Crown of Beauty and Vengeance

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"What?"

It was a question both Lyv and Gideon asked when they told each other their news.

Gideon had broken his first once Lyv was home later that night ...and found him packing up his own things. What he told her was still running through her head as she tried to make sense of it.

"Destan...asked you to be...one of his personal guardsmen? I've never even seen him with a guardsman at his side before! And you said yes?"

He gestured to the two bags he'd already packed with some clothes and other necessities. "That's because he doesn't. He doesn't go out on missions like Jai does. I'm going to keep the apartment in case we need it, though. But yes, he asked when he came to tell me you'd gone off with Thia Branvon. We've hung out together a few times after he saw me at the Raven a few weeks ago when you'd stayed in one night. We got to talking, I told him a lie about being a personal guardsman for a prominent figure in Waiter who I didn't name, and he asked if I was looking to do anything in the city besides hanging out with my sister."

"And then what? And why didn't you tell me any of this before?" Lyv asked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, but she was definitely thankful Gideon was going with her to the palace.

"Because I didn't think anything would come from it. But it seems like a good idea, though, doesn't it? The male seems like he needs a friend, though he might just be asking me to take the position to get a little closer to you," he said with a wink.

"You go from being the guardsman of one prince to being the guardsman of his younger brother," she sighed, and then nodded. "I was definitely hesitant when I learned I'd have to move into the palace. I didn't want to have to leave you behind."

"And you won't," he grinned. "Your oath-sworn brother in disguise isn't leaving you on your own just yet."

"And what happens when Jai comes back? Won't he know who you are?"

"What do you mean? If the royal family has yet to realize who I am when I'd been around them since I was a child, I think my masking of my scent is working pretty well."

But still, Lyv worried. "Just...be careful, all right?"

"You know I will," he nodded, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead before he started walking back to his room. He had just made it inside when he asked his next question. "Now, talk. What was with that strange look you had on your face when you came in? What happened over at the Branvon estate, other than you trying to woo the female I'm going to spend the rest of my life with?"

"You haven't even met Thia yourself yet. You only saw her from a distance."

"Exactly. I'm using your friendship to get her to at least say yes to a dinner with me."

Lyv bit the inside of her lip as she hesitantly laughed. She walked over to the bookshelf to see Posy arranging the two flowers Gideon must have gotten her since she wasn't able to get cheesecake.

"Well, I got to officially meet Erly."

Gideon poked his head out from his room to stick his tongue out at her before disappearing again. "And you know how much I love dragons. You'd better invite me the next time you go."

"Oh, I definitely will. I'm going over tomorrow after the move into the palace if you're interested. Erly's place at the estate was amazing. They made this quarters for her out of a rock formation. It was amazing to see everything...including her egg."