A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 6 | "That Was The Same Face I Made."

"What was it like? Was it more like a stern scolding, similar to the one Miranda gave you? Or was it the playful, flirtatious type of scolding that Natasha does, which by the way, makes me want to vomit."

Despite the distractions of dozens of soldiers and the noise from the cafeteria chatter, Toni and Richie smirked at the way their best friend had brought up the servant again, and watched as Jesse's disdain for the conversation continue to rise.

"I very much doubt that the Princess was flirting with him as Natasha had done," Jesse scoffed as she sat down to eat the leftovers for dinner. The group had a busy schedule ahead, with a four AM departure off-world and a long meeting with the council board of academies to discuss the opening of the Bruela Academy.

"Seraphina, no," Matthew scoffed, "she wouldn't know what flirting looked like if it hit her in the face. The servant..."

"Jesus Christ," Jesse said, shaking her head as she went back to her burger, removing the lettuce with a satisfied smile. She reconstructed the burger slowly as she turned to Matthew, who she considered a brother. "Didn't we already have this conversation on the way home?"

"Yes, but that small smile hasn't left his smug face since we left," Toni offered, pointing at the man across from him.

Richie nodded and smiled at Toni's observation. "What smile?" Matthew laughed. But Jesse leaned in, her green eyes studying Matthew as he ate. She pointed at him in accusation.

"There's a stupid little smile there," Jesse said, watching the dimples appear. She could see that the sex-sick idiot was interested in bedding this woman like all the others piqued his interest.

"What smile?" Matthew laughed, as he glanced between his friends sitting around the small table. He then shovelled the burger into his mouth, starving from the three-hour endurance session.

Jesse knew him well, as she did the other two at the table who she considered her brothers after over a decade of being together.

"Look at it," she poked at the dimples, which in turn, caused the man to bat her hand away, wanting to finish off his food.

"Something clearly happened," Toni encouraged him. "You were gone way too long, and don't say it wasn't anything."

Matthew shrugged at his best friends.

"Ahah!! Some...thing... di..d ha...ppen," Richie barely muffled the coherent words through the burger that had been half falling out of his mouth and onto the plate before him. Then another failed attempt as he tried again to shove the rest of it into his mouth before it ultimately fell to pieces.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Jesse death stared at the man; she was always on about them with politeness and table manners.

"Just go ... back...to," he managed to swallow the burger's contents, "killing... the left..uce."

She shook her head slowly, her mouth cocked in annoyance at the man, before turning her attention back to Matthew.

Toni, however, looked at Richie, quietly pointing at him, trying to contain his laughter at the scolding he received.

He squinted at Toni before an idea stuck him, "oh, I know," he turned his attention to the blonde and red-haired pair that cocked their heads suspiciously, "this is so typical, mate."

The response was met with the three of them waiting for some Richie-theorized explanation.

"She looked straight into your big, charming eyes like all other women and fell deeply, madly, sickeningly in love with you." He leaned back into his chair, puckering his lips, "she wants to have your babies, doesn't she?"