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Damen rode through the gates of Arles at a gallop. His horse had barely stopped before he was dismounting and handing the reigns off to a nearby stableboy.
A harried-looking steward hurried down the steps of the palace to greet him.
“Exalted!” he said. “We weren’t expecting you – ”
“Where is he?” Damen said. He felt bad for cutting the man off, but his body was thrumming with badly-restrained energy.
The steward paused. “His highness is in the royal chambers. But – ”
“Thank you,” Damen smiled warmly at the poor man. “My company will be arriving soon, please have the servants prepare food and quarters for the men.”
“Exalted,” the steward bowed and Damen swept past him with a nod. As he walked through the palace he noted servants and guards snapping to attention at the sight of him. The whispers of surprised nobles followed him down the hallway, but he didn’t stop to greet them.
The King’s personal guards stood straighter as he approached the royal wing. Jord cleared his throat.
“Exalted,” he greeted. Unlike the steward, he looked unsurprised by Damen’s sudden appearance.
“Jord,” Damen nodded at him. “Please announce me.”
Jord knocked on the door and entered when a voice answered from within.
“His Exalted Highness King Damianos of Akeilos is here,” Jord said. There was a pause, then a quiet murmur. Jord stepped aside with a bow.
Damen entered the room, drawing himself up to his full height. His cape and leather skirt brushed against his thighs as he strode over to the bed.
Laurent was sitting up in bed and swathed in blankets, his blue eyes huge with surprise. His nose was pink and his cheeks slightly flushed.
“Damen,” he said. Something hard and scared lodged deep in Damen’s gut wriggled free, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Vannes rose from her chair beside the bed. Damen started, barely having registered her presence.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” she said, a wry smile on her face. “Highness. Exalted.” With a smirk she swept out of the room.
There was a charged silence before Damen stepped around to the side of the bed and sat down. He examined Laurent carefully, noting the unnatural flush of his skin and the brightness of his eyes. Laurent was wearing a thin white nightshirt that barely concealed his chest from view, and Damen noted that too.
Laurent’s blush deepened.
“Damen. What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I rode out as soon as I read your letter,” Damen said.
Laurent’s eyebrows rose. “Did you,” he said. Something like amusement twitched at the corner of his mouth.
Damen reached over and carefully took Laurent’s hand in his. This too was warmer than usual. Laurent allowed him to raise his hand and press a kiss to his palm.
“Damen. My wondrous brute. Can you perhaps read my letter to me? I seem to have forgotten what I wrote.” Laurent’s tone was light. Damen suspected he was being laughed at, but he extracted the letter from his riding leathers regardless.
“Uh you wrote quite a lengthy bit on the new trade route negotiations with Vask – ”
“Skip down to the part that made you ride out from Ios.”
Damen cleared his throat. “‘A sidenote – I have fallen prey to a mild winter cold. Paschal insists I stay in bed and forces bitter tea infusions on me. Do you think he is finally taking revenge for everything we put him through? I apologised to him for the matter of his brother, but he told me I was feverish and needed sleep. I decided to write to you instead.’”
“A mild winter cold, Damianos,” Laurent said. He was definitely laughing at him.
Damen blushed. “I may have panicked a little.”
“And by that he means he almost rode his horse to death getting here,” a deep voice said from the doorway. Nikandros entered the room with a knock, Jord at his heels.
“Damen,” Laurent admonished. Damen had the decency to look sheepish.
“Highness,” Nikandros nodded at him. “You’re looking appropriately bedridden.”
“I am neither bedridden nor dying,” Laurent said. “I have a cold.”
“You’re feverish,” Damen protested, raising a hand to Laurent’s forehead.
“I am blushing, you idiotic giant.”
“If he’s still capable of insults everything must be fine,” Nikandros murmured to Jord.
“Indeed, if His Highness were sweet instead we’d have cause to worry.”
Laurent glared at them. “Out. Everybody out,” he snapped. “Not you,” he said as Damen sheepishly made to rise.
Pleased, Damen waved the other two men out and smiled at Laurent.
“My love,” he said.
“My impulsive barbarian,” Laurent said.
“I am so glad to see you.”
“You are completely ridiculous and I – ”
Damen cut him off with a kiss. He took Laurent’s warm face in his hands and kissed him as gently as he could. Laurent kissed back so sweetly it made heat ripple through Damen.
“When did my letter arrive in Ios?” Laurent asked between kisses.
“Three days ago.” Damen trailed his lips down Laurent’s neck.
“You rode here in three days.”
“Mm,” Damen captured his lips again and kissed Laurent deeply and thoroughly. His hand buried itself in golden hair and he bore Laurent down on the bed, covering him with his body. By the time he was finished Laurent’s breath was uneven and his blue eyes glittered jewel bright.
“Damen,” Laurent said.
“I was worried,” Damen admittedly softly.
Laurent’s hand rose to his head, ruffling his curls.
“I am glad you came.”