Page 58 of Gilded Crown

“Aurelius…”

The Prince’s eye flicked down. “It’s truly not you.”

The door clicked shut, and Aurelius’s unspoken “it’s me”hung in the air. Jari remained frozen in the silence, hoping the door would open, and the Prince would reconsider. He couldn’t tell if Aurelius was still right there or if he’d kept his steps light. Maybe he was already in bed, alone like usual.

Jari quietly returned to the couch and stared into space while still feeling the ghost of the Prince’s touch on his face. What was he so afraid of? Did he have some fetish he thought Jari would find gross and wouldn’t be able to satisfy? Or was it the intimacy that was foreign to him, and he didn’t know how to reciprocate it in a way that he assumed Jari would want? If he had trouble with that, it wouldn’t ruin him.

Or did he expect to top Jari, and that scared him? He must have figured by now that Jari was a top and not inclined to be on the receiving end for the most part. Two tops might not get along in bed especially if both were stubborn.

But Jari would’ve allowed it if that was what Aurelius truly needed. He’d thought the Prince might bark orders and be the selfish sort of lover who treated the bottom like a spot to deposit his cum. Honestly, he probably wasn’t.

Perhaps he was too scared because his back was marked up. Or the Zorians had done a disgusting thing to him, and he thought he was dirty, and nobody would want him anymore. He did reject touch in general, and his own brother had attemptedsomething…Also, Jari was the one who had scarred him for life, and that could be a reason why he didn’t want intimacy.

Jari wouldn’t hurt him now, and he’d never wanted to before, but the point was that he had. Nothing Jari did now would erase past actions and memories.

He couldn’t even ask for the actual reason. It would cause tension, and it seemed like the Prince wanted things to go back to normal and with no surprise kisses. Just the Prince and his guard who didn’t touch or try to get anything from him.

With the way things stood at the current moment, Aurelius had time. He wouldn’t turn into a dithering shell in a few years or be inclined to attack anyone. He wasn’t sacrificing chickens or babbling about nonsense.

Maybe he’d find someone that he didn’t have any history with and hadn’t left marks on his body. If all the want that Aurelius had was too hard to give in to with Jari due to so many prior things, then Jari shouldn’t have asked.

Chapter Thirteen

They went on as if that night never happened, and that little sweet flash with Aurelius touching his face was tainted in Jari’s mind. He wouldn’t be allowed beyond the gate, Aurelius was afraid of what he’d find, and it wasn’t going to happen again. They’d go on like nothing happened.

The Prince didn’t treat him any differently, and it wasn’t easy, but Jari managed to shake off the awkwardness. It helped since they had more critical things to focus on as well.

Lords who weren’t too old brought their fighters, and a few from smaller villages straggled in. Box carts, wagons, and horses were loaded with supplies, and they finally started out two weeks after they arrived.

As they went north, others joined. The Duchess oversaw half of Wockston, which was surely a load off of Darlim’s shoulders. Her word was law as if her Father spoke them himself, and she lived a bit out of their way. A messenger met the group on the way to say that she had gone a little south to meet them outside of a town. It would shave off some time from their journey, and Aurelius seemed pleased that she wasn’t making them go to her home. All of the northern fighters had come with her too.

Jari mostly rode alongside Aurelius, although he sometimes went with the Commanders and lords around the group to make sure no one was lagging and everything was in order. They treated him with enough respect since he was obviously important to the Prince, and he started learning names the best he could.

Those who had come with the Duchess were camped outside of the town they’d planned to meet at. Many of them, still freshand not weary from traveling or fighting, cheered at the sight of the Prince leading the rest of Wockston’s army.

Tents were everywhere, and some fighters sat in boxcarts that they’d unloaded since they made great temporary shelters. Some had climbed on top to see better. A roped-off area held horses who didn’t appear impressed at all. Jari caught the scent of cigs, and fires let off smoke.

On one side, a tent had been erected for the Duchess, and the walls had been rolled up and tied in place so she had a place to rest out of the sun. A small table in the center was littered with parchment held down by rocks. Their soldiers were led off to get situated, and Aurelius dismounted near the tent.

Jari slipped down from Mercury, had a quick stretch, and held both horses by the bridle. Este stood from her table and came to greet the Prince. He’d imagined the Duchess would wear something far more fancy since she was also the Crown Princess of Wockston and next in line, but her dress wasn’t heavily adorned. Then again, they were traveling to war anyway.

She was tall with ebony skin and a dress as blue as the sky. A ribbon held back her mass of tight curls, and a sword hung at her side. Darlim said Calytrix had loved dancing and instruments while growing up. Este had preferred dancing and swordplay, and she’d be fighting like everyone else.

Este executed a perfect curtsy with the elegance of a dancer, and Aurelius, with his usual ramrod posture, gave a deep bow as fitting for someone equal to his station.

“Is this interesting enough for you?” Jari whispered to Mercury. “Now you can say that you’ve seen a Crown Princess. I bet there weren’t many of those around the ol’ farm.”

Mercury whuffed out a breath.

“This is my personal guard and aid, Jari,” he caught the Prince saying.

Jari turned and gave a low bow, although it probably wasn’t as precise as Aurelius’s.

“Whatever you say to me can be said in front of him,” added the Prince. “Jari, can you put up our horses and rejoin me?”

***

According to the latest rumors, Este had learned that Zylem was said to be drawing the army to the capital. Their conquest of Morning Glory had just grown much harder, and they hadn’t truly started yet. If the Novan army was gathering in one place, then someone knew or suspected that Aurelius was returning with his own army.

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