“Hey, Chevalier!”
The voice broke through my subconscious, and I automatically tightened my grip around Ivetta with my left hand while reaching across her for my sword with my right. Something about the voice seemed familiar, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
“Cheva - oh.”
The surprised uptick in the voice dragged me fully into consciousness, even as my hand tightened on my sword hilt. It was Jin. He must have news from Obsidian, and judging by his excitement, it was good news. Which meant it could wait until tomorrow, and I didn’t want him here.
“Um…hi,” Ivetta said hesitantly.
“Well, isn’t this adorable?” Jin teased.
“Go away,” I mumbled irritably, loosening my sword from its sheath by about an inch as a warning.
“Now I know why you missed Yves’ dinner,” Jin continued, clearly not getting the message.
I finally opened my eyes to shoot him a glare. His broad grin was unphased.
“Leave,” I said sharply.
“I thought you’d want to hear the good news, but it seems like you’re kinda busy,” he said, winking as he turned to go. “If you two need a break later, Yves is still going all out in the kitchens.”
I groaned irritably and released my sword, restoring my arm to Ivetta’s waist as he walked away. She buried her face in the pillow.
“Oh, my gosh…” she mumbled into the fabric.
I closed my eyes and nuzzled into her silky hair. “Just go back to sleep.”
“Just go - Chevalier.”
I recognized the frustrated tone in her voice and opened my eyes as she pushed herself up on an elbow, twisting around to glare at me.
“There is no way I’m going back to sleep after that!” she said firmly.
I smirked in amusement. “What would you rather do?”
Her green eyes widened, and her blush deepened.
“Oh…” she moaned, flopping back down on her stomach and burying her face in the pillow again. “I’d rather crawl into a hole and die.”
I chuckled. “You’re overreacting, Ivetta.”
“Well, forgive me for not taking this as calmly as you,” she muttered into the fabric.
Jin was right. She was adorable. I combed my fingers through her hair, leaning in to whisper in her ear: “Look at me, little dove.”
“No,” she said firmly. “If I look at you, you’re going to kiss me, and then I’ll be even more flustered when I try to sneak back to my room without anybody noticing. Which is impossible, because my guards already know I’ve been in here with you, and Jin probably has your brothers lined up outside waiting for us.”
The first part of what she said was true, but she didn’t have to look at me for me to kiss her. I brushed the hair away from her neck, placing a light kiss on her soft skin as she squirmed in my arms.
“Chevalier…”
“By your logic, it would make more sense for you to stay here,” I murmured, stroking her hair.
“I should have listened to Theresa and Julius and stayed in my room,” she complained.
“Why didn’t you?” I asked curiously.
“I don’t know.” She sighed and turned to face me, her shy green eyes only inches from mine on the pillow. “It’s not like I thought I’d run into you or anything.”
“Neither did I,” I replied, leaning in and kissing her softly. “I thought you wouldn’t want to see me.”
Maybe Jin wasn’t in so much trouble.
Especially when she rolled over to face me and snuggled into my chest.
“Well, you were wrong.”
I was rarely wrong, but I was enjoying the consequences in this instance. The feel of her curves against me was something I experienced far too infrequently for my liking. I kissed her temple and continued stroking her hair, considering how I could prolong this.
“If Jin’s news is what I expect, you’ll be able to attend the ball.”
“Really?” she asked hopefully, looking up at me with shining green eyes.
I kissed her again, enjoying her sweet flavor and her eager response. When the kiss ended, she nestled her cheek on my chest and started tracing a finger around one of the gold fastenings on my jacket, her light touch sending shivers up my spine.
“You should probably go talk to him about it,” she said reluctantly. “Just in case.”
“It can wait.”
I slid a finger under her chin to tilt it up, bringing her lips within reach of another deep kiss.
“Oh, Chevalier,” she breathed, reaching up to brush my hair back from my face, “we can’t keep doing this.”
I could, as long as she’d let me. And she didn’t stop me from kissing her again. She clutched at my shirt with one hand, cupping my cheek with the other, and I cradled the back of her head, rubbing my free hand slowly up and down over the laces at her back. She was sweet, and soft, and completely accepting of my attention, and I wanted so badly to pull those laces.
