You and I
A:N: Hey, guys... First off, I just wanted to say I sincerely hope that wherever you are in the world, you're staying safe, hopefully in quarantine or self-isolating :( This past month has all around sucked for me, and the COVID-19 pandemic has had me in an almost permanent state of anxiety, so getting this chapter out - while therapeutic in an escapist sort of way - was incredibly difficult.
Second of all, in regards to the chapter, the title inspired by the song You and I by portuguese composer BrunuhVille (one of my personal favorites, look him up on YouTube). It was among the many instrumentals I listened to while writing the dancing scene. I know it's not a waltz, but it just… felt right, for Drake and Milla. No other way to explain it. I hope you like this chapter, and if you want to check out the song, as well as some of the composer's other works, I leave you the link. Song link: track/5Dr3Z80JCLQCn1xGYWS8fS?si=i6CJAcnYSTajwQyE7P42_g
Lastly, I just want to say... I hate Neville with my life. And I can't wait to write the duel chapter, so that Drake can kick his tiny, pompous, horrible ass.
The alarm on my phone rang at 7 a.m. the next morning, causing Myers to groan. "Turn it off!" She mumbled sleepily and annoyed.
I turned it off, before shoving her lightly. "Myers, wake up." She merely groaned again. "Myers, get up." I repeated.
"Fine." She lifted her head, frowning at me as she yawned. "What time is it?" Myers reached for her phone. "7 AM! Why would you set your alarm so early?!" She moaned, letting her head fall back into her pillow.
"Because," I told her, pushing the covers off of me and getting up, "we're going to go train with Liam."
"What?" Myers raised her head again, some of her hair plastered against the side of her face.
"Liam and I were talking yesterday, and we decided that, until Mara finishes planning out a training program for you and Hana and Maxwell, we'd invite you to train with us, just to teach you the basics." I pulled on a gym shirt, as well as a pair of shorts, before turning around.
"Oh…" Myers looked unconvinced. "Couldn't we start training in a couple hours though? Why does it have to be this early?"
"Mostly because of Liam's schedule." I shrugged. "Unless we schedule the workouts ahead of time, like we will when Mara begins to train us, early mornings are the only time he has. And we have to eat breakfast, too." I grinned at her, knowing the promise of food would tempt her enough to want to get out of bed.
"Breakfast?" Myers said hopefully. Gotcha. With an eye roll, Myers pushed off the covers and got up. "Fine." She said, gathering her hair on top of her head with her arms, before letting it fall down her back. God, I love it when she does that. Then, Myers raised her arms over her head, stretching with a wide yawn on her face.
"Do you have any athletic gear or clothing?" I asked, unsure.
"Of course I do." Myers looked at me with an indulgent look, as if saying "do you really think I don't have workout clothes?"
It made me chuckle. "Okay, you go change and I'll go downstairs and make us breakfast."
"Okay, I'll see you in a bit." With that, she put on her robe, gave me a quick kiss, and went back to her room.
Meanwhile, I took out my phone and texted Liam. He was already awake, and we decided he'd go wake up Maxwell, and invite Hana to our training session while I made us breakfast. With that settled, I headed down to the kitchen. I decided to make us all some toast and a huge batch of scrambled eggs - that way, we'd get all the carbs and protein we'd need for the workout. A couple members of the kitchen staff helped me get everything to Liam's private dining room, where I found him, Hana, and a very grumpy looking Maxwell already sitting on the table.
"Good morning, Drake!" Hana greeted me cheerfully.
I blinked at her for a moment when I noticed she was wearing workout clothes! Wow, she looked… different. Good different! But it was still weird to see her out of a dress and her usual heels. I half expected her to show up in them, telling us her mother had 'taught her to workout in heels' or something like that. "Morning, Hana." I told her, moving to set the toast basket and the pan of eggs in the middle of the table.
"Mmm. Smells good." Liam commented.
"Yeah, Drake could give the palace chef a run for his money." Maxwell said.
I rolled my eyes. "It's just toast and eggs. Now, eat up."
At that moment, Myers entered the room. I literally stopped in my tracks when I saw her. Her long hair was tied up in a ponytail, with a few errant strands falling out of it and framing her face. She was wearing a light green tank top, and simple black yoga pants, but… both the top and the pants were skin tight, hugging every curve and dip of her body beautifully. She met my eyes and grinned, before moving to greet the guys.
"So…" Myers said as she sat next to me, her leg bumping against mine. "Bertrand just kindly informed me that we're going to Fydelia tonight."
"What?!" My jaw was literally hanging.
"I know." She squeezed my hand. I could tell she wasn't exactly thrilled about this either. "Turns out the person he wants to recruit as my new press secretary is none other than Madeleine herself."
"But… Madeleine…" Hana began.
"Hates me. I know." Myers finished for her. "But she was always going on and on about her duty to Cordonia and how the only reason she wanted the Crown was to do some good… What do you think, Liam? Do you think she'd do it, not for me, but for Cordonia?"
Liam frowned, bringing his fist to his mouth. "I think, if you lean on her sense of duty… she could be persuaded to accept your job proposal. But you have to be smart in the way you approach her."
"I'm going to have to grovel, aren't I?"
"Not necessarily. Appeal to Madeleine the politician, not Madeleine the woman."
Myers shook her head, not completely convinced. "I'll try. Anyway, what are we doing today?"
"Well…" Liam looked at me, and I nodded. "Drake and I thought we would start with the most basic forms of martial arts, so that you'll be better prepared for Mara's more intensive training."
"Okay…"
"Now, do you have any experience in any form of martial arts?"
"I have taken some self defense classes, but I think my mother intended them more as a form of fitness regime, than for actual hand to hand combat." Hana said with a grimace.
"That's quite alright, Hana." Liam kindly told her. "That's why we're here, to assess where you're at and that way we can determine how to best instruct you. What about you, Camilla, Maxwell?"
Myers and Maxwell looked at each other for a moment, both of them looking slightly embarrassed. "I, um…"
"Well.. "
Myers sighed. "I have absolutely no experience in any type of martial arts, Liam." She let out a small, mirthless laugh. "I've always been more of a… at home yoga kind of gal."
"Yeah, me too…" Maxwell said, his eyes lighting up suddenly. "Unless you count Kickboxing Zumba Classes!"
"What is-" I shook my head. Nah, I don't really want to know. "Nevermind."
That didn't deter him, though. "They teach you some pretty sweet punches and kicks, all to the sound of groovy salsa and cumbia."
Liam chuckled. "That's fine, Camilla. Maxwell."
"So we're starting from scratch with these two." I looked at Liam.
"Well, not really." Myers said, a crooked grimace on her face. "Really, it's just me. Hana knows some self-defense and Maxwell probably knows how to throw a punch from his Zumba dance classes."
"Kickboxing Zumba Classes." He corrected.
"Right, sorry." She nodded. "Well, what I mean is that I'm the only complete beginner here."
Liam and I shared a look and I knew we were both thinking the same thing. I would work with Hana and Dancepants McGee, and he would take Myers. Liam had almost infinite patience, and he was a great teacher - whereas I'm a hardass, there's really no other way to say it. And that made it hard for me to teach complete beginners. I simply didn't have the patience for it.
And… at the same time… I knew there was a chance, as small as it was, that I wouldn't be a hardass with Myers. That I'd be more lenient. And if you want to train someone to defend themselves in life-threatening situations… you can't be lenient. You have to be tough. But not too tough.
I sighed inwardly. There was a fine line between tough and too tough.
I remembered when I asked my dad to train me, he said he shouldn't and gave the task to Bastien. When I asked him why, he said it was because he's my father, and he loved me, and that would cause him to be slightly biased and make it hard to 'judge my progress'. That practically meant that his feelings towards me could make him subconsciously go one of two ways: either he would go too easy on me, or he would try to overcompensate and end up being too harsh. Both possible outcomes would, in the end, ruin my training. If he went too easy, I wouldn't really learn… and if he got too overbearing, I would get frustrated and quit.
