Chapter 22
There was no Ayverian Torrent left, not after Lyv and Gideon emptied Jules's only bottle the week before.
Sitting at the bar, Lyv looked down into her empty tankard after downing its contents for the third time. She had a little bit of a buzz, but nothing that could erase the thoughts that had been running through her mind nonstop over the last day.
"Don't you have anything stronger?" Lyv asked as Jules refilled the tankard.
"You don't need to be drunk, princess. I love you like my own, but you don't need to turn to a drink to get your mind of something," she told her. "Why don't you tell me what's going on?"
Lyv gulped down her ale, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. "Have you ever had a man give you such a mind-blowing kiss, one that you've never experienced before, and yet just walk away? One that completely shatters you and puts you right back together again? Then you learn from a past lover that he's leaving for good?"
Jules's eyebrows shot up. "Well, hell, girl. Sounds like you had a night, didn't you?"
Lyv groaned, putting her forehead against the counter.
"Was it Amory who you kissed? Because I told him if he ever hurt you, I'd have his head mounted on my wall as a warning to others," Jules smiled, and then winked. "But by the looks of it, he didn't exactly hurt you. But Balian...well, you know I've never liked the man. I warned you not to get tangled with him last year."
No, Amory didn't exactly hurt me, she wanted to tell her. Just made me want to lock the two of us in my rooms and never leave.
She didn't think that would be exactly appropriate for her to say, though.
The night before, once she was able to walk out of that alley on shaking legs, she'd found Amory talking quietly to Gideon. The wedding celebration was still going full force, but Amory left just as she spotted them, heading back to their rented room.
Gideon spotted her a few moments later, seeing her flushed face, her swollen lips...and started laughing. "Oh, you two are in so much trouble."
It was like he could smell him all over her. He probably did. She could, too.
"I don't want to talk about it, Gideon. Let's go, okay?"
But going meant they were going back to their room, where Amory had already taken his place on a mound of blankets on the floor by the bed. Gideon had claimed the sofa long before when they first got there. Lyv, of course, got the bed. After changing into a tunic that was long enough to cover the most important – and totally neglected – parts of her, she slipped under the covers on the opposite side of the bed from where Amory was.
She could feel him, though, still smell him all over her. But if she pulled him up into the bed with her, there was no doubt in her mind that she would have to kick Gideon out and have her way with him.
It had been hard falling asleep, but the next thing she knew, it was morning and the two men were packing up their things to leave.
They didn't get back to the palace until around noon. Gideon had been the only one to really talk the whole ride back, both Lyv and Amory being too lost in their thoughts to respond.
The atmosphere at the palace was still tense after finding Arnaud's body. Little did everyone know that the killer was walking their princess through the front doors. The extra guardsmen throughout made Lyv second-guess everything, wondering if they were in on the queen's plot or sided with the king.
Amory didn't say or do anything after Gideon gave her a goodbye hug and kiss on the forehead, telling her he'd see her the next day. When he stepped away, grinning at the both of them, Lyv and Amory just stared at each other before Amory nodded and turned for the door without a word.
Gideon had the nerve to wink, following after his friend.
"You've been with them," Balian stated from behind her once the doors closed.
"And that is of your concern why?" she told him, pushing past to go up the stairs to her rooms.
He followed. "I know your father trusts them. I actually like Gideon, even though I know he is hiding something about himself. Both of them are. Amory, however..."
"They are both good men, Balian," she told him as they walk down the hallway to her rooms. Once they were there, he followed her inside, closing the door behind him.
"I know they are. That's why I am okay with them keeping watch over you..."
"I don't need someone to keep watch over me."
"I know that, too. Lyv, you have to listen to me. What's going on..." He paused, shaking his head. "Do you not think that I am just as concerned right now as you are? Almost all of the men I considered my friends are traitors to the crown. I only have four who I know of who I can trust at the moment – Rabbie, Evrat, Dendric, and Heward. Everyone else..."
"Is sided with my mother, who is basically the mastermind of the rebellion that is about to be underway? I already knew that from Amory and Gideon."
