Page 76 of House of Pawns
Cyrus doesn’t anger over Samuel’s obvious show of disgust. He simply smiles at him in humor. And I see my first glimpse of the darkness that resides inside of the King.
“And this is Cameron,” I move on, hoping to relieve some of the tension that grows thick in the air and my blood. “He picks me up when I am feeling low.”
Cyrus finally tears his eyes away from Samuel and they flick over to Cameron. “Now, that is an important job indeed. Every Royal needs their court jester.”
“Cameron is not just a mockery and laughs to me,” I defend him in a surprising moment of boldness. “He is my friend.”
Cyrus stops just before Cameron and puts his hands on his shoulders. The look on Cameron’s face is very wary, but notnear as afraid as I think he should feel. “And that is an even more important job. A true friend is a rare thing indeed. Are you a true friend, my very young man?”
Cameron pulls his head back just slightly, his eyes studying Cyrus’ every move. “Yeah.”
“You don’t sound so sure about that answer.” Cyrus’ voice grows low and serious.
“Yes, sir,” Cameron says. “Alivia and me, we’re tight.”
And it’s so out of place, saying we’re “tight” in the presence of a King, that it cracks a little smile on my face.
Cyrus looks over his shoulder at me, again raising an eyebrow slightly. “You’re ‘tight?’” he questions in amusement.
I press my lips tightly together, fighting another smile, and nod in agreement.
A small chuckle bubbles up from the King’s chest. Quickly it develops into a full-bellied laugh. The small crew that followed him into the House joins him. My House members don’t seem to know what to do. Cameron forces a laugh with the King, who finally lets him go. Samuel has hints of a forced smile. But everyone else is stony faced.
“Ah,” the King says in a loud sigh. “I must say, it is refreshing being in a young House again. Everyone else has gotten so old and stuffy.”
No one seems to know if they should laugh, there’s too much fear and tension in the room for anyone to really be genuine.
“Your majesty,” a voice says with ease.
We all look to find X and Rath standing in the hallway. Rath is calm and composed as ever, X calculated and prepared. It’s only now that I realize Raheem has been nowhere to be seen. It makes my chest hurt.
“If you all are ready, we’ve made the dining room ready for all of you,” Rath says. “Dinner is served.”
“Excellent,” King Cyrus says as he claps his hands. “I am famished.”
He extends an arm out to me, which I take hesitantly. But still, I manage to offer him a small smile and walk by his side into the formal dining room.
A great feast is spread on the enormous dining table that has only been used less than a dozen times since I came to own this house. Who prepared the food, and where it came from is a mystery. The staff is gone. I didn’t have any part in it. I highly doubt X is the cooking type. It’s as if it appeared out of thin air.
Almost lovingly, Cyrus pulls my chair out from the table for me. There’s tenderness, a hopefulness in his eyes when we meet for a moment.
I can’t imagine the feelings he must be going through right now. Am I her? Will I be his wife, finally found after more than two and a half centuries of being gone?
Cyrus takes his place at the head of the table, me just to his right side. My House members sit beside me, Markov directly at my side. The King’s Court members sit on the opposite side, each of them evaluating us, like we evaluate them.
There are eight members that arrived with Cyrus, in addition to the three that arrived earlier in the night. Three women, five men. I’m sure some of them are body guards, some advisors. And all of them full-blooded Royals.
“So tell me about your town,” Cyrus says as he begins filling his plate, and mine as well. “Silent Bend, is it called?”
“Correct,” I say. “It’s a nice little town, I suppose. I’mreally not that engrained yet. I’ve only lived here for seven months.”
The King makes an acknowledging noise as he ladles gravy over my mashed potatoes. “Raheem told me about that. Speaking of which, where is he?”
I look around, as if he should magically appear. “I haven’t seen him since just before you arrived.”
“Raheem!” Cyrus bellows. And it’s a sound so powerful, so authoritative, it stills everyone at the table.
One second later, Raheem appears in the doorway and casually, he strolls inside and takes a seat at the last open one.
