CHAPTER XVI #11
“I hate saying this,” the Master Informer starts, “but given the nature of the Leviathans’ first meeting with you, we have to ask that Stormfall stays behind tonight.”
Storm tilts his head directly at Desmond, his stance telling me that he disagrees with this as much as I do.
“The group you met along the road was either looking for you or for him, or maybe you both,” Desmond continues, “and we can’t take any chances tonight. Especially when we do not know their motives yet.”
“There was only one man who saw Storm that night,” I cross my arms over my chest, “and he’s currently ash in the wind. What chance would I be taking in bringing Storm tonight?”
“Lord Daniel has confirmed that he rides with a man from their delegation… A man that was a part of the company that confronted yours.”
I still at his words.
There was only one Leviathan who followed us and survived our assaults that night, the one whose summoning gripped Lord Daniel’s neck in an attempt to finish what his counterpart started.
I look at Desmond in horror.
“Lord Daniel has been traveling with this man the whole time?”
“Yes,” Desmond responds softly.
Dear Ancients, that is cruel.
“Does he have a name?” I ask, my voice hard.
Desmond nods after a small moment, his eyes watching me carefully, “Edam.”
Edam.
I commit the Leviathan’s name and the sight of him that night to my memory.
“And you think he may have seen Storm?”
“We don’t know,” he admits, “but we can’t take the chance.”
“Plenty of people have already seen us on the road, even here in Castle Bardot,” I point out.
Stormfall caws in agreement, his chest puffing out in anger as the two of us remain defiant.
“They have, from afar…” Desmond nods to us both, “but the talk of the Kingdom is that of a human woman riding through the cities with a small hawk. We can control that talk. But tonight, if you walk into court with Hirovale’s Bird of Ash, I don’t know how we can explain it. His magic is felt by all of us.”
Us.
Discerni.
“I can’t just leave him here unattended.”
“Golem will stay in your room with Storm tonight.”
Great.
Solid.
The two of them have already formulated a plan without me.
I narrow my eyes at the magical creature and am rewarded with a smile and nod of his head.
“This is your final decision?”
“It is.”
I shake my head and walk over to the mantle above the fire and pour myself a glass of whiskey.
“One more thing,” Desmond says from behind.
I turn around and meet his dark brown eyes staring intently on mine,
“the Prince will be busy tonight with the delegation, not to mention our parents and Troy…”
I nod and take a sip, watching as he takes a step towards the door.
“Do not be dismayed if he does not interact with you tonight, Alexis.”
“For the love of Ancients, Desmond,” I roll my eyes, waving him away, “I watched the full of Red Fall’s court flirt with him. Not to mention all the women who threw themselves at him in Gaumond. I think I’ll be okay.”
It’ll be hard, but I’ll deal with it.
Keane’s sudden chuckle pushes against my skin.
Fuck me, has he been looking into our conversation this whole time?
I push back against him, willing him to leave.
Desmond nods at my words and stands before the door.
“Will you tell us,” he asks, fingers on the handle, “tell me if you see their hair move again tonight? Lord Daniel said he saw nothing of the sort, but I know better now than to dismiss you.”
“I will,” I nod, wanting to confirm for myself again.
“Then I’ll see you tonight,” Desmond pulls open the door.
“Will you also be ignoring me?” I laugh at his back.
“No, Alexis, but…”
He turns to me in thought, pausing for the briefest of moments.
“It would be best if you tried to blend in tonight. No out of the ordinary attire, no Storm, no Golem. We plan on hiding you from the Leviathans as any other Knowledge member of the Court.”
“I say this respectfully, Prince Desmond,” I stand tall, eyeing the dark Discerni, “but fuck that.”
Desmond gives a knowing smile before heading out, unaware of Keane’s deep laughter that fills every inch of my bones.
The dress is beautiful. It’s no creation from Gail, but it’s still beautiful.
The shades of green compliment my tanned skin well, and the deep cut that was added down the middle accentuates my breasts and a thin portion of my toned stomach.
The slit at my right hip is nothing as aggressive as Gail’s cuts, but it’s still high, nonetheless.
I chuckle at the thought of this dress being scandalous for Knowledge Court, knowing that if I arrived wearing this in Warrior, the women would all scoff at my modesty. There’s just no middle ground between the two, but I stand tall in front of my armoire mirror and will myself to be that bridge.