“Okay,” she gasped when I stopped for a breath. “If you stop doing that, maybe we can stay here a little longer.”
Not likely.
I smirked and shifted my weight to pin her on her back underneath me, kissing her before she could protest. Her arms wrapped around my neck as I settled my hands on her waist, digging my thumbs into her stomach slightly to keep my fingers from drifting toward the laces as my heated kisses continued. She moaned softly, and I slid my hands down to her hips without thinking. I couldn’t think anymore. She was right here, right underneath me, and I just wanted to keep this going.
She caught me completely off guard by pushing hard on my shoulders when I stopped for a quick breath. I stared at her in surprise, wondering what I’d done wrong, but the smirk on her face made even less sense of the situation. She shoved again, tumbling us both to the floor, and suddenly I was on my back, and she was on top of me, her knees on the floor on either side of my hips.
“You’re not the only one who plays dirty,” she said triumphantly. She cupped my face in her hands and kissed me hard.
Jin was now my favorite brother.
She pulled back, her green eyes sparkling, and I pulled her back down.
“You little-”
I cut myself off with another kiss, tangling my hands in her hair while she slid hers down to my chest. Her touch was fire. It was too hot - everything was too hot. My clothes, her mouth, her skin.
“Okay, stop,” she gasped, pushing herself up to straddle my stomach. She was giggling, her cheeks brightly flushed, her smile wide. “This has been fun, but I really think we should call it a night.”
I reached up to twirl a lock of her messy black hair around my finger. This had been fun, but there was only one way this was going if we continued. Her hands were still resting on my heaving chest; she had to feel my heart pounding.
If this was where she stopped me, I had no complaints.
“Shall we sample some of Yves’ baking?” I asked teasingly, a thought crossing my mind.
She shook her head, still panting for breath. “You can. I’m not sure I’m ready to face your brothers.”
I propped myself up on my elbows, smirking.
“Not even for a beignet?”
“Absolutely no beignets,” she replied firmly, although her smile didn’t fade at all. “But you just gave me an idea for your next birthday.”
“Oh?”
She climbed to her feet, suddenly silent as she straightened her dress and hair. I stood up beside her, hooking a finger under her chin to force her to look up at me. Her green eyes were sparkling.
“Ivetta,” I prompted.
“If I tell you now, it won’t be much of a surprise, will it?” she said sweetly.
I leaned in for a long, lingering kiss, and then I turned her face to the side and whispered in her ear, “I’m skilled in the art of interrogation, Ivetta. It would be in your best interest to tell me.”
She giggled again. “Well, I don’t have to tell you all of it, and it will give you something to look forward to.” She stood up on tiptoe to whisper in my ear. “It involves a red evening gown and a plate of freshly baked beignets.”
She jumped backwards just as I grabbed for her.
“Now, Chevalier, I just fixed my hair and my dress,” she chided, still grinning.
“You,” I said, lunging forward and grabbing her about the waist, “are maddening.” I kissed her hard, picturing her in the plain red dress earlier today, adding the frills and alterations in my mind to make it an evening gown. “And we are not waiting until my birthday for that.”
“Then you’re going to have to behave yourself,” she replied, wrapping her arms around my neck again. “After we get married, I’ll keep that in mind as a reward for good behavior.”
“We’re going to need to keep our door locked.” I kissed her again, holding myself back more than I would like.
“Agreed. Your brothers don’t like to knock. Now, shouldn’t we be going?”
I sighed and pulled back. “If you insist.”
She took my hand and led me to the door. “Well, if you really want me to, I guess I can go with you to the kitchen.”
The kitchen. Where Jin would be waiting to tell me his news, and all my brothers would be gathered talking about the events of today. She could handle any teasing. But would my brothers keep their mouths shut about the rest of it?
“Maybe it would be better if I just went to my room,” she said, noticing my indecision.
“That would be for the best,” I finally said.
We stopped at the door, and she stood up on tiptoe to kiss me on the cheek. “Goodnight, Chevalier.”
That was rapidly becoming my least favorite phrase.
I leaned in to place a soft peck on her lips. “Goodnight, Ivetta.”
