He barely managed to shut the door behind him before she was on him and demanding answers to her questions which came in such a rush that Glais could not understand where one would end the other began. Glais wished she would show this much attention to him every time they were together, but Glais would never want this level of emergency to keep her attention. “Evangeline, please,” he said when she paused for breath, smoothing her hair back from her flushed face before she could stop him.
She sighed and made a deliberate show of the slow intake and outward push of air. “Will Wick be alright?” she asked.
“From what I could tell, yes she will be fine. The physician will be checking on all of the people who had been poisoned. I was assured that Wick will be seen to and evaluated all in a timely manner and her care is paramount.” Glais smiled but gently moved Evangeline from his path so he could pass, hoping to change his clothes quickly, wash his face and hands before retiring to bed. He had not expected the day to become such a farce, but what had started as a bad day had quickly turned stressful and demanding. Like any many who had been working hard, Glais needed sustenance, but without a secure donation to take he would need to sleep and hope that morning would give him better options.
“Sable is well,” Evangeline added, not following him into the bedroom, but speaking loudly to be heard still from where she stood. “Thomas and I saw her to her room, and she managed the stairs quite well.” Many others could not, but Evangeline remembered the bowls of porridge and how little it appeared Sable had eaten. She bit her bottom lip but did not share it with Glais. There were so many reasons why the bowls had been arranged in such a manner. Evangeline would not be responsible for a witch hunt when she had invited Sable here for her safety. “Your father seems to think that our quick reaction might detour the poisoner from acting again.” She offered the news that Thomas had told her.
Glais emerged from the bedroom wearing only his pants, his hair loose and brushing along his shoulders carelessly as he walked. Evangeline lowered her eyes from the sight, clasping her hands before unclasping them again, not quite sure where to look. He was her husband, and by all account, Evangeline was free to allow her eyes to linger over his skin as much as she wished. The muscles in his back rippled as he moved, twitched slightly as the marks from his father’s lessons had continued to heal. Evangeline did not blink as she watched him cross the path in front of her. It was not a lack of attraction that kept her from fully sharing her bed with Glais.
Glais was so preoccupied that he did not seem to notice Evangeline’s shifting mood. “How many men died?” he asked, and Evangeline appeared to lose some of her energy as she considered those who never did lose their frozen expression.
Glais nodded, reading her face and knowing he had just forced her to consider the truth of this situation and while their quick actions had been inspiring it did not mean they were safe from this poison. Glais believed his father had said those things to try and comfort any who heard him, but Glais did not need the stories. He understood the facts, just as Quintus did. They were still under attack in their own home. “Some of our best men will never recover Evangeline, and that will attack moral for those who remain. They will start asking themselves why they were spared when their comrade leads a better life, a cleaner life, perhaps held better principles.” Glais paused to swallow the wine from the goblet he had poured himself. It was not the crimson liquid he needed, but it was all he could have. “Furthermore Evangeline, this will force Father to take new soldiers he had originally passed on. This attack will be felt for much longer than this initial outbreak, and it will continue to echo.”
Evangeline nodded. “I am sorry Glais. I should have realised how small of a victory this truly is for Braykith.” She hung her head, ashamed that she had forgotten such things which should have been natural for her to observe. She had been taught all the manners a Queen should have but never had she been able to witness real strategy. While she still believed that they had a right to celebrate, this should also be a time for mourning.
Glais smiled at her, drinking more in hopes of dulling the ache that was stirring. “Father is correct that it was your fast work ensured it was not worse.” He turned from her, finishing his wine. While she too seemed preoccupied, Glais had matters on his own mind that he needed to discuss with her. He poured collected water over his hands, washing them and giving him the excuses not to look at her as he prepared to tell her news that would not be received well. “I want to have Sable’s rooms searched, discretely of course.” He added when there was no immediate outcry.
Evangeline frowned. “Why? Sable was also one of the ones affected by this sabotage.” She was quick to defend her friend, just as Glais knew that she would be. What he could not guess was how at odds Evangeline was with herself over Sable. Evan as she prepared to defend her, Evangeline was thankful that Glais would search her chambers to stop the nagging doubt that hung over her. “I know it is easy to pass the blame to her. She is new and shares a room with Wick, but that does not make her the conspirator.”
“Wick has expressed her concerns to me,” Glais said softly, drying his hands and quickly realised he had no further distractions to save him from facing Evangeline. He realised too late that he should have done this come the morning after he had properly dealt with his hunger, but the well being of his kingdom took precedence over his personal problems. “And I promised I would. I am sure your friend has nothing to hide from us, and it will give Wick a peace of mind over this terrible timing of events. As you said, they share living quarters.” Glais was stretching the truth over Wick’s concern, but he knew that Evangeline would not be able to tell. It wasn’t the lack of trust between them that made it easier for him to lie. Glais could hide his emotions from her when he was genuinely trying to.
