News at Teatime

The coronation was canceled. Emilian, Helmina, and Layla Icefall were taken into custody. The strongest driving forces behind this were Old Lady Finley and Duke Deverell, better known as the Duke of the West. The former king William Icefall was not seen or spoken of much if it was not to pity him that he raised two cuckoo children.

"Did you always know that they were not yours? Why didn't you warn me?" Aston demanded to know as he sat opposite William on a table filled to the brim with documents, complaints, and requests from the nobles.

William chuckled, his blue eyes squinting with pleasure. Overall, he looked more satisfied in his simple white shirt and trousers than he ever did with a crown on his head. "It was more amusing to see your panicked face when you stormed after me. Besides, I could not have passed him the throne if he was not accepted as my son, right? In the beginning, that was my intention. After all, the blood ceremony is only mandatory if the former king does not retire willingly. So yes, I knew all the time."

"Uhh, okay..." Stumped, Aston tried his best to wrap his head around the matter. "Why not - I don't know - pass your real son the throne? It's a bit insulting that I was never an option, you know?"

"Would you have wanted it?"

"Well, no, but..."

"Good then," the king interrupted him and took up another document to read. "I would also never want that for my son. It's too exhausting."

Scratching his neck, Aston didn't know what to say anymore. Who would believe the former king of the Icelands hated his position so much that he would rather not have his son inherit it? "So... who is their real father?"

"Does that matter? He doesn't even know it himself. And I thought you were here to help with these papers instead of interrogating me."

"Yes, yes!" Meeting the sharp gaze of his father, Aston hastily picked up a random paper. He couldn't concentrate though, and always peeked at his father when he thought the other wouldn't notice.

Just when Aston wet his lips to speak up again, Lady Orchid strolled into the room with a tray in hand. Her blonde hair fanned out behind her as she crossed the space to her beloved and son. "Tea, anyone?"

"With pleasure." William smiled so softly at her that Aston had to blink. Was this really still his irascible father?

Lady Orchid filled two cups with the steaming hot liquid, the lifting and settling of the teapot as graceful as always. Father and son received the cups, striving to appear at least half as elegant. Just when they took the first sips, Lady Orchid said something that crushed their efforts and made Aston spit his drink out again.

"Did you hear that half the army vanished?"

"WHAT?!" William's roar echoed throughout the study while Aston dabbed at the spots the red liquid had left on his suit.

Way quieter but not any less serious, Aston added to the question: "What do you mean, mother? How could an army just vanish?"

Lady Orchid took time for her answer, first switching Aston's soaked handkerchief with a napkin from her tray, and frowning at the mess he made. Then, when she saw the impatient gaze of her lover, she shook her head with a soundless sigh. "It seems several ten thousand men are missing from the roll call. Duke Deverell is still questioning the other soldiers. I thought you would like to know, but the exact details aren't out yet, so there is no need to rush. When I left, Lady Finley was on her way to the dungeon to interrogate the Crown... I mean, Lord Emilian. The change of title is still a bit confusing."

"I will go," Aston piqued up instantly and came to his feet when he saw his father about to roll back from the table. "I'm faster, and we need someone here to do this... stuff."

He gestured to the mass of papers on the table, then hurried out before his father could protest.

For a moment, it seemed like William wanted to explode. However, finally, he only grumbled about this unfilial son that left him with all the hard work. Lady Orchid, meanwhile, laughed lightly and collected Aston's tea set. She knew better than to take a side by commenting that the bad father figure must be responsible for any unfilial acts. Instead, she filled out Aston's seat and helped with the papers to the best of her abilities.

.

"Hmmm." Sleepily, Katherine rolled to the other side and cracked open one eye. In the dim light of the tent, she saw Nathaniel still asleep on another mattress not far from her. It was a shame that they couldn't sleep together, but it was a compromise for their child's safety. When they slept, they decided there was too much that could possibly go wrong.

Now, she scooted closer and reached out a hand to brush along the high cheekbones that, even in his sleep, gave the pale face a noble and cold flair. How could she ever not know that the patient was Nathaniel? Their sleeping faces were (now unsurprisingly) exactly the same, even that small scar on his jaw.

Touching it lightly like a feather, she wondered where that scar came from. She'd never heard Nathaniel talk about it, and there were no other visible scars on his body. Well, maybe a few inconspicuous silvery ones, but even they were almost invisible, more ornaments than marks. This small scar, though, was redder and thicker than the others. Thanks to her training regimen in weapons, she also knew that it was close to a critical spot - there was a thick vein pulsing only a few centimeters to the left.

Thoughtful, she traced it before her hand was caught by another, larger one. Startled, her eyes searched for Nathaniel's. They were only a slit wide open, the red shimmering behind snowy white lashes. "Did I wake you?"

A low grumble was the only answer, a tugg on her hand urged her to move over.

"Don't you need a bit more sleep? You accompanied the night watch again, didn't you?" Despite her words, Katherine passed the short stretch of tent fabric between them. Then, with a surprised sound found herself enveloped in a warm embrace, her whole body already wrapped into the blanket. Realizing her new position and the solid warm body behind her, she giggled.

Nathaniel nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck. His voice was deep and throaty, almost vibrating in her tummy. "Hmmm, you smell good."

"I can only smell like sweat and sleep right now," she teased but comfortably snuggled closer until they were flushed together, safe for the night clothes. That was when she noticed something other than his chest solidly pressing against her back. A blush painted her cheeks pink. "Do you... want to do anything about this...?"

"You mean this?" Slowly, he rocked his hips against her behind, and her female parts tingled pleasantly when she felt how big and hard he was.

"Y-yes, this."

He stopped. "Actually, no."

"What?! Why then did you - " When she turned around to give him a piece of her mind, his lips landed on her forehead. She felt the chuckle vibrating in his chest even before he leaned back to let her see the mirth shining in his now much more awake eyes.

Still, he did not continue the petting and instead leaned his forehead against hers. "We need to be careful, remember?"