I Am Who? - Book 2

Chapter 44 - Preparations & Stories

*Just as a quick aside, I definitely lied last chapter...There's gonna be at least one more after this one :P*

As if he realized the full reality of the situation and how it must appear to an outsider at the same time as I, Kotaro quickly scrambled out of the bed. My eyes widened as he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"W-we were just—uh—just talking." He said, and it was the first time I'd seen him actually flounder for words.

"Hmm. Just talking?" Ayan's smirk turned devilish. "All night long? I think—"

Before he could finish, a hand grabbed his shoulder and jerked him backwards. The door swung half shut, and then Martimus peered cautiously into the room as though he was scared of what he might find. At the sight of his, his lips curved into a smile, too, but he looked far more like a cat ready to pounce on its prey rather than the hyena-like figure Ayan had cut. Looking into his eyes, I felt like a child caught with my hand in a cookie jar, and an intense blush heated my cheeks.

"Well, well, well." He said. "Don't you two look so cute? And while you've been canoodling here, I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to fix the problems you've created."

"W—" Kotaro started.

"Don't you say a word." Martimus pushed further into the room and held up a threatening finger at Kotaro. "Neither of you thought about the consequences of your last minute cancelation of the dinner meeting with the Third court yesterday, did you? I prepared all my things and waited hours for you to show up." He glared at me.

I opened my mouth as if to respond, but I couldn't think of anything to say. The dinner meeting had completely fled my brain after Bohai and Esah's brief mention of it. Honestly, I'd thought they would deal with it in a manner satisfactory to everyone concerned. Given his relationship with Kotaro, it wasn't likely Azrul would completely turn his back on us after we'd rejected his invitation, but such a snub could certainly harm our chances of impressing the rest of his court.

"Thankfully, one of us has a brain, and I thought to inform Azrul that you were both feeling the exhaustion of the trip too keenly to make it to dinner, but I postponed the meeting only until lunch, which means we have barely enough time to get you ready. Instead of preparing like mad, however, you're sitting here dallying about!" I'd never seen him look so fierce, and the full weight of the mess we might have caused settled on my shoulders. "I can handle fashion, but miracles are a little above my pay grade at this point, so get your backside out of that bed!" He glared ferociously at me.

His words left no room to protest, and I scrambled out of the bed as quickly as my limbs would carry me. He looked me quickly up and down once, pulling a disgusted face and muttering something unintelligible under his breath. Tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear self-consciously, I looked down at the floor, feeling ashamed and guilty for how thoughtless I'd been.

"Bohai will take you where you need to go." He cast a swift glance at Kotaro. "I'll take care of...this." He snorted, grabbing my wrist and pulling me out of the room before I could protest.

We passed a leering Ayan standing just outside the doorway. He winked suggestively at me as I stumbled by, and I looked quickly away from him, blushing. My eyes landed on Bohai, who was standing a few feet away, and I mentally face-palmed. Had they all come to witness what we might be doing behind closed doors?

"Hurry up." Martimus hissed. "We have too much to do to make you look presentable to give us the liberty to stroll about!"

If what we were doing was considered a stroll, then I never wanted to do it again. I didn't know where he got the strength from—other than his anger at being so cruelly denied the opportunity to dress us up—but he bodily dragged me down the halls until I was almost running to keep up with him. As we rounded a corner at top speed, however, we came face-to-face with Esah, and Martimus came to an abrupt stop with a startled grunt.