Punch Drunk Love
I woke up the next morning to my phone buzzing. I reached for it blindly, but instead, my fingers crumpled a small piece of paper. It was a note from Myers.
"Didn't have the heart to wake you.
You looked too peaceful.
I'll see you later today.
All my love,
M."
I couldn't help the wave of warmth that flooded through my chest, and my lips twitched into a small smile. My phone stopped buzzing, but started up again a minute later. I shook my head. "All right, all right! I'm coming." I mumbled, finally reaching my phone.
It was Ana De Luca. "Hello, Mr. Walker? I'm personally calling to confirm our photoshoot for today at noon?"
I rolled my eyes, knowing she was 'personally calling' so I would see how interested she was. It was a trick reporters used to make the nobles feel important, and boy did they love feeling important. "Yes, Ms. De Luca. Today, at the palace, at noon. The announcement will be made to the press later today, during the Five Kingdoms Festival."
"But I am the only one who will get access to the engagement pictures…"
"That's right."
"I was wondering if you and Duchess Camilla might also be agreeable to an interview, to discuss the wedding plans, the wedding party…"
I fought to contain a sigh. This woman was relentless. "Well, to be honest, we don't have much in the way of wedding plans yet, but how about you let me talk to Myers and we'll be in touch."
She was silent for a few seconds before answering, knowing very well that was the best she was going to get. "Very well. I look forward to hearing from you, Mr. Walker. I will see you later today."
"I'll see you later today." I replied, and Ana immediately hung up the phone.
Oh, boy… I shook my head, trying to clear the last few remnants of sleep from it, before calling Savannah. She answered after the third ring.
"Hello, big brother!"
"Hi, sis."
"Oof, you sound rough. Everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine. How's Bartie?"
"He's okay. He just finished his breakfast. Didn't you, baby?" She cooed, and I heard Bartie giggle in the background.
"Oh, good. Listen, I was calling to ask you a favor…"
"I'm all ears."
"I, uh… have a surprise photoshoot planned for Myers at noon today, and I was really hoping you'd come with me to get her a dress?" I asked hopefully.
"Aww…" Savannah sighed, and I fought not to roll my eyes, an embarrassed blush creeping up my neck. "That's really sweet, Drake."
"Yeah, yeah. Are you coming or not?"
That earned a laugh out of her. "Do you know her size?"
"No… but I know someone who does…"
"Okay, great! Come pick us up?"
"Yeah, I'll be there in 20." I told her.
"Great! Bartie and I will be ready!"
"Okay, sis, and… thanks."
"You're welcome! See you in a bit!"
"See you know in a bit." I hung up the phone with a smile, before going to the bathroom. I plastered a water-proof bandage on my shoulder, before getting in the shower. After a quick scrub, I changed my dressings carefully and walked back to my room to get dressed.
I took out my phone and texted Hana. "Hey, Hana."
"Hi, Drake!"
"I really need Myers' dress size, please… Don't ask, it's a surprise."
She sent me the "two eyes" emoji, before sending me a "narrowed eyes" emoji. I sent her a praying hands emoji. Hana answered after a moment. "Size 2, or S, depending on the dress and/or brand."
I raised my eyebrows, suddenly nervous. I didn't know that size depended "on the brand", or the dress itself! Thank God for Savannah, I thought. "Okay, thanks Hana!" I texted back.
"You're welcome! Happy shopping!"
I didn't know if it would be necessarily happy, but I knew Myers would appreciate it, and… After these last few days, I guess I really wanted to do something for her. She's been with me through everything these past few days, and I thought it was time I returned the favor. I got my keys, and drove to my sister's new apartment.
When I got there, Savannah opened the door, balancing Bartie on her hip and his baby bag on her other shoulder. I couldn't help but smile when I noticed Bartie clutching the dragon plushie tightly with his chubby arms. After a quick hug hello, I took her bag, helped her fasten Bartie into his baby car seat, and we drove away. "So," I told her, "where to?"
"Drake!" Savannah groaned. "I thought you would have a place picked out!"
"Why would I have a place picked out?" I shrugged, looking at her quizzically. "I know nothing about women's clothing. Hell, Hana just explained to me that size depended on the brand!" I was still bewildered by that…
"Well, yeah… isn't men's clothing like that too?"
"No… If you go to a store and buy a pair of jeans, size two, it doesn't matter the brand, they always fit the same."
"Wow, you guys have it so easy…" Savannah shook her head, chancing a look at the back seat to check on Bartie, before turning to me again. "Okay, so… what are you going to wear in the photoshoot? Something casual or a fancy tux?"
I groaned. "Uh… this? I don't know." I shrugged, already kind of stressed. What had I gotten myself into?
"Drake, relax! I think it's great if you decide to keep it casual! It drives the point home about how you and Milla are a 'royal couple of the people'!"
Oh, I hadn't thought about that! "Hey, you're right!"
"Of course I am!" Savannah grinned. "Take a left here." She ordered. "If we're going for casual, let's go to the mall, and browse a couple of stores. I'm sure we'll be able to find something."
After the sixth store, I was starting to get seriously disheartened.
Once we arrived at the mall, we'd first gone into a huge department store, and I held Bartie while Savannah browsed the women's section. She found nothing. Then we'd gone into a bohemian store that was heavily incensed and sold ridiculously expensive hippie dresses, and blouses, and skirts - which were apparently hand-stitched and environmentally friendly, which was why they were so expensive. We found nothing. The third store sold a myriad of stuffy looking blouses and skirts - something you'd wear to an office, not something you get engaged in.
The fourth store was an artsy store that sold graphic tees and graphic… dresses? I did not know those even existed. Needless to say, we found nothing. Savannah then had the great idea to go into a seriously preppy store, where they had a giant photograph of a half naked male model showing off the store's jeans… Jeans… right. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Anyway, all those dresses looked like something a prep would wear to go golfing with 'Daddy'. And finally, the sixth store was a vintage store, where all the dresses were… vintage. Meaning old. Between 80's-looking bubble dresses, and poodle skirts from the sixties, I merely shook my head and told Savannah I'd meet her outside.
She came outside after a few seconds. "Okay… We have to keep looking."
I looked at the time on my phone. It was already eleven a.m. "Savannah… maybe I should just call Myers, and ask her to get something from the palace boutique… The shoot's in an hour."
"No, Drake! I'm sure we'll-" She stopped talking as something behind me caught her eye. Without another word, she walked past me. I turned and saw her go into a small dress shop: NOAMA.
I sighed, sharing a look with Bartie. "Goo…?" He looked at me with raised eyebrows.
"I know, buddy. I don't think we'll find anything either, but… let's just humor your mom, okay?"
He giggled.
"Okay. Are you in this with me?"
"Gaaaah." He began flapping his arms, the dragon plushie almost smacking me in the face.
"Okay!" I cracked my neck. "Let's do this!"
"Aaaaah!"
I chuckled, securing Bartie, and went inside. The store was small, tiny even, compared to the other stores we'd gone into and was filled with different styles of dresses. Savannah was already looking around, talking with the sales woman.
