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We were the first to arrive at the round table room. A single vase of red roses occupied the center of the otherwise empty table, the clear glass reflecting the sunlight streaming through the windows. It was a bright, cheerful setting, but the atmosphere felt heavy. Chevalier passed the seat his brothers always left open for him at mealtimes and pulled out the two chairs closest to the window. I took one, and he took the seat to my left. Clavis sat on my right; Nokto sat on Chevalier’s left; and Luke sat on Nokto’s left. This wasn’t the usual seating arrangement. It was probably part of whatever statement Chevalier wanted to make.
“You took my spot,” Clavis whispered in my ear.
It was only a few minutes before the Obsidianite trade delegation arrived. They wore fake smiles and offered courteous introductions, as I expected. That was the norm among the nobility, no matter how formal or informal the occasion. That didn’t bother me. The way their faces paled when they saw Chevalier and me did.
“I hope you don’t mind my being here,” I said, smiling in what I hoped came across as a friendly, disarming manner. “This is my first opportunity to sit in on a business meeting, and I’d just like to observe, if that’s okay. I promise I won’t be any trouble.”
“Of course you won’t,” Clavis interjected. “When have you ever been any trouble?”
It wasn’t often his golden eyes hardened into sheets of gold metal. Paired with his smile, he seemed more like a beast baring its fangs than a fun-loving prince looking forward to an interesting discussion with foreign diplomats. It was all I could do not to squirm in my seat. This was already intensely uncomfortable.
The now-wary handful of diplomats filled in the remaining spaces at the table, leaving the seat directly opposite Chevalier open. I was just beginning to wonder when Gilbert would arrive when a distinctive tap echoed through the open door from the hallway. Another tap followed shortly after, and then another, marking his approach with the rhythmic pattern of his ornate black and gold cane hitting the floor. It made my skin crawl. The last time I’d heard that sound was the night he arrived at the annual goodwill gala, the first time I met him, when all I knew of him was his reputation and the warning Chevalier gave me, and the effect on the diplomats from his own country now was very similar to the effect on the servants lined up in the entrance hall then. Thinly disguised fear.
I didn’t like this statement. At all.
He appeared in the doorway with his usual charming smile and pleasant expression, waves of bone-chilling terror radiating from him as he walked to the seat across from Chevalier. His blood-red eye met mine briefly before shifting to Chevalier as he sat down.
“Shall we begin?” he asked, as if this was nothing more than a sociable tea party.
The unease in my stomach grew as the meeting progressed. He was deliberately intimidating his countrymen, and we all knew it. Nokto and Clavis really had to work to draw them into conversation. From what I could gather, this was originally a meeting to discuss the major exports Obsidian offered and negotiate prices for import of needed resources from Rhodolite, but there wasn’t much negotiation, and I don’t think there would have been even without Gilbert, Chevalier, and their intended statement. Clavis and Luke didn’t need to be present, either. There was nothing frivolous about Nokto’s approach to business. He had all the figures and facts on hand; he knew what he wanted; and he knew exactly what to say and do to achieve his goal.
It was just like his handling of women at parties, actually.
I didn’t know the first thing about business, so it all sounded like a good deal to me, although I was sure it wasn’t. It was hard to tell, though. The Obsidianites weren’t arguing, and neither was Gilbert.
That only added to my discomfort.
Obsidian was Gilbert’s country, after all. The reason for its wars and conquests was to gain resources it lacked. He should have been more interested in gaining an advantage, especially since it sounded to me like Obsidian was already at a disadvantage in this discussion. Its mines were rich in coal and metals, which fuelled its weapons manufacturing, but with peace on all sides, the demand for weapons was at an all-time low for Rhodolite. Nokto was driving the conversation toward raw resources instead of final products. In exchange, Obsidian wanted the basics - mainly food.
I knew what it was like to wonder where the next meal would come from. My safety wasn’t so important that Gilbert should jeopardize his people’s access to a simple meal just to make a point.
“Ya know, ya got good land in the northwestern sector,” Luke interjected. “Where ya got that vineyard.”
The diplomats froze. Sweat appeared on more than one forehead. I hadn’t thought the tension could increase, but it was suddenly thick enough to cut with a knife.
