The Case of the Commandery Princess and the Prime Minister’s Narrow Escape
Chapter 21
Azula woke in a soft, comfortable cocoon. The covers over him were so warm that he wanted to burrow deeper beneath them. He shifted to do just that, and a hand patted his back as though soothing him, making him open his eyes.
He started to sit up, but a strong hand held his shoulder and kept him lying down.
“You drank a bottle of wine last night,” Raithion said. “I don’t know if you have a headache, but wake up slowly, Azula.”
Azula rubbed his eyes and forced his brain fully awake. He shifted his head on the comfortable pillow and looked at Raithion, who sat on his right, fully dressed for the day.
“Why are you in my bed?” Azula asked, frowning.
“Check again. Whose bed are you in?” Raithion asked, his tone teasing.
Azula sighed and sat up slowly, holding his head as he rose. The damned headache that always followed an indulgence in alcohol was ready to kill him outright. He let out a soft moan and closed his eyes.
“I shouldn’t have drunk so much,” Azula said, pressing his fingers against his eyelids as though that might stop the throbbing. He opened his eyes slowly and realized the bed was not the one in the guest room. This one was much larger. It could fit three people and was even bigger than the one he had at home. White sheer curtains were tied back around the bed’s four carved posts.
Raithion sat on the right side of the bed, leaning against the headboard and reading one of his reports. He was still dressed in the cursed black clothes. Azula truly wished to see him in something other than black. Even naked would be fine.
Azula smiled at the thought and looked away from the depressing clothes. Instead, he touched the soft covers rumpled in his lap. The color he wanted was there, in the soft chenille blankets, vibrant blue like the sky. The sheets were pristine white, the pillows were comfortable, and the mattress beneath him was soft enough to make a lazy man out of him.
“Lord Raith, I really want your bed,” Azula said.
“You already slept in it all night,” Raithion said, still reading his report.
“Can I sleep here tonight, then?” Azula asked. Dropping his hand from his head, he glanced at Raithion.
Raithion glanced up from the report. “You kissed me last night and claimed I started it,” he said. His lips curved into an alluring smile. “I tried to take you to your bed, but you…”
Azula stared blankly at that smile. Then the memories rushed back, hot and merciless.
He closed his eyes, but that only made them clearer. He had wrapped his arms around Raithion’s shoulders and kissed him with all the clumsy determination of a man attempting his first real kiss while drunk. Raithion had not disappointed him and returned the kiss without hesitation. His arms had closed around Azula, firm and possessive, holding him so close that Azula had forgotten how to breathe.
Even now, the memory of Raithion’s mouth against his sent warmth curling low through him.
A commotion at the dining room entrance had broken them apart. Doran had come to clear the table. Azula had scowled at him for interrupting the kiss, and Raithion had settled him with an arm around his shoulders.
“I’ll take you to sleep this off,” Raithion said.
Azula turned to him and grinned.
“Now that we’ve kissed, we should definitely sleep together. My people aren’t shy about these things, and neither am I. Raith…”
“Azula, you’re drunk,” Raithion said, his tone cajoling. “If you want to sleep with me, you’ll have to be very sober.”
“Oh, but…so you’re conservative about these things,” Azula complained. “What are we to do? Will I have to wait until you’re not shy?”
Raithion chuckled. “No buts about this,” he said as he led Azula toward his residence. “You need to sleep first. You’ll thank me in the morning.”
“Thank you for what?” Azula asked, irritation sharpening his tone. “Refusing to give me what I want?”
Azula smacked Raithion’s arm from around his shoulders and staggered into the living room of Raithion’s residence. He kept walking and nearly tripped over a rug. Raithion caught his right upper arm and saved him from falling.
Azula turned with the motion and plastered himself against Raithion, wrapping his arms around Raithion’s neck.
