Regius (12 page)

"We must go to the Steward
now." The Regius woman said softly, her hand touching my arm.
"Come." Gulping, I mutely allowed her to guide me down the stairs
and back into the long hallway.

Nothing was as I thought it
would be amongst the Regius. Nothing made sense. If I thought to
have experienced confusion before, I was sorely
mistaken.

* * * *

My heart skipped a beat
when a swarm of Regius soldiers appeared in the never-ending
hallway. But where I thought Maya and I would have to step aside
for them, when they saw us, they quickly moved their line to our
left, casting their eyes down and keeping silent. Watching their
faces in question, none of them tried to make eye contact with me
and when I looked at Maya, I saw that she'd pulled the translucent
wrap up to hide the lower part of her face.

Frowning, I picked up my
pace so I was walking beside her instead of behind and waited for
us to have passed the soldiers before asking.

"Who are you?" I knew her
name, I knew she was Regius and I knew that she obeyed Xania. But I
didn't know who she was to this entire hierarchy.

"The Steward doesn't allow
the men to look upon the faces of his women."
Women
. As in plural. "But maybe they
acted as such because your reputation precedes you."

"I didn't know I had a
reputation amongst you people." I wondered when the end of the
hallway would come upon us. "I didn't even know you people were
aware of my existence in the first place."

"Not until recently. But
when we heard whose daughter you are and what bloodline you come
from, your reputation was born without much help." Maya let the
veil fall back on her shoulders, the lower part of her face visible
to me again. "Your mother wounded the assassin that is feared even
amongst his own kind and your aunt killed the King. You cannot
blame them for feeling a tad skittish."

I let out a short chuckle.
"I don't blame them; I think them foolish."

Maya smiled. "Of course you
do. Why would a group of Regius fear one lone Altor." She stopped
walking and made sure I did too before reaching out and grabbing
onto something. My eyebrows rose when she moved a curtain that had
been painted to make it look as though the hallway continued.
Behind it was a staircase that went down into darkness. I couldn't
help but wince. People who didn't know it was there could seriously
hurt themselves if they kept on walking.

"They know they could
overpower you. They do not fear that," Maya murmured as she started
making her way down, clearly expecting me to follow. I did only
because I couldn't do anything else. She'd just pointed out the
reason. If I tried to run away, I’d surely be tackled down before I
could really do any damage. "But the women in your family are known
to leave scars in the Regius' history. They fear that cycle won't
end with you, but rather, worsen due to your strong ties with the
Royals."

"Galax." I whispered. "But
he's no longer one of you." Maya grabbed my arm all of a sudden,
stopping us in our tracks again. Looking up, I stared at an
unfamiliar woman making her way up the stairs. Her cold blue eyes
scanned me sharply, but she didn't slow in her steps to take a
better look. Her azure hair was cut neatly along her jaw line and
her uniform told me she was a high ranked soldier.

"Sage." Maya said softly,
bowing her head in respect even if the woman had already passed us,
her footsteps fading as the distance between us lengthened. We came
to the end of the stairs abruptly. "We are here." She told me,
pointing to the left where I saw a door.

"I beg of you," My head
snapped sharply at her pleading voice. "Don't anger him too much;
otherwise I will pay the price." Before I could respond, she
knocked, then pulled the door open, gesturing for me to go
inside.

I did, but when I heard
the door close, I realized she wasn't coming with me. I wanted to
contemplate her words a while longer, but the luxury of the room
was so overwhelming, I was distracted. It was a ballroom, really.
The floor looked like glass, much like the platform in the Pallium
castle. Only this platform was placed on top of beige wood from the
trees in
Immortalis Silva
and
carved with
intricate patterns.

The chandelier hanging in
the middle from the ceiling was the biggest I'd ever seen and the
outer circle of candles lit up each portrait. That wasn’t the only
light though, hundreds of candles on their respective holders were
planted around the platform. Frowning as I slowed my steps to look
at patterns properly, I realized they were portraits.

I didn't recognize any of
the men engraved onto the wood, but I could guess who they were.
Former kings of Zinc. They had to be because each portrait had a
blue diamond pressed into the wood where their foreheads were, the
same spot where Galax had his dot. Turning my attention away from
the floor I looked up, noticing two enormous stair cases rounding
around the circular platform upwards, leading to an inside balcony
looking out over the ballroom. Large windows were at the back of
this inside balcony, illuminating the forest where I could see
flowers growing on the trees.

"Solenum Everhart." I
tensed, looking around the area carefully as I couldn't seem to
locate where the unfamiliar voice was coming from

"Daughter to Aster and
Leann Everhart." He continued. "Altor and Seer. Niece to the
honorable Jacoby warriors, Acacia and Lupinus. Protégé of Flux
Kaminski, Pallium leader. Friend to Calycanthus Esquivel, hunted by
the Regius." He paused for a beat, his voice turning darker,
heavier as he said the following. "Lover to the Regius prince." The
smirk, or grin, was very clear in his tone. "Or so rumor has it." I
turned my eyes skywards when that last had been clear enough for me
to locate the source.

"Xania Reinhardt." I
stated, my upper lip curling in disgust as I saw the man smirking
down at me, his hands planted on the railing of the
balcony.

"Please." Straightening, he
pointed at the right stairs. "Join me." I had to remain steady and
not show him I was afraid. As I slowly made my way up the steps, I
never allowed my eyes to leave his figure. He was so tall. His hair
was blue and of course his skin was pale. Naturally, all Blue
Bloods carried this trait as I carried the Altor and Seer traits.
But while Galax had a gentle air about him and Digitalis a very
sharp and dangerous demeanor, Xania looked royal. His blues were
brighter than that of Galax and he wore his hair in a low pony
tail, two short bangs ending right above his eyebrows. He wore
beautiful azure clothing, worthy of a king. A large silk belt was
tied around his waist, decorated with golden cords, knee high boots
made of black leather. It was clear he overcompensated with
accessories and expensive fabrics to hide the fact that the royal
mark was absent from his forehead. Although it might work at first
glance, looking at him a second longer, you were instantly reminded
that he was only the Steward.

