Chapter 234: Palace of Secrets

When morning came, Osian was patting away some of the flurries of snow that had landed on his furs overnight inside the opening of the cave when the sounds of footsteps from behind him in the dark cave made him jump. The prince grabbed his sword, swirling around to face a threat until it hit two blades.

Osian’s eyes slid to his attacker and met two piercing, amused hazel eyes. He blinked and released his breath, stepping back to see Loraven and Selvin. The pair he’d been so worried about suddenly turned up.

"Where have you two been!?" He sheathed his sword and marched to Selvin’s side, eyes scanning his brother for injuries.

"We were chased by some beast and ended up seeking shelter on the other side of the cave to stay out of the storm," Selvin replied, his answer ridding Osian of any trace of suspicion.

"The same cave?" He glanced into the darkness where they came from. "And you didn’t come across anything else?"

"What did you think was in here?" Loraven asked, sounding amused by his nervousness.

Osian almost pouted, but he crossed his arms and raised his chin instead. "There were noises," he muttered.

Selvin’s eyes widened, and Loraven looked away, suddenly finding more interest in the cave walls and darkness than their conversation.

"It could have been the wind. If there is anything in here, it hasn’t come for us, but let us not risk any more time spent in here," Loraven replied calmly as she looked back at Osian; her cheeks were slightly red. Her expression appeared unbothered, though.

Osian nodded. "Let us be gone from this blasted place. I still didn’t catch anything." It was the first time he had returned from a hunt without a kill, and this time he did pout.

On their return to the palace, however, Selvin helped remove the pout from his lips, pointing out a hare and tried ’shooting it’ so it would go in Osian’s direction. The king and queen seemed quite impressed they caught anything at all and glared at Loraven in response, making her shrink the slightest before standing tall and raising her chin.

Her behaviour turned icy once more, and she did not acknowledge the princes, even at dinner. That evening, Osian and Selvin returned together, discussing their upcoming trip back to the Flori and returning home. Osian left after a few wines, feeling more relaxed away from the hall of ’revelry’, involving the torture of their servants. Daggers were thrown at their feet by the fae lords and ladies with the king, laughing when the servants could not dodge in time.

Osian felt sick, and so did Selvin, quickly excusing themselves. It made the revellers roar in laughter more at the ’princeling’s tender stomachs’. Neither cared, though. They were used to the odd execution, beheading and torture devices in the squares, but these were servants, those who did nothing wrong and were being tortured for the courtiers’ entertainment.

He returned to his room, sighing as he fell onto the bed and into Kav’s bosom. She giggled, her hand stroking her hair, then gasped when his head turned, and mouth found her perky nipple beneath the thin material of her dress. "You seem stressed, my lord," she said breathlessly.

Osian stopped and looked at her from where she now lay sprawled out on the bed beneath him. His hand started trailing up her exposed leg until he found the heat between her thighs. Although he was already feeling aroused by her, his thoughts were still on the cruel king of Lyvaria.

As he started to play with her slowly, Osian tilted his head to the side.

"Are you ever tortured serving here?" He asked. It was the first time he questioned her about anything other than how Lyvarians live in the brutality of the snowy weather.

Not once had Osian asked about her family or home life. He did not want to know or hear it. It would make him guilty or feel like filth for the time he had taken pleasure and comfort in her. For all he knew, all of her smiles, giggles and maybe even moans were all faked.

Kav paused, eyes widened. She was also stunned he asked her. She pursed her lips and looked away. Osian paused, brows drawing together. No, this was bad territory to get into. He’d been inside of her too many times this week to not feel something if Kav told him she’d been abused.

At this point, Osian might even try to steal her away and save her. That was off the table, though. As though she had read his mind or not wanted to speak of it, Kav shook her head slowly, skin a little pale now. Okay, maybe she couldn’t fake it all, she was terrible at acting, or maybe it was all a manipulation?

Thanks to Selvin, he was starting to overthink many things. To distract them both, Kav was the one to tap his shoulder and push him over, so she straddled him. "Why not enjoy me instead, my lord."

He felt like shit until she rode him into oblivion, and those thoughts fled his mind, and all that was left was the feel of their bodies connecting until the early hours of the morning.

Osian put his robe on, looking at Kav’s naked body sprawled on the bed. He wanted something to drink, but they’d had it all, and he wasn’t that much of an ass to wake the beaut who did all of the work that evening. He popped his head out of his room, hoping to see a servant, though it was late now. There was also the part where he refused anyone else from entering or being beside his room.

Foolish wise brother getting inside of his head. Now he had to either locate a servant or guard. He didn’t know where the kitchens were, and there was no way he was to return to the hall where the revellers still were. How the king and queen partied and ruled the kingdom was unknown to him.

Did they drink something special to keep them awake, or was it in their genes?

Osian managed to locate a servant returning from the hall, and he retrieved a fresh jug of water. On his return, he almost dropped the jug as he froze on the spot. Loraven was down their hallway, barefoot, like usual and knocked quietly against Selvin’s door. Osian started walking forwards, frowning as his heart sped up.

Did she have a weapon on her? No.. the princess seemed to also be wearing a silky robe, and from the small amount he could see of her, there was no weapon. What did Loraven want with his brother at this time of..

No, it couldn’t be, surely? Loraven seemed to turn her nose up at them, let alone the amusing thought fleeting through his mind. There was no way, Loraven and Selvin..

But they were acting strange around each other.. This was Loraven, though. An icy princess they didn’t really know.

Osian quickly followed, keeping his feet light as the light glow of Selvin’s room poured into the cold hallway before zapping out, and Loraven disappeared into his chambers. Selvin had to make sure the elf would not harm his brother. If anything, he had the jug to use, and he had his brother..

He started forming a plan if Loraven really was trying to assassinate the next king of Dunhurst. Slowly, Osian pushed open the door, only pushing it ajar so he could peer into it from behind the door, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

Loraven, in all her beauty, was disrobing before Selvin, letting her attire fall and pool at her feet as Selvin’s hands went to her waist from where he sat on the end of the bed shirtless. He pulled Loraven closer to him so he could kiss her belly and started trailing kisses up her smooth skin until he stood tall before her. Osian could only see her backside, but he knew her body to be curvy in all the right places, and he could not look away.

"Remember.. This doesn’t mean anything," Loraven said quietly as Selvin began kissing her shoulder, up her neck and to her ears.

Selvin chuckled. "Uhuh.. and it’s the last time as well." It sounded like they’d had this conversation a few times now. A naked conversation that was.

She gasped when Selvin nibbled and licked at her pointed ears, and she crashed her lips against his before they fell onto the bed. Osian shook his head, still in a state of shock but forced himself to close the door quietly. It sounded like they’d had that conversation before, and he knew for sure now that she was not carrying a weapon.

That didn’t mean Loraven wouldn’t the next time, though.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read