CHAPTER V #2
Keane nods again, his gaze searching. “There’s no circumstance in which I would enter my brother’s court without making him aware.
He knows that we are leaving soon, though he does not know to what cities we travel.
I do not want to give him any extra time to hide or fix what has been going on before we arrive. ”
“Are we still avoiding La Cour?”
Keane grips my chin, his eyes questioning as he gives a small frown. “Yes.”
“And was Desmond able to add Etter to that travel?”
“Yes, Alexis.”
I let out a sigh and close my eyes, tilting my head down so that my lips brush against his fingers on my chin. Keane grips me tight with his arm around my shoulders and runs his hand down my back in response.
“Were the Leviathans leaving today?” I ask, feeling Keane’s calm breaths below me.
“I’ll have to check my oak but that was the plan.”
“And Aireal?” I try to ask casually, moving on to the next thought in my head.
Keane’s hand continues to caress my back. “They’ve asked to stay around for a few more days. We may offer to ride with them into Woodlands if our travels match up.”
Good.
This would give me some time to speak to the young Prince. Perhaps I could ask Golem if he knows what floor the group is residing on.
The thought makes me smile, knowing that Golem certainly knows the answer and would no doubt join me in an adventure to track down the Aireal Prince. If Keane could spare him.
“McQuoid wants to take Skiba hunting with Stormfall,” I open my eyes and look back to Keane. “I was thinking we could take them tomorrow morning to the Bell Grove.”
Keane gives a small smile, “I can send word to him today and let him know.”
“Him and Clair also want to visit the Palisades tomorrow night, to watch Cal’s fight.”
“He told us,” Keane’s grin goes sly. “He’ll enjoy being there.”
“Clair spoke as if he was a fighter himself,” I push my hand against Keane’s chest and hoist myself up.
“Yes,” he reaches for my hips. “I’ve heard of McQuoid’s past jaunts. He’s certainly spent just as much if not more time in the fighting dens than Cal.”
“Let’s host the two of them, then,” I grin in excitement. “Let’s head up the staircase earlier and get dinner and a few drinks before the fight.”
“I like that plan,” Keane grins as well, “but what of today, Alexis? We have the rest of the day to ourselves…”
I flush as his hands move up the sides of my body.
“A bath, some food and a ride. You can choose where we go.”
“Let’s visit Loughty,” he suggests, skimming the sides of my breasts. “I’ve been needing to make the travel since we got back to Bardot. It’ll be good to see how the village is doing.”
I smile at Keane with warmth. Loughty Lake and its village are a purely human settlement within the greater lands of Bardot, a small ride from the castle and one we can take at leisure. It will be good to visit its calm waters and people.
“Loughty it is,” I lean down and kiss his lips. “Let’s take a bath, then bother Chef for some lunch. Can you help me out of this dress?”
Keane replies to all of the messages waiting for him on the oak slab with his hands above the tub, not getting wet. I sit at the opposite end, scrubbing and rinsing us down as he gives me an update on the castle.
Lord Daniel departed with the Leviathans this morning.
He traveled with Barnes and a full company of Warrior Discerni and humans that were heading back to Gaumond.
He would escort the delegation through Fumagalli and leave them at the border, then he’d tend to the Hidden City for a few days before he settled into the capitol to learn his bearings as the new Leading Lord.
Keane also noted that nearly half of the castle and its visitors were making arrangements to leave today, or had begun their departure already. The Pyrenese were still here, as was Troy, though his second, Lord Krause, had departed early with a group of Woodlands Discerni.
I frown as a realization hits me, looking back at Keane with a scowl.
“There were no humans yesterday representing Woodlands…”
Keane’s brown eyes lift to mine from the other end of the tub, pausing his reading before he nods.
“Nor will you find any representation in its court. The only humans that are present amongst the Discerni are the servants who assist with the castles and residences.”
“How has this been allowed to go on for so long?”
“It’s not an excuse,” he shakes his head, “but that has been the way of the court through all its years. Woodlands is steeped in tradition. We will see it changed, Alexis, but I need to assess more first. It’s been years since Desmond and I have traveled to the lands ourselves.
We’ve relied too heavily on my father and Troy. ”
I have no reply for him, but I do think of Arens and the small warning he gave me yesterday, shaking my head in confusion.
“Keane…” I catch his brown gaze. “Are the argents of Woodlands magical creatures?”
“It’s always been rumored that they have the ability,” Keane looks at me in surprise, “but I felt no magic from them the last time I was there. They looked and felt like normal birds. Why do you ask?”
