Chapter Twenty-Two
As the Dragon King and I stopped at the stairs to go our separate ways, I saw Daglor come around a corner.
I started to smile, but then his companion appeared.
I frowned, wondering what that man was doing in the Royal Palace with Daglor.
But then I remembered Arril was a knotter of the Auilos Clan.
The same clan as Daglor. Glancing at Falken, I knew I had to leave before he spotted me.
The King would not be happy if he learned of the past I shared with Arril.
“Ah, I think I'll get something to eat before I go up.” I let go of Falken's hand, spun around, and headed toward the kitchen—away from Daglor and Arril.
Shortly after I turned, Daglor called out, “Your Majesty, I'd like to introduce you to my cousin.”
His cousin? Wonderful. I lowered my head and picked up speed.
Then came Arril's, “Sevarin?”
I kept walking.
“Master Sevarin!” Daglor shouted as if I might not have heard Arril.
Grimacing to myself, I turned around. Falken was frowning at me.
I lifted my chin and returned to his side, pretending to have just noticed Arril. “Arril, well met. What are you doing here?”
Arril's green eyes lit up with mischief. “I live in Sconheit.”
“Yes, I know that. I meant in the Royal Palace.”
“Ah.” His black tail, a perfect match to his waist-length hair, twitched. I came to visit my cousin, Daglor.”
“Have you finished your wander years?”
“Yes, I'm back to stay.” He cocked his head, letting his straight hair slide across his arm. “Daglor was just telling me about Master Alchemist Sevarin Beckhur, come to save the kingdom. It feels like fate that we both ended up here.”
“Daglor is your cousin, and the King summoned me here. That's not fate. It's a coincidence.”
“You can call it a coincidence, but I'm calling it fate.”
“As you like.” I cleared my throat and looked away.
Arril chuckled brightly. “You're still the same Sevarin. Too rational to believe in things like fate.”
Into the awkward silence, Daglor stammered, “Uh, Your Majesty, this is my cousin, Arril Auilos.”
Arril bowed, his tail lifting. “Your Majesty.”
Falken nodded. “How do you know Master Sevarin?”
“Oh, we are old . . . companions.”
“He's an ex-lover of mine,” I said to Falken, annoyed that Arril tried to make it sound like it was more than it was. To Arril, I added, “No need to be coy, Arril.”
He lifted his dark eyebrows. “In that case, are you the King's lover?”
“There's a difference between a lack of coyness and audacity.” I lifted my chin. “It's rude of you to ask that in front of His Majesty.”
Falken looked from me to Arril and said, “Yes, he's my lover.”
I frowned at Falken. He smirked at me.
Arril smirked too. “I only asked because I could make a contract for you. I'm very good at it.”
“No, thank you. We've already made one.”
Arril's expression went blank. Then he recovered. “Oh, I see. Then, uh, this is a relationship, not just, a, well, yes.” He cleared his throat and shrugged, saying to the King, “Sevarin didn't stay long enough for us to make a contract.”
“I was in my wander years,” I protested.
“And those years are over?” Arril's green eyes locked on mine.
Memories of him above and then beneath me flooded my mind. Arril liked to top and bottom, just like me. The affair had been one of my most erotic and enjoyable, keeping me well satisfied. Arril had a lovely body, a thick cock, and great stamina.
Yet I had moved on without a pang of regret. Would it be the same with Falken? I glanced at him and found him staring at me, waiting for my answer.
“Uh, I am at the end of them.” I cleared my throat. “I believe.”
“You don't sound sure.” Arril grinned. “Maybe I'll stick around until you decide to move on.”
Falken stepped forward, forcing Arril back, and growled.
Arril's eyes went wide as he backed up further. “It is how we are, Your Majesty. At least during our wander years. I meant no offense. I assumed Sevarin explained it to you.”
“He did,” Falken's voice held a hint of his growl. “But you don't flirt with a man while he is still in a relationship. Especially not a man in a relationship with me. Understood?”
Arril held up his hands. “Absolutely, Sire. I will stay away from your lover.”
Falken grunted and stepped back. “Sevarin, I'd like you to help me assemble the audit team.”
“Uh.” I looked from Falken—who was still staring at Arril despite speaking to me, then to an utterly terrified Arril, and finally back to the King. “Of course, Your Majesty.”
The Dragon King grabbed my hand and pulled me around Arril.
It wasn't until we reached the end of the corridor that I realized he had called me Sevarin. Just Sevarin. In public. He'd never done that before.
As I mused over this, the King said, “You don't have to stay forever. Just stay for now.”
“Unless I'm your mate.”
He stopped walking to look at me. “Yes, unless you're my mate or you decide to stay.”
But if I weren't Falken's mate, staying would be bad for both of us.
What a terrible twist to our contract. If he mated me, I'd feel forced into being with him, even if I wanted to.
And if I wanted to stay, but he didn't mate me, someone else would eventually take him away.
I didn't mention that to him. I didn't want to talk about it.
Especially with the way it made me feel.
Yes, I had agreed to be honest with him about my feelings, but he hadn't asked.
Walking away from King Falken would be a lot harder than walking away from Arril. I knew that now, but I wasn't ready to say it aloud, much less to him.