Bridging the Ancient ✓

Chapter 55

The young servant, a woman with brunette hair and nervous eyes that dart around as she tends to the prince, sets three copper cups of tea on Renit's desk since there is no other place to put them. Unlike the king, Renit doesn't have a dining room with a table big enough to fit an army and he doesn't wish for anything other than his desk to take up an unnecessary amount of space.

She bows to Renit and Silas, who sits on the edge of the chaise, hunched forward with his elbows resting on his knees. I glare at the prince sitting at his desk, forcing him to acknowledge the woman and with a roll of his eyes, he blurts a quick thank you as she shuts the door behind her.

That leaves the three of us, alone in Renit's chambers for the first time in too long. I feel better now that I've bathed, Silas waited the entire time in my chambers before we headed over here to talk to his brother, who is fidgeting with a feather he tugged from the cup on his desk—sending the others in a disarray. He quietly cleaned them up while Silas asked the servant for some tea, three cups. That means I'm to be part of this conversation, sitting with my legs crossed at the bottom of Renit's bed.

No one has said a word, not since Renit walked back into his chambers to find the two of us waiting there, one of us resting against his desk while the other was leaning against the armoire. He had stopped, slowly looking between the two of us, and clasped arms with his brother in an embrace that would have sent the hearts of anyone with feelings fluttering.

It was strange to watch them show a display of love. I hadn't seen one yet from the two of them but when their quick arm clasp turned into an all-out embrace of holding each other so tight the other couldn't breathe; I had to swallow the lump in my throat to keep from making a scene. They've known and loved each other for over three hundred years, have fought and learned together underneath their father's rule. I'll know love like that, someday, but nothing like what they have expands over the life of a mortal, even if they believe that to be the case.

The love of immortals, cast over good times and bad, will last longer than it takes for them to fade into the afterlife of their choosing.

I twiddle with my thumbs at the same time Renit clears his throat. "I forgot how...quiet this castle is," I begin. I force a smile and look in both their directions but neither of them is paying attention.

  That is, until Silas blinks himself back and smiles weakly. "It's been boring since you two left. Renit is usually the one that provides me with all the gossip that's shared throughout the castle. He doesn't talk much to anyone, but he does plenty of listening when people think he isn't there," Silas says.

I raise my eyebrows at Renit, who smiles, keeping his eyes averted from either of us. The feather in his hands is too important as is the dark stain of his desk and the stack of papers in the corner. Love like theirs may grow over three hundred years but awkward moments are not the same—Renit doesn't know what to say to someone he almost killed.

"Gossip," I repeat with a nod. "That seems very unlike you."

"To be fair, most of what I hear is from the ladies," Renit retorts. I gape and he winks at me, sending a pang of want through my chest and then a shot of remembrance as any affection we might display quickly disappears.

Silas looks between the two of us, the reason we shut off that emotion, and grins wide. "I knew it had to happen at some point. You two couldn't go on hating each other forever." He rubs at his chin and sends another wave of mocking snickers in his brother's direction.

At least that part of him is back. Even after everything they've done together, have seen and had to deal with, they still don't miss out on the opportunity to make fun of the other at the beginning of a relationship. I wouldn't fault Silas to think of what we possibly could have done behind closed doors already, we had weeks to figure that out but our friendship didn't advance until we found the last box. I wish I would have kissed him before that, took the daring chance and beat myself up for it later.