“Lyrian Prince, why are you so repressed? We’re both adults. We can help each other out if you don’t want to go all the way…”
Raithion kissed him then, silencing every complaint Azula had left. The kiss was hot enough to make his knees useless and careful enough to remind him that Raithion still understood exactly how drunk he was. Azula moaned against his mouth and clung tighter when Raithion lifted him, settling Azula’s legs around his hips as though he weighed nothing.
Raithion kept walking as they kissed, steady and sure, until he stopped at the guest bedroom door.
Azula broke the kiss and grabbed the doorjamb.
“No,” he said. “I won’t stay alone tonight.”
“Be good, Azula. Listen to me tonight.” Raithion tried to step through the open doorway, but Azula stretched both arms wide and clung tighter to the frame.
A smile tugged at Azula’s lips when Raithion’s grip tightened around his thighs. He might want to leave Azula in the guest room, but Raithion did not want to risk letting him fall.
“Raithion,” Azula said in a sing-song tone. “What did you say to me earlier? You wanted to know when I would take up the habit of kissing you. The moment is here. The time has come. Let’s go to your room. If you don’t take me there, we’ll sleep standing right here. I’m a very det…distur…very d-determined man tonight.”
“Disturbed by alcohol is the right phrase,” Raithion said, looking at him helplessly. “Fine. First, let go of the doorjamb. What will I do if you fall? I’m worried you’ll crack your head open if you tip backward, handsome prince.”
“Are you tricking me?” Azula asked, narrowing his eyes.
“No. I wouldn’t dare trick you.”
“You’d better not.” Azula still held on to the doorjamb. He leaned back, testing him, and Raithion moved at once to keep him from falling.
Satisfied, Azula released the frame and wrapped his arms around Raithion’s shoulders again. He buried his face against Raithion’s neck and breathed in the clean, warm scent of him.
The teasing fell out of Azula before he could stop it.
“Raith, don’t leave me alone tonight. Can you hold me for one night?” His voice came out softer than he intended. “I just want to know what it feels like.”
Raithion went still.
For one aching second, Azula wondered whether he had asked for too much. Then Raithion turned and carried him down the corridor to his own room without protest. He held Azula carefully.
Thankfully, the bedroom door stood open, and Raithion pushed it closed with his foot.
Azula chuckled when Raithion placed him on the bed. He reached for the covers and crawled beneath them himself, smiling with drunken satisfaction. When Raithion drew back, Azula caught his wrist.
“Where are you going?” Azula asked, sitting up in the bed. He met Raithion’s stunning green eyes and found himself unable to look away. “You promised to hold me. Bringing me here means you agreed.”
“I know, but I want to change and get ready for bed first. I’ll be right back,” Raithion soothed.
“You.” Azula tightened his grip on Raithion’s left hand and shook it. “Don’t lie to me. I can’t take it anymore, Raith. It hurts when you break your promises.”
“I won’t break my word.” Raithion leaned in and kissed Azula’s forehead. “I’m coming back. Lie down and wait for me.”
Azula sighed and fell back against the pillows. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them when he heard Raithion walk away.
He stared at the bed’s canopy. A minute might have passed, perhaps more. All he knew was that he waited with his heart racing until Raithion returned and climbed into bed beside him.
The instant Raithion’s arms settled around him, Azula moved into his warmth and buried his face against Raithion’s chest. His scent was clean, a soothing blend of lavender and tea tree. Raithion’s hand traveled over his back in slow, gentle strokes, and Azula breathed him in, allowing his eyes to close.
“I wanted to hold you, too,” Raithion murmured.
Warmth unfurled in Azula’s chest. He wrapped his arms around Raithion and held on tightly, savoring the unfamiliar comfort of being wanted close.
The memory faded there.
Azula opened his eyes and found Raithion watching him with a knowing expression.
“You may have my bed for as long as you want it,” Raithion said, placing his report on the bedside table.
Azula smiled and pushed his unruly hair back in a casual gesture, hoping Raithion would not notice how deeply the offer pleased him.
