The Merchant's Love

by Antonia Aquilante

  Alexander shrugged and smothered a yawn. “I’m not, really. I’ve talked to a few people who are working on projects close to my interests. That’s how I heard about the lecture.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Would you like to come with me? The lecturer is supposed to be discussing some new ideas in bridge designs that sound fascinating.”

  “To you, perhaps.” Faelen smiled and shook his head before Alexander could speak. “I know you find it interesting, but I prefer to enjoy the beauty of architecture, not the mechanics of it. Next time you’re attending a lecture about particular styles or their history, I’ll go.”

  Alexander sighed. He couldn’t be surprised—he knew well Faelen’s interests and what would hold his attention. “I just thought I’d ask. Do you have plans for the morning?”

  “Work. I have a few things to talk over with Etan now he’s back.” And then he had lunch with Maxen.

  “I feel it would be strange to say enjoy yourself…”

  Faelen laughed. “I probably will. Enjoy yourself at your lecture.”

  “I’ll tell you about it later.”

  “I’m sure you will.”

  Alexander was laughing as he left to prepare himself for the day.

  Faelen went about his own morning with an odd sort of anticipation humming through him. He’d enjoyed his correspondence with Maxen. Would their lunch together be as enjoyable? Would it feel the same?

  He hoped so.

  As the time to leave for lunch approached, Faelen wasn’t sure he was hearing everything Etan said. They were walking through the palace together, back toward Etan’s office, talking in general terms about their research—never in more than general terms when they were anywhere others might overhear. Even if the corridors seemed empty, a guard or servant or someone was usually nearby.

  As if to prove it, they were met in the corridor by Bastien, the earl of Ardesia, and his brother Griffen. The two men were cousins to Philip on his mother’s side. From everything Faelen had heard, Bastien rarely came to Jumelle, while Griffen made his home there. It was just one of their differences, which were all in personality, as they looked alike enough to be twins. Faelen gave Etan a small nudge to draw his attention to the brothers’ approach.

  “Griffen, Bastien, good morning,” Etan said with a smile.

  Faelen wished Bastien and Griffen good morning as well with a smile of his own, though he wasn’t as comfortable with them yet. He’d only spoken with Bastien once since his return to Tournai, and while he remembered them from his childhood, he hadn’t known them well then either.

  “Good morning, Etan, Faelen,” Griffen said with what sounded almost like forced cheer. “Did you and Tristan have a pleasant trip? Are you back earlier than you were supposed to be?”

  “A little. Circumstances dictated the change in plans,” Etan said. “And Tristan missed Bria. He’s never been away from her before.”

  “And Tristan was the only one who worried?” Griffen asked with a smile.

  Etan laughed. “Not at all, but I would have made it a little longer. I was enjoying having Tristan to myself.”

  “I can imagine.”

  “You’re here to see Philip?” Etan asked.

  “Yes. He asked us to come,” Bastien said.

  Etan nodded, as if he knew the reason for the summons. He probably did, as he worked closely with Philip and Amory. “I’ll walk with you.”

  Strange. Etan had been going to his office, in the opposite direction, before Bastien and Griffen arrived. But Faelen dismissed his curiosity. He needed to leave anyway.

  “I should go, unless you need me. I’m having lunch with Maxen,” he said.

  “Tristan’s brother?” Etan turned a surprised gaze on Faelen.

  He forced himself not to squirm under Etan’s gaze. “Yes. We met at your wedding.”

  “And you two are…” Griffen gave Faelen an arch look.

  “Friends, or becoming friends, anyway.” Faelen rolled his eyes. “You sound like Alexander.”

  Etan laughed. “Go. I’ll see you later.”

  Faelen said his goodbyes and left the three men in the corridor. He hurried back to his suite and through to his bedchamber. Realizing he still held an armful of books, he stacked them on the small writing desk. He could bring them back to the library later. For the moment, he snatched up his coat from the dressing room and left his rooms as quickly as he’d come.

