by Brianna West
“It would not be a betrayal, dear sister. If I sanctioned such an action as, perhaps, letting my most influential sister create ties with the Guardians in the mortal world while I took care of matters here, that could not possibly be seen as a betrayal to anyone with a fragment of intelligence.”
Yaniv’s blue eyes glinted with intent as he tucked dark hair behind his ear, his stare naturally trailing to the door we had come through. His lips lifted into a smile just as a loud thump echoed, followed quickly by the angry chattering of guards before the door was swinging open and Bernie was sauntering in with a broad smile.
“Well, this ain’t the bathroom!” he declared with a chuckle, offering the clamoring guards an over-the-shoulder grin. “Explains why it was so heavily guarded. And here I thought I was finally getting popular with all these studs. Oh well, I’m here now.”
After blowing a kiss at the guards and waving with a cute giggle, Bernie strode over and took a knee, removing his hat and running fingers through his messy locks. Then standing up, he curtsied awkwardly with his massive body before settling his amber eyes on my brother with a broad, welcoming smile on his face.
“Bernard,” I breathed, glaring reproachfully as the massive man set his hands on his hips, posing heroically.
But he ignored me as he kept his eyes trained to my brother’s stoic form. “Your majesty, sir, King of the Spiritum Bellatorum, the day-ith be-ith splendorous.” Winking, Bernie nodded his head my direction with a smug grin illuminating his already happy expression.
What sort of greeting was that? Dear lord…
“Ah, very good of you to join us,” Yaniv said to my bewilderment as Bernie took a seat on the nearby sofa and breathed out, just as Anric entered the room in a rush.
My teacher’s eyes widened before he was taking a knee and slamming his chest with respect. “My King, my apologies. I had thought he was resting in his room that I had escorted him to.”
Bernie didn’t even attempt to hide how proud Anric saying so had made him, giggling into his hand like the large child he was. Anric glowered the Guardian’s direction but said nothing more about it.
Yaniv waved Anric off with a smile, peering curiously at Bernie. “There is something you wish to say, is that not correct, Guardian Bernard?”
“You can feel free to call me Bernie, your most kingliest king, sir,” he remarked with another happy grin and wink my direction, “And there’s something I’d like to ask you, sure.”
I was barely hearing any of their conversation as the internal part of me was loud and freaking out with how to navigate this situation I now found myself in.
“Speak freely, Bernie.” Yaniv appeared to be amused, his expression abnormally transformed with delight as Bernie scooted to the side of the sofa closest to my brother. It was then that I noticed Bernie’s shirt and internally marveled at how he managed to have a shirt for every occasion.
It simply said: “King of Cougars.”
I briefly wondered what these cougars were that it spoke of, only knowing a few beasts in my dealings with him and those like him. None of the research had uncovered the name either. Was it some sort of tiger? I couldn’t be sure, but it had intrigued me enough to wish to ask him later about it.
Bernie cleared his throat, licking his lips nervously as his amber eyes flicked over to where Anric stood. “I’d like to put my name in the hat for being Nyla’s betrothed.”
Of course he did…
Wait, what?!
“But she is already betrothed to Anric. Even should I be willing to consider such an unprecedented act, what might recommend you other than being a Guardian of certain talents?” Yaniv’s intellectual gaze searched Bernie’s face, his mouth quirking upwards.
I knew that look and suddenly feared the worst. Yaniv was by far the cleverest of us all, and he could easily overcome any man with his mere wit alone. His ability to be several steps ahead was unmatched by any other I had come to know. It made me anxious, my hands clammy on my lap as I suppressed the desire to intervene and come to Bernie’s rescue.
A princess should let her King do the speaking.
But my brother was clearly toying with Bernie. The spark in his luminous blue eyes suggested he was having great fun even, and it made my chest burn as I opened my mouth. However, Yaniv’s sharp stare silenced me before he gestured for Bernie to go on, quieting Anric with the raise of his hand before the massive man could speak out in protest.
