request.