Her Royal Pen Pal

Chapter 30 [An Invitation to (Re)Treat]

(Copyright) © 2011 Candle_Ice

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Huge Shout out to @FeistyKRox for fan art/cover at the side! =) 

Chapter 30

“That is the last time I intervene to save your arse,” Thane menacingly told Leonidas, the next day after Accra’s declaration.

“Would it be so bad to have Catie come and visit?” Leonidas asked his friend.

Thane didn’t answer; he just continued to sort the array of papers on Leonidas’ desk. The two were going over a new treaty between Elyria and Callista as a way to bring the two neighbouring countries to a somewhat closer tie, and end the long standing feud. But Thane and Leonidas were more fixated on Accra’s promise than the treaty, at the moment.

 “Come on, you know you like her,” Leonidas teased him, coming to stand next to his friend.

“You sound like an adolescent girl picking at her friend,” Thane told him dryly, scanning through the documents that littered Leonidas’ desk.

“And you’re behaving like one, trying to deny the attraction between you and Catie,” he retorted, not put off by his friend's accusation.

“Catie is a great girl, and there may be an attraction of some sort between us, but I doubt we’ll be anything more than friends,” Thane said unconvincingly.

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks,” Leonidas quoted.

He paused at that, before turning to his long time friend. The scowl that Thane sent him would have scared a lesser man, but Leonidas was barely fazed.    

“Methinks Crown Prince should get back to work,” Thane reminded him.

“I’m taking a breather,” Leonidas proclaimed.

They’ve been working non-stop all day, since eight that morning, and worked all the way through lunch, so a break was very much in order.

They didn’t mind the work, and Thane was more than happy to distract his thoughts with country affairs, rather think about Catie’s impending visit.

“Are these the only documents the Callistan Embassy sent over?” Thane asked Leonidas.

“Father has the rest,” Leonidas told him, “But you’re changing the subject.”

“The subject is that we need to finish going over this treaty,” Thane scolded seriously.

“We went over it thrice already, got our questions already, Prepare our counter offers already,” Leonidas pointed out, “you’re just avoiding talk about Catie by burying yourself in unnecessary over-work.”

Thane was saved from responding by the King. Thankful, he didn’t have to admit that his friend was right; Thane just continued to shuffle through documents he probably had memorised by heart already.   

“Are you two working on the treaty, or fooling around?” King Grisham asked in a stern voice, coming into Leonidas’ office.

“I’m working,” Thane said holding up the papers he had in his hands, “That one there, is fooling around.”

Unfortunately, Leonidas was just standing there, with no papers in his hand so there was no use trying to assure his father that he was indeed working –or taking a small breather. Retreating back to his side of the desk, Leonidas picked up his legal pad, and began going through the questions he had for his father concerning the document at hand.