In the Shadows~zayn au~Completed ✅EDITING

~Chapter 57: For All The Wrong Reasons~

Helloooo everyone! It's NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and I am using my 50,000 words to further this story!! You're welcome ;). It helps me have the added push to update, so with any luck you'll be getting more and more chapters this month!! Thank you for all your encouraging messages and love on those last two chapters. That meant sooo much to me I can't even explain it to you. Massive thank you. ;) 

There's a bit of Zalysta going on in this, and as always I'm discussing a modern-day issue that is very important to me.

Remember, they just got done seeing King Thomas (Hardy) of Velia and he wasn't the most pleasant man to speak with.

He returned her gaze, intent and focused. He knew she wasn't just some member of the entourage. Somehow, he knew.

In the process of leaving the throne room, a woman stepped from amongst the group of people on the sides of the room and grasped Zayn's arm. Her beauty was a strong, capable kind, hair short in the fashion of Velian women, but her grace and elegant facial features left no one the possibility of mistaking her gender.

"Ambassador," the woman greeted lowly. "I must say that it's a pleasure to see you again. You left so quickly the last visit that we never had the chance to meet and discuss our opportunities for trade." What she said was entirely neutral, but her tone was seductive. She spoke in a breathy way. The familiar manner in which she touched his arm and brought her body close told Kalysta exactly what this woman desired to "meet" and "discuss". Women across all six nations; Kalysta had been right. In this case, she didn't want to be right. Jealousy had no place in... whatever she shared with the Ambassador, but it was there nonetheless.

"With tensions so high it would not be possible to discuss business right now, Lady Katherine," Zayn replied. "I apologize"

Kalysta was more than pleased with his response, but still felt full of inadequacy and jealous petulance. This woman was clearly in her prime, beautiful, sensual in her movement and fully capable of being whatever a man desired. Beside this woman, Kalysta saw herself as childish, bumbling around and playing dress-up. It was not a feeling she usually got and she loathed it, frustrated that Zayn had such an effect on her emotions.

They left, following a guard, but Louis broke away from them with a nod to Zayn.

"Where is he going?" she whispered in aside to Zayn.

"He has an... understanding with the palace cook," Zayn answered, "for whenever he's in town."

Kalysta didn't need further explanation. She knew exactly what that meant. It was probably the same unspoken understanding that Louis had with Beatrice.

It wasn't long before Mahir broke off too, making some excuse that he would be in the town, gathering information.

 There was something else on her mind, though, something she couldn't stay silent about.

"Who is this Lady Katherine?" she asked him, keeping her voice low so the guard couldn't eavesdrop. She wanted to seem nonchalant with her question, but that was impossible. "Is she another ally of ours?"

"Do you really want the particulars of how I know her?" Zayn sighed.

"You have an understanding with her, I suppose, so no, there's no reason to go into all that." It wasn't as if Kalysta had any right to be jealous; they weren't making any promises, so Zayn was still free as far as it was concerned. That was painful to consider. If Zayn were to go to that woman that evening, Kalysta couldn't protest with any rights. The only way to protest would involve expressing her feelings and she would keep that to herself, for both their sakes. Why complicate things?