“Lord Clare.” Mika bowed. “I was the castle guard commander, a hidden ally to His Majesty. King Faust would not let me stay to take the fall for him, demanded I come with him.”
Faust put his hands on his hips with a huff. “If you stayed and covered for our escape, you would be dead. I will not allow another person to die for me.”
Terrence glanced to Aris and stared at him long and hard.
“You were right,” Aris said. “I am still quite surprised he is Lord Arcus, though.”
Terrence threw his hands up. “See!”
Faust raised his brows. “You sent Aris?” he asked, bewildered.
“No one else was moving.” Terrence put one hand on his hip. “I took matters into my own hands. Emoris and Lathil seem to think they rule everything. I’d love to say it was all me, but alas, it was not.”
Aris stood proud.
“Lord Arcus,” Terrence smiled, “Aris was the mysterious knight from Akarvine that I could not tell you about.”
“I can see why,” Faust said. “He is quite something, but I suspect there is more to him.”
Terrence practically danced in place when he looked to Aris for some kind of permission.
Aris sighed. “You may.”
Terrence burst at the seams. “Finally!” he rejoiced. “Lord Arcus.”
Faust stood at cautious attention. Yoan laughed into his hand, his eyes sparkling with the same mirth and excitement.
“Let me introduce to you to His Eminence, Linos,” Terrence said as he presented Aris.
Mika gasped.
Faust admired Aris with renewed interest. He’d been right. “You look different from the first Linos.”
Aris raised his brows. “How do you know I look different?” Aris glanced to Terrence with a frown.
“I didn’t tell him anything,” Terrence swore, glancing back to Faust. “Did you have visions of His Eminence?”
“I . . . have,” Faust replied. “You knew what I was seeing.”
“I did,” Terrence said. “Aris came to retrieve me from Whitrose, and everything fell into place. I was only half-certain when we met, but Aris’s arrival again meant it was true. He said we were rescuing his king—said he was calling for him.”
Faust blinked and shifted his gaze to Aris. His . . . king? Aris wasn’t referring to him as the King of Alios, it felt like something more. “Wait,” he muttered, “does that mean that message Lady Kees had was from you?”
Aris nodded. “I had Terrence deliver it.”
“But how did you know she was an ally?” Faust asked. That was a dangerous thing to assume in the middle of Alios.
“Sir Earl passed the information along,” Terrence said. “I struck a deal with him, and his patron was rather for the idea. As of now, all three guilds are prepared to aid in overthrowing Emoris and Lathil.”
“Then, why come save me? It would have been easy to attack with all the guilds banded together.”
“I would not risk you being hurt, my king,” Aris said. “They were using you as a shield, and I didn’t like it. So, I went and grabbed Terrence—”
“And we left Whitrose castle to retrieve you, High King Faust Kingsley,” Terrence finished with a bright smile.
Faust stilled. “I . . .” He could not believe this.
“You’re my High King.” Aris stepped in front of Faust. “My king.”
“I—” Faust swallowed thickly. “I cannot be, there is so much I have done.”
Aris surged forward and hugged Faust, gazing at him. “No, you are my High King. I know it. The wind does not lie. Everything you’ve done—you were forced to do. I will make them pay for hurting you.”
Faust was honored and flabbergasted all the same. Aris had given him so many hints, and now that he thought about it, Konrad did, too. His brother had some serious explaining to do.
Faust looked into Aris’s eyes, brushing Aris’s dark hair from his forehead. “My brave knight, you put on quite a show to enter the court.”
“It was Terrence’s idea.” Aris let his sky stones float and spark. “Perfect cover.”
Faust laughed and let the stones spin with his own magic and fall into the palm of his hand.
“Your Majesty.”
“It was only a little,” Faust grumbled.
Aris snickered.
Terrence turned his attention back to Aris, his hands on his hips. “Now I must do something about your attire, Your Eminence. You cannot continue to walk around this way.”
“My clothes are fine,” Aris said.
Faust brought Aris into his arms. “What do you have in mind, Lord Clare?”
“Grand attire, we must set the trends! Do you have any requests?”
Faust caressed the side of Aris’s face. “A few.”
Aris gave Faust a questioning look. He tugged at his clothes with a frown.
“You will not always be in armor,” Faust said. “There will be times when we are alone.”
Aris cheeks flushed, but he smoothed one hand over Faust’s chest, want dancing in his eyes. “All right.”
Faust took a deep breath, his magic mixing with Aris’s in an intoxicating way. Their magic danced in ways his and Ignas’s magic had not. It rolled in waves and pooled around him with a rush of wind that left him longing to soar. He wanted nothing more than to explore that further behind closed doors, but Faust couldn’t quite grasp that he was to be Aris’s High King, the very being they needed to make Lathil and Emoris kneel. He had to quell his lustful thoughts until then.
Terrence clapped his hands. “Let’s get started,” Terrence said. “Once I have some things in place, we can move to the mansion. I have some clothes already prepared. Yoan, put the closed sign up. We’re done here now. It will give the others the signal to be on the lookout.”
“You have planned this well,” Faust complimented.
Terrence waved the notion off. “I’ve had help. Now come, come,” he said and walked to the back of the shop.
Aris fidgeted through the fittings, complaining he’d already done plenty of these, but complied for Faust. Next came jewelry and Aris had to try on various precious gems until the right color was found. Terrence scribbled design after design before he was satisfied enough to announce they were done.
Faust set his teacup down with a pleasant smile. He patted the seat next to him for Aris. “You have done well, my brave knight.”
Aris slipped into the space beside Faust with a pout.
Yoan grinned and moved a few designs over and away to a shelf for another day. He glanced up. “Father, didn’t you have something for Lord Arcus?”
Terrence threw his hands up. “I had forgotten! Thank you, Yoan.” Terrence walked over behind Yoan and reached up for a small wooden box. “Ignas was adamant about me handing it to you as soon as we met.” Terrence presented the box, his eyes lit with childish glee. “He made me swear not to open it. I’ve been dying to know what he left for you. Is he trying to win you back?”
“He has some tough competition.” Faust chuckled with a brief glance to Aris. “I’d prefer his presence over a present, but perhaps that is asking a bit much after the war at the border.”