“You have only known her for a few weeks, what could possibly recommend you that I would hand my sister over to a stranger?” The question penetrated the quiet with Yaniv’s deep, provoking baritone.
Bernie shifted over the cushion, his smile intensifying as he scratched the back of his head. “Well, you see, I’m sort of a king myself. Not really to your caliber, but I guess it sort of makes me a big deal.”
Yaniv seemed genuinely surprised as he looked over to me, but I was just as baffled as he was that Bernie would even say it was so. I had been under the impression that he wished to do away with the title. So, I was at a loss for how to respond since I had never expected him to utter anything about it, and certainly not to my brother as a way to recommend himself. Still, it gave me a fluttering warmth in my stomach that he was going out of his way to fight for me.
He was so astoundingly handsome with the serious face he offered my brother as he argued his case.
Bernie continued, getting to his feet and coming over to where I sat. “And we share a bond, she and I. Magical even. I’m sure someone as clever as you can see that much. I’m not practiced with the specific etiquette for these sorts of things, but I do know that a magical bond like that has some kind of significance, doesn’t it?”
My Guardian’s expression, while still smiling, carried the same sharpness that I’d seen a few times battling by his side. It was that serious glint that left me mesmerized and silently watching the self-proclaimed cowboy as he turned his entire body, shielding mine as if it was his intention to protect me. While unnecessary, the simple action flooded my body with even more warmth than before.
Yaniv eyed me with an affectionate smile from where he sat, giving my stomach further reason to flutter. “A magical bond is quite profound even in our kingdom, I will admit. It is quite clear that in one way or another, the two of you have connected.”
Yaniv’s words held some kind of double meaning from the laughing glance he offered me when my eyes shot over to him, blushing violently when his insinuation became clear. His blue eyes sparkled knowingly, implicating what he had left unspoken. He knew we had coupled. He knew it all.
Oh god, oh god, oh god.
“My King,” Anric said, his voice clipped with agitation.
“You see it as well, do you not, Anric?” Yaniv remarked coolly.
The statement quieted the large man as his gaze fell away. Anric sighed with wordless resignation, angling his body away from us. Yaniv crossed a leg over, staring at Bernie with his intense, penetrating eyes and his entire demeanor darkened. The air around us grew stagnant with the sudden intensity my brother was exuding before he asked Bernie one simple question.
“Do you love her?”
The question hit me like a physical blow, scattering my entire thought process as I was left reeling in disbelief. Why would Yaniv ask him that? For what purpose? Yaniv didn’t believe in what he had once referred to as ‘an idealist’s perception of what was truly lust.’ He simply felt that it was something that people did to tie themselves to one another. But not once had he implicated in our discussions over the definition of love that he thought it was anything more than that.
I peered closely at Yaniv’s face, sure that it was some sort of trickery he wished to play on Bernie. But all I could discern was strong, unfaltering demand. Nothing in his expression suggested play or even a hint of amusement. His body had tensed impossibly, and his expression remained unmoving as the seconds ticked on in the moments it took Bernie to respond to him.
“I do,” my Guardian replied even
ly, causing my heart to stammer and cheeks to flush with the power he put into the two simple words.
Yaniv sat, immobile, giving the silence an uncomfortable weight as he regarded the room with contemplation before he was rising to his feet with a grace only he could manage. I sat soundlessly, unable to form any sort of declaration for myself, and wishing that I could either disappear or that the uncomfortable silence would end.
“Anric,” my brother said, triggering my betrothed to come forward slowly and take a knee, “Do you love my sister?”
Anric’s eyes widened, flicking upwards for a brief moment before falling back to the floor. I stiffened in my seat as the low voice penetrated the quiet, his rigid body almost appearing small in his reverent bow.
“I do.”
Yaniv nodded, as if he had expected the answer. Then, my brother’s eyes were upon me, and I knew just what he intended to inquire next. It was the very question that I had dreaded answering. It would cement my future, and the choice could mean severe, if not catastrophic repercussions for my brother if made lightly.
