“You literally gave me nude lace to wear,” she mocked. “What did you think I would do?”
“You tore my sheets,” he stated.
Her chin rose, and she fought the smile that threatened her lips. “I’m practiced in ripping things, as I’m sure you are,” she said in a low tone.
His surprise turned smolder, and he chuckled under his breath, eyes darting to the ground and then back up to her gaze. “All right, Sun Queen,” he muttered, the vibration radiating over her skin. “I see you.”
Aydra averted her stare to the widened eyes of her sister sitting down at the long table in the middle of the treeline. “I see you tamed her,” she said with a upwards nod.
He turned fleetingly back to see Nyssa, and then said, “Leave it to the charms of Balandria,” with a smile in his Second’s direction.
Balandria gave a small smirk and raised her glass to him. “All in a day’s work.”
Breakfast proved to be more fun than she thought it would be.
Nyssa sat between Balandria and Draven, and she sat quietly between them, eyes darting around the table nervously as she was the smallest one there. After a while, Nyssa seemed to relax, allowing herself to laugh at some of Balandria’s jokes and speak with her quietly. Aydra caught her eye after a while and smiled back at Nyssa, giving her a quiet wink at the surprise of happiness apparent in her sister’s features.
The Hunters told tales of what awaited them that day, and what they’d found in their nightly patrols. Aydra laughed as Dunthorne told her his own stories of beasts he’d fought with in his past, another Hunter joined in to tell her of how Dunthorne was not as masculine as he thought he was.
Once, Aydra leaned back in the chair and looked around her, staring at the laughing faces of the free men and women around her, telling jokes at one another’s expense, eating equally with their king. She’d never known such a family of equal people existed. Having been taught her entire life that she was somehow better than the Dreamers in her streets simply because of the Tree she’d been born beneath.
And when Draven attempted to keep quiet, she was told stories at his own expense, to which she couldn’t help but try and memorize so she could use them on him later.
“Don’t think you’re getting out of this, sir King of the southern realm,” Dunthorne mocked. “You haven’t always been so strong and mighty as you think you are.”
Draven’s amused eyes narrowed at his Third, mouth twisting in annoyance.
“Please tell me more,” Aydra begged, turning to Dunthorne at her side.
“Lies,” Draven interjected.
Dunthorne grinned. “What about the time we went to the mountains, and you were caught in Dahrkenhill’s square with your pants down?”
Aydra’s eyes widened, and the amusement faded from Draven’s gaze.
“I need to hear this,” Aydra begged.
“You really don’t,” Draven argued, eyes darkening beneath his furrowed brows.
Dunthorne began to tell the story in grand detail. Draven bit his cheek and tapped his cup on the table as Dunthorne spoke. Dunthorne paused and grinned at Draven when he was done, taking a swig of his drink. Draven launched over the table and tipped it into Dunthorne’s face, causing the water to spill all on Dunthorne’s front. Laughter enveloped the table, and Aydra caught Draven’s pleased gaze. She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head amusedly at him, watching him shift in his seat as he then turned to Nyssa.
“Tell me princess, are there any embarrassing stories about your sister I should know about?” he asked.
Nyssa nearly choked on the drink she’d just sipped on. “Ah… no. Not really,” she answered. “My sister rarely embarrasses.”
Nyssa caught Aydra’s gaze, and Aydra settled back in the chair, lips smirking at the Venari King before her. She shrugged mockingly at him—
Until Lex snorted.
Aydra sat up in the chair and glared at her over her shoulder. “Don’t,” she warned.
Draven’s smile widened and he settled into the seat, arms crossing over his chest. “Do tell, Second Sun.”
Lex stifled her voice against the cup she pressed to her lips. “I said nothing,” she muttered.
Breakfast continued as that, with laughter and stories all around. Until finally they started to leave the table a few at a time, starting with their duties for the day. Dunthorne needed Draven’s attention on some of the new weapon designs he’d come up with, and Draven delightedly agreed to look at them.
“I take it you can manage to get yourself back upstairs?” Draven asked Aydra as he stood from the table.
