Aydra had Lex meet Draven instead of her to retrieve her horse upon his arrival. Aydra filled her day as she normally did before meetings— on the beach. Only this time, she invited the Scindo Creek Ambassador’s daughter and personal Belwark guard to join her.
The Dreamer, Jannah, told Aydra stories of her people, of the traders that came through who Aydra now knew were of the Honest people. Jannah’s touch radiated on her skin when she would laugh with her. Her blonde hair fell over her pointed ears, and when the sun decided to begin its setting journey, Aydra found herself between Jannah’s Belwark, and Jannah herself.
But the images her mind had been plagued with the night before entered her mind as she was graced between them. And this time, she didn’t push him out.
She allowed the fantasy of Draven being with her to live in her head, allowing her subconscious to find her end, no matter how much it hurt her chest that it was not actually he between her legs.
Jannah was dripping with her finish when she kissed Aydra again, and Aydra slipped from between she and the Belwark, urging Jannah atop his extended length. She watched as he filled her, and then she stood to put her dress back on.
“I have to go,” she told them softly, crouching down at their side once more. She kissed Jannah hard, followed by the Belwark. As she pulled back, her eyes met his, and she whispered, “Finish her grandly, Belwark,” to him.
She cursed Draven’s stupid face under her breath as she made her way back to the castle.
It wasn’t a dress that Aydra chose for the meeting that day. It was a black long jumpsuit that hung off her shoulders. A wide belt hugged her waist, thick black tulle flaring out over her backside beneath it. The jumpsuit featured tightened fabric that clung to her arms and legs. The tulle cape billowed behind her and tickled the floor as she walked. She gave her hair a fluff and placed the crown on her head just as Lex entered the room.
“Oh, this is my favorite,” Lex mused as she watched Aydra push her ring on her finger.
Aydra smiled at her over her shoulder. “Are we late yet?”
“Early, actually,” Lex told her.
The apprehensive look Lex gave her then made Aydra’s stomach knot. She picked her shoes off the floor and shook her head at her friend.
“Don’t,” Aydra warned.
“I said nothing,” Lex argued.
“You were thinking it.”
Lex huffed amusedly under her breath and leaned against the poster of the bed. “Watching you torture yourself is more amusing than I thought it would be.”
Aydra threw a shoe at her face.
The Council had yet to sit upon Aydra’s entering the room. She was met by a startled silence, followed by the low bows of the people around the room. Dorian swept to her side upon seeing her, and he escorted her to her chair.
“I cannot believe how early you are,” he muttered to her. “Thought you would have still been cleaning yourself up after the beach.”
Aydra’s eyes flickered to the guests that had accompanied her earlier in the day, and she gave Jannah a nod. “It was a good day—”
Words ceased in her throat upon finding the darkened eyes of the one she’d been avoiding all day. She drew a jagged breath and allowed her eyes only a moment to take his his figure leaning against the stone, the sage green of his low cut tunic and tight of the pants he wore searing into her memory for later. His crown of thick hair splayed over his shoulders as he pretended to be interested in whatever it was the Ambassador was saying to him.
“—Drae?”
The sound of Dorian’s voice made her do a double-take out of her stare. “Hm?”
“I asked if you were okay,” Dorian continued.
“I’m fine,” she said quickly. “Of course, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
The doors opened once more, and Rhaif filed into the room, causing every person standing to bow upon his passing. Dorian squeezed her arm and excused himself to his normal place, standing at the back of the room, when Rhaif came around the corner.
Aydra felt her lips purse upon his coming up to her. Rhaif paused just beside her and gave her a full once over.
“Something you’d like to say before we get started?” she mumbled.
His gaze met hers, and he whispered, “This one I like,” in her ear.
Her jaw tightened, and she took her seat without another glance at him.
