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We took our seats and King Florin gave thanks to Typhon for our many blessings and servants entered the room to take our orders.  Cali walked into the dining room and gave Nicu a look as she took a seat next to Maya.

Abigail was seated next to Nicu and he paid absolutely no attention to Cali. I caught Cali staring at me a few times but my eyes didn’t linger on her. I felt no sympathy for her, she was shallow, cruel and perhaps even vindictive. I’d have to speak to the King about what she could be capable of when she found out that Nicu planned to propose to Abigail.

We had all put our orders in and a few minutes later fresh fruit and yoghurts were brought in and Nicu surprised everyone when he served Abigail a helping of each.

“Thank you, Nicu.” Cali’s spoon clanged against her bowl as Nicu stared at Abigail, looking like he was in love.

Protocol didn’t allow for commoners like us to call any member of the Royal Family by their names. They were to be addressed by their titles at all times, especially in front of other people. Nicu smiled at Abigail and I had to wonder what I missed, because I clearly had missed something.

I looked at Abigail but her expression was neutral as she looked back at me. Ten minutes later the servants were back with our orders and covered dishes that held bacon, sausages, steak, hashbrowns, fried mushrooms, peppers, caramelized onions, pork rashers, polenta, fresh vegetables and fresh baked Tara Paine, a Romanian country bread with jams, were served,

Turkish coffee was always served with breakfast but with our arrival we had tea and a variety of fruit juices as well. Abigail had opted for orange juice since she didn’t like the Turkish coffee all that much. Breakfast was a comfortable silence with small talk every now and then, except for Cali’s glares.

Echo was restless and I concentrated on his feelings, which were all muddled up. “What’s going on with you?”

“Cali needs to accept your rejection. If she doesn’t the bond will never completely die. You won’t be able to bond with Maya.”

“Who says I’m going to bond with Maya?”

“Don’t be an idiot you moron. You slept with the King’s daughter, it’s going to be marriage or the dungeons.”

The King had noticed my internal battle with Echo and I realized he was right. I could be executed for what I’d done and the fact that I was sitting at this table as the King’s guest suggested that I would have to bond with her.

The servants appeared as if by magic to clear our plates away and to serve more coffee at the table. Nicu looked at Abigail and when she nodded he stood up from his chair and cleared his throat. I hated not knowing what was going on.

“I have an announcement to make.” He looked confident and oddly happy.

“Go ahead Son.” Queen Alina’s voice was comforting and she looked at her son with love in her eyes. I didn’t know much about the Queen, just that she was much loved by her people.

“I want to ask Wynter for permission to court his sister. I have spoken with Abigail last night and we both have a mutual liking for each other but since she’s not yet eighteen, we want to get to know each other better before I propose.”

I blinked twice and looked at him as he sat down again. His words were sincere and I almost got the idea that Nicu didn’t know that his father had already ordered this wedding to happen. He genuinely liked Abigail.

“I thought you were courting Cali, my Prince.” The King looked at me and I knew exactly what he was thinking; that I was on thin ice.

“I’ve come to realize that you were right about Cali. She is shallow and vain and our people doesn’t need a Queen like that. The little time I’ve spent with Abigail has shown me that she is everything that Cali is not, therefor I would like to get to know her better before we commit to each other.”

“You do not need my permission, my Prince, but I respect you all the more for asking.” Nicu smiled at that and it made him a little more human in my eyes.

“You said you were going to make sure he ends up in the dungeons!” Cali’s voice was shrill and angry and I knew she was telling the truth.

“That was before I knew that everything you said about him were lies!” Nicu’s tone of voice held authority and anger towards her.

“What lies?”

“You said he stole from you, yet he’s worth more than your father. You said he physically hurt you and from what I’ve seen and heard from numerous people is that he is thoughtful, protective and loyal. You said that he rejected you because you refused to sleep with him, yet I know that you did.”

“I beat you?” My own voice was laced with anger and I only realized then that I was standing when my hands gripped the tablecloth.

“I never said those words.” Cali couldn’t even look at me and my eyes flashed yellow as Echo stood ready to pounce and devour her.

“How would you sort out this little squabble, Abigail?” The King had directed his question at her and we all looked at her. She seemed more grown up to me as she stood from her chair and looked the King in the eye.

“This matter is more personal and I know who my brother is. Since Prince Nicu has already discovered her lies without any influence from us I would banish her from the palace grounds and all future ceremonies and balls. She is a disgrace to her family and to dragonkin everywhere. I would go further and banish her family as well, since the lesson should be a warning to all.”

“Then that is what shall happen.” The King’s words were final and two warriors appeared out of nowhere and stood behind Cali’s chair.

“Wait.” The King looked questioningly at me as I walked to where Cali still sat on her chair. I grabbed her arm and pulled her up to stand and Echo pushed forward and my eyes were completely yellow now.

“What are you doing?” Cali shrieked.

“Accept my rejection or I will force you to submit.” My voice was eerily calm.

