The Reluctant King (The Star-Crossed Series)

by Rachel Higginson

  After cleaning up, shaving and pulling my hair back and away from my face, I dressed for the day in old jeans and a t-shirt, slipping the crown on my head before I left the room. I remembered Lucan in tailored, designer suits and ties every day he was King. Even Amory adhered to a certain snobbish dress code that exemplified a well-kempt, wealthy and responsible man.

  Jeans and a worn red t-shirt hardly screamed leader of the wealthiest nation on Earth, but it was also comfortable and practical, not to mention a reminder of my youth and inexperience for any Immortal that approached me. Not that I was trying to sway their next vote for a Democracy by proving I wasn’t up to task for the crown. But…. ok, maybe I was trying to do that a little bit.

  Plus, I was King after all. I could wear whatever I wanted.

  I found Eden and Kiran in the dining hall, surrounded by all of our friends, minus Silas, Gabriel and Sebastian who left very early this morning. My intention was to see them off and offer some last minute directions, but my subconscious decided to hold me hostage in my own personal version of Nightmare on Elm Street. Besides, they were seasoned veterans at this and knew what they were doing. And if they didn’t check in with me in a few hours I would call them and get a status report from them, probably just in time for a “fulfill your destiny” speech from Gabriel.

  I stood leaning against the doorjamb for a few beats watching all of the activity at the breakfast table. Usually I spent breakfast alone, so I could collect my thoughts before I faced the throne room and all the duties that I faced on a daily basis. If I could help it, I did my best to avoid even uttering a sentence until I was permanently rooted in the seat I would spend all day in. This morning would be different and I didn’t find myself minding.

  Eden and Kiran sat together giving each other the googly eyes I had been positive would wear off over at least a year ago. Talbott and Lilly were no better, and as much as it made my stomach clench in disapproval, I was afraid Jericho and Amelia were doing the same thing. Seraphina was the only remaining loner and I realized that if Sebastian sat here she would be mimicking the love struck motions too. The whole thing was like a kick in the shin.

  Damn, when did everyone go and get paired up and leave me behind?

  Not that I wanted to be paired up.

  Especially now, when I would have to leave at a moment’s notice and possibly be gone and in dangerous situations for months at a time….

  No girl would want to be left behind. Plus, when I finally decided I would let a girl into my world, I would be a freaking fantastic boyfriend and demand that she stay home so she wouldn’t get hurt in the crossfire, of some life or death situation.

  Also, why was I getting so excited about the prospect of a near-future fight?

  There might be something wrong with my brain.

  Just a thought.

  “How did you sleep last night, E?” I asked as I took my place at Eden’s right across from Kiran and directly next to Seraphina.

  Seraphina might be high maintenance and I would never envy Sebastian for putting up with all her crazy, but the girl smelled good. I leaned into grab a croissant across the table and inhaled thinking I myself might have a good mixture of crazy in me.

  Or maybe I was way lonelier than I gave myself credit for.

  “Not well,” she admitted, turning her concerned black eyes on me.

  “Do you remember anything?” I asked, knowing without a doubt we had the same dream.

  “Not a thing,” she answered and I nodded so that she knew it was the same for me.

  “Uh, this is getting gross,” Seraphina cut a disgustingly suggestive glance at me and then at Kiran making Eden burst into laughter.

  “There is something so wrong with you, Sera!” Eden threw a piece of bacon making Seraphina squeal and toss it at Amelia.

  Amelia deflected with a bagel and then eyed the offensive piece of meat like it was a snake.

  “Ugh you know meat grosses me out,” she complained in a teasing voice.

  “I know you need to get over it and start dating,” Seraphina countered and my ears perked up while I took a sip of steaming hot coffee.

  “That is so not the meat I was referring to,” Amelia laughed and I found myself choking on my coffee.

  “You alright there, Avalon?” Seraphina asked, ignoring Amelia’s attempts at innocent.

  “Just fine,” I wheezed. I stared Amelia down, waiting for her to apologize for or shy away from Seraphina’s brashness.

