14. Rorin
Rorin
Being in our own territory seems to have relaxed only Will.
I could feel the unease radiating off of Eveera as well as her straining to hear our conversation so on a wild gamble I laid next to her to see if she’d fall asleep. By the grace of whatever gods are out there she did, I try not to let the fact that my presence seems to have helped her somehow go to my head, but even in her sleep she’s still tense.
I sat up only when I was sure she was really out and returned to my conversation. Bennett filled us in on the current state of things and then redirected our talk to ask more of our stay and travels with the Obsids. Questions both Will and I narrowly dodge, the full truth of. Truths such as Percy’s head and the fact that in order for us to get a fully equipped military we also get their sadistic queen and her team of misfit men.
When there was nothing left to say or update the other on, I lay my body back down next to hers. Sleep however doesn’t find me so quickly. Instead, I stay awake listening to her uneven breathing, hoping that at some point her emotions will ease and stop wrecking havoc on both our minds. The seal leaves her open when she’s in a vulnerable state like sleep .
Bennett takes up his spot next to me, not bothering to try and sleep either. He rests his arms on his knees, peering around me to look at the tiny queen next to us. “So she’s who you defied your father for.”
I roll my eyes. “I didn’t defy him for her. I defied him because he was being dense. Her forces are some of the largest and most skilled in battle.”
“Yet they’ve not been in battle for how long?” He asks me.
I adjust my sitting position, “you haven’t seen what they’ve had to fight behind their own walls Bennett.” He shrugs fixing his stare on the fire. I don’t need to justify why I defied my father. It’s us who see our men dying. Us who see their wives and children weeping. Only we know the calamitous effect this is having on our kingdom. If I have to play dirty against him in order to save the rest of them, I will. I will fight for them all in spite of him. Whether they want me as their prince or not.
“So what’s her story?” Bennett’s voice draws my attention back to him. My left hand drifts to wrap around a few strands of her hair, not obvious enough for anyone to see under the cover of darkness as I think about my answer.
“I haven’t figured it out yet.” I state quietly.
He coughs, clearing his throat, while moving to lie down. “Well, you better figure it out quick. Once morning comes Vellar will never be the same.”
Great, that notion makes me feel, just…great.
Bennett’s words stuck in my head all the way until morning actually came. Eveera for most of the night slept in a ball, a ball that drifted closer and closer to my body heat until the point we were almost spooning. I pretended to be asleep and stifled my laugh when she woke up and realized our nearness. She practically leapt off the ground, bumping up against Axel in the process .
Ezra has chosen to be on speaking terms with her behind “enemy lines”. He’s been fused to her from the moment he woke up. She’s ignoring his imposing proximity while bobbing her head in agreement to whatever Armond is whispering in her ear. She moves her fingers deftly through her dark hair, plaiting it into a braided crown. There is dark kohl smeared onto her eyes accenting those inhuman gold irises.
She makes eye contact with me but her ear remains fused to Armond’s lips, listening. Her brow quirks up, a silent question in the motion. “Does anyone have any idea what the hell we are walking into when we get to Bail?” Orem asks.
“Bair” Will corrects him.
Orem snorts, “well we are bailing you out of this fucking mess. So Bail sounds pretty accurate to me.”
Will grumbles, “you didn’t have to agree to aid us.”
“We didn’t, she did.” Rings out in unison from every one of her men as they all point a finger at Eveera.
Bennett looks around confused, “they didn’t all agree?” He asks, Will lets out a long sigh instead of answering, pulling himself into his saddle and trotting away from the mocking.
The ride was bound to be a boring one. It’s mostly just bare fields all the way up to the post – a result from the strain our presence has put on the residents. Strain that is only going to grow more heavy with the addition of the Obsidian troops.
I look over to Eveera, still as a statue as she marches her horse slowly on the path. “You’re not breathing.” I chastise.
“Stay out of my head.” She snaps .
“ You’re anxious and you need to breathe. I know it's difficult seeing the devastation our presence and Baelor’s has brought but—”
Her head whips towards me at the insinuation. “I am not anxious. These are your people, not mine. Their hardships are none of my concern.” The apathy in her words stings.
