"Oh, I'm sure you trained her well."
Trained her to be just a servant to me, ready to please all my needs, but she had no idea what it meant to lead. I knew that without barely even speaking to her. People thought I wanted someone who could just please me, but that was so easy to find. I didn't need a female who had been trained her whole life for that. Pretty much anyone would gladly do as I asked without the training. No, I wanted a fighter. I wanted Lara who didn't apologize for being rude to me. Despite her low status, she didn't cower down. It filled me with pride to know I had such a strong queen.
"You should choose someone more suited," Renly said.
"So, if I didn't choose Arianna, but someone else. Someone more suited as you say, you wouldn't complain?" I asked.
I smiled at him, and I could see his jaw twitching a little as he pressed his teeth hard together. It was clear what he wanted from me. Not even a daughter from some of the other council members, he would be satisfied with. He wanted Arianna to be my queen, and no one else.
"Get rid of the half-blood," Renly said.
"No," I said calmly before getting up from my chair. "And don't ever threaten my queen."
"You will lose support!"
"What support?" I just asked.
If they didn't want me as king, that was fine. Take the crown away, but they weren't taking Lara.
"If that was all, then I must get home to my queen," I said.
They all rose from their chairs, ready to tell me not to do this, but I didn't listen. I patted Damon on the shoulder on my way out, and he smiled at me. He was the only one not to complain, and I was glad to call him my friend, but I also knew this wasn't the end of it. It never was.
Chapter 28
-Lara-
"Cheer up," Gabriel said.
I sat on the couch again reading the book I had had in my hands before Arianna's little visit, but I wasn't really reading it. Something told me Gabriel knew that.
I had cried in the bathroom before splashing some water on my face and waiting for the swelling of my eyes to go down, but I knew the time I had spent in there gave me away. He knew that Arianna had hurt me, but I had promised myself long ago, never to let anyone see when they hurt me. It gave them power, and I could not allow them to have such power over me.
"I don't know what you are talking about," I said.
Gabriel sighed and then got up from his chair, before sitting down beside me. I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn't look at him. Instead, I focused on the book in my hands, acting like I was reading ... something. I wasn't even sure what kind of book I had in my hands. Suddenly Gabriel touched me, running his fingers through my hair, but in a soothing way. Not to be creepy. I knew that, because it was clear I was already starting to become comfortable around him, and I would lie if I said, his touch didn't feel good. He was more like the overprotective goofy bother that I had never had, but this was bad. He would just make me lose focus on getting out of there. Arianna's visit just proved to me more than anything that I didn't belong here, and I never would.
"Don't let her get to you, sweetheart," he said.
"The king doesn't like you calling me that," I just said, ignoring the real discussion he wanted to have with me.
"Dominic isn't here," he leaned closer and said.
I glanced at him, seeing the smug smile on his lips.
"You probably shouldn't be touching me," I said.
He chuckled and pulled his hand away, which made me feel slightly cold, but I just couldn't let this get to me. His warmth and concern. I wasn't used to that, and now that I was receiving it not just from him, but the king too, it was getting to me. My mind and body craved it. I had always craved it, but I had learned to survive without it. Now I was getting it all the time, and I couldn't keep the need for more away.
"You're right, or I might just lose a hand," he joked and wiggled his fingers in the air.
"Probably the arm," I just said and looked at the words in front of me again.
"Most likely," he chuckled.
It was quiet for a little while, before I felt his arm behind me, leaning on the back of the couch.
"Should you really sit so close?" I asked.