by Marie Medina
Davin smiled and threw his arms around Lorne’s neck. “Was that so hard?” he whispered.
When Davin pulled back, Lorne said, “I was protecting us both, something I’ll always do. I think we’re well suited, but you have three more years to decide if you prefer another to me.”
“No other man compares to you,” Davin said, a huge smile on his face.
Lorne smiled back. “If you say so. I’ll trust your judgment.”
“Take the compliment,” Davin said, his gaze briefly dropping to Lorne’s lips, “and kiss me.”
Lorne paused. He’d wanted to kiss Davin for months, but he hesitated.
“Just a kiss. Please.”
Lorne cupped Davin’s cheek and brushed their lips together. He’d never kissed anyone before, yet he knew exactly what he wanted. He brought their lips together three times, each time applying more pressure, and then he ran his tongue along Davin’s lips. Davin gasped, but his lips parted, and their tongues touched briefly. Davin responded more, opening to Lorne and kissing him back.
When the kiss ended, Davin linked their arms and rested his head on Lorne’s shoulder. “That’s settled then,” Davin said.
Lorne laughed softly. “As you wish, my prince. I’m yours, until the day I die.”
“And I’m yours.”
They sat on the balcony for hours, talking about everything and nothing. Lorne had never felt more peaceful or more content.
Chapter Two
Lorne paused outside of the school and watched the girls leaving. Eva walked at the back of the group by the teacher, looking down. Lorne had not seen her for a couple of weeks, except for brief glances, but he was pleased to see Nika had persuaded her to go to school. Lorne straightened his doublet and swiped a bit of dirt from his sleeve. He strode across the street, and Eva looked up, probably at the sound of his boots. She turned to the teacher, but the woman was talking to someone else now.
Lorne smiled, thinking they could start again if he could only watch his mouth. Eva needed friends, and Lorne had determined that he would simply have to learn to keep his feelings in check. He knew Eva would not be the only girl to attract him between now and the day Davin married, and he had to be strong and put his prince before himself. Thoughts of Davin helped him smile. The prince had warmed to him so much lately, showing his love in numerous ways. Lorne saw happiness in their future, even without knowing who would be their bride one day.
“I see you’ve been to school. May I carry those?” Lorne said, already reaching for her books.
She held them tight to her chest, almost like a shield. “I can carry them.” She cleared her throat. “But thank you.”
“I never said you couldn’t. I only wanted to help,” he said, stung that she’d shrunk from him immediately.
She gave a curt nod and turned to walk away.
He caught up to her, pushing the slight aside. Be friendly. Try to think like Davin. “Do you like school?”
Eva did not answer at first, but eventually she said, “I didn’t know boys and girls went to school separately.”
“But you’ll still do lots of things together. How long have you been going?”
“Today was my third day.” She glanced at Lorne. “I thought you knew everything around here.”
What did she mean by that? “I have a lot of responsibilities as the prince’s yabito, but no, I don’t know everything.”
“Oh.”
She seemed both nervous and curious, and he tried to appeal to the latter. “At the end of the week, you’ll be with the boys for dancing lessons and things like that.” When he got no reaction, he added, “You’ll see Davin then.”
Her head popped up then. “He goes to school with everyone else?”
Lorne noted the interest in her eyes, wondering if she’d have reacted the same way earlier if Davin had been the one offering to carry her books. “Not every day, but yes. He and I have a private teacher for days when other things get in the way. I’m almost done with school though and mostly study alone.”
“Humans go to school until they’re eighteen. Then they go to colleges and universities and keep studying.”
Lorne nodded. “Yes, like apprenticeships. Others have told me before.”
They reached Nika’s house, and Eva entered the front gate, murmuring a soft farewell.
“Eva?”
She stopped and slowly turned. “Yes?”
“Davin and I are your friends. I hope you make more soon, but remember that you can come to see us whenever you like. I know we’re always busy, especially lately, but we’ll make time for you.”
