Page 38 of Noble Charms

Aria took in the dark circles beneath his eyes, and the slightly worn edge of his smile, and knew he couldn't say no. “Fine. We’ll decide who has the more broken heart. They can keep the book.”

Noble held out a hand to shake. “Deal.”

Oh. Deja vu arrested Aria. Him, him, him, his soul chanted. Aria hesitated—but only for a moment—then slid his palm into Noble's. And, all at once, the magic heat that radiated from within Noble soothed Aria's nerves, and he was inexplicably reminded of home.

NOBLE

Noble had begun to explain his choice of restaurant—he knew the chef from his Men's Club, and the chef would put them on the private patio, allowing the two of them to avoid the public gaze, and also they made great pasta—but Aria laughed at his concern. “I’ve been wanting to try this place anyway. I should thank you for giving me the chance.”

“Ellor didn’t take you to restaurants?”

“No,” said Aria, stiffly, and his shame seemed like a personal rain cloud casting a shadow over his small, pretty head.

“I apologize,” said Noble. “Let’s not discuss it.”

“I wish I could avoid discussing Ellor for the rest of my life. I'd do a full mourner's year, if I could.” Aria smiled in a way Noble recognized as a prim mask hiding darker thoughts.

“You may speak with me about it, if you want. About any of it—Ellor. The restaurants, or lack thereof. Or maybe we could speak of easier things. Whatever you’d like.” Noble wanted to know every little detail. He craved knowledge of the last five years of Aria’s life. What had it been like, being an adame? How did he feel about his pursuit of love, now? But Noble recognized the hurt in him. Noble carried the same pain. “We can sit in perfect silence if that’s what you need.”

Aria's face fell. He looked off to one side, and a strand of his sunspot hair fell over his face. Ten years of growth had made him even more beautiful than the years before. Noble wasn’t the only one who noticed, either⁠—

The Maitre D that sat them had stared in awe and Aria didn’t notice, and looked back at their table as he walked away, and smacked his shoulder on the courtyard doorway as he left.

Aria had always been striking, but the remnants of baby fat that lingered in his face had surrendered to his smooth, pronounced cheekbones, and he sat with shoulders relaxed these days. The taut string within him had grown loose. It was a good look.

Quietly, Aria said, “I was kicked out of the guild. I’m no adame. And no bard. I cannot even buy books in town right now. I don’t know what else there is to say. I’ve ruined my life.”

Noble realized he'd been gazing starry-eyed at Aria like he was a doll on display, and he winced at the reality: Aria was dealing with hard times, and the last thing he needed was some odd man from his past scrutinizing his beauty like a wizard marvels upon their orb. “It certainly cannot be that bad.”

“I Suggested El. Publicly. That’s a war crime, Noble.” Aria lifted a spoon and watched it dangle from his fingers idly, like he'd just needed something to occupy his hands. The silverware had gold leaf accents that matched the painted foliage that surrounded the patio walls. Floating candles overhead bobbed gently in the breeze with magic sustained by the elven chef themself. As the sun reached towards the horizon, their warm glow kept the patio beautifully lit, and their round table had a crisp white tablecloth suggesting the level of dining they could expect. Expensive and quite fine. Noble couldn't recall the last time he'd brought someone here. It must have been before he met Virginia. Aria added, during Noble's prolonged silence, “Even if I wanted to work as an adame again, I’ve no doubt Ellor has warned off every nobleman in New Hieroph.”

“Hm. Surely he deserved it.”

Aria pinched his brows together, still watching the spoon. “No one deserves to have harmful magic flung their way. That sort of behavior is why elven and human friendship had been forbidden for centuries. That sort of behavior risks everything. The peace between our peoples. The unity of the kingdom. You, as a member of The Crown, should have me arrested, or exiled, or worse, for admitting I did it.”

Noble reached across the table to stop the swaying of the spoon, to force Aria to meet his gaze. When he did, Noble said, “You want me to pass judgment on you, but I still know not what happened between you two. Tell me.” And then added, thinking better of it, “Unless you'd rather avoid the topic entirely. As I said.”

Aria released the spoon into Noble's hold, blue eyes unwavering. “I can speak of it. I was telling Romy earlier—I truly feel fine. Ellor and I were done long ago. It just took until now for it to…stick.”

“Then…"

“He was having an affair. The truth of it is greater than I believed. He had several partners I knew nothing about. Two women within the guild. Lind, Abecka. And then a man who worked in his office. I've never met him, but now I know that Ellor fucked him almost every time he went to work. He never meant to wed me. He’d kept me as an adame. I was nothing but a magical battery he got to fuck.”

Noble’s anger flashed in him—an empathy that he hadn't expected. “Prick.” Why would Ellor do such a thing? He could have fucked anyone and everyone he wanted without stringing Aria along cluelessly. Noble himself had a voracious sexual appetite, and never once had he turned away from Virginia like that⁠—

He pushed Virginia out of his mind. Her presence was not welcome here.

Aria smiled that prim non-smile again. “Many have called him prick, yes. That's what I should have said—just shouted that he was a prick, and walked out of his life. Instead, when I walked in on him and Lind…” He gestured in the air and said, “He tried to hold me back, get me to stay, because I think he knew what I would do. We were at a party at the guild hall. I marched out, to everyone enjoying their night, and told them what I'd uncovered. And to my humiliation—” His voice caught on the word, but he covered it swiftly with a laugh. “Everyone knew. Everyone. I wanted to expose him, make him feel shame for what he'd done, and instead I made myself look a complete fool. Terribly naive.” Aria pulled the spoon from Noble's fingers and began to swing it like a pendulum between his forefinger and thumb. “When Ellor came to address the crowd, and looked charming and unaffected and better than me, I…"

“What did you Suggest him to do?”

Aria said, “I told him not to touch me.”

Noble tilted his head. “How did that send him down the steps?”

Aria hummed as he realized he'd left out part of the story he told. “He'd his hands on me when I said it. And I cast it out with such force that he went running. Anyone would have. I'd really gone overboard.”

But he hadn’t. Noble’s anger turned to curiosity. How could Aria not see the truth? Noble tucked a hand under his chin and stared at Aria's impassive face. “You'd told him not to touch you? Before, when he was caught?”