Lyneah clung to Tobias' arm as they made their way to the train station. Her body was so fastened to his that anyone who saw them might have assumed they were a couple. But to Tobias' great disappointment, it simply wasn't true. He kept trying to work up the courage to tell her how special she was, and how pretty she was, but every time he started, his tongue wouldn't allow it. And it was probably for the best, because Tobias was sure he'd stutter and make a fool of himself.
“That's an awfully large smile you have right now,” Lyneah observed as she sat across from him on the train. “Is there a particular reason for that smile?”
“Not really.” A second later, Tobey realized he was missing an opportunity, so he amended his answer. “Actually, it's you. You make me smile.”
“It's very kind of you to say that.” Lyneah returned his smile as she spoke. “And to be quite honest, I feel the same way. Your company is the only thing that makes me smile anymore.”
“My company... and omelets,” Tobias added with a smirk.
“True. But only if the omelets were made by you. Other omelets are a pale imitation, and simply not acceptable!”
“I think this is a p-ploy to get me to cook for you more often,” Tobias teased her.
With a wink, she answered, “Perhaps.”
Tobias tried to read a book as the steam train roared across the city, but he kept glancing up from the text to see the princess' face. He still couldn't believe Lyneah was with him. He couldn't believe she wanted to be with him—with him, of all people! Even if he was only ever a friend to her, he felt honored to have her at his side.
They reached Lucky's nearly fifteen minutes later. Lucky wasn't there that day, which meant it was up to them to keep the peace if the patrons got out of hand. When they reached the pub, Lyneah showed Tobias she was carrying her gun. If it was necessary, she wouldn't hesitate to use it.
It was only Lyneah's third full day at Lucky's, but she already had a knack for the job. She was friendly and flirty with the customers, which earned her considerable tips from the pub's male patrons. She even tried her hand at mixing drinks. Because she was a perfectionist by nature, she would accept nothing less than an incomparable concoction.
“You'll put me out of a job soon,” Tobias joked when he sampled one of her cocktails. “You're getting better at this than me.”
“Oh, I'm sure you're exaggerating! Don't be silly!” Lyneah playfully ruffled Tobias' hair before she grabbed two brimming mugs to deliver to her customers. As he watched her walk away, a smile lingered on Tobey's face. When she was gone, he rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a rag, and proceeded to wipe down the bar, which had become the victim of innumerable spills throughout the day.
“Aww, she touched his hair!” Cooed a young woman on the other side of the bar. “I want to touch his hair!”
“Me too,” her friend echoed the sentiment. “Oh... if only.”
When Tobias overheard their conversation, a blush ignited his cheeks. The two girls at the bar had been sipping cocktails and watching Tobias for some time, but it was the first time they actually expressed their interest in him.
“We are talking about you, you know,” the first girl, a brunette, unabashedly flirted with him. “We come here all the time because we like to look at you.”
“Aye,” her blonde friend agreed. “You're very cute. The cutest bartender in all of Lundun, I'd say.”
After hearing their compliments, Tobias was sure he'd be blushing for the rest of the day. He wasn't even sure how to respond to them. Unfortunately, his timidity had tongue-tied him.
“Can we touch your hair?” the blonde boldly asked. “Just a little touch? It just looks so soft and fluffy. Like a rabbit.”
“S-s-sure.” Tobias' reply was a single word, and yet he still managed to stutter. He bowed his head to the flirtatious young females, letting them both take turns stroking his hair.
“So soft,” the brunette sighed dreamily. “So adorable.”
“When's your shift over?” the blonde asked. “Because if you'd like to come home with us, we could--”
“Ahem.”
All of a sudden, Lyneah was beside Tobias, clearing her throat. She grabbed his collar and pulled him backward, away from their fondling hands. Then she dragged him away from the bar, and as she did, she tried to think of a good reason for stealing him away. She couldn't possibly confess to being jealous, could she?
“I need you to... take some orders. I want to practice mixing drinks some more,” Lyneah said, hoping her excuse sounded legitimate enough.
“Alright.” With a shrug, Tobias agreed to switch jobs. “Let me know if you need any help.”
