31
Alarie
Lady Vitruvian departed from the Vitruvian manor after only two days, but Jay and I did not return to our unencumbered lives. We still shared coffee most mornings and found ourselves tangled in each other’s embrace most nights. But there was a silence that hung between us, and in that silence were the words we’d left unspoken about Lady Vitruvian, my role as consort, and my increasingly frequent and late nights out with the boys.
I knew Jay had his reasons for what he did, and I could even believe that he did what he did for us. But he had purposefully done something that he knew would hurt me, and that was something that I’d never imagined he was capable of doing. He felt like a different person to me now. It had been so long since I’d allowed anyone to even be in a position to hurt me like this. My years of isolation had hurt in different ways, but the kind of pain I experienced now was the kind I thought I had closed myself off to long ago.
But, if I were being honest with myself, Jay wasn’t solely to blame for the distance growing between us. I’d subconsciously started to distance myself from him even before the incident with Lady Vitruvian. After Breakpoint, I’d found more reasons to stay away from the manor for longer and longer periods. Jay and I had erected a fence around our relationship to keep others out. But we’d gotten too good at segregating each other’s involvement in each other’s lives. I’d become accustomed to living without Jay being a part of so many aspects of my life.
But if I became Jay’s consort, all of that would change. I didn’t even know what role I could perform at the High Court once I was Jay’s consort, but I was fairly certain it wouldn’t be liaison or anything along the same lines. People were terrified to say anything of substance in the presence of the Lord of Whispers. Who would have loose lips around his consort? And who would dare flirt with the Contra’s consort? So, without truly realizing what I was doing, I’d begun to reinforce the fences Jay and I had built around our relationship, turning them into walls that kept us from growing instead of keeping others from prying.
The issues with the lesser fae similarly remained unresolved. Lord Dumont had left the High Court without any agreement in place between the factions. The lesser fae wanted land, money, and representation. They likely could have come to an agreement on the first two asks, but the last ask had ended in Lord Dumont’s prompt and cool departure from the Court.
The lesser fae wanted a seat on the High Council—and they wanted their own court. Lord Dumont presented the proposal to the High Council. The new court would be called the Golden Court and would be seated at Lord Dumont’s estate in Ardmore. Lord Dumont would initially take the seat on the High Council. Even the request for a seat on the High Council may have been tolerated, but the creation of a new court was unthinkable to most, particularly the Tragon contingent.
I dismissed my thoughts of Jay and Lord Dumont as I approached the great hall where High Lady Tragon’s soiree had already begun inside. Upon entering the expansive room, I heard someone singing with a rousing, warm voice that immediately had me searching the room to find its owner. I found the singer sitting on the other side of the large hall, a handsome younger lord with dirty blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and a smattering of freckles across his nose, propped up on a stool with his hands wrapped around an acoustic guitar.
I moved a little farther into the room, and the young lord’s head moved with me, catching my eye and flashing me a playful grin and a wink. I spotted a few people I wanted to catch up with surrounding the handsome lord, so I made my way across the room, perhaps adding a little more sway to my walk than I normally would have. I spoke to Rhett while enjoying the young lord’s performance, before moving on to another crowd to pry secrets from the lips of the lords and ladies.
As always, Luke, Rhett, and I gravitated toward each other by the end of the night.
“Cole’s too busy to make an appearance at his own House party?” I commented on the fact that Cole had not shown his face that evening.
“Must be your lucky day, Al,” Luke replied.
“Time to get out of here, right?” Rhett said, practically begging.
“What about your date?” I asked Rhett, noticing the absence of the dazzling blonde who had been next to him most of the night.
“That would be Candace over there,” Rhett said, staring pointedly toward a large group of ladies, whispering and laughing across the room.
“I dare say I’ll get the chance to entertain her later,” Rhett quipped, a satisfied smirk upon his face.
“I’m sure you will,” Luke interjected, looping his arm around my waist.
As usual, Luke and I were each other’s date for the evening.
At that moment, the group of women all seemed to turn toward Rhett and giggle.
“I’m good if you are. We have some off-campus celebrating to do anyway,” Luke said, turning toward me. “All of this wedding talk is taking away from the real cause for celebration today,” Luke continued.
“Luke, I hardly think me passing a test is bigger news than the fact that the King of Valencia got engaged.”
The night was consumed with toasts to the King and his soon-to-be queen, Gloria, after the announcement was finally made regarding their engagement. It would take years to plan a royal wedding, but everyone was excited, nonetheless. I wondered where Jay was and why he wasn’t next to his best friend celebrating his engagement… or the fact that I’d passed my written liaison exam earlier that day as well.
“But yeah, let’s go,” I agreed, brushing aside the guilt that rose in me as I internally acknowledged that I was delaying going home to Jay yet again.
As we walked into town, I thought, not for the first time, about the overpowering effect Rhett still seemed to have on women despite his allegedly fading powers.
“Rhett, try not to take this the wrong way, but I’m not seeing it,” I said.
He looked at me, his eyebrows raised questioningly.
“Yes, you are incredibly good looking,” I admitted matter-of-factly.
Rhett turned to Luke, looking pleased with himself.
“But I don’t turn into the giggling mess that other women seem to turn into around you,” I said.
“Well, Al, there are a couple of possible reasons for that. First of all, it could be that you are just blind. Quick, how many fingers am I holding up?” Rhett teased.
“Just one, right?” I retorted, making a vulgar gesture at him.
We all laughed.
“Seriously, Rhett, why?” I asked.
The amused smile on Rhett’s face made him look even more charming.
Luke cut in. “It’s mostly because of me, Al. I shield you with my magic any time you’re around Rhett,” he admitted.
I looked at Luke, considering whether to get pissed about this uninvited bit of protectiveness. I decided to let it slide.
“But what about when you’re not around?” I questioned.
Ninety-nine percent of the time when I was with Rhett, Luke was there as well. But I’d been around Rhett a time or two without Luke.
“I’m always extra careful when I’m around you, Al. Especially if we’re alone. When I’m around you, I keep my power on a tight leash,” Rhett explained.
“Why?” I asked.
“Bro code, baby,” Rhett replied, nodding his head toward Luke.
I looked at Rhett, waiting for a further explanation.
“Luke called dibs first,” Rhett said in reply to my questioning glare.
Luke gave me a mischievous smile.
“You called dibs?” I asked incredulously.
“Almost immediately,” he responded unashamedly.
“You know, before I knew…” he trailed off.
I knew he meant before he knew about me and Jay.
“Anyway, do you have any idea what it’s like trying to get a date standing next to this guy?” Luke joked.
I laughed. “Luke, I think you do just fine.” Although now that I thought about it, I had not seen or heard about Luke going on a date in a while.
I thought of asking Rhett to let out whatever he had been withholding and make Luke lift his shield. I was curious to know how I would hold up against Rhett’s allegedly irresistible powers. But another part of me didn’t want to know. Rhett was my friend—I didn’t want to turn into a puddle of giggles around him like all the other women did.
I let the topic drop as Luke opened the door to Bar Louie for me.