Jaclyn takes a hefty drink of ale, considering the answer herself.
“Lord Daniel is rather quiet when he’s at court, but he has always made his rounds and engaged with everyone on the nights he spends here. He’s hard to read, if I’m being honest,” she tilts her head in thought, “but he has had a few suitors in the past. Nothing of late.”
“I truly can’t envision why,” I take a drink of my own ale.
“Are you looking to pursue, Lady Alexis?” she asks me quietly, eyes sparkling over her mug.
I give her a genuine smile and shake my head again, “no. He’s become a good friend in the short amount of time I’ve gotten to know him. I think I should like to see him find someone of his own. He deserves it.”
Jaclyn nods with another smile, her eyes telling me that she agrees.
“Alex!” Cal’s slightly drunken voice booms from the crowd. I turn to my friend with a grin, watching as he makes his way in our direction with another man at his side.
“I have a bet,” he announces, hand reaching up to his beard to hide a little smirk.
“Is that so?” I cock a brow, smiling when he reaches a hand out to Jaclyn.
“Cal, meet Lady Jaclyn. Jaclyn, Cal.”
Cal gives her a friendly smile and then looks back at me, “my bet…”
“Let’s hear it then,” I laugh, “how much coin are you going to win now?”
Cal swings an arm around the man’s shoulder, “well, I bet Marcus here that you would lose in a tilt.”
“Oh,” I reply mockingly, “so you aim to lose your coin tonight.”
“Hear me out,” my friend beams, dragging the grinning man between Jaclyn and I. She gives me a questioning look that I just have to shrug to, truly not knowing what my big friend is doing.
“Alex,” Cal hands me another full mug of ale so that both of my hands are now full.
“Cal,” I roll my eyes.
“You’ll like this,” he chuckles, “because I bet against you in a tilt againstme.”
I laugh out right, thoroughly enjoying how Cal’s eyes sparkle with mischief when he takes my first ale from Jaclyn and hands it back to the Discerni lady.
“Let’s see if what I’ve taught you over the past couple of years has come to bite me in the ass,” he winks.
I roll my eyes again but bring my mug up in a salute to tell him I’m game.
“Do my ears deceive me?” Keane saunters over to our small group, eyes playful and dancing between me and Cal, “Knowledge against Knowledge? This should be interesting.”
I narrow my gaze on the Prince before turning back to my friend. Cal’s eyes are alight and a little tipsy, watching me with a competitive glance.
“Are you sure, Cal?”
“I have to know,” he grins, pulling his arm off the man next to him to take a step closer.
“Your loss, then,” I laugh.
Keane comes to stand between the two of us, his own eyes alight in amusement, “you both know the rules. On the count of three…”
Cal grins just as I nudge my shoulder under Stormfall, warning him that this may get messy.
“One…” Keane takes a step closer as Storm caws, leaving my shoulder for his. I give the two of them another small scowl before turning back to Cal.
“Two…” Keane’s hip brushes against my bare one, his hand reaching out to touch the skin of my thigh in an open and sensual advance.