“I liked it when you held me last night,” Azula said, meeting Raithion’s gaze. “Did you like it?”
“I loved it.”
The simple answer sent a pleasant shiver through Azula.
Raithion shifted closer on the bed, caressed Azula’s right cheek, and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.
“Last night, you asked to be with me,” Raithion said, his voice gentle. “I didn’t allow it.”
Azula hissed and closed his eyes, embarrassed by the memory of his own forwardness.
“No.” Raithion gently tilted Azula’s chin upward. “Look at me, Azula. I need you to understand me.”
Azula reluctantly opened his eyes and met Raithion’s green gaze.
Raithion gave him a helpless look, one that stripped away Azula’s embarrassment and left him breathless instead.
“I want you that way too,” Raithion said. “I want to strip you naked, lay you on my bed, and make love to you until we forget the past and stop fearing the future. I want us lost in nothing but the present.” His thumb brushed slowly across Azula’s cheek. “But you were drunk last night, my love.”
Azula swallowed. Raithion’s words settled low in his belly, leaving heat in their wake.
“I am terrible with alcohol,” Azula whispered.
“Yes, I gathered that.” A small smile played over Raithion’s lips as he caressed Azula’s bottom lip with his thumb. “I need you to be sober when we finally take that step. I never want you to doubt your judgment when you’re intimate with me. I don’t want you to wake the next day with regret. I know what that feels like, and I…”
His voice faltered.
Azula’s desire softened beneath a rush of understanding. He pressed his hand over Raithion’s lips and held his gaze. His thoughts returned to the confession Raithion had made by the lake on Sura Island. Raithion’s late wife had used aphrodisiacs on him, stripping away his ability to consent and robbing him of his free will.
Azula pulled Raithion into his arms and held him tightly. His heart ached for the terrible wound Raithion carried beneath his strength.
“I understand,” Azula murmured into Raithion’s ear. “We’ll do it when we’re both clearheaded.”
Raithion’s arms tightened around him for a moment before he pressed a kiss to Azula’s temple. His fingers combed gently through Azula’s hair.
Still holding him, Raithion asked, “Azula, why won’t you braid my hair?”
Azula rested his chin on Raithion’s shoulder.
“I’m a mourning chief, Raith. I won’t even braid my own hair until there is justice for my father and the members of my clan. I can’t make promises to a lover yet.” He drew back far enough to search Raithion’s face. “I can only kiss you wildly for now. Does that upset you?”
Raithion sighed. “I suppose not. I have my own grievances to settle in the capital. We’re in the same boat.” His hand continued its soothing path along Azula’s back. “If you won’t braid my hair now, will you at least allow me to accompany you until you get justice?”
Azula bunched the fabric of Raithion’s black shirt in his fist and closed his eyes as he rested against Raithion’s warmth.
“Mm. I would like that very much,” Azula said. “Don’t be upset if it sometimes feels as though things are moving slowly between us. My people come first. They’re relying on me to get us through this. I need to…”
“I know,” Raithion said, rubbing Azula’s back. “I understand. I can wait, and I won’t grow frustrated with you.”
Relief loosened something inside Azula. He smiled and relaxed against him.
They sat holding each other for a while before Raithion spoke again.
“I’ll take you to see the evidence today. I promised I would. We also need to start planning our trip to the capital. I think we should leave on Saturday.”
“That only gives us today and tomorrow,” Azula said, drawing back to look into Raithion’s eyes.
“Mm. The sooner we reach the capital, the better. Then we can plan your meeting with the Basileus.” Raithion studied him. “Nervous?”
“No.”
Azula rested his elbows on Raithion’s shoulders and reached up to touch his eyelashes. They were longer than he had expected. The discovery pleased him for reasons he could not explain, and he grinned.
“Raith.”
“Yes?”
“Raithion,” Azula said, studying his eyes.
“Yes?”
“Lord Raith.”
