"So she invited a pretty girl to come and live with you for a bit, and you're unhappy about this because...?" Zephyr asks, with an eyebrow raised questioningly as he moves his pawn two spaces to the middle of the board. I sigh loudly and move my own pawn forward one space. "She wants me to marry this girl, Zephyr. You know I don't want to get married to some random girl my mother pulls out of thin air, I want the girl I end up with, if I end up with one at all, to be my own choice— not hers." Zephyr nods thoughtfully, considering the board for a moment as he moves his bishop to take my knight. I curse silently and move my rook from the edge of the board to take his bishop in retaliation.
"Theo, if it really bothers you that much why not just meet her and say you absolutely hate her after a couple days, then send her back to whichever country she appeared from?" I roll my eyes at his question, causing him to kick me under the table. "My mother thinks she's 'lovely'. No matter what I say she's going to be under my mother's protection, I can't send her anywhere." Zephyr leans back in his chair and says to the ceiling, "Then I suppose you don't really have a choice, do you? Goddesses above, am I glad I'm not a prince right now. I can die a bachelor and nobody will stop me." I snort tilt my chair back on its back legs. "Zeph, you're a bloody romantic. You can pretend to be the manly swords master that everyone wants to see but I watch the way you play with the children at the market whenever we go out. Hah! Bachelor my ass, Zeph. You want to settle down and have kids."
Zephyr's face darkens at that and he the grin slips off of his face. He looks at his hands and I stop tilting in my chair abruptly, the legs hitting the ground in a dull thump. Zephyr looks sad— but I know him well enough to understand that he doesn't like being pressured to talk about how he feels, so I don't press the matter. He'll talk to me when he's ready.
I move my rook across the board and take the pawn in front of his king. I smile at him and he grins back at me, his eyes brightening. "You know I'm better than you at this game, don't you?" He asks innocently. "Just shut up and play." I growl at him, my brow furrowed as he takes my rook with his queen. Zeph laughs, the sound echoing around my chambers, and I lean back in my chair again, watching him. His face grows serious as he studies the board. "So what are you going to do about what's-her-face— Zena? Because you can either go into this with a smile and please your mother, or be a disgruntled, moody little prince and disappoint our lovely Queen Verena." Zeph winks at me and wins the game in a clever mood. My jaw drops and I throw a pawn at his face, huffing in mock petulance when he ducks. "I could be a good boy about it, I suppose. I still think I'm going to hate her, but I don't have to glower at her and be uncivilized." Zephyr leans across the small table and slaps my shoulder proudly. "That's the nice boy Theodore we all know and love," He laughs. "Who knows? Maybe Zena will be absolutely stunning and perfect and agreeable and you'll fall madly in love with her and have a half dozen little Theodore and Theodoras." Zeph jumps out of his chair and runs out the door to avoid the cushion I aim at his face. "I'm okay with it so long as you name me the godfather!" He darts down the hall and I run after him, shouting curses and laughing as I try to keep up.
YOU ARE READING
The Beauty In Love And Murder
Fantasy{ "Who are you?" He asks in that smooth, chocolatey voice that I'd been admiring not half an hour earlier. I curl my lip scornfully. "I'm not obligated to tell you that." The dagger increases in pressure against my throat, sending more blood trickli...