As Tobias tended to his first customer, Lyneah got to work. Though she busied herself with mixing drinks, she studied Tobias' admirers in the corner of her eye, making sure they didn't follow him.
“W-what can I get you, sir?” Tobias asked his first customer. Because of his stutter, he preferred to work behind the bar. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he waited on tables.
“I'll have an ale, young man,” the dignified older gentleman replied. He was well-dressed and clean, which meant he looked nothing like one of Lucky's regulars.
“O-of course, sir,” Tobias said with a nod, then he approached his second table. It was occupied by a middle-aged man who, judging by the empty mugs on his table, was already well into his cups. “Can I get something for you, sir?”
“Grrmmm... a bottle of brandy,” croaked the man. “And make it fast. I gots to be somewhere in twenny minutes.”
“Of course.” Before he left, Tobias' eye was caught by the newspaper on the man's table. As he reread the headline several times, he was momentarily frozen.
“Dint you hear what I said, boy?” the man asked with a snort. “I said fast. You standin' there woolgathering ain't what I'd call fast at all.”
“Um...” The man hardly looked friendly, so Tobias was hesitant to ask his question. “Um... s-sir... would you mind if I borrowed that newspaper for a bit?”
“No.” The man dragged his wine bottle toward him. The rim clunked against his front teeth as he brought it to his lips. “Go away.”
“N-no, please!” Tobias insisted, shyly grabbing the corner of the paper. Before the man could react, he scooped up the newspaper and tucked it under his arm. “I just need it for a moment. I'll bring it right back, I promise!”
The drunk didn't take kindly to Tobias pilfering his newspaper. With a grumble, he swung his wine bottle, hitting the side of Tobey's head. As the bottle shattered, he roared, “No, boy! I said no! Gimme it back!”
“Hey!” Lyneah, who saw what happened, ripped her pistol from its holster and raced to Tobias' defense. “How dare you hit him! How dare you!” she screamed.
“The boy done stole from me!” The man, still gripping the shattered bottle in his hand, waved it at Tobias. “He done stole from me and I gotta right to defend meself!”
“Get up!” Lyneah demanded, wagging her gun at the drunk. “I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave the pub. Now.”
“But lady, he--”
“Now,” Lyneah repeated as she pressed the gun's barrel against his neck. “If I have to ask again, I won't be very happy!”
While grumbling curses, the drunk dropped his bottle, rose to his feet, and stumbled to the front door of the pub. Lyneah followed him out, making sure he was well and truly gone. As soon as he was on the street and heading in the opposite direction, she ran back to Tobias' side. “Oh no! Oh god, you're bleeding!” Her thumb gently brushed Tobey's forehead as she checked his wound. “You poor thing! My poor baby!”
“I'm not a b-b-baby! You don't need to fuss over me!” Tobias sputtered as he rushed away from her. He went to the looking glass behind the bar, checking the injury. Even though there was a great deal of blood, it didn't look like much more than a tiny nick.
Lyneah wouldn't leave him alone. A moment later, she was dragging him away from the bar and coaxing him into a chair
. “Sit!” she commanded.
“Lyneah, I'm fine! Honestly, all this fussing is totally unnecessary! It's just a scratch. I can handle myself!” And yet, he kept needing her to come to his aid. Tobias hated that she was always the one who took care of him. Just once, he wanted to be the one who protected her.
“Sit!” Lyneah repeated, shoving him into the chair. Though he sat, he did so with a roll of his eyes. Tobias pursed his lips and tried to endure her coddling. With a clean cloth, she dabbed the side of his head, wiping away the blood as gently as she could. “My poor Tobias!” As she whimpered the words, Lyneah leaned down to kiss the top of his head, again and again.
As her kisses rained down on him, Tobias couldn't decide if he was hating the moment or loving it. On one hand, he hated to be treated like a baby, especially by Lyneah. On the other hand, getting so much affection from the princess was priceless. The onslaught of kisses was almost worth the price of his pride.
“Ly-Lyneah.” Tobias grumbled at himself for stuttering her name. “There's something I have to show you.”
