Chapter 207
Three days after picking King Frederick and Princess Aurora up from the airport, Andrew found himself once more on the Victorian-style floor where Lisa’s wedding was held. It had been transformed again, this time with one enormous oval table surrounded by several smaller round tables. Each table had been decorated with white tablecloths and vases of red roses and marigolds, the official flowers of the human world.
At the head of the oval table sat Andrew. To his right sat King Frederick and Princess Aurora, and to his left, a seat remained empty for Crystal. Andrew refused to let the staff remove her chair from the arrangement.
Andrew glanced at Crystal’s seat as he sipped at his gazpacho. Sadness, regret, and confusion swept over him.
A part of him knew that he should have tried to invite her to the banquet. That might have helped to smooth things over between them. She might have at least appreciated the gesture.
Another part of him stubbornly held on to the thought that Crystal had to extend the olive branch to him. He had caught her with another man half-naked in her bedroom, after all. She should be the one to apologize first.
He shook his head, trying to rid himself of these thoughts. That night was about King Frederick and Princess Aurora, not Crystal. He could not let himself to be distracted by her…again.
“Well, Andrew, where is the beautiful Crystal tonight?” King Frederick asked, causing Andrew to inwardly cringe. “I was looking forward to her gracing us with her presence.”
Before Andrew could answer, Princess Aurora tapped her father on the elbow.
“Excuse me, Father, but I must go powder my nose,” she said, glancing from King Frederick to Andrew.
“Of course,” King Frederick said. He turned to Andrew. “Mind directing my gorgeous heir toward the ladies’ room?”
“I can do you one better.”
Andrew clapped his hands, and one of the servants was by their side in an instant.
“Mademoiselle,” he said to the young woman, “would you mind escorting Princess Aurora here to the ladies’ room?”
The young female servant gave Andrew a smile and a small bow.
“Certainly, Your Highness.” She turned to Princess Aurora. “If you would please follow me, Princess.”
Andrew and King Frederick watched as the young women walked out of the ballroom. Once they were gone, King Frederick returned his attention to Andrew.
“So, Andrew, where were we?”
King Frederick took a sip of his wine.
“Ah, yes, Crystal. Where is she tonight? She is not still upset about our little…disagreement from last time, I hope.”
Andrew’s hand froze over his soup momentarily. He had not even thought about that possible interpretation of Crystal’s absence.
“No, no, of course not. That’s all water under the bridge,” he said, waving his hand nonchalantly.
“Don’t tell me that she had a commitment more worthwhile than greeting my daughter and me?”
This possibility, Andrew was prepared for.
“No, not at all. Crystal is feeling a little under the weather and didn’t want to risk getting our visiting royals sick. That is all.”
King Frederick hummed in understanding, although there was an ounce of doubt to it.
“I see. I was afraid that I had inadvertently offended her the last time that we met.”
King Frederick sipped at his wine again. Andrew wasn’t sure if he had seen the king eat any of his tomato soup yet.
“Either that or that you two were having some sort of spat,” King Frederick continued with a chuckle.
Andrew stiffened. He had to force himself to spoon more gazpacho into his mouth to avoid his pause seeming suspicious.
“Crystal and I have our tiffs, just like any couple, but that’s not why she did not show up here tonight.”
“I’m glad. You two make a handsome couple and seem so happy together, too.”
King Frederick finally took a spoonful of his soup.
“I was especially concerned when I saw you alone at that press conference regarding the werewolf underground scandal. You two always seemed like a united front, so I thought…”
He shrugged.
“Then when I heard the rumors that she got your new son-in-law arrested, I was certain that your relationship was strained. Apparently, I was wrong.”
Andrew clutched his spoon tightly in his hand. The muscles in his neck clenched, but he did not allow his anger and frustration to show in his voice.
“Yes, well, you cannot believe every rumor that you hear.”
“No, I suppose you can’t.”
Just as an uncomfortable silence was falling between the two men, Andrew felt a feather-light touch on his left elbow. He turned to find Princess Aurora sitting in Crystal’s empty seat.
A wave of emotions crashed through him: anger, confusion, sadness, guilt. A part of him wanted to demand that Princess Aurora return to her own seat immediately. However, upon seeing the innocent smile that lit up her face, Andrew knew that he could not be mad at her.
“I am sorry, Alpha King Andrew. Did I startle you?” she asked, her voice sickeningly sweet.
Andrew shook his head and smiled.
“No, not at all. I just didn’t expect to see you over here.”
“Oh, yes. I hope you do not mind. I just wanted to get a better view of the entire hall.”
She tucked a hair behind her ear. Andrew’s heart ached; the simple act reminded him so much of Crystal.
“It really is quite a grand display that you have put on for my father and me tonight. Thank you.”
“Thank you for gracing the werewolf world with your presence.”
Princess Aurora raised her hand to her lips and giggled quietly.
“I am glad to see it. My mother was a werewolf, you know.”
Her eyes grew sad.
“I wish that I could have seen it while she was still around.”
“Well, now you have all the time you want to see it, in her honor.”
Princess Aurora’s face seemed to brighten at the idea.
“That sounds like a wonderful way to spend my time here!” She shyly looked at the table, then glanced back up at Andrew from underneath her lashes. “Do you think, maybe, you would like to take a few days to show me around the werewolf world?”
Her eyes shot to King Frederick.
“If Father approves, that is.”
King Frederick grinned broadly and raised his recently refilled wine glass to Andrew and Princess Aurora.
“Nothing would make me happier than knowing that Alpha King Andrew was showing my little girl around his world,” he declared.
Andrew hesitated.
“I’m not sure,” he replied. “I have a lot to do, especially with the vacant seat for the Werewolf Council, the recent vampiric incursions, and the uptick in pro-integration/anti-integration demonstrations…”
Princess Aurora deflated. Her lower lip pulled out in a slight pout, and she held her hands together in her lap. Her eyes drifted toward the ground, shining with unshed tears.
Andrew had never seen someone whose beauty could almost parallel Crystal’s before. Princess Aurora, for not being related to her, looked strikingly like Crystal in the face, especially her mesmerizing blue eyes. That combined with the purity and enthusiasm of her spirit nearly melted Andrew’s heart.
“I could make time for a few days’ tour, though,” he said.
Princess Aurora’s demeanor immediately lifted.
“Oh, really?” She clapped her hands and, in a bold move, grabbed both of Andrew’s hands in a vice-like grip. “Thank you, Andrew, thank you!”
Andrew chuckled. He gave her hands a squeeze, then slipped himself out of her grasp.
“You’re very welcome, Princess Aurora.”
Crystal, he thought, please forgive me.