“Nyla,” Yaniv said softly, walking over to me and placing a gentle hand on my face, “I want nothing more than for you to be happy. I couldn’t save our brother, and I will live with that for the rest of my days. But I can save you the heartache of living this life you clearly do not wish to live.”
My eyes burned as I fought back the tears threatening to fall.
“Choose who you desire most to be with,” Yaniv whispered, brushing away a treacherous tear, “and then be happy, Sister.”
All eyes were upon me as I endeavored to reclaim control over my errant emotions, shamefully trembling as tears broke free and streamed down my cheeks. I internally berated the loss of control, but there was nothing I could do to stop it anymore. My emotions had boiled over and broken free to the point where I could no longer effectively repress them.
Yaniv drew away, taking his seat once more as he watched the other two men in the room. Anric stayed on his knee, neither looking at me nor uttering a word. It hurt more knowing that he perceived his defeat in my actions, and I couldn’t argue otherwise.
Despite all of this, he was still a dear friend to me when no other had been. But Bernie couldn’t be matched as he was already taking hold of my hand and cradling it with both of his own, intuitively knowing my unvoiced conflict. His gorgeous eyes transfixed to mine before he lifted one hand and swiped away the wet stream that continued to shamelessly trail down my face.
“Be with me, darling. Your brother wants you to be happy, and so do I. I want to see your sweet smiles and hear your adorable laughter every day,” he said with a smile of his own, earning himself a silent glare. “Yeah, those too. I’ll even take a beating from you every day for the rest of my life. Just choose me, darling.”
“A masochist, how wonderful,” Brother said to Anric while concealing a laugh.
However, each word Bernie spoke struck me, disintegrating the reason I held onto my intention to stay the princess I was supposed to be and become the person I had always been on the inside. And though I fought for so long to deny the connection we shared, even I couldn’t ignore that I was his from the moment we met. That I’d never return to the person I was before Bernie. That what I felt for him transcended what I thought I could ever feel for another person. The choice had been made the moment I came to care for him.
I was his.
“Can it really be left to me to choose, Brother?” I asked in an abnormally softened voice.
Anric’s gaze lifted to where my brother sat as Yaniv rose from his chair, smiling in a similar way to our private chats when I was a child. “It is a choice that no other but you can make, Nyla.”
My choice.
Bernie held my hand, almost as if he worried I’d be tempted to flee. It was a ridiculous notion, me fleeing, but his hold on me was just another reason that only one choice could be made. My eyes fell to my Guardian’s as I straightened my back and prepared myself for what was surely to come.
Bernie’s handsome smile wavered. “You’re making me real nervous, darling. Please don’t toss me about. Tell me you want to be with me.” There was moisture in his grip and perspiration beading along his brow as Bernie fidgeted under the scrutiny of my stare. “Be mine, princess. Let this cowboy love you.”
My heart was beating loudly in my ears as I breathed in deeply, then out. Another breath later, Anric rose from his kneeling position, his face removed of any perceivable emotion. But I knew from his dull stare that he had already perceived what was truly in my heart. I wished silently for him to find happiness as I squeezed the hand holding mine before regarding my brother with all the regality I’d honed over the years.
“Brother,” I said, tilting my head and raising my chin, “My King. It is my wish to return to the mortal world to seek the demon who killed our brother.”
Bernie’s jaw dropped. “That’s not what he asked you! Hey, don’t just skip over the part where you say you choose me and you love me so much it makes you all mushy on the inside.”
“I do not recall uttering such nonsense,” I stated brokenly, fighting the urge to laugh. My lips twitched as I took in the sight of my Guardian’s face, giggles bursting from me.
Yaniv watched our exchange with a secret smile and pat on Anric’s shoulder. The massive man stood stoically by, neither reacting nor moving, giving away nothing of what he was feeling internally. But I knew my friend was suffering. It gave me a sharp sensation in my chest, but there was very little I could do to remedy his upset. Of course, Anric wouldn’t let me even if I tried to.