She continued to wipe his wound with all the tenderness in the world. “Hmm? What is it?”
Tobias held out the newspaper, letting her see the devastating headline: PRINCESS LYNEAH AND PRINCE MALIK ARE MARRIED, ONLY TWO DAYS AFTER THE DEATH OF KING NIKOLAI.
With a gasp, Lyneah snatched the paper from his hand. “Oh god... oh no!”
Tobias simply nodded, because he didn't quite know what to say. He was more concerned with the fact that Kitt, his best friend and impostor princess, had been forced to marry someone. He assumed Lyneah's attention was fixed on the latter half of the headline.
“My father...” she whispered. “He's... dead?”
When he heard her voice crackle, Tobias sprang from the chair and wrapped his arms around her. As he stroked her hair, Lyneah buried her face against his shirt and sniffled loudly.
“This is the second time I've cried in front of you.” Her words were muffled against his shirt. “God... I'm so sorry, Tobey. I never knew I could be this weak.”
“It's okay.” Tobias tightened his grip on her and cradled her head in his hand. “You should never apologize for something like this. You're allowed to cry. It's your f-father, and this is some terrible news.”
“I'm not even sure why I'm crying,” Lyneah murmured against his chest. “I already knew he was going to die. I knew it was a matter of time. I just wish I would've been there with him.” She held onto Tobias as tightly as he held onto her. Lyneah was glad she had someone to hold, and she was glad it was him. “But... to be honest... I'm glad I'm not in the castle right now. Your friend Kitt...”
“Uh-huh.” Tobias didn't want to say too much about Kitt while Lyneah was so sad, but he was worried.
“To be honest, I'm not thrilled with the fact that there's someone pretending to be me, but I do feel bad for her.” Lyneah started to release Tobey, then she changed her mind and brought her head to his chest again. “I've never met Prince Malik, but I've heard he's not particularly pleasant.”
“I can't believe she's married to a prince.” Tobias sounded a bit awed.
“Or rather... I'm married to a prince,” Lyneah corrected him with a sigh. “If I returned, would he not be my husband?”
“No.” Tobias' answer was firm. “If you weren't there, if you weren't the one who said yes, then you're not married. You don't even know the man!”
“Perhaps you're right.” Lyneah finally let go of him, though she did so with a sigh. “All I know is, I'm really glad I'm here and not there. I'm really glad I'm with you and not him.”
Tobias gave her a weak smile, then he glanced over her head and said, “Kieran.”
“Pardon?” Lyneah's eyebrow raised. She followed his gaze to the pub's front door, where she saw Kieran McCray swaggering into the room. “Oh god. He's back already?”
Tobias chuckled at her less-than-elated reaction. “You don't sound particularly pleased by that.”
“Well... I sent him away on a quest, but I didn't realize he'd get back so soon. I wanted to spend a few more days with you, to be honest.” Lyneah's shoulders sank as Kieran headed toward her. “I hope this doesn't mean I have to leave you again.”
Kieran was smirking as he shuffled toward the princess. He briefly glanced at Tobias, then back to Lyneah. The mercenary didn't give them anything close to a proper greeting, he simply said: “I found her.”
Five
Kitt fearfully eyed the bed where she was expected to lose her virginity to Prince Malik, a man she barely even liked. Rose petals were scattered across the bed's silk blankets, and Malik was lighting candles around the room, presumably to set the mood. Kitt was already wearing her nightgown, so she assumed she was past the point of no return. She kept hoping either Doon or Roderick would save her from her fate, but it was an unrealistic fantasy. What were they supposed to do now that Malik was her husband? How could they possibly intervene?
“So...” Malik was sighing as he turned in her direction. “I should probably warn you. One of the queen's advisors is standing outside our door. We're to give him word after we've... consummated the marriage.”
“Wonderful,” Kitt said, trying to suppress a groan.
Malik had already stripped down to his shirtsleeves, and his usual slick-backed hair was tousled. Kitt thought he looked more handsome than usual, but his good looks did little to settle her nerves. Every time she glanced at the bed, her stomach was in knots.
