ICE

114. A Meaningless Kiss

MYLO LOOKED AT her, somewhat startled. "What do you mean?" he asked her.

She opened her mouth to respond but a high-pitched yelp interrupted her. Scowling, Ravenna shifted her gaze toward the source of the sound. The king had abruptly woken and bolted to his feet, knocking one of the young maidens in his harem to the ground in the process. He swayed on his feet, struggling to look around the room. His hand lifted into the air, a slender finger pointing toward the ceiling. The room grew incredibly still. Silence suffocated Ravenna.

"Bring me more mead!" he shouted, and promptly tumbled back into his seat with a loud thump.

Ravenna glanced across the table. She could sense the embarrassment radiating from Eoin's body in tidal waves. He kept his gaze down, focused on the hardly touched plate of food in front of him. The tips of his ears were tomato red.

She frowned and shifted her gaze down to her own plate. Her lips pressed into a tight line. She'd lost count of how many different meals had been placed in front of her.

"This will be over soon," Mylo commented quietly. "The king will retire for the night any moment now."

Ravenna squinted at him. "Any moment now? How do you know?"

A loud, guttural snore answered her. Startled, her head whipped toward the head of the table. The king had passed out again. Only this time, his head was pressed firmly onto the table in front of him, mere inches from his plate of food.

It was almost saddening and somewhat inspiring to watch as the women around him worked together, forcing him awake so they could help him walk to his bed.

"Does that happen often?" Ravenna whispered as she watched the king shuffle out of the dining hall.

"Almost every night," Mylo answered.

Her jaw clenched. It took all that she had not to express or show her emotions. Not to let her displeasure marr her face. She glanced up when she saw movement in her peripheral vision. Eoin was quietly standing up. He slowly gained the attention of the room and silence engulfed them.

"I appreciate the support that you have given to both the Blood Knights and my engagement announcement," he said. He smiled at Ravenna and then looked around the room, holding the gaze of every official sitting around them. "It is so wonderful to be able to come together and to celebrate the happiness that surrounds us. I hope that everyone has a wonderful night and is able to leave with very full bellies."

Everyone at the table clapped. Eoin smiled and stepped away from the table. Once it was clear that he was finished, the lighthearted chatter kicked back into full force —filling the air with a cacophony of chaotic sounds. Ravenna pushed away from the table and stood, watching as Eoin made his way toward her.

He smiled warmly at her as he approached. "Are you finished eating?" he asked her politely.

She nodded and allowed him to take her hand.

Eoin shifted his attention to Mylo, who had already stood and turned toward them, face expressionless. "Thank you," he told Mylo earnestly. "I appreciate you looking after her while we ate."

Mylo nodded. His eyes pierced though Ravenna, causing a storm of butterflies to overtake her stomach. "It was my pleasure," he said. "I'm always happy to assist the future princess."

She blinked, somewhat surprised. It was strange to hear herself referred to as a future princess.

Eoin beamed at him and bid him a cheerful goodnight. Ravenna was jerked from her thoughts as he began to walk toward the door. As they walked, she glanced at Eoin from the corners of her eyes. His ears were bright red again.

"What's wrong?" she asked him softly.

He glanced at her and blinked. He seemed to be anxious. "Ah," he said, his voice quiet and gentle. His red cheeks burned even hotter. "I want to apologize."

"What do you mean?" Her eyebrows pinched together as a wave of confusion washed through her.

"For my father," he said. When he met her gaze again, she could see pain flooding his eyes. "I apologize for how he acted. For how he treated you, and the news of our engagement."

His gaze dropped to the ground. He stopped walking for a moment, turning toward her. "I also apologize for springing that on you. I wanted to wait until the perfect moment. We've only just met, and I don't want you to feel pressured into anything."

It took all of her self control not to outwardly chuckle at the notion.

"You aren't," she said with a warm smile. She grasped his hands within hers, squeezing softly. "There is no pressure. I'm genuinely excited for this."

He pursed his lips. "Are you sure?"

"Very," she assured him.

That made him smile happily. He chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair. She started to walk again and he followed, allowing her to lead the way through the halls. As she wandered, she watched him from the corners of her eyes.

Eoin seemed to just vibrate with giddiness. It was sweet, and it made her heart happy to see him like that.

They slowed to a stop in front of her bedroom door. He kept her hands clasped tight within his. His head ducked down again, strands of his chestnut colored hair falling into his eyes. She could see that the tips of his ears were bright pink again.

"What's wrong?" she asked him again, her eyebrows furrowed together.

He didn't meet her gaze. "Ah," he muttered and then cleared his throat. He lifted his head and squared his shoulders, almost as if he were bracing himself.

"May I...kiss you?" he asked, his voice squeaking toward the end of his sentence.

She snorted out a laugh. It tickled her that he felt the need to ask for her permission. Reaching upward, she touched the sides of his face, pulling it toward her own. Her lips pressed against his in a sweet kiss.

There were no ringing bells or butterflies, as the fairytales she'd heard growing up spoke of. But she expected that.

Eoin was a step toward the throne, and that's all that mattered right now.  

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Hey friends!

I'm posting this chapter from my phone, so the formatting may be a bit weird. Sorry about that! I just want to say that I appreciate you all so much and hope that you all have a super awesome week!! ❤

Also Chapter 115. The Library is now available on Patreon! I think most of you will be super happy about what happens in it! It costs $1 a month if you'd like to read ahead! ❤

ash ❤