I had the same dilemma with Myers now.
And while I was in part worried about Liam's own bias when it came to her… I knew he was a better option than me. At least for this part. After she'd mastered some of the basics, I'd definitely be up to helping her with Mara's training.
Liam nodded at me and I knew we were both on the same page.
I sighed. "Okay. Let's eat quickly and get going."
Murmurs of agreement rose from the table, and after we finished digging into our breakfasts, I led everyone to the gym.
"Alright." I clapped my hands, about to go into a full speech about the basics that we'd be covering today, when Maxwell raised his hand. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "Yes, Maxwell?"
"We need music." He said simply, so simply in fact that it kind of threw me off.
"What?"
"We need music. How can we work out without music?"
"We're not- this isn't-"
"That's true. You can't work out without music." Myers added.
"Yes, I suppose so. In every class my mother and I went to, the instructor always put on some background music." Hana brought her hand to her chin thoughtfully.
I looked at Liam, equal parts shocked, annoyed and exasperated. Did they… not understand what it was we were here to do? This isn't just a simple workout, or a fitness regime. Or at least, not just that. This was an opportunity for them to learn invaluable tools and techniques that could save their life!
Liam, however, shrugged with a small smile on his face. I threw my arms up in surrender. "Fine! Go, put on some music."
"Yes!" Maxwell practically skipped over to the stereo, hooking up his phone to it. Myers gave me an embarrassed, toothy grin and followed. I was honestly a little irked right now, otherwise I'd find that grin cute and practically irresistible.
"Hey, keep the volume low, okay? I need you guys to pay attention to me and Liam, not the music."
"Okay, babe!" Myers waved her hand dismissively. That also irked me a little. I really hoped she realised how serious this was.
A second later, some kind of high energy EDM began to pour out from the speakers, and Maxwell and Myers came back high-fiving each other, both of them pretty pleased with themselves.
"Okay, now that that's taken care of…" I looked to Liam, and he moved to stand next to me, with his chest open and his hands clasped behind his back. I also stood straighter, and clasped my hands behind my back, with my feet shoulder-width apart. "What Liam and I want to do with you guys today is to basically show you some basic moves, that will make it easier for all of you when Mara begins your official program." I said, with a stern tone that caused the guys to straighten and mirror mine and Liam's stance. "I want you all to take this seriously. Right now, Liam and I are not your friends. We're your instructors and you're our students."
"Uh-oh. He's gone into full Kingsguard mode." Myers said, an impish smile on her face. Maxwell returned her grin, while Hana's eyes widened, flickering nervously to me and then back to her.
I leveled her with a cool stare. "I'm serious, Myers. We're doing this to help you. All of you. If you can't take this seriously, you're free to leave and wait to start your 'official' training with Mara. The door's right there and it's wide open."
Myers blinked for a few seconds, stunned, her jaw slackening a bit when she realized I was completely serious. Finally… took you long enough, Myers. "I-I... I'm sorry. I'd, um, like to stay."
I only nodded once, looking her straight in the eye.
Realistically, I knew this could happen, too. Just like I had some bias towards her that could affect her training, she also had her bias towards me, that could equally affect her training if I didn't put a stop to it right here and now. I knew, because she loved me and felt comfortable around me, that she was prone not to take this as seriously as she'd likely take it if she was with Bastien or Mara, for example. And that was okay, to an extent. It was normal, and it happened not only with her because she was my fiance, but with the rest of the guys. It would've happened to me with my father. It would've happened to Liam if I was the one instructing him, instead of his professional guards.
So I'd let it slip… just this once. And I nipped it in the bud.
"Alright. This is what we're going to do. Liam and I are going to show you some basic stances, punches, and maybe some kicks." Maxwell's eyes widened and he smiled excitedly. "Maybe." I repeated, looking directly at him. "After that, we'll be giving you a brief overview of your opponents' weak spots. In other words, we'll teach you where to hit to induce the maximum amount of damage with the least amount of force. Nose, eyes, throat, groin, places like that. After that, we'll break into teams, and begin to put into practice what you learned. Hana and Maxwell, you're with me. Myers, you're with Liam." The three of them nodded. "Good. First things first. You need to stand straight. Your feet need to be shoulder-width apart and firmly planted on the floor. Your knees should be slightly bent. This way, your body is balanced and, at the same time, this stance allows you to move quickly and cleanly." I demonstrated, while Liam walked towards them, helping them correct or adjust their stance. "This is a traditional horse stance."
"Look at yourselves in the mirror, that's why it's there." Liam added. "Try to find balance within the stance. If you're leaning to one side or another, if you're leaning slightly forward or backwards…"
"You're doing it wrong." I told them. I looked over them critically. I wasn't surprised to find Hana's stance damn near perfect. Maxwell wasn't having any trouble either. He had the leg strength and he was a dancer - if anyone understood the importance of balance, it was him. Myers was, apparently, a yoga girl, so of course she had the leg strength - in fact, now I knew how she'd gotten those beautiful legs of hers - but her stance was… okay.
"Camilla, bend your knees a little lower. Shoulders back. Straight spine." Liam told her. See? That's what I was talking about. To me, her stance seemed okay. To Liam, it apparently didn't. She did as told, and in a second, her stance got better. Thank god for Liam.
"Good." I nodded at them. "Very good. Now, I want you to bring your dominant leg forward - right or left, it's up to you. Knees should be slightly bent, your back should be straight and your shoulders back. This is called a front stance."
They followed my lead, Liam correcting them when necessary.
"Now, the first thing we're going to try are sweeping blocks. I want you all to lift your hands," I demonstrated, bending my elbows in a perfect 90° angle with my palm facing forward. "Palms out towards me. Curl your fingers in and place your thumb over your fingers. If you place them under, you're doing it wrong."
"If you place your thumb under your fingers, you risk breaking them whenever you punch." Liam explained.
I nodded. "Now, I want you to take your arm and sweep it in front of your body diagonally downwards." I once again demonstrated, and they followed. "Your legs are firmly planted in your stance. Your hips are not moving, they're not following the movement or direction of your arms." Yet. "You want to block with your forearm, not your elbow or your upper arm. Now, again with the other arm. Block." I moved and they followed along. "Block. Block. Bring your arm all the way across. If you stop here," I stopped my arm inches away from my face, not completely blocking my chest, "an aggressor could still get a good hit either on the right side of my face or get a shot below the ribs. If you do the motion, sweeping your arm all across your body, you're protecting your face and your upper body."
After they had their stance and the sweeping block relatively mastered, I turned it over to Liam to teach them some basic jabs and punches. I observed them, correcting any of them when necessary. Finally, when Liam was satisfied with their motions, we went into teaching where to hit, the most vulnerable parts of the body, and broke them up into teams.
I took Hana and Maxwell to one side. "Maxwell, you're on offense. Hana, defense."
Hana immediately went into a front stance, Maxwell following. She was able to block every jab Maxwell threw at her, quickly and intelligently assuming the offensive. Before I knew it, Hana was on the offensive, and Maxwell was caught in a sort of in-between. He didn't know whether to attack or block.
"Stop!" I called. They immediately lowered their arms, and stood up straight. "Hana." She looked at me. I couldn't help the corner of my mouth twitching. "Good." She nodded, smiling. "Maxwell, try to be more dynamic. Don't commit fully to the role of offensive. That way, if you see that the tides change, you can adjust." He nodded as well. "Good. Now, Hana you're on offense, Maxwell, defense."
The rest of the hour was spent running drills with them, making them spar with each other. From the corner of my eye, I saw Liam working with Myers to tighten her jabs, and her blocks. By the time we were done, we had the three of them breathing heavily, drenched in sweat.
