Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1574 - 16 : A Mask She Wore

*Kryzen*

Roy and I stood in the middle of the living room, waiting for Briella to finish getting ready. I straightened the cuffs on my suit jacket, trying to mask my impatience.

“Women really do take forever to get ready,” I grumbled.

Roy was fixing his collar and glanced over with an amused gleam in his eye. “I suppose that makes sense since their outfits do generally seem more complicated than ours.”

I turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t the ensembles of princes complicated?” I asked. “Don’t you usually have to wear all kinds of baubles and accessories during various events?”

“Generally, yes,” Roy said, dropping his hands from his collar and turning to face me. “Although fortunately for me, princes who are third in line for the throne have a bit more flexibility.”

It was then I noticed for the first time that Roy had chosen a simple suit for the ball, consisting of a blue shirt and gray trousers with a matching jacket. Beneath his vest, his royal family crest was just barely peeking out.

I didn’t blame him for not wanting to draw attention to himself given the circumstances. We needed the citizens of Celestial City to be as unbiased as possible while answering our questions. If they knew that Roy was a prince, they could be intimidated and try to give a response they thought he wanted to hear.

Our heads turned when we heard Briella’s bedroom door open and then quickly shut again. She seemed to hesitate in the hallway for a moment before we heard the gentle clacking of heels as she made her way toward us.

I settled a passive expression on my face, ready with a comment about how long she took getting ready, but it died in my throat as she appeared in the doorway.

Ever since we were kids, Briella had a way of carrying herself that could have been interpreted as haughty and self-absorbed. It didn’t matter if we were at her home or mine, she always used to strut around like she owned the place.

Now she held her head high, her soft chin ever-so-slightly tilted up as she strode into the living room. It wasn’t arrogance though. She was walking like a queen, poised and confident.

The dress she wore was startlingly close to the green shade of her eyes, causing her orbs to shine. The flowy gown was covered in little crystal beads, making it sparkle in the dim light of the living room. The sleeves of the dress left her shoulders bare, and I found myself swallowing slightly at the glimpse of smooth skin.

Briella’s confidence faltered slightly as silence stretched between us all. A hint of pink colored her cheekbones, bringing out the soft hue of her lips. “What do you think?” she asked finally.

Before I could even formulate a response, Roy stepped forward and gracefully took her hand in his, brushing his lips against her knuckles. “You look absolutely breathtaking, Briella.”

I stared at my friend in shock, my eyes narrowing on their own accord. When I got a better look at his face though, I could see only politeness. I felt myself relax slightly, convinced that Roy didn’t actually have romantic feelings for Briella.

Briella’s face turned an even darker shade of pink, her jaw dropping open as she gaped at Roy. I could hear her swallow from where I stood. “Thank you,” she murmured, looking like she wanted to run from the room.

Roy gave her one more princely smile before straightening and glancing over at me briefly. The look he gave me was expectant. When he saw the look on my face, his expression became confused. It caused me to reel back slightly as I realized that anger was coursing through me at Roy’s tender actions.

Why should I care even if Roy was attracted to Briella? It was really none of my business either way.

I stiffened when Briella turned to give me an almost wary look, her lips suddenly tight as she waited for me to say something.

It should have been easy to give her a compliment. It didn’t have to be an extravagant one, even Roy gave her a short, simple one. I could just tell her that the dress was nice and not even compliment her in it.

Seconds passed, and Roy’s confusion was slowly beginning to morph into amusement. Briella appeared to be growing more self-conscious and anxious the longer I kept quiet.

“It’s a nice dress,” I said finally. I could have left it at that, but the rest of the words tumbled out of my mouth as I eyed the skin just above Briella’s neckline. “A little revealing though, don’t you think, Black? Who exactly are you trying to impress tonight?”

I could see Roy wince and cover his eyes with one hand before he shook his head in exasperation. I shrugged at him.

When I met Briella’s gaze, her face was bordering on red, and her eyes were wide and angry. She clenched her jaw hard as if she was trying to control her tongue.

“Obviously, not you,” she finally snapped with a huff.

I opened my mouth to retort, but Roy, ever the peacemaker, stepped forward to get in between us and put his hands out as if to prevent a brawl from starting.