And then I opened the door, following her out into the hallway where her guards were waiting. She avoided looking at them, and they avoided my gaze, but I saw the corners of their lips twitch before they fell in step behind her.
At least they were discreet. My brothers were not. I headed to the small side kitchen that Yves preferred, steeling myself for the teasing to come.
“There’s lover boy!” Jin announced the moment I walked into the kitchen.
As I expected, all my brothers were gathered, except for Luke, of course. Yves was dishing out slices of chocolate cake; two empty bottles littered the counters, with a third already half gone. Mugs were in use, not glasses. Hard liquor tonight.
I was not expecting to see Gilbert.
“This is your news,” I said coolly, making eye contact with him across the kitchen.
“Yeah, he’s alive, the emperor had a horrible accident, who cares. I thought you weren’t planning on seeing Ivetta tonight,” Clavis said slyly.
Yves handed me a slice of cake, trying not to smile.
“I wasn’t.”
“Chevalier has never been adorable, even as a child,” Jin said, pouring me a drink. “But they were so cute, all cuddled up together in the library.”
“What happened to the emperor?” I asked, ignoring Jin.
“It’s hard to say,” Gilbert replied with his charming smile and a casual shrug. “But he’s barely clinging to life, and the food he so desperately needs to recover seems to be disagreeing with him.”
Clavis laughed and clapped Gilbert on the shoulder. “Glad to have you as an ally.”
“I’ve noticed Obsidianites have a certain fondness for poison,” Nokto commented from his seat on the counter, his arms crossed over his chest but his crimson eyes glittering in agreement with his smirk.
“I couldn’t bear to stay any longer and watch him fade away,” Gilbert continued, wearing a distinctly crestfallen expression.
Leon laughed, slamming his empty mug down on the counter beside him. “Not bad. I almost believed you. Hey, Jin, I need a refill.”
“Sure thing,” Jin said, skimming the open bottle across the counter to Leon’s waiting hand. “You know, I forget how scary Chevalier’s reflexes can be sometimes. He wasn’t even awake before he had his hand on his sword hilt.”
“With Ivetta right there?” Yves asked incredulously.
“Especially with Ivetta right there,” Licht replied.
“She didn’t even notice,” Jin said, smirking. “You should have seen how red she was.”
“I think we can all picture that pretty well,” Nokto interjected.
“Trust Chev to sleep with his sword at all times, even with her,” Clavis teased. “Please tell me he at least took it off.”
“Nope,” Jin said, taking a swig from his mug. “Strapped to his hip, just like it is now. I don’t even know how you’d plan something like that in the heat of the moment, but he had them arranged so she was wrapped in his cloak, and his sword hip was up. She was better guarded asleep with him than most of the time when she’s awake.”
“Sounds about right,” Leon said, grinning broadly. “Anybody who went after her would have to be completely insane.”
Our positioning was unplanned, but I saw no reason to correct Jin. Allowing that story to spread may be beneficial to ensuring her future safety. The gnawing in my stomach reminded me that I hadn’t eaten anything today, and I dished up another slice of cake.
“Where’s Luke?” Gilbert asked.
“He went to Benitoite to escort Princess Arianna the Rotten here for the engagement ceremony,” Nokto said sarcastically. “Why was she even invited?”
“Ask Sariel,” I replied, skimming my mug across the counter to Leon for a refill.
“Why is Luke still talking to her?” Licht asked.
“The poor boy is besotted,” Clavis replied. He pulled himself onto the counter and lay back with his knees up, crossing one ankle over one knee, interlacing his hands behind his head. “All day long, he lies around in the gardens, rereading her love letters and composing his own.”
Leon laughed and skimmed the full mug back to me. “Are you demonstrating?”
“I’m trying, but I can’t quite manage the love-struck look. Chev, why don’t you show us?” Clavis teased, smirking over at me.
“Don’t be silly. He only lets Ivetta see that,” Jin chimed in. “I don’t know how you can wake up with her in your arms and still look that angry.”