"Alright. I think that's enough for today." Liam called.
"Agreed." I nodded. "We'll meet up tomorrow morning, same time."
"I will see you all after lunch for the journey to Fydelia." Liam looked at each of us, nodded and left.
"Maxwell, meet Bertrand in the boutique after lunch?" Myers asked.
Maxwell was breathing heavily, his hand on his waist. He raised one in a thumbs up, and left without another word. Hana said her goodbyes and followed Maxwell out, leaving me alone with Myers.
"You did good today." I told her.
She scoffed. "Please. I have a long way to go before I'm anywhere near being able to defend myself." Her eyes flashed with a hint of embarrassment. "I owe you an apology."
I took a drink of water, letting a rogue drop roll down my chin. "For what?"
"For not taking this as seriously as I should've. When we started."
"That's okay. I'm sorry if I was harsh."
Myers shook her head ardently. "No, no. You were right. With the situation we're in now, I should be taking this seriously. We don't know when the assassins are going to strike next, so I should be working to be as prepared as I possibly can be until that happens."
"Well, yeah… but it was your first time training with us. I should've warned you that me and Liam tend to…"
"Get into mode?"
I smirked. "Something like that."
Myers smirked, before stepping closer. "You know… it was incredibly sexy seeing you up there. All serious and… in control."
"I aim to please, Ms. Myers." I slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against my chest.
Myers let out an excited "Oh!", biting her lip. I tilted her chin upwards before pulling her into a long, sensual kiss. She responded immediately, her hands moving to pull at the hem of my shirt. I couldn't help but shiver in anticipation as I raised my arms, and she pulled my shirt off, running her hands over the planes of my chest and my abs. "I think, Mr. Walker…" Myers murmured, "that we should take this chance to get some cardio in."
"A good trainer would never let you leave without a good cardio session."
Without another word, I gently swept her feet out from under her, and she tumbled softly onto the training mat. I never once in a million years thought the thick mat that covered the gym floor would be good for anything other than knocking opponents down, but… I guess you learn something new every day.
After a quick shower, I went to the stables. It'd been sometime since I visited Lone Star and Midnight Rose - which I had to remind Myers to visit as well - but I also wanted to get them both ready for the Unity Tour. The royal train had a horse carriage, and I intended to use it. I didn't want to leave them alone in the Palace after the attack. Just in case…
Both girls whinied as they saw me and taking advantage that they were right next to each other, I petted them both. Afterwards, I led Lone Star out of her stall first - knowing the old girl would get jealous if I got Midnight Rose ready before her - and began brushing her coat while humming softly. After she was brushed, I cleaned her hooves, put on her bell boots and her standing wrap. With that ready, I led her back inside her stall, and rewarded her with a couple of apples. She rewarded me with a huff and a lick on my shoulder. Knowing that Lone Star was taken care of, I turned to Midnight Rose. A half hour later, she was ready, and I left the stables after speaking with the stablemaster, letting him know I'd be taking both horses with us.
Now, I only had to find Maxwell. I had a… particular favor I wanted to ask him. The last suit he got me - which I had to admit I really liked - was ruined after the shooting, so… I figured, if I'm going to become a duke and whatnot… and if I could help Myers or Liam in any way… I had to make the nobles take me seriously. I had to make them see me as part of them now, not just as the King's commoner friend. And that meant dressing the part.
I knocked on Maxwell's door, and he answered a few seconds later. "Hey, Drake!"
"Hey, buddy."
"What's up?"
"I, uh…" I rubbed the back of my neck. "I need your help with something."
"Okay…"
"I was wondering… if you… could help me pick out a new suit for tonight?"
Maxwell's eyes lit up, and he gave me a beaming grin. "Sure! Sure, sure, sure! Let's, uh… let's go to the boutique!"
"Right now?"
"Yes, right now! I'm meeting Bertrand and Milla after lunch, and after that we're leaving for Fydelia."
"Uh… yeah. Yeah, you're right. Let's go."
We walked back downstairs, and into the boutique. Maxwell perused around the men's clothing, while I hung back with my hands inside my pockets.
"So… what exactly are you looking for?" He asked.
I shrugged. "I don't know… something similar to the suit you got me, I guess. I… really liked that suit."
"So maybe something in the same color scheme…?"
"Sure." I told him.
After browsing around a bit, he handed me two navy blue jackets, one darker than the other. After that, he led me to the section where they kept the dress shirts, and he picked out another green one, similar to the one he'd given me before. With that, he sent me to try them on.
I slipped into the dressing room, trying on the shirt. It fit just as well as the last one he got me. Actually… I looked at the tag. It was the same brand and model he got me last time! It was the same shirt. I grinned as I slipped on one of the jackets Maxwell had given me.
"Try these on, too!" Maxwell yelled from the outside, tossing a pair of dark jeans over the door, along with a brown leather belt.
"Thanks!" I yelled back with a grin.
You know, for all our ups and downs, I couldn't help but think how well Maxwell knew me. I've always been a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of guy, and that applied to clothing too. I usually never buy new clothes until the ones I have break or get ruined somehow, like what happened with the suit. And if I find something I like - like my white undershirts and denim shirts - I tend to buy a lot of them at once, so I always have some comfortable clothes to wear no matter what. So the fact that Maxwell went out of his way to find me a suit similar to the last one he got me really warmed my heart. He knew that if I hadn't gotten shot, I'd wear that suit all the time, because I really did like it. And I really appreciated how he was trying to replicate it, because he knew that I felt comfortable in it - as comfortable as you can feel in a suit anyways.
I tried on the jeans and the belt, as well as the darker navy jacket, and voila… it looked just like the suit he got me.
"Drake, do you have shoes that go with that belt?"
"Um…" I stepped out. "I have black dress shoes…"
He shook his head. "If you're planning on keeping that belt, you should get the shoes to match."
I thought briefly about not getting the belt, but then I figured… I'd probably be wearing this suit throughout every event of the Unity Tour… I sighed. "Fine."
From literally out of nowhere, Maxwell pulled a pair of leather shoes that matched the color of the belt perfectly. I tried them on, and couldn't help but think how comfortable they were… They were definitely more comfortable than my old pair of dress shoes. If the fact that I would be wearing the hell out of them for the next month wasn't reason enough to buy them, then how comfortable they were would be.
"I'll take them." I told Maxwell, and the tailor.
For a minute there, Maxwell offered to pay for the suit and the shoes, to replace the old one he got me, but I shook my head. Told him that his help was gift enough. That caused him to well up and pull me in for a hug, which I reluctantly returned. After paying for the suit, Maxwell walked with me, and after leaving it in my room, we went to get some lunch with the girls.
After lunch, and packing, and a very long drive, we finally arrived at the Wicked Witch of the West's estate. As was expected, it was perfectly decorated - a little over the top, if you ask me, but what did I know? As Hana and Maxwell commented on the decorations, I looked over to Myers. She'd been very quiet on the drive down - despite Maxwell trying to cheer her up by starting a sing-a-thon on the drive down - and I knew she was absolutely dreading this. "You look like someone who has something on her mind…"
Her eyes met mine and she reached for my hand, shaking her head slightly, as if snapping out of a daze. "Just think about tonight. I know what I'm in for Adeleide and Madeleine, but… What do you know about Godfrey? Besides the fact that he's Madeleine's father, and that he had the courage to marry Adeleide?"
I honestly didn't know much about him. I remember I saw him around the palace pretty often when I was younger. He was always with Maxwell's dad, and he was one of Constantine's most trusted advisors back then, but… after Queen Eleanor died, he went back to England and started spending most of his time there. But none that was particularly useful right now. "Not much… He's a renowned English duke, and their marriage was a political one." And… personality-wise, he's a total ass. "From the little I know, he seems like the worst king of noble. Pretentious, entitled, and self-important."
