As soon as he was outside, his smile dropped.
Seyn tried to put it back, but all he managed was an uncertain curl to his lips that felt nothing like a smile. He didn’t know why. This was the happiest day of his life. He’d dreamed of being free of Ksar for a decade; of course he was happy. He was ecstatic. Thrilled. Everything was fine.
Everything was great.
Then what was this weird feeling knotting his stomach into a hard-packed ball?
Chapter 14
Six months later
“Announce me,” Ksar said tersely and walked toward the window overlooking the royal gardens.
“Of course, Your Highness,” the AI said before pausing. “Who do you wish to see? The Crown Prince is currently occupied, but the Queen and the Queen-Consort are not.”
Ksar grimaced. Considering that he’d rarely called on Seyn in all the years they’d been supposedly bonded, it was probably a fair assumption that he hadn’t come to the Third Royal Palace to see him.
“Prince Seyn’ngh’veighli,” Ksar said, looking at the lavish gardens below.
There was silence for a while before the AI said, “The Prince will be here momentarily.”
Before long, there was the sound of footsteps.
Ksar straightened his shoulders, ignoring the way his pulse had picked up.
He hadn’t seen Seyn in almost six months. Either the little menace had been avoiding him or their paths had genuinely never crossed. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if it was the latter, considering that Ksar had spent most of his time on other planets and had rarely attended Calluvian social events this year. Even when he had, he had been there with the sole purpose to speak to the political figures he needed to ally with. Still, he hadn’t seen Seyn once. It was…odd. Not that he had been actively looking—Seyn would have been a distraction he didn’t need—but it was just a deeply ingrained habit to seek him out with his eyes every time Ksar attended social events. A bad habit he needed to break.
Ksar schooled his face into a blank expression and turned around just as Seyn entered the room, all pale, shiny hair, porcelain skin, and wide green eyes. To Ksar’s dismay and irritation, his body reacted in a very predictable way to the sight of the brat, as if he were an adolescent with no control over his body. Utterly disgusting.
Seyn halted in the doorway. “You look horrible,” was the first thing he said, before flushing, for whatever reason.
“Then I look like I feel,” Ksar said with a tired smile that felt like a grimace. He knew he had dark circles under his eyes. Lack of sleep would do that to anyone. He was exhausted and sleep-deprived after months of constant work and travel as he had pushed for laws that had no chance of passing without all the bribing, manipulating, and coercing he’d done.
He should have stayed away from Seyn when his mental faculties were so compromised. This conversation might have been necessary, but coming in person certainly wasn’t.
He didn’t know what had made him come here in person.
Liar, said a voice at the back of his mind.
Ksar grimaced inwardly. Yes, he knew why he was here. It was just too shameful to admit even in the privacy of his own thoughts. He was here because he’d wanted to turn his brain off and stop thinking for a little while. And apparently it meant that he wanted Seyn. It really was quite pathetic.
“I’ve heard how busy you’ve been lately,” Seyn said, walking toward him. “I’m surprised you found time for me in your very busy schedule.” He came to a halt a few steps away, his eyes still zeroed in on Ksar’s face with an intense look of dislike and something else. As usual, he was wearing something casual, his shirt half-sheer, his pale throat bare.
Ksar’s fingers twitched. He clasped his hands behind his back. “You’ve probably already heard that the amendment to the Bonding Law was passed. The 156th law will be repealed in the next session of the Ministry’s Chamber of Lords. Everything is in place. Yesterday I petitioned for dissolution of my bond, as did Leylen.”
Seyn’s jaw clenched. “Yes, I’ve already read about it in the gossip columns—as well as was informed about it by every well-wisher on the planet. It’s been a highly enlightening day.” His voice could have frozen fire.
“I gave you advance notice six months ago,” Ksar said. “And I recall you started celebrating on that very day.”
The look Seyn shot him was positively toxic. “It doesn’t mean you don’t have to warn me before you publicly jilt me, asshole. I’m asking for the last time: to what do I owe the dubious pleasure of your visit?” Seyn rubbed the back of his neck before crossing his arms over his chest. He averted his gaze, biting his bottom lip. “I thought the point was that I don’t have to see you again.”