Even though they were far closer on dragonback, there’s something different about standing face to face. Against the surrounding shadows, Sei’s illuminated features are even clearer.
Sei is more than pretty. He’s enchanting, from his dark brown eyes to his button nose. Even in his flight-rumpled coat, he carries himself with perfect poise. Steady, outwardly calm. Like a new recruit hiding his nerves.
Not Marek’s type. He doesn’t care how beautiful a man is if that man is scared of him.
They’ve barely clasped arms when Marek lets go and takes up his pen.
This isn’t real,Marek tells himself, putting the pen to parchment. Too much ink follows each sweep of Marek’s signature. His name is bold beneath the unwanted contract.
?
CHAPTER FIVE
Sei
Sei barely registers the journey from the throne room. He just lets the servants and guards direct him. Ostomar is far too large, especially when Sei’s entire body is already weak with exhaustion from the dragon ride.
Incredible that he managed to spell his name correctly on the contract.
Marek must have said something to his subordinates, because the dragon corps personnel let Sei into the garrison tower. Sei nearly rebels against the last flight of stairs—but at last, the guards leave. The door closes, and Sei slumps bonelessly on the nearest couch.
Osric prowls the room before joining Sei. It’s a wide, spacious room, with fewer gargoyles than the rest of Ostomar. Plain wall hangings, no battle tapestries. Warmly lit, comfortable, but not very personalized. Sei assumes it’s a guest chamber in Prince Marek’s quarters. Sei’s bags are already at the foot of the bed.
Marek left the throne room immediately after the signing, without a word to Sei. No promises, no ceremony. One underwhelming ritual before Sei was alone in a room of complete strangers.
Technically Marek is a stranger too. But after the day on dragonback, with Marek’s arms around him and Marek’s scent infiltrating his lungs, Sei thought there was some connection.
Clearly that was just in Sei’s head. A full day of human touch is unfathomably precious to Sei. Of course a man like Marek wouldn’t care.
Osric leans his heavy chin on Sei’s lap.Your bags are here. Wash your face and sleep. Not on the couch, or you’ll get a crick in your neck.
Sei would gladly pass out on the couch or drag himself to the bed. But he has some questions first. “What happened here, Osric? Where is Prince Vana?”
His hand drops reflexively to scritch behind Osric’s ears.
Osric leans into it.Vana left with his mate.
Sei pauses the scritching until Osric nudges him. “His mate? I mean, no. That’s not what humans call that.”
I knew there would be trouble as soon as I saw him and his bodyguard. They just weren’t normal about each other.
Somehow, Sei had never considered his betrothed might be in love with someone else. Not that this arrangement is about love. Of course. That’s just a silly dream. Growing to love his future husband is as far-fetched as Prince Marek feeling anything after a day pressed together on dragonback.
Sei doesn’t need silly dreams like that. It will be more than enough to fulfill his purpose as a grail.
That fool Naoko didn’t believe me when I said to pick an alternate,Osric continues, annoyed. He’s never liked Naoko.Ridiculous, but I shouldn’t be surprised. That woman knows less about human emotions than I do, and I’m a fucking cat. I took great pleasure in telling her I’d told her so, after the lovebirds fucked off.
“I’m sorry she didn’t listen,” Sei says quietly. “Thank you for looking out for me.”
Someone has to.Osric’s plush red shoulders rise and fall with his sigh.I’m unimpressed with this Marek, but he was the best choice remaining. The others were all married or horrible or both.
Maybe so. But Marek doesn’t want Sei at all.
Sei can’t say that out loud. He won’t be able to hold back the stinging tears. “I could have gone with a married mage. One of the not horrible ones. The grail relationship isn’t always romantic.”
No,Osric says firmly.That’s one thing your stupid mother and I agree on. This isn’t Fellrin. You need a legally binding relationship for your own safety.
Sei doesn’t particularly feel safe here. Not with the unfamiliar surroundings, from the terrible weather to the too-tall bed across the room. Not with his new family-to-be, the dark and forbidding House Dire. Queen Aliza had acted friendly, but that was all it was. An act.
