I shake my head in feigned apology and sadness.
Quiet and gentle, Your Highness, remember?I mouth back,you’re just not my type.
Keane smirks in obvious disbelief and sends a fake pout my way. I laugh at the Prince and watch as his eyes dart to my lips to catch the sound, his gaze lingering for a moment before it dips down the curve of my neck to land on my breasts.
The sight of Keane’s eyes on my body stirs something deep within me, a reaction that revels in the heat of his attention and how thoroughly unashamed he is to give it. My body leans into that gaze almost immediately, every part of me flushing as I better angle myself for his view.
I smile when his eyes drift down to catch my exposed hip, his gaze following my fingers as I start to skim them towards the half-hidden curve of my ass. His brown eyes track every movement I make as if it’s the only thing he’s interested in for the night, that gaze leaving a scorching heat of approval on my body that I truly can’t shake.
We continue like that for a while, with me pretending I’m not affected by his attention while he commandingly proves me wrong with every heated glance. It’s a dangerous game we play, one in which I’m often reminded of how out of depth I am because the man literallyexudessensual confidence in a way I’ve never experienced from the men in Knowledge.
Not only that, but there’s something about Keane that makes me want to meet every challenge he sets, and if I don’t tread carefully, I’ll find myself embracing a new experience with a charming Prince…
Court continues steadily throughout the night and I find myself enjoying the full of it. I’ve been walking along the tables and meeting with all the different Warriors, drinking and engaging and learning everything about them. I smoke with a few ladies of the court, all of them asking me questions of Knowledge and what the men there are like. They spend a good deal of time trying to convince me to wear a short dress in the Warrior style for tomorrow night, but I placate them by saying I’ll consider it even though Gail is already working on my alterations.
I watch as Cal finally accepts a few challenges in arm wrestling and cheer him on over my ale, and at some point far later in the night I stand with Alanna and Holis, the two debating over the ranges of their bows. I sense another challenge brewing,this court full of them, and smile when I finally realize that Warrior truly just wants everyone to live up to their full potential. The idea of idle contentment is foreign here, and before I know it I’m urging others into different challenges, most them ending with finishing off our mugs of ale.
The effects of my drinking start to take over in the early morning, but there’s something about the whole ambiance of this court that truly has me not caring. It tells me that we’re allliving, and that it’s okay to keep myself here on the drunken edge, so I decide to go with that feeling and accept another ale from Alanna.
The blonde Discerni smirks when she tilts her head for me to follow her to a table full of soldiers. Heizman still has little to say to me when we walk up, but again, I truly couldn’t care less. His friend Barnett is with him and is still as good looking as I remember from last night, so I sit next to the soldier with his gorgeous hazel eyes and spend a good amount of time laughing and flirting into the night.
As the morning continues, I can tell that the haze that engulfed me earlier is having the same effect on everyone else. Hands and bodies have melded together and are accompanied with seductive grins. The drinking has turned more rowdy as everyone tries to one-up the other, and yes, there’s been a few fights that have gotten men,and women, thrown out of the room to cool their heads. Everyone is just having a good time doing whatever they genuinely want to do, the atmosphere so free-spirited that it’s actually a beautiful sight to see. There’s no disinterested looks from the Discerni, no judgement or silent reminders that they’ll outlive us. Everyone is justgenuinely interested in their neighbor, appreciating them as beings who live in the same Old World.
That sentiment greets me every time I talk with Barnett. He’s happy to enjoy my company and I’m thoroughly enjoying the flirty banter between us and the easy way with which he tells me stories of his time here in the King’s Army. We chat for a good portion of the night… and although I’m also enjoying his company, my mind roams to the Shadow Oak, wondering how long it would take me to walk there without Millie.
“We can skip out if you’d like,” Barnett smiles.
I glance at Cal sitting across from us, smiling at my big friend drunkenly trying to recite an inappropriate ballad that I know he’ll have no recollection of tomorrow.
“What of the drink?” I look back at the barrels.
The Discerni shrugs, “two less people aren’t going to make a difference.”
“Then let’s go,” I nod, “I can use some fresh air.”
Barnett’s hand gives my thigh a squeeze before he stands up. I quickly lean over the table and say goodbye to Cal, but my big friend just waves a hand at the interruption and continues along with his song. Some of Barnett’s buddies watch us with sly smiles as he leads me away from the crowd. He reaches for my hand and walks us through the double doors, the air outside the room hitting us both like a splash of cold water.
“We can take a walk around the grounds?” he suggests.
“A walk sounds great,” I smile, “but can we stop by my room first? I’d like to grab my cloak.”
The Discerni soldier laughs when I try to explain exactly where my room is, but just like Gail, he seems to have no problem navigating these tricky halls and we eventually make it to my door.
“Ancients,Golem,” I gasp out loud, spotting his hooded figure standing next to my bed when I walk in the room. I glance behind me to the opened door and then back to him, not even wanting to ask what kind of magic he used to get here.
“I’m going for a walk outside the castle, maybe even down to the Shadow Oak after. Do you want to come with me?”
Golem shakes his head.
“Will you know how to find me if you need me?”
Yes.
“Will I be able to find you if I need you?”
Yes.
“Okay,” I smile again and walk back to the door, “goodnight then, Golem.”
