Omega’s Gamble by Claire Cullen

Chapter Eighteen

Raine was surprisedto find Darien at breakfast the next morning.

“No pirates today?”

“Not so far. Perhaps they’re taking the day off?”

“Then maybe you should too.” He said it lightheartedly, but the alpha seemed to consider his suggestion.

“Thorne is handling the guard’s training today. So, barring a lazy start to a pirate attack, I can probably spend the day in the castle. I’ve been meaning to discuss castle security with Lord Varken.”

Raine deflated a little. He’d been hoping the alpha might suggest they spend some time together. But they’d already had dinner the night before, and they were having breakfast now. Besides, he was supposed to be talking to Milo through the touchstone after breakfast. It was all arranged.

“We should have dinner in the great hall,” Darien said suddenly.

“Today?”

“Yes. It’s one of the minor winter festivals tomorrow. Well, it starts tonight. There’ll be music, mulled wine, and spiced biscuits for dessert.”

Raine felt his face fall at the word music. Music meant dancing and the last time there’d been dancing in the great hall…

Darien caught sight of his face. “There’s no dancing,” he said quickly. “Not until the midwinter festival. I’d like you by my side tonight. I’d like the chance to make things right, Raine. Please.”

“No dancing?”

“Not a single reel or a jig.”

His instinct was to say no, but he could see how eager the alpha was.

“Well, it’s hard to say no to spiced biscuits.”

“Don’t forget the mulled wine.” Darien was trying, unsuccessfully, to hide a smile.

“Can’t forget that,” Raine agreed. “Then I guess it’s a date.”

“Great. I’ll collect you from your rooms just before six and escort you to the hall.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I do. And I want to.”

“Your father must really be tightening the screws.”

He couldn’t see what else had caused this sudden change in the alpha’s manner.

Darien made a face. “I won’t say he’s happy with me, but he isn’t the reason I’m doing this, Raine. You deserve better. I see that now. The idea that I could just marry you, stow you away in the castle, and forget about you…”

Raine snorted. “You just don’t want to have to pry me off the side of a cliff again.”

“Once is more than enough,” Darien agreed amiably. “But it’s more than that. I know what it is to be lonely. And I’m surrounded by family every hour of the day. I can only imagine how you’ve felt these last few weeks in this cold, isolated castle.”

His words sent an ache through Raine’s chest. He’d long wanted to be understood, to be heard. He’d been as lonely at home as he’d been here. The emotion was familiar even if the environment wasn’t. Those months spent on the airship had spoiled him.

“It’s not as bad as all that. I have Ferno.”

Darien nodded at him across the breakfast table. “Yes, I meant to ask about him. I noticed you didn’t bring him with you to the morning room last night.”

“I wasn’t sure he’d be welcome,” Raine admitted, feeling a spark of hope inside him.

“I would imagine he likes lounging around in front of the fire in the evenings,” Darien said with a smile.

“It is his favorite pastime.” Raine met Darien’s smile with one of his own.

“Then why shouldn’t he enjoy it here with us?”

* * *

Raine left breakfast still smiling,hurrying toward the touchstone room with a spring in his step. He was early, but Lord Alton was already there.

“Ah, Prince Raine. Everything is set up. The kingdom of Everstone is right at the limit of our touchstone’s range so the connection might be somewhat… unstable. But it should still be possible for you to have the time to catch up with your friend.”

Raine moved to sit at the table, smoothing out his clothes and hair. A nervous gesture, since he knew Milo wouldn’t be able to see him.

“I’ve been trying to procure some more modern technology. Small, portable touchstones would be very useful for the guards to carry, don’t you think?” Lord Alton added, with the air of someone just trying to make conversation.

“I’m sure they’d be very useful,” he said politely.

Lord Alton stepped toward the door and paused.

“Are you certain you’re comfortable talking to Prince Milo alone?”

“Did Prince Darien request I have chaperone?” Raine knew for a fact that the alpha hadn’t, something for which he was very grateful.

“No. Prince Aloysius didn’t deign one necessary for Prince Milo either.” Lord Alton sounded vaguely disapproving.

“We are both married, after all,” Raine pointed out.

“Indeed, Prince Raine. The servant who maintains the touchstone will be in the room across the hall if you have any difficulties. I hope you and your friend have a pleasant conversation. It will be good for you to speak to someone who you have so much in common with—both lately married, in a new kingdom, starting your own families.”

There was a hopeful note in Lord Alton’s voice, and Raine found himself flushing at the implication. He and Prince Darien had barely held hands. Children were a long, long way off. If they were even a possibility. He felt a pang of sadness at the idea they might not be but pushed it down. He was about to talk to Milo, someone who would, if not understand his situation, at least listen when he talked about it.

