I smiled as I leaned back in my seat. If she just knew how happy that answer made me.
Chapter 21
-Lara-
Yes, I know, I had the plan to go to bed and hopefully find a way to get a good look at the place and learn what was the quickest way out, but ... but I was ... enjoying myself? I wasn't sure. I just knew I wasn't ready to go explore. I wanted to enjoy this moment just a little longer, even if I knew I would have to end it soon. I just needed a few more seconds.
Just a few more.
This almost felt like something normal to do. I had never really had much time for normal, except school, but relaxing and having fun, which I didn't know how to do. Though, I didn't think I was doing that bad of a job, as I watched Gabriel lose over and over, and get more frustrated by the second of it. He really wanted to see that mark for some reason. I didn't get why. I understood there was something interesting about how mysterious Ace was, and I had to say I wanted to learn more as well, but constantly losing over and over to Ace, just to see a mark, I found pointless. There were other ways to confirm if the rumors were true that didn't involve losing a game over and over. I couldn't help the smile though that spread on my lips, as I watched the two of them.
They seemed to be very close to each other. Even if Ace never really said much, and Gabriel just did the talking, it was still clear they shared a close bond. I looked up at the king beside me, Dominic, as he wanted me to call him since I was his mate. Not that it was going to happen. That felt too close to me to call him by his name, and yet I was sitting right here with him. His arm was no longer around me, but we were pretty much bumping shoulders. What was I doing? I asked myself. Should I really be sitting here? Shouldn't I be doing something else? Yet I was not ready to destroy this moment. I wanted it to exist a little longer. I just wanted to pretend. Was that so bad?
"What?"
I hadn't noticed I had continued to stare at the king before he said something.
"Nothing," I said and looked away.
"Clearly there is something," he just said with a small smile.
I didn't want to share what I was thinking. It felt too personal, and I bet he would just try to tell me that this moment didn't have to end. That since I was his mate now, many more would come, but I knew that wasn't true. I knew we were never meant to be together. So, I came up with another excuse:
"Are all three of you close?"
He nodded.
"We are like brothers."
"Isn't there even a tiny distance between you and them?" I asked.
The king looked at me confused, so I continued to explain:
"I mean considering you are the king."
He sighed and downed what was left in his glass, before filling it up again.
"Sometimes there can be a strange form of distance between us, but it is not something we let get in our way."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"It won't stop us from always being equally loyal to each other. My life isn't more valuable, even if some might argue that it is, and my crown won't stop them from being honest with me," he told me.
"Not at all?"
He shook his head.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
A small smile spread on his lips, as he looked at me. It felt almost strange to see him smile like this and look so relaxed. There were many rumors surrounding all three of them, and it was hard to say what was true and what was not, most of them of course described how scary and powerful they were, and if you even spoke a bad word of them or crossed them in any way, it would be the last thing you would ever do. They would make your death very painful and slow. The rumors certainly made sure everyone was scared of them and therefore kept their distance from them, but right now I didn't see a scary or dangerous person. None of them were. It just seemed to me like they were three people, who understood and got each other in a way that others probably didn't. So, maybe it was true. Maybe the crown that the king carried, didn't change anything between them. They had known each other for a long time. At least I assumed they had since they were far older than me.
"I can understand why you ask," he said.
I was glad, he wasn't offended by my question and I just waited for him to continue.
"But we have been through a lot of things together. Our bond is much stronger than what anyone thinks."
"Damn right it is!" Gabriel joined in.