by Marie Medina
Once Lorne was gone, Davin stripped, but his eyes kept drifting to the box. He moved to the desk and opened it, gazing down at ring he’d commissioned for Eva. It was like an engagement ring, which he’d learned about from the other humans. A large pink stone nestled in a silver rose, and he knew it would be so beautiful on her finger. He’d hoped to slip it onto her finger tonight, but now he probably wouldn’t even see her. He set the ring back in its box and turned away, anxious for Lorne to return so he wouldn’t be alone with this pain.
* * * *
Eva slipped out of the celebration and into the garden. Everyone clapped and cheered for Davin, whose gaze had been searching the crowd. She couldn’t look into his eyes now, but she’d had no choice but to come to his celebration. Nika wouldn’t have understood without an explanation, and right now Eva didn’t want advice from anyone. The king’s words from moments earlier rang in her ears.
When my son weds, I shall step down and prepare myself to amuse and delight my beautiful grandchildren.
Davin wouldn’t become king until he wed. Being king here was nothing like being a monarch back in her world, a world she hardly remembered now, but she knew Davin would be a good king, so it was something everyone looked forward to. He already helped his father every day, and the people loved him.
She loved him.
“Why did neither of them ever say anything?” she whispered to herself.
One Elari and a couple of humans had even courted her, all three of them seeking Davin’s approval first because of their close friendship. The prince had given it each time. And Lorne, who found fault with everything and everyone still, had not objected either. Yet she did remember that Lorne had deferred to his prince, and Davin had told each man “if the lady will have you, you have my blessing”. They’d all been nice and handsome, but she’d declined an official courtship from each of them in turn. Davin and Lorne had been noncommittal about that as well. It made her angry as she thought about it.
Eva sat down on a stone bench and looked up into the sky. Davin loved her—it was the one thing she’d wanted more than anything for seven years. But he also loved Lorne. They were lovers already. Thoughts of the two handsome men touching brought heat to her cheeks, and she tried to banish the images. Yes, Lorne was handsome. He was a dear friend, but it was not the same.
She heard people coming and moved away, closer to one of the windows. She plucked a flower and toyed with its petals as she watched everyone. Lorne came into view, standing against the opposite wall and watching people dance. He held a goblet in his hand, and the fingers of his other hand traced circles around the designs on the side. He drained the drink in one swig, which was unusual. A servant refilled it, and he downed that as well.
Eva bit her lip and found a page. She sent the boy in to fetch Lorne. Sitting by the pond, she tried to focus on the water, clasping her hands to keep them still.
“You wanted to see me, Eva?”
The soft whisper made her breath catch in her throat. She turned and looked up at Lorne, who no longer appeared as detached as usual. He gazed at her expectantly. Gesturing to her left, she asked him to sit down, and he did.
“Yes, Lorne. I can already tell I’m ruining this night for Davin. His smiles to the crowd were fake, and his eyes kept hunting for me.”
“Of course they did. He loves you.”
She looked into his eyes. “You’re always blunt, but I can tell you’ve had far more to drink than the two cups I just saw you down.”
Lorne looked away, embarrassed perhaps. “Well, he’s not the only one in pain.”
“You’re not doing this simply to please him? You really love me?”
Lorne looked back at her. “Yes. I do.” He pushed a strand of hair off her forehead and kissed her temple. His lips moved down a few inches to her cheek. She shivered, and he pulled back. “I adore you, but you’ve every right to be shocked. I hid it because I had no idea he wanted you too. I didn’t want to influence him. We’re both fools for never discussing it. We were so happy with one another it just never came up.”
“That’s my concern,” she said, forcing the words past the constriction in her throat. “Your love for him is so blatant. How did I ever attract your attention at all?”
“When I saw you in Nika’s arms, you looked so lost and frightened. It felt like a fist wrapping around my heart. I couldn’t rest until I knew you were all right. I made a mess of helping you and watching over you though. I frightened you.”
“You got better. We’ve discussed that. Settled it long ago,” she said with a slight smile.
“You tugged at my heart right away. I know there’s no logic to that, which used to bother me, but I’ve stopped questioning it. I love you. I love him. And I want to see the two of you happy.”
“But he said no. He won’t let you step aside.”
He nodded, his hand coming up to cradle her face. “Do I repulse you?”
He didn’t. His long dark hair and pale skin contrasted beautifully, and his well-muscled body was hard to ignore. She’d noticed how attractive he was many times. “No. You’re as beautiful as Davin is. But it’s not that simple for—”
His lips met hers, and she gasped. Lorne seemed like a completely different man now, and Eva found that she liked it. She kissed him back, nervous yet excited. She’d kissed a few boys and a few men, but none of them had been as skilled as Lorne. He took possession of her mouth and molded her body to his. When they parted, she noticed him trembling.
“We’ll be gentle and never do anything you don’t desire. Your pleasure will be our goal, both in our bed and out of it. You’ll want for nothing, and our children will be so loved.”
The declaration took her breath away, decadent images and new emotions whirling within her. “You can’t be Lorne. This must be a trick.”
