Ileus: The Dark Prince

Chapter 510: [Bonus chapter] The Party

The days stretched and stretched for him. Sitting on a crest of a hill, Rolfe was staring ahead in the horizon, as dawn filled its golden light over the meadows and pines and firs. The ice crystals hanging on their branches and twigs glinted off the sunlight's soft glow. It had been three weeks since he had returned to Galahar. Three weeks without his mate, and now he was on the verge of gloom that stretched as far as he could look into the horizon.

While most couples had honeymoons right after their weddings, Rolfe and Iona had been so busy rebuilding and revitalizing their once-cursed kingdom to find time to celebrate. They had gone to Draoidh, because she wanted to spend time with her parents. However, things at Draoidh went south much to his shock with his mother showing up and trying to kill his wife. Rolfe had been at the edge ever since because he had failed to protect her. The guilt seeped in his mind to the extent that now sitting atop the hill, he was sure that Iona didn't come to Galahar with him because of that incident. Or was it that her parents had stopped trusting him? Tension crept slowly in his mind like poison in water. He exhaled heavily and rubbed his chest, which ached for his mate. Scratching his week' worth of beard, he tried to focus his mind on the next day's schedule. He had to visit villages in the south, where he had meetings with two chieftains.

Rolfe got up and brushed off the twigs and grass from his tunic and pants. Today also he had woken up early in the morning and had come for a long walk. It was time to return to his duties, return to his empty bedchamber, to his empty bed. He grew lonely…

He tried to forget the vise-like loneliness that had gripped his heart but for how long? Iona's face would come into his vision. Yes, he had started hallucinating. Just the other day he stared and stared at a young girl who had the same height and hair like Iona, until—until his gaze went to her horns. And when he saw her horns, he felt extremely guilty of seeing that girl. He clenched his fists in order to not rub his chest because he didn't know how the girl would take it. It seemed like a lewd gesture, especially from a king, because none knew what he was thinking about.

Aed Ruad waited on the sides behind a few guests and under the shadows, as Ileus and Anastasia walked in. Her hand was curled in the crook of his arm. She was wearing a light blue silk gown that was embroidered with pearls that was cinched in the center with flowing fabric that pooled around her ankles. Her white wings were tucked behind her, yet every often they would bristle a little the moment she smiled at someone or something. A diamond tiara on her head with matching earrings accentuated her soft looks. Ileus bent down to speak something to his wife, and her pointy ears twitched.

Wife… She would have been his wife had she not run away, had Ileus not infiltrated and helped her run from Vilinski. Then he would have been the king. Aed Ruad clutched the tray that was shaking in his hand, just like the anger that shook his mind. The bitch chose this wizard. Well, he was going to teach the wizard a lesson of his life.

"You both look so lovely!" said Darla as she hugged Anastasia and then Ileus. Her exclamation brough Aed Ruad out of his thoughts.

"You too!" said Anastasia and hugged her back.

Darla turned her attention to Ileus and said, "Why do you have to wear black leather pants and shirt? Don't you know that is going to make all the lovely damsels fall in love with you again?"

Ileus snorted. As if I would pay attention to any of them, when all his mind was on how to protect his wife and their unborn child. He had already begun scanning the room for threats, even though Aidan had assured him that there were three layers of security around them. He tugged Anastasia closer to him and ignored Darla's statement.

Darla rolled her eyes when Anastasia was almost lifted off the ground because of his tugging. "Gods, stop it Ileus! You are getting over-cautious."

He ignored her and then started to walk down the red carpet. All the guests dipped in a bow one by one as they passed them. Fleur and Liam were waiting for the prince and princess at a table at the head of the banquet hall. Fleur hugged Darla as Liam greeted Ileus. "You look like a real king in that crown, Aly!"

Ileus embraced his uncle Liam in a tight bear hug.

Aed Ruad watched them for some time feeling utterly jealous and bitter, and then his eyes went back to the red carpet to see Iona. But she hadn't come. The murmur amongst the crowd had already started. They were anxious to see all the other royalty.

"What about the king and the queen?" asked one of them.

"I don't know. I thought they were coming. Princess Iona was also supposed to come."

"Yes, Darla said that they too would be coming."

"Princess Iona is not allowed to leave the palace. There are too many guards stationed around her. Ever since the attack on her, these days you can't even get a glimpse of her."

"They say that her parents have stopped her here and are not letting her go back to Galahar, because they are too scared that she is going to get attacked again."

"Well, if I were her parents, I would do the same. The poor girl seems like an open invitation to every one of the enemies out there."

"But will she be coming here?"

"Of course! Darla said that to me. But she will come late. Like she will come with her parents for dinner and then leave almost immediately."

This was all the assurance Aed Ruad needed. He walked back to the kitchen and then waited over there with a faint smile on his lips. His hand went to the hidden dagger on his belt. It was dipped in poison so potent that even if it nicked her skin, Iona would die within an hour and no one would come to know what happened.

The guests seated and waited for the performance. The dancers took their positions on the stage and as soon as the music started. The dancers swayed and swirled and entranced the audience to the extent that no one opened their mouths until the performance was over. And it was almost an hour.

The audience erupted into cheers and claps for the artists. It was time for dinner. The servants started pouring in with trays in their hands for the first course of the meal, which consisted of clear vegetable soup with bread sticks.

Aed Ruad entered the banquet hall along with the witch and the spy.. As they headed to the tables that were adjacent to the head table where Ileus and Anastasia were sitting, Aed Ruad walked to the head table. And there—