I drop my head back and sigh trying to tamp down the frustration building in me. “ I know that. But think of them as yours for a time and Hadar’s Guards as the creatures of the outer lands. Except every soldier we fight is completely sentient. If we don’t kill them before they kill us, they’ll be onto your true people next.”
“My issue is not with killing them. ”
"Right. Just with the people you're killing beside."
She nods her head in agreement. Damn woman.
The fields start to die down as Bair’s post grows closer. Bennett takes us on a detour around the town, leading us straight to the keeps stables. We pass our horses off to a few stableboys and follow Bennett through the halls to The General’s Wing, where I instructed him to set up rooms for everyone.
“So who all stays here?” Maxwell asks.
Ben looks at the brunette a warm smile on his face as he answers. “Only men of rank and servants stay up in the keep. It’s not big enough to house all of the men we’ve enlisted.”
“You don’t stay with your men? Outside the battle zone?” Ezra asks, his tone disapproving.
My man looks to me, then back at Ezra. “We do, during active pursuits. For the past several days things have been quiet, I told the uppermost ranking officers to retreat here and greet your party. We need to develop a strategy.” Bennett answers .
We wind around the last limestone hall which ends with us in front of the large wooden doors that access the General’s Wing. “The servants already brought up your things. You three -” he spins around and points at Axel and the brothers, “will be in this first room here on the left. You two -” Ezra and Armond next, “door up the hall on your right.” He nods at each of them, satisfied with his tour but nobody moves a muscle.
“Ha. I guess I’ll be sleeping outside then?” Eveera asks.
Bennett gives me a stressed look. “I assumed Prince Rorin filled you in on where you’ll be…”
“Well you know what assuming means.” She bites.
I step up, saving Bennett from receiving any further ire. “You’ll be in my apartments.”
“Like hell she will.” Ezra growls out, pushing her back with his arm and into Axel’s chest.
I tip my head back and pinch the bridge of my nose. “Call off your dog, Eveera.” She does no such thing and when I bring my chin back down I am met with six blazing stares. “She won’t be in my bed for gods sake. I have more than one room.” The stares don’t falter. My answer wasn’t good enough apparently. Eveera sighs, stepping out from behind Ezra and away from Axel. “Men.” She hooks her finger into my collar, “I’m taking the bigger bedroom.” She claims, dragging me behind her towards the end of the hall.
It’s difficult to hold back my smug smirk as I look over my shoulder towards the group of fuming men. “You don’t know where you’re going.” I laugh.
“Shut up.” She snaps. My hand comes up carefully to wrap around her finger, pulling it off the collar of my shirt, and securing it in my palm. Her feet stop. She drops her gaze to where our hands are joined and then looks back up to me. This time I don’t try holding back the smirk. “I’ll take the lead from here.” Before she can argue, I pull on her hand and lead us the rest of the way to where the doors to my apartment lie.
The moment I close the door behind us she drops my hand like a hot coal. She makes her way to the settee and flops down into it. Ignoring me again. I head straight into my office, less than thrilled to be doing damage control after a few weeks away. Weeks. It sinks in how long we were actually gone and I’m surprised to find the place still standing.
There is the suspended feeling of both relief and fear hanging over me. A tumultuous combination, really. There is the relief that we haven’t been invaded yet followed by the fear as to why we haven’t been invaded yet. Looking down, I find there are stacks on stacks of intel and correspondence piled high on my desk.
I grab an iridescent glass and pour myself two fingers of bourbon. If I’m going to be looking at the proof of my father’s failures, I need to be less sober. From Bennett’s guarded words it wasn’t difficult to figure that things had only regressed in my absence. It’s been too long that my soldiers - my people - have been forced to suffer under the constant pressure of war.
KNOCK KNOCK!
“Come in.” I groan.
“Catching up on the latest bloody bullshit, Ror?” Bennett. He’s leaning in the doorway against the frame and behind him, I can see Eveera. She’s slid half her body over the armrest of the settee with both hands planted down onto the floor, staring at the wall opposite her.
“That cannot possibly be comfortable.” I murmur shaking my head in disbelief. As if she heard me, her head snaps in my direction.
