crossed over (alver x og cale)

Part 17

Persuading the crown prince of a kingdom took some doing. Especially when the manipulative arts were restricted to him.

But Cale wasn't merely persuasive, he was dogged and relentless. When one attempt failed, he merely moved onto the next one, and it became abundantly clear with time that the only true way was Cale's way.

It wasn't a bad plan either.

As complicated as Alberu's feelings were towards the mysterious eldest son of the Henituse family, he could agree that the plan was mutually beneficial to them all.

All he had to do was allow Cale to be bait.

Yet he didn't like it.

He didn't like when Cale walked alone like the easiest target in the world, word spread into the ears of their number of suspects, and he didn't like it when Cale hadn't so much as flinched when danger appeared.

He really didn't like it when Cale suddenly doubled over, clutching his head, before the situation was resolved.

Nothing happened. The culprits were apprehended, they traced the money to the source–a rather petty and personal grudge by a viscount that was funded by a corrupt marquis–and Alberu used the incident as leverage to improve his reputation and his connection with the Henituse family.

Alberu hadn't missed that the public nature of the capture would mean that he could no longer detain Cale in secret. Cale probably knew that just as well as he did but somehow Alberu didn't think that was his goal.

The relief on Cale's face when Alberu informed him that his family ought to be safe was genuine. He was sure about that.

And yet, their business had not concluded.

Now an official guest of the palace, Cale sat with Alberu in the reception room. He didn't look like a man with anything in the world to hide and yet he'd hidden a great deal from Alberu.

Now was the time to learn if Cale was a man of his word.

"As per our agreement." Alberu was cautious to remind Cale. "Would you like to explain yourself now?"

Cale poured himself a glass of wine, entirely unaffected by Alberu's pressure and flickered his gaze to the attendant behind Alberu. "You might want to have your aunt step out." Cale said with a trashy smile. "You might not like her hearing all I have to say."

Alberu had never once shared the nature of his relationship with Tasha to Cale. He ought not have been surprised but he was. Just how much did Cale know? Deciding that he could concede at least this much, Alberu nodded towards Tasha who bowed before taking her leave.

"Any other requests?" Alberu asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"I meant it. You wouldn't like it if she heard all the dirty details." Cale said with a careless shrug. "I'd like to preface this by saying that it's not my fault that you won't believe me."

Alberu bit back his confusion and pressed onward. "Why wouldn't I believe you? Do you intend to lie?"

Cale swirled his wine. "No. I thought it over and I've decided to be entirely honest with you. It's just that the truth isn't plausible or logical and I know you tend to cling to such things."

There was the slightest annoyance in Alberu's heart for the amount Cale presumed to know about him. The annoyance only fed into confusion that Cale tended to be right.

Keeping in mind that Cale truly did know an implausible amount about Alberu, he spoke. "I'll keep an open mind then."

Cale let out a barking laugh. "I doubt there's a mind open enough to believe this shit. Fuck, I hardly believe it and it's my own fucking life."