Arastella POV
The air shimmered and collapsed behind us as we stepped out of the portal, stepping into a grand dining hall bathed in warm, golden light. A massive banqueting table stretched before us, laden with an overwhelming feast—crispy fried chicken, delicate tarts, savory pastries, seafood, and endless platters of food arranged under glowing lamps.
Castel gently set me down on my feet, allowing me to stand on my own. He gestured casually to the lavish spread. "What do you think? I didn't know what you liked, so I had them make a lot of stuff."
I adjusted my skirts, staring at the sheer absurdity of the spread with a cold eye. "Should I be thankful?"
Castel let out a quiet sigh, walking past me toward the dining chairs. Behind us, the man who had opened the portal vanished into the shadows, completely disappearing as if he had never been there at all. My eyes instantly darted around the room, searching the corners for Astelion, but she wasn't here.
"Here, you can sit here," Castel said, pulling out a high-backed velvet chair for me.
I walked over slowly and took a seat. "Don't be nervous," Castel added smoothly, taking the chair beside mine. "They are coming. I called for them."
A bitter realization hit me—he had immediately picked up on my subtle glances around the room.
"This 'nice guy' act from you... I must admit, it scares me," I said, leaning back and resting my hands against the polished wood of the table.
"Wow," he laughed softly, a low rumble in his chest.
Before he could elaborate, the heavy doors of the dining hall swung open. Astelion walked in, followed closely by Kiono—that man who perpetually followed Castel around like a shadow.
My eyes immediately locked onto my granddaughter. Her hair was slightly out of place, her clothes subtly rumpled as if she had hastily straightened them on the way over, and her cheeks bore a flushed, disheveled warmth. The moment her gaze met mine, she looked away, hastily lowering her head.
I narrowed my eyes. "Fa aack synevi ku esie?" (What the fuck happened to you?)I demanded as she came to stand right beside my chair.
Astelion kept her eyes fixed on the floor. "Nser volema hlalm argotera."(We will talk later.)
Beside me, Castel reached out, his warm fingers lightly touching the back of my hand. "What are you two talking about?"
I yanked my hand back from his touch without missing a beat. "Nothing."
My gaze remained fixed on Astelion, traveling from her flushed face down to Kiono, who was standing just a step behind her. I saw the subtle shift in his stance, the lingering heat between them, and the unmistakable mark of someone who had just been thoroughly undone.
"There ain't no way you did," I said out loud, the words slipping past my lips before I could stop them.
Castel tilted his head, amused. "What's going on?"
"You fucked him, didn't you?" I snapped, staring directly at Astelion as blood rushed to my face.
Pure irritation burned in my chest. What a fucking hypocrite. Here she was, judging me, lecturing me about caution and self-control, giving me warning squeezes on the shoulder—while she was off rolling around in the grass with the enemy's son.
Castel broke into a sudden, genuine laugh. "You didn't know?"
I snapped my head toward Castel, my brow furrowed. "Know what?"
"These two have been having the time of their lives," Castel said smoothly, leaning back in his chair with an insufferable smirk. "They're engaged."
My gaze whipped back to Astelion, my jaw practically dropping. Oh, you have got to be kidding me, I thought to myself, the betrayal stinging far worse than I expected.
Astelion's head snapped up, her eyes wide as she tried to reach out to me mentally. "Ota durf re-soh,"(I can explain.) she pleaded through our link.
"Fylaxa ces ku kapios kie anki ces,"(Save it for someone who needs it.) I fired back, my voice laced with pure ice as I rolled my eyes and looked away.
I couldn't trust her. Not with this. Not when her heart was so compromised by the very bloodline we were supposed to destroy.
"What's your favorite color?" Castel asked suddenly, interrupting the suffocating silence as he stared intently at my face.
I pulled my gaze away from the disgraced duo, focusing on the spread of food in front of me. "Green," I said dryly.
Castel kept staring at me, his eyes wide and bright, looking for all the world like a loyal, eager puppy waiting for approval. I let out a heavy sigh, reaching for a golden piece of fried chicken. "What's your favorite color?"
"Mine is red," he answered instantly, a faint smile touching his lips.
"That's great," I murmured.
Without another word, Castel picked up a large porcelain plate and began gathering food for me. He meticulously picked out one of almost everything on the long table—crispy chicken, savory pastries, fresh tarts—building a massive, organized mound before gently setting the loaded plate right in front of me.
"You didn't have to," I said, eyeing the mountain of food.
"I wanted to," he responded simply, before grabbing a plate of his own and filling it up.
For the next hour and a half, the dining hall was filled with the strange, surreal rhythm of Castel's attempts at small talk. He kept asking me gentle, surprisingly attentive questions—asking about my mother, my birthday, my favorite foods, my favorite drinks, and the activities I enjoyed when I wasn't trapped in his palace.
I gave brief, measured answers, chewing slowly while the silence across the table grew heavier by the second.
Astelion kept her head down the entire time, completely frozen under the weight of my cold indifference. And beside her, Kiono stood like a sentinel, staring at her with an intense, unwavering devotion—looking at her as if she were the only thing in the entire room, completely blind to the rest of the world.
I looked between Castel's eager, terrifying attentiveness and the tragic, forbidden dynamic unfolding across from me, a suffocating weight settling over my chest.
I need to get out of here.