"- all of our dresses are 100% Peruvian cotton of the highest quality. All of them are one of a kind and exclusive, since we only import one model of every dress."
"From Latin America?" Savannah asked, almost gaping.
"Yes." The sales woman, a small woman with tan skin, brown eyes and sleek black hair, turned to me. "Can I help you, sir?" She asked kindly.
"He's with me. We're actually looking for a dress for his fiancee, for an engagement shoot." Savannah told her.
"How marvelous! Let's see if we can find something you like. Maybe something a tad more formal."
She led us a couple of steps away, to the other corner of her tiny store, where she had longer, breezy sundresses that were actually a tad more sophisticated. Savannah's eyes widened as she zeroed in on the dresses, and I actually had to admit these dresses were a vast improvement from all others I'd seen today.
"Um… what sizes are those?"
"Every single dress in my store is standard size, meaning one size fits all." One size fits all? This woman was an angel! "Now, I'll give you both some privacy. Please, don't hesitate to ask if you need anything else." She walked away.
Savannah immediately zoomed in on the various dresses, feeling the fabric between her fingers. I reached out to touch the skirt of a red dress. Wow, that is soft!
"Wow… these are gorgeous!" Savannah began sifting through all the dresses, looking at each of them with a critical eye. She took a deep purple dress with a long skirt and geometric patterns on it off the rack and handed it to me. "Option 1." She murmured. Then, she kept on browsing, and pulled out a red dress, and handed it to me. "Option 2…" A white dress with large flowers was next. "Option 3… and option 4." She practically threw the last dress at me. It was a violet dress that had smaller, prettier flowers on it. "So… what do you think?" Savannah asked me.
She took the dresses from me and hung them facing front on a different rack. I tried to picture each and every one of them on Myers. The first one - the purple with geometric patterns - didn't really feel right. Looking at it, I knew it was something Myers would wear. She and Savannah had surprisingly similar taste. But maybe it wasn't something she'd wear for today? It wasn't… I don't know, romantic enough, I guess.
The red one would also fit her beautifully. It was a simply cut dress, with thick straps and a heart shaped cleavage, and I knew it would fit her like a glove. She would look so damn sexy… I grinned as I pictured her in the red dress. But when I pictured her in it, I pictured us going out to dinner or to a fancy party or something. It didn't exactly scream "casual photoshoot".
The white one… I honestly didn't like it that much. The huge flowers kind of put me off. Don't get me wrong, I liked flowers… but that big? On a dress? Not so much.
Finally I looked at the violet one, trying to picture it on Myers. The halter neck would show off her neck and her shoulders, and the sash in the middle would show off her tiny waist. Myers would look beautiful. And I could picture wearing this for today. It was just the right touch of "casual" and "fancy" I was aiming for this photoshoot.
"I think… I'm going to go with the fourth one." I told her. "What do you think?"
"I honestly like them all. That's why I picked them out." Savannah grinned. "So it's your choice. You know Milla best anyway."
"Okay. Let's go with that one. What do you think, buddy?" I asked Bartie, who simply squealed and laughed. "Yeah, you're right. I trust your judgement." I told him, taking the dress and heading to the counter.
The saleswoman smiled at me, her eyes darting to the dress in my hands. "I see you have made your decision. Excellent choice, sir. I'm sure your fiance will love it."
"Thank you. I'm sure she'll like it too."
After paying for the dress, I went to a flower shop and got Myers a bouquet of lilies, her favorite flowers. Then, I decided to treat my sister and Bartie to a late breakfast - or a second breakfast, in their case - before going back to their apartment to drop them off. Afterwards, I drove to the palace and headed for the west wing, to the royal's quarters. I remember Myers had said something about meeting Liam, Bastien, and Constantine before the Festival.
When I got to the hallway, I grinned as I saw Myers coming out of the royal family's private dining room, until I saw a blur from the corner of my eye. I was about to step forward, when I felt a hand on my good shoulder. I turned around to find Bastien, who put a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture, and shook his head. I raised a questioning eyebrow, and he motioned for me to look back at Myers. A woman in a suit - I immediately recognized her as a member of the Guard - appeared out of nowhere and began throwing punches at Myers.
She screamed and squealed, narrowingly and clumsily dodging the Guard's blows. "Hey, what the hell?!" Myers yelled, clearly panicked. "Fuck, shit, fuck, shit! Help!"
The woman lifted her leg in a kick, stopping just before actually hitting Myers' stomach. "You're about as defenseless as a duckling. Now I see why they gave me this assignment."
I turned back to Bastien, meeting his concerned gaze with one of my own. That was… bad. Pretty bad.
"Ooookay, back up. Who are you?" Myers asked.
"I'm Mara. Isn't it obvious?"
"You're… my new bodyguard?" Myers guessed.
Mara smiled. "Correct. You're smart. That's good."
The corners of my lips twitched upwards at that. Of course she's smart. Myers has always said she's a total nerd. Although… Now that I think about it, I think that might be even more true than I thought. Myers has always been bookish… I doubt she's ever been into sports, and it's obvious she has absolutely no fighting experience or training - which makes sense, I mean, why would she? But it was definitely something we would have to work on.
"So this is what Bastien meant." Myers said, causing me to look back up at him. He merely nodded.
"I asked him not to be specific so I could surprise you and see for myself what we're working with. Bastien said you needed the best protection, and I'm here to offer the best that I can."
"So, do I just call you Mara? Do you have… a last name?" I watched as Myers' eyes lit up. "A secret code name? Ooh, like Death's Shadow or the Royal Dagger?"
I couldn't help but snicker.
"Mara's just fine." Mara said with an indulgent smile.
Myers looked unconvinced. "So… we'll keep brainstorming, then?"
Mara simply shook her head, grinning. I nodded to Bastien, before making my way towards them. Myers turned at the sound of my footsteps, and smiled at me. "Hey, Myers. Who's this?"
"Drake, Mara. Mara, Drake."
Mara's eyes lit up in recognition. "It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard plenty of stories from Bastien."
I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows, unconsciously turning back to where Bastien had been mere seconds ago. "Stories?"
"Mara's my new bodyguard." Myers explained.
I nodded, unconsciously rubbing my wounded shoulder. "It's about time Liam got you one. But I, uh, wanted to ask you something." My eyes darted nervously to Mara. Her eyes widened just a bit, and she stepped back with a nod. "The other day I was thinking about how I could help with the wedding announcement and stuff, and I thought… I don't know, maybe, if you wanted to... we should get some engagement photos done. Press for the wedding, mementos… that sort of thing." I shrugged nonchalantly.
Myers' gave me a surprised grin, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "Drake…" She said with her aww voice, "are you inviting me to a romantic photoshoot? Voluntarily?"
I couldn't help but blush a bit, but met her eyes with a straight face. "You know I'd do anything for you, Myers." I shrugged. "I mean, I've already taken a bullet for you." Myers grimaced a bit. "This would probably only be slightly worse." I joked.
Myers shook her head slightly, before moving to wrap her arms around my neck. "You're the best. I love you." She pressed her lips to mine in a soft kiss. "There's no way I'd pass up a photoshoot with my fiance."
