Enchanted Rivalry

24. A different angle

Kael

As Louis stepped into the palace, a surge of apprehension washed over me. I had never been close to my stepbrother, and for good reason. From a young age, I had sensed the darkness that lingered within him, a shadow that clung to his every word and action.

As he approached, a smirk playing on his lips, I couldn't help but bristle at his presence. Louis had always been the embodiment of everything I despised about the Shadowlands—cunning, manipulative, and utterly devoid of empathy.

"Kael," he greeted me with a sly grin, his eyes glinting with mischief. "How delightful to see you again."

I resisted the urge to scoff at his feigned civility. "What brings you to the palace, Louis?" I asked, my tone cool and guarded.

He shrugged nonchalantly, though there was a glint of malice in his eyes. "Oh, you know, just thought I'd pay a visit to dear old dad," he replied, his smirk widening. "It's been far too long since we caught up."

I narrowed my eyes, a flicker of distrust stirring within me. Louis was not one to make idle visits, and I knew better than to trust his intentions.

"We both know you're not here for a family reunion," I said, my voice tinged with suspicion. "What are you really after, Louis?"

He chuckled softly, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. "Always so perceptive, dear brother," he remarked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "But you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

Louis may have claimed to be here for innocent reasons, but I knew better than to trust the words of a shadowlander, especially one as deceitful as him.

As Louis lingered in the palace, his presence a thorn in my side, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that accompanied his every word and action. 

"Kael, old boy," he said, his tone dripping with insolence, "have you seen the Summer Court princess? Quite the catch, isn't she?"

His words were like a slap to the face, a reminder of the depths of his depravity. I clenched my fists, struggling to contain the rage that simmered beneath the surface. Aria deserved better than to be spoken of in such a disrespectful manner, especially by someone as despicable as Louis.

I narrowed my eyes at his insinuation, shrugging off the topic. "I do not care about all that, Louis."

He chuckled, unfazed by my warning. "Oh, come now, brother," he taunted, his smirk widening. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed how hot she is. Imagine how she'd look in my bed."

"Stop it, Louis," I warned, every word laced with a barely contained fury. "There are better things to do than run behind the enemy."

Louis merely laughed, the sound grating on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. "Oh, lighten up, Kael," he said, his tone mocking. "It's all in good fun. Or are you afraid the princess might prefer me over you?"

I walked past him to grab my glass of water as I sat near my study table.

Louis came up to me, snatching the glass away from me. "Oh, by the way I happened to run into your little friend in the woods not too long ago," he remarked casually. "Oh, and thank you. I was parched."

My jaw clenched at the implications of his words, a flicker of concern mingling with the anger that simmered beneath the surface. "And what exactly were you doing in the woods?" I demanded, my voice edged with barely concealed hostility.

He shrugged nonchalantly, though there was a gleam of amusement in his eyes. "Just taking a stroll, enjoying the sights," he replied cryptically.

I narrowed my eyes at his evasive answer, a sense of foreboding settling over me. "And Aria?" I pressed, unable to hide the urgency in my voice.

He chuckled softly, a smirk playing on his lips. "Oh, you know, just exchanging pleasantries," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Before I could respond, he continued, his tone dripping with arrogance. "Well, she was quite... friendly, shall we say."

"What do you mean?" I demanded, my voice sharp with accusation.

"Oh, you know, just a little hug here, a little flirtation there," he replied casually. "Nothing serious, of course. But it seems our dear Aria is not as innocent as she appears."

"She is none of our concern." I stated, my voice although tight with anger.

But he simply smirked, reveling in my discomfort. "Oh, not for me, brother" he taunted. "I'll be sure to give her your regards next time we meet."

His words hit me like a physical blow, a surge of possessiveness and betrayal flooding through me. The thought of her being so familiar with him filled me with a sense of unease that I couldn't shake.

"I couldn't care less about your twisted fantasies, Louis," I retorted, my voice edged with defiance. "Aria is nothing more than an enemy—a mere pawn in the game of shadows. Why should I be concerned about her?"

Though my words rang with a hollow bravado, inwardly, my heart clenched with a fierce protectiveness for Aria. Yet, I pushed aside the tumult of emotions threatening to engulf me, steeling myself against the vulnerability that threatened to surface.

Louis smirked, his gaze sharp with amusement. "Ah, but dear brother, you protest too much," he taunted, his words a deliberate provocation. "It's clear that the little princess has managed to worm her way into that cold heart of yours."

I bristled at his insinuation, a surge of anger coursing through me at his mockery. "You know nothing of what lies in my heart, Louis," I shot back, my tone laced with venom. "And I suggest you keep your baseless accusations to yourself."

With a dismissive wave of my hand, I turned away from him, refusing to dignify his taunts with a response. Aria may have stirred something within me—something I couldn't quite name—but she was still an enemy, and I refused to let sentiment cloud my judgment.

As I walked away, I buried the protectiveness that threatened to consume me, focusing instead on the cold resolve that had always guided me. Aria may have crossed paths with Louis, but she was not my concern. 

In the game of shadows, sentiment was a luxury I could ill afford.