Khearia's Sun

XVII

ㅤHis father tapped his finger against the table, his nail beating against the wood like a metronome, thinking, watching.

ㅤThat was when he left Alex with his cryptic wisdom and sent him on his way, leaving him yearning for more answers than he'd entered with.

ㅤAlex was sure of it; the aghast recognition on the king's face after seeing James for the first time hadn't been his imagination. Alex had told his father that James knew the royal language, and he hadn't even blinked in surprise. The both of them knew something about James that Alex didn't and it was causing an uproar.

ㅤOf course he didn't trust James, he didn't need his father to tell him that. But, respect him? It was awfully specific. He wondered what the duke meant by that.

ㅤMotivated out of his desire to know more, he made his way to the royal guard's office on the other side of the palace. Some of the knights might know something. Alex knew his impulsive interest was out of the ordinary, he wasn't normally invested in the prisoners he took nor the missions his father gave him. James was the exception.

ㅤHe went to the common room first, finding Thomas lounging on a sofa, to his surprise. A few others mingled around, absorbed in their own conversation. The man looked beaten and exhausted and Alex empathised, if not feeling slightly amused by the sight. He'd been on the receiving end of James himself, he knew what it was like.

ㅤ"Fancy seeing you here."

ㅤThomas opened his eyes and moved his arm away from his face, squinting like it was too bright.

ㅤ"How on Earth did you do it?" Thomas grumbled. "He's insane."

ㅤAlex chuckled. "Well, he's entertaining enough if you know how to control him."

ㅤ"Is that so?" Thomas hummed, something knowing in his voice. It made Alex tense, even if he wasn't sure why.

ㅤThey stared at each other for a moment, until Alex lost patience. "What?"

ㅤThomas shrugged.

ㅤ"No, seriously, what?"

ㅤThomas glanced at the people on the other side of the room, leaning forward. "Just... What's your relationship with that guy?"

ㅤAlex breathed out a long sigh, he'd convinced himself he'd made that interaction up in his hopeful head. He hated the excitement that bubbled up within him. "It wasn't just my imagination then?"

ㅤ"Definitely not."

ㅤAlex most definitely saw desire burning in those red eyes, as well as something more raw. Knowing it was real was making it harder for him to smother his own hunger— even if it was something he should have been used to doing. That was the first time James had been so flustered.

ㅤ"Watch your back, seriously." Thomas warned him. "A psycho like him would only be persistent. You don't want to get involved."

ㅤ"It's not like that."

ㅤThomas held his palms up. "Hey, I'm not judging— actually, that's not true. I'm definitely judging. Just don't be the woman."

ㅤ"Just tell me where he is, smartarse." This type of discussion, even in jest, was extremely uncomfortable for him. Sure, men had sex with each other sometimes, but it was always a woman they loved and that was Alex's insecurity.

ㅤAlex had never felt anything romantic nor sexual for a woman since the day he'd been born. That wasn't normal.

ㅤ"Riley took over from me, they went to the training grounds not long ago."