Page 11 of Bleeding for the Prince
She wrinkled her nose. “There has been some additional engagement with the Calanti. Perhaps you being friends with their future king would not be so bad an idea.”
The Calanti had been annexed a millennium ago, and there was now little interaction between them and the other tribes. “Additional engagement?”
“Not the topic of this conversation,” she said sharply, and he knew not to push. “We were discussing you and Gwil.”
“I mentioned Robin and Simon only because one is a full vampire, which would be a parallel for Gwil.”
“I think you’ll need to come up with something more convincing. I don’t think you should advertise your special adventures with Gwil, but Gwil being a member of the Jyndarin Society might give enough cover for most not to ask too many questions.”
“They do have certain membership stipulations.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Yes, and it’s through you he meets them, no doubt.”
“I couldn’t possibly comment.”
She snorted. “I need to go and say a few words. I will keep you informed regarding the geological activities.”
Talia flew off to speak to her secretary and get ready for her speech. Hyax returned to the guests, Gwil still engaged in conversation, and the centre of attention. He deserved to be there. Gwil was wonderful, and if his mother’s predictions came true, it wouldn’t be long before Hyax would be a divorcee with a hot boyfriend ready to be his second husband. Hyax would insist Gwil retain his Prince’s Beloved title as well. Now all he had to do was tackle the delicate matter of him needing to have a few airs and graces, alongside learning fae traditions. Etiquette lessons, fae-style, weren’t the most exciting things, but he at least had a big enough carrot to tempt Gwil to agree.
CHAPTER FIVE
Gwil accepted the cup of coffee. Hyax rarely brought him anything in bed that didn’t have a sexual use unless he was ill, and that made him suspicious. “What’s going on?”
They’d returned later than he’d expected from Queen Talia’s garden party, Gwil admitting he enjoyed himself, but still not quite able to believe his future would entail more gatherings where he would be thought of as a valued guest. Hyax mentioned visiting his tailor, but they’d run out of time, and Hyax said he’d arrange a meeting when they were next at the palace. Hyax had been insistent, and Gwil didn’t know why he was so bothered.
“Nothing. Can’t a man bring his best fang coffee instead of being accused of something?”
“No.”
Hyax tutted. “What do you meanno?”
“I mean, you’re usually demanding I get you tea, not the other way around. So, what’s this about? I know you went off to talk to your mum, did she say something?”
Hyax got back into bed and pouted. “Yes, but not in the way you mean. There wasn’t anything terrible said, but I might need you to consider doing a few things that weren’t originally planned.”
His mind went to the least helpful place he could imagine. “You’re not gonna knock up Metra and have him give you an heir?”
“Fuck off! Even if it was possible, there’s no way I’d be breeding with him.” Hyax’s look of disgust was hilarious.
“Then if I ain’t gotta be a stepdad to a sparkly fae baby, I don’t think there’s much of anything I couldn’t get my head around for the right reason.”
“I had some news about how the Elementa has stopped mining for golashe. It could just be temporary for now, but my mother thought it could mean I might be able to petition for divorce sooner than we hoped.”
Gwil thought that was a good thing and didn’t warrant coffee as a bribe. “I guess we’d need to wait to confirm Hoffman is no longer paying the Elementa, but it sounds positive.”
“Yes, it is. We’d need to make sure to conduct proceedings properly, and have a real reason to divorce and not just that we don’t want to be married.”
The fae were weird. “I would’ve thought that was the reason to get a divorce.”
“Well, yes, but there’s politics. She mentioned something could be in the bonding protocols, and she’s probably right, which will help justify a divorce. But they come with other stipulations, ones I thought you wouldn’t need to worry about because you’re not a fae.”
Nothing in his afterlife was straightforward; new distractions and issues crawled out of the woodwork on a regular basis. He’d learnt not to get wound up over anything before he’d heard all the facts. He’d already accepted his boyfriend had no choice but to marry another man, so he was pretty sure he could cope with what Hyax threw at him. “Just tell me rather than have me worry you’re being too nice.”
The fact Hyax didn’t call him a wanker should have raised more red flags.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but my mother has suggested that you would benefit from having some formal etiquette lessons.”
Gwil had prospered during the Victorian era; his manners were exemplary compared to modern standards. “I beg your fucking pardon. There’s nothing wrong with my decorum.”
