I’m wounded,he thought back.
I’m sure. Are you coming to dinner?
Why? Miss me?
“Fuck him, I hate everything about this.” I gritted my teeth and stabbed a piece of duck before tearing into it.
Clesian started laughing. It was nothing more than a stifled chortle at first, but the longer it went on the louder it became, and suddenly his whole family was laughing. Their collective joy practically rumbled the table, and while I silently cursed Rorik—again—for his antics, I couldn’t help but join in after a moment.
When she caught her breath, Lydia offered me a kind smile. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You’re not responsible for him.”
“If only,” Seville muttered to herself.
At that moment, Rorik decided to saunter into the dining room, eyes alight with a familiar mischief. I shut my mouth and leaned away from Seville. He slid into his chair with ease and nodded to the nearest attendant, who peeled off the wall to fill his plate with food and his glass with wine. He spared me only the smallest of glances, and my gaze narrowed in response.
Asshole.
In the flesh.
I forced myself to glare at my plate instead of him to avoid giving him any semblance of satisfaction.
Conversation stalled for a few minutes as the scrape of silverware filled the room. Until finally Seville blew out an unceremoniously loud sigh and turned her focus to Amalyss and Tasia, nettling them for details about their preferred partners. They were all too eager to comply, their hazel gazes lighting with excitement as they each discussed what kind of Ever they hoped to connect with during their upcoming travels. After a few minutes, Lydia relaxed and joined in, offering her own tsk of dissatisfaction, often shaking her head at her daughters’ versions of “quality” traits, while Clesian drank. Heavily. Still, there was a soft smile to his lips that hinted at his true feelings when it came to his daughters’ happiness.
I let myself get lost in their musings, and a strange yearning bloomed in my chest. I’d never allowed myself to think of relationships and courting the way Amalyss and Tasia now did. Even before this mess with the Ferngloves, my entire experience with the eligible bachelors and bachelorettes of Willowfell was nothing more than dalliances. Quick interactions full of lust and need, nothing more. I’d never allowed for anything to grow.
Then Orin came along and ruined everything.
Tempered anger festered from the depths of my gut, and I took a long drink from my wine. Rorik watched me quietly, his gaze hammering into me as I drained the last of my glass. He’d barely touched his dinner, instead twirling his knife between his forefinger and thumb for most of the meal.
“And what about you, Rorik?” Lydia asked. Her tone was light, if not a bit sly, and she took a practiced sip from her glass before glancing between Rorik and me. Her question broke my reverie, and I forced myself to meet Rorik’s lingering stare.
“What about me?” he answered, finally slanting his gaze to Lydia.
“Do you have any advice for the girls? For their upcoming courtship travels? Don’t think I forgot about your own journey the moment you came of age.”
Rorik rolled his eyes. “Clearly nothing came of it.”
“No surprise there. You were even more difficult than me, I hear,” Seville said as she pinned her brother with a wry grin.
Amalyss perked up in her chair and pushed her plate forward. She propped her elbows on the table and braided her fingers. “You came back without any prospects?”
“I wasn’t interested in prospects.” Rorik continued to fiddle with his knife, and he nodded to an attendant to refill his wine.
“Just fun,” Seville drawled.
“I can respect that,” Tasia said.
“How befitting,” I murmured as I leaned back in my chair and tipped my head toward the ceiling. A dull ache had started behind my eyes. Just a subtle throb that pounded in time with my heartbeat.
“Befitting?” he mused. “True, I enjoyed myfun.”
Tasia giggled as Seville’s grin stretched further. Immediately I was reminded of our night together, of the wine we shared while taking milk baths and reliving our dalliances. Evers certainly enjoyed the more carnal activities in life. I couldn’t blame them.
“But”—Rorik fixed his eyes on me—“that’s all it was. Fun. There hasn’t been anyone appealing enough to warrant more.”
A fist clenched my heart and twisted it tight. “Interesting.”
