Disclaimer: Things have not changed the least, and I'm still not owning The Black Magician Trilogy - Trudi Canavan does.
10- Bad News
The sunlight stroked Sonea's face and her eyes flickered open. As she began stirring, she realized that the warmth against her back was not the one of her bed. Then she felt a weight on her waist. Looking at whatits cause was, she saw two arms. Turning around herself, she found herself face-to-face with Akkarin, who was steadily staring at her.
"Good morning, Sonea." That reminded her of the last – and only – time when she had woken up to find the High Lord in her room. She did not regret the least the decision she made that day. She answered his greeting by leaning forward and pressing her lips on his, which were more than eager to open for her.
"A dangerous thing you're doing." He whispered after breaking the kiss.
"Is it?" was her only reaction before she kissed him again, knotting her arms around his neck.
"It definitely is!" And to prove himself right, he rolled so that he was above her. Still kissing her, he slowly brought the hand which was resting on the girl's waist up to her breasts. He felt her gasp against his mouth when he cupped one breast in his hand. That made him laugh, and he deepened the kiss. Sonea was thrilled under his caresses, and she let out a disappointed noise when Akkarin's mouth left her, only to be silenced again when this same mouth began kissing her jawline, before moving slowly to her neck. One of Sonea's hands was now knotted into his hair, while the other was clinging on to his back, pressing their bodies together.
Suddenly, Akkarin raised his head and stilled. Sonea came back to reality and began feeling quite embarrassed, when the thought came to her mind of how close they had been, and of how much she would have liked her fiancé not to stop.
After a while in the same position, he sighed and stood.
"Something's wrong?" Sonea asked.
"Lorlen is here."
She needed a few second to understand what he was saying.
"Lorlen? Here?" She stood too. "But… why?"
"Something about… Regin." In front of her intrigued face, he said. "I don't know either, but I'm sure he'll explain it to us."
He headed towards the door, opened it and strode out of the room, to the balustrade.
"How good of you to come visit me so early a Freeday morning, my old friend."
Lorlen was speaking to Takan. He looked up at the High Lord. His eyes began widening with surprise as he took notice of his bare chest and which room he just came out from – Sonea's room. Anger came as well when he saw Sonea coming out from the same room to stand beside Akkarin. She was trying very hard to look natural, but couldn't help her face from being beet red.
Understanding from his friend's face what was going on his mind, the High Lord spoke.
"Please Lorlen, don't look at me this way. We were sleeping. Just sleeping."
Well, except for the last fifteen minutes, but the Administrator didn't have to know that, did he?
In spite of what Akkarin had said, Lorlen didn't seem totally convinced. Yet, he thought wiser not to call the High Lord a liar, and moved on another topic.
"I've got news I thought you may be interested in. Could you and Sonea come down… after having dressed?"
"We'll only need a few minutes." Akkarin led Sonea back to her room and closed the door. "I don't exactly know what there's going on exactly, but I can tell you that Lorlen thinks it quite bad. Dress up and come into my office. I'm going to pick some better-looking robes in my room." He added, pointing out his now useless clothes he had been wearing the previous evening. He bent over her, kissed her softly on her lips and went out.
Ten minutes later, the three of them were in the High Lord's office, Lorlen sitting behind the desk, Sonea on a chair before it. Akkarin was leaning against her chair. He was the first to speak.
"I supposed that the matter you want to discuss is linked with the marriage, since you have asked for the both of us to be here. Have you found a way?"
"The only thing I came upon is: secrecy. But I would rather you not use this solution. I'm still looking for another way. No, what I came to discuss is Regin."
An expectative silence followed. Lorlen did not seem to know how to begin, so Sonea decided to help him.
"How is Regin bound to our marriage?"
"He's not, not directly. But I fear he could affect your relationship. He seems ready to launch another rumor, in the same kind of the one concerning Sonea and Lord Rothen's relationship. Whether he really knows something or whether he only thinks it as a good way to make himself more noticeable, I can't tell."
"What can you tell us?" Akkarin's voice sounded calm, yet his friend and his lover both knew better than believe it: he was worried and angry.
"It will be easier if I show you, rather than tell you, what I oversaw this morning, as Regin and his comrades where getting ready for the horses races." He held out his hands, and as soon as the two others had taken one, the memory began filling their heads.
Regin was with his closest friends, two boys from noble families like him. Apparently, their conversation turned around which girls they would meet for the races. Lorlen had not paid them any attention, until one of them pronounced the name of Sonea. It was one of the boys, expressing his delight at being ridden of the slum girl for the day. Regin snorted.
"Don't be so sure about it. It may be that today or the next week her oh-so-powerful guardian brings her."
"Her guardian? The High lord? But – " The boys were positively stunned and did not know what to say after this statement.
"But he never comes to races." One of them eventually managed, while the other said:
"Didn't you say that she was afraid of him?"
Regin sighed, as if disappointed by his friend's lack of intelligence.
"I said so, and it was true."
"But then – "
"It was true,but it's not anymore. Geez, are you all so blind as to not see it?Haven't any of you noticed how close they seem to be, since our respected High Lord dragged her all around the Guild, three weeks ago? You couldn't have forgotten that!"
"Of course we remember, but it doesn't mean anything."
"It doesn't mean anything?" Regin was clearly astonished. "You can well think whatever you want, and it's true that I don't know what happened then – no one does, except themselves. But I know that since then, they both seem to find each other's company far more enjoyable than it once was! I say, our High Lord has heard the story of what had been happening with the old Rothen and has wanted to try her himself. And from what I've been observing, I'd say he hasn't been disappointed."
The two other boys exchanged a worried glance.
"Regin, it is the High Lord you're speaking about… Maybe you shouldn't – "
"Come on, it's not as if he could read our thoughts! And who could ever tell I'm wrong? He's far more handsome and younger than her previous guardian, and who can know for sure what's going on in this residence where they live alone together?"
His friends seemed scandalized by the thought.
"If it's true…"
"It will be the end of her and her dear guardian." No mistake could have been made about the delight in Regin's voice.
Here, their carriage arrived, they went in and left the Guild's grounds. Lorlen realized just how dangerous a brat such as Regin could be when he's bearing a grudge, and how dangerous this could turn for his friend.
The three people in the High Lord's office remained silent for a few moments after Lorlen broke the contact. It was indeed a piece of information worthy of curtailing their resting time.
So, Regin's back, and it's no good news, as anyone could have guessed! And now, It's time to going back at ceiling-staring, for I have aboslutely no idea of what could take place in the next chapter. A confrontation Regin / Sonea could be interesting...
Thank you for reading me once again ! I didn't thought when I began writing this, that six month later I'd find myself updating the 10th chapter O_o I have to thank my beta-reader once again, thanks to who I'm learning much.
And thank you Azlira for answering my question. I'll do my best not to make you wait too long from now on.