Hunting Royalty

35. Decapitation and Dates

"Only if you don't invite me to this super exclusive party of yours," he quips grinning.

"You're in, invite Dec, Sean and Cole too." I still have to work out some of the smaller details but the planning is coming along nicely. Father told me in no uncertain terms that I was not to bring them into Davenport; instead he said I could use our estate in Itaria instead. It worked out well since it has much warmer weather there.

"That's not really why I came, I need a favor," he twists his hands together nervously as he strides towards a sofa and sits.

"What do you need?" I say suspiciously, his nervousness has made me wary about his request. I sit opposite him eyeing his reluctantly.

"I need some of those neat long distance portal charms of yours," he grasps his hands like he is trying to stop them from fidgeting but his knee still bounces.

"Do you mind if I ask what for?" Normally I wouldn't hesitate to give them to him but his behavior is so out of character.

He blows out a breath and looks anxiously around the room, "Can you cast one of those privacy spells?" I nod when it's done. "I want to plan a trip to Gertunzburg," he announces.

"Why does that need to be a secret?" I ask confused.

"It's the only place far enough away that I won't be recognized, there is no way any gossip can get back to my family or anyone else," he explains.

"Ok, I think I'm still missing something,"  I say lifting my eyebrow questioningly.

"I want to bring someone with me, plan a romantic date. My family would never allow our relationship,"he says looking down at his hands, he looks so downcast and sad.

"That's it? I thought maybe you were trying to dispose of a body somewhere far away," I say trying to lighten the mood; my father didn't like my relationship with Nate but he never would have banned us from being together.

"So is that a yes?" he looks up hopefully.

I nod my head and rise from my seat. I head over to my vanity in my dressing room and open the small glass container sitting on top. I sort through them and pick out four long distance portals beore placing the top back on neatly. I walk over to Sam and drop the small white spheres in his waiting hand.

"Sure, so who's the lucky girl?" I'm burning with curiosity, I didn't see him spending any real time with anyone other than me at Dec's party but I guess that would defeat the purpose of keeping it a secret.

"Can't say."

He must really care about this girl to go to all this trouble to plan a date like this. A part of me is relieved that Nate was wrong about Sam wanting to sleep with me. "She's not jealous of you spending time like this with me?" I really don't want to accidentally get in the middle of something.

"Nah, I'm using you as my beard," he reclines back on the sofa obviously feeling more at ease.

"Only if I can do the same to ward off all my new admirers," I say, I could really use a buffer; I've been receiving a constant stream of offers all week.

"Ok but don't let Nate kill me, you should have seen the death stare he gave me when I was in courtyard," he points back over his shoulder towards the window he climbed in.

"He thinks you're trying to sleep with me. Let's just hope he continues to decapitate the training dummies instead," I say.  Nate's not doing a particularly good job of hiding his emotions, his rage was almost palpable. I look towards the window and wonder how many other dummies are meeting the same fate.

"I do like my head attached to my neck," Sam remarks.

"Mmmm," I say rubbing at my neck absentmindedly.

"You know if need someone to talk to, I have two ears and they occasionally work," he's noticed my motion, I guess he thinks I'm still traumatized by my fake near death experience.

"Actually there is something on my mind."

"I'm all ears," he bunches the cushion under him and shifts until he is comfortable.

"My mother came back, she left when I was young and she just showed up in my room the other day," I huff out.

"Parents suck usually but that is extra rough." I think Sam's parents are far more strict than my own, he doesn't seem to like them much.

"I know, she was just here sitting on that sofa, acting all happy and loving and I just...I don't know she is my mother and I hugged her. But she still feels like a stranger and I wish she had done things differently," I rant my thoughts and emotions all over the place.

"Did she tell you why she left in the first place?"

"Yes Marie explained and I guess I forgive her for it but that doesn't mean I can just put it behind me and act all happy family with her."

"Then don't," he states simply.

"Wait, what?" I halt my angry tumble of words confused.

"Act however you want to act, don't try to force anything. You'll eventually find a rhythm," Sam explains shrugging.

"Hmm you're wiser than you look," I say considering his words.

"I'm a man of many talents," he winks at me.

"Save it for your girl," I poke my tongue at him.

"Speaking of, I need to get back," he tucks the portals I gave him into his pocket and pulls out a blue one of his own.

"Not going back out the window," I tease.

"I've filled my quota of heroics for the day," he wraps me in a goodbye hug before casting his portal and leaving.

I retreat back to the window seat and sit down with my level five spell book. I watch Nate tear into his remaining training dummies while I try to wrap my head around the theory of the dual transmorphing spell.