“I took the room to the left!” She shouts, kicking her leg over and walking out of view .
“That’s my bed—” SLAM! “oh…kay…” I sigh, taking a long sip of the alcohol. The burn doing little to sate my brimming anxiety. Bennett snickers, stopping only when I give him a pointed glare. “You didn’t tell me things were decreasing so rapidly.” I say, switching the focus back to the papers in front of me.
“Well, then it’s a good thing you and the brigade of death showed up just in time.” He quips.
“Your humor is ill timed, Bennett.”
He shoves his hands into the pockets of his pants. His lips is pulled between his teeth. A nervous habit. “A lot happened in a short amount of time.” He says quietly.
“I thought you said things had been quiet the past several days?” I ask, recalling what he’d told Ezra.
Dark brown eyes raise, the shadows underneath them evident. “Well what did you want me to say? Did you want me to scare them off within the first few minutes of working with us?” I’m at a loss for words as he continues on. “Because here is how I envisioned that conversation going, ‘Hi - thanks so much for coming to save our asses. I regret to inform you that you’ll probably all be dead by morning.’” He sticks his hand out in a obnoxious demonstration.
“I’d rather you be honest.” I grumble. His arm drops down to his side, defeat on his face. “I’m sorry. It’s been overwhelming.” I state .
“Looks like we both have been dishonest since your return.” He’s right. We didn’t tell him the whole of what happened in Obsidian yet either. My reaction wasn’t very fair.
The two of us stare at each other, “we’ve been at this too long.” He says helping fill the silence. I nod my head and drink the last sip in my glass before filling it another two fingers.
“Hey princeling — oh, you’re still here.” My eyes widen when a very damp queen appears just to the side of my friend. Bennett’s mouth drops slightly as he scoots out of her way. When her back is completely to him he looks over to me and mouths, “Oh my gods.”
Indeed …I say to myself.
“Didn’t realize our room ,” She gags saying the words, “involved other people coming and going as they please.”
I prop my leg up on top of the opposite knee, reclining in my seat. “As you can see, Your Highness, this is an office. That means people often come into it seeking me out.”
She rolls her eyes at my tone. “Right…well I am seeking out food. So can we wrap this up, and go fix that scenario?” She folds her arms over her chest, her breasts threatening to burst out of her towel at the new position. Bennett’s head rolls against the door jam as he avoids looking over her shoulder like an immature schoolboy. His blatant ogling in front of me spurs an unsettling feeling of discomfort. I push up from my desk, slyly adjusting an unwanted reaction to her toweled body. Fucking thing has a mind of its own.
“ We have a brief to go to first.”
She groans, her head dropping back, further threatening the integrity of that towel. Bennett’s eyes finally pinch shut at her brazenness - but I fear that’s more because he doesn’t want her to catch him staring and less because he feels uncomfortable.
“Fine.” She spins on her bare heel, pushing her finger under Bennett’s chin and closes his mouth that is still open, “you dropped this.”
I slap Bennett upside the head following after her. “Ow.” He yelps, rubbing the backside of it. “I guess, I’ll just leave you two…” His words trailing off as he waggles his brows at me .
“Out.” I say, pointing to my doors. He leaves making obscene hand gestures on his way out while I stick around waiting for Eveera and nursing another bourbon. She finally comes out of my bedroom with her hair wound into two loosely braided plaits and a green and black gown that might as well be another layer of skin it’s so tight. The slit in her dress is nearly to her hip bone, leaving her thigh holster clad with two daggers and a throwing star visible. The serpent tattoos her skin boasts are on full display tonight. I cover up my dropped jaw by taking a large gulp. She walks over to me and props up her foot in mid air.
“Planning on holding that position all night, Nightmare?” I ask, still hiding behind my glass.
Her expression feigns innocence, “help a lady out, will you?” She throws in a bat of her eyelashes and a smile. Anyone who didn’t know her, would probably swoon.