Myers frowned. "Wow… Convincing him to come to our wedding might be harder than I thought. If he's anything like you say, he might be as difficult to enlist as Madeleine."
"You're going to do great, I know it." I took her hand and squeezed. "Besides, I'll be right next to you the whole time."
"Thank you." As we went inside and were ushered to the ballroom, Myers squeezed my hand and shot me a meaningful look just before the usher announced our names.
I grinned, and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. "For luck."
"Duchess Camilla Myers of Valtoria, and Ser Drake Walker!"
We stepped across the threshold together, only to find the room surprisingly empty. A few members of court were making quiet conversation off to one side, Adeleide was entertaining Constantine and Regina, and Madeleine was sulking in a corner, looking around disinterestedly.
"Wow, it seems so… empty. I was expecting a ball to have more people…" Myers commented, when we reached our friends.
"My father was saying a low turnout was to be expected…" Liam explained, "Fear is still high after the assassination attempt…"
I sighed. "Some of the nobility don't want to risk being seen supporting the monarchy."
"So this is what we're trying to avoid at our wedding…" Myers said, looking around the sad room with a grim expression on her face.
"Exactly…" Although, if the circumstances were different, I wouldn't mind if this happened at our wedding. Best not to tell Myers that, though.
At that moment, dinner was announced and we all moved towards the buffet. Myers grabbed my arm suddenly. "That man there. Is that…"
We all stopped in our tracks, following her gaze to a tall man with grey hair. I remembered it being blonde.
"Duke Godfrey." Hana said.
"Wow, he does look serious." Myers bit her lip.
"Yeah, but you'll win him over. You'll win them all over!" Maxwell cheered. "All it'll take is a little bit of that Camilla magic."
Myers lips twitched, until finally, a slow reluctant smile spread over her face. "One sprinkle of magic friendship dust, coming right up!"
"Remember, Bertrand said to talk to them alone. Looks like you'll have to wait a bit." Maxwell told her, a little bit more seriously.
Myers looked around the room, spotting Madeleine. She stood taller, squared her shoulders and stuck out her chin. "I guess I'll see if my magical friendship power can permeate Madeleine's ice shield first."
She began walking towards Madeleine, and I followed after her with my gaze, admitting to myself that the green lacy dress Maxwell had picked out for her hugged her figure in all the right places. Liam excused himself to go greet the other small group of nobles, and Hana, Maxwell and I watched intently as Myers and Madeleine talked. Madeleine wore a poisonous smile all throughout their conversation, before turning on her heel and walking away. I clenched my jaw, trying to control my temper, as Myers walked back to us dejectedly.
"Where's Liam?" Myers asked.
"He mentioned he'd be scarce tonight…" Hana told her. "Said it was important to make ample time for the few nobles who did attend."
"So how'd it go with Madeleine?" Maxwell asked.
"Well, she laughed in my face without considering my offer, so… great." Myers rolled her eyes, probably cursing Bertrand for making her do this.
"That reaction is no surprise." Whoa! Bertrand came out of nowhere, making me jump. "Perhaps you should focus your efforts on Lord Godfrey and Lady Adeleide for now. For appearance's sake, they will be seated together during dinner. I'll devise a way to ensure they separate after the meal."
"While Bertrand turns that over his noggin, we should eat!" Maxwell cheered.
"Finally, something we can agree on." I teased.
And eat we did. I have to say, I was so surprised to find pasta at a formal event, but it was so good, I didn't dare question my luck. We filled our plates with pasta and some other food from the buffet, joking about how Madeleine's evil must be the true cause for this good food. Myers was talking about buffalo wings 'wrapped in hell's bacon', which I was pretty sure didn't exist, but was definitely intrigued. Anyway, I was looking at her as we headed to our table, instead of looking where I was going, and bumped into Neville. "Whoa!"
"Watch yourself!" He hissed, looking down on me from over his shoulder. He brushed some imaginary dust from his shoulder, and I narrowed my eyes at him. Could he really be that petty? When he sniffed indignantly at Hana, I realized he could. His snake eyes landed on Myers, giving her the fakest grin I'd ever seen. I immediately tensed next to her. "Duchess Camilla! I was hoping to run into you. Though I had imagined it being rather less literal…" He looked towards me with distaste. "I didn't get a chance to offer my felicitations at the Homecoming Ball, what with the… unfortunate turn of events. I wanted to say bully for you!" He raised his glass of wine in her direction. "What interesting times we live in when a lowly commoner can rise to such heights…" My blood began boiling, and Myers narrowed her eyes slightly. Neville turned those snake eyes on me looking at me from head to toe. "Even more so when we see who you chose for your husband…" He grinned mockingly. "Mr. Walker, aren't you looking… put together? Especially after that bold show you put on at the Homecoming Ball."
I clenched my jaw, trying not to let him get to me. "It's just Drake, thanks."
"Oh, my apologies." He had the gall to look shocked. "Names just seem so… bare without some honorific."
Myers raised an eyebrow, before offering him her Duchess smile. "An honorific? How about 'Hero'? It's the one you get when you save someone's life." Though her smile was pleasantly polite, I could see the daggers in her eyes.
"Oh, I've never heard of it. How edifying. You know, Drake, I've always pitied the dogs whose owners insist on dressing them up in silly little suits." From the corner of my eye, I saw Maxwell glaring at him. "It's cruel, really. The dogs don't enjoy it, and the novelty is fleeting at best. Besides, there's no point to it. After all, you can put a mongrel in a suit jacket, but you still shouldn't seat him at the dinner table."
Okay, that was enough! "Hey-" I felt Myers put a hand on my shoulder.
"Angry, are we?" Neville grinned cruelly. "Oh, please, I'd love to see you settle this with your brute strength. After all the honors and privileges that King Liam has heaped on you, how nice to repay him by causing a disgraceful scene."
"Did you come here just to insult us?" Hana glared at him.
"Heavens, no." The bastard feigned innocence. "As I said, I simply wanted to offer Lady Camilla my well wishes, and to thank her for organizing this tour." He smiled mockingly at Hana. "What a perfect opportunity to call on every eligible lady in the country. Now that I've said as much, I'll take my leave." He bowed and walked away, leaving us all seething.
I balled my fists, trying desperately to contain my anger, my frustration and… my embarrassment. I had never felt so belittled in my life, so small. Did this fucker get off on making people feel like crap? Or did he really think that just because he was lucky enough to have been born into the nobility, he was better than the rest of us?
"I can't believe I ever entertained the idea of marrying that jerk." Hana was fuming.
"Yeah… You know, I heard he's not even planning to go to the wedding."
Myers scoffed. "Fine by me. I wouldn't want him anywhere near my wedding if that's how he behaves."
"Yeah… I overheard him saying that he's not sure he'll support Liam, and he just wanted to go on the tour to find a wife. He was talking about, er…" Maxwell hesitated, his eyes darting to me and Myers for a moment, "Liam giving hand-outs to commoners instead of honoring the nobility."
Myers looked shocked, and a little bit hurt for a second, but she hid it quickly, clenching her jaw and frowning. He got to her, I realized. "He can go fuck himself, then. He doesn't want to come to a commoner's wedding, fine. I don't need or want someone that small-minded to share such a special moment with me."
"Milla…" Hana said softly. "I hate to say it, but we should still try to sway him. We need everyone…"
Myers looked like she was about to protest, and I… I was still wrestling with myself, trying to calm down. But I saw how he got to her. And, if I was really being honest, he got to me, too. He compared me to a dog in a suit, a nobody who wasn't even worthy of being seated at a table for dinner. That not only made me angry, but it was embarrassing and it hurt. I hated to admit it, but it did. I wasn't even a person to him. Myers wasn't a person to him. Neither of us were worthy of any respect or dignity, to him. And I realized it didn't matter if I jumped in front of a bullet, kicked his ass or put on a suit. Neville, and others like him, would never respect me anyway.
