CHAPTER VI
THE LAST DAY
The tavern is packed and loud when we enter for Cal’s fight.
Clair and I walk in first, smiling at the mostly human crowd that’s chatting away in earnest. Stormfall spreads his wings behind my back as he takes in the tavern, the gesture pulling some glances in our direction as they look at the gold and black of my attire and Clair’s deep red.
It isn’t until the men walk in that the full of the tavern goes quiet, but this time the silence is met with curious glances of respect for both Keane and the foreign royals.
“Your Grace!”
There’s a blonde man waving a hand behind the pub counter, smiling at Keane. “Cal told me to expect you all tonight!”
His welcoming greeting is all it takes for the tavern to resume its chatter.
“I’m Elliot,” he extends a hand to the King once he walks our way.
He’s young, too young to be the owner of a tavern this size, but there’s no mistaking the authority from his handshake or the sparkling hazel eyes that are full of pride as he moves to greet McQuoid and Clair.
“And you must be the Prince and Princess of Pyre. My tavern is happy to host you both! So many royals tonight…”
“A good establishment you have here, lad,” McQuoid eyes the room with an approving nod, grinning towards the pub and the many barrels that are behind it.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Elliot beams before turning to me, reaching out both of his hands as I look at him in surprise.
“And that must make you Cal’s dear friend, Alex,” he takes my hand in both of his with an affectionate squeeze. “He talks so much about you. It’s great to finally put a face to the name.”
“You as well, Elliot,” I smile just as Keane places his hand on my lower back, “and I have to mimic the Prince’s sentiment. Your tavern is exceptionally lively.”
“Because I always keep the drinks flowing,” the young man laughs and releases my hand. “Let me get you all set up with your own drinks and then I can send you downstairs. Is ale good?”
“Always,” I smirk, “and a water, please.”
“Of course, Lady,” he bows, turning around.
I let McQuoid follow him first and trail behind Clair.
Elliot leads us through the crowded tavern to the edge of the pub counter, and it’s then that I notice a dark set of stairs to the right of all the ale barrels.
My eyes follow the steps as they descend below, the sounds even livelier than the tavern up here.
Keane moves in behind me, wrapping his arms around my hips as he leans down with a grin next to my ear.
“Did you enjoy my words, Alexis?”
My cheeks blush almost immediately.
“I know you weren’t able to read them all,” he presses his lips against my neck, “so why don’t we finish them together? Tonight?”
Ancients.
Elliot drops three mugs on the counter just as I turn around in Keane’s arms.
“How long have they been there?”
“A while,” he gives me a mischievous grin. “Back when you requested.”
“Hmm,” I take a step into him and reach up for the chain against his chest. “I like the thought of you thinking of me.”
“Always, Alexis.”
“You two ready?” McQuoid asks.
“I think so,” Keane grins, passing me an ale.
“This way, Your Highnesses,” Elliot clears his throat. “I’ll take you to your brother and his guest.”
Both of mine and Keane’s heads turn sharply at the words.
Desmond is here?
“His Highness, Prince Troy,” Elliot looks at Keane in confusion. “And the younger Prince from Aireal.”
“Of course,” is all Keane replies.
I watch as he visibly reverts into his cool Discerni features, his face calm and indifferent as the sharp angles tighten around his jaw. The sight makes me sigh and reach for his hand. I intwine my fingers in his and squeeze hard, feeling him return the grip as we descend down the steps.
The sounds of anticipated excitement permeate the new room we walk into, coins and drinks clanking at every corner.
The air is stuffy and heated from all the people cramped inside, the small bottled moonslight flickering dim from above and creating a perfect golden haze in the dark room.
We’re in a large den without any windows, and in the perfect center of it all is a square platform with the full of the crowd chatting around it.
Clair and McQuoid move to our sides when we reach the bottom of the stairs, both of them grinning wider than I’ve ever seen.
The Prince certainly looks in his element, flexing his broad shoulders as a hand comes up to the back of his neck with a foolish grin, but it’s the sight of excitement coming from Clair that surprises me the most.
Keane is the only one of us four not grinning.
He’s silently taking in the room, his hand flexing in mine when he stills his gaze.
Troy is looking at us from the corner of the room as the rest of the crowd slowly begins to quiet, noticing our group too.
His blue gaze is icy and cool, his eyes flicking off his brother before they turn to the Prince and Princess of Pyre.
He catches McQuoid’s gaze and gives him a small nod, his features completely emotionless and calm just like Keane’s.
