On the way to the castle, I pushed down my rising anxiety. It wasn't just about the memories I'd face when I strode through those halls again. It was Rian. I hadn't seen him in two weeks. More than that. And all I'd gotten from him was one note. That was not the actions of a man in love.
As an ex-courtier, I was familiar with all the games of courtly love and all the ways those games could play out. I'd often seen a man give bold pursuit, almost to the point of madness, but then shortly after achieving his desire, that desire would wane. Not just wane. It would flip and become the opposite. Desire into disdain. It was bizarre but more common than you might think.
Was that what had happened with King Rianvar? Had he become madly obsessed with me only to gain my love and discover it wasn't what he wanted? Maybe his dragon had confused him. Maybe those urges had subsided, and he realized that I wasn't his mate. Maybe, maybe, maybe. That's why I had to go and see him. I refused to live in a state of unstable maybe.
My stomach jolted as we rumbled to a stop at the castle gate.
Vashana looked up. She was lying on the bench beside me, her head in my lap. She had settled on the floor at first, but I wouldn't have that. She was more than a pet, after all.
“It's all right, girl,” I said.
A guard came to my window and rapped.
Vashana growled.
“Easy,” I said to her as I opened the latch and pulled down the window pane. “Galin Savas to see the King,” I said.
“Yes, Sir.” The guard smacked the carriage and stepped back.
A little of my anxiety eased upon that easy entrance. The guard hadn't questioned me at all. One look at me and my name had gotten me through. That had to mean Rian had made sure I could gain entrance. I breathed out in relief as the carriage went round to stop before the keep's steps. A uniformed human came running down the steps to open the carriage door. But then he saw Vashana and jumped back.
I climbed out, and Vashana came down after me. Pretending not to notice the man's discomfort, I said, “The crate on the back is to be taken to the kitchens. It contains the King's order of crispers.”
“Crispers?” The man's expression went blank.
“Have the crate taken to the kitchen, if you please.”
“Uh. Yes, Sir!”
I paid the driver, and he helped the servant remove the crate. I didn't wait for them. As far as I was concerned, the delivery was complete. Now, I had to find the King.
At the doors, another uniformed man opened one for me and bowed.
“Where is the King?” I asked.
“He's in the wine-tasting salon with his guests, Sir.” The man pointed down the hallway. “Third door on the left.”
“Thank you.” I went forward, ignoring the anxiety of being in a castle compounded with the fear that the words “guests” and “wine-tasting salon” had inspired. You don't do business in a room reserved for wine tasting. No, that was somewhere you took people you wanted to impress.
Vashana strode quietly and confidently beside me. My heart pounded, but her calm gave me courage. I went to the third door and opened it.
Immediately, a conversation hit me.
“Rianvar, please.” A Dragon man gripped my lover's forearms. He leaned close. “I've come all this way.”
“I don't know what to do, Geris,” Rian said.
Geris.
The name lashed through me. Then came Rian's voice. Not in the present but in my memories.
“I still remember the way he smelled. The way he felt beneath me. So I understand how love can linger even after you're ready to let it go.”
There weren't guests in the room with the King. Not plural. Only one man was the King's guest, and he was the last man the King had loved. The man Rian said wasn't his mate, but he still had a lingering love for. And there they stood, staring at each other as if they didn't care about Gods or magic.
They were so taken with each other that they didn't see me at first, despite my standing just two feet to their left. Istepped back as my heart plummeted. Lies. All of it. Or maybe it was as I'd suspected and Rian had gotten what he was after, then found it wasn't what he wanted. Not truly. Had he sent for Geris immediately or waited a few days to make sure he didn't love me? Great fuck, I was a moron.
Rian's head spun suddenly my way. His eyes went wide. “Galin?”
