Somebody's Reward

"..."

"..."

Amara smiled.

Iris sighed, "Please don't say it."

"But how can I not say it?." She did a graceful twirl with the ivory ball gown hung on her arm, "Can't you see, I think Alpha Asher fancies you."

Amara shook the letter before her face, the gold royal seal catching the sunlight.

"A separate invite for you , asking you to come as an important guest to the king?" She swooned, "Just three days after he treated your wound. Oh goddess"

Iris laughed and turned away. "For the last time, King Asher did not treat my wound, Duke Atlas did."

"Because he asked him to?"

"No not because he asked him to" she waved Amara Off, " Besides aren't you in the same age gap as his majesty, perhaps if you brushed that bed nest instead of spying on Knights training and taunting me, you'll have a chance with him."

Amara scoffed, "As if." But once again her face broke into a smile, "What if the king was really interested in you, will you give him a chance, My lady, future Luna of Pack Astralis."

"Amara, I have a mate."

Amara rolled her eyes,"Oh please."

She flung the gown to the bed and turned away. Iris frowned, Amara had never been so easily irritated. Did she say anything wrong?

Nathan had come back two days ago perfectly healed, and owning the atmosphere of the Manor.

He hadn't spoken a word to her, not about the King and not about the Kiss. It was relieving in the way freedom was. It'd been a while since she felt that.

Perhaps if it continued...

"I understand what you're doing, but you need to stop." She tried softly, "I am not joking."

Amara paused, then sighed. "I know you weren’t." She turned back, her usual mischief gone. "But you can’t blame me for hoping, can you?"

Iris blinked. "Hoping for what?"

Amara hesitated, then threw her hands up. "That one day you’ll wake up and realize you deserve more than him and leave. Damn the land and just leave him. He's a monster."

Iris stiffened. "Nathan is my mate."

"No he's not. He broke the bond and left you for dead months ago" Amara shot fiercely. "Whatever you have is only in name. You're slowly dying here Iris."

"Then leave me." Iris snapped back, instead of rage she felt panic, "Don't seat here and wait for it to happen why don't you just leave!"

"You don’t remember who you were before him. But I do. You were fire, Iris. You didn’t take orders, you gave them. You didn’t bow you stood taller than anyone." She squeezed her fingers. "And now you flinch when he walks into a room. So..." She raised her chin, "I won't leave until you find yourself again. I won't leave you Iris, until you leave him."

"Leave who?"

That voice! Iris veered around and there he was, leaning casually against the doorway. Hair swept back, he was dressed regally for the ball.

Iris back stiffened, how much had he heard? With the way those cold blues drifted towards Amara who now had her head lowered, it was a lot.

And in Amara's eyes, that defiance still flickered, even as she stepped back instinctively, hands latched on each other against her dress.

"No one." Iris answered quickly, "We were just talking about the ball, and the dresses. Are you ready? If you will give me a moment..."

"Dresses huh," Nathan cut her off strolling into the room, his eyes drifted to the royal sealed envelop and hardened,"When did talking about dresses sound so rebellious?"

"Nathan let me just grab my shawl and..."

"You know your problem Iris?" He drawled, stopping just before Amara, "Your inferiority. You let everyone have a say in your presense, the peasants, workers." His lips curved in a small smirk,"Servants."

Iris stomach dropped, "Nathan she didn't mean..." She started stepping forward but Nathan held up his hand, silencing her without even looking her way.

"You've got a bold tongue for a servant don't you?" He snatched Amara's arm yanking her forward, "Leave him? Where do you think she has to go?"

"Nathan please...."

"Tell me, servant." He whispered, "Filling her head with nonsense about fire and standing tall?" He laughter was filled with rage, "I'll break that hope out of you after I break hers."

And Amara, sweet Amara teeth gritted from the pain, lashed out, "One day she'll remember! And when she does you won't even be worth licking the dust off her feet..."

Nathan struck then, sending Amara landing on the floor with a thud, curled and holding her face as blood dripped from her split lips, anticipating what was sure to come.

Nathan took another step and Iris didn't think, grabbing a scissors she moved, holding her ground as a thin shield before Amara and pointing the tool, the pure rage rushing through her veins stopped Nathan in his tracks.

"Another move..." She sneered her eyes blazing, "And I swear....I swear..."

Nathan froze, brows knitting. And from where she stood, Iris could feel Amara's shock.

This was fire alright, but unlike Amara said, why didn't it feel familiar? She thought as she watched Nathan walk away.

Why?

***

She would have ditched the event but Amara insisted she went, so now she stood quietly at the center of the kings crowded hall with Nathan at her side.

The Ivory dressed Amara had picked for its comfortability felt tight and her hair cured so it seemed wild felt too heavy.

On the flipside Nathan was to engrossed exchanging pleasantries on her behalf he didn't even spare a glance in her direction'.

So she left him to bask under the lights while she stayed in the shadows, watching from the far end as he was swarmed by both women and men alike.

Must be nice to be a devil one moment and an angel the next. She snatched up a goblet and was raising it to her lips when she felt a presence beside her.

"Alpha Asher!" She exclaimed when he came into view, attempting to bow but he stopped her just in time.

"Please don't do that, my lady. And it's Asher." He made their shoulders bump, "To you." He stood before her now staring down with that warm smile, "You look amazing lady Iris."

She felt the heat crawl up to her cheek, stopping herself in time before she genuflected. "You—you should see yourself Asher."

He laughed, looking down at his red, gold and black attire then looked at the far end of the room, "It's hard to feel that when your Duke is taking all the attention."

Iris laughed seeing what he was pointing at, for there was Duke Atlas, flocked by dozens of girls, hoarding what they could of his presence, while he stared at space like he'd rather be somewhere else.

Once again he was dressed simply, all black breeches and lose shirt that looked months old, with a hair that seemed slept on and a scowl that kept on pulling to the Alpha Kings direction.

"A real ladies magnet." Asher chuckled, "What do you think lady Iris? Enough effort for his woman? She'll be here today."

"Oh." Iris looked sharply at Asher then up to Atlas, "She'll be coming?"

"She's already here. We had all this set up because of her, and also forgive the few flower decorations, someone cleared the market before we could."

Iris stared back at her cup, she hadn't been able to hide her interest in knowing about the girl he felt so strongly about, now she was being given an invite for a front row seat to witness a happiness she'd never experienced.

Would have been better if she had stayed home? Now here she was getting jealous of young love...

"Lady Iris?" Ashers hand held hers , "Are you okay? You suddenly went quiet."

She nodded vigorously, "Yes yes I am." She forced a smile, "It's a beautiful party, I'm sure she'll love it."

He smiled with eyes that felt like they saw more than they should, then stepped even closer stretching his hand out, "And you? How about you step into the light? Dance with me."

Iris stopped, looking up at him sharply, dance with him? Was he...serious? Even hidden in the shadows they were attracting too much attention.

Was Amara right? Was there something with the way he looked at her with warmth?

"Are you?"

"Serious?" He glared at he in disbelief, "Who wouldn't want to dance with the loveliest woman in the room and out?"

Iris almost choked before he took her goblet, fluidly handed it to a servant and pulled her into the light so there were just a few inches between them.

He was serious, panic set in when his hand curled around her waist and she although out of touch with reality rigidly placed hers on his shoulder.

"Your majesty....."

*Nathan*...she thought as he began to move... But Nathan wouldn't read too much into it. He'd say it was all pity. A way for them to get to him.

But then she caught it as she raised her head, Asher grinning slyly at the far end of the room where Atlas stood with eyes darkened and fist clenched.

Iris guts did a flip.

Something was going on, and she couldn't tell what...