They started moving, following behind the now empty cart. They did so in silence for a moment, the rain somehow not as much of a bother as it had been the night of the hunt. It was like it washed away the discomfort of their visit to the debilitated village.
Jarryn shifted awkwardly. “I never said it,” he muttered, his voice tight with unspoken emotions. He paused andLeander waited patiently. “But… I don’t hate you, Leander. I never really did.”
Leander’s lips twitched into a small smile. “That’s good to know.”
“I mean…. I value you.”
Glancing to his side, Leander enjoyed the fact that Jarryn was stumbling over his words. This was a new experience, and he wished there was more of an audience to watch it happen.
“I am grateful to have you in my life.”
Facing forward again, Leander let the smile grow uninhibited. “That’s good to know too.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
The tavern was filled with scent of ale, roasting hog on a spit roast, and the occasional whiff of pipe smoke. A low hum of conversation filled the room, punctuated by bursts of raucous laughter and the clinking of flagons. The White Fox Inn was a popular destination for many.
It was one of Leander’s favourite places in the city, because it was located within the Bazaar, where magic and wonder coalesced to create an experience that was nothing short of mesmerising. Even the food, rich with spices, left him craving more, and the demigod found himself returning time and time again.
It helped that the company of commoners had become his preference over that of the aristocrats he was supposed to be mingling with of an evening.
The door to the tavern swung open, and a gust of frigid spring night air swept through the large room, momentarily silencing the lively chatter. Leander, clad in richblues and silvers on his brocade-covered waistcoat, stepped inside. The patrons stole anticipatory glances at the newcomer, wondering about the raucous activities he might bring, because there was rarely a dull moment where Lord Leander Talius was concerned when he joined them in the taverns of Saeren.
The demigod smiled around at some of the familiar faces he saw, but he shook his head minutely as he passed the other punters. He silently let them know he had other plans and would not be joining them for a game of cards, or proving once again that he could drink any one of them under the table.
Tonight, he only had eyes for one man, and even the catcalls and dares and chants that he was chicken were not enough to deter him from his current path across the room to the far end of the bar.
The lively hum of the tavern slowly returned as Leander stepped over to the bar and clasped a hand on Jarryn’s shoulder, who was nursing a cup of tea quietly.
“Hello, Leander,” Jarryn greeted softly as he grabbed the barkeep’s attention and requested his teapot be refilled with boiling water.
“Hello, Jarryn.” Leander’s searching gaze looked around the room, where some eyes still lingered on him, before turning back to his quarry. “Have you been reading that book this whole time?”
Jarryn nodded as he folded his bookmark into place and closed the tome.
“Was that your plan? To ignore the world around you in favour of erudition? You’re beginning to get a reputation ofbeing unapproachable, Your Highness,” Leander said with a hint of a smile.
Jarryn shook his head and opened his mouth to speak. But Leander beat him to it.
“Whatever you’re about to say, I can guarantee it’s not good enough of an excuse to give to me tonight. Come and sit with me.” The smile grew. “Unless, of course, youaretrying to cultivate a new reputation of being an unsociable, indifferent snob… or were you waiting for someone else?” Leander quipped.
“I wanted peace away from the palace, not to be pursued by an annoying lordling. How did you find me?” Jarryn responded.
Leander grinned. “I have a sixth sense for these things. Rest assured, you cannot get rid of me that easily.”
“Oh? Is your Aesthesia that strong, that well controlled?”
“No,” Leander rested his elbow upon the bar top. “So, tell me, you had not expected me, or anyone. Why are you here then?”
“I didn’t want to spend another minute sitting in my apartments. The curtains make the room too dark.”
“You can open them, you know.”
There was a titter of laughter from the bartender. Leander enjoyed the momentary tilt of power in his favour.
Jarryn scowled. “Did you come here with the intention of pissing me off, or are you going to make the trip out of the palace worth my while?”
“I thought you didn’t want to be in the palace?”
