We eat breakfast at the side of the River Poise and depart in the early morning for Agnor. We agree to ride through the fishing city without stop, knowing it will take longer to maneuver through the crowds of people in our stealth.
We reach the outskirts of the twin river city before the sun hits apex, its rays shining brightly over Moonsbay Lake in glittering welcome. Everything is alight and sparkling around the bustling city, while the vendors lining every road seem to be even more alive than I remember.
Keane and I dismount when we get into the thickest part, the two of us leading Millie and Ash directly behind us as we guide them through the city’s patrons. The act is a true challenge in itself, but we do our best to dodge all the wayward travelers and try to make it out of the city as quickly as possible.
It’s interesting though, taking the time to watch everyone in their everyday motions unseen. Nobody knows the future King of Disce is amongst them, and there’s no curious glances and murmurs behind their hands when they see the Bird of Ash. The people of Agnor are all keeping to their day as normally as possible, and I smile when we get closer to the border of Dalloway, spotting the casual pairings of Discerni and humans all chatting together more often.
We finally make it out the thick of the city and stop before the twin bridges that rise high above the River Poise. Keane leads us just shy of the entry steps and glances out to the many people crossing over the cobblestone with a considering gaze, no doubt calculating how best to go about this. My own eyes catch on the two green Court of Knowledge banners swaying softly over the bridges, both of them now hosting a thick black band of mourning draped over their center in respect. I realize now that many of the banners in Agnor and Brierman that we passed by were all sporting the same, and even the people of the cities were wearing some sort of black or grey sash in their clothing.
“Let’s take lunch at the edge of the water,” Keane breaks my glance, nodding quietly to the bottom of the bridge. His own gaze flicks over the black of the banners and darts to a patch of small trees by the lower riverbed. I smile at the quiet area and lead Millie away as Keane follows silently behind.
We eat our lunch and let the horses take a small break, the two of them standing happy and content next to each other like the familiar traveling companions they’ve become.
“Tell me about them,” I finally break our silence, glancing over at Keane. His eyes catch mine, as they have so many times on this trip already, as we both ready our horses again.
“Tell you about who?” Keane asks, leading Ash at my side.
“Tell me about the sixteen,” I request softly.
Keane turns with a sharp look before the full of his lips turn into a large, mischievous grin.
“You would want to hear those words,” he smirks.
“Yes,” I nod, knowing exactly what those words will do to my body when they leave his lips, “I desperately would.”
Keane’s smirk becomes a grin as he leads the two of us onto one of the large cobblestone bridges. He keeps his eyes on me as we pass under the green banners with the black sash, then looks out to the bridge beyond as he assesses the travelers once more. I remain quiet at his side as he considers my request, watching his gaze light up in a challenge.
“Are you sure you want to hear them, Alexis?”
I roll my eyes with a smile, “yes, Keane. I’m very sure.”
“Trouble,” he chuckles, shaking his head in pure enjoyment.
“The first time I wanted you fully was the first night you stepped into my court. The sight of you blew my breath away. You wore that same green dress from a few nights ago, displaying your flawless neck and letting the color plunge in a dare down your chest. It was the first time I got to see what you kept hidden under your riding clothes, and I found myself for the second night in a row completely unable to take my eyes off you…”
“But that dress on your body wasn’t the only thing that caught my eye... it was the way you walked towards me in nervous confidence, wary of the new court and yet radiating assurance with every step. The pull to reach out to you was strong. I wanted to see more of that hidden confidence andmore of your hidden body. I wanted to touch you, to learn all of the things that made you so carefully confident. You owned that dress, Alexis, and I could not take my eyes off of any part of you that night. The sight of you walking towards me matched nothing I was accustomed to by the ladies of my court. It surprised me. Made me to want to get to know you more...”
“Andyou entered alone, though Golem followed quietly behind with his own support. I remember noticing that your whole presence became so alive as you took in everything around you. You walked through my court with curiousness, quickly getting over any nerves as you continued to let that confidence build. You took in all that Gaumond had to offer and greeted my home with a hint of fire behind your eyes…”
“And when bowed your head, not in greeting to me but in a small challenge, as if blamingmefor your tardiness…. I knew I didn’t just want to get to know you, Ineededto get to know you.”
My heart pounds at his words, body flushing in undeniable heat. I grip Millie’s reins hard as Keane watches me from the side with another small smirk.
“The second time I wanted you fully was on your next night in court. You entered with your crew this time, the four of you laughing and looking so at ease with yourselves. I remember in that moment wanting to be the reason why you laughed, wanting to be the cause of that smile on your pretty red lips. You entered so naturally at their sides, Discerni and humans, that I was aching for you to realize how right it was. I wanted to take you, to force you to see what came so naturally to me and my Court of Warriors, but you wore that gold dress that hugged the full of your body, alluding to the fact that you were indeed from Knowledge and not of my own Court….”
“The color flashed at me as a dim reminder, so much so that I had to look away. But in my turn of gaze I began to notice that everyone seated behind your group had gone silent, their eyes lingering too long on the backs of you as you approached my table.”
“And when you bowed to me again that night, still in challenge…”
“Ancients,Alexis,” Keane shakes his head quietly to himself, “every fucking time you lower your head to me.”
The heat between my thighs tugs hard, making me shift in my walk and grip Millie’s reins even tighter.
“When I finally saw what my court was looking at, what their eyes graced before mine. When I saw your bare skin and the full of your back exposed so openly with the fabric dipping so low and near to your ass…”
“Alexis… I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I wanted to bend you over my table and fuck you right then. I wanted to let myhands rake down your back in possession in front of the full of my court, so that they would never consider looking at you in that way again.”
I gasp at his words, willing the heat of my body to cool down.