  He left the palace on foot, the light wind swirling around him as soon as he stepped out into the square. He fastened his coat and kept walking. Maxen had suggested a meeting place not far from the palace. They’d have to go somewhere to eat from there, but from what he’d learned exploring the city, there were many places nearby for them to choose.

  When Faelen rounded the corner, Maxen was already waiting at the next corner, near the entrance to the park. Faelen studied him as he walked closer. Maxen nodded politely to someone who walked past him. He wore a dark-green coat that brushed the top of polished boots, and when he noticed Faelen, he smiled, warm with welcome. Faelen loved how it glowed in his blue eyes. It seemed Maxen might have been looking forward to talking in person again as much as Faelen had.

  Maxen wasn’t confident in any aspect of his plans for this outing. Ever since he’d sent the invitation, he’d been unable to think of much else—first in anxiety about whether Faelen would want to come, then in anticipation after he agreed, and now in a blend of the two because perhaps his idea was ridiculous. He stood and waited, trying to keep himself from worrying too much. There was no reason to worry. He was making far more than he should of a simple lunch.

  And then every thought went out of his head when he saw Faelen walking toward him.

  Faelen was just as lovely as he’d been at the wedding. Maxen almost thought he’d exaggerated it as he’d read Faelen’s words. As if Faelen’s intelligence and wit had bled over into how Maxen saw him in all ways, and maybe it had, and maybe that was all right. Whatever the reason, Faelen was more and more appealing in Maxen’s eyes.

  He wore rich sapphire blue, the coat velvet and fitting close to his slender form, the shade heightening his dramatic coloring. The wind had brought a slight flush to his ivory cheeks and sent a few curls dancing around his face, escaping from where they’d been pulled back. He smiled when Maxen raised a hand to greet him, an almost shy curve of his lips that Maxen immediately adored.

  “Hello, Maxen,” Faelen said as he reached him.

  “Faelen.” He held out a hand for Faelen’s and gave it a gentle squeeze when Faelen laid his slender fingers in his. He was tempted for an instant to bring Faelen’s fingers to his lips, but instinct told him not to, screamed at him not to and was confirmed when Faelen’s hand gave a faint tremble. So he only squeezed Faelen’s hand lightly again and released it. He could feel the impression of Faelen’s fingers against his even after they slipped away. “I’m so glad you could come.”

  “I’m glad you suggested it.” Faelen’s sweet, shy smile was back, and something warmed inside Maxen. “Where shall we go?”

  A tendril of anxiety worked its way in again, but Maxen cut it off. “I thought we might eat in the park.”

  Faelen’s brow wrinkled. Confusion? Distaste? “In the park?”

  Perhaps this had been a bad idea, or perhaps he should have changed plans when the sun hadn’t appeared that morning. “Yes. I brought food.” He held up the basket he’d nearly forgotten he carried. “We could find a bench to eat on…”

  A slow smile spread over Faelen’s face, like sunlight breaking through clouds, chasing away his confusion. “That sounds wonderful.”

  “Good. Shall we?” At Faelen’s nod, he gestured toward the entrance to the park.

  They strolled through the open gates. The royal device with its rearing cat stood atop one of the gates, a testament to the long-ago princess who’d overseen the park’s creation. Beyond them was a wide shady path that wound through the trees. There was a more open space on the other
side of the park where children often gathered to play, but adults more often populated the walkways, strolling alone or in couples or groups. It was no different today. Maxen hoped they could find some privacy while they ate, so they could talk in peace. With that in mind, he kept walking, wandering along the paths until he came to an empty bench beneath trees whose leaves were changing to brilliant autumn colors. A small fountain burbled next to it.

  “Is here all right?” Maxen asked.

  “Yes, it’s perfect.” Faelen went to the bench and sat.

  Maxen followed, setting the basket between them. “I wasn’t sure what you like, so I got a few different things.”

  “I’m not terribly picky.”

  “Still.” He shrugged. “I want you to have something you enjoy. It would be a poor lunch otherwise.”

