CHAPTER IV #3
My eyes narrow on his, willing him to stop before I have to step away from this conversation to collect myself. Keane looks back at me in challenge, his own eyes playful as he sends his summoning once more.
Fuck me.
I need his hands on my body.
Now.
“Will you take a walk with me, Your Grace?” I ask sweetly, my breath slightly ragged as I flick my gaze to his shoulder. “Stormfall will want to stretch his wings before the night settles in.”
Liar, Heysan chuckles in my mind just as Storm spreads his wings behind Keane’s back. I ignore the Ancient and give Keane a challenging look of my own, curious to see how he’ll answer.
“I would love nothing more, Lady Alexis,” he replies with a grin, extending his arm.
My heart beats wildly out of my chest in surprise. I slip my hand around his bicep and grab it hard for support, following beside Keane as he takes a strong step into the crowd.
“Now she’s walking with the King?” the heated whispers begin again.
“Who is she? I thought she was from Knowledge?”
“So improper,” a woman murmurs. “Look at the way she holds him. Where is the etiquette?”
“She’s been traveling with the brothers for some time now…”
“Is that her bird or his?”
“They room together…”
“No!”
“She traveled with the King to Pyre. She’s familiar with the royals from that Kingdom as well.”
“And the Prince of Livyatan. They were seen in the village together a few nights ago…”
“So improper.”
“Perhaps she’s an Emissary of sorts, for the Ancient?”
It’s an eerie feeling, moving next to Keane as every single face turns to us in curiosity.
I hold on to him tighter, still trying to calm my heart as I do my best to ignore the whispers.
Keane smiles at those around us, nodding here and there as everyone moves to part a path for us through the crowded room.
The whispers don’t stop, nor do the gazes, but they do let up when we walk past those from Warrior.
Their open greetings and pats on Keane’s shoulder give me all the confidence I need as we make our way to one of the large verandas outside.
“Let’s find a quiet corner,” Keane whispers in my ear.
It’s all I can do but nod and keep walking, especially when I feel him pull his arm out of mine only to place it on my lower back. He presses us forward until we’re standing at the ledge with a decent amount of privacy around us.
“They’re all moving away,” I whisper, shivering when his fingers run slowly up my skin. “I’m grateful. I needed this…”
“I can tell,” he nods, skimming his fingers up my shoulder and then down my arm. He angles his body into mine, grinning when he sees the small bumps his touch leaves on my skin.
Ancients.
Anyone looking at us right now, which basically means everyone here tonight, is watching the new King of Disce openly touch a human woman with longing and affection.
“Your gesture under the Oak was noticed,” I say quietly, breathlessly.
“That was the intention,” he grins, trailing his fingers up my shoulder and across my collarbone.
“Keane…”
“I told you there will be no more hiding, Alexis,” he replies, “we may have to ease into it, but everyone here now knows that I have claimed you.”
My full body leans into him, our two chests nearly touching as he brings his hand past my jaw until his fingers grip the back of my neck.
“I’ve envisioned you in the black of my court for some time now,” his eyes dance over my face, “though nothing could prepare me for watching you enter just now. You wear the color with pride.”
“I do,” I nod in agreement.
Keane leans closer with a grin of approval, his lips nearing the side of my face as he presses his fingers into my neck.
“I can’t wait to take you in this dress tonight, Alexis… You’ll keep those shoes on, though. I want to see them on you when you’re under me.”
“A small inconvenience,” I smile, feeling his lips shoot up in a grin. He plants a small kiss at the side of my jaw, lighting my body to pure fire.
“But if we were in Gaumond right now,” he continues near my ear with a smug smirk, “we wouldn’t have to wait for tonight. I would find us the nearest darkened corner and take you then and there.”
“Keane,” I groan, shifting on my feet.
The King chuckles and gives me one last kiss, pulling away with a small smile.
“What did Hiro want?”
“Nothing,” I sigh, looking at Stormfall resting on his shoulder. “It was a brief moment. He looked at me through Storm’s eyes before I left my room.”
“Of course he did,” he laughs, caressing the back of my neck. He lets his fingers dip lower, down my shoulders and to the side of my waist.
“What do you make of Heysan?” I ask curiously.
“I like him,” Keane nods. “He’s behaving himself now, but I can tell he’s waiting for the real festivities to begin.”
“Yes,” I laugh, reaching for my whiskey on the ledge, “I get the same impression.”
“Keane…” I turn to him curiously.
“Alexis,” he grins.
