Building an Empire [M/M]

Chapter Fourteen

Siobhan

The hallway felt dark and oppressing as I stalked towards the ballroom. What Emnar had said had left me reeling. Both of the things he'd said. The Sixth General had been poisoned, possibly because someone wanted the position for themselves, but now the Consort was also possibly being poisoned? It was all the more horrible because she was with child. It seemed unnecessarily cruel. Hopefully Emnar would find either a cure or the person responsible soon. A poison that couldn't be tracked or that wasn't already known had to be imported from elsewhere, and such a buy had to be expensive. It also meant that the goods had probably changed hands quite often on the journey. Soon something had to slip out. A clue that would lead Emnar to the source. For now though there was nothing I could do. Trying to hide my frustration behind a tense smile I entered the elated ballroom. Glancing around I couldn't find Alex. A gnawing worry slowly set in. Had someone found out? Had he been captured?! The logical part of me pointed out that none of the guests seemed shocked or were gossiping about such an event. Feeling slightly more calm I moved through the crowd, trying to be as unnoticeable as possible. All these Nobles unnerved me. Mostly because I had always been in an awkward position with them. Bastards were far from unheard of in Camion. Many Noble men had fathered a couple, but usually they were never acknowledged. For some reason my father had. Perhaps his ruthless heart had once held affection for my mother - I didn't believe him capable of actually feeling love - and had taken me in as a way to honour her. I didn't know. He had never felt like telling me. All I knew about her I had been told from other sources.

A spot of fiery red caught my eye and I turned fully to see Alex walking towards me. His cheeks were slightly flushed and as he neared me his eyes seemed to glow like a predator's in the dark. Heat languidly crept through my body. A nervous and unknown anticipation took hold of me. Perhaps it was Emnar's words that caused this. Has Alex ever been with a man? I tried to shake the thought from my mind. Even if he was a man, he was still a Noble whom I was sworn to protect. Him being a man didn't change the fact that I was far below him.

"Siobhan," Alex seemed to purr as he reached me. His scent washed over me as he leant closer and smiled that wicked smile of his. The one that promised nothing but mischief. "Would you mind if we went to bed early?" he asked, blinking his eyes innocently. God, he was gorgeous. Wait, no! He's a man damn it, Siobhan. "Of course, if you wish to retire early let us leave. Do you need to say goodbye to anyone first? Kivar?" As I said this a knowing, smug smile spread on Alex's face. "No, I think Kivar is busy," he chuckled.

The walk back to Alex's room seemed at once longer and shorter than usual - perhaps more accurately it just felt different somehow. There was a certain... atmosphere. The air felt heated and tense, like thunder and lightning might rumble through the halls at any moment. As we reached the door I held it open for Alex so he could enter, only when he sent me a teasing look did I realise that I was still treating him like a lady. You'd think that him being a man it would be weird to hold the doors for him or take care to carry heavy objects, but it still felt completely natural. My body moved to assist him before I could even think about it.

"Well..." I coughed a bit, trying to get that dry feel that had suddenly assaulted my throat away, "I wish you a good night with peaceful sleep." Alex smiled wickedly again - it sent shivers down my spine, but... somehow it felt good - and murmured, "I'm hoping it won't only be sleep I'm getting." A heated flush spread on my cheeks and neck. All thought stopping in my head... was this... No, couldn't be. "Ah... uhm... well... yes..." the ability to form a complete sentence was lost to me. My mind was telling me to close the door and run. Flee from this unknown pull. But my instincts were telling me to stay, to give in... to surrender. I almost wished that I could return to the battlefield right then and there. At least on the field I was surrounded by my brothers in arms and I knew what was what. Now? Everything seemed new. I was in unexplored territory.