Eva stared at him as if he’d just done something ludicrous. “Okay.” Another pause. “That sounds … nice.” She still seemed a bit stunned as she continued up to the door and slipped inside, giving him a brief nod before closing it.
If he hadn’t been worried about startling her further, he’d have tried to continue the conversation. Perhaps starting school had her overwhelmed too. He couldn’t expect her to change her view of him overnight, especially since he hadn’t talked to her in a while. She definitely needed friends to help her adjust. Losing first her parents and then her entire world had obviously hurt her deeply. He set off to find Davin, glancing back once and noting the curtains upstairs moving. He hoped he’d made a better impression today, as he wanted to help her more than he’d wanted anything else in a very long time.
* * * *
Eva watched Lorne walking away. He considered her a friend? Did that mean that he liked her? That he didn’t think she was stupid? Nika was always saying Lorne was nice and sweet, like Davin, so Eva had never confessed that she believed Lorne thought she was dumb. He’d said he was sorry she didn’t like him the day she’d spoken to the king, yet he’d said and done nothing when she’d gotten upset later on. He’d sat on the other side of the room staring down at the table.
Now, she wished she had asked him more questions. Had he said those things because Davin had told him to, or because he had wanted to? King Urzen was kind, and Davin was sweet and made her smile. And, she had to admit, Lorne had been pretty nice today. She shrugged as she began cleaning her room. She’d thought boys were weird in her own world, so it made sense that they were a little weird in Elar as well. She’d learned a lot from the history book Nika had given her to read before she started school. She blushed a little as she thought about it. Most Elari, she had discovered, had some goblin blood, and vice versa. Whether one identified as an Elari or a goblin depended on a combination of lineage, appearance, and even personal preference. She now knew almost everyone around her was, in some small way, a goblin, which made her feel stupid for letting her fear show. Explaining what goblins were like in stories in her world never seemed to help, so she’d given up trying. She’d talked to Nika about it a few times, and Nika had reassured her people understood her struggle, as they’d seen it in other humans before. To their credit, no one had given her any kind of grief for it. But now that she knew better, she was determined to push her unease aside completely. Elar, also referred to as the golden goblin realm and the land of the white sun, was now her home. The large, flaming sun no longer startled her. She’d stopped waking up scared in the middle of the night. Storms didn’t frighten her anymore. Goblins were not monsters seeking to harm her, and the Elari were not mystical beings who spirited children away from their homes. Each and every one of them was now a neighbor, a potential friend.
Eva thought of Lorne’s words as she went downstairs to clean the kitchen so dinner could be prepared when Nika came home later. And you already have two friends, one of them a prince. She smiled at that. Nothing could bring her parents back or send her home, but shrinking away from her new life wouldn’t do any good either. With a handsome prince as her friend, how could she continue to be unhappy?
* * * *
Davin hefted the basket of food into the cart and slid it next to the one he and Lorne had brought with them. “You didn’t have to prepare so much,” he said to
Eva, “but thank you. I’m sure it will be wonderful.”
Eva smiled shyly. “Can’t go to a picnic empty-handed.” She glanced at Lorne and then back at Davin. “Thank you for inviting me.”
Davin hopped into the cart and extended a hand to help Eva up. “We had so much fun last week, we wanted you to come with us again today.” He smoothed the blanket on the bench behind the driver’s seat so Eva could sit, and then he settled right behind Lorne. He tipped his head back to nudge Lorne. “Giddyup,” Davin said, using the phrase Eva had taught them.
Lorne turned slowly and looked at both of them with an arched eyebrow, but then he smiled and spurred the horses on. To Davin’s delight, Eva giggled. Making her laugh seemed to be the best way to put her at ease. Lorne had been right to suggest trying to draw her out in this way, which Davin found amusing since Lorne so rarely laughed himself. But it was definitely working. A week earlier, they had gone fishing with some other children, Lorne teaching both Davin and Eva, as well as some of the smaller children, what to do. Eva had seemed worried, at first, but for once Lorne had been as patient in his instruction of others as he was with Davin. Eva was finally attending school, and she seemed to be enjoying it. He and Eva had dancing and art together, and at first she’d stuck close to him. Now though, she talked to other children as well.
