CHAPTER XXIII #6
I roll my eyes with a smile and sit back in my own chair, letting my gaze finally move around the silent table.
Both Cal and Alanna are grinning knowingly behind their drinks, with Cal’s arm still resting casually around her chair.
Barnes is looking between me and both of the Princes in small curiosity, while Holis, Mana and Sera all have polite gazes that revert back to Stormfall.
But it’s my glance on Lord Daniel that makes me regret looking around the table, because for the first since I’ve met him, the Lord’s face is calm and disinterested, settling into his Discerni features as he gazes stoically at Keane from across the table, not meeting my stare.
I bring my ale up to my lips with a sad sigh, turning to see Keane holding the Lord’s gaze with his own.
Ancients.
“A toast, then,” Cal cuts through the silence.
He brings his whiskey into the air and beams at us all, “to friends. And hopefully to many more nights of drinking and good company at Sera’s Café. Let’s finish this round.”
Stormfall caws at Cal’s toast and extends his wings to the table, prompting us all to laugh and smile. We lift our whiskeys into the air and finish the drinks in full, pounding the glasses on the table in front of us.
“So who do we have coming in?” Cal looks at the Prince as the table turns back to its relaxed and friendly tone, “the Castle was packed two days ago when I was there. Amazing to think it can hold any more people.”
Keane leans back into his chair and tilts his head to my big friend, giving him a smile.
“We’re still awaiting the Prince and Princess from Pyre and the King of Aireal.
I believe his son will join him and their traveling delegation.
Another small group from Warrior is expected to arrive soon as well. ”
My heart jumps at the mention of Clair visiting. I wonder if she’ll have time for me to show her around, hopefully take her up to the Palisades.
“A full house then,” Cal grins, no doubt excited for the celebration that will occur after the coronation.
“A very full house,” Keane replies with his own grin, running his hand down my thigh to my knee, “along with many members from each Court. We’ll have the barrels of Gaumond set up after dinner, which is the only request I’ve made that has been allowed by my mother.”
The full of the table grins at the comment. Apparently the Queen has been keeping a tight eye on all of the details for the event, so Keane’s lucky he even got that concession.
“It will be good to see the Prince and Princess of Pyre again,” Holis smiles as he looks down at Storm, “though I could do without their snow tigers.”
I glance at Keane in curiosity, then to Desmond. Do they know if the royals will bring them?
Desmond nods to the Discerni twin, “same, but we shall see.”
“And after the coronation?” Mana asks quietly from his seat, “is the plan still to travel to Woodlands?”
He asks his question casually, but the group grows silent as everyone peers over at the Prince for an answer.
It makes sense for Mana to inquire, as he has his wife and life here in the Palisades that he needs to consider.
With the exception of him, and possibly Cal, the rest of us can nearly take off at a whim.
“Yes,” Keane replies with a nod and looks over to his brother, “Desmond is already preparing the travel.”
“We’ll ride to Alston, first,” the Master Informer looks over to Mana, “at the split in the Road of Gold. Then we’ll continue north and visit Dankworth and Fensby. I have no desire to visit La Cour or Airea, but if that is something you all want, then we can add the capitol to the trip.”
Desmond is greeted with a set of nods around the table, with no one raising any objections.
“I should like to add Etter to that travel,” I glance at him.
“Etter is a small village town,” he narrows his eyes on me curiously, “hardly worth a day’s stop.”
“Then it should be an easy add,” I nod, hiding the fact that my insides are churning.
I will see the village I grew up in.
Alanna shifts in her seat next to Desmond just as he tips his whiskey in my direction. “I’ll see what we can do.”
I smile in thanks and will the anxiety of my request out of my body, taking a heavy drink of ale to calm my nerves as Keane squeezes my leg.
“Will you become the Leading Lord of Knowledge then, Prince Keane?” Sera asks from down the table.
“I will not…” Keane shakes his head. “we are already in the process of requisitioning for another.”
“Has the Leading Lord always been a Lord?” I turn to the Prince in question.
Keane moves his hand up my thigh, looking back at me in curious reply, “I suppose. Why do you ask?”
I shake my head in admittance, not knowing where my next comment will land or if it will even be taken seriously.