  “Relax Avalon, it’s not your meat I’m interested in,” Amelia said coyly from across the table.

  This time the coffee went straight through my nose. There was no stopping the near death experience.

  “Ugh, so gross,” Eden complained. “Siblings, remember? No more talking about Avalon’s meat.”

  “Agreed,” Kiran, Talbott and Jericho mumbled in unison.

  “Avalon,” Lilly spoke up pulling my attention from Amelia’s eyes that stared me down with the challenge to break the steel gaze first. “Talbott and I decided on a date. Do you want us to run it by you?”

  “I’m sure whatever you’ve picked out will be fine, Lills, you’re in charge of my calendar anyway. Just don’t double book me,” I answered with a playful wink, losing to Amelia in the staring contest of the century, I gave Lilly my attention.

  “We were thinking April, when all the trees are budding,” she ventured softly.

  Seraphina’s loud gasp had me chuckling, girls were so funny. “Oh I love that!” Seraphina squealed. “What do you want your dress to look like?”

  Lilly’s face lit up for the first time I had ever witnessed while the attention was on her. Instead of blushing tomato red and shying away from the spotlight, she rushed into a detailed description about buttons and lace and all-girl-stuff in general.

  “Who are you going to have stand up with you?” Seraphina asked next, no doubt wondering what kind of dress she would get to wear too.

  “Um, well, you girls, if you want to,” Lilly gave each girl at the table a tentative look as if she was afraid they would say no.

  I ate my chocolate croissant and sat back to enjoy the show. Girls talking about girl things were always so entertaining. Not that I understood half of what was being said, but still they got excited over the smallest, most insignificant stuff.

  “Of course we will!” Seraphina continued to talk in her high pitched squeal and I started to reconsider my previously feelings of goodwill and entertainment. “Eden will of course be your matron of honor, unless that sounds too dowdy for you, then I would gladly step in as your maid of honor.”

  “No, that’s-“ Lilly started, but Seraphina was already moving on to something else.

  “Will you have any other girls besides us? What about Talbott? Who are your groomsmen?” Seraphina demanded.

  “Uh, well Kiran, Jericho, Sebastian and Avalon,” Talbott answered obediently.

  “So who will be your fourth girl, Lilly?” Eden asked evenly, drawing the excitement level down a few notches. Thankfully.

  “I think I’ll ask Sylvia. I mean, do you think she would say yes?” Lilly asked, her blush brightening.

  “She would love it if you asked her,” Eden gushed and I had to agree. The last time I talked to Syl she was dying to visit but didn’t have an excuse to leave the hospital. Now she had an excuse.

  “That’s perfect Lilly,” Seraphina confirmed. “And then Amelia doesn’t have to dance with Avalon again.”

  “Seraphina, don’t-“ Amelia started giving Seraphina a deathly glare at levels of hatred even I hadn’t received yet.

  “Again?” I asked casually, but my blood had prickled to life and Seraphina had all of my attention. “Why did you say again?”

  “I told you he wouldn’t remember,” Amelia muttered, her cheeks now stained the sexiest color of red. She looked down intently at her breakfast, clearly afraid to meet my eyes.

  “You left her standing in the middle of the dance floor, jackass,” Seraphina explained, but i
t didn’t really explain anything.

  “Our wedding…. the reception…. the dancing?” Kiran prompted, but if truth be told their wedding was a vague memory in my head. I had been trying to handle being the interim King while Kiran and Eden prepared to get married. At the time we didn’t want to associate Kiran at all with the crown since we had just killed his father and felt like that might confuse the Kingdom, so I was pretty much doing it all on my own. I was overwhelmed and euphorically happy that we had beat Lucan and freed our people. At the same time I had just lost my parents, several good friends and was finally given time to actually grieve my grandfather. It was the only time in my life where I could honestly admit that I was a bit of an emotional wreck and all I was trying to do was save face and hold it together for Eden and the Kingdom.

  Those were not my best days.

  So no, the only memory I had of Amelia was a scared child that was too shy to talk to me. She was half the woman she is now and I certainly didn’t remember leaving her on the dance floor, or even why I would have asked her to dance to begin with.