“You seem much happier,” Davin said. “I’m glad.”
Eva smoothed her skirt and folded her hands in her lap as she looked down at her feet. Lifting her gaze, she said, “People here care more about me than my foster family did. Maybe coming here was for the best.”
Davin felt Lorne stiffen, which puzzled him. Surely Lorne should be happy to hear that. Perhaps it had merely startled him. “You didn’t like your foster parents?”
Eva shrugged. “They took me in as a charitable act. They just … didn’t seem to like children.”
“Then why take you in?”
“Um,” Eva said, her face scrunched up, “foster families are temporary. They take care of kids for a little while until they can be adopted. Some people do it to look good in front of others. Stuff like that.”
Davin nodded his understanding. “But Nika loves you.” He smiled. “You like living with her, right?”
Eva nodded happily, a big grin on her face. “I love Nika. And we have lots of fun.” Her smile dimmed a bit. “I’m sorry her little girl died, but maybe … you know … it was meant to be.”
Lorne leaned back a little, and Davin looked up at him, swiveling on the bench. “Fate’s a funny thing,” Lorne said, turning to look at Eva and hold her gaze a moment, “but we’re happy to have you with us.”
Davin watched Eva smile at Lorne, wondering if she’d ever done that before, as he didn’t remember her ever doing so. She’d warmed to him on their fishing trip, but Davin remembered her still seeming a bit nervous then. “I’m happy here too.” But then she turned her eyes back to Davin quickly. “With you.”
Lorne stiffened again as he looked back to the road. Davin leaned his head back against his yabito and listened to his heart, which kept a steady beat yet still thudded quite loudly. Davin knew with his head that Lorne wasn’t easy to read or get along with, but his heart was another matter. He worried that Lorne opened up to no one but him, and while it flattered him, it also distressed him. They’d been together three years, and Lorne hadn’t really made any other friends. He simply went along with Davin all the time. Lorne also never spoke of friends he’d had before becoming Davin’s yabito. They’d never pursued the subject, and suddenly Davin was curious.
Davin poked Lorne in the side. “Who was your best friend before me?”
“What?” Lorne said.
Davin picked at a thread on Lorne’s doublet. “Your best friend. Before you became my yabito.”
“My mother, I suppose. She was very sick, so I stayed by her. Reading. Playing music.”
Davin pressed his lips together and silently cursed his stupidity. He’d known all about Lorne caring for his mother yet hadn’t considered how that might have affected his life.
“She died?” Eva asked quietly.
“Yes,” Lorne said quietly. “A series of fevers.”
“My mom died of cancer.”
“Cancer?” Davin asked.
“Tumors. Cells that ate away at her. Inside.” Eva reached out and touched Lorne’s arm. “I’m sorry, Lorne.”
“Thank you,” Lorne said softly.
Eva turned to Davin next. “Your mother died long ago?”
“Many years ago. I was six. A horse threw her. My father had already lost his yabito to a hunting accident the year before. That’s when we became close. Before that, I was always with my mother and rarely saw him.”
“My dad had a car accident. He was like that. I never saw him much because he worked a lot. But then mom died, and he spent lots of time with me. But then he died too.” She reached for Davin’s hand. “It’s nice to talk to people who understand.”
“You can always come to us, Eva,” Lorne said as he pulled on the reins and made the horses stop. He leapt down and moved to the back of the cart, extending a hand to each of them. “We’ll always be here for you.”
Eva smiled and thanked Lorne as she took his hand. Davin smiled at his yabito, sneaking a kiss to his cheek when Eva looked down to dust her skirts off. Lorne’s eyes softened a moment, but then he moved away. Davin shook his head briefly, but then pushed it aside. Lorne disliked public displays of affection, and Davin would tolerate it. For now. Once they were older, Lorne would simply have to get used to Davin showing everyone how in love they were. Davin lifted one of the baskets and reached for Eva’s hand.