“ Devilish woman. ” I chide. Moving slowly towards her to close the gap, her chin raises to keep the eye contact. I drop down on one knee, my hand fitting around her right ankle and guiding it to rest on top of my pant leg. My fingers make quick work on the laces and switch to her other foot. “Satisfied?” My head cocks up at her, my hand settling on the back of her calf. It takes conscious effort on my part to not rub slow circles on the incredibly soft skin with my thumb while I hold her into place.
She tilts her down head at me, her grin turning mischievous. “With you on your knees? Very.”
I shove her foot off my knee, the tension cutting through like a knife. She stumbles a little due to the lack of stability. It takes all of my self resolve to walk away from her and out of my apartments. “ You are anything but a lady by the way.” I quip into her mind.
We made our way outside and back to the stables. I notice her saddle is lacking a certain new adornment, which can mean one of two things, she either put him away or he’s sitting in my apartments. Where I have to sleep…great.
Eveera doesn't bother waiting for Bennett and Will to lead us towards camp, taking off on her house at maximum speed.
Blasted woman doesn’t even know where she’s supposed to go. I gripe to myself.
Our group chases after her, Bennett racing to get ahead. We could hear the camp before actually seeing any tents. The noise of all the soldiers overwhelming. I’d forgotten how raucous war camps could be. Soldiers mill about in between the different tents barely sparing us a glance as we dismount from our horses. That is, until they catch sight of a woman in their midst.
Bennett doesn’t allow us to stall as he winds us through them and deeper into camp. The further we move through the base, the closer I find myself moving towards Eveera. Armond does the same, taking it one step further and pushing her directly behind him, sandwiching her between the two of us. His push knocks her off balance and my hand grips underneath her ribcage, steadying her.
She shoves off my palm once she has righted herself, whipping her braids back into my face as she struts in front of me.
The large eight paneled briefing tent is hard to miss at the center of camp. Once inside of it we all fan out around the table, the four different captains filing in shortly after us. “Captains, thank you for meeting with us.” I greet, my voice carrying loudly throughout the canvas room. They all murmur their hellos, only one of them raising his eyes to look at me. “It’s good to be back, gentlemen. And this time I came home with something special. The army of Obsidian.” At that, the other three snap their heads up eyes narrowing on the queen beside me.
The captain closest to Bennett flicks his stare from the queen and then back to me, “Sir, I mean no disrespect in asking this question, but where in the hell are we meant to house another military force?” Bennett places a hand on his shoulder and pushes him back to his place in line.
“We come with our own provisions. You won’t have to worry your gilded heads about a thing.” She answers for me, not bothering to look up from picking at her nails.
I had the captains reprise us on recent events, giving Eveera the shortened version of what we’ve dealt with for years. Hadar’s Guards continued to test our resolve by inching their soldiers closer to the border which lead to a few night ambushes. The men however, seem to have recovered as far as I can tell.
“I want to go to the front lines.” She states into my mind not leaving any room for arguing as she takes off out of the tent. Axel and I drop our heads in defeat, already hot on her heels. We find her standing at the edge of the trenches. A focused expression planted on her face.
“They’ve been advancing closer and closer every few days. Some bizarre intimidation tactic.” One of the soldiers who’d taken notice of us shares.
Eveera leans forward. “It’s not bizarre. It’s bold, but not bizarre. The way your camps are set up you can see each other clear as day. Very little room for any element of surprise or ambushing. See that ridge over there?” She points over to a steep hillside overgrown with trees and bushes. That area bridges between the two militaries. “You’re not using that enough to your advantage. But they are. By the time they’re on you with their full force, it won’t be a simple ambush. You’ll be so distracted by a direct hit on your front that you’ll never see the rest of them coming from behind that ridge. They’ll envelop your camp from two sides and you won’t stand a chance.”
His mouth drops. “How are you sure?” He asks.
“Because I’ve studied this tactic.” She states blandly not taking her eyes off of them.
The soldier’s eyes bulged, “You?”
I groan, not wanting to explain that another lovely aspect of my father’s peaceful reign - meant no women soldiers. No woman should grace a battlefield in his opinion, too risky. Really what he means is, women are a distraction for men who don’t know which head to lead with.