“You said it with your eyes, princess.” Bernie huffed cutely, scratching his head as I giggled again.
“That is ludicrous,” I said, trying to control the bubbling laughter.
The Guardian’s jaw dropped open again. “No it ain’t. Okay, you asked for it,” he said, a twinkle in his eyes that immediately put me on guard, “I know you love me ‘cause you said it with that sexy body of yours.”
My fist connected with his head in a hit employing enough force that it actually caused the massive Guardian to fully collapse to the floor, face knocking into the gleaming tile.
“How vulgar!” I exclaimed with embarrassment, blushing.
“Holy smokes! You hit so good, princess. But you don’t have to do it so good that I nearly break my face.”
Bernie rubbed his jaw as the other two men in the room watched our exchange with silent, bewildered stares. Even my brother seemed to be taken completely off guard by our unusual argument, clearly not used to seeing me so openly responsive.
When I realized that the other two had heard what Bernie had just said, my face blazed with mortification and I landed another hit on the Guardian for good measure, whispering angrily at the man who had been once again taken to the floor with the hit.
“Say nothing more, Bernard.”
Bernie’s eyebrows waggled. “Better knock me out then ‘cause these lips won’t be shutting anytime soon. Pucker up! You got a face that’s screaming, ‘Oh, you handsome stud you, kiss me now!’” His voice pitched with a girlish inflection as he fluttered his eyelashes at me, hands clasped and pressed up against his cheek.
Giggles erupted from me as I tried to hush him, barely evading his outstretched arms when he attempted to embrace me. “Behave, Bernard.”
“Tell me you love me and I will.”
“I do not know of what you speak,” I lied, covering the smile on my lips.
Bernie’s brow furrowed as he stuck out his lower lip. “Don’t tease me, darling. I’ve got my heart open over here and you’re just laughing at me in that cute, innocent way of yours. That ain’t fair!”
Yaniv’s eyes widened discernably before he was clearing his throat, causing my uncontrollable giggling to quiet. “It appears there is a clear victor. Anric, I will speak with you soon, but you are dismissed for the time being. I must speak with Bernie and my sister privately.”
I was suddenly aware of the
massive man I had called companion over the years, feeling guilty in the instant I gazed at his sullen face. His eyes met mine before he bowed respectfully and left the room without another word.
Though I hadn’t regretted my decision to sever our betrothal, I did regret how it had inadvertently hurt Anric. Somewhere in my heart, I had always known he loved me, but I never allowed myself to acknowledge those feelings out of fear of what they may do to our relationship as teacher and student; companions in battle and friends in life. Now, I only hoped we could somehow recover from this.
Yaniv took a seat again, gesturing for Bernie to retake his. “With that settled, I would like to hear more about your wish to seek out the demon who killed Vlad.”
Chapter Twenty-One
~***~
“I like it when a man gets straight to the point,” Bernie cooed, smooshing his face between his hands while staring longingly my eldest brother’s direction.
“My understanding of Anric’s fast changing view of you is gradually becoming clearer the more I know and speak with you, Bernie,” Yaniv said casually, causing my Guardian to giggle.
“Aw, shucks, sir, kingly king, sir. I’m mighty flattered.”
“Seeing how you have already been intimate with my sister, you may call me Yaniv,” my brother said to my ongoing horror.
Did he just nonchalantly refer to our coupling as though something trivial?! My face had never been so red-hot. I actually worried for a moment that I might faint.
Bernie’s entire face was practically sparkling with happiness. “How about I skip all of that and just call you brother?”
Oh god.
I was very close to throwing Bernie to the ground with his impertinent address of my brother. The very act of speaking so familiarly with my brother, the king of our kind, had never been done by another. Not even by myself or Anric.
“My, you certainly are a brazen one,” Yaniv retorted sarcastically, Bernie’s goofy smile suggesting he had missed the mocking note to my brother’s voice, “However, even I cannot deny how admirable I find that sort of quality in another. I see the two of us being fast friends, Bernie.”