Page 145 of Disillusioned
“Slower,” she directed the quartet. They exchanged glances and did as they were told. The melody and pacing of the song instantly slowed, becoming much more sultry. The guests around them gasped in delight. Lilac stopped fighting, letting the pounding of the drums and surging of the string instruments wash over her. She spun and wrapped her arms around Rupert’s neck, stepping so close she could smell the dates and honey on his breath.
He stiffened but didn’t pull away, setting his fingertips lightly on her hips. The positioning felt off; their bodies didn’t fit well together, not like hers and Garin’s did. He was a beanstalk of a man, at least Garin’s height, with little to no coordination himself.
Lilac said nothing and swayed, trying to enjoy the music while ignoring the eyes on them. She gently led him into a circular step, biting her lip toconceal her shocked smile. The more she acted willingly, the pressure of Garin’s command lessened.
“This is much better,” Rupert sighed, relief also flooding his face as he fell into her rhythm. “I thought that would last all night.”
“You wouldn’t know anything about lasting all night,” Lilac shot.
He immediately shut his mouth. They swayed, not terribly offbeat. When they rotated, she couldn’t help but look over Rupert’s shoulder at Garin. His expression was unreadable again.
Good. The bastard was the one who encouraged her to take the dance.
Rupert was watching, too. “You’d think with the way he’s looking at you, thathewas your emperor.”
Lilac turned her back to him. “He is merely protective.”
“Over someone he’s just met?”
“Of Maximilian.” Lilac refused to elaborate further.
They fell into an empty silence then. Rupert’s gaze kept flickering over her shoulder until she finally turned to see what he was staring at. Myrddin stared at the floor, seeming to concentrate much too hard on the story Hewig was telling.
“Ambrosius?” Lilac leaned in. “Is that why you pulled me away for this dance?”
Rupert made a sound between a cough and a snort. “What? No.”
“You should go talk to him.” She tried to steer them in Myrddin’s and Hedwig’s direction, but Rupert tugged them back.
“Stop it. I don’t know him. I’ve passed him in the halls a couple times today, we’ve exchanged greetings. That’s it.”
“He’s a warlock. A kind and talented one, at that,” she offered, just in case he hadn’t heard Garin earlier. “His name is Ambrosius.”
“I know.” He nodded, stealing a glance back again. He said nothing more on the matter, but flushed heavily.
“So,” she said, changing the subject for him. “People like you usually don’t serve the castle guard this way. Never as sentry or foot soldier, anyway.”
“It was something I wanted to try at the time, and I preferred not to enter at a higher rank, just in case. I left last year in the autumn.”
They made another rotation; Garin had not lifted his eyes from her.
“Skirting your duties, are you?” she teased.
“I was not often on duty even while I worked here.”
Her face fell. She instantly wished she hadn’t brought it up. They both looked away, and she tried not to think of pumping his cock in her palm.Prick.
“And you went to Le Conquet then?”
“No. I only spent a month there and just now returned.” He paused and frowned, as if he struggled to recall. “I left when the tides became unpredictable. It happens sometimes with the turn of the season, but it seemed an unprecedented phenomena. Unusual for this time of year. Everyone in the town was in a sour mood because the waves affected their angling.”
“So what did you do before then?”
“I thought about finding my father, learning more about him. He works in one of the towns, according to mother. Won’t tell me who he could be, or if he’s even alive.” Rupert looked down, eyes shifting. “So instead, I returned home to our estate. I spent many of my younger years traveling and two years before that at the university in Paris. Lately, I’ve been considering going back. I think I’d like to work in administration. Maybe here one day.”
“That is unlikely.” Lilac offered him a bitter smile. “You’d best wait until the tensions ease before returning to Sorbonne. Otherwise, there are several institutions in the German lands, Austria, and in Urbino.”
Rupert’s brows shot up. “You know of them?”