“I only wonder,” I flick my gaze to Desmond, noting him looking at me in his own quiet curiosity as well, “if the next leader of the Court of Knowledge has to be a man…”
Desmond narrows his eyes from across the table, though I can’t tell if he’s following my trail of thought. I glance to Alanna at his side and see a small grin forming behind her lips. She follows.
I give her a quick smile and turn back to Keane.
“Who else knows this Court and its politics better than your mother? Who else has lived and most likely will continue to live in Bardot for a great many years to come? I’ve seen her stand alongside your father to help govern Knowledge. The position could work.”
Keane grips my thigh hard and holds my gaze with a grin, but its Desmond that responds coolly in response to my questions.
“Navigating the Court of Knowledge is much more intricate than hosting political and social functions, Alexis. The Lord also commands the armies within.”
I turn to the Discerni Prince with an acknowledging nod but shrug, nonetheless.
“True, though I don’t doubt she’s been privy and has discussed military action in the past with King Zander.
At the very least, I’m sure she’s sat in on those conversations, whether in group or privately.
And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my time spent with the Queen, it’s that she is a very headstrong woman and is heavily involved in all aspects of the Kingdom, not just social or political. ”
Desmond brings his whiskey to his lips to hide his small grin, his gaze still holding mine as he chuckles quietly. “Too perceptive, brother.”
I roll my eyes at the Master Informer and sit back in my chair.
“You cannot have her.”
Ancients, these two.
“A thought to consider, Alexis,” Keane looks at me with his brown eyes alight, “though the name has a nice ring to it… Leading Lady.”
Alanna smiles in her seat, as does Sera, the two of them openly grinning at the idea behind their drinks. Keane moves his hand back down my thigh slowly, sensually, prompting me to push my legs together and shift in my seat.
“I need to check on the food,” Sera stands up gracefully from the table with a smile. I quickly stand with her to escape Keane’s playful hand, offering my help as she smiles in response.
“Brilliant, Alexis,” she exclaims the moment we enter the kitchen, “absolutely brilliant.”
“It could make sense,” I grin behind her, watching as she opens a tiled oven door to the food cooking within, “the Queen truly is aware of everything that goes on in Knowledge. She would make a good fit.”
“It does make sense,” Sera nods at the roaring fire as the smell of roasted chicken fills the room, “though I do not know if the Kingdom is ready for it.”
“They will have to be,” I reply quietly, “it will be nothing compared to the rest of the changes that are slated to come.”
Sera’s body stills. She turns around slowly from the oven and finds my gaze, “but Mana tells me that you are hesitant…”
“I am,” I give her a small smile, “my humanity still wills out. I see nothing wrong with being human and remaining as we are now…”
“But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the request asked of me. My desire is and will always be to advocate for choice. The choice to let the humans of this Old World decide how they want to live, whether that’s embracing their former mystics or not.”
Sera watches me for a few moments as we both let the silence fuel our thoughts. She finally gives a small smile and then turns back to the oven, her reply more for herself than for me.
“The Ancient chose well.”
I shift in my stance, having no response to that except to offer my hands in help. Sera shakes her head at me with a smile and pulls out the dinner, placing it on the prepping table.
“This will have to cool for a bit before I can serve.”
“How about the smaller plates then?” I look around the kitchen, “and cutlery. I can help bring those out.”
“Yes,” she grins, “let’s do that.”
The two of us walk out of the kitchen with full hands and full smiles as I tell her about Princess Clair’s snow tiger and when Alba greeted me for the first time. She looks back at me in open astonishment when I also tell her how I wished Alba would accompany the Princess on her travel to Bardot.
“I swear to you,” I laugh as we walk through the café, “beautiful. The most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on. Just don’t tell Storm I told you that.”
Sera laughs and shakes her head, “I won’t even tell my husband and his brother you said that.”
We both grin and make our way around the table, placing the knives and forks and plates in front of everyone’s chairs.
“We’re still up,” Sera grins when we’re done, “get your ale in now.”
I laugh as everyone offers their mugs, thinking truly to myself that we have the most solid group of drinkers in Disce, perhaps even rivaling those in Brierman.
I reach for my own mug and finish it promptly, then grab Alanna, Cal, Desmond and Keane’s.
Keane lets his fingers brush against mine when I take his last, his gaze finding mind playfully and following me all the way to the barrel.