Tough cookie

“Beta Carter has just informed me of the recent events,” the king’s deep, captivating voice fills the room.

I glance toward him, stealing a quick look at his figure. He stands slightly taller than Carter, his white shirt fitting snugly against his muscular frame. His hair is short, scruffed to one side, the black strands fading into shaven sides. I avoid looking at his face, the memory of our earlier eye contact still making me uneasy.

“I’d like to apologize to you all,” the king continues, his voice steady yet commanding. “That woman was most definitely not my mate. She had me bewitched with dark magic.”

A wave of gasps ripples through the ballroom, shock evident in every face.

“Moving on from that,” the king adds, his tone shifting. “I want to thank you all for coming to celebrate with me. Please, enjoy the company and the refreshments.”

The atmosphere lightens in an instant. Cheers fill the air, the previously tense room now buzzing with warmth and relief. It’s as if the dark cloud has lifted, and I understand why they love their king so much.

I turn to my companions, still in awe of how smoothly everything has unfolded. “How did you manage to subdue Veronica?” I ask, curiosity getting the best of me.

Daisy grins widely, clearly proud of her handiwork. “I created a bouquet of flowers laced with a strong sedative. We weren’t sure if one would be enough, so we both carried one. When we squeezed the stalk, it released a powder that knocked her out cold.”

I can’t help but smile at her cleverness. “That’s brilliant,” I praise her. “You’ve got quite the magic touch.”

Daisy beams. “I’m not sure how long she’ll be out, but since it was a double dose, she should be down for a while.”

Maya shudders at the memory. “The dark energy was chilling, wasn’t it?”

“It was,” I agree, a sense of unease creeping back into me. “I don’t know what kind of dark magic it was, but I’ve never felt anything like that before.”

Before the conversation can get too heavy, Beta Carter reappears, taking a seat beside Arya. “You have my gratitude, Queen Lenora,” he says, his voice sincere. “I was worried we’d lost the king to that dark magic.”

His expression turns grim for a brief moment, but then he throws me a playful grin. “You guys are full of pleasant surprises.”

We all laugh together, the tension breaking for the first time in what feels like hours. “I’m just glad the king is back,” I say, glancing at Carter. “He must be shaken up after going through all that.”

Carter shrugs, trying to play it off. “Nah, he’s a tough cookie. He’s over it already.”

But his eyes betray him, the conflict clear in their depths. We all know that’s not true. No one just shakes off something like that.

As the conversation winds down, I feel a pair of eyes on me, watching closely. I glance up just as the chandelier dims, and soft music begins to play, signaling the start of the evening’s festivities.