  Faelen looked at him for a moment and smiled. “What did you bring?”

  He’d been somewhat limited in what he thought would travel well and could be easily eaten. There were little meat pies and vegetable tarts. He had pastry as well, tucked at the bottom of the basket for their dessert. He’d stopped at a bakery not far from the park that he’d always liked and bought a few confections he hoped might tempt Faelen—if Faelen even liked sweets. Well, if not, Maxen would be happy to eat them. For the moment, though, he left them in the basket.

  “You chose well. These all look delicious.”

  “Probably simpler than you’re used to, especially at the palace.” He tended not to eat anything too fancy himself since he’d left his mother’s house—he liked his food well-prepared and of good quality, but he didn’t need to eat as if at a formal banquet every day.

  “You’d be surprised. We don’t eat every day the way we did at the wedding.” Faelen laughed—almost a giggle, really—as he chose one of the pies. “We’d be rolling down the corridors otherwise.”

  It was such an absurd image that Maxen couldn’t stop the laugh that burst from him. And with it, his tension bled away. He was once more comfortably talking with Faelen as they had at the wedding, as they had in all their letters. He relaxed, luxuriating in that feeling once more. They ate and talked idly but didn’t mind silence either. While it wasn’t a perfect autumn day, a breeze rustled the leaves and birds sang, and Maxen wanted to laze it away right there with Faelen.

  Faelen smiled as he watched a child go skipping past them, trailed by a harried-looking woman. “That’s probably how our nursemaid looked when she brought me and Alexander here when we were children.”

  “Did she bring you often?” Maxen tried to imagine a child Faelen; he’d probably been adorable.

  “Fairly often when we were in the city. We grew up primarily at my father’s family home when we weren’t traveling with him, but Mother brought us to visit her family here. We usually stayed at the palace, so we could play in parts of the gardens, but our nursemaid liked this park.” His expression had gone soft and sentimental at the memories. “We always liked the treat, especially since it was just us who got to go.”

  Maxen could understand that, growing up as he had with many siblings. Any experience that was his alone was something special. “But you were a handful?”

  Faelen let out a short laugh. “Alexander was a handful… I just got pulled into his schemes. More often than not by trying to make sure they didn’t get him into trouble.”

  “What did you do?” Maxen couldn’t imagine Faelen as a mischievous child, not when he was such a poised and self-contained man.

  “Oh, all sorts of things. Alexander’s favorite was for us to switch places and see what we could get into.” Faelen shook his head and laughed.

  “Did you fool everyone?” The possibilities for such a scheme were endless. It almost made Maxen regret he hadn’t had a twin of his own.

  “Most people. We looked practically identical when we were very little.” Faelen shrugged, a graceful, fluid motion. “I can’t believe we did it so often and hardly got caught. Mother would have been very unhappy if she found out some of the things we did.”

  “Well, now you’re going to have to tell me.”

  “We’ve finished lunch. Don’t you have to go back to your office?”

  “But we haven’t finished lunch. We still have the best part left. Unless you have to get back to the palace.”

  Faelen tilted his head. “What’s left of lunch?”

  “Dessert, of course.” With a grin, Maxen retrieved the pastries from the bottom of the basket and unwrapped them to reveal spirals of dough sticky with honey, nuts, and spices. “We should have something sweet, shouldn’t we?”

  Faelen’s eyes were wide, and he bit his lip. “I suppose we should.”

  Maxen handed over one of the pastries, and Faelen bit into it immediately. The noise he made—a quiet little sound that was almost a moan—hit Maxen like a punch in the stomach. Faelen’s eyes closed as he savored the sugary bite. Would his face look that way if he were lost in pleasure of another kind? The thought flashed like lightning through Maxen.

  Faelen opened his eyes and looked at Maxen, catching him staring. Maxen hoped his flush might be mistaken for a result of the slight whip of wind.

  “What is it? Did I make a mess of myself?”

