Chapter 2 #3
He was on her in a second, tackling her to her own bed, but a knock at the door had them both freezing. He sighed, his breath heating her cheek, before he planted a quick kiss to her lips and helped her up.
“Cane,” he said, pressing it into her hands.
“Thanks.”
“Have fun, Lady Eiko.”
“Thank you, peasant. You may escort me to the door if you wish.” She drew her hand through his arm, and he dutifully led her to the door, pulling it open.
“Eiko,” Ky sighed, “as my date, you can’t also bring a date.”
“This blithering lowborn was escorting me to my carriage,” she announced primly, pulling free from Ren and brushing off her hand as though afraid his poverty was catching.
She heard Ren biting back a laugh behind her. “Just came by looking for Kaito,” he explained. “Congratulations, Ky, on the engagement. And the murder of your older brothers.”
Ky made a sound halfway between a laugh and a groan. “You forgot my father,” he said, presumably to Eiko, “if your plan was to ascend to the top.”
“We can wait him out,” she assured him as he took her hand and led her from the house. “Introduce him to bacon, maybe?”
“He’s well-acquainted with bacon.”
“Cake?” she asked.
“That too.”
“Bacon cake?”
“I don’t believe he’s met bacon cake.”
She snapped her fingers. “Make it happen.” She planted her feet after a few steps down the road. “Where’s my carriage? I was promised a carriage.”
“You were promised an entrée,” Ky corrected.
“Not even dinner?”
“Not if you plan on murdering my entire family.”
“Your sisters can live,” she allowed. “And your younger brother. But if I hear the slightest glimmer of aspiration in his voice, then …” She drew her thumb across her throat.
“All right, killer.” He patted her hand, and then, after a moment, he added, “You look lovely.”
“So do you.”
He pinched the back of her hand.
“What?” she asked, feigning confusion. “I thought we were handing out meaningless platitudes?”
“I meant it, you asshole. You look nice.”
She grew quiet and contemplative. “My dress is black?”
“Like everything else you own, yes.”
“Then I look like I’m attending a funeral.”
He snorted. “Fine.”
“For your budding relationship,” she added.
“Asshole,” he reiterated. “I can’t believe I asked you to come tonight.”
“Rion would have been a better choice,” she agreed.
“But nowhere near as entertaining when she accidentally sets the curtains on fire.”
“Light protect us.”
He burst into laughter. “Light protect us,” he agreed. “Can you act like we’re in love?”
“Absolutely. Shall I call you darling?”
“Is that what Ren calls you?”
She gasped, shaking his arm. “That is a hateful rumour.”
“You told me six months ago when I had to carry your drunk ass home. You kept insisting his house was your house.”
“Guilty, darling.”
“Nope, that doesn’t work.”
“We can workshop it. Shall I stare at you adoringly?”
“Give it a try.” He stopped walking, and she turned to face him. After a moment, he clicked his fingers. “I’m over here.”
“Sorry.” She readjusted.
“Has it … started?” he asked.
“Yes. This is as adoring as I know how to look.”
“Eiko. This is the way you look at everything.”
“I adore everything. My heart is full of love.”
“Try harder.” He pinched her cheek. “Pretend I’m chocolate.”
She melted, her mouth watering.
“That works.” He sounded pleased. “Do that. Just make sure you’re doing it at me and not my brothers or sisters. Or my mother or father. Or the King of All. Or his sons. Or his wife. We don’t need anarchy.”
“Speak for yourself. The only thing I love more than chocolate is anarchy.”
“The fete is unpacking,” he said, ignoring her comment and taking up Rion’s job of describing everything as they strolled through the valley. “The train is shinier than ever. I think they’ve set out more fires than usual—are you cold?”
“I’m wearing a coat,” she pointed out.
“This is my first time courting a woman. I’m trying to be a gentleman.
Looks like everyone’s waiting for the fortune teller to finish setting up.
I think … yes, it’s the same one. The one with the wrinkled gold skin and the iron shackles.
She’s the one who told us both we’d travel all over Lyra a few years ago, remember?
She wore those big iron shackles and told us she was accused of being a witch and sentenced to death in Frostwail, but she gave herself over to the Kingsweep instead. ”
Eiko did remember the woman. She had been full of tales, and there was no telling which of them were true. The people of Stonesigh didn’t go around accusing people of being witches and sentencing them to death, but Frostwail was a wholly different region.
Ky continued to describe the train and the gathering crowd until they reached the mountain, and then he fell into a nervous silence, escorting her into the great big stone hall, where the sounds of hurried footsteps and laughter seemed to bounce from one polished cavernous side to the other.
They walked up several staircases, with open windows cut into the rock at each landing. The Kingsfete was growing louder, the noises spilling in through the windows, along with the cold night air.
“Here goes nothing,” Ky whispered, stopping again.
They had paused outside a room, the muted sound of chatter floating out to them. Eiko squeezed his arm, trying to comfort him. He didn’t make any move to step forward or to open what she was fairly sure was a door.
“Ky?”
“Yeah?” he asked, voice suddenly sad.
“I’m sorry.”
“I know.”
“I might stab your father with a dessert fork tonight for what he said to you.”
“I know.”
“Is that permission? It sounded like permission.”
He made an amused grunting sound. “Eiko?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re my best friend.”
“No, I will not marry you.” She shook her head in disapproval, and this time, his laugh was genuine.
He stepped forward, pushing the door open and muttering beneath his breath, “Here goes nothing.”