I glance back into the water with a small grimace.
“I don’t fully understand, but last night Arens told me not to trust them…”
Keane drops his oak slab to the stool on the side of the tub, sitting up swiftly.
“What exactly did he say?”
“He told me not to find myself alone in the lands,” I frown, “and that if I ever was, he told me not to trust the argents.”
Keane exhales in deep thought, bringing a hand to the side of his jaw.
“He also admitted something else to me… something that no one save myself and three others know…”
“Go on…”
“He’s half born, Keane,” I give him a sad, side smile. “His father was a human from Brierman. His mother kept the knowledge from him his whole life. Sir Bainov and his wife, the two that were at the pub when we first met him, also know. They’re all hiding the secret…”
Keane frowns and stretches his legs out in the water.
“There was a slight fear in him last night,” I say softly, gripping his leg to me. “And I get the sinking feeling that something bad would happen to him if the secret comes out.”
“He needs to stay in Knowledge,” Keane replies steadily.
“I mentioned the same. I also told him that he’d be welcomed in Warrior, too.”
“Was the interest there?”
“I couldn’t tell,” I shake my head. “I think he’s on his own exploration of sorts right now. He came to Brierman because he was curious about his father. He’s still curious about everything else outside of Woodlands...”
Keane nods and leans against the tub. “I’ll write to Desmond, see if he knows if his group has left Bardot. We’ll talk to him if he’s still around. Try to get him to stay.”
“Thank you,” I reply, hoping the brothers can reach him in time. “What of Heysan and your sister? Gail?”
Keane reaches for the oak slab.
“Gail is leaving with a smaller Warrior group tomorrow. The Ancient rides together with my sister and her guards back to Alston.”
Soon, then.
Soon the Ancient Sianoa will be awake, her presence adding to Hirovale’s small group of allies for his cause. Is he in Alston now? Waiting for them to arrive?
I push away any thoughts of the dark-haired Ancient, knowing that it will only lead to the conversation I’ve been wanting to have with Keane since the night we last saw Hirovale in the Southern Park of the Palisades.
Instead, I try to relax myself against the tub, sinking under the water as I let the full of it surround me.
“What is all this, Chef?” I exclaim with my eyes round, staring at the mounds of unused food stacked high along the many tables within his kitchen.
Hundreds of bread rolls lay packed against each other, with fruits and vegetables of every different color and size stacked endlessly in baskets that never seem to end.
“Extra from the coronation,” Chef shakes his head, grimacing. “Everything on the front two tables will be tossed in four days’ time if I don’t find the mouths to take it.”
Keane frowns next to me, also eyeing the food in shock.
“We’re heading to Loughty after lunch. Let us take a table,” I offer. “We can cart it with us and give it to the people there.”
Both men turn to me as I narrow my eyes on the other table. “In fact, we’ll take the second table with us as well. We can distribute it on our way out through the castle village…”
I look at Keane, forgetting myself.
“Right?”
Keane’s brown eyes dance across my face before he nods. “It can be done.”
“It’s a beautiful gesture, dear Alexis,” Chef replies as I turn away from my King. “One that I know the people will be grateful to receive.”
“We’ll make the preparations, then,” I smile and eye the food. “What do you think, Chef? A full cart for each table? Or two?”
“Let’s start with one each,” Chef eyes the baskets.
I turn back to Keane and notice that he’s just staring at me.
“Your Grace? Keane?”
Keane finally nods and turns to Canon behind him.
“Send word to Marlow. Have him ready two carts as well as our horses.”
The Discerni soldier nods and pulls out his own oak, sitting down at a crowded table to write. Another thought hits me as I spot all the food behind him, one that makes me grin from head to toe.
“Your residence in the Palisades,” I look at Keane, “the one you mentioned on our way back from Gaumond. Does it have an area for cooking?”
Keane looks at me curiously. “Yes.”
I smile and step into him, placing my hand softly against his chest as I look up into his brown eyes.
“Let’s stay there tomorrow. I can make dinner for the Prince and Princess. We can all spend the night after Cal’s fight instead of coming back down the mountain.”
Keane eyes me with approval, lifting his own hand to my cheek before he hovers his lips over mine.
“Every damn thing I need, Alexis.”
“Who is Loughty’s leader?” I ask curiously as we ride into the human village. “I don’t think I’ve ever met him.”
“Sir Reynold and his wife,” Keane replies. “They’ve been residents of Loughty for over thirty-five years. I’ve wrote to them. They’re expecting us.”