“I’ll thank you to stop speaking about my future wife inthat manner.”
“And I’ll thank you to stop acting like a brooding arseholeand tell me what’s the matter with you,” Marlow fired back.“You’ve been inNewton for five days.Racing to her townhome the moment you arrived in the citylike Minerva herself was resurrected and chasing your heels.You spent what Ihopewas a pleasurable half an hour with her in a study.We lunched with her, herfetching mother, and her charming sister after that.Then you begged off anintimate dinner with her that evening to join Huxtable andSoucottin challenging some dishonorable gamesman whose magnets were making the dicejump in his favor, and the notes to jump out of Huxtable’s wallet.”
Loren scowled at his empty glass.
Marlow kept bleating.
“The next day, you had a picnic in the park, again in thecompany of her mother and sister, when the engagement has been officiallyannounced.It’s reached every paper, likely in three countries.The king iscoming to the wedding, for fuck’s sake.You are free to court her at liberty.You no longer need a chaperone.In fact, you can carry her to your townhome,take her to your bed, and not surface until your wedding, which, frankly, if Iwas in your shoes, is what I would be doing.But since that, I’m sure, highlyenjoyable picnic, you’ve turned down her every invitation and haven’t seen heronce.However, you have time to sit in this magical establishment with me whenI know you.You’ve no intent to take a whore.Though you might very well wishword to reach your betrothed’s ears that you’re sitting here, so she’ll havereason to beg off ofyou.”
A woman in knickers, a bust-less corset, which meant herbreasts were exposed, garters, stockings and heeled mules strolled by, hereyebrows lifting.
In return, Loren tipped his head to his empty glass.
She nodded and looked to Marlow.
He shook his head.
She moved to the bar.
“I’ve sent gifts,” Loren murmured.
“To the second wealthiest woman in the kingdom, behind Cora,the Gracious, our fucking queen?”Marlow scoffed.
Loren turned his attention again to his friend.
“Please do me the favor of fucking off.”
“I was on the cliffs’ edge, ready to jump, and you pulled meback.”
Loren clenched his teeth and again regarded his whiskyglass.
“Do you think I’m not going to return the favor when it’sclear you’re going about the business of fucking up your life?”Marlow pushed.
“She’s too good for me.”
“You are currently eighth in line to the bloody throne.”
The woman came and set the whisky in front of him.
He didn’t even glance at her when he handed her his emptyglass.
“That doesn’t matter toSatrine,”he said, then raised the liquor to his lips and threw back a healthy dose.
“No.Butyoudo.”
Loren said nothing.
“We were in the bloody forest for two and a half bloodyyears without leave.We’d lost five men, half our number, and our scout, whowas just a boy.No one knew of our activities, and if we were discovered, we’dvowed never to divulge.We were assassins being assassinated, one by one.Ithought I’d never make it home on so many occasions, it almost became a mantra.You’d be lying if you said you didn’t think the same.Not once did I considerI’d walk into a home and have a woman race into my arms.Or better, stand andwatch that same thing happen toyou.”
Loren threw back more whisky.
“We had to keep going.If we didn’t find them all, Tor couldsend no more after us.If Queen Aurora knew he’d sent a kill squad, relationswith our greatest ally would have gone to shite.And regardless of the factthat Frey would likely have backed Tor’s play, he wasn’t their ruler.Andthey’vegot dragons.Tor made the tough choice.We had to succeed.Our people, andtheirs, depended on it.We succeeded, Lore, and we came home.Be home.Andbe happy.”
“I do believe, my brother, that you were at my sidechallenging that gamesman with his dancing dice,” he noted.
“I don’t have a beautiful woman selecting her weddinggarland either.”
He again turned to his friend.