“I’ll change. I swear it. Don’t break our hearts.” His lips crushed hers this time, and she gave in without hesitation. She’d spent years dreaming of kissing Davin, yet Lorne was the one seducing her. His words tugged at her heart. She’d never seen him so emotional, never imagined he had passions that could fuel anything but anger. She pushed on him gently, and after a moment he drew back, searching her eyes.
“Let me be clear. I’m not reluctant because of you. I hesitate because I fear hurting one or both of you, hurting myself.”
Lorne nodded. “What can I do?”
She thought quickly. “Find another page and have him send Davin out to me. Don’t tell him we spoke.”
“I can’t lie to him. Ever. Not even to protect him.”
“I’m not asking you to. Just don’t tell him until after. That’s why I want you to send the page. All right? He’ll tell you everything later, I’m sure.”
Lorne nodded again. “Yes.” He kissed her one more time, briefly, and then left her there.
She managed to gather herself by the time Davin came to her a few minutes later. He was at her side immediately, pressing close. She didn’t pull away, but he did seem to remember himself and back up when she looked at him and pointedly noted his closeness.
“Forgive me. I didn’t expect you to be willing to see me so soon,” Davin said.
“I had many hours to think.”
“Ask me anything, tell me anything.”
She already knew what she wanted from him. “Why me?”
“Because I love you. You make me happy. I’m always delighted to be with you, and I feel the same joy when I see you with Lorne, dancing or talking or laughing.”
“Things are good between you and Lorne … physically?” Heat rose to her cheeks, but she wanted to know.
He nodded. “Yes. Just holding his hand excites me. When we touch, I’m so happy.”
She’d always seen it but had never realized their bond went so deep. Now she felt like laughing at her own blindness. “I see.”
“And I think of you.”
She hadn’t expected that. Could he mean what she thought her meant? “When you touch hi
m?”
“Yes. I imagine you with us. Yesterday, we made love for the first time. It was beautiful, but I kept picturing you. I suppose saying so is lewd, but I don’t care. As much as I love him, we aren’t complete, not yet.”
“You were both raised to expect this. I didn’t even know about it.”
Davin cupped her face, his touch so similar to Lorne’s yet still different. “I think of you between us. What we could do to make you sigh and cry out. I’d never be jealous of either of you.” He kissed the corner of her mouth. “Watching Lorne make love to you would be the most beautiful thing in the world.”
She sucked in her breath and turned her head to bring their lips together. This kiss was softer and less passionate, yet the emotion was just as sincere. When they released each other, she said, “But I can’t lie. I care for Lorne and find him attractive, but I’m not in love.”
“He’ll understand. We both will.”
She pulled herself from his arms. “Then give me a week. I’ll have an answer.”
“May we see you at all?”
She paused, and then an idea hit her. Seeing them would be too overwhelming, and their kisses told her she’d not stand a chance if they tried to seduce her. She couldn’t give in to that kind of pleasure until she was sure, as they meant too much to her. Hurting them … herself … she couldn’t let it happen. “Write to me. I’ll write back. I haven’t been courted. You declared your feelings and asked me to marry you. What girl could give an answer so fast?”
He had the good grace to blush. “My fault. I assumed we had an understanding. It was foolish. Lorne tried to warn me.”
She stood and smoothed her skirt. “Write to me. Starting tomorrow.”
“We will. There’s a lot in our hearts.”
“I’m sure there is,” she said as she kissed his cheek and then walked off.
And now I must find out what there is room for in mine.
* * * *
Eva sat at the table and opened the two new letters that had been waiting for her that morning. Everyone for miles talked of nothing else, as messengers had been coming and going constantly for the past week. Nika hadn’t pried, but it was no secret the prince had proposed. No one else had actually said anything to Eva either. She’d been upset at first when it became obvious on the second day that people knew what had happened, but now it didn’t bother her.
What did bother her was how quickly others had figured out what was happening. Had it truly been so obvious their friendship was meant to blossom into more? She hadn’t been Davin and Lorne’s only friend, though she had been the only girl they’d ever singled out. She’d assumed it was because she was human, because they’d been concerned, and at first, perhaps it had only been that.
Yet she remembered what Lorne had said about feeling drawn to her right away. He’d touched on that in his letters. Reading separate letters from the two of them made her realize she’d spent little time with them individually. She had only been alone with Davin a few times really. The more she thought about it, the more she realized her feelings for them did entwine to a degree. It was actually hard to think of them separately. Even some of her romantic daydreams of Davin had included Lorne, even if he was in the background, not a participant. She couldn’t imagine them parted and wouldn’t dream of separating them. And the idea of both of them loving her, in every way, made her feel desires she’d never imagined herself feeling before.
Above everything else, the two men loved each other, and if the words before her eyes were true, they both loved her. She couldn’t have one without the other. Running her thumb over her bottom lip, she thought of kissing each of them again. Lorne had been dominating and passionate—was he that way with Davin? Was he the dominant partner because he was older? Would Davin always be gentler and more submissive? The imaginings that had plagued her for the past few days danced in her mind again. The two men kissing and touching, Davin beneath Lorne, both of them naked…
She shook herself, both aroused and nervous. They knew she was a virgin, and both had promised to be gentle and focus on her pleasure. Would they take turns, or would both men touch her at once? Davin had said he’d imagined her between them. She didn’t need experience to know they could both take her at once. Would that feel good to her? Why else would any woman consent if it wasn’t pleasurable?