And that wasn't the worst part. It was… how could I ever help Myers run a duchy without the respect of these people? I'd be jeopardizing her and Valtoria, more than I'd be helping. I have to get out of here. "I… excuse me." I left my plate on the table and pushed past them.
I made my way outside, the sound of soft heels behind me. I kept walking, trying to get as far away from that ballroom as possible. I finally stopped when I reached the fire pit, Myers' heels still clacking behind me. "Drake! Drake, wait."
I turned around, running a hand through my hair. "Sorry. I had to get out of there before I did something stupid."
Her eyes softened and she stepped forward, wrapping her arms tightly around me. "After what Neville said, I think we all wanted to do something undiplomatic."
I sighed, hugging her back. "Yeah. Except he's right. If I take a swing at him, it'll only be bad for Liam… and for all of us. What's the courtly equivalent of a sucker punch?"
"Knowing the right fork to use when your opponent doesn't?" Myers suggested, an unenthusiastic smile on her face.
"Heh. Guy like Neville, I'm sure he knows all the forks." I rested my chin on the top of her head, as she pressed her face into my chest.
"He might know all the forks, but he's still an ignorant ass."
I chuckled. The guy had the best education his family's money could buy, but to Myers he was an 'ignorant ass'. She was right, I suppose. All the money in the world doesn't buy you common courtesy.
We stayed like that for several moments, both of us leaning on one another, trying to calm down. I took a deep breath, the distinctive scent of Fydelia's trees mixing with the scent of Myers' hair. I looked around the landscape, trying to think of something I could do to- I looked down at Myers.
Myers had spent weeks training with the Beaumonts, learning all the forks, all the etiquette, all fancy words to describe a €5000 bottle of wine, all the dances… Now, I couldn't learn how to do all that in one night… but I could learn one thing.
"Actually… maybe there is something I can do tonight." I told her. "Something you could help me with."
"Anything. What is it?"
"Hell, you're gonna make me say it, aren't you?" I looked down at her teasingly, but found her looking up at me with genuine curiosity.
"I can't help you if I don't know what it is."
"It's… dancing. The fancy, courtly spinning kind. I never learned how to do it. And now…" I rubbed the back of my neck.
Myers raised her eyebrows just a bit. "The Drake Walker wants to learn how to waltz?"
"Yeah, yeah, desperate times, Myers. This is for Cordonia. What do you say?"
Her expression melted into a soft smile. "Of course I can teach you."
Her tender tone brought me back to the Coronation.
"Is this right?" I asked nervously.
"It's perfect. You're doing great. Just relax." She said sweetly, giving me a tender smile that made my heart swell.
I shook my head out of the memory. "I appreciate it, Myers. If you could also stay quiet about this…"
"Your secret's safe with me." Myers pressed a soft kiss to my lips. "I know how hard it is for you to open up to people."
"Thanks." I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now, let's get to work." Myers looked at me, and raised an eyebrow.
I grinned, and bowed slightly, raising my hand palm up, asking for hers. I led her a little farther, into the gardens, where I was sure we'd be unseen, and under an archway covered in fairy lights.
"So… dancing."
"Uh huh, get the jokes out of your system now." I said defensively.
"Drake…" She said softly, "I think it's great you want to learn to dance."
"Oh, really?" My jaw dropped.
"Absolutely. I'm all for expanding horizons and stepping out of your comfort zone."
"I'll take that over an avalanche of jokes."
"So what made you want to try dancing in particular?"
"Well, we are at a ball… I hear dancing's a part of that."
"Don't tell me Drake Walker suddenly cares about looking good in front of the nobility."
I winced slightly. "Something like that."
"You can't let Neville get to you."
"It's not just Neville. I never really fit in at court, even though I'd been here my entire life. It's never mattered before…" I hesitated, "well, before you. If I'm going to be your husband, I don't want to embarrass you. And to do that, I need the nobles to see me as something more than Liam's commoner friend."
Myers' lips turned downwards, and she frowned. "Drake, you know I wouldn't ask you to change anything for me..."
I shook my head, gently smoothing out the wrinkle between her brows with my thumb. "You don't need to ask. I'd do anything for you. Including this. The stakes are too high. This is everything I care about. It's for you, for Liam, for Cordonia… for making our home safe for the people I love most." I brushed the back of my fingers against her cheek, before cupping her neck. "You need all the support you can get right now. And I can't help you win over the nobles if they don't respect me. So that means I need to step it up on the fancy twirling front… Literally, I guess." I bit my lip, looking straight into Myers' eyes. "I want to be an asset, Myers. I want to be someone."
Myers shook her head slightly, before grinning. "You're going to be my husband, the Duke of Valtoria."
My heart skipped a beat at the word husband. "As happy as that makes me, it's not quite the same. Neville's proof that a title alone won't win their respect. They've looked down on me for so long. I need to make them see me in a new light. I need to make them see that my support matters."
"Hmm… maybe we can start with a personalized title. How about Drake Walker, the Sexiest Man Alive?" Myers grinned impishly.
That managed to tear a chuckle out of me. "We don't need the entire court thinking I'm sexy. That's reserved for you."
"But it's recognition for your merit."
"In a way."
"Drake… Is this why you wore a suit tonight? To be taken more seriously?"
God, this woman could really see right through me. "... I guess so, yeah. And that's where the dancing comes in. Not that I'll win anyone over with a few good steps."
"I'm surprised you didn't start with swordplay."
"That was an option?"
Myers laughed. "Maybe we'll get to that later. Let's focus on dancing for now." She took out her phone from her clutch, and put on a soft song, the music ebbing and flowing into a sweet and romantic melody.
"That was fast." I muttered.
"Yeah… believe it or not, I actually enjoy classical music. I was in 9th grade, I think, when I heard somewhere that it helped you concentrate while studying. So I began listening to classical and instrumental music while studying or writing only to realize I actually liked it… The melodies, the instruments, the beats, the tempos, the feelings… Gosh, so many feels. And now I have pretty much everything from Mozart and Tchaikovsky on my playlist, to modern composers like Trevor Morris and Hans Zimmer, that compose music for movies and videogames." Myers grinned, blushing a bit and shaking her head. "Anyway, yeah. Dancing."
"What can you teach me so that I don't look like a complete idiot? Please say it doesn't involve putting a rose in my mouth."
"I can teach you the Cordonian Waltz. They're sure to do that one tonight. That's why I picked this song actually. The Cordonian Waltz is a courting dance. Very romantic and intimate."
"Alright. Where do we start?"
"Well, show me what you know already."
"You know I know nothing about dancing. Hell, I don't know how I managed not to step on your feet at the Coronation Ball." Myers smiled at the memory. "I've seen the starting position, and that's about it."
"Well… there's no better place to start there, I guess."
"Ha."
Myers stepped back, breaking our embrace, and stood up straight. She placed my right hand on her waist, and took my left hand in her right, before placing her left hand on my shoulder. "Now, box step with me."
At first, I was able to follow her lead, but then she began moving her feet faster and faster and I struggled to keep up with her without stepping on her. "This is harder than I expected."
"It'd help if you didn't stomp around like a rhino with cement boots. You have to glide."
Seriously? I stared at her.
"Just imagine the ground is covered in lava. Don't you want to imagine yourself kicking up molten streams as you elegantly glide over lava like a demigod?"
"That actually sounds pretty cool." I conceded.
"Yes. Join me and together, we can be the lavadancers."
I looked down at my feet, trying to imagine lava around and under us. Unless I wanted to kick up lava everywhere, I had to skate across it, not raising it. I tried not to raise any dust or dirt on the ground, until finally, "I got it!"
