Chapter Forty-One

"Hello, Duke Zixin," King Lyrandir drawled.

I stood before him in his throne room. He was, of course, seated on his throne—a massive thing that screamed overcompensation to me. Did he really need it to be that big? And all those tiger heads on it. Sheesh. Wait. Gavemor's symbol was a tiger. Huh. I looked at Captain Aras and wondered how he felt about that. I mean, Hulfrin weren't tigers, but they shared some similarities. Enough that the tiger imagery scattered around the room was hard not to see as Hulfrin imagery.

"Hello, Your Majesty." I bowed to King Lyrandir because even dukes must bow to kings. And because I didn't want to anger the crazy motherfucker.

"You're so polite now." Lyrandir got up and came down the dais steps. He took my chin in his hand and looked me over. "It looks as if mating a king gave you manners. Civility by injection."

Again, I didn't want to upset him, so I stayed still and silent.

He ran his thumb along my jaw. "I'd call King Vaxarion a lucky man if I wasn't the one currently in possession of you."

Captain Aras stiffened. I looked back and forth between the men. Aras was glaring at Lyrandir, but the King was staring at me. Oh, yeah, they were fucking.

"Well, now I know why King Vaxarion was so protective of you from the start. He had found his mate." Lyrandir finally glanced at Aras and let go of my face. "What terrible timing for him. But brilliant timing for me. And well done, Captain. You didn't bring me the Eye, but this will do."

"My pleasure, Your Majesty." Captain Aras bowed.

"You will, of course, stay and continue to guard Zixin until the exchange is made."

Aras's lips twitched. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Good. We must treat our guest well. See to it that he remains unharmed."

"I will."

"And I will prepare for a royal visit." Lyrandir looked me over again. "So pretty. What a shame that I didn't get to sample you before you mated."

A growl startled me, especially since it came from Aras. My stare shot to him. His stare was locked on the King. I looked back at the King to find his lips twitching now. What the fuck was going on with these two?

"After you see him settled, come to my apartments, Captain," the King said. "I need to speak with you." He spun and strode off, his robes flapping behind him.

Aras glared after him.

"You know he's fucking with you, right?" I asked.

Aras blinked, then looked at me. "Come here." He grabbed my arm and pulled me along, out of the throne room and through the castle.

Aras remained silent through the walk, as did his men. We finally arrived at our destination. He opened a door and ushered me into an opulent room. Then he shut the door on his men and shoved me into the center of the room.

"What did you mean by that?" Aras demanded.

"Come on. I know you're fucking him."

His eyes twitched.

I went on as if he had confirmed it. "It's classic relationship shit. He's trying to make you jealous by complimenting me."

Aras scowled.

"You've done it before, haven't you? You want someone to notice you, so you act interested in someone else. Works every time."

"Then maybe I should act interested in someone else too," he murmured.

"I wouldn't."

"Why not?"

"Because you're dealing with a king. He's a different type of fish. Just play it calm. Act as if his interest in other men doesn't bother you. That will make him think he's just a fuck to you. And that will fuck him up."

"Yeah?" Aras sat down on the couch near the window. "And then what?"

"Are you seriously asking me for relationship advice?" I crossed my arms.

"What else have you got to do?" he shot back and sprawled against the back of the couch.

I snorted. "Fair enough." I took the chair set at a right angle to the couch. "I'm not the best at relationships. I nearly fucked up things with Vax beyond repair. But I've watched a lot of people interact and I've heard things."

"What things?"

"It all boils down to how you respond. If someone is trying to make you upset, they're craving a reaction from you. They'll enjoy your jealousy or rage or whatever they're trying to pull out of you. If you want to turn the tables, just behave in the opposite of how they want. Don't give them a reaction. When he confronts you, which he probably will, point out that his interest in another man has made you realize that he's not interested enough in you. So maybe you should move on. No hard feelings, that sort of thing."

"What if he agrees?"

"Would that crush you?"

Aras grunted.

"Isn't it better to be crushed now, rather than later, after you've really fallen for him?"

"But maybe he'll fall for me if I hold out a little longer."

I shook my head. "He doesn't respect you enough for that."

"Yes, he does."

"He won't if you fall for this fish shit. You'll just be another easy conquest that he makes dance to his tune."

Aras cracked his neck and then leaned forward onto his knees. "Maybe you're right. I'm a fighter. I fight for my lovers if they're worth it. And I think he's the same. If he won't fight for me, he doesn't want me as much as I want him."

"And you don't want that," I concluded.

"No, I don't." He sighed and stood up. "Well, I'd better not keep the King waiting." He walked away.

"Captain Aras?" I called after him.

He looked back at me.

"Good luck."

Aras stared at me for a second, then grinned. "Thanks, Your Grace. Good luck to you too."