She tipped her chin up and smiled, not a brilliant smile, but a kind smile. The type a mother bestows on her innocent child. Magnanimous. Very, very royal.
Goddess, she was breathtaking.
The crowd was loud, talking with each other, then silenced immediately when Faith held up her hand.
“How do you know I really am Princess Trinity’s sister? Not a cousin?” She nodded and looked to Trinity. “We don’t look much alike, do we?” She pulled something from a pocket of her ruby red dress—it looked fucking stunning on her, highlighting every one of her curves I knew so well—and held it up. “As you can see, this is a med wand.” She held it over her finger and the blue light glowed. I saw her eye twitch from the prick I knew had happened and she pulled the unit away. “My blood.”
The video zoomed in close so there was no question what she was doing. It was as if I could reach out and touch my mate, to feel her soft skin, to breathe in her specific scent.
She moved the wand back in place. “As you can see, I passed through the citadel’s barrier safely. Should there be any doubt, the DNA data from this blood sample…” She paused, waited. “Is being displayed on every Aleran’s video feed now.” She turned the small unit’s display so it faced the cameras. “You can confirm that what you are seeing in my hand matches the data on your personal vid screens. What is also being shown is the DNA coding of Queen Celene, which has been public record for decades.”
Everyone could read the data analysis. It was obvious to me, and everyone around the world, that Faith was, indeed, Queen Celene’s daughter.
“She really is Princess Faith,” the consort said, eyes wide. “Two daughters? Goddess, she is beautiful. Princess Trinity has a mate, but perhaps my services will now be of use to her sister.”
I growled and glared at the male, although he was watching the screen and barely noticed, so entranced was he by the beauty on display there.
My beauty. My female. Mine.
No. No. No.
Not mine. Not anymore. And yet, even though the consort had no idea he was sitting next to Faith’s mate, it was a good thing I was restrained.
“It is my honor to be your princess,” Faith continued with a slight bow of her head. “While Princess Trinity has been filling in as royal leader of Alera in our mother’s absence, it has been my task to find the queen. To rescue her from attackers and bring her back to all of us, and to her rightful place as your leader.”
The crowd roared and began changing Queen Celene, Queen Celene, over and over. Faith let it continue for about a minute, then she held up her hands and an instant silence fell.
“I will not be answering questions today. I have introduced myself, and it is now time to tell you of the traitors and ask for your help in delivering justice to those that betrayed all of us.”
&nbs
p; Bile rose in my throat. The traitors were my family. I held my breath awaiting her next words.
“We have evidence that Lord Coburt Wyse, inspector Optimi of the Optimus Unit and cousin to Queen Celene, is the mastermind behind the murder of the Queen’s mate and the attempted murder of Queen Celene twenty-seven years ago. He is also responsible for the kidnapping of Queen Celene from her home on Earth and the recent attempts on Princess Trinity’s life.”
No one spoke. No reporter questioned. It was as if everyone on the planet collectively held their breath. Even the consort next to me was transfixed. I, on the other hand, was ready to throw up. Ready to accept the inevitable. The downfall of the Jax family, the end of my mating.
The end of my life, for it would not be worth living without Faith.
“Yesterday, Lord Wyse made an attempt upon my life. I have spent my time since my arrival on Alera within the Jax family. With Lady Jax’s history and decades of experience working in the Optimus unit, they were invaluable in helping me root out Lord Wyse.” She looked down, swallowed hard. “I am sad to announce that Lord and Lady Jax have both been murdered by Lord Wyse in a failed attempt on my life. They were an honorable pair, offering protection and assistance to an unknown princess despite the great danger to themselves and their great family name. They took me in as their own daughter and blessed my mating with their only son, Thordis Jax. I will miss them greatly. Please mourn with me and my mate, the new Lord Thordis Jax, in this time of grief for the passing of our family.”
The consort looked to me, wide-eyed. “Oh shit. Forget what I said. Don’t hurt me. I won’t touch Princess Faith, I promise.”
I didn’t look at him, just stared at the screen.
“A full service honoring Lord and Lady Jax will be held in the capital city of Mytikas, and will be conducted by the head of the Clerical Order in a few days’ time.”
What the fuck was going on? She was lying. On camera and in front of the entire planet. Trinity even put a comforting hand on her shoulder. The crowd was eating this up. So was the consort beside me.
“Congratulations, my lord, on your mating,” the consort replied humbly. He fucking bowed, as if I were a royal. Worthy of great honor. “I am sorry for the loss of your parents. They died with honor.”
I couldn’t think. Couldn’t process everything at once. Faith lied. The truth she was sharing with the entire fucking planet wasn’t the truth at all. My mother wasn’t honorable. She was a traitor and a murderer. The Jax name was tainted.
I was tainted.
And yet she announced their deaths as a point of pride in bringing justice to Alera. She claimed me as her mate, boldly and without hesitation. As far as the people of Alera knew, my parents died protecting the royal family and I was not just mate to the new princess, but the son of brave, self-sacrificing nobles who died defending the crown.
What. The. Fuck?