Darkly Wed (Darkly Devoted Series, Book 3)

Chapter 3 - The Chosen One

Chapter 3

ALESANDRA MADE her usual rounds before meeting that morning. There was a noticeable tension in the air even among her men in the King's Guard. Zaire, their leader, had his hand on the hilt of his sword as he came to whisper in her ear that Gabriel Balan had indeed reappeared. Her father, Ozias, was less impressed than the Captain. Although her father was being wheeled to the meeting in a wheelchair, with a cannula of oxygen connected to his nose, his spirit remained as combative as ever. These days, Alesandra often wondered if he was suffering from the early effects of dementia.

"Gabriel and I are old friends," Ozias remarked. "He's no usurper. Doesn't he have countless properties abroad he's busy maintaining? He's an old man, why bother himself with the day-to-day annoyances of Manna City?"

"Balan might not want the throne for himself," Alesandra muttered as she stared into the crowd. Although she had spoken to Blake already, something about all this was making her extremely uneasy. "But, he might try to put someone else there instead. Excuse me, father."

Alesandra left her father with his attendants. Although she was supposed to be the steward of the throne, she didn't have the gall to confront Gabriel Balan head-on. Not even her father would have dared to do that even though Gabriel was ten years his junior. Back in the day, even King Wynn would have stepped aside if he came across Gabriel Balan in a dark alleyway.

She went looking for Blake, but it was Melody she found. Alesandra came across the slender, young girl holding her son in her arms and chatting with Octavia and Eden. Oh, that was a riot, that Melody Balan was getting along with Eden Catesby. From what Alesandra remembered, Eden couldn't think of enough insults to hurl at Vivienne Thorne. Now, that she discovered, Blake had actually been married to a Balan, Eden couldn't retract her malicious words fast enough. At that very moment, Eden was gushing about how much she adored the shade of green that Melody was wearing and how it complimented her son Orion's eyes.

"Oh Eden," Alesandra said as she appeared among the girls. "What has she promised you? That she'll set you up with her brother Kezair?" The laughter in the group abruptly died down.

"Alesandra," Melody said with a slight curve of her lips. She handed her to son to one of her attendants and took a step closer. Eden and Octavia both respectfully looked away and stepped back. They knew their place, but Melody continued staring at Alesandra in the eye. The dark-haired girl giggled disrespectfully at Alesandra's comments.

"Keeping the throne warm, are you?" Melody asked. Studying the girl, Alesandra saw but the faintest shadow of sweet, quiet, and shy Vivienne Thorne. Those piercing eyes of Melody's - even back then the malice had been evident behind them. Alesandra had an unsettling feeling about her since the first time they met. "Savor it while it lasts, darling," Alesandra recalled what they used to say about that witch Lydia, her voice was like bells in the wind. Staring into the younger girl's haughty, defiant eyes, Alesandra searched for a retort.

"You shouldn't have come back, Melody," Alesandra finally said. "You know he vowed to kill you."

"Kill me?" Melody asked in mock shock. Octavia and Eden continued to stare down, meekly. "I simply can't wait. Go on now - tell him to bring his worst."

"How dare you speak to me like that," Alesandra hissed, feeling her cheeks growing hot in humiliated rage. "You're a disgraced child of a whore. I am the heir to the throne."

"You are?" Melody chuckled in disbelief and turned to her attendant. "This conversation bores me. If you will excuse me, girls, I have men to seduce. Come to think of it; what's your brother Elaezer doing tonight, Alesandra?"