“Jin, I really thought you would know this by now, but there are times that people don’t like to be interrupted,” Clavis explained patiently, sitting up again. “You are my big brother, and I say this with all the love and respect that your relation to me deserves, but if you wake me up after making passionate love to a beautiful woman, I may kill you.”
Jin laughed. “Point taken. I guess I was lucky Chevalier decided to take it easy on me.”
If I had just made passionate love to her, I probably would have killed him.
“Speaking of making passionate love to a beautiful woman, have you ever read one of Arianna’s letters?” Nokto interjected slyly.
Clavis sighed. “The little brat keeps them locked up.”
“Does he?” Nokto asked, pulling a few envelopes out of his jacket and flipping through them casually.
“Nokto! Those are private!” Yves scolded, though his deep blue eyes were sparkling.
“Well, if you’re not interested…”
Clavis made a grab for them as Nokto drifted them slowly back to his pocket. Nokto smirked and yanked them away, up over his head.
“You know, this has to be worth something,” he mused. “Now, let’s see. What could convince me to betray my younger brother’s confidence?”
“What confidence?” Leon snorted. “If he knew you had those, he’d kill you.”
“You’re right,” Nokto said, nodding seriously. “Maybe it would be safer if I just summarized them.”
“And leave out all the good stuff?” Jin asked. “Not a chance. Chevalier, order him to show us those letters.”
I was on to my third slice of cake. “You can’t even see straight.”
“Hey Licht, what are you doing?” Yves asked in a panicked voice.
Licht looked up from the mug he just downed. “It’s just one drink.”
“Are you kidding?” Yves exclaimed. “You know you can’t handle any alcohol, and this is the hard stuff!”
“My, my, she has a pet name for him,” Nokto interjected casually, pulling a letter out of an envelope.
Clavis leaned over the counter, twisting himself so he could read over Nokto’s arm. “Teddy bear? Yuck.”
Licht collapsed to the floor, his crimson eyes already glazed over in his flushed face.
Leon sighed and set his mug down. “Yep, happens every time he tries to drink. C’mon, up you go.” He pulled Licht’s arm around his shoulder and helped him to his feet. Licht hiccupped.
“Oh, Licht,” Yves said, shaking his head as he held the door open for Leon. “We need to get him on Clavis’ grape juice.”
Clavis burst out laughing. “This is really sappy.”
“Can you imagine what he wrote back to her?” Nokto asked, chuckling.
“Nothing’s changed here,” Gilbert commented, joining me in my slightly quieter corner of the kitchen.
“Unfortunately.”
“I take it Ivetta is okay.”
“Yes.” I glanced over at him. “You underestimated the emperor.”
Gilbert shrugged. “He won’t be a problem anymore.”
I smirked and drained my mug. “He’s dead.”
“You didn’t expect me to let him live after that,” Gilbert replied, his blood red eye glinting.
“No.”
“Hey, save some cake for the rest of us,” Jin shouted across the kitchen at me. “I mean, I know you missed dinner, and I bet you worked up an appetite, but wow.”
Clavis and Nokto burst out into peals of laughter. Clavis slid to the floor, holding his stomach as tears sprang to his eyes.
“It can’t be that funny!” Yves snatched the letter from Nokto’s limp hand, his deep blue eyes widening incrementally as he scanned the lines. He pursed his lips together as strangled noises emanated from his throat.
“Chev, you’re in luck,” Clavis finally managed to say, wiping tears from his eyes. “As long as this thing keeps going between our ‘cuddly teddy bear’ and his ‘sunny honeybee,’ you and Ivetta are off the hook.”
Yves finally exploded, doubling over with laughter.
“Oh, it’s even worse hearing it out loud,” he choked out.
“What did I miss?” Leon asked, walking back in and heading straight for the open bottle on the counter.
“Leon,” Jin said, throwing his arm around Leon’s shoulder. “Leon, our little brother is a mess.”
“Phew!” Leon shoved Jin away, waving the air in front of his nose. “You’ve had enough.”
This was devolving rapidly.
I set my empty plate and mug on the counter, walking over and snatching the bottle from Leon’s hand. His amber eyes widened as I threw it back in a matter of seconds.
“Good luck with the children,” I said, handing him the empty bottle before I left.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYurt7gQX2V
