Page 48 of Gilded Crown

“You’re drunk.”

“I know, but if I wasn’t-the things I’d do to you. I’d have you crying out to Elira and every Asgardian god and the human ones too once I sucked the engraving off your sword hilt.” Jari buried his neck in the Prince’s neck and inhaled. “You smell good. Just like-like a field of sunflowers that I want to roll in.”

“That’s enough.” Aurelius planted a hand on his chest and pushed him back. “Get off.”

Jari straightened up. “Maybe if I sucked your dick, you’d feel better.”

“You’re drunk,” Aurelius repeated.

“I know, and-and that’s why I’m not sucking your dick. You can’t say yes.”

“It’s you that can’t say yes.” Aurelius grabbed his arm again and tugged him along. “You need to get into bed. Without me.”

“You know what? Asgardians are a bunch of dicks. They don’t like us fairies because we kicked their heinies that one time, and they still got posts up their ass about it.”

“I’m quite aware of that bit of history.”

“I don’t think much of their gods. They’re just fancy-trousered men that live a long time.”

“Okay, Jari.”

***

“Fuck.”

Jari woke up crooked and sprawled out on his bed with one leg hanging off. The door opened, and Aurelius stepped in. Too much light, and too much shiny hair. He closed his eyes. Someone needed to turn off the sun beaming through the window.

“I need to deal with him, and I’m quite fine on my own, thank you very much. Do you think I’m going to jump out a third-story window and fly away?”

“M’lord-”

“Wait in the hall. Post someone outside if you think I’ll climb out and scuttle away like a spinny.”

The door slammed. Great. The innkeeper or whoever had seen Jari in his drawers.

Wait. He didn’t have drawers on. He pried his eyelids open to find the sheet barely covering his dick and balls. Aurelius leaned against the door with his arms folded and disdain all over his face.

“Don’t look at me.” Jari fumbled to drag the sheet higher.

“How attractive.” Aurelius rolled his eye. “Once I got you in here last night, you decided you didn’t need clothes anymore, stripped down, gave me an eyeful, collapsed on your bed, and farted. Get dressed, get your head on straight, and try not to puke once we’re inside Darlim’s home. He’ll speak to me, and we’re not getting tossed in a cell.”

“Wait-wha-?” Jari clutched the sheet, sat up, and stared at Aurelius who’d put on the finery from the day they escaped. “Did you leave?!”

“I went to speak to Darlim.”

“What the-we were supposed to go together!”

“I decided to go on my own just in case. If I was arrested, you don’t need to be arrested too. It was safer. Darlim’s sent some guards with me to come fetch you now so we can both see Darlim. They won’t harm us.”

“I’m supposed to protect you! Which means you don’t run off while I’m passed out and naked in bed.”

“Yes, but you couldn’t do much on the off chance that Darlim decided to lock us both up. That notice said you could be killed on sight if needed, but I’m to be alive. If I was caught, that meansmy end is likely quite close, and someone needs to deal with the items. I left you a note.”

Jari snatched a piece of parchment from the bedside table. If Aurelius didn’t return, Jari would be free of his vow as long as he did one last thing: Take the items, smash them into pieces, get a ship out into the ocean somewhere, and dump them in so they’d sink and never be found again.

At the bottom, he’d written, “DON’T TOUCH THEM!” The words were underlined twice, and below that were his initials.

He had been afraid that things would go wrong, so he’d gone alone and left Jari a way out along with the assurance that items wouldn’t be found. In fact, that was sweet and kind of him.

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