I watch as he finally looks my way, eyes trailing down to my hand and the hold I have on his brother.
The Woodlands Prince turns his back to us and nods at something Hadrill says, the young man eyeing Keane and I as well.
“I need to greet them,” Keane states.
“Go,” I nod, just as Clair points to the crowd. “There’s Alanna!”
I follow her gaze to our friends, catching Alanna waving us over to the front of the platform with Mana, Sera, Tripler and Sutton all by her side.
“Can you save us a space?” Keane asks the Princess. “We’ll meet you there in a moment.”
His hand grips mine as he takes a step into the crowd, leading us to his brother.
I follow, my stomach turning into small, nervous knots…
still unsure how I feel about Troy. Outside of the coronation, our relationship has been cold and awkward since I’ve come back to Bardot.
Every ounce of me still hates the way he used me for information, and that hatred has only grown every time I’m reminded of Woodlands.
My mind is still unable to reconcile the Prince I thought I knew with the stories I’ve heard of his court.
But that hatred has also been littered with the smallest of sympathy, especially when I learned about how he assisted me when I was younger.
He used his summoning to hide the trauma of what happened to me as a little girl in his court, and against all better judgement, I find myself wanting to believe the best in him.
Hot and cold. That’s how I’d describe my feeling towards Keane’s brother.
He’s someone I share a regretful past with, and also someone who will still be in our lives forever.
I can’t discount the fact that Troy is going to help Keane navigate the politics between the other three Kingdoms, nor the fact that he’s still a second son and next in line to reign should anything happen to Keane.
But he’s also a son and brother who allows Woodlands to continue, a brother whose relationship with Keane still perplexes me to this day.
Troy’s eyes hold mine as we approach the two Princes, his gaze remaining cool when Keane releases my hand to reach out to Hadrill in greeting.
“I don’t believe you’ve formally met Lady Alexis of Bardot. Alexis, this is Prince Hadrill Brevin of the Kingdom of Aireal.”
“A pleasure, Lady Alexis,” the dark-haired Prince extends his hand smugly, taking my fingers in his before he brings them to his lips. “I’m finally glad to meet the woman who has been the talk of so many in this Kingdom.”
I curtsey just slightly, hiding my frown at the comment.
“A pleasure to finally meet you as well, Prince Hadrill.”
“That is a very interesting creature you have on your shoulder, Lady,” he releases my hand, “though I’m surprised to see he’s not on yours, Your Grace.”
Troy’s lips turn into a small smirk as Hadrill looks innocently at Keane in question. He’s a cocky young Prince, that’s for sure, but his smile is perfected in a way that hides most of that smugness.
“Stormfall belongs to Lady Alexis,” Keane replies, moving his hand to the small of my back. “But he and I do tend to share our time with her.”
I bring my ale up to my lips, smiling at Keane and his ego.
“Perhaps the Lady would also like to share her time with me,” Hadrill tips his ale in reply.
Cheeky.
“It is always a pleasure to meet and speak with the humans of other lands, of course,” he adds.
Hmm. What a risky game you play, young Prince.
Stormfall caws in agreement as I lean into Keane’s side, feeling his hand sneak around my waist and towards the front of my hip.
“I am always open to conversation with someone, Your Highness,” I nod to Hadrill, “though it matters not to me if that being is human or magical.”
Hadrill grins wide, eyes darting down to Keane’s hand on my hip.
“Oh, of that, I have no doubt, Lady.”
Ancients.
What a far cry he is from his father.
“You are good friends with the man fighting tonight, yes?” he averts his gaze and tilts his head to the platform.
“I am.”
“And you are friends with the royals from Pyre?”
“We met during my travels to Red Falls a few fortnights ago.”
“Interesting,” his eyes sparkle in amusement. “A human woman of no standing or title becoming friends with the most powerful people in the Old World. You must be special.”
Keane’s grip tightens on my side as Troy shifts on his feet. I smile sweetly at Hadrill, testing the small theory I wanted to earlier today.
“Oh, you have no idea how special I am, Your Highness.”
Hadrill’s brows shoot up in small surprise, his grin only growing larger.
“Hmm, I think I do.”
Wrong admittance, young one.
I glance up at Keane, watching as his eyes narrow just briefly on Hadrill, possibly coming to the same suspicion I have.
“I think our friends would love to have your brother and Prince Hadrill join them by the fight, Your Grace.”
“I agree,” Keane nods to the men. “Will you two join us?”