Ancients, that would be a disaster.
I give him a small smile as if appreciating the gesture.
“You’ll visit with your normal traveling crew?” he inquires.
“I will.”
“I’ll host them, too. Come to La Cour and we’ll hold court for you there. I’ll make sure it’s nothing like the brash Warrior Court you’ve had to spend time at.”
La Cour is the capitol of Woodlands Court to the far north, resting just under the Northern Forest. It shares a border with the Kingdom of Aireal, and I have no doubt that it is anything like thebrashWarrior I have come to love.
“If we do, I will be sure to reach out to you,” I give him another smile, hoping it’s enough to end this conversation. I will my mind and body to feign emotions of appreciation at his gesture, hoping that he’ll feel them.
Troy nods his head slowly and finally takes a step back, “I’ll be in Bardot for another few days entertaining the Livyatan delegation. You’ll let me know when you plan to leave?”
“Yes,” I lie, forcing a grin to my lips that I don’t feel.
Troy lets out a small breath, “then I’ll see you around, Alexis. Don’t hide from me, beautiful. I promise that whatever you’ve heard is not the full truth. We can spend more time with Prince Isham. He’s extremely interested in getting to know you. He told me he wants to take you back with him to visit Livyatan when he leaves. I can arrange that travel together.”
Wants to take me…
Of course he does.
My body tenses at the thought of the Leviathan Prince even as my lips reply as calmly as possible. “The Prince is an interesting fellow.”
Troy chuckles and runs a hand through his hair, “he is. Save me a dance tomorrow night?”
He’s never once asked that in the time that I’ve been with him.
Fuck me.
“Perhaps.”
Troy laughs again as if I’m playing coy.
“Goodnight Alexis.”
“Goodnight,” I reply, watching him step back into the hall.
“Alexis…” he turns around in hesitation, his features genuinely soft and a bit worried, “is my father’s Golem with you?”
I have nothing to offer him but the truth, “he is.”
Troy’s eyes widen at my admittance, but I don’t let him say anything else as I close the door between us. My heart pounds in my chest as I swiftly turn around, the moonslight returning in my room through the arch as Keane steps inside from the balcony. He brings a finger to his lips for me to stay quiet as Golem moves to stand at his side.
I remain completely still, waiting until Keane finally lowers his hand with a small nod and gives me the okay. I want to run into him and feel his embrace, but my heavy heart only pounds harder in my chest as I stand in place, unable to do anything but just stare. We watch eachother silently for a long while, both of our features unreadable as we try to gauge the emotions of the other.
Fuck.
I move to take a step forward but falter, my foot halting mid step as it routes itself firmly back under me. I open my mouth to say something but the words escape me, my lips pulling into a tight frown as I look at him in a complete loss.
How do I even begin a conversation?
Do we ignore this? Does he leave and go back to his room and we don’t bring it up?
Or has the reality finally settled in for him?
I know he told me in his room that he didn’t like to think of his brother and I, but has seeing us interact just now changed things?
