Book 4: Mattias's Conditions

Michael

The emissary to Red River – the real one – isn’t anyone I recognize. He’s tall and pale blond, his red eyes gleaming in the brightly lit ballroom where he and his posse of royal Red River guards have gathered. 

He scans the group before him–myself, my father, and my uncle, and smiles faintly, his lips parting just enough to see his fangs. 

My dad paces, his footsteps echoing through the cavernous ballroom, and Uncle Lex looks murderous as he stands with his arms crossed and feet firmly braced apart. 

“King Mattias sends his warm regards and gratitude for caring for his beloved daughter, Princess Faye, in his absence.”

“His absence is noted,” Lex sneers. “In every sense of the word.”

The emissary–Lothario Donnex, from what we’ve been told–flattens his smile to a tight line. “Being a king yourself, you can imagine how busy His Majesty might be at any given moment.”

“And yet,” Lex growls, “I wouldn’t send