I pressed my forehead against hers, breathing her in. "You calling me that still feels too good to be true, Myers."
"Well, you'll have plenty of time to get used to it."
"Before we go, I uh… got you a couple of things." I held up the bouquet and the bag awkwardly.
Myers reached for the flowers first. "Oh my god…" She leaned to kiss me again. "You… are the sweetest. This is the first time a guy's ever given me flowers before."
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah…" She nodded, reaching into the bag next. Myers pulled out the dress, her eyes widening. "You got this for me?"
I nodded. "I figured you might want something new for the pictures."
"I can't wait to try it on! Wait here." She ducked into the bathroom, and after a few minutes, she came out, smiling widely. I couldn't help my jaw dropping, as the dress hugged every single one of her curves beautifully. Myers turned ever so slowly. "Wow, Drake… you have good taste. Or…" She narrowed her eyes. "Did you enlist Savannah's help?"
"Heh, caught me. How'd you guess?"
She laughed. "Fashion has never been your strong suit. Now, don't take it personally. It's never been my strong suit either." She winked.
"Hey, I do alright. Don't I?"
"It's okay. You have other talents." Myers laughed.
I shook my head, looking at the time on my phone. It was almost noon. "We should probably head over and meet the photographer. I don't think she takes kindly to being left waiting…"
We began walking down the hall, hand in hand. "I still can't quite believe you arranged an engagement shoot, with a photographer and everything." Myers said.
"Not much of a shoot without someone behind the camera."
"It isn't just that, it's the whole thing. It doesn't seem very… you."
I shrugged. "I just wanted to do something nice, is all. I can't give you crowns and castles, like Liam can," From the corner of my eyes, I saw Myers frown. "But I… I can give you this."
"Drake… that stuff doesn't mean anything to me. If it did, don't you think I would've picked him, instead of the grumpy commoner?"
"Who are you calling grumpy?"
She stopped me and stepped in front of me, wrapping her arms behind my neck and pressing herself against my chest. "You. Drake Walker. Serious contender for grumpiest man in Cordonia. Don't worry, it's part of your charm."
I chuckled. "I'm glad you think so."
"What I'm trying to say is that all that fancy stuff pales in comparison to you. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited for the photoshoot, but you don't have to do this sort of thing to impress me."
"I get it, Myers… but you still have to let me treat you sometimes."
Myers smiled sweetly. "Deal. I love you, Drake Walker."
My chest tightened at her words and the way she was looking at me right now. "I love you too." I kissed her, slowly deepening the kiss, before we began walking away.
Before long, we arrived at the main hall, where Ana De Luca was waiting with all of her equipment. Her eyes lit up when she saw us. "Duchess Camilla, how delightful to see you again!" I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "And, er… is it Lord Drake, or…? Certainly not 'duke' yet?"
I shook my head. "Just Drake."
"Just Drake, it is. So, do we have a location for the shoot picked out?"
I looked around, beginning to get uncomfortable.
"I don't know… Drake?" Myers asked.
"Uh… sorry, I didn't know I had to-"
"The grand ballroom, perhaps?" Ana De Luca piped up. "Or I could get lovely framing on these stairs here."
I groaned quietly, really unconvinced. "Isn't it a bit, er… stuffy?"
Ana De Luca raised an elegant brow. "A celebrity engagement is an extravagant affair by nature. What's more appropriate than a palatial backdrop?"
I looked at Myers, who seemed equally unconvinced. Her eyes lit up suddenly. "I have the perfect place in mind. Follow me." Myers took my hand, while Ana De Luca gathered her equipment.
Myers led us through outside, through the palace gardens and back through the orchard.
"Here?" Ana asked.
Myers shrugged, a small smile on her face. "Yeah. This is much more… us."
"I see." Ana De Luca looked around, seemingly unconvinced, until a small smirk appeared on her face. "I can work with this. Authentic, a little rustic. The natural light is lovely." She turned back to us, nodded, and began setting up her equipment.
Myers turned back to me quietly. "Drake, what do you think?"
I looked around. The trees were blooming with bright red Cordonian rubies, their leaves gently rustling with the light breeze. "Myers… it's great."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
Myers nodded, grinning. "Good… those other places did seem stuffy. I can just imagine the bad prom picture poses she would've had us in."
I snickered. "Heh."
"Plus, I wanted us to be the focus, not the gold window trim."
I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Myers. Whether we're in a ballroom or an apple orchard, all eyes'll be on you."
Myers blushed a bit, shaking her head slightly.
Ana finished setting up the equipment, and so she began setting us up for the shoot. "I love the framing of the swing, so I'd like Duchess Camilla to sit there. Drake, you'll stand behind her."
Myers and I got into position. She sat on the swing with the bouquet of lilies on her lap. I stood behind her, placing a hand on her waist, and she leaned against me. Ana moved to fix Myers' hair a bit, placing a couple of strands over her shoulder, before moving to smooth down my shirt. Finally, she stepped back, and gave us an approving nod.
"Excellent. Country chic, perhaps? A celebrity couple for the common people." Ana moved behind her camera, and began snapping pictures. I tried to smile and not blink, or well, not to move in general. Ana raised her head. "Good start, but…" She looked directly at me. "You're looking a bit… stiff. An engagement picture should feel effortlessly romantic."
"Oh, uh… sorry." I tried to shake myself, trying to get loose and relaxed, before resuming the pose. I wrapped one hand around Myers, and the other on the swing chain. Suddenly, I felt Myers wrap her arm around my neck and pull me down. "Wha-" I was cut off as her lips met mine, the kiss a mixture of soothing and passionate. Wow. I moaned quietly as I melted into the kiss, until we finally pulled apart. Myers pressed her forehead against mine, still a little breathless.
"I love you." She whispered, pressing her lips softly to mine for the last time before turning back to the camera with a dazzling smile.
Ana was already behind the camera, snapping picture after picture. I couldn't help the grin on my face as I looked at it, completely relaxed. "Good… great…" Ana muttered, before finally walking towards us and showing us the pictures. There were a couple of us kissing, a couple with our foreheads pressed together, and the last ones were of us smiling at the camera.
"Wow, it's…" Myers was suddenly speechless.
"Perfect." I finished for her.
"My readers are going to adore this." Ana De Luca said. "It's so… real." Well, of course it's real… unlike Liam and Madeleine, Myers and I are actually in love. "Now, I have to get this back to the office for layout. Mr. Walker, Duchess Camilla, I will send you digital copies, as well as a couple of printed copies as soon as I'm able." She nodded at me.
"Thank you, Ms. De Luca." Myers told her.
Ana shook her head. "Please, call me Ana. And it was my pleasure, Your Grace. I will be in touch soon regarding the pictures, and hope to have them published by later today. I will see you both at the press conference." With a nod and a handshake, she left.
Myers turned back to me. "Drake, thank you for arranging all this. Being able to look at these pictures and think back on this day… how happy I am with you… it means a lot."
I shook my head, pulling her in for a hug. "It's nothing. You know I'd give you the world if I could."
"You already have. You're my world." Aw... "So, got any more surprises up your sleeve?"