“Mm?”
“Draeya Prince,” Azula said with a soft chuckle.
“Yes?”
Azula bit his bottom lip as his gaze drifted to Raithion’s mouth.
“May I call you Raith? I like it best.”
“Always.” Raithion kissed his cheek. “Does this mean you’ll stop calling me the Master of the Blades of Ashes?”
Azula studied the hopeful expression on Raithion’s face for a moment.
“Maybe we can change what the name means,” Azula said, smoothing his fingers over the frown between Raithion’s brows. “What? Do you want me to take back the blades?”
“No,” Raithion said, with a ton of unwillingness in his tone. “It’s only that every time you call me that, it feels as though you’re driving daggers into my heart.”
Azula sighed and ran his fingers through Raithion’s loose hair.
“At the time, that was what I meant to do,” he admitted softly, acknowledging the hurt they had inflicted on each other. “My father was the sky and earth to our clan. When he died so unfairly…” Azula’s chest tightened. “We cried enough tears to fill a lake. We were all lost without him. I couldn’t think clearly, and I turned that pain against you.”
“I deserved—”
Azula kissed Raithion, gently silencing him before he could finish.
Raithion went still beneath the kiss, then softened into it. The tender response made Azula linger for one heartbeat longer than he had intended.
When Azula drew back, he kept their faces close.
“Now that I know everything, I understand that you didn’t deserve my rage. You have done enough for the Sura.” Azula brushed his thumb over Raithion’s cheek. “Thank you, Raith. I respect you for your heart. There is no other like it.”
Raithion smiled, and the sight warmed Azula deeply.
“So, we’ll find a way to change what the title Master of the Blades of Ashes means,” Azula said. “Do you believe me?”
He searched Raithion’s eyes.
“Raith?”
“Mm. As long as you stop looking at me with angry eyes. I can’t stand it anymore.”
Azula chuckled and tilted his head as he studied Raithion. Then he widened his eyes dramatically.
“Should I look at you like this? Or…” Azula blinked rapidly. “Like this?”
Raithion laughed.
The sound was open, beautiful, and startlingly happy. Azula could not help smiling with him. He wanted to hear that laugh again. He wanted to become one of the reasons for it.
A knock sounded at the door, and Raithion reluctantly pulled away from Azula’s embrace. He climbed off the bed, then paused long enough to bend down and kiss Azula’s lips before going to answer the door.
Azula sighed and pushed the covers away. He slid off the comfortable bed, then paused when he saw the blades they had been discussing displayed on a carved wooden stand.
The two blades were separated, no longer clipped together. A black tassel decorated the end of one sword.
Azula stepped onto the carpeted floor and walked slowly toward the display, stretching his arms above his head.
He stopped in front of the stand and picked up both blades. Turning their ends toward each other, he tried to clip them together. The mechanism was as familiar to him as dressing himself.
But the snap he expected never came.
The lock failed, and the blades refused to become one.
Azula frowned at the handles before returning the blades to their stand.
They truly did need a new meaning, he decided. Perhaps only then would they snap together again.
Raithion had left with his guest.
Azula left Raithion’s room as well and headed to the guest room to dress for the day.
****
Two hours later, after a delicious breakfast, Raithion took Azula to the rear of the manor. A secure compound had been built near the Draeya Legion barracks. It was guarded at all hours, and escaping from it would be difficult.
Azula, Sennin, and Wolfe followed Raithion and Haedor into the fortified square. The legion officers who passed them saluted Raithion with military discipline. Three smaller buildings stood inside the compound.
“Is this some kind of prison?” Sennin asked Haedor.
“It’s a secure compound built to hold the people who live here,” Haedor said. “We couldn’t keep them in the village where the Sura live. Some of them want the full protection of the legion officers. Others we’re guarding to make sure they remain here. That is why this compound was built.”