Axel chuckles quietly from my side. Her lips curl into a sickly sweet smile as she extends a hand out and fixes the soldier's lapel. “Yes. Me. And you’ll be grateful that I know how to get your sorry asses out of it.” Her close proximity has him shrinking back until Will pulls him away.
Smart move to grab him instead of her. We have to stay on her good side - or whatever the equivalent of good is for Eveera - just long enough to rid ourselves of the Hadar leeches. I remind myself.
“Can you for one second be polite?! ” Will hisses.
She shrugs, returning the fullness of her attention onto Axel. “Whatever you want, the answer is no.” He says quickly.
“Axel, I need you to punch me.”
We all shout, “WHAT?!”, in unison and she rolls her eyes. “Come on, Mecham. Right here.” She pats her right cheek while her left hand folds his into a fist. “Just…” she mimics the motion, “right here.”
Axel is staring, blinking slowly at her, “Evie I’m not going to—”
“You are.” She affirms.
His lips flatten as he violently shakes his head. “I’m not.”
“He’s not.” I add in .
She shoots me a glare before insisting again while still making that goofy mimed motion of punching herself in the face. “Just right here.”
“Eveera this is madness. He isn’t going to punch you. No one is going to punch her.” Ezra says. That’s going to be the only time the two of us agree. I think.
Her arms flail out to her sides in an exaggerated display. “Fine. None of you are any fun.”
“Someone punching you sounds fun?” Will exclaims.
She doesn't answer him, grumbling under her breath that she'll just do it herself. Before any of us have a chance to stop her she takes out her dagger and slices clear across the cheekbone once and again through her eyebrow.
Axel presses his palms into his eyes while she starts ripping her dress and smearing the blood from her new cuts onto exposed skin. “What are you—”
“See you guys soon.” She winks and walks quickly over to Armond who's just joined us and touches his arm. In the next instant she’s gone, simply, POOF!
I whirl on him, “what just happened?! Why did touching you make her disappear?”
“She Voided.” He says blandly.
My eyes narrow into slits. “No shit.” I growl out. “Why the fuck was she able to Void when she touched you. Her Wield doesn’t do that.”
He sighs, looking out at the field. My eyes follow to where his are and out there in the distance is Eveera, tripping and running into the belly of the beast. “No but mine does."
Max steps up next to him his hands planted on his hips as he stares at her shrinking shape, murmuring, "always a plan of her own. ”
“So she just leaves you all. She gets to throw herself on the enemy’s sword and have you lot clean up the aftermath of her recklessness?” I snap.
“No.” Maxwell answers. “We make her clean up after.”
Bennett looks over to them voicing the one question I've been asking myself for days, “you’re not the least bit concerned she’ll get herself killed?”
Her men laugh. “Of course we're concerned, but—” Armond says.
“But she's going to do it anyways.” I finish for him. “ Eveera. Next time, include me on your fucking one whim plans. Don’t do anything else stupid. We need you. I need you.” The last part may have been a bit too much, but it’s the truth. Without her, her armies won’t answer to anyone else, and if her men lose her they'll cease to assist us. They made that very clear.
It’s been an hour with the eight of us staring at the edge of Hadar’s Guards encampment. We watched as she succeeded in flagging someone down but we haven’t had eyes on her since. I keep trying to get her attention down the seal but no response. “I’m going in there - Will get me my horse.”
“Absolutely not!” He shakes his head at me in disbelief. “Their queen and her stupid choice, they can go after her.” He points to the line of her men, all standing with their arms folded across their chests and gazes still trained on the spot where she disappeared.
I glower at him, “I said get me my horse Will.” He’s ready to argue with me but Orem’s frantic pointing steals away my attention. Across the field where their camp should be is a large tangled mess of black tendrils; moving not unlike a pit of serpents coiling around its prey .
“ Eveera? Are you okay?” Nothing but silence meets me. “Eveera?"
“Don’t worry princeling, everything is just dandy.” My shoulders relax slightly when her little form steps out from the sea of her slithering black magic with something gripped in her hands.
“ROR!” Bennett calls from behind me. I look back at him and see my horse’s reins in his hand. Well at least someone listened when I asked for my horse, I gripe to myself while tearing the reins from him and hoisting myself up on the animal as fast as I can. I spur my horse on into a full sprint out towards where she is.
