A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 69 | Pin The Tail On The Daddy

While Cid ranted and raved at him about the move against the eastern district and the potential implications caused by Ezra and her forces, Matthew couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. After all, the rest of his day had been oddly pleasant.

Throughout the night, the survivors from the moon and SeaTac, along with the outrigger, had all been transferred to their new housing and accommodations. It was a small group, given that not everyone had survived the recent attack and not everyone had opted to stay. Nevertheless, those selected based on their skills and preferences were now settled in their new residence.

Matthew had even successfully managed to get Madison placed under the medical side of the programs, thanks to some paperwork maneuvering with the council board. With Cid's confirmation that both Madison and Eko were there to stay, it appeared that they were in it for the long term.

Long term... The phrase lingered in Matthew's thoughts.

The idea of long-term held a lot more weight than what it had only a few days ago. Long-term meant that Eko would be in his life for the foreseeable future, and while she had been a delight so far, he was happy with how it all had been going, they both were were content in the comfortable and relaxing nature of their relationship. As Eko had aptly put it, they both loved the chase knowing it was going to end.

Yet, a voice in his subconscious snapped at him: "Now?" There was an underlying unease. Eko knew exactly what they were, and like all his other conquests, this fascination, this mutual fixation would eventually fade. Someone new would come into the picture for both of them, and that would be the end of it.

Easy, his subconscious chimed in.

Shaking his head to dispel those thoughts, Matthew left Cid still contemplating his decisions. They had agreed to keep the academies on level one alert, and defenses were heightened as a precaution. The soldiers knew what they were in for, understanding the implications when they had initially signed up for this journey.

Leaving Cid to deliberate his thoughts, Matthew headed towards the elevator and selected the cafeteria level. As the elevator descended, it stopped to pick up and drop off additional passengers. When the doors slid open at the training arena, soldiers stepped out, and he found himself face to face with the brunette-haired goddess, ready to enter the elevator.

A smile widened across her face as she stood before the man now alone in the elevator. She was in the midst of pulling out her hair from its ponytail, allowing the locks to cascade down her chest, and her sky-blue eyes never left his own.

"Why, good morning, Commander," she flirtatiously began, her tone laced with a hint of amusement. "I heard the fan club saying you were back."

"That I am. Is this what we're doing, addressing each other in this manner, hmm?"

Eko leaned forward, noticing that the cafeteria had been selected. She pressed the button to close the door on the control pad.

With a soft whoosh, the elevator doors slid shut, enveloping them as they descended below.

She stepped back, leaning into the railings as the god-like man stared at her, now with folded arms.

"Oh, yes, Commander. The game's back on."

Truth be told, she didn't know how long it would last being at Allegiant. Madison had been dead set on leaving now due to the latest attack. Even to the point that she was determined to sneak out that night and head into Isadora.

She planned the entire escape, right down to bribing someone to take them to Mein straightaway. Eko couldn't believe how in-depth Madison had thought about this plan; she was even at the point of telling her to go and gather supplies to make their move.