“I know Wick is not the only one who is suspicious of Sable.” Evangeline crossed her arms under her bust and Glais closed the gap between them with a cautious step. A standoff was forming, and tension was growing that Evangeline did not like considering how content they had just been moments before. She was only starting to believe they could find a mutual middle ground. “I admit the thought came to me as well.” Evangeline sighed, looking away as she said it. She would never say the words condemning Sable again, and only in this room had it been possible in the first place.
“We will get Thomas to check,” Glais told her as an offered compromise. “He will be careful but consistent in his search. I believe he will offer no biased outcome and will be honest with you concerning the outcome.” Glais also knew that Thomas had deep suspicions for Sable himself, but this he did not share. Instead, he waited for a response and finally, Evangeline nodded consent to his plan. “I am sure there is nothing to worry about.”
“If it is not Sable, it is someone.” She added, knowing Glais agreed with her. That was not up for discussion. “I cannot begin to guess at how long someone has been planning this attack, but I could not believe they worked alone. It is one of the realities of this whole situation that makes me doubt Sable’s involvement.” Glais did not comment, and Evangeline had to accept that he would not risk speaking openly concerning how he felt about Sable.
“If the rebels are using my father’s tactics against us now, he would have placed plants within your walls even years before the attack. It could be our most trusted advisors and comrades who are secretly plotting against the kingdom.” Evangeline leant into Glais, resting her head against his bare shoulder and seeking comfort from the man she should be this intimate with.
He was surprised by the affection, but Glais was quick to wrap his arms around her instead of questioning it. “You are tired.” He said to her and felt Evangeline smile gently against his chest. She was tired, and it was sweet that he would notice those things in her. Evangeline was not surprised by the observation. Glais had started reading her body to judge her emotions since their first meeting. This was just a rare moment where she was not preparing a strike.
She looke
d up, and Glais looked down at her. Hair fell back off her shoulders, and Glais realised she was pulling herself on tiptoe against him with clear intent. “Evangeline, what are you doing?” Glais asked.
“Don’t speak.” She said, pulling him down with her hand on his neck. “If I say stop, you need to listen.” Evangeline waited for him to nod.
“Of course.” He dared to brush his hand over her hip, and she didn’t repel his actions like she usually did. He licked his suddenly dry lips, suddenly unsure of how to act which was preposterous given his history with women. “I have told you that I have no desire in force.”
With only the slightest of nudges, their lips met, and Evangeline could feel him holding back. He was waiting for the rejection she had taught him to expect. She could not promise that the rejection still wasn’t coming, but it hurt Evangeline that she had trained this reaction into him over their time of their relationship. Her eyes closed, and it became easier to forget who she was with. She pushed herself more firmly into Glais and gasped as he finally kissed her properly.
Grabbing her up in his arms, Glais lifted her from the floor and carried her over to the chair. He sat slowly, but he never let their lips separate for long. He struggled internally with what she wanted and what he needed, but Glais’ hands were sure and steady against her form as she arched under the lightest of pressure of his hands on her back.
His hands were gentle as he pulled the fabrics up over her legs, passing the bend of her knees and crept higher still. The memory of Thomas, the misguided and hormonal childhood desires for Glais, and finally, the confusion of seeing his treatment of Wick collided and Evangeline used everything to fuel her actions and make them genuine. A breath of wind passed over her newly exposed flesh, and she shivered as Glais pulled the lace slip over her head.
Every nerve was alight with receptors, finding and catching onto moments that should have been easy to miss. The pressure of his hands in her skin, the timing of Glais; breaths and groans so the kiss could build to a climax was emerging between the cool breeze from the open window and the crackling of the fire that pierced Evangeline’s ears. Her eyes stayed closed, Evangeline finding herself mesmerised with the silky feel of his hair in her hands, the dark locks would have looked mesmerising interlocked between her pale fingers lit by the fireplace that burned, and the wind that gave life to the flames as it drifted over them. It became hard to breathe, an overwhelming need to witness this moment but also shield herself from it as her mood switched from imagined love to the hideous truth that she knew lay buried in her soul.
She could never love the man she was with as a wife should, but Evangeline could do her duty. A breeze caressed her cheek as Glais moved to focus his attention elsewhere. Feeling Glais’ lips against her skin, Evangeline had the harsh reminder that her life was one of duty, and as long as Evangeline performed, who was to argue with her methods. Gasping, knowing that women had a role to play in this and assuming Glais had particular expectations in his lovers, Evangeline reached between them. She did not hesitate but grasped his thickness through the stretch of fabric. Glais pressed himself back in the chair and released a sharp exhale of breath.
Evangeline smiled at the reaction, and it was curious how her slightest change in speed or direction brought new noises from Glais. Her eyes opened now. His remained closed as she settled into position and worked him free of the clothes that bound him. The jerking of hips that at times would falter with the moment of her hand and the desperation that he struggled with showing her what he wanted had Evangeline transfixed on his body. Glais was erratic, moving shamelessly and with no hesitation because his mind was whirling with indecision.