"I'm fresh out."
"Alright, how about just a few more minutes of solo time?"
"You know I want nothing more… but we have a festival to attend. Liam is counting on us."
"So responsible…" She purred, pressing her frame into my chest. "But you're right, and Liam isn't the only one counting on us. But first… how are you feeling? Are you okay?"
I knew she was asking about last night. I shook my head. I honestly hadn't even thought about the nightmare until she mentioned it. "I'm fine. My gorgeous fiance helped me through it last night. It turns out, I slept like a baby."
"I know. You were snoring."
"Hey! You snore too, Myers."
"I do not!"
"You do! Really loudly, in fact. It's like sleeping next to a rhino."
"Shut up!" She smacked my good shoulder, pushing me away a bit, laughing.
I wrapped my arms tighter around her waist. "But seriously… thanks. Last night… it meant a lot that you were there for me." I told her sincerely.
Myers' eyes softened. "Always. Now, before we go, can I get a kiss?"
"Wouldn't let you go without one." I swept her up into my arms, bridal style, before kissing her fervently. Now it was Myers' turn to swoon, and she melted into the kiss. We parted with a sigh. "Myers…"
"It feels nice to be out in the open with you."
"Yeah, it sure does." No more hiding, no more looking over my shoulder, no more guilt… just me and her. I took her hand, and we set off for the palace together.
Once back in the hallway, we ran into Bertrand. "Camilla! Thank god. I've been looking all over for you."
"You've found me." Myers told him.
"Is everything okay?"
"It will be once we get Camilla to the boutique. This festival and the press conference will be your first public appearance since…" He grimaced. "Since the…"
"I know." Myers reached out and clasped his hand.
Bertrand squeezed back gratefully, before letting go. "Then you need to be dressed for the occasion! Quickly!" He began leading us rapidly to the boutique. "We need something commanding but calming… elegant but practical… simple, but…"
"How many adjectives am I going to be wearing?" Myers asked dubiously.
"As many possible ones as I can assemble." He answered curtly.
"Betrand, why are you so worried about this? I know me coming here didn't work out exactly as you thought, but I'm a duchess now. House Beaumont doesn't have to worry about me." Myers told him softly.
"Yeah, you shouldn't work yourself so hard." I added.
Betrand turned back to us, a pile of clothes on his hand. He looked at Myers tenderly. "Duchess or not, I'll always consider you a member of my house, Camilla. And thanks to your long association with us, the press will likely feel the same way. With Justin in the hospital, someone has to look out for your public appearances. Until we find a more suitable replacement that task falls to me." He turned back to the clothing racks. "Aha!" Bertrand turned, a hanger with a blouse in hand, and placed a blazer over it. In his other arms, he had a pair of sleek, black pants, which he handed to Myers, along with a pair of elegant heels. "And for the finishing touch…" He pinned a Cordonian crest to the lapels of the blazer.
"Wow." I blurted.
"You haven't lost your touch, Bertrand." Myers teased.
"Go, go, try it on!" He shooed her.
Myers laughed. "Going!" She slipped behind a changing room, winking at me before closing the curtain.
I blushed, and looked to Bertrand. He cleared his throat. "I will… pretend I didn't see that."
"Yeah…"
A few moments later, Myers stepped out from the dressing room. I raised my eyebrows, noticing that the pants fit her extremely well… I cleared my throat, shaking my head. "That's a good look for you." I complimented.
"I'd give it a ten." She nodded in agreement.
"Out of a hundred?" Betrand asked.
"Out of ten, Bertrand."
"Oh! Yes, of course. Excellent." He cleared his throat.
"Okay…" Myers said, as if trying to get herself pumped. "Okay. Five Kingdoms Festival, here I come!"
Myers and I stepped out into the palace gardens, to find a few nobles huddled together, and the common people on edge, glancing at everything uneasily. Even the reporters seemed a bit… off, all of them looking around cautiously behind the lens of their cameras. The different booths had been set up, but no one was really taking part in the festival itself. Myers and I shared a look, before Mara stepped up to us from the shadows.
"Everything looks clear here."
Myers nearly jumped next to me, clutching my hand tightly, before letting out a sigh of relief. "Where did you come from? I thought you were still inside the palace."
Mara smirked. "I do my best to stay out of my charges' way. But seeing as this is our first public event together, I wanted to confirm that your security is intact."
"That's a relief." Myers nodded.
"I know it can be hard to let your guard down after what the court has been through… But just remember, I've got your back from here on out."
"Mara… Thank you…" Myers grinned impishly. "Death's Shadow."
Mara merely rolled her eyes, shaking her head in order to hide a small smile. "Just doing my job, Your Grace. Now, get out there and enjoy yourself."
"Will do." Myers said, and I nodded to Mara.
We crossed the lawn, hand in hand, and I was fully aware of some paparazzi snapping pictures of us, while others whispered amongst themselves, "When did that happen?"
Myers merely ignored them, tightening her grip on my hand and flashing me an encouraging smile. We began making our way through the crowd, with Myers stopping to admire the banner of Queen Kenna. "Oh my god!" She whispered excitedly. "Is that the real Kenna Rys?"
"Yup."
"Wow, the resemblance between her and the actress on the show is uncanny. That must've been why they cast her - that and her talent, of course."
"You watched the Crown and the Flame?" I raised an eyebrow at her.
She blushed furiously, but held her head high. "Yeah… I've told you multiple times you're marrying a nerd! Of course I watched that show! And I read all three books! And wrote some seriously embarrassing fanfiction about it."
I chuckled. "Who did you ship Kenna with? Dom or Raydan?" I asked, out of genuine interest. I hadn't read the books, but Liam and I watched the show when it came out. It was based on Cordonian History, after all… Of course, that excuse didn't really run with Liam's tutors when we told them we were studying.
"Drake Walker knows the word 'ship'? As in 'nerdy, fandom shipping'?"
I rolled my eyes. "You're avoiding the question."
Myers blushed even harder. "Fine. But don't judge me!"
"I reserve that right, Myers."
She laughed, narrowing her eyes playfully in a faux dirty look. "Fine… I always kind of shipped Kenna with Diavolos Nevrakis."
If I had a drink, I would have spat it out in shock. "Diavolos? Seriously? He's Olivia's ancestor!" I turned my head until I found Olivia in the crowd, and shivered exaggeratedly.
"Yes, I know." Myers rolled her eyes. " But this was before I knew her… And I was in high school! And Olivia's not that bad! Anyway, yeah… I felt like Dom was better off with Sei, and Raydan… I don't know, he just didn't do anything for me. Diavolos, on the other hand, had that whole brooding, smoldering thing going on." She gave me a pointed look before continuing. "Besides, I love a good 'enemies to friends to lovers' trope."
I shook my head. "Yeah, I can tell." I told her pointedly, causing her to chuckle.
"Milla! Over here!" We turned back to find Maxwell jumping and waving near the fountain, Liam and Hana next to him.
We walked towards them, and after a few hugs hello, Myers commented, "This festival really is a big deal. But…" She looked around and lowered her voice. "Is it just me or does the crowd seem kind of nervous?"