  “You didn’t ask her, Avalon,” Eden took pity on me, feeling my confusion. “You were supposed to dance with her since you were both part of the wedding party. She was your partner, we paired you up for the wedding party dance. We rehearsed the whole thing at the rehearsal the night before. You would have been better prepared if you would have attended.”

  Unbelievable. Eden was still bitter I ditched the rehearsal after all these years. I hadn’t seen the point then and I didn’t see it now. Except for maybe the whole dancing with Amelia part of it.

  Eden shook her head at me as if she was following my inner thoughts. She sent me a nudge of a memory. The outdoor tents, the dance floor, the song immediately following Eden and Kiran’s first dance as a married couple….

  Oh ok. I nodded, finally understanding while I put the pieces together.

  “Really, we don’t have to go over this,” Amelia muttered. “It was humiliating enough the first time.”

  “Dancing with me was humiliating?” I asked, turning my sharp gaze on her. Was this why she seemed not able to stand me? Was it something I did at the wedding?

  “Except you didn’t dance with me!” She suddenly explained all dramatically. I couldn’t stop my smile of amusement as she half raised out of her chair and swung her arm dramatically nearly smacking Jericho in the face.

  “I didn’t?” I laughed at her.

  “No you didn’t,” Kiran laughed too. “Three seconds into the song you smacked Amelia on the arse, and told her to go ahead and finish without you while you walked out of the tent completely.”

  “I thought you were walking out on my wedding Avalon! It was really disconcerting and you left poor Amelia in the middle of the dance floor all by herself after you had just spanked her on the ass!” Eden laid my offenses out for me when I still didn’t seem to get what the big deal was. “You’re lucky you came back, brother, or there would have been serious hell to pay.” Eden threatened, narrowing her eyes at me.

  I sat stunned for a few moments, trying to replay the day in my head. Realization dawned on me when I pictured Angelica’s haunted face and how she practically ran from the reception. I had been so worried about Angelica that I really had left Amelia standing there now that I thought about it. And smacking her, that was just to lighten the mood when I knew leaving my sister’s wedding was going to cause a huge stir. I slipped back into the reception but after only after a long while and I didn’t remember seeing Amelia for the rest of the night. Hell, I hadn’t seen Amelia again until a few days ago.

  “It was Angelica,” I answered their mocking laughter somberly. The look on her grieving face still disturbed me. “I, uh, she…. she left the reception really upset and I was worried about her. I’m sorry Amelia, I wasn’t thinking when I left you there. I was just a bit desperate to get to Angelica. I really am sorry,” I offered sincerely, looking up from the table to meet her eyes.

  She stared back at me like she wasn’t sure what to believe, but with my most pathetic and genuine expression I tried to convince her to forgive me.

  “Was it really because of Angelica?” she asked, narrowing her eyes into shrewd slits.

  “Yes,” I half laughed putting my hands up in surrender. “She had just….” I swallowed before finishing, not wanting to show even my closest friends the weakness of my emotions. “She had just glimpsed Eden as she was waiting to walk into the reception and Eden reminded her of my mother. The ceremony had been very painful for her. It was all so soon after…. after everything, that Angelica needed a minute. She composed herself eventually, but I walked her back to the castle anyway. I’m sorry Amelia…. I had to make sure she was Ok.”

  “Well, damn,” Amelia sighed. “I can’t fault you for that. Even if you embarrassed me in front of the entire Kingdom.” I smiled my most charming smile at her and she shook her head like she already regretted forgiving me. “You may now address me as Mimi,” she waved her hand gallantly.

  “Not a chance, Amelia,” I answered in a husky voice and then I enjoyed watching her shiver from the sound of her name on my tongue.

  Yep, this was definitely better than eating breakfast alone.

  Chapter Ten

  “Excuse me sir,” a castle employee entered through the back door of the dining hall. I looked up instinctively. “There is someone here to see you.”

