E. A. Cunningham

Ryo’s giggles attacked my shoulder as he tried to keep them quiet.

I rolled my eyes.  “What’s so funny now?”

“Still picturing the queen’s face when our prince slurred through his offer to dance,” he laughed.  More than a few pairs of eyes glanced disapprovingly our way. 

I hefted Ryo’s arm back around my shoulders to keep him from falling over.  And to stay out of the locals’ way.  “And whose fault is that? I take two minutes to settle things with the courtiers, and you’re encouraging Prince Erik to chug malts.”

“He needed extra help, and Sir Ryo was glad to be in service,” he hiccupped.

“Of course, the gallant Sir Ryo will be remembered as the one who plundered Prince Erik’s marital prospects,” I muttered.  Ryo stumbled over something in his path, forcing me to tug him closer.  “You know it would be better if you took your mask off.”

“Aw, but I only got to wear it for so long,” Ryo said, pulling away from me.  “Maybe we could–?”  He adjusted the emerald-and-gold mask, which glinted back the moonlight at me.  His blue eyes took on a turquoise hue from underneath.  Ryo’s suggestive smirk didn’t last long as he stumbled to the ground, ending in a fit of drunken laughter.

“No.” I grabbed the mask off his face and tucked it with mine before others noticed.  I hoisted him back up and kept a better watch on the cobblestones for his sake.  “I’m sure Queen Lilith will continue her annual masquerades until she finds a suitable husband.  You can wear it then.”

“We should be getting back soon,” Ryo said, noticing how far into town we walked.  “Erik will need to be checked on.  He might need a few more drinks before the party’s over.”

“As soon as I get you into a bed.”

“Oh?” Ryo giggled.  “Are we finally admitting to our feelings?”

“No,” I grumbled.  I did not want to get into this now, not in Ryo’s state and not with Prince Erik stumbling over who knows whose feet on the dance floor.  Any misstep could mean insult to Queen Lilith or the members of her court.  I pray to the gods that Prince Erik’s mask stays on.  For his sake and Arterra’s sake.

I felt Ryo try to pull away from me.  “Well, good.  I would have wanted dinner first.”

“If you be quiet, I’ll order something to be sent to your room,” I lied, hoping he would forget in a moment.

“Then I would want to–” I smothered his mouth as we turned the corner before he could comment more on his fantasies.  He licked his tongue over my palm.  “That,” he finished his thought as I returned his spit to him via his shoulder.

“No,” I muttered.  “And you know why.”

He huffed.  “Sober Me probably remembers, but Drunk Me forgets.”

“Good.  In the morning, Sober You will tell you.  Come on, we’re almost there.”  

Music and voices carried down the alley, welcoming any passersby who wanted to join the late-night celebrations.  Even though the people of Balek weren’t allowed to attend their queen’s masquerade, they knew how to party in the main squares.  This is going to be harder than I had planned.

“Lysander?” Ryo’s voice warmed in my ear.  “Where are we going anyway?”

“I told you,” I said over the music and singers.  A woman shouted a name in my ear, calling a friend across the square.  “I’m putting you in a tavern so you can sober up.  I don’t want you getting in trouble at the masquerade.  I need you to stay quiet so we don’t get into any more trouble.”

Ryo stayed close with my tightened grasp.  I’m sure he gave his drunk smile to those who looked at us.  I kept my head down, watching our feet.  If Ryo said anything, I couldn’t hear him over the party.  His hip brushed against mine as we squeezed through the last of the partygoers.

“You know you can spend the night here, too,” Ryo said as we entered the tavern.

The music outside filtered through the half-open windows. The dining area and bar were empty besides us, Jenny, and a couple eating each other’s faces in the corner instead of their dinners.  Jenny glanced up from wiping the bar down.

“Lysander?” she asked.  Thank gods she didn’t have a knife in her hand.  “What brings ya back here?”

I half-lowered, half-plopped Ryo into an empty chair.  “I need to drop my friend off for the night.”

Jenny raked her eyes over me like I was a complete stranger.  “And does this friend know what ya doin’?”

Ryo tipped the chair onto its back legs.  “Yeah, Lysander here decided to ruin the masquerade for me.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose to stop from punching him in the face.

Jenny raised her eyebrows.  “Oh, ya from the Queen’s ball?”

