The Beast And The Blessed by Ashley Breanne
Chapter 29
Killian’s P.O.V.
What is your favorite color?
That is what I went with. I could have asked her anything, anything at all, and I went with what her favorite color was. I wanted to shift into my beast just so I could chew my own foot off for my i*dio*tic question.
Blue.
The small detail seemed so big to me, and I couldn’t help but smile widely to myself as I remembered the way her eyes had lit up when I had asked her. She liked that I had taken an interest and had broken the silence.
I liked the silence normally. I loved it even. It was the only way I could keep the hundreds of thoughts in my head straight as I managed an entire kingdom. But sitting with her in silence, knowing she was mad at me, made me itch with discomfort. I wanted to hear her voice and feel her touch.
So, I broke it, and the bright smile she sent me in response was worth it.
I sent a quick message to Natalie’s personal maid, telling her to make sure there were plenty of blue dress options for her tonight. She acknowledged my request, and I sat back in my desk chair, trying to picture Natalie in a blue dress.
Every curve of her body was made to be shown off, and I found myself closing my eyes as I pictured my mate
“Don’t tell me I’m interrupting something.” Joselin’s voice called out from the entrance to my office. I opened my eyes to see her standing by the open door as she smirked at me. “You look happy. I’m a*s*suming you two worked things out?”
I tried to push down my smile, but I couldn’t. I just kept picturing how Natalie had lit up when I spoke to her this morning. “We came to an understanding.”
“How romantic,” She said deadpanned as she entered my office, pausing with her hand on the doorknob as if questioning if she wanted it open or closed, before giving in with a sigh and swinging it behind her. “And Natalie, how is she?”
Joselin didn’t show very many emotions. It was kind of hard to with her looks and upbringing. The eyes gave away more information than most people knew and not being able to see her irises made it very difficult to read her sometimes. It was her body language that gave her away. The black lines on her ghostly-pale skin moved in different rhythms when she was excited, anxious, or angry.
From the way that they moved now, and the palm she rubbed against her thigh, she was nervous.
“She is well,” I said, biting back my amusement at the annoyed look she sent me. I knew she was asking if things would be okay between her and Natalie. She had been excited to bring Natalie home. Not many women in the castle enjoyed talking to Joselin. She didn’t know how to interact with people and came across as a bit dark and evil to most. It was humorous to watch her interact with others.
“With all do respect, sometimes when we talk, I want to hurt you,” Joselin said as she dropped her head back against the chair as she sat down, and I chuckled at the action.
“If you want to know if she still h*ates you for sleeping with me, just go ask her.” I looked down, masking, my emotions as I began to look through the new stack of papers on my desk.
“I have never slept with you!” She shouted as her hair blew back from her face, and the lines on her skin danced faster than before.
I glanced up at the clock behind her, wondering what Natalie was doing at the moment, but pushed the thought from my head. Baby steps. That was what I had decided and what I needed to stick to. I couldn’t spend all of my time thinking about her.
“Then, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about, should you?” I snapped back, and she groaned in annoyance.
“You don’t understand women at all!” She snapped before turning to walk out of the room.
“You just got here. Where are you going? We have work to do.” I ground my teeth as she turned her back to me and kept on toward the door.
“To speak with your mate, what do you think?” She argued as she pulled open the door.
“She’s spending the day with Charlie,”
Joselin let the door swing shut in front of her, locking her back in the room with me as her head fell forward. Charlie and Joselin loved each other like sisters, but Joselin hated all the girlie staff my sister did to prepare for a formal function. “Fine. What do you need me to do?”
The guests had been rolling in for the past hour, far more than had actually been invited, but I would never turn my people away. If they wished to welcome their princess home, they were more than welcome to. Maybe it would make Charlie feel loved enough to want to come back and forget the nightmare of a childhood we had here.
Normally, at these events, I was calm and collected, but as I waited for Natalie, I was ready to pull my hair out. Never before had I cared about women’s clothing, but I couldn’t help but wonder if she had picked out one of the blue dresses.
“Don’t look so grumpy,” Joselin said as she walked by, looking like she was sent by the grim reaper himself in her black lace, floor-length dress. She didn’t stop, and I scowled further at the back of her head as she was let into the ball. She didn’t bother to wait for her introduction, and I knew I would find her going directly to the food table, the same thing Charlie was bound to do once she got inside.
Natalie’s smell hit me before I could respond, and I turned to see the most beautiful woman standing before me. Her eyes glanced from me to the back of Joselin as the doors were closed behind her with, uncertainty, and I shook my head as if I could hear her thoughts.
She forced a smile back to me, and I glanced down at the emerald green dress she had selected.
Green. She had chosen green.
My chest felt warm at the discovery, and I resisted lifting my hand up to rub away the odd feeling.
No straps were holding it up, and the back trailed behind her by only a few inches. I knew she was wearing heels from how tall she was, and I briefly wondered what it would be like to see her in only the heels.
The deep green of the fabric made her eyes pop, and the bright red of her lips had mine parting with desire. I wanted to taste her, even if it was only one kiss. But I knew it couldn’t happen. Kissing was done by people who had feelings. I knew that Natalie was growing on me, and as much as I resisted, I wanted what I couldn’t have.
The small tiara on her head was far too small for someone in her position, and I made a note to have my mother’s old crown improved soon so I could give Natalie something to wear that she would be proud of.
“You look beautiful,” I let out, sounding like a teenager seeing his crush for the first time and smacking myself for it. I was a king, and I needed to remember that. It seemed the more I was around her, the more often I forgot that fact.
I rolled my shoulders back as she approached, and the way her pupils dilated made my chest puff with pride.
“You look very nice as well.” She lifted her hand, and I grabbed her soft fingers. She let out a soft breath at my touch, and I relaxed as I turned until we were shoulder to shoulder, placing her hand in the ** of my elbow.
“Are you ready?” I asked, staring ahead toward the doors as I regained my dignity. My voice came out firm and deeper than before. The golden crown on my head held still as I lifted my chin in preparation for our announcement. “Charlie should be here in just a moment. She will go first, and we will be the last ones to enter.”
She nodded just as Charlie came rushing forward, “Sorry, sorry! I had to make sure I looked perfect.”
I narrowed my eyes at the way she nervously fidgeted with the end of her necklace before taking a deep breath and calming herself. Never before had I seen her so anxious for a royal function, let alone her own. welcome home celebration.
“I’m ready,” She said softly as she too lifted her chin and stood before the double doors several feet in front of us where people could see only her from below the landing.
“Her Royal Highness, Princess Charlotte Amery!” The Master of Ceremonies called out, his voice carrying through the now silent crowd below as Charlie began to descend the stairs. My eyes narrowed as I noticed her hand shaking slightly before she grabbed the banister.
Natalie’s hand tightened on my arm as she took in a deep breath to calm herself and copied Charlotte’s posture with her chin lifted.
“His Majesty, King Killian Amery, and Her Highness, Natalie Matthews.”