Azula kept pace with Raithion as they approached the first cottage on the right side of the compound. Haedor hurried ahead and knocked on the door. They waited several minutes, listening to shuffling inside, before the door opened.
The man who answered was tall, with gray at his temples and an eyepatch covering his left eye. The moment he saw Raithion, he gasped and stumbled backward, nearly falling.
“Huga Nedin,” Raithion said. “Your reckoning is here. Are you ready?”
Huga gulped and glanced into the house with panicked eyes. He hurried outside and quickly closed the door behind him. He moved away from the entrance, forcing the others to follow him into the small yard.
“Draeya Prince, I wouldn’t dare go back on my word, but you promised to protect my family. Does that promise still stand?” Huga asked.
“I’ve kept that promise,” Raithion said. “There is no reason for your family to leave here. They can continue living in this cottage.”
“But once we’ve settled the case and caught the villain…” Huga started.
“I have no intention of keeping them here,” Raithion said. “They’ll be free to go wherever they please, as long as you keep your end of the bargain.”
Huga released a relieved sigh and turned his attention to Azula, Sennin, and Wolfe.
“The Draeya Prince has kept me here as a living witness in the forged-silver case,” Huga said. “I was one of the two men who led the team that stole the Sura Clan’s carriages. I survived by my wits when the Draeya Prince’s legion officers attacked our group. A year later, they caught me in Witia State, where we had fled to hide from the man who hired us.”
“Who hired you?” Azula asked.
Huga glanced at Raithion before answering. “A man named Sazama.”
Azula turned to Raithion, a question in his gaze.
“Sazama is a trusted aide to the minister of finance, Gesi Ajai,” Raithion said. “We have no solid evidence tying Ajai to the orders, apart from Huga’s testimony. Sazama is careful and difficult to track.”
Azula drew a deep breath and looked back at Huga. This was the first solid evidence proving the Sura Clan’s innocence. His body trembled as he studied Huga’s contrite expression.
“Were you one of the men who murdered the drivers and their assistants?” Azula asked, his voice shaking with emotion.
Huga held his gaze for a moment, then looked at the ground.
“I was one of them. All the others are dead. I’ll take responsibility for the lives we took.”
Azula scoffed and stepped back. A laugh escaped him as he shook his head, but there was no humor in it. Unshed tears stung his eyes.
“Take responsibility,” Azula repeated. “You confess your crimes so easily, as though that will fix everything. Twelve families lost their breadwinners. Husbands, sons, and brothers are gone because you wanted to stage a performance for a villain. All you have to say is that you’ll take responsibility?”
Azula nodded sharply.
“Fine. Let’s do that. Keep yourself alive until you stand before the Lyrian Basileus. Eat well, sleep well, and don’t you dare get sick.”
He turned to Raithion. “Can my guards assist yours in protecting this man?”
“He is yours to deal with as you wish,” Raithion said.
Azula nodded and looked at Wolfe. “Assign three guards to him. Make sure nothing happens to him.”
“I will, Your Highness,” Wolfe said.
Azula gave Huga one last intense look and started to leave, but Raithion caught his left arm gently.
The touch stopped Azula more effectively than words. Raithion’s grip was firm enough to hold him but careful enough not to restrain him. Even through his anger, Azula noticed the distinction.
“There are two more people you need to meet,” Raithion said, leading him toward a larger house surrounded by a neat garden on the left side of the compound. “Don’t lose your temper. Are you going to become angry with everyone and walk away?”
“I have reason to be angry,” Azula said. He turned to glare at Huga, who remained in the yard watching them leave.
“I know.” Raithion’s voice softened, coaxing Azula’s attention back to him. “But haven’t I kept them here for you to deal with? Calm down. You can’t lose control when you’re this close to uncovering the truth.”
Azula cursed under his breath. He glanced at Raithion, who was watching him with infuriating patience.
Raithion had spent years protecting these witnesses for him. Remembering that took some of the sharpness from Azula’s anger, though he was not yet ready to admit it aloud.
