Deciding Skies (Fate's Intent Book 2) (24 page)

Of course they followed. I wasn’t mad about it. I knew it was going to happen but I tried ignoring them so I could hear Adele.

She was standing up against the piano on the stage with the director sitting in front of it, focusing down on the keys. “I felt your presence all night but I never would have expected this.”

Adele glanced up at her head to the crown that sat perfectly on it. “Oh, no. It’s not anything close to what you think. I’m not staying. I can’t.”

“I understand, your duty elsewhere keeps you away but your mother knew you’d come back.”

Adele shifted her eyes to the floor and her voice sounded like it was full of regret, almost making me want to go to her. “I’ve always thought it was the last place I’d want to be.”

“But?” I didn’t move when he asked, waiting for her response.

“But what? That’s it.”

I’ll admit I may have been looking for more than that but I should have been used to her short answers by now.

“I think there’s more and you know there is. Maybe it has something to do with why you’re really here. Not for us, I’m sure.”

“I see you saw Deven.”

“He wasn’t too thrilled to know you’ve returned.”

“I didn’t have a choice this time. I’m here from my own mistakes. It’s a complicated story.”

“I don’t think it’s as complicated as you make it seem. You’re just not looking at it the way others are.”

Yes! Maybe someone else could make her see it. Or so I thought until she spoke again.

“I’m looking at it the way the others should as I’m just guessing you already know who I’m talking about.”

“It’s not hard to guess but why do you hide from it?”

Yes. Why?!

“I have to. It’s the way things are. Don’t you think I’d choose their way if I could? But I can’t. I can’t do that to them.”

“Make them happy?”

“It wouldn’t. Not when my father found out. Remember your reaction when mother came back and told you she’s in love with the enemy?”

He paused as if thinking back on it. “Of course. It’s something I could never forget. I was disappointed but I knew that it made her happy so I let her go.”

It was a sad story but something about it changed Adele. She took a deep breath and started getting emotional with every word. “That’s where you’re different. My father would never let me go. He has an army at his fingertips and he would use it without question. They’re strong but they’re not strong enough.”

“I see. So, you’re worried for his safety.”

She didn’t have to worry. She did it too much already.

“Don’t say it like that. You make it sound like I’m—”

She hesitated to say it but I was waiting for someone to. I knew what she was thinking and watched the director lean forward with a quiet whisper of those two little words. “In love?”

She instantly denied it. “No. I’m not. I mean, I can’t be. It’s just—”

“What?”

She took a breath as she often does before she says the wrong thing. “I can’t see him get hurt because of me and he will if I let this continue. He’s better off to stay far away from me where I know he’s safe and alive. They all are. We only bring death.”

I couldn’t believe her or I just didn’t want to. I couldn’t live without her after this experience so someone had to get through to her and I hoped it was him.

“Maybe that’s not what they care about and your friends? What would they think?”

“I know what they’d think but they also know that I’m right. They know all too well what could happen if this got out, what would happen to them if we exposed this. There’s no looking away from it.”

Movement next to me caused me to look back. Jaylyn looked upset and Troy was leading her away. She must not have liked what she heard and I signaled for Darius and Ruby to follow them. They did without a word and I was left to hear more of this.

“This was never something I wanted.” Adele continued. “But he’ll be better off this way. I may never be happy again but knowing that he’s here, safe and alive, that’d be enough for me.”

“You can’t go against Fate here. You came here for a reason, Zayden brought you here for a reason, you’ve been staying with him for a reason and you are standing here now with that crown on your head for a reason. Everything is a sign.”

“Not this. There are so many reasons why this can’t be me, why it shouldn’t be.”

I broke. I couldn’t just stand by anymore and listen to this going in the wrong direction. “Yes, it should.” I walked out from behind the curtain, my eyes pulsing with hope on Adele.

She was easily startled and quickly spun her head in my direction. “Zayden!”

We stared at each other and the director respectfully got up from the piano. “You have much to discuss. I take my leave.”

We were completely alone now and I was ready to fix this. All of this.

I walked right up next to her and took her hands while still looking in her eyes with mine so she wouldn’t look away. “It should be you and if I could choose it, it would be. I know we haven’t known each other very long but I know how much I want to be with you.”

She still seemed flustered that I was there at all and of course, tried to say something negative. “Zayden, I—”

“Can’t. I know and my father wouldn’t allow it either. That’s why I’m going with you.”

“With me?”

“Yes, with you, back to Kalu if that’s what he’s choosing to do with you.”

“But Zayden, you can’t. It’d be just as dangerous for you to be there as it is for me to be here.”

“It’s worth the risk. I can’t let you walk out of my life and have you go the rest of yours miserable just to protect me. I won’t have that. We’ll only be happy when we’re together, no matter the danger.”

“But Zayden—”

“No. I don’t want you to say anything because I don’t want to argue this. Right now, I just want to get my Princess home and behind a closed door.”

“Zayden—”

I put my finger up to her mouth to stop her. “Shh. Just leave it and we’ll deal with it when the time comes like I said we would.”

Adele lowered her head with an even lower voice. “I’m not right for you.”

It was almost sweet how she could be so stubborn. I smiled and lifted her chin so her eyes met mine again. “Why don’t you let me be the one to decide that? This couldn’t be more right for me.”