I fan out my hair in front of me and decide to rework it into a loose braid behind my back, pulling a few pieces forward and letting them rest softly in front of my face.
The small gash from my fall at the mills is now fully healed, but a thin white scar is still prevalent and juts just below my eye to the top of my cheek.
“I’ll ask for raw meat to be sent to the room for Storm,” I turn to Golem, “do you mind letting in whoever Chef sends?”
Golem nods and shuffles me towards the door.
“Are you pushing me out of my own room?” I laugh.
He flicks his clay hands at my back, urging me to get going.
Alanna greets me confidently at her door, wearing the same black dress she wore in Pyre.
That dress is blacker than coal and shows off a good deal of her upper body, certainly achieving her desire to stand out tonight.
I grin at the sight and walk happily down the hall, proud to introduce her at my side tonight.
Cal, Holis, Mana, Sera, Barnes and the three human soldiers that traveled with us into Pyre are all standing under the Great Oak when we arrive.
They’re standing on the outskirts of the roots in a small a circle, and with the exception of our Knowledge crew, everyone from Warrior is wearing full black.
I smile at the three human soldiers in greeting, “Sam, Bryson, Nathaniel. Welcome to Knowledge.”
“Thank you, Lady,” Nathaniel, the leader of the small group, offers a slight bow.
“We have been to Pyre and back, Nathaniel. Please, call me Alexis.”
He gives a small grin and nods his head, “Lady Alexis.”
I laugh and greet everyone else, the full of our group walking around the Great Oak to the back of the castle. Voices carry down the hall as we get near, the crowd in the room sounding much louder than I have heard in some time.
I glance at Cal walking beside me with another smile, taking in his rich green satin shirt that hugs his large muscles at every pull of his body.
He looks smart and ready, and even has a few gold hoops in his ears tonight, the jewelry shining through his auburn hair that’s pulled behind him in a knot at his neck.
He looks over me in question and lifts his brows, his steps slowing as I decide on an answer.
This is our court tonight, our presentation, and his glance is asking if he should announce our group or me. I take a step forward with a small nod, smiling at the sparkle that flashes behind his soft brown eyes when I do.
King Zander is already seated in the middle of the room when we walk in, his family gracing both his left and right sides.
His brown and black hair is peppered with white at the temples, the color matching the roses in front of him in an elegant manner as a gold crown of oak limbs twists strongly on top of his head.
He smiles handsomely at his wife who sits at his left, the Queen smiling in return and enjoying all three of her son’s presence at their table tonight.
Seated next to her is Troy, his blonde hair matching that of his mother’s, the youngest Prince engaging in a lively conversation with someone I can only assume is Isham next to him, the Peacemaker.
The blue and white of the Leviathan Prince’s tunic stands out against Troy’s pale green and white. He’s thoroughly engaged in his conversation with Troy, the two of them smiling and laughing with ease.
The sight makes me sigh.
No matter my thoughts on Troy, I can’t deny that he’s built for this, for encounters and nights like this. He’s completely in his element, engaging in a conversation as if it is his second nature. It’s what makes him a great Emissary for Disce.
Next to Prince Isham is another Leviathan, his dark brown skin and braids resting proudly under the sparkling light in the room. I recognize him instantly as the man from that night, Edam, and feel a tug of violence pull at my heart as I continue to walk with the rest of the group.
My gaze takes me back to King Zander, noting that he is now engaged in a small conversation with Keane at his right.
His son looks immaculate in a rich emerald tunic and black shirt underneath, the cut down the middle deep and accentuating his broad chest. He looks relaxed and cool next to his father, nodding slightly here and there as he listens to the King in conversation.
Next to Keane is Desmond, also clad in an emerald and black ensemble, his dark ebony skin mixing well with his attire as he sits impassively at the table as the Master Informer of the Kingdom of Disce is known to do.
Next to Desmond is Lord Daniel. His brown eyes catch mine as we walk towards the group, his lips tipping up in a grin under his brown beard as I feel my own do the same in greeting.
I walk forward with confidence and ignore the few whispers at my back about my dress, my eyes only going wide when Lord Daniel decides to stand up from his seat at the head table.
I smile at his gesture in deep affection, genuinely missing his presence since our recent travel back to Bardot.
Both Prince brothers notice Daniel out of his chair and stand shortly after, the two of them looking over the black attire within our group as the King and Queen, even Troy, all stand to greet us.