By the time I get close to her, I notice her magic flowing back into her skin. “ Can your horse run any faster than that? ” Her voice echoes in my mind.
“Why?” I ask, signaling to my horse to increase in speed again.
“There were a lot of people and I may have pissed a few off.”
I roll my eyes. “So what are you saying?”
“That if we don’t move quickly—” GROAAANNNNN!! A loud and thunderous noise rumbles through the field. My head follows to what the sound was and that’s when I notice not one but three large apparatuses housing equally large spears. Apparently not everyone suffered the full brunt of her magic.
“ARE THOSE FUCKING BALLISTAS?” I scream down the seal.
She nods frantically catching up to where I’ve stopped my horse. “It would appear that way, yes. So does this horse go fast or…” She asks again. Our hands clasp together so that I can hoist her up. Much to my chagrin the close proximity has brought into view the odd object she brought back with her.
“Is that another head?! ” I shout over the sound of the wind .
“General Thornbirk’s. ” She leans down, throwing it into the saddle pack. The head makes a sickening wet noise when it lands. What is it with her and heads?
BAM! One of those spears embeds itself into the dirt a little too close for comfort as I jerk my horses reins to pull us out of the way.
“You going to shrink that one too?” I snap. She rolls her eyes while twisting around on the saddle. The new position makes it so that we’re chest to chest, legs straddling on top of mine. “Could you please stop wiggling?” In a few minutes if she keeps up this friction, dying isn’t going to be my only problem.
“Excuse me for trying to get into the best position here to handle this.” She grunts, wiggling her hips again, her thighs tightening around me. The scent of her is all consuming as the wind whips around us. My right hand secures against her, closing any gaps that are allowing her wiggle room.
“This is not my best position, Highness.” I snark.
Her hand connects with the back of my head. THWUMP! "You focus on riding , I’ll take care of loose ends. Unless you prefer to become fertilizer for this field?” The force of her Wield flows from her body and through where we’re connected. The Wield seeks out any vulnerable mark. In this case, thankfully, those marks are the men in charge of weapons set on annihilating us.
WHAM! Dust and dirt kick up, I look to the side to see a sinkhole forming with a circular boulder at the center. “That’s not the work of a ballista.”
“No it’s not. I don’t know what the fuck that’s from.” She grits out.
The moment we are barely safe and sound back behind our own lines she untangles herself from me.
“Don’t forget your friend.” I grumble down at her. Her eyes light up at the reminder as she turns back around. “ Your eyes shouldn’t do that when you’re thinking of someone’s head you just decapitated.” The words come out in a snap and per usual she ignores me and snatches the whole pack off the saddle. Though, I don’t think I’ll be wanting it back afterwards anyways. She saunters right past her men heading for the tent we met my captains in earlier.
There is an air of uneasiness and tension circulating around her, the feeling worsening when she chucks the pack onto the briefing table. The general’s head rolls out, face up and eyes open wide. A gagging noise sounds from the corner, familiar enough to me that I know it’s Will who has broken the tension. He struggles to compose himself as he asks, “what in the gods is that ?”
" Who is that, is the better question." Bennett adds, his jaw dropped in shock.
Eveera gives them both an annoyed look while flicking her hand towards the remains. "It’s obviously a head.” A head indeed .
“Seriously? Another one?” Will whines.
Bennett looks at me from across the room, mouthing, “another?” I dismiss him, thinking that now’s probably not the best time to let them know our supposed savior shrunk a fellow comrade’s head down into a decorative saddle ornament.
“Why is it on our table?” One of my captains squeaks out, his look of disgust similar to Will's.
She gives me a desperate look. “Ugh, it’s like explaining something to children isn't it? That is General Thornbirk." She says it as if that should answer the question as to why he now rests on our table and why she killed him. "Look, the fastest way of getting into that camp was to make it look like I needed asylum from Vellar."
"So the cuts and the torn clothes…" Bennett supplies.
