“Thank you,” he said, forcing himself not to say ‘your highness’ in the interest of anonymity. “I’m happy to be back.”
“I’d love to hear more of your adventures,” said Zane. “But I don’t think this is the right place. Let’s go back to my chambers.”
“Ourchambers,” Talon said, teasingly. Emmeric couldn’t quite translate the look Zane gave Tal, but it was clear he wasn’t annoyed by Talon’s antics. Which was interesting. Emmeric made a note to ask Talon about it later. Did something happen last night after he went back to bed?
“After you,” said Emmeric. Zane ordered breakfast to be sent up to his room, then the trio stood to leave. Zane glanced at the twins, still snoring on the table, a line of drool coursing down Gordon’s face.
“Should we…” began Zane.
“Nah,” said Talon, waving his hand. “We’ll let them sleep this off. Eventually, the cook will throw some cold water on them, and I would hate to deprive them of the experience.” Zane shook his head, and…smiled? Did he smile? His lips definitely twitched. Emmeric had never seen the crown prince with a smile that wasn’t forced.
Once safely ensconced back in Zane and Talon’s room, which was just as bare as Emmeric’s, they each took up a place separate from each other. Zane sat on his bed. Talon leaned against the door casually, but Emmeric knew he was on guard and listening for potential eavesdroppers. Emmeric stood on the wall opposite, in a ready stance to jump in front of the prince if needed. The royal guard duties didn’t stop because the prince was playing at being a pauper.
“Please, I’d love to learn about the week you’ve had, Emmeric,” Zane said.Oh, he does remember my name.He looked at Talon, who winked. That explains it—he told him last night.
He took a deep breath. “The blast knocked me out,” Emmeric began.Truth.“When I came to it was the next morning, and I was being restrained.”Truth.“The village’s healer, an old woman, was holding me captive.”Truth.“I managed to convince her I was no threat to her or the village, and she unbound me, but I wasn’t necessarily free to move about.”Half-truth.“They talked, though, and I learned it was a star that had fallen, and there’s somebody now with pure magic.”Truth-ish.“Then one night I was able to flee, and I’ve been traveling towards Athusia ever since.”Half-lie.“I’ve been hearing rumors there is someone performing small feats of magic in the capital. I was on my way to report those rumors to the emperor.”Lie.
Zane thought on Emmeric’s short recap for long enough Emmeric squeezed his hands into fists to keep from fidgeting. “That must be why my father wants the woman.”
“What woman?” Emmeric asked with a slight edge of panic.
“The one from the village,” said Zane. Emmeric’s stomach flipped. He couldn’t mean Iyana. “The one I saw shouting. I think he believes she called the star somehow.”Fuck.Now he felt a full-blown panic beginning. He had to remind himself he really didn’t—shouldn’t—care what happened to Iyana. She was a woman he barely knew. A woman who hated him, no less.
“How did he learn about this woman?” Talon asked.
Zane shrugged. “He asked specifically about a young woman, then became all introspective and tasked me with finding her. She must be the one with magic; although I don’t know how she would have made it to the capital by now.” He frowned. “Or why she would go there in the first place. She’d have to realize she isn’t safe from Uther.”
Please, please, Iyana, be far from Athusia.
Zane sighed. “I guess that means we’ll pack up and go home. Follow these rumors through, and if nothing comes of them, we’ll ride back towards Imothia.”
Talon pushed off the door. “If none ofusknew about these rumors, then they most likely haven’t reached the emperor either.”
Zane gave a wry laugh. “The man seems to know everything.”
“All I’m trying to say,” said Talon, with humor in his blue eyes, “is he doesn’t need to know that we learned about it now. How about we take these people up on their amazing hospitality for another night, get blind drunk, and leave in the morning?”
The crown prince perked up, just a bit, at that idea. “You’re a bad influence, Talon,” he said, now with a very genuine, wide smile. “But I like this idea.”
“Well, then, let’s go!” said Talon with a whoop, opening the door and motioning Zane out with an exaggerated bow. All three chuckled, and that was the most surprising to Emmeric. He’dneverheard an authentic laugh from Zane. Not even when he thought no one was listening.
They spent the rest of the afternoon drinking their body weight in liquor. Zane won a surprising amount of poker games, and Talon wailed it wasn’t fair; the prince was stone-faced. He had grinned widely and invited them all to spend a week in court to better their poker faces. The twins found it hilarious Tal was now the one losing, as he usually swept the floor with them. Emmeric watched it all with a drunken smile on his face—the past week fading into the background. It was never gone, not completely. The tightness in his chest prevented him from fully forgetting.
Wine poured down their throats and Emmeric found himself on top of a table singing a bawdy song; Talon keeping time poorly by banging on the table. He slipped and fell onto the dirty tavern floor. His four companions let out a collectiveooh, but he laughed, the sound coming from deep within his chest.Pain would set in the next day, but the armor forged from alcohol protected him from the worst of it. After that incident, the tavern owner kicked them out for being ‘disruptive.’ Talon tried to argue with him, slurring his words into an unintelligible rant, hands flying in the man’s face. Emmeric steered his friend to the door before the innkeeper—who towered over them all and was as wide as a tree trunk—punched him in the nose and they lost their rooms for the night.
And so, after having lost all sense of time, the five men stumbled out of the inn into the darkened streets, now the best of friends. Everyone turned left to walk towards another tavern, but something within Emmeric made him turn right. He sobered instantly, because that was Iyana andfuckingAltair walking up the street towards the inn. It was hard to see with only dim candle lamps above the walkways, plus the haze of alcohol, but he knew it was her. He’d know her anywhere; his soul was connected to hers. He grabbed Talon’s wrist, hard.
“What the fuck, man?” Talon slurred, turning around.
Iyana noticed him only a second after he saw her, and she halted Altair with her arm. It felt like an eternity—they stared at each other, unblinking. Emmeric shook his head minutely.
“Oh shit, is that—” Talon muttered. But then Zane was streaking past them both, heading straight for Iyana.
Zane
Zane was living his best life. He hadn’t had this much fun in years. Usually, if he was drunk, it was either alone in his room or during a tedious dinner his father hosted for other nobles. He dreaded those dinners. They were always full of sycophants trying to pawn their daughters off on him. The daughters who were excellent at the harpsichord, or embroidering, or justlookat her childbearinghips. Or her virtue is still intact. He always wanted to laugh at the last one, having personally fucked many of the women whose virtues were ‘still intact.’
But this was wholly different. His father wasn’t breathing down his neck, and Zane was free to be himself. His true self. Only, he wasn’t quite sure who that was yet. Talon already felt like a friend, and he got along easily with the other three—especially once the wine (and beer, and spirits) started flowing. The afternoon and early evening were a blur of eating, drinking, playing poker, and more drinking until the owner of the inn declared they were frightening off his other customers and sent them on their way.
