Bound by Devotion

Chapter Three

Okay. I said this at the end and apologized for it. I will say it here as well. Until I can go back and edit it, the first half of this book is a little lacking on the others. I wrote it in fourteen days and a lot of what happened happens in the day. I will fix it and notify after I am done with my current series. I know. I promise.

The city looked different during the day, less dangerous and more the charming she thought it could be.

As they got closer to the center, they passed where Sebastian ripped the head off a living person and she stopped, leaning over the neck of Silhouette. She took a deep breath as she heard that scream that seemed to last forever and Kornae was at her side.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded. "Something happened here and while I'm mostly over it, I haven't seen it since it happened."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He was kidding, right? Had to be kidding. He was full of laughs.

She settled her mask back in place and lifted her head. "No. I don't."

Dark blue pulled at her but she held tight. No slipping. No confiding. No love.

"Led the way."

He gave a nod and together they walked their horses through the streets. Eve could feel the eyes on her and yes, it was as uncomfortable as she knew it would be. But this was something she had to do. Her mother never took the throne, but Eve would be damned if she embarrassed her. At a point where three streets met, Kornae pulled softly at the reigns. Eve came to a stop beside him. With sure confident movements, he dismounted before coming around to help her. Once again, his eyes zeroed in on the bruises on her bottom before they met hers with nothing different in his expression. Nothing whatsoever and that was it. She gave up.

It was near impossible to keep the mask in place as she threw a leg over, biting off her hiss of pain, and slid into his waiting hands. His fingers tightened for a half-second before releasing her. Most likely a 'let me make sure I have a good grip to shove her away as hard as I can' reflex.

So many people gathered around them, people and things. She remembered the number one rule, and while challenging the queen to a duel was probably prohibited, she wouldn't stare. She barely hear Kornae's introduction, but at the last moment, she remembered to bow. Kornae touched her back and she rose and the sight of so many bowing to her was insane. 

"Come, my Queen, sit with me and let us speak to the people."

His hand on the small of her back scalded her but she followed his lead, twisting away as soon as it wouldn't look awkward. She was going to do what she came to do. She was going to meet the people whose lives she helped to save. And if her feeling of foreboding that morning were true, she would have to do it again. She could feel the weight of his eyes on her after her movement, but she refused to look. Let him wonder.

She meant it. She was tired.

Person after person came to her, kneeling and swearing fidelity to her and she didn't know why. Kornae leaned over and whispered, "You killed Naida. That's in incredible accomplishment." The heat of his words hit her bare shoulder and she succeeded in not shivering.

He couldn't have made it anymore clear that they didn't stand a chance and she wasn't going to humiliate herself anymore.

"I didn't, my King. You did through me." She turned blank eyes to him.

"We did, then."

She went back to meeting the people and there was someone, slowly working their way through the line and God save her, she was carrying a baby.