“Can you hear what everyone is saying?”
Keane’s gaze roams over mine before he nods his head.
“I only wonder what the Kingdom is thinking right now with the Ancient awake and present today.”
“Disbelief under the Great Oak,” he grabs his own whiskey, “disbelief that turned into acceptance and now curiosity, but mostly awe. They’re in shock that an Ancient is awake, and in shock that he chose to be here today.
They wonder if the rest of his brothers and sisters will walk the Old World soon… ”
“So they’re all general curiosities, then,” I sigh in relief.
Not curiosities focused on why the Ancient is awake.
“For now, Alexis,” Keane squeezes my hip with a small nod. “But you know as well as I do that will change.”
I sigh and take a drink of whiskey, looking out to the crowd on the balcony. Everyone is engaged in their own small conversations, though their eyes and bodies are all angled towards the two of us standing near the edge, still watching and whispering.
“We should get back,” I murmur.
Keane squeezes my hip again and pulls my body into his. “We should, but not just yet.”
His hand darts up quickly, grasping the back of my arm to hold me in place before his lips press down on mine.
I gasp in surprise, feeling Keane smirk and push his tongue into my mouth, deepening the kiss before it even begins.
There’s a few cat-calls and cheers from the crowd as we kiss each other without abandon, his lips claiming me for all to see until we’re both laughing and pulling away.
“Kiss me whenever you want, Keane,” I smile against his lips, opening my eyes to see his laced in pure desire.
“I will,” he nods, releasing me from his hold.
“Today…” he takes a step back.
“Tonight…” he smiles wickedly, extending his arm.
I slip my hand into his, my heart beating too fast as we both turn to face the crowd.
“For the rest of my life…”
The rest of the reception before dinner passes by with ample drinking and good conversation.
Keane dropped me off with our normal friends, greeting all of them individually and sharing a few drinks before setting off towards his head table to resume his duties as King.
It wasn’t until I watched him walk away that I realized Stormfall remained on his shoulder, his proud black body sitting tall with the King of Disce as the two of them commanded the crowd and the many people who made their way over to talk to him.
“Black looks good on you, human,” Alanna narrows her eyes on my dress, offering me a full ale as she moves to stand by my side.
I smirk back at my short Discerni friend, nodding my head in agreement as we both tip our mugs against each other and salute to the rest of the night.
She’s wearing her own short black dress in the fashion of the women from the Court of Warriors, her pale blonde hair sparkling under the bottled moonslight as her cool grey eyes take in our group with a content smile.
The Warrior brother and sister, Tripler and Sutton, are with us, both of them clad in their own rich black attire that has deep green gems sewn intricately around their wrists and necks.
Barnes is with us, too, smiling at something Tripler says, his long brown hair tied tight in a knot at the nape of his neck.
Lord Daniel was with us previously though he left with Keane in his departure.
The two of them were now in a conversation with Heysan, the Queen Mother, and the Prince and Princess of Pyre.
My own knowledge crew also stands with us, with Sera leaning against Mana’s shoulder, both of them listening in on Holis and Cal’s lively conversation on who they think can drink more, our friend or the new Ancient.
“He’s been asleep for thousands of years,” Cal shakes his head, “there’s no way he’d have the stamina. The art of drinking is honed over time, and he’s been resting for far too long.”
Alanna rolls her eyes next to me as Holis smirks in response, patting Cal on the shoulder with a look of honest disappointment.
“The Ancient knew and engaged in drinking far before you were even born, Cal. He spent thousands of years perfecting that art regardless of how long he’s slept. One does not simply forget.”
Tell your mountain of a human that I accept his challenge, Heysan’s friendly voice fills my mind.
My eyes widen as I turn sharply towards the Ancient from across the room, watching him stand between Keane and Prince McQuoid. His eyes are on mine, giving me a small nod before he flicks his gaze back to Cal.
“The Ancient is willing, Cal,” I laugh. “I think he wants you to put your coin where your mouth is.”
Cal’s eyes widen just as mine did before he turns to the Ancient and gives him a full grin.
The rest of our group becomes quiet, all of the Discerni looking back at me in both curiosity and awe.
“Does the Ancient speak silently to you, Alexis?” Sera asks.
“He has today,” I reply with a small shrug.
Heysan raises his mug high in the air to salute Cal, his features grinning from ear to ear.
“I suppose we ought to start counting now!” Cal bellows to the Ancient, looking down at his own ale before he promptly finishes the rest.