They stopped before the green door of the larger, charming cottage.
This time, several minutes passed before the door opened. A young man with short brown hair stood there, supporting an old man with white hair who leaned on a walking stick.
“Lord Raith,” the young man said in greeting.
“Lachan,” Raithion said. “Master Sinsa.”
“You finally showed up,” Sinsa said with a small smile. “I was beginning to think we would spend the rest of our lives here.”
“In your case, that might be true,” Haedor said, though his tone was teasing.
Lachan chuckled and glanced at Azula.
“And this is?” Lachan asked.
“Prince Azula of the Sura Nation,” Raithion said. “He is here to retry the forged-silver case.”
“You saved them!” Sinsa exclaimed, turning to Azula as his eyes brightened with excitement.
He held out a trembling hand, and Azula took it carefully.
“You kept your word, you fake inspector general,” Sinsa said with a laugh. “So, the Sura still exists? Did they survive the purge?”
Azula glanced at Raithion in confusion. Raithion gave him a reassuring nod, and Azula turned back to Sinsa.
“We reached our island,” Azula said. “We live well, and our people have flourished. Master Sinsa, we suffered terrible losses during the purge, but we learned how to live with the pain. Since then, we have thrived.”
“That is good news,” Sinsa said. “Come inside. These old bones of mine can’t stand for long. Sit with me, and I’ll tell you what I’ve wanted to say for five years.”
Azula followed Sinsa and Lachan into a neat living room. Lachan helped Sinsa settle into an armchair, then invited Azula to sit on the long couch opposite him with Wolfe and Sennin.
Raithion moved to stand beside the windows, his arms crossed over his chest. Haedor took his place beside him.
“Young prince, I was the one who identified traces of Sura ore in the forged silver coins,” Sinsa said, drawing Azula’s full attention.
“You doomed us,” Azula said.
“That fake inspector general promised to protect your clan,” Sinsa said, nodding toward Raithion. “I remembered a similar case that led to the massacre of the Black Cove Clan. I was terrified of mentioning the Sura in connection with the forged silver. But I had no choice. I needed to submit the evidence because the counterfeit silver was harming people, but Raithion promised to keep your clan alive.”
Azula glanced at Raithion.
Raithion had turned his back to him, his attention seemingly fixed on the view outside. The rigid line of his shoulders told Azula he was listening to every word.
Azula’s chest tightened. How much more had Raithion done in secret? How many burdens had he carried while allowing Azula to hate him?
“When the case was closed prematurely, I tried to raise the alarm. I knew the Sura clan was innocent, but they would not listen to me,” Sinsa continued with a sigh. “But someone tried to kill me to ensure my silence. The Draeya Prince saved me and brought me here. Later, I was able to determine how those counterfeit coins had been made. The difference in metal-forging skill was obvious. The Sura have superior techniques, but the counterfeit coins were produced using the same inferior methods employed by the new owners of the metal workshops in the city. These days, a gardening hoe barely survives a single tilling season. You can imagine the difference.”
Sinsa sighed and looked at Azula.
“I’ve been willing to testify for a long time. I only worried that this brat would arrive too late and I would have already gone to meet my ancestors.”
Lachan made a protesting sound, drawing a smile from Sinsa.
“This child beside me saved me,” Sinsa said. “We worked together at the inspectorate. He knows the details of the assaying process as well as I do. He has also been forced to live in hiding because he signed the report we prepared together.”
Lachan looked at Azula and nodded.
“We still have the assaying report and our experimental notes,” Lachan said. “I’ll bring them out for you in a moment. We’re willing to appear before the court and testify. Hopefully, we’ll at least regain the lives we were forced to abandon in the city.”
Azula leaned back, absorbing the news.
“The evidence you have is enough to prove that the Sura did not forge the coins and that our ore was stolen,” Wolfe said. “However, we still have no evidence identifying the person who produced the counterfeit silver.”
