Chapter 285: A dance with lenard.
Sienna cleared her throat, preparing to tell the queen to forget it all. She would help them find someone more suited to the job. Hell, Gael himself was probably a better option. He had a troublesome mother, but Cadelaria was nothing compared to Numia. At least, Sienna didn’t think Cadelaria was the kind to accept bribes. Numia was too greedy for easy gains. That kind of greed would put Jorik in trouble if she accepted a bribe on his behalf.
Before she could speak her thoughts, new music swelled, livelier than the song which was played before. Strings and drums weaved together in a rhythm that promised the last dance of the night. Gael and Vera whirled through the crowd, their smiles radiant.
Then, a lion beast man approached their table. It was Lenard, and he came with a smile. He bowed politely to the queen, nodded at Lina and locked his eyes on Sienna’s with a predatory calm. He extended his hand.
"Dance with me," he said, voice low, commanding.
Sienna had a bold no ready on the tip of her tongue. She could feel her husband’s gaze from across the hall, sharp as a blade. Before she could refuse, the queen leaned towards her, her jeweled crown glinting.
"Say yes, Sienna," she ordered, her tone both indulgent and imperious.
Sienna could deduce that the queen wanted her to hear what Lenard what to say. She inclined her head, masking her reluctance with a smile. She placed her hand in the lion beast man’s and together they stepped into the floor.
The lively music immediately shifted to a slower tempo, a melody that carried whispers. Lenard guided her with a surprising grace, his hand firm at her waist. His voice was quiet, meant only for her ears.
"Tell me," he began, "why did you recommend your uncle to the queen as the next Prime Envoy?"
Sienna’s lips curved into a smile that was almost careless. These questions were not coming from Lenard, it was likely that they were coming from the king himself. Maybe he was even listening to the conversation. "It is a position of power," she replied lightly. "Who wouldn’t want it? Anyone would sell their hair for the chance to elevate their status in this world. Of course, whoever hold the position must do a good job to keep it or else, it is a waste."
Her tone was deliberately vain, deliberately selfish. She knew the danger of appearing too ambitious. Paris’s rebel past still lingered like a shadow over their family name. If she seemed too hungry for power and influence, the king might suspect their intentions. Better to play the fool, the self-absorbed woman who sought prestige for selfish reasons.
Lenard’s eyes narrowed. "So it was vanity, then? Not vision?"
Sienna tilted her head, feigning amusement. "Princess Lina said it herself. The Prime Envoy needs a pretty smile and flashy claws. Show me more vanity than that! So, vanity, selfishness, perhaps a touch of pride. Isn’t that what drives most of us?"
Lenard laughed, but his next question struck harder. "And your father," he said, voice probing. "If he were alive, would you be on good terms?"
Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second. Her father was dead, and she hated him. The king was already aware of this fact. The man was a disgrace who dragged his entire family into an abyss she was trying to pull them from. The idea of close mess was absurd.
She laughed softly, making her contempt obvious. "I do not hide my intense dislike for him. I am sure you have dug into my background so you know how I lived before I married Elias. If the man was alive today, I would be suing him for child support and many other crimes against my family."
Lenard studied her face, searching for cracks in her mask. Sienna maintained her smile, giving nothing away.
Across the hall, her husband watched. His cold eyes gleamed with jealousy, though he had no reason to feel it. Sienna was his wife, and they shared secrets, deadly ones and silly ones. They were bound by a legal certificate, loyalty and growing affection. She would never betray him carelessly.
Yet the sight of her smiling at the lion beast man, even in circulated performance, stirred something primal in him. His jaw tightened, his hand clenched around his glass.
Standing between him and his father was his mother. Her brows were furrowed, focused on Sienna as well. Lady Cadelaria had many distasteful comments to make, but she didn’t dare to voice them.
Lenard leaned closer to Sienna, his breath warm against her ear. "Your family was expelled from the falcon tribe. If your uncle is granted this position, political enemies will dig it out. In fact, members of their tribe will sell the secret of share it with the world. How will you handle the revelation?"
Sienna’s heart skipped. The secret was one of the reasons why her maternal family lived a quiet life. If it surfaced, it would be used against them, painted as proof of disloyalty and weakness.
She forced a laugh, airy and dismissive. "Handle it? If it comes, we will endure. Unlike the Risser’s who committed crimes together as a family, the Rocland’s are different. Paris was the only criminal in the brood. The expulsion is nothing more than a scandal and families survive scandals. Perhaps we will even thrive on the attention. People love a tragic tale. Besides, if the king truly intends to give my uncle the position, he will find a way to have the expulsion removed. The falcon tribe elders too, they will be rushing to carry favor with my family so they won’t want they story out there."
Lenard’s hand tightened on hers, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "You are clever," he murmured. "But I wonder--are you clever enough to survive what is coming?"
Sienna frowned. What was he talking about? What was coming? She opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, a small figure darted across the dance floor. It was Eli, cheeks flushed, eyes colder than his father’s and wide with determination. He tugged at her her gown, his little hand insistent.
"Mama," he said, voice loud enough to draw attention. "Dance with me."
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