“That is true,” Clavis agreed. “If you put more time and effort into improving the land there, you could expand the wine business.”
Nobody had mentioned wine until this point, and Luke hadn’t said a word until now, either. I wasn’t sure if he and the others had planned this or not. His posture was relaxed, his emerald green eyes bright, and his boyish grin seemed genuine enough, but Clavis and Nokto followed this new thread without missing a beat. He continued discussing land improvement as if nothing was wrong, throwing Leon’s name into the conversation along with a few suggestions. It sounded helpful. But the Obsidianites looked like they were about to pass out.
“This is very interesting,” Gilbert said, twirling his cane just within view over the edge of the table from where Chevalier and I sat opposite him. The man to his right flinched visibly. “But not pertinent to this conversation. Chevalier, we’ll have to arrange a time to discuss this with Leon later.”
“Agreed,” Chevalier replied in the same cool tone he’d used for his rare commentary throughout the meeting. There was a subtle shift in the atmosphere, like everybody was holding their breath, waiting for a thread to snap.
“We’ve probably bored Ivetta long enough,” Clavis started.
Meaning they’d made their point, and Chevalier and I could go. Except I didn’t want to leave on this note.
“Not at all,” I said quickly, before he could continue. “This has been very informative. Our guests have traveled a long way, though, and it’s nearly noon. Why don’t we take a break for lunch? Finalizing the details on a full stomach and with a clear mind would be better for all involved parties, wouldn’t it?”
The weight of everybody’s stares was heavy, but the only opinion I cared about was Chevalier’s. I knew he didn’t want to stay. I knew that because I knew him, even though he’d walled himself off behind a thick coating of ice before this meeting began, so I couldn’t say for sure what he was thinking and feeling right now. He knew me, too, and he had to know how much this oppressive atmosphere bothered me. I met his piercing blue eyes evenly, waiting for the eternal second before he replied.
“Fine.”
The thread snapped. Clavis hopped to his feet and summoned servants who brought wine and tea, and the cloud of fear and anxiety in the room evaporated. I turned the conversation away from trade to more general questions about Obsidian, and a sideways glance from Nokto told me he knew what I was doing. He smiled and joined in on the more lighthearted discussion as the food arrived. Chevalier and Gilbert had made their statement, and now I was making mine. I wanted nothing to do with fear and intimidation, and I told Chevalier as much when we left an hour later.
“I don’t want to be part of anything like that again,” I said as soon as the door closed behind us, gripping his arm a little tighter than necessary as he led me down the hall.
To my surprise, he chuckled.
“You can be quite predictable, little dove.”
I stared up at him, confused. His crystal blue eyes had softened, and a small smile played across his lips.
“What do you mean?”
“Gilbert’s reasoning was sound. An additional warning was a necessary precaution. But I knew you couldn’t tolerate any perceived cruelty, and you would eventually intervene on the delegates’ behalf. It is difficult to threaten your wellbeing after a person becomes acquainted with you, as I well know.”
I frowned up at him. “So, you used me.”
“I allowed you to reveal your true nature to your enemies.”
“My enemies? Those men weren’t involved in what happened, or you wouldn’t have allowed them here.”
His smile faded. “They knew enough to raise an alarm, and they didn’t.”
“Fear does that to people,” I insisted. “This had something to do with that vineyard, didn’t it? Secret messages in the shipments? Whatever it was, enough dangerous and powerful people were involved to put even you on edge. Why would somebody with less power and no personal stake in the situation risk their life when they didn’t even know who was safe to tell?”
The set of his jaw told me he disagreed, but he didn’t reply as he opened the door to the library. The sight and smell of all the books washed over me and reminded me this was supposed to be his day. I took a deep breath to release the tension from my shoulders.
“Maybe you’re right,” I relented. “You usually are. Just - don’t put me in that situation again. Please.”
He closed his eyes and sighed, and when he looked down at me again, the warmth was back in his eyes.
“I don’t intend to.”
“Good,” I said, hugging his arm. “What do you want to do now?”
“Give you a present.” He opened the door to the back room, and a smile spread across my face at the sight of the second chair positioned next to his.
