Chapter 97
The door closed behind Austin and Ethan, the soft click echoing in the sudden quiet. Lucas didn't look up from his book, turning another page with deliberate slowness.
Kaya stayed where she was, still perched on the arm of his chair.
"What are you reading?" she asked, leaning closer to see the title.
Lucas tilted the book so she could see. "History of the Eldorian Kingdom. The section on their founding wars."
Kaya made a face. "Sounds dry."
"It's not. The second queen, Elara, spent thirty years fighting off three neighboring kingdoms. She had no army, no allies, and her own nobles kept trying to poison her." He turned a page. "She won."
"How?"
"By being smarter than everyone else. She convinced the northern kingdom that the eastern kingdom was planning to betray them, then convinced the eastern kingdom that the northerns had already struck a deal with her. By the time they realized they'd been played, she'd built an army and locked them out of the mountain passes."
He smiled slightly. "Her grandson was the one who walked into a trap fighting a Moon Class elite."
"Walked into a trap?"
"Elizabeth's great-grandmother tricked him into it. The man was so focused on looking impressive that he didn't notice what was going on." Lucas closed the book. "The royal family has a history of winning battles they shouldn't."
Kaya laughed. "That explains a lot about Elizabeth."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing." Her eyes sparkled. "Just that she's very determined and very focused. Almost like she's used to getting what she wants."
Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying something about me?"
"I'm saying you lost eight games of chess in a row and then pretended to read a book so no one would see you pouting."
"I wasn't pouting."
"You were definitely pouting."
"I was reassessing."
Kaya snorted. "You were pouting." She reached over and tapped the book's cover. "Even the history of some dead queen's military strategies couldn't hide it."
Lucas caught her hand before she could pull away. "You're very confident for someone who's been watching me lose all afternoon."
"I'm an observer. I notice things."
"What else have you noticed?"
She tilted her head, pretending to consider. "You hold your knife wrong when you eat. You think no one sees how you scan them and already plan the fastest way to defeat them, how you are feeling stressed right now, how your guard is always up even with your team, And you've been reading the same page for the last ten minutes."
Lucas's grip tightened slightly. "That's very observant."
"I try." She pulled her hand free, but she didn't move away. Her eyes drifted to the book he'd set aside. "That tradition you asked about. The one from my clan."
"The hunting tradition. For reaching new stages."
Kaya nodded. "My father's sky serpent. He told me the story a hundred times when I was young. How he tracked it for weeks, how it almost killed him twice, how the meat was so terrible my mother made him eat alone."
She smiled at the memory. "I always thought it was about the hunt. The proving yourself part. But I soon discovered, he just wanted to tell the story, and to have something to share."
"Are you planning to hunt something when you reach the Gold stage?"
"I'm planning to survive tomorrow first." Her voice was lighter than the words. "After that, we'll see."
Lucas studied her face. "You're worried."
"I'm an elite. We're always worried." She met his eyes. "Doesn't mean I'm scared."
"That's a politician's answer."
She laughed. "I learned from watching my father."
"The Queen," Kaya said. "She's leaving with you tomorrow. Before the rest of us."
"Yes."
Kaya traced a pattern on the arm of the chair. "Elizabeth wanted to come with us today. Austin told me." She paused. "She watches you a lot."
"She watches everyone. It's how she was raised."
"That's not what I meant."
He turned to face her. "What did you mean?"
Kaya's lips pressed together. For a moment, she looked like she might say something else. Then she smiled, sharp and teasing.
"I mean she's going to be very disappointed she missed you losing at chess eight times. She seems like the type who'd enjoy watching you suffer."
"She's not."
"No?" Kaya leaned closer. "Then what is she the type for?"
Lucas caught the challenge in her voice. "Why does it matter?"
"It doesn't, I'm just curious." She was very close now. "You spend a lot of time with her, Training, Dinner and the walks in the garden."
"Her mother asked me to train with her."
"Her mother asked you to have dinner with her?"
Lucas held her gaze. "That was my decision."
Kaya's expression flickered. Something underneath the teasing, something she was trying to hide.
"Are you jealous?" Lucas asked.
"I'm not jealous."
"You sound jealous."
"I sound curious, there's a difference."
He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Her breath caught. "You want to spend more time with me. That's what you're saying."
Kaya's cheeks flushed. "I'm saying the princess is monopolizing your attention and someone should do something about it."
"And you're volunteering."
She grabbed his wrist. "I'm stating a fact."
Lucas smiled. "You're jealous."
"I'm going to hit you."
"You're jealous and you're going to hit me." He pulled her closer. "That seems unfair."
She was laughing now, despite herself. "You're impossible. You lose at chess, you pretend to read books, and you don't even know when someone is trying to—"
He kissed her. It cut off whatever she was going to say, which was probably for the best. She made a surprised sound against his mouth, then her hand came up to grip his shirt, and she was kissing him back.
When they broke apart, Kaya was breathless. "That was—"
"A distraction?"
"I was going to say effective." She kissed him again, softer this time. "You're not going to talk about her, are you?"
"There's nothing to talk about."
"You spend time with her."
"She's the princess. Her mother is taking me into a sealing ritual tomorrow. Being friendly is practical."
Kaya pulled back, just enough to see his face. "Is that what you call it? Being friendly?"
Lucas's hand settled on her waist. "What would you call it?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she kissed him again, deeper this time, her fingers threading into his hair.
He pulled her closer, until there was no space between them. The book slid off the table, forgotten. The chess board waited in the dark, pieces still scattered from his last loss.
None of it mattered.
When they finally stopped, Kaya's forehead rested against his, her breathing uneven, her laugh soft in the quiet room.
"Tomorrow," she said.
"Make sure you travel safe."
Lucas pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I will."