“It’s a fancy title for the partner of an Imperial,” Calder explained. “How much actual involvement they have with the government or with the Retinue is up to Kelevra. Considering his personality though, he’ll most likely want Rin to be a part of it. Having him considered Retinue means he can keep him close. Like an excuse to invite his boyfriend even before the wedding.”
“You’re going to have a ton of royal duties. What’s that mean for your future?” Brennon finished off the hard liquor he’d been drinking and poured himself another.
“He told me the other day he wasn’t planning on going for detective or inspector anyway,” Calder said.
Had he? He was going to have to have a serious talk with his brother later. Usually, the way this went down was they filled one another in on all the important details when they’d been switched, that way things like this didn’t happen. What was his brother playing at?
The only reason Rin had wanted to bother with the Academy had been to learn how to stay hidden, and even though he was only a sophomore, he felt like he and his brother already had that part down pat. And if Kelevra was just messing with him right now and he did still intend for them to be together…Rin didn’t want to quit going, but as far as his future went, there was nothing specific he’d had his heart set on.
His only real goal had been to learn enough and get a job that would pay for him and his brother to flee without telling their father where they were going. They were going to disappear and never look back, another reason why he hadn’t gone out of his way to make real friends.
His brother’s earlier words about wanting to stay echoed in his mind and he took a longer look around at the table. He’d tried not to get attached to anyone, but clearly that had been a failure of epic proportions.
Sort of like how he’d been trying to convince himself he wasn’t interested in Kelevra.
“Maybe I’ll just act as a bodyguard or something,” Rin joked, laughing it off to help sell it.
“Isn’t that him?” a girl whispered nearby, loudly enough her voice carried over the music.
Rin didn’t have to turn to know she was referring to him.
“Do you think they’re going to call it off? I heard that’s why Kelevra’s been M.I.A. He’s at the palace begging the Emperor to let him change the rules and cancel it,” another voice, this one male answered.
“Why? He’s cute,” the girl said.
The guy snorted. “You think he’s cute?”
“Hey, assholes,” Daylen glared over Rin’s shoulder at them. “Move along. No one’s interested in your shitty rumors.”
“What are you guys eleven?” Calder added shaking his head at them. “Ignore jerks like that, Rin. They’re just bored.”
“I can’t believe he’s left you to deal with shit like this,” Brennon stated.
“He has his reasons.” Rin left out the part about how this was most likely a manipulation. One he was probably about to fall for. Even the week as his brother hadn’t been enough to quell this unease within him. Any second now he was going to cave and rush over to wherever the Imperial Prince was and he knew it.
The funny thing was he didn’t even feel all that bad about it. At first, he’d been annoyed and determined to hold out, thinking Kel would actually get bored of him once he realized Rin wasn’t going to cave and fall for his crap. But that resolve had been chipped at nonstop all week and now it seemed stupid of him to hold out.
For what?
He liked Kelevra. At least, he liked how the guy made him feel, and sometimes that was enough. So what if he was abrasive and arrogant and frustrating as all hell? No one had ever paid Rin the type of attention Kelevra did. No one had ever been able to look at him next to his twin and instantly tell them apart. Most of that was his eye, but Rin had the feeling even without it Kelevra would be able to tell the difference, and that—
He chugged his beer.
“Is he nice to you?” Brennon said then.
“He tries to be,” Rin answered honestly. Must be the alcohol.
He frowned. “What does that even mean?”
As the Imperial Prince, they all knew who held the power here, but aside from forcing his hand—both literally and figuratively—Kelevra had been surprisingly…lax as far as abuse of power went. If he’d wanted, he could have ordered Rin dragged before him and locked in the penthouse like some damsel. No one would have been able to do a damn thing, but instead, he’d opted to try out a mental play instead.
He was using Rin’s need for anonymity against him by ensuring the entire city was talking about him, gossiping over whether or not he was going to be made Royal Consort after all or kicked to the curb like used goods. Instead of having Rin dragged home, he was attempting to rile him up, antagonize him to the point Rin stormed through the doors on his own two feet.
Clever.
Manipulative.
Sexy.