“Come on,” he said, “I see a prime spot right up there.”
Eva took his hand and moved up the hill with him, the gloom of their past losses seeming to evaporate in the warmth of the brilliant white sun.
* * * *
Lorne did his best to make polite conversation with his dance partner, but his gaze kept drifting to other parts of the room to check on Davin. And Eva. Tonight marked her first ball, and she’d told Davin she was nervous about dancing with people she didn’t know well. Davin glided past him on the dance floor a moment later. The prince was taking a turn with yet another of his admirers. This one had a pretty smile and wave upon wave of curly red hair. She and Davin seemed to be having a pleasant conversation, Davin and the girl laughing in turns.
Eva, however, was not in sight at the moment. Lorne spotted a group of Davin’s entourage lingering near the refreshments and waiting for a chance to dance. He smiled inwardly, as it was very obvious that every female of the right age was aware of how handsome Davin had become already. A few months ago, Lorne had felt twinges of jealousy when such thoughts entered his head, but not anymore. He and Davin loved each other, and they had a good relationship. Davin slept in Lorne’s bed almost every night, and a kiss marked most of their meetings and partings. Lorne adored the way Davin would wake him with a kiss to his shoulder, just as much as he loved waking first and kissing Davin on the forehead and being greeted by a sleepy smile.
And in a few years, they would be able to wake each other in even more intimate ways… Lorne shook himself and looked to his partner, a human woman of about thirty named Mary. He knew it was not wrong to desire his prince, given their relationship, but he was two years older than Davin. Two years made such a difference at their age, Lorne’s desires growing steadily while Davin was just becoming aware of his.
“You love him very much,” Mary observed. She glanced at Davin and smiled. “I don’t blame you. He’s beautiful.”
“Yes, he is.”
“And kind and considerate.” She nodded to Davin, who was changing partners. “He does not single any of them out for more favor. And he changes partners halfway through each dance. He’s being careful not to give false hope.”
Lorne beamed with pride upon hearing someone else enumerate Davin’s good qualities. “He likes to please others, but he knows in his position he
must be careful.”
“In the human world, most royals are useless, just figureheads. I didn’t like the idea of having a king, but it’s so different here.”
“What do you mean?” Lorne asked, thinking it would be good to learn even more about Eva’s world.
“Well, here the king cares for everyone, like a father. Taking on all the responsibilities. Our kings, at least the ones long ago, lived off the people and took from them. They used their power to take, not give. And these days, they just parade around and wave at people. Symbols. Figureheads, like I said.”
“Davin will be a good king. I’m proud I’ll be at his side.”
The dance ended, and they bowed to each other. Lorne escorted her to a circle of chairs. She sat and smiled at him.
“I think so too.” Her eyes strayed again. “And it looks like he needs you at his side now.”
Lorne looked over and saw Davin surrounded. His head moved back and forth quickly as two different girls tried to keep his attention. Lorne started to move toward him. “Yes, it seems I’m needed.”
When he was halfway across the room, Lorne spotted Eva sitting alone. She looked lovely in a sky blue gown with her dark hair swept up, but she also seemed nervous. People stood close to her, but no one looked her way. He considered turning back and asking Mary to introduce herself and sit with Eva, but then he dismissed the idea. Mary seemed nice enough, but Lorne didn’t know her that well. He didn’t want to trust Eva to anyone else’s care. Mentally, he reprimanded himself for favoring her publicly, but dozens of people had seen him do it before, so why stop now? He stopped and poured two glasses of cider and then went to her. Offering her a glass, he sat beside her.
“It can be overwhelming. So many people,” he said, trying to make what he’d heard humans call small talk.
Eva held the glass of cider in both hands and gave him a quick glance. “Yes, it is.” She looked to Davin. “He’s so popular.”
“It’s always going to be that way,” Lorne said. He sipped his cider. “Have you danced with anyone?”