“Yes, my friend and I are visiting Balek with Prince Erik of Arterra’s court,” I said.  “He got into the Queen’s cups too quickly–” Ryo burst into a fit of laughter–“and I need to put him somewhere to sober up before our prince notices our absence.”  I pulled out my coins, ready to sacrifice the whole pouch to get Ryo a room.  Jenny was fair, but I was ready to pay for my early departure from Balek and leaving her broken-hearted.

She looked over at Ryo for confirmation.  “As much as I want this to be what you think it is, tavern lady, it’s not.” Heat washed over my face, and I inched away from Ryo.  “Lysander’s trying to play knight in shining armor for his prince and his ex.”

I wanted to die.  

Jenny frowned.  “Haven’t changed then.”  I opened my mouth to defend myself.  But her sharp brown eyes shut me up.  “Ya can have the top room.  Lucky for ya that it’s still available.”  She pointed to the door to the right of the bar.  “Top of the steps, can’t miss it.”

“How much?”

“Ten,” she said.  I passed her the coins, and she slid the key.  I avoided touching her.  I didn’t need to get into another fight with an ex tonight.  “Twenty for breakfast in the morning.”

“Thank you,” I said, pulling Ryo back up.

“I can carry myself,” Ryo grumbled and pulled away.  I rolled my eyes and followed close behind him in case he fell.  Great, Ryo has entered his grumpy phase of his drunken state.  At least that means he’s getting sober.

The staircase leaned toward the inside of the spiral.  More so than the last time I was here.  Jenny had said that it was to maximize the number of rooms possible.  Each floorboard creaked as we went up, but didn’t hide some of the activities going on behind closed doors.

“You didn’t have to mention the ex thing,” I said, trying to block out the other patrons.

“Well, I’m sorry,” Ryo spat.  “I didn’t realize she was one of your exes.  Did you leave her for the good of the country, too?”

Guilt caught in my throat.  “Do you want me to be honest?”

Ryo spun on the step in front of me.  His body took up the whole staircase, blocking me from escaping him.  “Always.”

“No, not with Jenny,” I answered.

“Just me then?” he scoffed.  Ryo didn’t wait for a reply before continuing up the stairs.

“Wait.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the landing.  I had forgotten how soft his hands were.  I thumbed the back of his hand, trying to form the right words.

Ryo pulled his hand away.  “Well?”

“I knew I would put you before Prince Erik.”

The words hung between us for several heartbeats.

I glanced up at his eyes to see his mind processing the words.  “Arterra needs a solid alliance.  Prince Erik needs to marry someone to forge an alliance before hell breaks loose on our shores.  You know this.”

“Prince Erik is just a kid,” Ryo said.  “He shouldn’t be responsible for Yarits’ actions.”

“No, he isn’t,” I agreed.  I chose my words carefully, avoiding ripping the small peace we had made.  “But he can help stop Yartis’ actions.  That’s why I encouraged the rest of the court to agree to Prince Erik’s search.  We need allies, and this is how they are made.”

Ryo looked confused.  “And how does this affect our relationship?”

“Because I need to separate my emotions for the good of the country,” I said.  “I’d put your safety, your beliefs, before Prince Erik’s.  Arterra and the prince need me.”

Ryo grabbed my collar and pulled me up to his lips.  A gasp escaped my lips in surprise, but it dissipated.  My lips remembered his and enveloped them.  The malts still lingered on his tongue, almost enough to intoxicate me.

His breath brushed against my mouth as he whispered, “What if I need you more?”  He pulled me back in, nipping my lips.  Ryo pressed me up against the wall, sending heat to my cheeks.

I pulled back.  “I can’t, not the way you are.”

“I’m fine.  I’ve been worse,” Ryo murmured.  “Please stay.  Erik will be fine. Let him find his own way.” Let him find love, he had said during that court session.  He tucked my hair behind my ear and nibbled my earlobe.  “I miss you.”

It took all of my energy and strength to hold the moan inward.  He hadn’t forgotten my weakness.   I could stay here and enjoy time with Ryo.  Block out Yartis’ threats of war.  Forget about the world for a night.  I pressed my hand against his heart.  The muscle thudded against his chest, begging for more.

“I miss you more than you can imagine,” I said.

“Show me–”

I pushed him away.  “No, Ryo.  Not tonight.”

His face tightened in a mixture of hurt and sadness.  Jenny’s face when I left her mirrored his.  It dissipated into anger.  “Fine.  Go, then.  For the good of the country, right?”

I watched him enter the bedroom Jenny had promised us and waited for the slam of the door.  I swore at the gods and myself and headed back to the masquerade.