  “Oh, no, not at all. You only have a bit of sugar on your lip.” Maxen tried not to think about kissing it off. Instead he pulled a napkin from the basket. “Here.”

  “Thank you.” Faelen glanced away, quickly dabbing at his mouth, and Maxen tried to stifle regret that he hadn’t asked for that kiss.

  They leisurely finished their pastries and then cleaned up their little picnic, bowing to the inevitable need to return to work. Maxen, at least, was reluctant to leave Faelen behind so soon, but he did have to return to the company’s offices and his work. From what Faelen said as they strolled back along the park paths, he had work as well—research for the project he was working on with Etan.

  When they reached the park gates, they stopped and turned to each other.

  “Thank you again for the invitation and for the picnic,” Faelen said after a moment.

  “It will be winter before we know it. It seemed like a good idea to savor being outside as much as we can before then.”

  “I’ll have to get used to the winter rains again.” Faelen wrinkled his nose slightly. “I think I might prefer Teilo’s snow, but I’m excited for the Midwinter fairs.”

  The Midwinter festivities in Jumelle were always elaborate and fun. “We’ll have to go.”

  Faelen was quiet for a moment. “Perhaps we will.”

  “That’s a ways off yet,” Maxen said, hoping he hadn’t pushed too much. “I hope we can have lunch again.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “I’ll look forward to it, then. And I’ll write to you.”

  Faelen’s smile widened. “I’d like that too.”

  Chapter Six

  Over the next week, Faelen exchanged a flurry of notes with Maxen. He’d enjoyed their lunch an almost surprising amount. He didn’t make friends easily—not outside the family, and not always inside it. The group he lived among in the palace was wonderful, and he was getting closer to them, but not everyone on either side of his family was like them. In fact, other than Grandfather, he didn’t much get along with Father’s family—they were all too affected by Mother’s origins, either resentful or trying to use them for social advancement. At least he didn’t see them often.

  Outside of family, he’d always felt a bit apart. Too many people had other motivations when getting close to a member of Tournai’s royal family and the son of Tournai’s ambassador. And he’d never known when they might be sent somewhere else anyway. He’d had Alexander, so he’d never minded, or not much. Now, though, he could, conceivably, make more connections, and so far, Maxen was proving Faelen’s instincts about his lack of ulterior motives right.

  It was perfect.

  They had lunch about a week later, once again meeting in the park. Faelen had thought it odd the first time, but he’d ended u
p loving it. Somehow it was freeing to be somewhere different with Maxen. There were a few birds splashing in the fountain, and they watched them while they ate and talked, laughing at their antics.

  “With as much as you love books, you must have quite the library,” Maxen said.

  “I don’t actually.” But if he were to collect anything, it would be books. Well, collect in that he would buy them and read them and never let them go. It was always difficult to let a beloved story pass out of his hands. “Most of what I have are language texts, and I’ve kept precious few of those.”

  “Why?”

  “Father has been in diplomatic service my whole life, and he brought us all with him when he could, which meant we traveled a lot and never knew when we’d be called somewhere else. It was difficult to take too much with me, so I borrowed from libraries.” Faelen shrugged. The libraries had been wonderful, and he’d been fortunate, but he still wished he’d been able to keep those stories. “Grandfather gave me a set of small travel books when we left for Teilo. I still have those.”

  His cheeks heated. He probably seemed like a whiny child. A whiny rich child lamenting trivial things. But Maxen didn’t look at him with derision.

  “What about now? Will you start building your own library?”

  He hadn’t thought about it, really. Too many more important things had occupied his attention since he arrived in Jumelle. “Maybe I will.”

  “Good.” Maxen smiled at him and handed him a small spice cake glistening with a dark glaze.

  Faelen’s gaze latched onto it, and Maxen laughed. Faelen couldn’t help another blush.

  “I’m learning all your weaknesses today.” Maxen bit into his cake.

  Faelen wasn’t certain what response to make to that statement, so he ate his cake.

  Two days later, Faelen found a small package when he and Alexander returned to their rooms before dinner.