“No more sitting on your lap!” I exclaimed, releasing his arm to sit in the new chair. The plush velour felt wonderful under my fingers. “Now maybe I can-”
“Not yet.” Chevalier scooped me up and sat in his chair, pressing a kiss to my lips before I could finish my sentence. I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck.
“The door is still open,” I reminded him.
“We won’t be here long.” He kissed me again, his lips smiling against mine. “I know you didn’t like it, but you handled that meeting well.”
“Of course I did. I’m a princess, after all.”
He smirked between short, sweet kisses. “We need to discuss your wardrobe, princess.”
I slapped his hand away from my waist. “It wasn’t a problem before,” I teased. “And you haven’t even seen my dress for tomorrow.”
“Oh?”
“It’s white; the fabric was a gift from Silvio; and that’s all I’ll say.” I gave him a peck on the lips and hopped to my feet. “Is it safe to assume you want to read?” I asked, picking up our books on the end table. He stood, too, and rested his hand on the small of my back, sliding it around to my waist and down to the top of my hip as he leaned in, the heat of his breath on my ear sending my pulse through the roof.
“You’re guessing well today.”
“U-um, Chevalier…”
His other hand came to the top of my other hip. The small room was suddenly unbearably stuffy as he moved closer to my back. “You’re correct in saying I want to read - eventually,” he murmured. “But I’d like to pick up where we left off this morning.”
“Th-the door is still open…”
“By the pond,” he continued, the light touch of his fingers on my hips burning through my dress. “Shade, seclusion…” His nose brushed against my ear, teasing me into expecting a kiss. I bit my tongue to stop the needy sigh that tried to escape, staring wide-eyed at the books lining the shelf directly opposite me. If I closed my eyes, I would melt into a puddle, and he held enough power over me without knowing he could accomplish that with only a few words.
“Just the two of us…”
He already knew.
I struggled to take a breath, painfully aware of his every exhale on my neck, the barely there brush of his nose from my ear down my neck, and then he was gone. His heat, his breath, his touch - gone, leaving my foggy mind struggling to comprehend his absence.
“Let’s go.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and exhaled my frustration. He was probably wearing a smug smirk right now, chuckling to himself about how easily he flustered me, and everybody between here and the pond would see how flushed I was and suspect we’d been up to no good. If people would have their suspicions anyway, I should at least get a kiss out of it.
Two could play at this game.
I spun on my heel and walked past him without so much as a glance in his direction, tossing my hair over my shoulder as I crossed the library. His hand reached for mine, and I sidestepped it without breaking my brisk stride.
“I don’t know if I’m ready for that,” I said coolly, keeping my eyes on the door exiting the library. “Especially after that meeting. I should probably talk to Gilbert-”
His fingers were on my shoulder before I could finish that thought, and I smiled to myself. That struck a nerve. He whirled me around and shoved me back against the door, kissing me hard and long.
Success.
“You are a nuisance,” he growled, kissing me again before I could reply. Not that I wanted to. Now, I had a reason to be bright red and embarrassed on our way to the gardens - if we made it that far. Maybe we could just stay here for a while.
The books in my arms were in the way.
“Chevalier,” I gasped between kisses, “slow down. We have all day-”
The doorknob turned, and the door shifted behind me. “Open up,” called Leon, knocking on the door.
My eyes shot wide open. Chevalier’s narrowed as he sighed in frustration. He stepped back, pulling me away from the door, and I hurriedly smoothed my dress, keeping my eyes on the floor as Leon entered the room. There was no disguising my blush.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to Chevalier for a minute.”
I didn’t have to see Leon’s face to hear the smirk in his voice. This was so embarrassing. Maybe I could wait in the gardens for Chevalier.
“I’ll just-”
Chevalier stopped me with a hand on my arm, and I looked up at him, pursing my lips. Escaping to the gardens to wait for him away from prying eyes wasn’t an option. Not after the events of the past few days proved his protective measures were effective and reasonable. I sighed and nodded. His hand left my arm, and he turned a frigid glare on Leon.
“Make it quick.”
“This isn’t something Ivetta needs to hear.”
It was impossible. We should have run away while we had the chance.
I sighed again and sat on the nearest sofa, opening my book while Chevalier and Leon disappeared into the back room. Locking ourselves into my room or his was becoming a more and more attractive option.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAmdZIfHG6l