She breathed in the scent of musk, fire, and open air as she worked Glais into some kind of frenzy. The control he used as a mask was gone, and underneath, plain to her now, was the face of a young man. She kissed him, harder than she ever dared before and she felt Glais grab for her face. Her hand never stilled, and she never faltered as the kiss turned into an attack of opposite needs. Burying her face into his neck, their hair playing together as she worked him further still, Evangeline could remember nothing but the taste of his sweat on her lips as she kissed the skin above his pulse.
Glais came close to bursting when she stopped. All that could be heard was their own heavy breathing. A steady stream of wind came in through the opened window, but Evangeline could barely taste it as she stayed breathing in the scent of man. There was no plan, and no more conversation to be had. Glais sat, waiting for her next move, and Evangeline waited to see if this was what she truly wanted.
No bed and no more foreplay, Evangeline straddled Glais here in the chair. Awkward but rewarding, Glais filled her, and Evangeline found his mouth again as they explored a pace that suited them both.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
D uring all of his years here at the castle, Thomas had never actively sought Wick out. His family came from the soldier’s bloodline while her parents had been servants of some kind. Thomas wasn’t sure of the precise actions that had allowed Wick to somehow get close to the Prince during their youth, but the same offer had never been made to him. It was probably all for the best considering how so few of the young prince’s friends made it to adulthood. Even now, he did not think of Glais as a friend by any stretch of the imagination. Thomas and Wick might have lived in the same world, but it was only after Evangeline appeared in Braykith did they ever run in the same circles.
While he could not think of any reason why he would not be able to visit Wick, Thomas still felt like he was not supposed to even after he had been given the orders by Glais. There was something forbidden about her, and while he knew people avoided her because of her appearance, Thomas avoided her for other reasons. Wick was intimidating and knowing what she had endured with Glais in his youth and somehow having the strength to continue afterwards was worth taking note of. He respected her, and because of that, he had a healthy fear of her.
Thomas had paused at the door before he knocked on it. It had been a few days since the poisoning incident, and Thomas felt secure in knowing that Wick would be well enough for his visit. He could hear nothing coming from behind the door, and he wondered if she was elsewhere in the castle when suddenly the door opened. Wick stood in her usual clothes, one of the few people who dared to put her hair up when she was in the comfort of her own rooms. “I am sorry I did not warn you first about my arrival,” Thomas said. Wick gave no response, her eyes staring straight ahead as if he wasn’t even there.
It was disturbing, but Thomas would not allow it to deter him from his purpose. He cleared his throat. “Glais has asked me to search Sable’s rooms for any sign of the poison.” That seemed to get her attention. Her eyes instantly locked on his and Thomas did not shrink back from her, but he wanted to. Having Wick suddenly see him was worse than her simply staring out. He coughed into his hand, but it did nothing to ease the tension he was feeling. “Is she here?”
Wick reached out, grabbed the front of his uniforms and pulled Thomas into the room. Thomas had seen her perform feats of strength that a woman of her stature should not be able to do. However, it was entirely different to experience it. She slammed the door shut, pressing herself intrusively against Thomas. He took an involuntary step backwards until his back hit the wood, but still, she stayed in close. “Eva asked for it?” she whispered, her voice breaking and sounding scratched to his ears.
Thomas shook his head. “Glais did. He said you are suspicious.”
Wick nodded, so fleeting was the gesture he almost believed it had been a coincidence and not an answer. “She is sending out messages.” Wick’s voice was quiet, barely above a whisper and Thomas struggled to understand her course voice even in the silence of her rooms. “I don’t know who to.” Wick released him but did not move.
Smoothing down his uniform, Thomas stayed where he was. He had little choice in the matter since Wick remained uncomfortably within the intimate space. “Glais trusts your instincts.” He complimented her
, but still, Wick said nothing and did nothing as she seemed to be waiting for something that Thomas could not see. Her eyes were sharp, and he suspected she was thinking hard about something, but her features were slack, and her body held none of the tension that he felt coming from her. “What else have you seen?” he asked.
Wick said nothing, blinking once before she turned towards the room. Thomas stayed where he was, giving her space because Wick could never be rushed, and he needed her help since Wick spent the most time with Sable. The available time allocated for this search was small, and Glais had been sure to tell Thomas that he was supposed to be discreet in his activities. There was a concise list of suspects, Sable’s name among them, and as far as Thomas could see Evangeline was not included in this decision.
Evangeline had to know that Sable would be a suspect. It would be irresponsible for the crown not to investigate her. However, Glais feared the repercussions from his wife should she be aware of the intimate details of the search. Following Wick, as she set about the small room, Thomas saw that she was pointing out one of the room. “Have you seen Sable do anything suspicious? A hint on where she might be hiding information if she did have it?” Thomas asked.
“She is careful,” Wick said leading the way over to the door frame, but she did not enter the room. Thomas recognised the way the space was decorated. Sable had not been in the castle long enough to add her own flair to the usual furnishings. He was glad to see that it was furniture he was familiar with. He had been concerned with secret pockets or hidden storage. “She does not let me in her room, and I do not judge because I do not want her to invade my space.”
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