Balian nodded, taking a seat. "They said they were going to tell you about it. Your father was hesitant, but he agreed, especially when we know the queen will be asking something of you very soon."
"My question is, why isn't anything happening to her because of it? If we know she's behind it all..."
"Because your father thinks he can make a difference with her. He sees the good or tries to find it. I don't know. Though I hate to say it for your sake, I'm happy Amory and Gideon will be leaving in a week's time to go back to Dalcaine. Having them around all the time certainly hasn't helped the situation, but..."
Lyv didn't hear the rest of what he was saying after Amory and Gideon were leaving. She sat down hard on her bed.
Leaving. And for good, it sounded like.
She knew they were going to have to go back sometime, but not now. Not with this rebellion on the horizon. And why hadn't either of them said anything? Gideon was his happy-go-lucky self and Amory...
Maybe that was the reason he'd kissed her the way he did because it was more than likely the one and only time he would be able to.
"They didn't tell you, did they?" Balian asked quietly. "I'm sorry. I know you've gotten close with them both. I shouldn't have said anything before they had the ability to."
"No, it's okay," she said, shaking her head. "What else?"
"They told the king yesterday morning in our meeting with them. Amory said he is pretty much finished with the maps I know the king was commissioning. I think they're leaving next week. Amory said there was nothing more for them to do here, though they would keep in contact with the king should we need help from Dalcaine forces. He and Gideon both apparently have some pull with the royals there."
She didn't want to say too much, so she didn't say anything at all.
Leaving.
And they didn't even tell her
Balian stayed for a little while longer, promising to keep one of the guardsmen he trusted close to her rooms just in case. However, once he was gone, Lyv quickly changed her clothes, put a glamour on so no one would recognize her, and left the palace.
She headed to Jules's and removed the glamour as soon as she stepped inside. The tavern owner immediately put a tankard of ale in front of her and told her to drink.
That drink wasn't doing much for her. Not even the sixth one she had just finished off when someone sat in the seat beside her.
"I went back to the palace to check on you," Gideon said to her as Jules passed him his own tankard. "I caught Balian. Said he'd slipped up in telling you we were leaving next week."
Lyv turned her head, still leaned against the counter. "Why didn't you tell me?"
He smiled, brushing her hair back from her face. "Because you were happy and I didn't want to ruin that for you. But Amory and I have been talking and we've come up with something that might put all of our minds at ease. I went to your father and he agreed, especially with everything that's happening."
"And that is...?"
"While Amory goes back to Dalcaine, I'm staying here as your unofficial official guardsman. Jai's lasted this long without me and he can take care of himself. But you...even though I know you can, too, I'm still going to be there to have your back when you need it. Amory, however..." Gideon took a long sip of his drink. "He is going back to Dalcaine. He has too many obligations that he can't skip out on. Trust me when I say he does not want to go either."
"But he has to."
He nodded, looking back at her. "You think I don't see the way you two are with each other. I have been close to him my entire life. We've travelled together and met many humans and Fae alike, but you...you are the one he wants, but knows he cannot have. Not yet, at least."
"Obligations, right?"
"Right."
"Why couldn't he tell me this himself?"
"Because my friend's not the best with letting his feelings be known. Certainly not those of the romantic kind. Sure, he's been with females, both human and Fae, but you are different, princess. He sees that. You see that. The two of you together...you'd be able to conquer the world. An unstoppable force. But you both have obligations and duties in your own lands. Even though I know he's going to worry about you, he knows I'll be here to guard and protect you when he can't."
Lyv gave him a small smile. Though she was still upset, knowing Gideon had offered to stay behind for her made her happy.
Gideon reached over, taking her hand and pulling her against his side. She couldn't help but smile even more. "I know I'm not really the one you wished was staying, but I want you to know I will always be here for you. You, Princess Alyvia of Escarral, always have a best friend in Gideon, the warrior from Dalcaine who did not think he could trust the daughter of the queen."
Lyv snorted, rolling her eyes. "Thank you for the vote of confidence."
"Anytime, princess."