《Alliance by Marriage》Chapter 24
Advertisement
As the days go by, life is slowly returning to normal. The food taster still does his job, and the guards still follow me everywhere, as per advice of ever careful Sagaristio, but there're no more poisoning attempts and no more attacks on me or anyone else in my surroundings.
Emilio keeps to his room most of the time, in sharp contrast to his past demands to be allowed outside. I assume that this fearfulness will pass, but Sagaristio thinks that for now it should be encouraged, at least until we're sure that Messenio has acted alone.
"He didn't just want to fuck him," he says. "He wasn't that out of control. Emilio was openly asking questions, talking to the servants, trying to figure out the identity of the poisoner. Perhaps he's gotten too close the truth, and Messenio decided to silence him forever—as well as have some fun in the process."
The word 'fun' makes me wince, but the theory sounds reasonable. We should remain on high alert until we're sure the crisis is fully behind us.
Slowly, as one uneventful week passes, and then another, the dramatic events begin to fade from my memory, and so do Emilio's bruises. Now that he's a door's distance from my room, I see him more often. In fact, I'm beginning to find his company quite enjoyable, him being smart and well educated. He's also genuinely pleased to discover that I have a library.
"I thought you were just a bunch of barbarians," he says as I lead him into the tall room, its ornate walls almost completely concealed by the dark oak shelves full of books. "Have you actually read any of those, or do you just steal them on your raids, like jewels and livestock?"
"We're not stealing," I say. "We're collecting taxes."
Advertisement
He rolls his eyes briefly and turns to the shelves. His eyes light up with excitement, an expression I'm pleased to see after the listless stupor he's been lingering in after the attack.
He makes a few tentative steps, and then heads to the shelf with a row of similar thick leather-bound volumes.
"The adventures of Aikateros?" He turns to me, his eyes shining. "I've read those a few years ago. Loved them. Father had a huge library, too, although I don't think he's ever read a book in his life."
I smile. This sounds familiar.
"Neither did my father. Books were only expensive possessions to him. He brought them from his travels, and I...yes, I couldn't get enough of them." I run my finger lovingly down the spine of a thick volume. "Aikateros's adventures were the best. Couldn't put them down. I'm surprised you've only read them recently—they read the best when you're ten or twelve."
He shrugs. "Didn't have access to the library then." As I puzzle at his words, wondering if Bawdrick's children weren't allowed to read at too early an age, he reaches out and pulls one book out, opening it on a random page.
"Oh, the island of the mermaids! I loved this one."
"Me too." I nod. "How he stole their tails when they slept, and then the princess had to marry him to get them back."
"And then their first son has conquered the underwater kingdom."
We grin at each other, embarrassed by our own excitement over something so childish.
"Let's go," I say. "You can read it to me out loud."
And so, during the middays, when I used to rest alone, I have company now. He reads to me, and sometimes we discuss the stories, and other times we just put the books away and talk. I find myself telling him about my childhood and my travels. He's a good listener, and even though he never tells me about his own past, his sharp wit and erudition make it easy to share things with him.
Advertisement
As I preside in the court during the mornings, I sometimes find myself wondering what he would say about the issues at hand, looking forward to spending time with him in the afternoon and hearing his opinion.
Even though his past animosity hasn't disappeared completely, he's clearly getting more comfortable around me. When I call for him, I can see glimpses of eagerness in the outward display of reluctance he keeps putting on as he rolls his eyes and sighs before entering my room.
I keep reminding myself that he may still be an enemy, but it's getting harder to think of him that way. One time, I even fall asleep when alone with him, lulled by his reading and the warmth of the lazy afternoon. I wake up with a panicked feeling of impending danger, but I find Emilio napping peacefully by my side, his head resting in the crook of my arm. I brush his hair out of his face, and just lie there, listening to his steady breathing, feeling inexplicably calm.
It becomes a part of our routine—the reading, the talking, the resting together. He no longer tenses at my proximity, and even though I don't try anything, I begin to think it may be the time to take the next step. As much as I enjoy the intellectual connection that's forming between us, I want more. I want to feel his skin against mine, I want to hear him to cry out in passion, I want him to beg me for more, and I want to give him more. No amount of talking and spending quiet time together can replace that.
Yet there's no sign of interest on his part, and I fear that if I press too hard too early, I may lose what I already have.
The thing is, I quite like what I have right now.
* If you like the story, please vote or comment! Thank you! *
Advertisement
Nobody's Way
Foreign Thorn: Book 1 For eight centuries, the people of Isla have wanted for nothing. The Creator, Maere, uses Her power not only to keep them healthy and fed, but also to map the direction of each person's future Path - their vocation, role in society, and even the partner they'll spend their life with. In a world where infighting once threatened the very survival of humankind, the old texts say that Maere personally stepped in to help guide Her creations to harmony. All is not well among the people of the northern lands, however, as Jian discovers when she receives her own long-awaited Path. The Creator has chosen to favour some towns, but not others, leading to anarchy and unrest in the east, and fierce distrust between the neighbours who enjoy Her protection and those who don't. After many nights of disturbing premonitions, visions of a face uncannily familiar to her, and a voice beckoning her to "Homeland," Jian decides she needs to find answers for herself. She hires Madrigal, a surly young traveller hailing from an "unblessed" village, to take her to the southern lands. The swordsman is on the run from something, or someone, but Jian has no choice but to trust him. When the two leave the safety of the familiar and meet Quinn, a mysterious boy who seems to know more about Jian than she does about herself, it becomes clear that there are forces besides the old magics, forces completely unknown to the people of Isla, in play. Madrigal and Jian aren't sure if Quinn can be trusted, but they're certain he knows more than he's letting on...
8 101CHAOS: The Youth and The World of Wonders.
What had been forgotten, wasn't worth the memory. The youth woke up with no memories of his past. He didn't know his own name or his own origin, but he knew he wasn't alone, at least in this body. There was another one, and both of them didn't know much about each other. They had a conversation, but their conversation ended with a darkening world. The youth woke again, inside a chamber made of rocks. Two kids around- a twin of girl and a boy- told him that he fell from the upper world into the deepest place, where the sun could never reach and a single-season took all of the year. The youth didn't wait long until he voiced his desire of returning to the upper world, but for some reason, the humans here would prevent him and chase him away... and the little girl who only glared at him eventually told him that someone inside her was saying that youth was the worst being he had ever seen. Not to cause trouble to anyone, the youth decided to go away... but he didn't know that wherever he went trouble would always await.
8 217Naruto: Blood Control in Naruto
A guy from Erath is sent to Narutoverse. Watch how he changes the Narutoverse. Warning- Grammer is going to be bad but will still be readable. If you want perfect grammar then it's not for you.
8 284PJO Hunger Games au
Annabeth and Percy find themselves as the district 12 candidates in the 74th Hunger Games. Thrown into the arena with trained killers, they have to do what it takes to survive.
8 187Forbidden Passions
There are many forms of love that are taboo, forbidden, and even illegal. Yet even with deterrents in place, people cannot help but defy society and follow their hearts. To them, their love is hard to deny, even if rejected by everyone else.
8 188SUMMER CAMP || NAMJIN✔️
"I'm not gay." "Neither am I. Now let's fuck." One night at summer camp will change these two males lives forever...;Ranked #2 in #kimnamjoon Ranked #3 under #joonRanked #7 under #namjinCOVER BY @yoonienetflix
8 130