Liam nodded, his face the picture perfect image of calmness, confidence, and control. "That's why it's important for us to be seen today. People will look to us for reassurance that it's safe to be out in the wake of the attack."
"So you're saying we've got a royal mandate to have fun?" Maxwell said, already dancing in place.
"There are so many activities to choose from." Hana looked around like a kid in a candy store. "If we map out a timetable, we might be able to do them all!"
I groaned inwardly. "I signed up for a good time, not making spreadsheets."
Hana opened her mouth to answer, Olivia sidled up to our group out of nowhere. She gave Hana, Maxwell and I a slight nod of acknowledgement, before her eyes landed on Myers. "Camilla. I see you're still in one piece."
The corners of Myers lips twitched, her dimples fluttering briefly to life, before reaching out to the Ice Queen and enveloping her in a hug. "Olivia!"
Olivia's eyes widened, and she looked stunned and horribly awkward, as she placed her arms around Myers, squeezing briefly before letting her go with a frown on her face. "That was as unnecessary as it was embarrassing."
I couldn't help but notice that the press was eating it all up, though. They were probably ecstatic to get pictures of two duchesses and former 'enemies' hugging it out. Not that I thought Myers did it for the press, of course. I think that she actually considered the Ice Queen a friend. Wow, that's a scary thought.
Myers simply shook her head, a tiny indulgent smile on her face. "I missed you, too. I didn't see you during the Ball. How did you get out of there?"
"I was near the back of the crowd when the assassins struck. I was in more danger of being trampled by screaming fools than of being wounded by those vermin."
"So are you staying at court after all?" Myers asked, with a hint of hope in her voice.
"Only for a few more days. I thought Liam could use whatever support I can provide." She shot him a quick look, and I could tell she was trying very hard not to blush.
"I appreciate it." Liam flashed her a grin, and she was a goner - a blush visibly ringing her cheeks
Olivia quickly scowled to hide it and lifted her chin proudly. "Of course. I don't expect half of the nobles here to stand by you should push come to shove. At least while I'm here, I can use what influence I have to shame any cowardly doubters that abandon their King." She nodded resolutely. "So, I'm off." And with that, she turned on her heel and walked away.
"Good to know she's still as Olivia as ever." Myers chuckled.
"If she wasn't, I'd be worried." Maxwell agreed.
"I need to see to some arrangements, but before I go…" Liam looked at me with narrowed eyes and a teasing smile. "I decree that Hana gets the first pick of festival activities."
My jaw dropped. "Seriously?" Dude, I'm your best friend!
Hana giggled. "I'm picking archery, Drake. How bad can it be?"
After a couple rounds of archery, a round of drinks and a round of apple bobbing, we had finally succeeded in getting people to relax and enjoy the festival. It was touch and go there for a while, but as people realized we were walking around seemingly without a care in the world, they decided to join in. And just like that, it was time for the press conference.
"Let's give them an announcement to remember!" Myers smiled at Liam, before squeezing my hand.
I pressed a quick kiss on her cheek. "For luck." I whispered, and Myers shot me a grateful look over her shoulder, before following Liam to the palace steps. Hana, Maxwell and I followed them, but decided to stay on the sidelines of the palace entrance.
"Good afternoon, everyone." Liam began. "Thank you for joining me here today." Cameras immediately began recording, news outlets probably streaming this live, as well as several microphones and cellphones were raised in his direction. Several flashes went off as well. "The Five Kingdoms Festival has long been a symbol of Cordonian resilience and unity."
"I see Duchess Camilla is already showing her support for her country." Ana De Luca piped up, nodding approvingly at her outfit.
"Not to mention her sense of style." Another reporter commented. I rolled my eyes as Myers flashed them her duchess smile. If only they knew it was Bertrand who picked out her clothes.
"She certainly is." Liam nodded in her direction.
Myers nodded back gratefully. "Thank you."
Liam cleared his throat. "In light of recent events, I believe it's more important than ever to remember the ties that bring us together. Thus, in that same spirit of unity, I have invited Duchess Camilla to share some news with you all."
Myers confidently stepped up to the podium. "Thank you, Your Majesty." She flashed him a genuine smile, before clearing her throat and turning back to the mob of reporters. "Drake Walker and I have just gotten engaged."
I saw several jaws literally drop, as well as some cameras immediately being aimed at me. I stood tall, and linked my hands behind my back, trying to keep my face passive and neutral. Hana briefly squeezed my shoulder in support, before looking back at the cameras with a dazzlingly sweet smile.
"Wow… Congratulations, you two." A reporter said.
"Thank you, Donnie." Myers spoke up again, and thankfully, all the cameras turned back to her. "We'll be visiting each of Cordonia's noble houses to personally invite them to the ceremony."
"If anyone wants to see more of Cordonia's most influential couple before they embark on their tour, Trend will be running an exclusive feature with their engagement photos." Ana De Luca added.
"That's correct." Myers confirmed.
I watched as the crowd began to clap slowly, before turning into a full on applause. Myers nodded her head in acknowledgement with a smile on her face.
"This is exciting news, Duchess Camilla. I'm sure we've all got questions about the tour."
"Agreed, Donnie." Ana cut him off. Sure, let's just cut in and not let him ask his question… "But first, I'd like to start with the question that's on all our readers' minds. Just how safe is Cordonia in the wake of last week's attack on the palace?"
"Safe?" Myers and Liam shared a look, before she got this steely look in her eyes. "We will be. I understand how worried everyone is, believe me. But these things take time. King Liam and the Royal Guard are taking every possible precaution against another attack."
"I feel a little safer knowing that. Thank you, Duchess Camilla." Donnie said.
"Thank you." Myers inclined her head in his direction.
"Do you have any idea who was behind the attack in the first place?" Ana asked.
"The Royal Guard is still searching for the attackers, but I promise we'll get to the bottom of this. I'm sure we all want an answer to that question, but I trust that King Liam won't rest until the people responsible are in custody."
Liam smiled gratefully at her, and a small bit of guilt wove its way through me as I managed to catch a glimpse of something else in his eyes… But I sighed, shaking my head. I tried to push the guilt away, because realistically, I knew his feelings wouldn't fade overnight. And that was okay. Just like he accepted Myers and I being together, I could accept that he would need time to get over her completely. I'd give him all the time he needed.
"A touching show of support from Duchess Camilla. Did you catch that?" Ana asked Donnie, bumping him on the shoulder.
"I sure did." He confirmed.
"I meant every word." Myers looked at Liam, before turning back to the press.
"Now, about this tour you mentioned, Duchess Camilla. I'm curious what-"
Phones among the crowd began to ring and buzz. I groaned. "Fuck. What now?" This had happened so many times, it was honestly becoming borderline cliche.
"I don't know…" Maxwell said, taking out his phone and pressing a link someone had embedded to him in an email. Hana and I crowded around him to catch a better look. My blood ran alternatively hot and cold as I saw a man in the mask - the same son of a bitch who shot me. I balled my hands into fists, trying to fight the anger and fear that seemed to grip me.