Echo and I both wanted to be rid of her and if she didn’t comply Echo would kill her and probably eat her body too. I gagged internally at that thought as Echo yearned for a taste of her liver. I was sure it would be as bitter as she was.

“I, Cali Knight, accept your rejection.” Her voice broke at the end and then she screamed as a searing pain tore through both of us. She passed out in my arms and I caught her as her knees buckled. The pain was excruciating and something I’d never felt before.

“Wynter …” Everything around me went dark and I was out before my head hit the carpet beneath me.

I came back to my senses as Echo gently nudged me and I opened my eyes to reveal lavish furnishings around me. I was in the King’s personal office. He was behind his desk and hadn’t yet noticed that I was awake. I closed my eyes again just as Echo started to talk.

“That was something I never want to feel again.” His voice sounded far away and I opened my eyes again. The King looked over at me and he stood up.

“Ah, you’re awake. Gave us all quite a scare.” His voice was gentle although his eyes were laced with amusement, like it seemed funny to him to witness the pain of rejection.

“I didn’t know rejection would be like that, my King.” I sat up straight and took the bottle of water he offered me.

After emptying the whole bottle I stood up and walked over to where the King stood by the large picture windows that looked out onto another vast garden at the front of the palace. “I have trouble being angry with you, Wynter, and that bothers me a bit.”

“Why?”

“You were intimate with my daughter last night and yet I cannot seem to muster any anger towards you for taking her virtue.”

“I’m not trying to come up with excuses but I have no idea how that happened. With that said I’m also not someone that runs away from mistakes or problems.”

“So my daughter was a mistake?”

“Indirectly yes and I don’t mean to offend you but I’m not a liar. I really don’t remember but I asked Cali for that rejection because I already figured out that you would approve of a bond between me and Maya.”

I was also smart enough to know that the King would welcome a bond between me and her. I was as much a prize as Abigail was. I could be invaluable to him and he knew it. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had orchestrated the whole thing but that was just wishful thinking.

"Then what are your plans with her? As the Royal Family we have certain protocols to adhere to. I cannot be seen to favour one above the other and a romantic fling with the Princess will not be allowed if there is no set future for that fling.”

“Then I take this opportunity to ask for your blessing to bond with and marry Maya.”

“I give my blessing to you freely, Wynter Grey. You should call your father and inform him of the wedding, it will have to take place soon so as not to divert any attention away from Nicu and Abigail’s announcement.”

“Yes, my King. I would also like to inform you that my family is diverse and that special permission will be needed for their presence here. My stepmother is fae as are two of my sisters and my adoptive brother is a vampire. I will not attend any ceremony without them present.”

“Permission granted, Wynter. You will have that in writing by this afternoon. We are not prejudiced against other species and I applaud your father for raising children that aren’t his by blood.” I nodded my head and wondered what kind of melt down Ryder would have when I told him about all this.

King Florin walked to the wall behind his desk and took down the painting right behind it. It looked almost eerie and was around thirty-one inches long and fifty-five inches wide. I was drawn to the painting and looked intently at it. It was a black and white piece focused on a girl and she held a flower in one hand.

“Do you like it?” The King looked at the portrait and me staring at it.

“It’s sort of overwhelming, there’s an eeriness to it.” I couldn’t accurately describe what the painting made me feel.

“It’s a portrait of Trude Steiner by Gustav Klimt. Quite remarkable in fact since it was thought to be lost when the Steiner’s fled from the Nazi’s in 1938. The Royal Family bought it on an auction in 1941 from the Nazi’s who stole it.”

I was so entranced with the painting that I hadn’t noticed the King opening a safe in the wall and closing it again. He put the painting back on its place and walked towards me. “This is a family heirloom. It was my mother’s engagement ring and now Maya’s.”

“Thank you, my King.” I took the small velvet box from him and opened it.

It was beautiful. The centre stone was a heart shaped blue diamond with a hand engraved band accentuating the solitaire setting. The band was platinum and I could see Maya wearing it. It had a matching wedding band that was also hand engraved.

“It’s beautiful.” The King smiled at me, happy that we had come to an agreement without so much as a squabble.

“I’m impressed by you, Wynter. It shows great character when a man takes responsibility for his actions.”

Before I could answer him there was a knock on his door and it opened. Sorin walked inside and looked from me to the King. “Am I interrupting?”

“No, Mr Albescu, I was just leaving.”

“Please, Wynter, no need for formalities now. We’re practically family already.”

Sorin did a double take at the King’s words and glanced at me. “Did I miss something important?”

“Wynter has asked my blessing to bond with and marry Maya.”

Sorin’s eyes widened considerably, taking into account that his back was turned towards the King. He searched my face for any trace of a lie but obviously couldn’t find any. “Congratulations, Mr Grey.”

“Thank you, Sorin.” I bowed my head at the King again and closed the door behind me.

I was neither sad nor happy and Echo seemed to agree with me. I wasn’t excited or dismayed. It felt more obligatory. I would’ve preferred to have a choice in the matter and it would’ve been easier if she wasn’t a princess of the de Haviland family.