Page 4 of The Shadow & the King
As usual, several of his advisors were in attendance too. One of the things that had made Delkos a strong nation was its leaders' willingness to listen to the advice of others who were wiser or more knowledgeable than them in any given area. To do his best to serve his people, he needed advice, and so his advisorswere always near.
His attention was divided that day as petitioners came forward. He caught himself eyeing his advisors, wondering if perhaps one of them had reason to want him gone. Memories of his time as king played in his mind. He had taken the throne when his father passed away ten years prior, and a lot had happened since then. His heart was heavy at the thought that someone believed him so unfit for his role; it made the decision about his marriage all the harder. How would he go through with such a personal sacrifice—losing the chance at a love he had always dreamed of—knowing that it may never be enough?
A new petitioner made their way up the aisle, and Basilious turned to look at them. As he did, a familiar face caught his eye in the crow, giving him a rush of excitement. It was Lunette. She stood at the back of the hall in a faded, cranberry red, linen gown. It was a style the people of Delkos often wore, and seeing her in it made his pulse spike. The red against her creamy complexion and dark hair was striking.
She felt his eyes on her and looked his way, her honey gaze intense. She smiled at him, and he felt satisfaction all the way down to his soul. Lunette was the last thing he needed this week, and unfortunately, the only thing he wanted.
5
LUNETTE
Lunette couldn't help the smile she flashed at Basilious when he finally noticed her at the back of his throne room. She'd been there the whole time. She had heard today was the day for public petitions, and she wanted to see what sort of king he was. Their encounter last night had left her confused and, frankly, incredibly sexually frustrated.
Watching him work hadn't helped with that last bit, unfortunately. He was kind and confident, and clearly beloved by his subjects. He asked his advisors for help on matters they were experts on, and it was possibly the most attractive thing she'd ever seen.
She was very annoyed with him about it.
She had never backed out of a job. Her family had a reputation to uphold after all. She didn't know what to do. Obviously the man who'd hired her had something against king Basilious, and now she wanted to know what. This whole situation was turning into a mess. Typically, when she accepted a job, she had some inkling of the motive. This time, she'd gone against her intuition and takenthe job without knowing anything about why. Now she cursed herself for being so careless.
She turned her attention back to the dais, where Basilious was listening attentively to an older woman explain that her fence was badly damaged and in need of repair to keep her flock of sheep from escaping. By the old Gods, this minotaur was going to make her ruin her credibility as an assassin because Lunette was fairly certain she couldn’t go through with killing him.
Even if he had happened to be the worst villain on this island, she still… wanted him. She was curious about what it would be like to be with him. Their verbal sparring last night had been a revelation, and she wanted more.
Other members of her family took contracts for their own reasons, but she had always quietly chosen to take only jobs where her target seemed evil somehow. No one in her family had questioned her–she made enough coin that no one quite cared how she did it. She was so careful about the jobs she took because she knew, deep down, that she had the conscience that the rest of her family seemed to lack.
She scolded herself internally. She needed to pull it together. She had to finish this job—none of this other nonsense in her head mattered. She was a professional. She could do this, and she would.
Tonight. She would try again tonight.
6
BASILIOUS
Basilious was exhausted after addressing petitions all day, but he was also… excited? An eagerness fluttered around in his stomach at the thought that Lunette may come back tonight. He knew it was rather foolish to hope to see his would-be assassin again, especially after she had made an attempt on his life the night before, but he felt what he felt. He did want to see her again.
His thoughts were of Lunette all through the casual dinner he shared with Xadres. He knew his friend could tell he was distracted, but they were kind enough not to press the issue. They likely thought him distraught about announcing an engagement in four short days. He supposed he was a bit distressed , but that feeling had become less overwhelming than his fascination with Lunette.
He tried to seem relaxed and normal as they wrapped up dinner, but he walked back to his chambers with purpose. It was already after dark, and Basilious didn't want to risk missing her if she happened to come back.
Once in his room, he changed into a pair of loose linen pants, set his crown on its cushion, and settled into his chair. He picked up his most recent read, a book of folktales about the old gods and the mischief they got up to at the dawn of time, and began to read.
What felt like a mere moment later, he awoke with a bit of a start, but quickly stilled at the feeling of cold metal against his throat. His mind caught up with his eyes a moment later, and he realized that Lunette was here, straddling him in his chair, with her vicious dagger to his neck.
"Shhh, don't move, Basil," she crooned into his ear. Her scent was overwhelming. Her cheek was so close to his muzzle. His eyes darted down to take in the view of her and, gods help him, it was the most erotic sight he'd ever seen. Her legs spread wide over his lap, her full waist dipping down toward his hardening cock, her pert breasts so close to his own chest. He shifted his gaze to study her face, and he could see her elegant fangs just peeking out.
"My offer stands, you know. You're welcome to take from me if you wish, Lunette." Basil fought hard to sound suave and confident, but her proximity had him dizzy, so his voice came out in a low rasp.
She laughed softly. "Perhaps I will. Your blood sings to me, and I can't figure out why." She leaned back slightly and settled her generous ass on his lap. He couldn't help the soft groan that escaped him. Her knife was still at his throat, though, so he didn't dare move. Despite his words last night, he didn't actually have a death wish.
"Mywhole bodysings for you, Lunette. Why don't you have your way with me before you kill me? Surely your employer wouldn't deny you a bit of pleasure." Basilious did not know where he summoned this boldness from, but his words lit something intense in Lunette's eyes. He dared to hope she would take whathe was offering.
"I saw you today—so confident and measured and in control. Would you like me to take away your control for a while, Basil?" Gods, that is what he wanted. Perhaps that was why she fascinated him so—because his life was in her hands.
"Yes, Lunette, I want that. Just promise not to kill me until after?" She smiled at him, her fangs fully on display.
"I promise," she said quietly as she shifted to get off his lap. "Tell me what your word is. Just one word to make this all stop."
Basilious considered for a mere moment before answering. "Moonlight."