"People of Cordonia," He spoke in a deep, distorted voice. "Your new king is weak and unfit to rule. This scion of tyranny cannot protect those in his privileged circle. He cannot be trusted with an entire kingdom. Far too long, we have lived under the yoke of this corrupt family." Corrupt? CORRUPT?! Liam is the most honest guy I know! "They do not deserve to hold power over us. It is we, the citizens, who deserve the right to control our own lives. We demand that King Liam of Cordonia abdicate the throne. Or else the palace halls will flow with the blood of tyrants."
Pure chaos seemed to break out. People began yelling and shouting, reporters took to their phones, while others looked for cover.
"Everyone, please remain calm-" Liam tried to calm the people, but his voice was drowned out in the ensuing panic.
"That's enough!" Myers yelled directly into the microphone, causing it to screech, and the crowd to quiet in a matter of seconds.
"Thank you, Camilla." Liam told her. He didn't show it, but I could tell he was unnerved.
"Go ahead, Liam." Myers nodded once, resolute.
It seemed to give Liam strength, as he straightened up and stepped back up to the podium with a frown. "This video is deeply troubling. I guarantee that we will gather all the evidence we can and find the people behind it."
"And what about their demands, King Liam?" Donnie asked. I clenched my jaw.
"Given everything that's happened over the past few days… are you thinking of stepping down?" Ana, always with the sensationalist questions.
Liam looked visibly taken aback, and at a loss for words. "I…" Oh no… I'd never seen him go blank before.
Myers immediately stepped up to the podium with what I could only describe as pure fire in her eyes. "I want you all to listen carefully, because I will not repeat myself." Myers glared at the crowd. I guessed she was a jumble of emotions - feeling everything from scared to angry all at the same time - and Ana's question had been the straw that broke the camel's back. "No true king would give into their demands." She said every word slowly, accentuating their importance. "They want to call King Liam weak? Weakness would be listening to enemies who are afraid to show their faces. The people behind that video threatened dozens of lives, mine included. King Liam would never leave his people in the hands of such a dangerous group. And you shouldn't ask him to."
Her words seemed to encourage Liam, because he stepped up confidently. "She's right. I have no intentions of giving in to their demands."
"I apologize, Your Majesty." I unclenched my hands, feeling a small bit of satisfaction as I saw Ana squirm under Liam and Myers' glares. "Consider the question withdrawn."
"Good." Myers glared at her.
Ana cleared her throat. "Thank you for those stirring words, King Liam and Duchess Camilla. Despite everything that's happened today… I think I can reassure our viewers that the Crown will deal with this threat."
"I agree. Cordonia's in capable hands." Donnie added.
Myers raised a single eyebrow before nodding.
Slowly, ever so slowly, the crowd began clapping, and by the time Myers and Liam stepped off that podium, they did so to resounding cheers and applause.
Hana, Maxwell and I, along with several members of the Royal Guard, followed them inside. Bertrand had already pulled Myers aside, so we made our way to Liam. I could tell he was tense, as his eyes were tight and his jaw was clenched.
"Hey… are you okay?" I asked him.
The corner of his lips twitched, and he shook his head. "Yes… this press conference was just… more difficult than I thought it would be." He looked at me, his blue eyes boring into mine, full of meaning. "I'm… very glad that Camilla was there to support me. Otherwise, I don't know if I could've successfully comforted the press and the people."
I nodded. I saw how Ana's question threw him off. I clapped his back and squeezed encouragingly. "Nah, you would've been fine. You just needed a minute to gather your thoughts."
Liam chuckled. "I appreciate your faith in me, Drake. But I stand by my words. I was… unprepared for that video, and the demands the assassins made."
"Yeah, but nobody could've predicted that video."
He shook his head. "I still should have anticipated it. These people are terrorists… Terrorists always wait for moments like public appearances or press conferences to release videos like that. It belittles and disavows the authorities in charge."
"Listen. I'm not gonna lie and say it wasn't touch and go there for a while, but you and Myers managed to turn the situation around."
Liam hummed, but he still didn't look completely convinced. Before I could say more, Myers stepped up, running her fingers through her hair and looking a bit rough. She gave me a tired smile when she saw me, and slipped her arm around my waist. "Hey, you." She sighed tiredly.
"Hey, you." I pressed a quick kiss on her forehead.
"Hey, guys."
"Hey, Milla." The guys mumbled.
"What did Bertrand want?" I asked.
"He wants to get me a new PR Officer, since Justin's still in the hospital."
"Does he have anyone in mind?" Liam asked. "I would be happy to recommend several candidates that have served the Royal Family well in previous occasions."
"He already has someone in mind, but he didn't tell me who it is. He said he'd get back to me after a few 'preliminary phone calls'." Myers shrugged. "I really appreciate the offer, though, Liam. God knows I could really use the help."
Liam chuckled. "I think you did great."
"You really did, Milla." Hana agreed.
Myers laughed wryly and raised an eyebrow. "Really? So you couldn't tell I was dying to throw some choice curse words at Ana De Luca?"
"Nah." Maxwell said, "Your speech just came off as… really, really passionate. Right, guys?"
"That's certainly one way of saying it, yes!" Hana giggled. "Your speech was very passionate, Milla."
Myers laughed. "Okay, if you say so. Thanks, guys." At that moment, her stomach rumbled, causing all of us to laugh. "So… dinner?"
"Dinner." Liam nodded, leading us all to his private dining room.
Once we arrived, the servants quickly began bringing out an assortment of different meals; everything from beef to salmon. As we ate, I could see Myers visibly relax a bit. She joked around with Maxwell or talked quietly with Hana, and she seemed happier than she'd been an hour ago.
Liam, however… I could tell the press conference was still on his mind. He was distracted and wasn't really paying attention to our conversation. Everytime one of us called him, he had to snap himself back into the conversation. After the third time it happened, Maxwell shot me a concerned look and bobbed his head towards him, as if saying 'do something!'. After the fourth time it happened, Myers also shot me a questioning glance.
After dinner, as Maxwell and Hana both excused themselves for the night, Myers and I agreed that she'd wait up for me, and I'd find her later. Right now, Liam needed me. And so, she squeezed my hand, before moving to hug him good night.
I moved to clap Liam on the shoulder. "You up for a walk around maze?"
For a moment there, he looked like he was about to say no, but then he shook his head slightly. "Yes, let's go."
We made our way outside, with Bastien and several other agents tailing us discreetly. "So…" I began, "what's on your mind?"
"I just… keep replaying the video in my mind." I waited for him to go on. "I don't know, it's gotten me thinking-"
"Please don't say you're thinking about abdicating."
"No, absolutely not. But it did get me thinking of how maybe I'm part of a dying institution."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, monarchies are becoming less and less common around the world - fully autocratic monarchies even more so. Now, governments in most countries are based on some form of democracy, where the people can choose their own leaders and heads of state."
"Yeah, but this isn't the rest of the world. This is Cordonia. And in Cordonia, we got lucky to have a really great King."
The corners of Liam's lips twitched into a small crooked smile. "I've only been king for two months or so."