"Step, two, three. You're doing great."
"What's next or have I become a dancing master?"
"Not quite. You also have to be aware of your frame. Keep your arms and chest out." Okay… this wasn't so different than martial arts in that sense. "This keeps your frame firm, so your partner can appropriately react to your movements."
I nodded, raising my arms and puffing my chest out.
"Let me take a look to make sure you're doing it right…" Myers pulled her head back, eyeing me critically, before leaning in. In a second, her lips were on mine, and I couldn't help but melt into the kiss, forgetting the dancing completely.
She pulled back and leveled me with a serious stare. "You're out of step, Mr. Walker."
The corners of my lips twitched. "You don't play fair, Myers."
Myers grinned at that. "Never said that I would."
"That's some kind of inspection, making me break my stance."
"You have to be able to handle distractions. Your partner is trusting you to stay engaged and give direction. Like in the next step. You move forward, I move back and then I spin."
I did as she told me and stepped forward, making sure to keep my frame firm. She immediately stepped back, raised my arm and spun underneath. "Flawless."
Myers gave me a rueful grin. "I know. You have no idea how hard Bertrand grilled me for it get that way."
I chuckled. "I can imagine. We're close to the end, right? What's the final move?"
"Yes, the final move…" She stepped back, her hand in mine keeping my arm outstretched towards her, and she twirled into me, facing her other palm to mine. I brought my arms around her, her back pressed to my chest.
"Maybe dancing isn't so bad if it ends with you in my arms." I spoke into her ear softly.
She hummed in agreement. "I knew you'd like it." She threw her head back, comfortably leaning into my chest as we continued to sway to the soft music. I chanced a look at her face, and saw she'd closed her eyes. Between that sight, the music and the feel of her in my arms, my heart swelled. I couldn't believe how lucky I was.
"Hey, Myers, thanks."
"Oh, it's nothing. Anytime you want some simple dance moves, I'm your girl."
"You know, I resisted anything court-related because I didn't want to change who I am for some stupid nobles. But I've seen you rise through Cordonia's ranks, and no matter what you learned, you never changed from that girl we found waitressing a bar in New York. If you can do that, I should be able to do this and still be me. So, thanks, for that."
"It's what I'm here for. Well, that and uniting Cordonia."
"I couldn't think of anyone better to unite us. Now… shall we get back to the actual business of uniting Cordonia one noble at a time?"
"Of course, but I need kisses for good luck."
I shook my head slightly. "Myers, you're amazing. Do you really think you need luck?"
"Honestly, I don't care as long as you kiss me." She turned in my arms, so we were face to face.
I leaned in, and our lips met in a dazzling kiss. I tried to pour everything I'd felt right now into the kiss. All of my love, all my gratefulness, all of my wonder, everything. When we broke apart, we were both breathless.
Myers grinned against my mouth. "Consider that a contribution toward saving Cordonia."
"I will do my part." I said solemnly, causing her to laugh.
"Then do it again, quickly, so we can go in there and take care of business."
"No. Not quickly. Never quickly." I took the time to tangle my fingers into her hair, my thumbs brushing over her cheekbones. I looked deep into her eyes, only to find them cloudy and half-lidded, before finally meeting her slightly open mouth with mine. After a deliberately slow and passionate kiss, I stepped back. "After you."
To say the night had taken an interesting turn would be an understatement. First off, as soon as we were back inside, dinner was apparently over, and the few nobles were mingling around the ballroom. Bertrand immediately found Myers and had her go up to both Godfrey and Adeleide to issue the invitation to our wedding. I made my way back to the guys, but judging from Godfrey's expression, I knew Myers had managed to impress him somewhat. However, both he and Adeleide declined the invitation. The night wasn't over yet, though.
As a way to relax - and piss Neville off - Myers asked me to dance. I tried my best to put what I'd learned minutes ago into practice, and after an unplanned lift that may or may not have torn my stitches, we stepped off the dancefloor to resounding applause. Neville, of course had to come over to 'congratulate' us once more, but Myers was having none of it.
"Do you know what I think? You're threatened by Drake."
Neville scoffed. "Threatened? By him? The very idea is preposterous!"
"Is it?" Myers asked, raising an elegant brow, looking at him condescendingly "Because it seems like you're trying to tear him down to make yourself look better. I think that you're afraid that just being a noble isn't enough to impress people when a brave, honorable commoner like Drake is around."
He scrunched his face in fury and distaste. Myers simply looked down on him. He left with an undignified huff. That had been fun.
And now, after a little bit of scheming and thanks to Hana's charms, we actually managed to get Madeleine outside by the fire pit to play a drinking game. Things were about to get very interesting.
"Alright," Maxwell began, passing out drinks to all of us, "who here has played Cordonia's Most before?"
"What Cordonia hasn't played it?" Madeleine asked, shooting Myers a glare. "Oh, that's right. Some of us aren't Cordonian at all."
Myers opened her mouth to retort, her Duchess smile on her face, when Hana beat her to it. "I haven't played. Of course, I've studied the rules extensively, so I'm well-versed in the theory."
"There's theory?" Myers asked.
"It's basically a voting game." Maxwell explained. "On your turn, you get to ask a question starting with 'who is Cordonia's most'. So you could say... who is Cordonia's most' uptight duke?"
"Bertrand, no contest." I voted.
"Right! Only when you're voting, the answer has to be someone playing the game."
"So when do you drink?" Myers asked.
"Whoever gets the most votes has to take a drink. Then the next person in the circle gets to ask a question." Hana told her.
"Sounds fun! So, are you all ready to lose?" Myers grinned competitively.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Madeline roll her eyes and grin. "There's that foolish confidence again."
"Technically, there isn't a winner. Cordonia's Most is played for the fun of it." Hana winked at Myers, who winked back.
"But still…" Maxwell grinned impishly, "you're all going down."
"We'll see about that." Hana challenged.
"Let's play." I told them.
"I'll start." Madeleine piped up, her drink already halfway gone. "Who is Cordonia's Most annoying American commoner?" She asked, a clear dig at Myers. "I vote for Camilla."
"Sorry, but…" Maxwell shot me a toothy grin, "I have to give this one to Drake."
"Hey! I'm only half American."
"And I'm not a commoner anymore…" Myers said.
"Still counts." Maxwell told the both of us.
"I'm with Maxwell." Hana giggled. "It's definitely Drake." She scrunched her face into a frown, and when she spoke, her tone was deeper. "I'm Drake. I don't like nice food or clothes. I'd use whiskey as cologne, but I wouldn't want to waste the whiskey."
The guys laughed, Myers wiping a tear from her eyes. "Heh. You sound just like him."
I rolled my eyes. "Come on, it's easily Camilla! You can't be that plucky and not be at least a little annoying." Myers narrowed her eyes at me playfully. "You know… in an endearing way." That earned a small chuckle from her and a quick kiss on the cheek for me.
"I guess we know who Drake's voting for." Madeleine squealed gleefully. "That just leaves Camilla herself."
I watched as Myers narrowed her eyes, zooming in on Madeleine for a split second, before smiling good naturedly. "I guess you're right." She looked directly at her, and then at me. "I can be pretty annoying sometimes…"
"I didn't see that coming." Maxwell mumbled and Hana elbowed him discreetly. We both knew that she'd done it on purpose to make Madeleine happy… or satisfied, I guess.
Myers shrugged. "Drake has a point. I'm sure plenty of people at court find my persistence and positivity a little annoying. Plus, he is only half American." She teased me.
"Take a drink, then." Hana ordered.
Myers took a long pull of her drink, before asking, "So who gets the next question?"
"Maxwell's next to Madeleine, so he's up!"
"Yep, and my question is…" He drummed his hands on his lap. "Who is Cordonia's Most likely to be the first casualty in a zombie apocalypse?"