“Maybe we should get going so we’re not late,” he said, setting a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded and led the way out the door. I thought I noticed Briella’s face fall as I was turning my back to her. When I glanced back, she had that same confident look as when she first walked out of her room.

I found myself wondering if it was a mask she wore.

***

The ball was being held at the heart of Celestial City, the home of the Alpha. It was too far for us to walk, and none of us were wearing footwear suitable for walking long distances, especially Briella, who was in tall sparkling heels that I found wildly impractical.

We ended up taking the train that ran through the city. I found myself grinning at the way Briella’s face lit up like a child’s as we approached the golden mode of transportation. The Astral Express was truly the best way to navigate the city. The train itself seemed alive with the way its metallic frame hummed as its ancient enchantments propelled it forward.

Briella spent the whole ride with her face practically pressed up against the glass window, gazing out as we glided over the city.

“Celestial City is gorgeous,” Briella breathed.

“It truly is,” Roy agreed, shifting in the seat beside me to look out the window as well.

I leaned back and watched the city pass by below us. The sun had just set, so the sky was colored with rich blues and purples. Stars were starting to dot the sky. It made the city look like it was glowing with the lights from the buildings and lanterns.

“I’m excited to take the train back to the guest house,” Briella said as we stepped off the train and onto the busy street.

She suddenly sucked in a sharp breath. I turned just in time to watch her slip off the last step of the train. I dashed forward and caught her just in time, my arm wrapping around her waist.

Briella’s eyes were wide as she focused on my face while I carefully helped her back onto her feet. I could feel her heart beating wildly against my chest. I straightened and stepped away from her once I was sure she had her balance back.

“Are you alright, Briella?” Roy asked with concern, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Briella giggled lightly and nodded. “Sorry, I just wasn’t paying attention. I’m a little nervous about the ball I guess. I’ve never been to one I enjoyed.”

Roy smiled gently at her and offered her his arm. “Maybe you never enjoyed them because you didn’t have the right escorts.”

Briella smiled brightly at him and took his arm gratefully.

Guests were already streaming into the Alpha’s home as we arrived, all dressed in shiny dresses and expensive suits.

Roy and I stood on either side of Briella as we ascended the steps and stepped into the lavish ballroom with high ceilings and crystal chandeliers. A full orchestra was playing soft, airy music in one corner of the room. A long table filled with delectable dishes lined the back wall.

Hundreds of people were already eating and flitting across the dance floor, the ballgowns of the women swirling in a kaleidoscope of color while the gentlemen moved with practiced grace.

“There are so many people,” Briella said in amazement, stepping a bit closer to Roy, her arm still looped in his.

I glanced down at her, surprised by her tone. Her voice trembled slightly. I supposed that I shouldn’t have been that surprised that Briella was feeling nervous and out of place.

She had been in the humble Celestial Valley for a while, so maybe she wasn’t accustomed to functions like these anymore. It was still odd to see her without her usual confidence that she tended to wear like a second skin.

Roy noticed her obvious unease as well. “We were originally planning to split up to cover more ground, but maybe you and I can stick together,” he said to her.

Briella sucked in a shocked breath and dropped Roy’s arm, taking a step away from him.

I felt the corner of my mouth rise. And just like that, her confidence was back.

“No, I’m fine,” she said to us both. She squared her shoulders. “We can split up as planned. It’ll be more effective that way.”

I tried not to let on how amused I was by her stubbornness. “We don’t really have to split up,” I told her. “You and Roy can stick together. The point was originally just to keep from being as intimidating, but I hardly think the two of you would appear threatening to anyone.”

The stubbornness only hardened across Briella’s face. “We’ll split up as planned,” she repeated firmly.

Roy just shrugged at me helplessly, and I rolled my eyes in response.

“Be sure to start off casually,” I told Roy and Briella in a low voice. “We don’t want to alarm anyone, so don’t bring up the plague directly. Make small talk, and chat about the mundane like weather and nearby restaurants.”

Briella and Roy nodded seriously. We started to scan our surroundings, planning our routes internally.

“Kryzen,” Roy suddenly hissed, his blue eyes focused on something behind me.

I turned and immediately saw who alerted Roy.

A stern-looking man was coming toward us purposefully, and his cool gaze met mine as he marched toward us.