Chapter 166: Apéritif

LYSANDER

Her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly between us.

She froze.

Then she closed her eyes and swore under her breath. "Oh, for fuck’s sake."

I couldn’t help the small smile that pulled at my mouth. "I guess we should get something inside of you."

She opened her eyes, looking mildly offended. "You had to say it like that?"

"Like what?"

"You know exactly how you said it."

I chuckled, brushing my thumb beneath her eye and catching the last trace of moisture there. "Food, sweetheart. I meant food."

"Right." Her cheeks warmed, and she glanced away. "Obviously."

I slipped an arm around her waist, guiding her down the corridor. "Come on. You’ve had enough emotional breakdowns for one day. Let’s see if we can at least keep you from starving to death."

She leaned into my side, a reluctant smile finally appearing on her face. "You’re very irritating when you’re trying to be comforting."

"I’ll take that as a compliment."

"It wasn’t."

"I’ll take it anyway."

Her laugh was quiet, but it was real. After everything that had happened, hearing it felt like a victory.

She took a deep sigh, the sound heavy enough to make me glance at her.

Through the mate bond, I could feel the war still raging inside her. The unease. The hesitation. The thoughts she was trying to push down and failing. Whatever relief she had found in my arms had not lasted as long as I had hoped.

"I do hope my pep talk worked," I said gently. "Because you seem disturbed again."

She was quiet for a few steps, her fingers tightening slightly around mine.

"It will take a while to get it out of my head," she admitted. "But that is not why I..."

She trailed off, swallowing hard.

I looked at her. "Not why you what?"

Her gaze dropped to the floor. For a moment, she said nothing, and I felt another wave of uncertainty ripple through the bond.

"There is something I need to tell you."

I slowed to a stop. "What is that?"

She looked up at me, her expression unreadable.

"After dinner."

I studied her face for a moment, but whatever she was holding back, she clearly wasn’t ready to say it yet.

"Okay."

I squeezed her hand once, then started walking again.

I didn’t press her.

Whatever she needed to tell me, she would tell me when she was ready.

I had Fia to thank for that at least.

The dining room was just as grand as I remembered, though I had never quite known what to make of it.

The ceiling rose several stories above us, crossed by dark wooden beams and edged with intricate goldwork that caught the light from the enormous chandelier hanging overhead. Tall windows stretched along one wall, their heavy curtains drawn back to reveal the fading evening beyond. Portraits of past monarchs lined the walls, each one painted with the same stern expression that suggested none of them had ever laughed at a dinner table in their lives.

The table itself was absurdly long, polished dark wood that gleamed beneath the candlelight. It could seat more than twenty people comfortably, though tonight there were only two of us.

It was the sort of room designed to remind everyone who entered it that they were dining with royalty.

I had been born into that world.

I still wasn’t used to it.

I pulled out a chair for Bonnie and helped her into it before taking the seat beside her rather than sitting at the head of the table.

A moment later, an Omega approached from a side entrance.

At first glance, I assumed he was a private chef. He wore immaculate white clothing beneath a dark apron, his silver hair neatly tied back, and he carried himself with the confidence of someone accustomed to serving important people.

"Your Highness," he greeted with a bow. "Your dinner has been prepared."

His gaze shifted to Bonnie.

"Your Highness."

Bonnie gave him a polite nod.

"We have prepared several options this evening," he continued. "There is roasted venison with a red wine reduction, herb-crusted lamb, grilled river fish with lemon butter, and a selection of roasted vegetables. There is also mushroom soup, fresh bread, and a selection of desserts should you wish for something afterward."

I looked at Bonnie.

She barely reacted.

That made sense.

She had spent a significant amount of time in this place, even if she had once occupied the position of a retainer rather than a ’would-be’ member of the royal family. She knew the routines. She knew the servants. She knew the ridiculous number of choices that could somehow appear whenever someone in this family decided they were hungry.

I, on the other hand, had been born into it.

And somehow, I still wasn’t used to it.

"I’ll have the lamb," I said. "With the roasted vegetables."

The Omega inclined his head.

"And I will have the fish," Bonnie said. "With the mushroom soup."

"Very good." The Omega then turned to leave.

"Wait."

He stopped immediately.

My gaze drifted down the length of the table.

There were enough empty chairs to make the room feel strangely lonely.

An idea came to me.

"Will Her Majesty, Queen Edelina, and my dear cousin be joining us tonight?"

The Omega hesitated.

"They requested that their meals be brought to their rooms, Your Majesty."

I stared at him for a moment.

"That will not stand."

His expression shifted slightly.

"We are a family," I continued, leaning back in my chair. "And what better way to bond than around the dinner table?"

The Omega looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"Tell them they should join us here."

He paused before speaking again. "Both of them?"

"Both."

He swallowed. "Of course, Your Highness."

He bowed and hurried away.

Bonnie watched him disappear through the doorway before slowly turning toward me.

"Would that not be asking for trouble?"

I looked down the empty length of the table again.

"They brought it on themselves."

She stared at me for a moment, then sighed.

"You really intend to do this."

"I really do."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "You’re going to regret it."

"Probably."