Chapter 25: Chapter 24

Ruairi

I don’t know if it was meant to be a joke or just an oversight, but sitting at that table just then was anything other than funny. Why the hell would he send Dalliah to me without making provisions for her stay? That was the whole point of the others waiting behind, logistics!

My skin feels like it’s caught fire from sitting at that table opposite from her and when that smug bastard simply had to announce the lack of rooms I could have killed him.

The temptation might as well have eaten me alive and it took focusing all of my effort on her disinterested and nerves to talk me down. Not that I’d have forced her to stay with me, her body language made it clear she’d rather have slept on the public hearth tonight.

By the time I reach Avery’s door my hair is a mess from all the times I’ve ran my hands through it. Not just with tension but with frustration towards Tedric for putting me in this position. I never asked him to bring her and what message does it send back at court?

But I’d rather her here than in the castle just now, as for the first time since I met her, it was like she was starting to open up, replying when she didn’t need to and thanking me in earnest for her meal.

I should be happy with the progress, but all I can think about is how close we came to one room for two people. No, I can’t picture it, not right now.

The oak door shudders under my fist as I bang loudly, waiting for Avery to open up and let me in. It was easy enough to pretend to be nobody when it was just us here, but if my family is arriving now, it’s only a matter of time before I’m a king again. Not that I ever stopped, not really.

As the door opens, a woman squeezes through the gap and disappears down the hallway faster than I can blink, leaving me in the doorway looking at a disgruntled brother of mine. At least that makes two of us.

“I thought you were getting your own room.” He grinds out through his teeth, trying to fasten his briches hastily and I don’t even want to know what those two were doing, especially if I’m to share this room now.

“Yeah, that was the plan,” I answer bluntly, grabbing a bottle of liquor from the nearest tabletop and sitting on one of the chairs dotted around the room.

Avery’s drinking habits have never been bad enough to concern me, but it’s safe to say he knows how to let loose and relax when off duty. Something I’m grateful for right about now.

“Then shouldn’t you be, you know… in that room?” He stares daggers at me and I almost feel bad for spoiling his fun. Almost.

“Yeah, I should.” I take another swig.

I know I’m not being very helpful but it’s distracting me to annoy him, pus it’s nothing he’s never done back to me tenfold.

He drags his fingers down his face, waiting for me to say more but I don’t. I’d much rather sit here and get on his nerves than dwell on the fact that Dalliah will be making her way into my room any moment now.

No, not my room, her room.

“I’m starting to wish we made Tedric, king.” He mutters, grabbing the bottle from me and taking some for himself.

“Don’t mention Tedric to me.”

He raises his eyebrows, “What’s he done now? Ripped one of Apheya’s precious books? Burped at the dinner table? Seduced your sister? She’s always preferred him, you know.” His voice drops at the last part and I have a feeling that he’s got to himself more with that barb than he has me, which was the intention.

“He’s sent Dalliah here.”

“Your maid? Why would he- Ohhh,” He bites his lip in a useless effort not to smile, “So I take it that was an unwanted arrival then?”

I open my mouth to answer but am interrupted by a knock at the door far calmer than my version. Had the girl Avery was seeing forgotten something? Or has he ordered food that would have interrupted his meeting either way?

If it’s the latter I expect an apology for the attitude and say as much with my raised brows while he goes to answer the door. It’s fair to say I wasn’t expecting Tedric on the other side.

“Oh brother, you pick your moments,” Avery speaks

before I can, but from his body language, as far as Tedric is concerned there’s no reason for him to fear walking in on us.

He slams his bag down next to a chair opposite mine and tilts his head back in exhaustion. I’ll be honest, I expected a grin, a sly joke… something. But not this strange show of disinterest.

Avery and I stare at him, waiting for him to give it up and confess to the joke but instead, when he feels like finally looking up, he narrows only his eyes in question.

“What? There’s no rooms, surely you’d rather I crash here than freeze back across town?” He leans forward now, arms toward the fire and his palms rubbing together as if to try and absorb more of the heat.

“As much as I would love to see you tackle life as a human icicle, I think Rhu is more concerned about the surprise guest you sent him.”

Avery offers the bottle to him but no flare of understanding passes over Tedric’s face.

He turns to me, “Surprise? You told me to bring your family… hell, I’d have preferred not to have been questioned every half hour if that were a choice.” He finishes the sentence with something sounding suspiciously like ’your damn sister’ which I’m happy to let slide if Odelina was anything like her usual self on the journey.

“We’re on about Dalliah, Ric.”

I cross my arms across my chest, happy with the amount of muscle I’m able to flex on my arms in the process. Maybe it’ll remind him who used to hand his arse to him every morning during training.

His eyes widen as if only just getting the conversation, “Ahh sorry mate, I asked after her for you but apparently she was ill or something… maybe next time.” He pauses, “And it’s not exactly a surprise if you’re asking for it.”

The idea that he is the one looking at me like an idiot right now is lunacy, but before I can comment on that, his words finally register. He tried to talk to Dalliah for me but couldn’t because she’s ill… but if that’s the case, then how is she here? Why did she say that Tedric sent her if he didn’t?

“Hang on a minute, are you saying you didn’t send the maid?” Avery seems to have gone through a similar thought process and I try not to grind my teeth when he calls Dalliah, ‘the maid’ instead of her name.

“Yes, are you deaf or just dumb?” Tedric snaps now, clearly not finding our interrogation amusing anymore, and I can’t say I blame him at this point.

“Then how come she’s in my room?”

Both of them turn to me and manage to speak at the same time, “She’s what?”

Rather than answer them though, I rise hastily and leave the room in search of the woman in question. This is all far too confusing when considering the amount of ciders I’ve had before she got here, and not exactly channelling the break I wanted when leaving court.

Just as my luck would have it, it’s the door furthest from Avery’s room, though unlike with him, this time I’m able to add some patience to the knock that follows. Nobody answers and I lean my head towards the wood shamelessly as if to hear movement or breathing, but there’s nothing.

“Dalliah, it’s Rhu… open up.” I try to keep my voice calm but realise in the process that she might not even know me by that name. It’s only what my friends call me.

Despite my plea, no reply is returned and as I grab the handle as if to make more noise, I find that it opens into the empty bedroom, clearly unoccupied.

She’s gone.