"Oooh, that's a hard one!" Myers nodded.
"It's not Hana." He commented. "She'd probably turn out to be a secret zombie-slaying warrior."
"Well, I bet Madeleine would forget a new civilization from the ashes, through cunning and determination." Hana complimented her.
"Are you sure she's not leading through fear and violence in this hypothetical?" I asked, somewhat jokingly, causing the Wicked Witch of the West to glare daggers at me.
"You may not like her, Drake, but you have to admit Madeleine does know how to charm a crowd. That confidence and poise is something I've always admired. I think zombie apocalypse survivors would too." I honestly didn't know how Hana did it, but that sounded like a genuine compliment, not like something she was simply saying because she was trying to suck up to Madeleine.
I saw as Madeleine's cheeks were slightly flushed, but she rolled her eyes all the same. "Great, so I get to be Queen… of a wasteland. What a dream come true." She took a sip of her drink, even though we'd all agree she'd survive.
"I think Drake would die first…" Myers pondered, her voice a bit small. She shook her head and looked up at me with a small, crooked smile. "He'd go down in a heroic sacrifice, saving the rest of the group."
I reached for her hand and squeezed, knowing where her mind was going to. "Hey, I'll take it."
"How noble. And he does have a history of selfless acts. You've convinced me, Milla." Hana smiled at us.
"A foolhardy grand gesture does sound about right. Alright, Drake has my vote." Madeleine agreed.
"Three's a majority. Drink, Drake." Myers ordered gleefully.
"Alright, alright." I took a long draw of my drink, when we suddenly heard a noisy sucking, slurping sound. The guys looked at me with raised eyebrows and whimsical expressions, but I shook my head.
We all turned to Madeleine, who had already finished her drink. "Whoops! Looks like I need a refill."
"You know you're only supposed to drink when you get votes, right?" Hana asked her hesitantly.
Madeleine merely rolled her eyes. "Who are you, the rules police? I thought this was a game about drinking, and now you're telling me not to?"
Myers shot me a pointed look, and I stood. "I'll, er… go grab some refills for everyone." She gave me an almost imperceptible nod.
"You're going to need extra hands for that." Maxwell also stood with a nod. "Trust me."
We began walking away, back to the kitchens. I shot Maxwell a look. "So… do you think Hana and Myers will be able to sway her?"
Maxwell shrugged, narrowing his eyes a bit. "Maybe not right now, or right away, but I think they'll learn enough to be able to sway her before the night is over."
I sighed, and flagged down a server. "I hope you're right."
With the server in tow, we were able to make more drinks quickly and carry them back outside. The girls were talking quietly, Hana and Myers sharing side eye looks, while Madeleine looked a little miffed. She immediately perked up when she saw the drinks in our hands though. As soon as Maxwell was within reach, she grabbed a pineapple and began slurping it down.
Maxwell grinned. "Now that everyone's refueled, where were we?"
"We were waiting on Drake." Madeleine said, quickly resuming her slurping. "Chop, chop."
I nodded, taking time to think. "Okay… who is Cordonia's Most likely to take a bullet for Liam, other than me?"
Maxwell laughed. "Solid humblebrag. I give it a seven out of ten. Next time, add an 'I don't know if it was brave or stupid' for full points."
"I'd say…" Hana's eyes went from Myers to Maxwell and they landed on Madeleine. "Madeleine."
The Wicked Witch of the West nearly choked on her drink. "... You would?"
"You would?" My jaw dropped.
"I know you and Liam have your differences, but you'd never leave Cordonia without a king. Not if you could stop it."
"Actually… Hana's got a point." Maxwell agreed.
I shook my head. "Well, I vote for Maxwell. With his luck, he'd just trip in the way."
"I…" Madeleine let go of her straw to be able to speak. "I vote for myself, too. Taking a bullet for the King is tantamount to taking a bullet for Cordonia." Clearly, you've never taken a bullet before, I thought. "It's more than a life for a life." But I guess she does have a valid point.
"Well… I guess that's settled, then. Drink." Myers told her, without even casting her vote.
"Camilla, you're next." I told her.
"Oh! I should've been thinking of a question." She narrowed her eyes, looking into the fire, before they widened slightly. "Who… is Cordonia's most likely to be a secret government spy?"
"It's between Hana and Drake, that's for sure." Maxwell said.
"For sure? I'm going to need you to elaborate." Madeleine said, her eyes assessing both me and Hana critically.
"Well, Hana's got all sorts of hidden talents." His eyes widened. "Maybe she was brainwashed as a kid and knows all that stuff because she's a sleeper agent! That would explain so much…"
"And Drake, of course, because he jumps in front of loaded guns and hangs out around the palace because he's 'friends with the King'." Myers narrowed her eyes playfully at me.
"Exactly!" Yelled Maxwell.
"I vote for Drake." Hana said.
"Wait! Hana's the spy!" Maxwell pointed an accusatory finger towards her. "Think about it. Wouldn't a secret government spy want to deflect attention to avoid discovery?"
"Sounds convincing enough for me!" Myers giggled, raising her pineapple to Hana.
"I'll vote for her if it means we can get to the next question." Madeleine rolled her eyes.
"Drink up, Hana."
"Okay, Hana you're up! Last question!" Myers squealed excitedly.
"I've got one… who is Cordonia's most likely to talk to animals?"
"Oh! It's Hana! She's practically a Disney princess already! She's stupidly sweet and perfect…" Madeleine said drunkenly.
We all visibly reeled at that. Both Myers and Hana's jaws fell, while Maxwell and I looked at each other whimsically.
Madeleine hiccupped, her eyes widened as she took in all of our reactions. "Wait, did I say that out loud?" She began giggling uncontrollably.
My jaw dropped even lower. The Wicked Witch of the West… giggling.
"If anyone's a Disney princess, it's Camilla with her literal Cinderella story." Hana veered the conversation off Madeleine and back to the game.
"I'm going to vote for myself, mostly because that would be an awesome power." Maxwell grinned.
"To be clear, Hana never said they'd talk back." I told him.
"Aww…"
"Milla, what do you think?" Hana asked.
"I vote for Hana. Madeleine's right, she's basically a Disney princess already."
"A bird did land on my hand once while I was singing." Hana admitted bashfully.
"That. Is. Adorable." Maxwell gaped at her.
Yep, that's it for me, too. "Yeah, I think that settles it. Hana wins this one." I agreed, raising my gla- pineapple to her in cheers.
After Hana took a polite sip of her cocktail, Maxwell cheered, "That's the game!"
"Hey, that was really fun. Thanks for teaching me how to play, Maxwell." Myers grinned at him.
"This has been fun." Madeleine giggled again. "Though, I think it was mostly the alcohol, not the company."
I rolled my eyes. Well, at least she was honest, I thought. Few nobles are, and my hunch tells me this one's only so when she's drunk.
"Er… thanks?" Myers tried to smile at her.
Madeleine, in the meantime, was sucking right up to the final drop of her punch, until nothing but air was left. Then, she actually turned her pineapple upside down, and began shaking it lightly, marveling with wide eyes at the fact that it was empty. Her straw obviously fell, and she looked from the pineapple to the straw on the floor in disbelief. God, it's like a toddler discovering gravity.
"Since the alcohol is gone, I think I'll get back to my party." She snorted. Snorted. "I'm sure the other two guests need to be entertained." With that, she got up, remembered to smooth her skirts, and began wobbling down the path back to the ballroom.
"We should probably head back too." I told the guys. I was kind of worried the Wicked Witch of the West would twist her ankle or something, wobbling in those heels.
"We'll keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't fall." Hana quickly ran after Madeleine.
Maxwell finished collecting all the pineapples and set them on a tray. "And I'll get this down to the kitchen." He winked exaggeratedly at me and Myers.
"Oh, yeah, thanks!" I shouted, rolling my eyes.
