The Prince leaves one of his arms extended across my chair as he sits down next to me, a near improper gesture if we were in the Court of Knowledge. I quickly reach for a glass of water and try to hide my glance on him, grateful that he’s turned around to speak to a young serving boy.
Keane looks impressive tonight, sure in himself. He’s wearing a rich black shirt with a cut down the middle that shows off a good portion of his muscled chest, another black tunic thrown over it that looks excessively elegant and regal. There’s etchings of shadow oak leaves on that tunic that span across the fabric in different sizes, the leaves creating a steady pattern that can only be viewed when up close. His red lips are full and curved up in a slightly cocky smile, his brown hair swept over the top of his head with a wind-blown look about it that looks natural. He finally catches me looking at him and gives a definite cocky smile, relaxing into his chair as his thumb brushes up my neck.
Ignore him.
But I can’t.
Because if anyone from the tables in front of us were to look at their Prince right now, they would see a man who looked at a woman knowing he would bed her by the end of the night.
I quickly avert my gaze and flush at the thought, placing the water back on the table. I start to stroke Stormfall in distraction and startle in surprise when he jumps onto my fingers, the Bird of Ash angling his head towards the crowd as I place him down.
“Such an interesting creature,” a female voice on my left says.
I turn to her with a smile, happy to have an excuse to chat. The woman has long brown hair that is tucked behind her leaf-cut ears, the ends curled in the standard Discerni fashion as it falls down her back. The angles of her face are much fuller than the typical Discerni in our Kingdom, but they’re still sharp, nonetheless. She has dark brown eyes and full lashes, her nose resting at a perfect angle above a set of light red lips. She has a friendly and inviting face, though I can tell by her eyes that she’s sharp and smart. I quickly realize that she’s the Discerni sister I spoke to on my last night in Gaumond, the one who recently became rich with her brother due to their production of the black granite quarries in the Green Valley. In fact, her brother is sitting directly on her left, watching me with deep blue eyes and not looking at Stormfall at all.
Keane’s fingers skim down my neck and slowly trail the deep cut down my back. I turn even further in my seat towards the brother and sisterand try to hide my scowl, hating that I’m wondering if either of them can see what he’s doing.
“Very interesting,” I nod in agreement.
“Is he some breed of hawk?” the woman asks curiously.
Stormfall notices her attention on him and turns his yellow gaze her way, puffing up his chest.
“Thereabouts,” I smile, then shiver when Keane’s fingers tug on the ends of my hair, “though I think he’ll grow to be much larger than a standard hawk.”
“Fascinating,” she grins and turns to me, holding out her hand, “Sutton. We met briefly the last time you were here.”
I shake her hand, “I remember. You own a number of black granite quarries in the Green Valley.”
“Yes,” she turns to her brother, “with my brother, Tripler.”
Tripler leans forward on the table, his deep blue eyes still not leaving mine. His hair is darker than his sister’s and styled immaculately in a side part, the full of it trimmed and short. His features are hard, sharper than Sutton’s, but his smile is genuine in greeting.
“Very nice seeing you again, Lady Alexis.”
“Likewise,” I return his smile, “glad to have friendly faces sitting next to me tonight.”
The brother and sister grin just as a young boy moves behind us and places a few drinks on the table. I look at the golden ale in front of me with a small frown, silently wishing it was another color.
Keane’s hand press against my back, his body leaning into mine. “It’s no amber,” he whispers, “but we can down your favorite drink and try to pretend it is after.”
I bite my lip and take a deep breath before turning back around.
Ancients,I don’t know how I’m going to get through tonight with this man sitting next to me.
His brown eyes are playful on mine, prompting my body to respond to his call, and his fingers on my back have already started their claim and are caressing my skin in a way that is smug and entitled. It reminds me a bit of the night I spied on him in Agnor, when he did the same thing to Alanna.
I sigh.
Perhaps that is what this is, then. A finishing to all of our heavy banter and the sexual tension from the past fortnight. Perhaps he just wants to have me and move on, especially after hearing about Troy. He’s certainly acting like the Prince I first remembered meeting, being forward with his touches and arrogant with the reactions that they bring.
The thought tears at my heart.
“It’s no amber,” I admit, leaning away from him to grab the toddy, “but there is no use in pretending, Your Highness.”
I down the drink straight and give the Prince my back, leaving him well alone.
“Tell me more about the quarries,” I smile at the duo again, “in Bardot we have the Greenstone Mountain, so all of our fixtures are a mix of that stone and wood.”
