I need to tell you.”
“You don’t love me.”
That was a start, at least. He felt courage knowing he just had to go from there. “No,” he said.
“Did you think I love you?” She went to the wine and poured herself a glass. “I’m not insane. I don’t fall in love the moment I meet a handsome man. Of course we don’t love each other yet. Is this what you’re worried about, that you don’t love me?”
“Not just that.”
“I know you want to go back to Kyrro,” she said. “You’re worried about the people you left behind. But Cleve, you’re needed here as well. You don’t know the monster that’s waiting for me if you leave. And even if you go!” She surprised him by shouting. “You won’t be welcomed back by your king.”
Jessend stood next to the table with the wine, shifting her eyes between Cleve and the chair before her. Without thinking, Cleve found himself walking over to pull out the chair for her, pushing it in as she sat. He joined her on the other side of the table.
“It’s fine that you have worries,” she told him, her tone calm once again. “I do, too. You haven’t even been in Goldram one day. Just take some time before you jump to any conclusions. For now, drink with me.”
She held up her glass.
He did the same.
She was right. Tonight wasn’t the time to tell her. With immense relief, he sipped his wine, focusing on the taste for the first time. He didn’t like it, too bitter.
Several hours later he’d lost track of both time and how many glasses of wine he’d had. He learned that Jessend knew many card games, and she was either excellent at all of them or Cleve was terrible.
When Cleve grew tired of losing, he started blatantly cheating, finding more amusement in what he could get away with than in actually winning.
He asked Jessend about a painting on the wall behind her, looking at her cards when she turned. When he was about to lose, he pretended to sneeze and mixed up his cards with the deck. To his amazement, she either pretended not to know or really didn’t notice him doing it, for she said nothing.
When she went to use the chamber pot in the other room, and he switched his hand with hers, he thought surely she would say something this time. But no, she came back…and even beat him without mentioning it.
He couldn’t stand it any longer. Before he knew it, he was out of his seat and shaking her by the shoulders. “How have you not noticed I’m cheating?”
She burst into laughter as if she’d been holding it in for hours. She stood as well, grabbing his hands to playfully wrestle. “Of course I noticed. I just wanted to see how far you would go.”
“You’re such a good actor!” Cleve couldn’t believe it.
He knelt down to throw her body over his shoulder. She screamed with a giggle as he hoisted her into the air.
“But there’s no way you can knock me off my feet without your guards around,” Cleve said, a warmth from the wine making him want to take his shirt off and wrestle.
“Put me down and we’ll see about that.” Her voice had a competitive edge to it.
He let her body slide down through his arms. Instantly, she grabbed his waist and tried to pull him over her foot. He stumbled a bit but found his balance, tightening every muscle and getting low.
She pushed his shoulders, but he barely moved. She tried to step into him to shove his chest, but he grabbed her hands and pulled them out to the side.
She stepped back and hummed in thought. In another attempt to catch him off guard, she ran and jumped at him, but he moved to the side, and she crashed onto the floor.
From the way she was laughing as she rolled along the rug, he knew not to ask if she was hurt.
“Give up yet?” Cleve asked instead.
She rose to her knees, sticking out her rear as she laughed uncontrollably. But it was another trick. With amazing agility, she spun and jumped to him, wrapping her legs and arms around his torso.
The force of her petite body still
“You don’t love me.”
That was a start, at least. He felt courage knowing he just had to go from there. “No,” he said.
“Did you think I love you?” She went to the wine and poured herself a glass. “I’m not insane. I don’t fall in love the moment I meet a handsome man. Of course we don’t love each other yet. Is this what you’re worried about, that you don’t love me?”
“Not just that.”
“I know you want to go back to Kyrro,” she said. “You’re worried about the people you left behind. But Cleve, you’re needed here as well. You don’t know the monster that’s waiting for me if you leave. And even if you go!” She surprised him by shouting. “You won’t be welcomed back by your king.”
Jessend stood next to the table with the wine, shifting her eyes between Cleve and the chair before her. Without thinking, Cleve found himself walking over to pull out the chair for her, pushing it in as she sat. He joined her on the other side of the table.
“It’s fine that you have worries,” she told him, her tone calm once again. “I do, too. You haven’t even been in Goldram one day. Just take some time before you jump to any conclusions. For now, drink with me.”
She held up her glass.
He did the same.
She was right. Tonight wasn’t the time to tell her. With immense relief, he sipped his wine, focusing on the taste for the first time. He didn’t like it, too bitter.
Several hours later he’d lost track of both time and how many glasses of wine he’d had. He learned that Jessend knew many card games, and she was either excellent at all of them or Cleve was terrible.
When Cleve grew tired of losing, he started blatantly cheating, finding more amusement in what he could get away with than in actually winning.
He asked Jessend about a painting on the wall behind her, looking at her cards when she turned. When he was about to lose, he pretended to sneeze and mixed up his cards with the deck. To his amazement, she either pretended not to know or really didn’t notice him doing it, for she said nothing.
When she went to use the chamber pot in the other room, and he switched his hand with hers, he thought surely she would say something this time. But no, she came back…and even beat him without mentioning it.
He couldn’t stand it any longer. Before he knew it, he was out of his seat and shaking her by the shoulders. “How have you not noticed I’m cheating?”
She burst into laughter as if she’d been holding it in for hours. She stood as well, grabbing his hands to playfully wrestle. “Of course I noticed. I just wanted to see how far you would go.”
“You’re such a good actor!” Cleve couldn’t believe it.
He knelt down to throw her body over his shoulder. She screamed with a giggle as he hoisted her into the air.
“But there’s no way you can knock me off my feet without your guards around,” Cleve said, a warmth from the wine making him want to take his shirt off and wrestle.
“Put me down and we’ll see about that.” Her voice had a competitive edge to it.
He let her body slide down through his arms. Instantly, she grabbed his waist and tried to pull him over her foot. He stumbled a bit but found his balance, tightening every muscle and getting low.
She pushed his shoulders, but he barely moved. She tried to step into him to shove his chest, but he grabbed her hands and pulled them out to the side.
She stepped back and hummed in thought. In another attempt to catch him off guard, she ran and jumped at him, but he moved to the side, and she crashed onto the floor.
From the way she was laughing as she rolled along the rug, he knew not to ask if she was hurt.
“Give up yet?” Cleve asked instead.
She rose to her knees, sticking out her rear as she laughed uncontrollably. But it was another trick. With amazing agility, she spun and jumped to him, wrapping her legs and arms around his torso.
The force of her petite body still
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