Gods, all of them are staring at me. But of course they are. I’m being rude. Say something!
Evelyn looked up at Damien, silently pleading for help.
He squeezed her shoulder before sending Haydn a friendly grin. “It’s good to see you again, Ritter. It’s been a long time since the war. Congratulations on your appointment to Councilor.”
Haydn returned the smile. “Thank you, Fontaine. I had some resistance from Wendell, but you remember how he is.”
“Grumpy bastard!” Damien chuckled. “But he’s been around long enough to have prophesied thecreationof the old gods. If I live that long, you bet I won’t have anything nice to say, either!”
All of the men laughed, and Evelyn relaxed a little. “You mentioned a war? Which one?”
“When the Republic of Trasmyr tried to seize Lochmatten about a hundred years ago,” General Savatier explained. “Armies from both kingdoms responded to defend the isle.”
“Lochmatten is peaceful, you see,” Councilor Ritter told her. “We are eternally grateful for the support of Gryon and Carrowmore, since we do not have an army of our own. The conflict lasted less than a year with their help. I’m sure I owe my life to General Savatier and Lieutenant Fontaine.”
Who the fuck is this man? It’s like Haydn and Councilor Ritter are two different people. The man who had me breathless in the bar cannot possibly be the same as this polite diplomat.
“Captainnow,” Damien bragged. “You’re not the only one with a promotion, Ritter.”
Haydn tipped his head. “My mistake. I’m sure you earned it.”
The two of them exchanged a look Evelyn couldn’t quite read, like they had an inside joke she wasn’t privy to.
How well do they know each other?
Damien turned back to Evelyn. “Your father was there, too. He led his army from the Fire Court.”
Evelyn frowned. “He’s never really talked about it.”
“Lord Robert mentioned the war earlier, remember? He said you were born right after it ended.” Damien gently tugged on one of her red curls.
“Barbeau hasn’t changed much, has he?” Haydn noted with amusement, watching the rowdy Taste Court.
“I made the mistake of letting him give Princess Evelyn a glass of wine tonight,” Damien said guiltily. “I don’t know what he does to that vineyard of his, but our sweet princess hasn’t quite recovered yet.”
“And King Tristan didn’t put you in chains?” General Savatier asked.
“What can I say? The king likes me.”
“Only the gods know why,” Evelyn muttered.
Haydn gave her a devilish smile. “Fontaine’s charm always wears off after a while.”
“That’s what magic is for, my friend,” Damien said, not taking offense. “Although that’s something the two of you have in common. The princess also has immunity to our illusions.”
“I thought I heard a rumor about that,” Haydn said, not taking his eyes off Evelyn. “Curious how you would end up with so much more than Fire magic.”
“It seems to be alackof magic, not extra,” Evelyn countered.
“Tell me more while we dance,” Haydn insisted.
Evelyn hesitated, but Damien subtly nudged her forward. “Of course, Councilor.”
Evelyn took Haydn’s proffered arm and let him escort her onto the dance floor. He was well dressed, in a formal white jacket trimmed in gold, and caught the attention of several women as they passed by.
He still smells like pine. And being near him feels electrifying. ButI’m with Leo… sort of. I cannot get distracted with this man.
Haydn put a hand on her waist and they began to dance.
