“That depends…” I reply slowly, eyeing the serving boy as he places two toddies on the table in front of us.
“On what?”
“We ride tomorrow,” I point out the obvious, “and I’d rather not do it with an aching head.”
Keane grins and turns to Desmond on his right.
“Brother…”
Desmond’s dark eyes quietly look at the Prince before they dart to mine, his features unreadable.
“Any qualms with postponing tomorrow’s travel to the late morning?”
Desmond looks back at his brother with a shake of his head, the hint of a smirk gracing his lips.
“It’s settled then,” Keane grins.
I roll my eyes and lift the toddy in reply. “It’s your court, Highness, I’m just passing through.”
Keane smirks and downs his toddy with me, another night of challenges slowly brewing between the two of us.
“He’s not coming,” Alanna moves to stand at my side as her cool grey eyes glance out at the rest of the room with me.
We’re pretty far along in the night and I’m now standing with the other ladies of the court in conversation, searching for Barnett’s hazel eyes so they can distract me from the brown ones I can’t stop looking at.
“Him and Heizman and a few others were called to the Black Forest,” Alanna continues, “there’s a feral wolf roaming north of the castle. They’re hunting it now.”
“I hope they return safe,” is all I reply.
“You did pick one of the nicest of the bunch, though,” she goes on, tone dripping in amusement, “and that choice surprises me,human. Of all the men here at Warrior, you go and-”
“-Will you continue traveling with us to Pyre?” I interrupt with a scowl.
Alanna laughs and passes me a full toddy, “I will.”
I nod and take a drink of the amber liquid, thinking on her answer. While Alanna still hasn’t grown on me, I am grateful to know that her familiar face will be on the road, especially in foreign lands.
“Have you ever been to Pyre?”
“Once,” she nods, “to Red Falls, actually. The Princes engage in the crystal trading there. It was a few years back but I don’t think the city has changed since.”
I want to ask her of the library but take another sip of toddy instead.
“How cold was it?”
“Cold,” she frowns, “damn cold. Though when we traveled it was in the thick of winter. Hopefully the spring has started to thaw out the snow.”
“And the people there?” I ask, “is it true about their fire?”
Alanna rolls her eyes, “it’s the element of their Kingdom,human. Of course they can summon fire. Honestly, I’m really starting to wonder what kind of education you received in a Court that values Knowledge above all else.”
“That’s not what I-”
“-Let’s go get another drink,” she cuts off, eyes darting from the half-drunken toddy in my hand to the crowd in the middle of the room, “we’ll both need another soon.”
Alanna starts walking towards the barrels before noticing that I haven’t moved to follow her. She slowly turns around and levels me with a glare, her cool grey eyes holding mine.
“You’re not one to back down from something new, Alexis,” she lifts a brow.