She shook herself a second time. They wouldn’t do anything if she objected. She did believe that, as they had already been looking after her needs for so long. All they had revealed over the years, and in their letters, flooded her mind. They had all lost their mothers, and each knew what it was like to be different in some way. They were friends, and they understood one another, which seemed like the best place to start any marriage, even an unconventional one.
Nika came into the room, humming and arranging flowers in a vase. She didn’t look at Eva at all, which made Eva smile.
“My time is up, Nika,” Eva said.
“Time for what, dear?” Nika asked, still not glancing up though seeming suddenly very alert.
“I have to give an answer tonight.”
That got Nika to look up. “Tonight?” She moved over to Eva and sat at the table beside her. “You didn’t tell me about that!”
Eva laughed. “I didn’t tell anyone anything. Word just … spread.”
“Of course it did. Everyone except you three ninnies knew this would happen!”
Eva’s mouth fell open. “Ninnies? Did you just call your future king a ‘ninny’?”
“I did. I wanted to give him a talking to the first time one of those boys came calling round.” She shook her head. “The very idea of letting anyone else try to court you.”
Eva laughed again. “Then why didn’t you say something to me? You used to always push me about Lorne when I was younger. But then you stopped.”
“Because you’d become friends. I thought you were all smart enough to figure the rest out, but apparently not.”
“I didn’t turn them down. Everyone’s just assuming I did.”
“Everyone’s assuming lots of things. There’re about twenty different stories going around.”
“Well, everyone will be set straight tomorrow.”
Nika pressed her lips together, obviously wanting to ask.
Eva sighed and leaned in. “I’m going to say yes. You know that.”
Nika squealed and hugged her close. “I knew nothing of the kind! Why do you think I’ve been hanging around the house so much this week?”
Giving a little shrug, Eva smiled. “It’s weird though, everyone knowing about it.” She blushed a little. “Everyone knowing that I’m going to—well, that we’re going to … you know.”
Nika rolled her eyes. “We’re not like that here, blushing and pretending babies don’t come from having sex. You’re a late bloomer beyond any doubt, and those two men are obviously masters of self-restraint. Boggled my mind how early they’d always return you home.”
Eva’s mouth fell open again. “You thought they would … that we would … really?”
Nika stood up and gave Eva a push. “Yes, I did. Two men who look like that always coming around when they could have anyone they wanted? It was obvious exactly what and who they wanted. I’m glad Davin’s finally come of age so you three can get on with it.” She gave a harder push, getting Eva to her feet. “Now, go and put them out of their misery.”
Eva folded their letters and smiled, kissing Nika quickly on the cheek before running to her room. She put the letters away in a box with the others they’d written and grabbed her shawl. She hurried down the stairs and out the door, rushing down the path toward the palace. Everyone looked at her as she passed, but no one said anything. At least, not to her. She caught some of their whispers, and the indirect well wishes only spurred her on.
* * * *
Eva turned a corner in the palace and ran right into Lorne, who grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her. His eyes went wide when he realized who was in his arms.
&nb
sp; “Lorne,” she said softly.
“You’re earlier than we expected.” He released her and stepped back, turning and offering his arm. “Davin’s in our new chambers.”
“You have new rooms?”
He nodded. “Yes. We’ll no longer have separate bedrooms now that he’s of age.”
“I see,” she said, looking down. “I suppose the bed will be very large.”
Lorne stiffened slightly, but seemed unaffected as he said, “Yes. More than enough room.”
She’d come to realize, over the years, that Lorne stiffened in that way when something piqued his interest or bothered him. She did her best to hide her smile, as she’d dropped the comment deliberately. “Let’s go see him then. We have an appointment to keep.”
Lorne led the way, but he turned his head and studied her, though he said nothing. His bluntness had softened somewhat over the years, but she could tell he wanted to ask outright what her decision was.
When they paused outside of a large, ornate door, she turned to him as well. “Haven’t you learned your lesson about being quiet yet?” she asked. “I don’t know how you feel if you say nothing.”
“I’ll gladly learn any lesson you wish to teach me.”
Hearing Lorne say such a thing in a soft, husky voice broke through the cool demeanor she was trying to maintain. She looked at the door to distract herself. “It’s beautiful.”
Lorne rotated his body to look back at the intricately carved wood. “Yes, it is. Every kind of tree in our world is represented in the forest depicted here.” He pointed at the edges. “And the border is all flowers.”
She touched the crystal doorknobs. “And the roses. They’re beautiful.”
“Davin insisted. He knows how you love roses.”
Eva drew her arm from his and took his hand instead. “Come on. We have something to tell our prince.”
She moved to open the door, but Lorne swept her off her feet the moment she’d twisted the knob. He whisked her inside and shut the door with his foot.
“What are you doing?” she asked as she held to his shoulders.