The Alpha's Temptation

Every other woman in the audience including the prince and the kings dipped their heads in respect as Eltanin took Tania around for formal introductions. Tania was a little surprised by the sudden change in their behavior. Right from the morning till the afternoon and then evening, people were behaving very casually with her. However, when she heard that King Eridanus had even asked for Eltanin’s hand for his daughter, she was angered.

So, she reasoned. It was only because now they knew that they could no longer offer the hands of their sisters or daughters to him. She couldn’t help but laugh at all of them on the inside.

After Tania had met them, she was standing at the back of the ball along with her mother and Taiyi.

“You were too good on the dais, Lusitania,” Taiyi chuckled, barely able to contain her laugh. “You have shut them all up in one smooth move!”

Kinshra couldn’t help feeling proud of her daughter. She didn’t let herself become the victim of circumstances. She took the matter in her hands and gave it back to them. Kinshra wished she had that kind of grit. Her daughter was nearly the same age as she was when Sirrah hatched plans against her. A sigh escaped her lips. She saw how Biham reacted when they accused his daughter of dark magic. Her gaze went to her husband on whose face, anger was still lingering.

Tania blushed slightly. In a low voice she said, “Eri and Petra had come to my bedchamber earlier in the evening. They wanted to convince me that I should allow them to marry Eltanin!”

“What?” Taiyi was shocked.

Tania shrugged. “I didn’t know what happened after that.”

After a moment of silence in which Taiyi narrowed her eyes, she just burst out laughing.

Eltanin and Alrakis watched their wives wondering what was going on between them. They gave each other a questioning look and then resumed talking to the kings around them.

—

Felis was pacing in his room. Ever since he had heard about Princess Lusitania, he had started dreaming about how he would make her his. It was late in the night but sleep was nowhere near him. He had received a message from Menkar that he was going to get the fae girl near the borders of the Hydra Kingdom. Eltanin would also be there. After his message, he was so excited that he had already given orders to ten units of his army to be ready when he gave the orders. Another ten were already deployed at the border.

A knock on the door disturbed his thoughts. He growled, “What do you want?”

The guard cringed. In a guarded and low voice he said, “Your Highness, General Alphard wants to have your audience.”

“Send him in!”

This was the first time after Alphard was attacked that he had come to meet Felis. Felis wanted to talk to him and plan out his strategy.

As his General walked in, he couldn’t help but feel that Alphard was not exactly in his element. He narrowed his eyes as he studied his General.

Alphard bowed to his king. “I am ready for my duty, Your Highness. Thank you for taking care of me in these difficult times.”

Felis turned away from him. He walked to a long table where a variety of wine flasks were kept. He poured red wine in two tumblers and brought them to him. “Sit,” he said as he pointed to a couch.

“Explain everything to me as to what happened when you had gone to get Eltanin and the fae girl.”

Alphard narrated everything except the part in which he wanted Tania for himself.

Though Felis had heard it from him before, he wanted to see if Alphard had left out any details. He hadn’t. Felis sipped his wine and said, “Now listen to me.” He told Alphard about the message he received from Menkar. “The High Priest had said that he was going to bring Eltanin and Lusitania to the borders of the Hydra Kingdom. They will be here very soon. I will start riding to the borders in the morning. I want you to come with me.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Alphard replied.

“When we attack Eltanin, be careful with the fae girl. I want to take her and make her my wife. She will be the fae queen of Draka!”

Alphard’s eyes widened with shock. He wanted to take the fae girl. He was so stunned after Felis’s revelation that he was short of words. “B—but from what I heard the High Priest of Cetus is in the Draka dungeons!”

“Yes, I know,” Felis smirked. “But he will soon be coming here and that too with the fae girl. He had written that he was going to make a deal with Eltanin in which he will be forced to come here.”

Alphard gulped. Now he didn’t know what to do. His remaining dreams of marrying the fae, shattered right in front of his eyes.

“When she comes, just get her safely back to Hydra Palace. I don’t want any injury on her!”

Alphard nodded even though he wanted to kill Felis out of jealousy.

“You may leave,” Felis ordered. As soon as his General left, Felis started dreaming all over again.

—

As soon as the event was over, many of the royals left that night itself, however, some remained in Draka. Kings of Eridanus and Aquila were staying back because they wanted to take their daughters back.

“I am very sorry for the way she behaved, Your Highness,” said Eridanus.

“And so am I,” Aquila king said. “I know that our daughters did the worst in your court and insulted the queen, but please give them one more chance and we promise that they will never set foot in Draka.

Eltanin was sitting with Tania in the meeting room along with the kings. He looked at Tania and said, “She has to decide what to do with them, not me.”