She nods her chin. "I took a gamble on the small chance they wouldn’t refuse a beaten woman. They took me into their camp under the impression that I was kidnapped and whored out by your men.” Lovely. I grimace. She gestures again to the general's head. "They took me to Thornbirk and we had a conversation. When he caught on too quickly to my ruse, I took care of him. So,” her thumb drags across her throat and she sticks her tongue out in a dramatic display, “no more General. We’ll need to act quickly, tonight even. Your prince and I have already endured part of what they have to offer and that was only minutes after I retracted my magic. I don't doubt with hours to recuperate we'll have a fight on our hands.” A mixture of awestruck and dumbfounded looks are plastered on each of my men’s faces in the room. It’s taken us years to chip away at those soldiers, and she does all of that in a matter of an hour give or take? I don’t know whether I should feel pride in myself for making the right call with her or if I should feel jealous that I didn’t get to that point without her help.
Bennett steps up to the table avoiding the soulless eyes of both Thornbirk and Eveera. “Okay, I'm sorry but just to recap here. You cut yourself and tore your clothes on the hope that they would let you into their camp feigning being a damsel in distress? It worked for awhile until it didn't and then you decapitated their general? All while assaulting everyone else in range with your magic?”
She nods, “that is what I said.”
“And you still want us to act now? We can’t have a few days of planning at least?” He asks carefully .
Eveera sets her hands on the table contemplating his request. “You can have a few days." She says and sighs of relief echo all around the room. All the way up until she opens her mouth to finish what she was saying, "if you want to be dead." Their mouths hang open one by one. "I just committed a huge offense by killing off this Thornbirk guy. They’re going to retaliate.” She looks up at me with an incredulous expression. “Honestly, these…these are what I am working with? I’ll be out there whenever you decide that living is better than dying.”
The moment she exits the tent with Ezra trailing dutifully behind her, arguments begin to break out. I can't be bothered to participate as I watch the two of them, and an ugly feeling coils in my stomach when his hand curls around her bicep to pull her off somewhere he feels is private.
This is a war camp, nothing is private. My conscience reminds me. I can see their shadows wind around the tent and when they stop I lean against the canvas, straining to hear them.
“You risked yourself." Ezra starts. "You risked yourself, Evie, and for what? For them…these…people? You can’t be reckless here! We could have lost you…I could have lost you, E.” The last part comes out desperate even for him. Of course, I’m speculating. I only met him a little over a week ago. But I assume that whining to get her to comply is substandard for him.
Her shadow’s body language gives away her feelings and her lack of interest in his complaint. “You’d do best to mind your place, Commander. I gave you your options the other day. If you are so distraught by my moves to fulfill my end of this deal then you can take your leave. No grudges held.” Her tone is clipped, bringing a smile to my lips until the voice of our newest captain pulls my attention away from the discussion outside the tent .
“So um, not to point out the head in the room or anything. But what do we do with it?” He asks.
My lip curls up at the severed head. “Burn it.”
The moment I stepped back into my apartment my bottle of bourbon was practically singing for me from within the office. I planned to spend the rest of my night holed up with paperwork while trying to come up with some sort of plan. If we’re supposed to retaliate by tonight, we’re going to need something more powerful than their bloody weapons.
The burn of the alcohol slides down my throat. There are mountains of missives, complaints, requests, and directives. A headache forms at the sight of all the papers in front of me.
My father - when gifting me this oh so honorable title of General - neglected to inform me that the job comes with cities full of people ready to jump down your throat. Unfortunately most of their grievances I share, and can’t do a fucking thing about them. But as long as I am in any of my posts hosting our military effort I will do what I can to lighten their plight. Even if it seems futile.
Despite having Bennett take over while Will and I went out to retrieve more manpower, the simple truth is no one else can do the job of a royal. I recline back in my chair, picking up my glasses and the top parchment, while my drink sits precariously on the edge of the arm rest.
“You look like a tutor.” Her raspy voice startles me from my reading. Glancing up over the rim of my glasses I see her leaning against the door frame clad in a black nightdress. She’s twisting her still damp hair into one long braid that hangs off her shoulder. The dress, I notice, is the same one she wore on our first night in her court .