Myers merely chuckled. "So, that was interesting, huh?"
"It sure was. I've never seen Madeleine like that before…"
"Yeah, me neither. She did open up a little, so hopefully that'll make a difference…"
I placed my good arm over her shoulders and drew her in. "I'm sure it's going to work out."
"You know, Drake… I had one more question I never got to ask in the drinking game. Who's Cordonia's most likely to kiss me right now?"
I grinned, my eyes straying to her lips. "That would definitely be me." I shifted, pressing her closer to me. I slid a hand around her waist and she linked her arms behind my neck. As soon as my lips touched hers, she giggled. "What's so funny?"
Myers shrugged, her eyes shining brightly. "Kissing you just makes me happy."
"You sure it's not just the Pineapple Paradise Punch?"
"Let's try again and see." Myers pulled me down into a fierce kiss, fisting her hands into my jacket. I held her tighter, her chest flush against mine. Slowly the kiss turned softer, more tender, and when we parted, I could feel her smile against my lips. "Definitely the kissing."
"If you need to check again, let me know." I took her hand, and we made our way back to the party.
As soon as we got back inside, we could hear the argument between Adeleide, Madeleine and Geoffrey. It was an absolute train-wreck, filled with accusations and thinly-veiled insults going from one person towards another. Adeleide accused Geoffrey of 'feeling nothing but contempt for his family', Geoffrey added fuel to the fire by asking Adeleide of all people to keep her voice down, and then he noticed Madeleine was drunk.
Maxwell pushed Myers out to help them, and she respectfully stepped up. Geoffrey looked her up and down with clear contempt, and when he called her a 'meddlesome imp', I was about ready to to walk up to him and punch him. If it weren't for Hana, who placed her hand on my shoulder, I would've.
I honestly didn't know if she really felt that way or just wanted to contradict her husband, but Adeleide welcomed Myers' intervention. So Myers went into full on therapist mode and had her talk it out first. Adeleide went on about how worried she was for Madeleine and how she wished she would open up. Myers then made her see that Madeleine copes differently and she has to respect that, shortly put.
Then came Madeleine, who was pretty quick to throw the end of her engagement in Myers' face. I watched as my girl took a deep breath, and talked her down. The first thing she did - which was pretty smart, too - was to relate to Madeleine about 'having your hopes dashed at the eleventh hour'. Just with that, Madeleine seemed to soften. Then, Myers went on about Madeleine's situation specifically, and made her see that she had to start taking care of herself before she could take on taking care of the country.
The last of which, of course, didn't sit well with Godfrey. He rolled his eyes ever so slowly, the gesture in itself an insult to Myers, who was taking the time to fix his family shit. "Your advice is for Madeleine to take care of herself?I'm sure the best kings and queens accomplished great things by taking a bubble bath and sipping chardonnay." I rolled my eyes, thinking that not only was he seriously simplifying Myers' actual advice, but he was in danger of burning his daughter out if he kept this up. Geoffrey, apparently, was not only the worst type of noble, but he was also the worst type of parent. That type of over-demanding, overbearing parent that doesn't really care about his kid, but cares more about his 'legacy', and expects so much from them that he actually leaves his kid stressed out and burnt out.
Myers pointed out how Madeleine is - in her opinion - a 'force to be reckoned with' and how she respected her. Geoffrey had to dismiss that, with a line about Myers being a 'commoner who'd been given leave to judge her betters'. That comment made my blood boil. Myers merely smiled and shook it off. She turned the tables on him about how, if she of all people, could see that, then it means something. Geoffrey's eyes widened, and after a moment… he agreed.
With all their individual shit sorted out, Myers went in for the kill. She took their House sigil as an example of how they each represented a different part of a tree... or something like that. And then she made them see that what they had in common was their roots. And then there was some stuff about being a family, a unit, and whatnot.
Anyway, after aaaaaaaaall of that, Adeleide and Geoffrey confirmed that they'd make it to the wedding. And Madeleine agreed to be Myers' new press secretary. Which, at the moment, we thought was something to celebrate. Myers took a turn dancing with Maxwell, while Liam, Hana and I shared a couple of drinks.
Later that night, I snuck into Myers' bedroom and stayed there for the night. I woke up a couple of times - Myers waking up with me the second time, after a particularly bad nightmare. Thankfully, she didn't ask me again if I wanted to go to a psychologist, but simply stayed up with me and held me. I managed to fall asleep again around five in the morning, only to be woken up two hours later, by none other than the Wicked Witch of the West herself. She knocked harshly on the door, startling me awake. I heard the door click, and knew she was coming in, so without another thought in my mind, I dove for the floor, wrapped in the bed covers.
"Hey-"
Madeleine cut Myers off. "Were you sleeping? At seven in the morning?" She tsked her tongue. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Why are all your covers on the floor?"
"Uh… I'm a messy sleeper."
"Uh huh… Good morning, Drake." Madeleine said impassively.
I groaned, and got up. "Morning, Madeleine."
She merely rolled her eyes. "If this is going to become a regular occurrence while on this tour, I beg you to be a little more discrete."
"Right… Madeleine, why are you in my room at seven in the morning?" Myers asked her pointedly.
"While you were busy snoring, I was speaking with Bertrand and putting together an itinerary for our next stop."
"An itinerary? Wow, Madeleine, I guess your… tenacity has it's uses."
"You'll find that I am quite overqualified for this position, but nevertheless, I take my responsibilities seriously."
"I guess it'll be nice to have some advance warning for a change." Myers told me. "So, anyway, where are we going?"
"I hope you're both ready to hear incessant chatter about poodles… Because the next stop on the Unity Tour is Penelope's estate."
Oh, boy…
Poodlelope.
God help me, I don't know if I'm strong enough for this.
A.N. 2: Oh, and I included the training scene in the first part of the chapter for the following reason. According to my headcanon timeline, when Mara begins to train the group before the Costume Ball (or whatever it's called - I honestly can't remember the name of all the different balls) it's smack in the middle of the Unity Tour, meaning TWO WEEKS BEFORE YOUR WEDDING! I'm sorry, Pixelberry, but do you seriously expect me to believe that in two weeks, MC and the gang become big enough bad asses to take down the assassins and kidnappers on your wedding day, by themselves, with no backup and no weapons?! Because I'm not buying it LOL
Now, I've written in previous chapters that Liam and Drake train on a daily basis, because in the training scene with Mara, Liam CLEARLY has combat/martial arts training and Drake is the son of a former Captain of the King's Guard/Guardian of the Realm/supposed "legend for all the times he saved old Constantine's life" in one of the assassins own words. So, I guessed they've both had martial arts and weapons training since they were children, they're just not as upfront about it as the beautiful, badass Ice Queen herself, Duchess Olivia Nevrakis. And I also guessed that they would want to train Milla, Hana and Maxwell as well, so that they could defend themselves if the situation ever calls for it, and especially considering how in the last chapter, I wrote Milla to epicly fail Mara's test.
I did that because I headcannon Milla to be more of a brain, that perfectly compliments Drake's brawn. She's a writer, she's short and skinny, and she's bookish… She's a little bit of a nerd, let's just say it; meaning you're more likely to find her curled up on the couch with a good book and a cup of tea than lifting weights at the gym. By the end of the book, though, I hope that with Liam and Drake's training, she'll have gotten a little bit stronger and a little more disciplined, enough to not be a burden or a damsel in distress when they kidnap her. She'll be able to hold her own, but she is not going to become an Olivia-level badass in two damn weeks.
Oof, that was long… sorry, I guess I needed to rant a little bit about this.
Anyway, the last thing on here is that I have to give my real life significant other a shout-out and a HUGE thank you for helping me write that scene. He is a boxer and he also does a little MMA on the side, so his perspective and instruction was invaluable for the scene.