“So...” Malik held up a candle as he approached his bride. He studied her hair, her lips, her milky white neck. As the soft candlelight bathed her, her pale skin seemed to glow. “I like your hair better this way. Your real hair.”
“Oh.” Kitt's hand grazed across her short red locks. “Thank you.” It was strange to hear a compliment from Malik, especially a compliment that actually sounded genuine. She could still remember their very first encounter, when Malik turned up his nose at her.
He continued, “It should be a crime to cover up that hair under a stupid wig.”
“My handmaidens don't leave me much of a choice,” Kitt said, shrugging.
“Well, now that I'm your husband, I'm going to tell your handmaidens I prefer your hair short. No wig will ever touch that head of yours again.” Malik tried to smile, but he couldn't hold it long. As she watched the smile disappear from his face, Kitt wondered what he was thinking.
“This is... awkward...” Kitt confessed as she eyed the bed again. Her fingers were clasped in front of her, and they wouldn't stop fidgeting.
“Indeed,” Malik agreed. “Indeed it is.”
“The wedding was... nice,” Kitt said, even though she didn't believe what she was saying. “Well... apart from Doon and Roderick's scuffle, I suppose.”
“Were they admirers of yours?”
“Yes. Well... no. I'm not sure.” Kitt scratched her head as she considered Malik's question. No matter how much time she spent in his company, she always thought of Roderick as Lyneah's beau. And no matter how much of her heart she invested in Doon, it meant nothing to him. As it was, she couldn't confidently call either of them her admirers.
“If they're former beaux of yours, I'm not surprised. You are... a very pretty girl,” her husband complimented her again. “And... well... so...” When Malik took a few steps in her direction, his footsteps were timid. He set his candle aside and brought his hand to her shoulder. “So...”
“So...” Kitt repeated with a sigh. When she felt Malik's fingers on her neck, her entire body was paralyzed. She had no idea how much experience he had with women, and she wasn't going to ask. She didn't care to know.
“So...” Malik started to tug on her nightgown, pulling the material away from her shoulder. As his fingers traced the length of her shoulder, Kitt suddenly felt like she wanted to cry.
When he started to tug the other side of her nightgown, Kitt's body reacted before she could think twice. She took a step backward and pulled up the nightgown, covering her shoulde
rs. “I... can't,” she said. “I can't do this. I'm sorry, Malik, but I really, really can't.”
He looked surprised, but not especially disappointed. “And why not?”
“There's... something I should tell you.” For a moment, Kitt considered telling him the truth about her. She thought about telling him that she wasn't the princess, and that he had married the wrong girl. But she couldn't bring herself to do it, not when the consequences were unpredictable and possibly grave. She settled on another truth. “I'm in love with someone else.”
“Ah... oh!” When Malik sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes were wide. “Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“One of the gentlemen at the party? One of the brawlers?”
Kitt nodded solemnly and repeated, “Yes...”
“I... see.” Malik crossed his arms and studied her face. He didn't say anything for the longest time, he simply watched her.
“Are you angry?” Now that he knew how she felt, Kitt prayed he wouldn't force himself on her.
“Not at all, Lyneah. In truth, I'm...” Looking away from her, Malik sucked his lower lip between his teeth. “I'm in love with someone else as well.”
“Really?” His confession washed away her tension like a miraculous wave. “Is that true?”
“It is true,” the prince confessed. “I've been in love with someone else for a long time.”
When Kitt joined him at the end of the bed, her sigh of relief seemed to go on forever. “So... if you feel the same way that I do, perhaps we could... pretend to consummate it?”
Malik nodded slowly. “That sounds agreeable to me. In an hour or so, I will tell our overseer the deed is done.”
“Thank you, Malik! Truly, I cannot thank you enough!” Kitt grabbed his hand and squeezed. “I was so afraid of what you might think. Of what you might do. Maybe you're not such a bad person after all.”
Her statement had him narrowing his eyes. “Are you trying to say you thought I was a bad person?”
“Not at all!” Kitt laughed. “Well, not really.”
Sky Pirate (Belles & Bullets Book 3) Page 3
