Page 1 of Henrikk’s Secret

Chapter 1

TOXIC LOVE

Henrikk

Henrikk awaited Asher in his private dining hall on the second-highest floor of the castle. He was alone in the narrow room, the servants long dismissed.

The tall candles were lit, the long ebony table polished to a dark gleam that reflected the glow of the iron chandeliers above. The centrepiece was a silver vase containing blood-red roses, the only ones he would ever give Asher.

An ornate silver goblet stood at each place setting, one at either end of the table.

The room was small enough to be cosy, but the vaulted ceiling was sinister, the darkened wood arching overhead like the ribs of some large, ancient creature.

Asher arrived wearing the fine silk suit that Henrikk had sent him. It was mauve since Henrikk had decided he liked Asher in purple, and he wanted everything to be perfect for their final goodbye.

He was pleased with his choice. The luxurious jacket glittered in the flickering candlelight like a starry sky. The stretching fabric drew Henrikk’s eyes to Asher’s broad chest, wide shoulders, and the sharp planes of his abs, which he knew were hidden underneath.

No doubt there were weapons concealed on his person, too, but the longsword sheathed at Asher’s belt was the only one that Henrikk could see.

“Your Majesty,” Asher greeted, his calm expression giving nothing away regarding his mood.

“Sit,” Henrikk said with a polite smile, taking his place at the head of the table in a high-backed chair.

Asher sat at the far end in a slightly smaller chair, which befitted his status. “Flowers,” he noted, glancing at the roses in surprise.

“For you,” Henrikk said.

“Are they really?”

Henrikk wasn’t entirely sure. Why had he instructed the servants to bring flowers? It had initially struck him as a clever jest, a mockery of romance. But seeing the general’s reaction made the gesture feel more serious than he’d intended.

“They’re lovely,” Asher said cautiously, staring at the roses for several seconds before lifting his gaze to meet his. As if he suspected them to be a trick.

Henrikk interlaced his fingers and leant forward on his elbows. “Tell me what you really think.”

“Well, all right…” His forehead crinkled giving the question far more thought than Henrikk thought it warranted. “I’m just thinking that there was a time when I would have cherished such a gift from you.”

But not anymore?

Henrikk felt a twinge of discomfort, but he quickly plastered an amused smile on his face. “I see no reason you should not cherish them now. They are from your king, after all.”

Asher shot him a look that he could only interpret as, Are you fucking kidding me?

“And I am pleased to receive such a gift from my King,” Asher said. “But I would have appreciated such a gift from my friend even more.”

“Treason,” Henrikk said softly.

“The truth,” Asher countered. “Something you still value in your court, I believe.”

“Oh, yes, I do value honesty,” Henrikk said. “Withholding the truth, however…” He gave Asher a pointed smirk, “can have very public ramifications.”

Asher swallowed, hopefully recalling his punishment before the courtiers. The general’s hand twitched towards his goblet before realising it was empty.

Henrikk felt a burst of triumph for steering the narrative towards Asher’s humiliation from all those weeks ago. Far better than acknowledging the elephant in the room: the very vivid way the general had fucked him on the balcony last night.

That… was something Henrikk could only attribute to a nightmare. An unacceptable event, one that he could not bear to think about.

The smile slipped off his face. “Well…I do hope you’re hungry. Shall we tuck in?”