You should not remember what clothing she had on. I reprimand myself.
My hand raises the cup to my lips, tipping the amber liquid back. Her nose scrunches up in disgust as she watches me take a drink, “your liquor tastes like shit.”
I smirk, swallowing the mouthful, and set the glass back down. “Maybe your palate just isn’t refined, Highness.”
Her face falls flat, unamused, while she extends her hand out for the bottle. Holding the bottle by the neck I wiggle it back and forth at her, letting her know if she wants it she has to walk over here and get it.
She broaches the short distance to my desk, letting both of her tan hands land with palms down on the edge of it. Her body leans over putting her directly into my personal space. Lithe fingers snap out and snatch the bottle from my grip. Those soft and stoic features of hers, contort in discomfort as she chokes down a swallow. “I don’t think my palate is the problem. Blech! How can you drink that?”
I shrug. “Guess it’s grown on me.” She moves around the desk, setting herself on top of it. The smooth bronzed skin of her legs is on full display and if I were a worse man, I’d be tempted to run my hands across them. Thankfully the alcohol hasn’t worked that quickly. "You could have gotten yourself killed today.” I say.
Her head bobs up and down as she grimaces down another drink. “Scared you’ll lose your little investment? Wouldn’t want to disappoint daddy any more than we already have, would you?”
I glower up at her, “no. I just would rather not deal with your blonde boyfriend trying to slit my throat because you died helping me.” Her eyes spark at the mention of Ezra.
“He’s not my boyfriend.” She snarls .
Defensive are we? I think to myself. “He certainly seems to think so.” I bite, the words coming out harsher than intended and she bristles at my tone.
“I don't care what he thinks.” Another drink, another grimace. She shoves it back into my hands and leans back onto hers, aimlessly flipping through the papers next to her thigh.
My thumb and forefinger rub across my chin as I watch her turn each page, “he seems irritated at the time we spend together.” I note, bringing him up again.
“We aren’t spending time together, we are working together. For the time being.”
I hum, rubbing my lips together. “Okay we’re working together. While also sharing the same living space.”
She ignores my tease and crumples one of the missives. “Your battle plans suck.” She states.
Yes, they do. “Dear old dad’s classic ways. Write out the path he has to interfere with the least. The peaceful path. As if peace has ever won anything against brute force in war.”
She looks at me, eyes curious, “sounds like you and King Eiser don’t get along much.”
I shift my chair forward, my arm brushing against her exposed thigh. “Let’s just say I’m not his proudest moment.”
“So what am I? Your ticket to earning ‘Best Son of the Year’ award?”
I huff out a rueful laugh. “No. No you are a giant ‘fuck you’. You are the slap in the face he needs.”
Her mouth tilts up. “Ah. I see. And I was so looking forward to meeting him and being welcomed into his loving embrace.”
“He doesn't embrace much of anything. We’ll both be lucky he doesn’t cuff us in mage shackles the second he has a moment to.” The thought of those shackles sends chills down my spine as I shake off my memories with them.
Her hand pushes back against my shoulder returning me to my reclined position as she hops down from the desk. I figured she’d choose to walk out of the office, but she surprises me by stepping in between my spread legs. It’s taking more effort than I’d like to admit to keep my hands glued to the arm rests, especially when her finger trails down my jaw to grip my chin. Her scent invades all of my senses as heat courses through me with each inch closer she brings our faces. “Make no mistake, princeling . We may be playing nice right now. But I am every bit the monster the rumors claim me to be.”
There is only a sliver of space between us, so much so that the air she breathes out is the air I am breathing in. “And who’s to blame for that, Eveera?”
Her golden eyes narrow into two slits as black edges into them, “you should ask the King and Queen that question.” She shoves my chin back and steps out from between my legs. All the heat between us is doused within a second as I process her words. “Figure out if you want my help or not. If we don’t go after them again, my bet is that we’ll be met with their forces by tomorrow.” She says keeping her back to me as she saunters out of my office, leaving me in a uncomfortably hard position, with little focus or desire to return to the paperwork sitting on my desk. I’m not sure how we’re supposed to work together if this is going to be my reaction every time she gets close to me.