The corners of his mouth turned up in a full smile. He raised his glass to mine and the metal clinked. After a healthy sip he spoke.
“Cercies requested a private meeting tomorrow night. I presume your handmaid will be the main talking point. I need to know how you feel if he requests her transfer to Dragon’s Maw. I know she is your friend,” he said while swirling his goblet.
“I spoke with her today and basically relieved her of her duties to me,” I admitted.
“You what? I will assign you a new handmaid at once,” he retorted.
“Titus, no! I relieved her because I don’t want anyone to take care of me. I enjoy being self-sufficient, and now that I know my way around the castle and how things work around here, I really don’t need her for anything other than companionship,” I replied.
“If her transfer is what he proposes, would you like me to deny it, so your friend will have to stay here with you?” he asked.
“Absolutely not. If she wishes to be with her fated mate, she should have the freedom to do so, no matter how much I will miss her,” I said as the pain of that reality settled in.
“Very well—as long as you don’t request transfer there as well because it will immediately be denied. I like having you right down the hall,” he added with a hint of seduction.
The fire sprites cleared our plates and brought us two big pieces of fudgy chocolate cake, the exact same as the first meal we had together. I scanned his face for any hint of whether the dessert selection was just a mere coincidence or not.
After a few bites, he asked. “How do you like the dessert?” “It’s incredibly good. I’ve had it before,” I moaned as a fork
full of the cake graced my pallet.
“Careful, Pickles. If you keep making noises like that, I might have to make you my dessert,” he said in the deepest,
most seductive voice that had the power to make my underwear disappear. As much as I would have loved for him to take me right here on this table, I was going to steer clear for at least a day so I could take my morning tea that Gleeda gave me. I just hoped I would find the strength to resist him, because the way he was looking at me, I didn’t stand a chance.
I gave him a wry grin and noticed there was music playing. “Is that Gleeda’s magic harp?” I asked, nodding toward the corner of the balcony.
He quickly cleared his throat. “Yes. The musicians were unavailable on such short notice, so she let me borrow it for as long as I need. It’s funny. It almost seemed like she was happy to get rid of it,” he chuckled.
“Dance with me?” I asked, but it came out more as a command. I reached for his hand before I could overthink it.
He narrowed his eyes and gave me a bored look.
“I don’t dance—not in my past life or this one,” he said simply, swirling his goblet like he was above such things.
I let go of his hand, leaned back in my chair, crossed my arms, and challenged him.
“Ugh, fine. Then…tell me a truth instead,” I insisted.
He groaned. “I’d almost prefer the dance, but alright.” He thought for a moment. “I was the one that sent the cake to your room that first night,” he admitted.
“Seriously? That was you? You were so mean! I thought you hated me. Why would you do such a thing?” I asked.
“It took me awhile to understand, but I never hated you. I hated myself—that someone so scared and frail could so easily overpower me with only their scent. For the first time in my life, I felt powerless. I was powerless to your pull. The only thing I could do was fight it and get you to hate me so you wouldn’t be drawn to me anymore. Then when you left, I noticed you had hardly touched your food. I didn’t know if it was because of me or if you didn’t care for it, but I saw you eyeing the cake, so I made sure a slice got to your room before you did.”
I reached for his hand and laced my fingers in his. “You are not the monster you want everyone to think you are; I could never hate you, Titus,” I said softly while drowning in the depths of his amber pools.
For a heartbeat, I couldn’t help but feel like I might be the only person in this realm who saw the real Titus—beneath the crown and the cruelty. He smiled back at me, but it did not meet his eyes, as if he doubted himself.
Then his normally warm amber eyes went hollow, the light in them dimming as he replied, “Just wait, there’s still time.” He polished off the last of his wine like he could swallow the thought down with it.
He set the glass down and continued, “If it works with your schedule, I’d like you to be at the meeting tomorrow night with Cercies.”
My eyes widened as shock straightened my posture. “What?” I asked.
“You said you wanted to be a part of what goes on in the kingdom, and since she is your friend I know you will act in her best interest,” he replied.
“I’ll be there—after dragon flying with Aurelius, assuming you still think that’s a good idea?” I asked hesitantly.
