The Lion's Gambit (Book One) Fully Released

Chapter X - Better Days

Lucinda hurried across the room toward the king, and she swiftly moved past Alexis. Kneeling next to William, she put her hand on his shoulder before feeling his father's chest. She explored around the dagger in his chest for a heartbeat.

"Is he still...?" Alexis began.

Lucinda stayed focused on the king before she closed her eyes. She then mouthed a few words under her breath before she started mending. Lucinda tried to heal his heart, but then she sat back on the ground, letting go of both William and the king. She kept her eyes closed as she sat there, and she felt a small tear fall from her right eye and freeze to her cheek.

William saw her face. He gripped his father's hand as he closed his own eyes, looking away from the others.

Lucinda lifted her hand to her cheek and wiped the frozen tear off. She looked up at Alexis as she shook her head. "I can mend some wounds, but not everything can be mended. The blade pierced his heart."

Lucinda stared as she heard William hold back his own emotions, and Alexis stared past Lucinda at her father lying lifeless on the ground. Alexis could feel the room grow a little colder as she tried to hold in her emotions.

Lucinda stood and wrapped her arms around Alexis. Resting her head on Alexis's bare shoulder. "I am sorry I was not here earlier. I should have never left you two."

Sonya pushed off Kota before hearing a door opening across the room. She met his eyes as she mouthed something, and he reached up, feeling his mask was no longer on his face. Instinctively, Sonya grabbed Kota's shoulder and leaned down, placing her hair to the side of her face before closing the distance between them with a kiss. It took aback Kota, but he embraced it as footsteps grew louder, moving closer to the two of them.

"What are you two doing here?" asked the figure in a mature, feminine voice. "Get up. This is not the time for that."

Still lying on the ground, Sonya pulled her face away from Kota's, and he stared into her eyes as she turned to keep her hair over his face. Sonya moved her face to meet the gaze of the woman, who had her hands on her hips and tapped her foot on the ground. Kota could feel the heat of Sonya's hands on his shoulders as her cheeks flushed.

"Sorry," she said. "We may have gotten a little carried away."

Pulling Kota off the ground, Sonya kept him behind her. She smiled at the woman as she looked them over, noticing the torn and burnt dress Sonya was wearing.

"Clean yourselves up and get back to the party. We will not use this night for that type of behavior, especially while I am around," said the woman, turning her back to the two of them.

Then she moved around the corner of the wall, where they could no longer see her.

Sonya untied her mask and placed it on Kota's face, reaching around to secure it. She pulled her hands back from behind his head as she turned. "We need to keep your identity a secret. I will be fine, and we will talk more about everything later, all right?"

Kota reached up, fixing the mask, moving it a little lower on his nose. "Yes... exactly. Let's find Alexis and Lucinda before we do anything else."

Sonya nodded as she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the entrance around the corner. The woman stood with her arms crossed, and she shook her head while the two of them passed her.

"Sorry about that. We will get back to the party," said Kota, smiling at her as Sonya opened the door and pulled him out into the hallway.

Sonya looked left and then right before looking back at Kota. "You lived here. Which way is the party?"