"But you've been preparing for it since you were born. Hell, while Leo was out fooling around with his motorcycle, you were in the library reading up on Cordonian history. And your main concern has always been the need of Cordonian citizens. You could've been caught up in all the glitz of court life but you didn't. Your main priority has always been your people. Now that sounds like a pretty good King to me…"
"Hmm…" He nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you, Drake."
"Don't mention it. Just… promise you won't let these people get to you again, okay?"
"I…" He hesitated. "I'll try."
"Okay. I'll take it. But just remember… the moment you start to doubt yourself is the moment that they win."
Liam's eyes hardened as he got a determined look on his face. "I know. And I feel as though I've come so far since…" He shook his head. "Since I ascended to the throne."
"I know."
"I remember thinking, when my brother decided to abdicate, that I was going to try to be like my father, and his father before him. I had to follow in their footsteps, and listen to my advisors… But after everything that's happened… I'm not sure when it was exactly, but I soon realized that to be a good King, I had to be a good leader. I had to take charge. Cordonia wouldn't survive with a pushover for a King."
"I know. So hold on to that. Don't start doubting yourself on the word of some masked idiot. It's just like Myers said: who are they to call you weak when they're afraid to show their faces? They're total hypocrites! Don't give them the satisfaction of even acknowledging any words that come out of their mouths."
Liam chuckled a little bit at that. "Very well. I promise I won't give them the time of day."
"Good."
We walked around the maze a bit longer, just hanging out and talking.
"So… before the video was released, the press seemed to take the news of your engagement pretty well." He commented.
I groaned, remembering how the cameras turned onto me immediately.
"You're going to have to get comfortable in the spotlight, Drake. You are marrying Cordonia's most famous Duchess, after all."
"Yeah, hey was the Duchy really necessary? I mean if you wanted to give her something, you could've just gotten her another corgi."
Liam let out a hearty laugh. "As much as I know Camilla would have appreciated that, I really believe her influence is a positive one at court. She doesn't know this yet, but I have a feeling she will become a Champion for the people."
She already has, I thought, given as to how she's decided to quit something she loves in order to be able to fulfill her new role to the best of her abilities. 'Isn't that the point of public service?' She'd said. But I couldn't tell Liam that. He'd probably feel guilty if he found out the reason she decided to quit writing was because of the Duchy. And so… "Yeah… I think so, too."
"What about you? Have you thought about your new position?"
I shook my head. "Not at all. To be honest, these last few days have been a whirlwind."
"Yes, they have, haven't they? How is your shoulder, by the way?"
"Getting better everyday."
"Good. I'm glad. You know, I never got a chance to tell you this, but… I was very worried for you that night."
"Yeah, I was too. But I knew you would be able to handle yourself out there. By the way, we start training again first thing tomorrow."
"Can you train with that shoulder of yours?"
I shrugged. "I probably shouldn't. But I was thinking we should invite Camilla, Hana and Maxwell to join us. Teach them the basics… jabs, hooks, how to dodge, stuff like that." I snorted. "Myers seriously needs it. Mara tested her today and she's completely defenseless."
"Yes, Camilla mentioned that she was never… physically inclined." Liam said, concern clear in his eyes.
"Yeah… I'm thinking about talking to Mara about a training program from scratch. She's a complete beginner. I bet she's never thrown a punch in her life."
"I'll speak to her, and ask her to design a program specially for her."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome." He looked down at his watch. "I'm afraid it's getting rather late, and we have an early morning tomorrow."
"Yeah, we do. Meet down at the gym at 8."
After walking back to the palace, Liam and I separated, and I headed for Myers room. I knocked on her door, opening it after I heard a soft, "Come in." She was lying on her bed, wearing a pink tank top as pajamas, with her laptop open on her lap.
"Hey. Everything okay?"
"Everything's fine." I reassured her.
"Good. For a minute there, I almost thought you wouldn't come."
I chuckled. "Well, after the day you had, I wanted to check in on you."
Myers groaned, closing her laptop and placing it on her nightstand. "I'll be honest, I was expecting way less stress when I woke up this morning. The press conference was intense enough without that video…"
"I know." I went to lie down next to her, pulling her closer. "But Bertrand has a plan for the press side of things, right? There's no point in all of us agonizing over it. Maybe what you need right now is a chance to relax."
Myers narrowed her eyes at me playfully. "Did you have something in mind?"
Actually… "There's a private bath on the third floor with a deluxe soaking tub. I thought we could both wash some of the stress away." I grinned at her.
Myers purred. "A long bath sounds perfect right now."
"I was hoping you'd say that."
"But you can't have baths, remember? You can't get your wound wet, or soak it for prolonged periods of time."
"You just had to ruin it, didn't you?" Myers giggled. "Here I come up with a really romantic thing for us to do, and you just had to ruin it."
"Hey, I'm only looking out for you!" She yelled good naturedly.
"I know." I told her softly, pressing a kiss to her temple. "But now it's my turn to take care of you, for a change."
Myers sighed. "Okay…"
"Come on, let's go."
We got off the bed and Myers slipped into a thin, silk robe. She took my hand, and I began leading her to the bathroom. Myers' eyes widened as she took in the room.
"Wow. I've been to real spas that were less impressive than this."
"Living in a palace has its perks." I threw her a smirk over my shoulder, as I leaned to open the faucet of the tub. Then I walked over to the counter, which had a tray that held an assortment of bath salts. I took the jar that held the lavender salts and poured them inside a little mesh bag. Then I threw that in the tub and turned back to Myers. "You're a little overdressed for the occasion." I walked towards her, pulling the sash that held her robe closed. I pushed it off her shoulders and it fell in a pool around her feet.
"True." She agreed. "But what about you?"
"I thought we agreed I wouldn't have a bath, Myers."
"Yeah, but… it's not really fair if I'm naked and vulnerable and you're fully clothed, is it?" Myers batted her eyelashes at me.
"I guess it would be an unfair advantage…"
"I'm glad we agree. Do you need a hand? You'll get out of those clothes faster with help…" She began pressing soft kisses to the crook of my jaw.
"Hmm." I closed my eyes, relishing the feel of her lips on my skin. "If you really think so…"
"Wouldn't want to get these clothes wet, after all…" Myers mumbled, pushing my denim shirt off my shoulders, her lips still on my neck.
I raised my arms, and she grabbed the hem of my undershirt and pulled it over my head. I cupped the back of her neck, pulling her in for a kiss. Her hand roamed my back, my shoulders, my arms, my waist, her gentle touch drawing a gasp from me. Her tongue danced with mine, as her hands moved to unbutton my jeans, and she broke the kiss as she moved to tug them down.
"I don't know if that was faster, but…"
"It was more fun." Myers laughed.
"I won't argue with that. But now it's your turn." I told her, pulling her top over her head and pushing down her underwear. "This seems more... fair." I told her, as my eyes ran over her naked body.
"I know." She grinned wickedly, her eyes roamed my body in turn. "Drake… this is a good look for you."
I chuckled, bringing my arms around her. The moment her skin touched mine she shivered. "Are you cold?"
