Impossible to Love (Book 1 of The Starlite Heart)

The Royal Secret

Sophie thought many times about going to the castle to meet Dai but something always stopped her. The thought of impropriety never stopped her barging into Sia's room whenever she wanted. But then Sia had inherited her father's power to make people feel comfortable and welcome. Dai, though fraternal, lacked that warmth in his nature.

He would nevertheless have gotten a meeting with Sophie, if she wasn't worried about disturbing the newlyweds. Sophie had never properly met Mishty after the wedding and she wondered if it was by design. Dai and Sia had accepted her as their sister but the eastern princess may have her reservations. She did not want to make them uncomfortable by seeking a meeting with either of them when she was unwelcome by one. This was among the many excuses Sophie had told herself. In truth, she didn't want to see the castle without Sia in it.

King Suffle had drastically increased his trips to the grounds. The mountains held no charms for him without his two daughters. Dai was happy to take care of the realm and Mishty had assumed Sia's role in the castle.

The king tried to console himself by lots of travelling and tri-council meetings. He would always try to meet Sophie on such occasions. Both the wmpress and the queen  had started to get irritated with him. Queen Rowan was especially annoyed as the meetings required her to travel to the human castle.

"If I knew you would be calling me here this often, I would not have taken the vow," she said in one such meeting, tucking a white strand of hair behind her coffee coloured ear.

The empress Natasha promised her that there would be no more unnecessary meetings and turned to the king. " I get it. You need some excuse to come here. But can't you do that without calling the tri-council every other day?" She scratched her nose. "We may even play nisiman."

"Or you could take care of your realm," the queen said, sarcasm dripping from her lips. "Maybe talk to your son. Get to know his wife. Have a hobby."

King Suffle took the empress on her invite for nisiman, but he always lost.
One such day the empress advised him saying, "I know you starlites don't travel with the ceremony that the humans find necessary. But still, as a king you need to have some decorum."

Suffle raised his eyebrow in question.

"You are a king. You can't go to the wall every day to meet a commander. Once or twice is okay under the pretence of inspection and survey. And frequent visits to her house are also not proper, even if you say you are just buying clothes. I mean how many summer clothes do you need? You must have had enough to dress all the guardians." Before he could protest she said, "Think about her. She would not want to be known as the king's favourite again."

"Are you spying on me?" the king asked in his jovial manner, "or is it Neal?"

"I won't be an empress if I didn't know what's happening in my empire. And you know very well that Neal is in charge of the spies."

"Neal is in charge of everything, you may as well crown him."

"He knows he won't be able to pull off his," the empress paused, "what does Sia call it?"

"Shenanigans," Suffle supplied.

"Yes, that." the empress said. "He won't be able to do them when he sits on the throne."

"More of a reason then," the king said. "Those shenanigans need to stop."

"He is a child," Natasha defended. "But you are not. Act like a king."

"Can't you call Sophie here under some pretence?" he pleaded.

"And make her known as the empress' pet?"