Page 13 of The King's Bodyguard
The King of Sumarene was not going anywhere. Against all odds, he remained in my arms. Pliant. Willing. Expectant even. It was impossible to turn my eyes away from his wide-eyed gaze. Those blue eyes were as mercurial and fathomless as the ocean, but they told me one thing: “Please.” My words brought out shy happiness from deep within Landis.
“Y-yes,” Landis said softly. “If-if you don’t mind, that is, Corrin. I recognize I am keeping you from your task.”
“My task is to ensure your security... and happiness,” I added with great liberality.
Laughter erupted from my new dance partner. More like a giggle. It bubbled up from within Landis like a trapped stream rushing freely. For some reason, it buoyed my spirits as well. It felt only natural then to draw him closer, so we stood chest to chest. His left hand automatically rested itself on my shoulder, and the fingers of his right now sought out mine.
“Ugh,” he said. “Could the gloves come off?”
“Oh, yes,” I said, tucking them in my leather belt. “You might regret it though. My palms are rather rough...”
Once again, Landis placed his hand in mine. This time, however, I could feel the warmth of him as his fingers brushed across my palm.
“Much better.” Landis blushed delicately. “I—I like how you feel... so different. Rough, but strong.”
I curled my roughened palm inward around his own. My right arm drew tightly around his waist, keeping him close to me.
“I will do my best to not endanger your toes,” Landis said jokingly.
“I would consider it an honor were you to tread on mine,” I assured him with a grin.
A soft laugh escaped me, and Landis giggled again. I glanced around the balcony. No one had been drawn by our laughter. No doubt the sound of talking and music within drowned out our voices.
Moving forward smoothly, I guided him through the first forward spin. I could feel the spike in his heartbeat as he pressed closer to me, allowing me to take the lead. After entering another set of the waltz steps, I glanced down to see if Landis was still enjoying himself. The smile on Landis’s face was undoubtedlygenuine this time. There was a sparkle in his eye and a wave to his tail that spoke of contented relaxation.
My nose found itself buried in a nest of curls as Landis bobbed up and then down. Now that I was able to focus on the moment, I found myself suddenly overwhelmed with his scent. He had no doubt bathed before Lady Hartford’s ball. There was an aroma of fresh lilies, light sandalwood, and some kind of apple balm. Or perhaps that was the sweet pastry on his breath.
Yes. That was his scent, the scent of his desire—ripe apples ready to fall, sunlight on the grass, and the faded perfume of elandarin blossoms. It was heady. I wanted nothing more than to draw him in more tightly, enjoy the soft curves of his supple body, and bury my head in his arms. Deep within my core, something hungry unfurled. Desire prowled, wanting only one thing: to make him mine.
As if reading my mind, or perhaps sensing the tension in my body, Landis gasped a little. He tipped his head back. Within my hand, his fingers clenched suddenly within mine. Behind him, his tail flowed out with the slightest tremble.
Fighting my own instincts, I battled against my need. Even as we turned into a reverse double spin, I tried to focus on the moment. Tonight, with the blessing of the Goddess Meryn, I could gift Landis something, but it would not last forever. After all, the music was coming to a close. Soon, we would be parted, and the chasm of our circumstances would once again widen the spaces between us.
Sure enough, the violins and flutes drew into the final bars of the song. Landis and I heard the applause. We stumbled to a half-stop. Landis clung to me, clearly reluctant to part ways. I gently extricated myself and stepped back. In response, Landis too began to realize what was happening. He drew in a few breaths and stiffened his back, resuming his more regal posture.Behind his serene gaze, however, I caught a glimpse of longing. Longing I could not in all good consciousness answer.
“Thank you, Corrin,” he said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a dance.”
“Your partners are much too controlling,” I said mildly. “That one lordling you danced with tonight was practically dragging you all over the floor.”
“You noticed that?” Landis asked. His golden ears flicked back with surprise.
Of course, I did. Tasked as I was with his safety, my eyes had been glued to him since our arrival. From the edges of the room, from the seclusion of various vantage points, I had stood guard and seen how people treated him. It had been quite a bit of a shock, honestly.
For one thing, it was clear that many of Landis’s aristocratic subjects didn’t respect the young king at all. They took quite a few liberties behind his back, gossiping about his garments, his behavior, and his recent decisions in court. That kind of rumor-mongering was certain to happen about any monarch, but the snide comments certainly took me aback.
“Mhmmm... What HAS he done to his hair though? I suppose haystacks are in this year...”
“Is it true he fell asleep at the General Assembly? Surely not. I mean, he IS young and perhaps needs a kit nap every now and then. But still.”
“I mean, blue is rather last year, is it not? But I suppose one does what one has to.”
Watching the dances had been even more painful. During four of his dances, several people attempted to cut in. Cutting in wasn’t a social blunder necessarily, but I had never seen young gentlecats wrangle a prince, much less a king in the fashion they did. In one instance, Landis’s hand had been outright yankedout of his partner’s grasp, and the young king had been dragged back a step.
As though he were some kind of trophy or prize to be hauled off to a cave, I thought with rising indignation. When Landis finally managed to rest, I had immediately drawn closer with the hopes of whisking him off for a rest somewhere. Thankfully, even Landis seemed to feel that he required a reprieve from his own court. Now, I watched him mentally gird himself for yet another gauntlet of dances.
Something in my chest squeezed tight. If I had my way, I would be packing him into a carriage and sending him home.But Landis is king. He is his own person. After tonight, it is clear that his wishes need to be heard as well. I need to protect him, I mused,but I can’t just run roughshod over him as everyone else does.
“I will be right there when you need it most,” I finally told him.