"Yeah, I think it's time to get warmed up." Myers pressed a kiss to my lips before slinking away and stepping carefully into the tub. As she sank into the warm, lavender fragranced water, Myers let out a blissful sigh. "Aaah!" I stepped behind her, pushing her hair over one side of her neck and began to massage her shoulders. "Drake… Oh, that feels good." She hummed appreciatively. "How did you find this place?"
"It must've been years ago. Liam and I were playing hide and seek one winter, and I just happened to run into this place. And today, I was trying to figure out where I could go to get you to get you alone and get you to relax… This place seemed perfect."
"It is." Myers smiled at me over her shoulder, before ducking underwater for a brief moment. After resurfacing, she looked around, before her eyes landed on a bottle of shampoo.
"Do you want some help with that shampoo?"
"Oh… that sounds wonderful." Myers handed me the bottle of shampoo, and I grinned as I read the label. 'Coconut Monoi Oil Shampoo'. As soon as I opened the bottle and poured a bit of shampoo in my palm, I was flooded with the scent of coconut and flowers… the scent I had come to associate with her. I began working the shampoo into those long, brown locks, pressing my fingertips into her scalp, causing Myers to moan. "That feels fantastic."
"I can have a delicate touch when I need to, Myers." After lathering the shampoo, I grabbed the pull-out tap and rinsed her hair. "How are you holding up after the press conference, Myers?"
"I'm… worried about what happens next. After that video, I don't know what else those assassins have in store." She admitted, her voice small.
"I kept you safe once, Myers." I told her sincerely, before jumping at the chance to tease her a bit. I knew a bit of levity would ease her mind. "I'm not going to let all of that hard work be for nothing."
Just like I figured, that caused her to chuckle. "I certainly wouldn't want that."
"Anyway, there's plenty of time to worry about that later. Tonight, all you should worry about is whether you're relaxing enough."
"I'm feeling very peaceful, although I'm pretty short on kisses." Myers craned her neck to look back at me, her lips slightly parted, her skin slick and sweet smelling, and her eyes filled with heat and lust.
"Hm. I think I can fix that…" I leaned closer, stepping sideways next to the tub, before cupping her neck and pulling her closer. Our lips met in a slow kiss, my tongue darting out to dance with hers.
Myers moaned and lifted her hand to run her fingers through my hair, deepening the kiss. I shivered as water dripped from her fingers and the droplets ran down my back. "Drake…" Myers moaned against my mouth, "don't stop now."
"Stopping was the last thing on my mind, Myers."
In a matter of seconds, I slipped my arm into the tub and underneath her legs and gripped her waist with the other. Myers wrapped her arms around my neck and I pulled her out of the water with a giant sloshing sound. Water dripped down her body and onto mine as I carried her over to the counter, setting her down on top of it. Myers pushed away the small bottles of soap and whatnot, some falling onto the sink, others falling onto the floor.
I groaned as she wrapped her legs around my waist, pressing her wet, naked body to mine. Different sensations seemed to assault my senses: the scent of lavender and coconut wafting from her skin and hair, the heat that seemed to emanate from her body, the beautiful blush on the skin of her neck and chest from the bath, the feel of her hands as they roamed my body.
I began nipping at her neck, causing her to throw her head back with a moan. "It's not... just… about me… you know." She rocked her hips once, and I couldn't help the deep groan that escaped me.
"Myers…" Before I could grip her hips, her hand dipped below my boxers and she found her mark. I gasped, my breath catching as she began to stroke me.
Between having her naked in the tub just a moment ago and her slow, torturous caresses now, I was fighting with everything in me not to simply bend her over the counter and be done with it. Until her lips fluttered up my jaw and to my ear. "What do you want, Drake?" She whispered.
"You." I practically growled.
Myers chuckled slowly, sensually. "So take me." She said, running her tongue over my ear.
That was it.
That undid me.
Turns out… the bath wasn't the only way to get Myers to relax.
A while later - I honestly wasn't sure how long - I helped Myers towel off before getting dressed. She chuckled at the mess we'd left on the counter, but for the sake of propriety and discretion, we crouched down onto the floor, looking for the bottles and knick knacks that'd fallen off.
"Ugh… come… here!" Myers reached underneath the counter, her fingers grazing a bottle. She managed to grasp it, and placed the last bottle on the counter with a sigh.
I came up from behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pressing her back to my chest. Her hair tickled my neck - it was dry now, and wavier than usual. "So… That was…" I pressed soft kisses to her neck.
"A perfect end to the night?"
"Yeah, let's go with that."
Myers turned in my arms, looking into my eyes. "Thank you for bringing me here." She said softly.
"We can come back anytime." I told her, unable to stop the smile from spreading on my face. "But now, we should probably get back to our rooms. We both have early mornings tomorrow."
"Come back to my room tonight." She told me, those eyes locked on mine.
"Myers…"
"Drake…" She shook her head. "If you want to go back to your room and sleep by yourself because it's what you really want, that's fine. But if you want to come with me, and the only thing that's stopping you is decorum or what people might say, then…" She shrugged.
"You know I want to go back to your room, Myers." Especially after last night… Now, I knew I was strong enough to handle whatever dream or nightmare came up alone, but… I loved sleeping with her. It comforted me to know she was next to me, safe and sound. I liked hearing her breathing, or her odd mumbling. I could do without the snoring, though. "But people will talk. The servants, the court…"
"Oooh!" Myers waved her hands in the air. "The newest duchess, a grown woman, is bringing her fiance back to her chambers! To sleep! In the twenty-first century! How scandalous!" She teased. "I told you, I've never cared what people think. And in a month, we'll be married, and it really won't matter if we've slept together this whole month." I hesitated for a second, mulling over her words - which made perfect sense, I realised. I was about to respond, but apparently Myers thought I'd waited too long to do so, and jumped at the chance to tease me. "Now, if this really bothers you… I guess we could go with the more conservative route, and we won't sleep together until the wedding, in every sense of the word. Yes, that's it! No sex until the wedding night!"
I groaned, pressing my forehead to hers. I honestly did care a little bit about what people might say - not for me, but for her - but not enough to take sex off the table until the wedding night. "No. That's not an option." I sighed. "Fine. If you really don't care abou-"
"Drake, I've never cared." Myers cut me off softly. "I want to sleep next to the man I love. It makes me feel safe, and comforted, and… happy. I'm not going to give that up over gossiping fools."
I laughed. "Fine. But… Can we go back to my room? Last night, after the nightmare, it… helped a lot when I woke up and realized I was in my room. I don't know if…"
"Of course. I get it. Your room is familiar, and comfortable, and safe. It helped you get your bearings faster and break out of the nightmare."
"Exactly."
Myers smiled at me sweetly. "Let's go." She took my hand, and began leading me back to my room. I opened the door, and Myers led me to my tiny bathroom. I sat down on the toilet, as Myers grabbed all the things she'd need to change my dressings. Then, she began undoing my current dressings oh so carefully. She worked quietly, her hands steady and sure, and her brows furrowed in concentration.
After she was done, Myers tumbled onto my bed, leaving ample room for me to slide in next to her. I pressed a kiss to her lips, before falling into a deep sleep. And if I woke up several times during the night, it comforted me to find her right there next to me.