“It will be a long road,” Sinsa said. “You need more evidence, but what you have is enough to appease the people and begin a formal investigation. Be prudent.”
Azula nodded in agreement and settled in to speak further with Sinsa.
They finished reviewing the evidence around lunchtime. Wolfe and Sennin left to arrange for three of Azula’s guards to join Haedor’s legion officers.
Raithion and Azula walked back to the main house.
Raithion took Azula’s hand and led him toward his private study. The simple gesture sent an unexpected warmth through Azula. Raithion did not seem to think twice about touching him now, and Azula found himself curling his fingers around Raithion’s instead of merely allowing himself to be led.
Inside the study, Raithion retrieved a sealed leather folder from a safe in the wall. Azula untied the heavy binding on the folder and opened it, glancing at Raithion, who stood on the opposite side of the desk.
Raithion smiled at him.
Azula looked down before that smile distracted him and discovered a written confession from a man named Levi.
“He’s the man from the magistrate’s office at the port,” Azula said, glancing up at Raithion.
“Yes. I couldn’t save his life in time,” Raithion said. “As for the reason why…”
“We had him in custody,” Azula interrupted.
“Yes,” Raithion said. “My father’s guards took control of the mercenaries we captured because of the political agreement he made with Gesi Ajai. Levi’s life was one of those sacrificed to convince Gesi Ajai that the case would be concluded as he wanted.”
Azula clutched the folder against his chest and stared at Raithion.
“How much trouble will you be in if you continue doing this?” Azula asked. “Your father…”
“My father has released me from every promise made during that period,” Raithion said. “Naeri’s death and Yulin’s poisoning were payment enough. Now…”
Azula closed his eyes.
The cost Raithion had paid struck him with breathtaking force. Raithion spoke of death, betrayal, and poisoned loyalties with frightening restraint, but Azula had begun to recognize what lived beneath his calm. Raithion worried quietly, suffered privately, and protected others without expecting gratitude.
Azula walked around the desk and entered Raithion’s personal space. He stopped close enough to feel Raithion’s warmth and held his gaze.
“I’ll help you find the culprit,” Azula said. “We’ll both get justice. I’ll work hard for it.”
Raithion cupped Azula’s cheeks. The touch was tender, but the worry in his green eyes was not.
“Azula, promise me you’ll be careful in the capital,” Raithion said softly. “Gesi Ajai is a cunning man. Once he recognizes you as a thorn in his side, he’ll attack where you least expect it.”
Azula’s heart softened. He covered one of Raithion’s hands with his own, unwilling to pull away from the warmth of his palm.
“How did I never realize that you worry so much?” Azula asked with a smile.
Raithion wrinkled his face. “I just know how to hide it better.”
“I suppose you do.” Azula kissed him.
He meant the kiss as thanks, but the instant their lips met, gratitude deepened into something warmer. Raithion’s hands remained on his face, holding him with such care that their kiss lingered. For a few precious seconds, the past and the dangers waiting in the capital faded.
When Azula drew back, he stayed close enough for their breath to mingle.
“Thank you for gathering all this evidence,” Azula said. “I’ll use it well.”
Raithion studied him for a moment, as though he wanted to say more. Instead, he brushed his thumb over Azula’s cheek.
“Then let’s find something to eat,” Raithion said. “Afterward, I’ll give you a proper tour of the estate. Life here isn’t always so serious.”
Azula smiled. “I can’t wait to discover what else you’re hiding in this place.”
“Fireworks and dances,” Raithion said. “We’ll have to see if you can dance.”
The teasing answer sent a pleasant warmth through Azula.
Raithion wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him out of the study. Azula settled easily against his side, loving how naturally they fit together.
They stopped first at the guest room, where Azula placed the folder inside one of his trunks and locked it away. Then they headed to the dining room, where they found Sharian laying out a delicious lunch.
****
Sui Writes 
Leave a comment