  “Is it important?” I asked, already feeling the tentacles of regret snaking around my stomach. My eyes flickered to Amelia without my permission, but as soon as we connected she looked immediately away. “Or can it way until I’m finished with my breakfast?”

  “It’s alright, Avalon,” Kiran answered before the butler could. “I’m finished, I’ll go.”

  “Are you sure?” I confirmed, feeling a little bit weird that Kiran kept stepping in front of me to handle the castle business. Maybe he really had missed all the diplomacy.

  “I’m sure, really. Enjoy your breakfast,” He stood, dropping his napkin on top of his plate and gave Eden a not-for-public-places kind of kiss and then left.

  Eden cleared her throat, a little breathlessly after he was gone and I wanted to gouge my eyes out with my spoon.

  “I’m finished too, are you ready Jericho?” Amelia asked in an overly bright voice.

  “Just about,” he answered thoughtfully and then announced to the rest of the table, “Amelia and I are going to do some sightseeing around Transylvania, maybe head back into Sibiu and climb the tower. Anyone care to join us?”

  I narrowed my eyes at my best friend trying to figure out his angle. Why was he inviting other people on his date with Amelia? If I were him, I would have gotten her the hell away from this Citadel and every other male alive, and kept her all to myself.

  But I wasn’t him, which was obvious by the way Amelia’s eyes kept darting to me nervously as if she were afraid I would agree to join them. And I was tempted to, seriously tempted to. More tempted than I had ever been to shirk every single one of my duties. But I couldn’t justify even chasing after the idea of Amelia while we faced this unknown threat, let alone Amelia herself. I had to focus on keeping the Kingdom safe.

  “I’ll go,” Seraphina piped up. “I don’t really have anything else to do since Sebastian left. But Jericho, just so you know, I’m wearing my pink Louboutins and I don’t want to hear anything about it. Do you understand me?” She pointed a perfectly manicured finger at him and I had to wonder for the millionth time how Sebastian handled her.

  “What is a Louboutin?” Jericho asked nervously.

  “It’s a shoe,” she replied with a practiced pout. “And it’s gorgeous and they’re brand new and I’m an Immortal so if I say I can hike in stilettos than I can damn well hike in stilettos. Do you understand me?”

  By the argument Seraphina was having with herself I wondered if maybe Sebastian wasn’t handling her so well after all.

  “I believe you,” Jericho agreed sincerely.

  “Ta
lbott, Lilly, Eden? Do you have some free time?” Jericho pressed. Apparently he was bound and determined to include us all.

  “We have a conference call in an hour with Silas and Gabriel about the threat,” Talbott explained making it sound like an apology.

  “Lilly? Surely you don’t have to be part of the call?” Jericho asked.

  “I actually have to meet with the staff and cancel some upcoming engagements Avalon was supposed to host. We don’t want to invite whoever these people are straight to the castle doors, so we are going to slow down Avalon and Eden’s public appearances for a while,” Lilly explained sweetly. And even if she couldn’t be my wife, I was so grateful to have her in charge of my household. She thought of everything.

  “Alright, Avalon, that leaves you, are you in?” Jericho asked; his eyes narrowed at me as if defying me to say no. Why did he want me to go so bad? I thought he would want to keep me away from Amelia. I mean, no offense to him or anything but I was pretty challenging competition in the realm of girls.

  “I uh-“ I started, really struggling to tell him no, when I would like nothing more than to wander around the touristy cities of Romania trying to persuade Amelia I wasn’t such a bad guy after all.

  But Amelia cut me off and answered for me, “Jericho, I’m sure he has to be part of the call with Sebastian.”

  I wanted to prove her wrong and explain that Kiran could handle it, but I knew that was irresponsible. Just the fact that she tempted me to turn my head on my responsibilities was enough to hammer in the point that I needed to stay away.

  Jericho seemed to sense my struggle, giving me an understanding nod and changing the subject. “I still can’t believe that I was in the same village as you and missed this entire conversation,” he mused.

  “Well, you can be pretty thick-headed at times,” I laughed. “And at the time I was having serious, important, life-altering conversations you were off hunting wild beasts.”