Blue Flames

Chapter 44

I'm Back...

Also... I'm sorry for not updating for so long! 

I'll try my hardest to continue writing Blue Flames in the upcoming weeks. Hopefully, I won't jinx myself this time. Hopefully.

Huge thanks to everyone who voted or commented or left me a message. You guys are the sweetest.

Enjoy!

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We had dinner at Venus' palace.

The dining room was an opulent space of gold and turquoise. A large square table sat in the center, its dark wood gleamed under the bright lights of the chandelier. The chairs, upholstered with turquoise velvet, matched the long curtains covering the windows. French doors opened to a terrace, letting in a cool breeze.

In attendance were the Five, their entourage and members of the council, including my father and his consort. Everyone was still standing in clusters, discussing whatever it was that important people discussed.

Noah delivered me to Arthur's company and joined another man. By the amber eyes and the stubborn set of his jaw, it must be his brother.

"How do you feel?" Arthur asked in a low voice. I avoided his eyes, dead set on ignoring him.

"Peachy."

"Are you still mad?" he asked, taking a step closer. It was difficult to ignore him with the amount of heat he emanated. And his smell. And his looming presence.

I was a lost cause.

I glared at him. "Whatever are you talking about?"

His eyes smiled. "I'm talking about our earlier quarrel, when you were deeply concerned for my safety."

I crossed my arms. "You're not taking this seriously, are you?"

"Let me see." He frowned, then snapped his fingers as if recalling something. "'you realize that we'll be facing a lot more crap before this trip is over-'"

"I'm going to stab you in the face," I told him. He just threw my words back at me. "this is not the same situation and you know it."

"Isn't it?" he asked.

Before I could argue. He looked over my shoulder, his amusement disappeared behind the mask of his public image.

"Your highness, your highness," Arthur said. "What a lovely evening."

I turned, standing next to Arthur as Amelia and my father stopped in front of us.

"Lovely indeed," Orion said. "You've been keeping my daughter much to yourself, lord Arthur."

"And I will continue to do so in the future," Arthur replied. "I'm very fond of her, you see."

Heat climbed up my neck. Arthur's amusement travelled through the bond, yet his expression remained stoic. Asshole.

My father grunted. "I see." He switched his attention to me. "You've had an altercation with some of my people earlier."

"Yes?" I raised my brow. Where was he going with this?

He sighed. "I would have appreciated the first contact with your people to not be hostile. They were simply kids being kids. A measure of self control should have been used."

Pushing away the illogical sense of hurt, I held up one finger. "First, they're not my people." I added a second finger. "I didn't choose to make first contact. My reaction to the situation was quite reasonable, if I do say so myself. Also, you should teach your people to be more cautious in the future. I know they're young, but this is the real world. If it had been someone else, they would have been in a lot more crap."