I brought my lips down into hers just to prove how much I meant it and hoped that she would finally get it and end this.

Chapter 33

Jaylyn

No. I didn’t want to listen but she was right, wasn’t she? They could never really come with us. We’d be in enough trouble as it is when we got home. We would already be lying to the Queen so we don’t get killed but someone would find out anyway unless the Great Seni Fighters laid low and made everyone in Kalu really think they were dead but it would be difficult. Word gets around all too quickly. It always does and if they came with us, well, that would just make things even more difficult.

I was dying inside with what could happen. I didn’t want to lose Troy at all but keeping him seemed to be just as hard. I didn’t know what to do.

I clung tight to him as we rode back to the palace but I never said a word. In fact, no one said a word like if we had, it wouldn’t have been happy and no one wanted that. I most certainly didn’t and even when we got back, it was silent in the stables until Zayden came into view.

“So, that’s what took so long.” Darius said. “You walked?”

Zayden was walking his horse with Adele riding.

“What are you still doing in here?”

Troy laughed for the first time in a while like something had truly been funny. “I’m surprised you asked. Remember what happened the last time we came home without you? Father went ballistic.”

“Guess you could say we’ve learned our lesson.” Darius smiled.

“Humph.” Zayden muttered. “That does shock me.” He reached his horse’s stall and helped Adele down.

“You okay?” I asked her, ready to just get this conversation over with.

She looked to Zayden and he raised an eyebrow before turning away to remove the horse’s gear. “Yeah.” Adele tried to sound as if nothing was wrong but I could tell. “I’m fine.”

“Well, great!” Ruby smiled, obviously trying to change the mood. “Now I’d like to put an end to this day. Do you even know how late it is?”

“You could have done that already.”

Darius shook his head. “Oh, no. We’d regret that for sure. It be worse this time knowing father knew Zayden would have been out with you.”

Zayden laughed while he locked up the stall door. “What? Worse?”

“Yes, worse. We don’t need to talk about why.”

“Because of me.” Adele whispered.

“I don’t care about what he thinks.”

“Well, you should.”

Adele reached to her head to take off the crown so it could be safely brought back inside but Zayden surprisingly stopped her from touching it by lowering her hands for her. “Leave it.”

“But Zayden—”

“I said I don’t care and I’m proving it. Let’s go inside.” He took her arm while showing his charming smile and Adele could only stare at it as she was being pulled along. It was like his smile alone could make her do anything even something as dangerous as this. It was nice to see the softer side of her where she actually cared about something. I knew she cared about Zayden and that’s why she listened.

“There you are!” The King’s loud booming voice filled the main hall the moment we stepped inside. “Where have you been?! You’ve been gone for four hours!”

“We went to a show. You wanted us to be kept busy, remember?”

“Indeed.” Izin’s eyes were narrowing on Adele standing next to his son and the gold shining from atop her head. I clenched Troy’s arm, hoping he wasn’t going to lash out.

“Is the council still here or have they left?” Zayden asked, trying to get his father to keep talking.

“Came and went.”

I instantly shared a curious look with Troy. They were gone already? Without us? It only made me want to know what they decided since we obviously didn’t leave with them like they said.

“And?”

“And I need to speak with the ladies.”

I saw Adele shift and start to let go of Zayden.

“Not you. At least not yet. For now I’d like to speak with your lovely companions.” I became fearful but curious when he turned and started walking back towards the conference room.

Why did he want to talk to us separately? I looked up at Zayden and he appeared to not know either. It only made me want to know more and I went with Darius and Troy who walked us after the King.

“Inside.” Izin said as he turned. “You two can wait out here.”

“No!” Troy snatched, grabbing me and making sure I was held tightly to him like he was worried and needed to protect me even from the man he calls father.

“Troy—”

“Father, I’m not—”

“Making a discussion of this. You will wait out here. No harm will come to them.” Izin took my other arm gently and slowly pulled me away from Troy, not to startle him and make him act. He just stood still. His eyes were on me and he couldn’t even seem to blink like when he found out I had curls.

“I’ll be fine.” I assured him. I walked inside the room with Ruby and Izin closed the door.

“That’s exactly what we need to talk about.”

“What is, your majesty?”

We followed him to the table and waited for him to sit down on the other side before we did. “The effect you have made on my boys. I have never seen them this way before.”

“Sorry.” Ruby muttered.

Izin smiled. “No. No. I actually am grateful. They’ve had it pretty hard in the past and I’ve never thought I would see them happy in this way.” Ruby looked at me and we were both wondering where he was going with this. “There’s something specific I wanted to discuss with you. Something that would surely change things.”

“Change things?” I had a tiny sign of worry showing through on my innocent voice and that fear came back to me but only for a moment.

“Not in a bad way. I brought you in here without an audience so that I may offer you a new life.”

“What kind of a new life?” Ruby asked, seeming extremely skeptical already.

“Here. With us. Or more so them.”

My eyes widened in disbelief, my heart raced for the truth. “What? You mean you’re actually offering us a place here? My brother was okay with that?”

“Of course. He just wants to see you happy. I pleaded Troy’s case for him and things took a dramatic turn.”

“How is this even happening?”

“Well, I’ve seen how attached they have become of you and I know how you feel about your lives in Kalu. You wouldn’t be imprisoned if you chose to make Seni your home.”