then I shouted to the barkeep, “We need another round!”
King Traevon’s coffers had been spent aplenty at this particular tavern over the past twelve years. No apologies would ever be given from me. Or Caspian. If the king wanted to call this a ‘vacation,’ then we treated it as such. With much, much ale most nights.
We kindly splurged for our guards, too.
We handed them coin for the night, and they pretended not to notice when we snuck out the back of the summer house for our nights of jolly fun. It did help that my people had not a damn clue who I really was, or who Caspian was. They believed we were simply acquaintances of the king’s soul mate, Minnie, and we were renting the royal summer abode until King Traevon deigned to visit again. The perks of being a reclusive princess and the king’s secret assassin, no one was the wiser—as long as they never snuck into the stables and saw my Fae-gifted pegasus, seeing as only rulers and their heirs had them.
One poor fellow had done just that.
I still wasn’t sure what happened to him.
My guards quietly handled the issue, thank the Fae above and below. Even though I had taken care of ‘business’ once with Father, I was in no rush to smell molten flesh again. There were nights when I swore the stench was still stuck in my nostrils, even if Caspian had sniffed at my nose and told me he only smelled pampered bullshit.
I smelled the air carefully. There was no hint of burned anything tonight if you didn’t count the wooden logs aflame inside the large rock fireplace in the corner that heated the tavern. That smelled like chestnuts, pleasant and unassuming.
Jenavene set our new tankards down on the table in front of us, her ample bosom spilling out of her low top directly in front of my eyes. Flirting, always flirting with me, even though she knew I was only interested in men. She never gave up. I had to give her that.
She winked. “Is there anything else you need?”
I hiccupped through my drunken chuckle. “I think we’re good. Thank you, Jenavene.”
“Actually, I would like some stew…” Caspian’s voice trailed off, an irritated scowl promptly gracing his pretty features.
Jenavene was already walking away, her hips swaying.
I snorted and grabbed my new drink. “There, my friend. I’d like to say she doesn’t do that on purpose, but I’m pretty sure she does.”
“It is so annoying. She doesn’t treat any of the other men like that here.” His belch was long and loud. “I don’t understand.”
I bumped the side of my head against his. His arm still slung over my shoulders; our posture sloppy drunk on our wooden chairs. “It’s very simple, Caspian. I just don’t think she likes you.”
His attention lurched to me, his uncovered dark blue eye wide in fake astonishment. “But…but…I’m so sweet.”
I burst out laughing right in his face, perhaps a bit of spittle splattering his nose. “You are only sweet to the women you take to your bed, and that’s before you take them. Afterward, you are a complete prick.”
“For shame. I never act that way.” His crooked smirk flashed.
“Sure, my friend. Sure. You are as holy as they come.”
“Actually, I have had women tell me that it is an entirely holy experience when I make them—”
I slapped my free hand over his mouth, stopping the rest of his sure to be disgusting sentence. “I think I understand. No words are needed.”
Muffled behind my hand, he muttered, “You wound me.”
“You’ll get over it.” I removed my palm from his mouth when he decided biting it with his damned fangs was the best option. I pushed his new tankard toward him. “Finish this off. It’s getting late, and we’re going to pass out here if we aren’t careful.”
Caspian’s eye roll matched my own. “Yes, one time of Jenavene’s cranky father smacking us awake with a broom was enough. I’d rather not have a repeat of that not so entertaining morning again.”
“Agreed.” We toasted once more. “To my birthday.”
“To your birthday, Trix. May you have many more to come, with plenty of cock that doesn’t bore you to tears, and no more views of a beach for the foreseeable future.”
“I’ll drink to that!”
As one, we chugged our last drinks.
I put my tankard down and tossed plenty of coins inside it.
Caspian slammed his empty tankard on the table and stood up on wobbly legs, extending his hand to me. “Shall we?”
“We shall!”