A smile was playing on his
lips as he stepped closer to me once I reached the last step. He
had a goatee and surprisingly, he didn’t look really evil. Had he
approached me in less extravagant clothing back when I’d still been
living in LV, I most likely wouldn’t have realized he was a danger.
Unlike Sage, he didn’t have that coldness about him, he actually
seemed to be a very warm, almost cheerful person. Which made him
all the more terrifying. If Xen had looked anything like his elder
brother, Xania, then Galax had to take after his mother.

He leaned in, scanning me
over curiously using his hand to grip my chin tightly between his
fingers so he could turn my head.

"Pretty." He whispered,
his index finger
caressing
my jaw line, forcing me to remember I had a gag
reflex. "Not at first glance. But looking closer..." I pulled my
chin free from his grasp, and he smirked. “Though you lack a
certain feminine aspect both mind and body, I can see that you are
a strong woman. This in turn makes me understand why my nephew is
so taken with you." As he said this, his tone sounded curious. "An
heir subconsciously seeks for the mate that carries the traits
necessary for a Queen. It is not surprising he should have fallen
for a girl descending from the Greenwich bloodline. Fine women in
your family."

"
Altor
women." I clipped out, trying
not to shudder or do anything rash as he continued to observe me
meticulously, as though he could figure out all my secrets by
staring at me long enough.

"Galax is not the first
pure blood to take an interest in an opposing race." Xania stated,
reminding me of how Xen had kidnapped Ivy, even if he'd already had
wife and heir. "Won't you sit and eat?" This is why he was more
dangerous than Digitalis or Sage. He wanted me to feel comfortable
so that when he needed it, he could pull the rug out from beneath
my feet. Xania was smart, and I had to be careful.

"Fine." I allowed, making
my way over to the long, rectangular dining table that carried a
luxurious amount of food. I didn't flinch when he pulled a chair
out for me and I didn't snap when his fingers touched my shoulders
after I'd seated myself. But I couldn't help the small sigh of
relief when he decided to sit on the opposite end of the table,
placing a great amount of distance between us.

"You are his. Even I, a
pure blood Regius, know it would be wrong to take you from him." He
unfolded a napkin, tucking the tip of it into his collar before
proceeding with the dinner on his plate.

I wasn't going to touch
mine. "What do you want with me?" I ground out as he eyed me in
amusement. "Galax isn't going to come after me. You won't be able
to use me for blackmail." I was confident as I declared
this.

"Are you saying this is all
a waste?" Not liking the look that had appeared on his face, I
edged out the following.

"Yes."

"So," He murmured, putting
down his silverware and dabbing at his mouth with the napkin. "You
are saying that I can kill you and it won't matter?"

"I suppose in your mind, I
am saying that. Just believe me when I say Galax isn't going to
give up the happiness of the Civilians and Palliums to get me
back." I tensed in my chair, grabbing the tablecloth so I could
fist something. "Even your enemy understands the concept of
collateral damage."

"You believe he doesn't
love you?" He sounded confused.

I shook my head. "He does,
but that isn't the issue. Giving up everything everyone has worked
on for so long, and the things the Palliums and Altors have
achieved? They aren't going to give all that up just so I can stay
alive." They were smarter than that. "I may be important to the
Regius because I am Acacia's niece, the one who killed Xen." I let
his name fall from my lips easily and I smiled discretely as Xania
faltered for just a second. "And I may be sleeping with the Regius
heir, but unlike you, Galax won't risk millions of lives just for
mine."

"Galax is not Pallium,"
Xania began, my teeth gritting at his words. "He may have been
brought up by them, but he still has our blood running through his
veins. We are known for our determination, our cruelty; it is what
makes us great Leaders. Not even Galax can ignore the rush that
will flow through him when something important has been taken from
him." He paused. "Especially since you are his light. And because
we are putting his light in danger, threatening to kill it, the
blood that is blue within him will not tolerate this. The
determination will kick in; he will not be able to stop himself
from coming to find you." He laughed softly. "He can keep trying to
convince himself to be Pallium, but a Regius he will remain
forevermore."

"No!" I shouted, standing
up forcefully and disturbing the dinnerware. "He doesn't have your
cruelty." I kept my voice raised, feeling the need to scream it
out. "He is not like you. He may have blue blood and he may be a
pure blood, but he won't use what you Regius consider to be a gift
to do harm. He
loves.
He knows how to love!" My words echoed through the ballroom.
"He is too smart to risk the balance between the Altors and the
Regius for me."

"How can you be so
certain?"

"Because he knows that I
would lose respect for him were he to give in to his cruelty." I
was startled when Xania suddenly laughed.

"So it
does
revolve around you. It isn't
because he loves his people. It's because he's afraid he might lose
your love."

I closed my eyes, jaw
locking. "Do not twist my words." He was wrong, I was right. I had
to believe this.

"Very well," Xania drawled
out. "Let me get straight to the point." I remained silent, waiting
for him to continue. "I need information and you are going to give
it to me."

"I cannot see like your
Seer can." Was that his second reason for kidnapping me? Did he
think I had the curse of foresight?

"I have long since given
up on receiving aid of that kind. Your Seer blood doesn't matter to
me." He didn't give me time to respond. "Tell me where I may find
Lupinus." I swallowed the surprise at hearing my guardian,
my uncle's,
name. I had
no idea where Lupinus was. But...