The door closed behind Lord Alton, and Raine reached forward to activate the touchstone. A familiar orange glow surrounded the stone, the old magic creaky but functioning. By Raine’s estimation, the touchstone hadn’t been upgraded in half a century. There were new runes, and more modern materials, in the ones in Ludinia.

“Raine?”

Milo’s voice emanated from the stone, echoing and distant.

“Milo? Can you hear me?”

“Raine! Yes, I hear you. How…”

His voice faded into static.

“Milo? Milo, I’ve lost you.”

The other omega’s voice faded in and out for a few moments. “…hold on, let me try to… There. Is that any better?” Milo’s voice became clear.

“Much better. It’s good to hear your voice.”

“Yours too.” He could tell Milo was brimming with excitement and wanted to share in it. He had little by way of exciting news to impart himself.

“I want to hear all your news. Tell me everything about the wedding.”

He could only distract Milo for so long before the omega started poking and prodding. Raine managed to head him off a few times, but he finally just came right out and asked.

“Tell me the truth. How bad it is, Raine?”

Raine leaned closer to the touchstone, lowering his voice. “It’s not bad the way you’re thinking. He’s not cruel to me. It’s far better than being under my father’s control.”

As much as he didn’t want to worry Milo, the other omega drew the story out of him in dribs and drabs. The loneliness, the isolation, Fian.

“I’m sorry, Raine.”

“It really isn’t so bad. And things seem to be getting better.”

“Louis knows I’m worried about you. He… he said you could come to Everstone. Live here with us.”

“Milo, I’m married.”

“Only because you didn’t have another way to escape your father. You said it yourself, your marriage hasn’t been consummated. Even if it had, Stormshield isn’t a big kingdom, they don’t have much power on the world stage. Getting you out will be the tricky part, but no one need know where you are once you leave…”

Raine wanted to cry. Milo was too good a friend to him. And now he was offering him an escape, if he needed it. Did he need it? That wasn’t clear, not yet. If he left, he’d have to turn his back on his alchemy. There was no way he could continue his studies once he left Stormshield.

“Thank you, Milo. Truly. I hope I don’t need it, but it’s good to know I have a way out. Now, I want to hear more about your new palace…”

* * *

True to his promise,Darien attended his rooms just before six and escorted Raine to the great hall. There were a lot of curious eyes watching their arrival. They sat side by side at dinner, the conversation between them stilted at first. Surrounded by the rest of the family, it felt like they were under a microscope. Everyone watching every word and look that passed between them.

Darien seemed to struggle for things for them to talk about, but his eyes lit on the winter flowers decorating the table, and he turned to Raine. Too late, Raine realized that the flowers had reminded Darien of their near-walk together.

“What do you make of the gardens now that you’ve had a chance to visit them?”

Raine couldn’t stop the frown on his face though he quickly hid his reaction. With effort, he made sure his response was bland but pleasant.

“I never knew there were so many vegetables to be grown in winter.”

Darien grinned. “I meant the royal gardens.”

“Oh. Of course.” There was a strained silence between them as Raine cast around for something else to say and came up empty.

“Did you like them?” Darien prodded.

“I, um, I’ve actually never seen them.”

“Oh, well, that’s…” Darien seemed ready to brush it off, and Raine almost heaved a sigh of relief. But then the alpha frowned, looking at him with narrowed eyes.

“Why not?”

“Hmm?” Raine became very interested in his winter greens all of a sudden.

“Why haven’t you seen the gardens? You’ve headed out that way many times.”

Across the table, Raine could see Thorne and Rex listening in on their conversation. Even the king, though he was chatting with Lord Alton, was keeping an eye on them.

He set down his fork with a sigh, glancing Darien’s way.

“I guess I need an escort?”

The bewilderment on Darien’s face almost made him laugh. “What do you mean? What escort?”

“I need someone from the royal family to accompany me to the gardens.”

“But you are the royal family,” Thorne interjected from across the table.

“Someone from your royal family,” Raine clarified, feeling less confident in his answer by the second as everyone around him looked perturbed.

“You are part of our royal family,” Darien added, while Thorne nodded in agreement.

Rex had an oddly pensive look on his face. “Who told you that, Prince Raine?”

To Raine’s knowledge, it was the first time either of Darien’s brothers had spoken directly to him since the day they met.

“I… I don’t want to get anyone into trouble.”

“No one’s in trouble,” Darien assured him. His hand covered Raine’s on the table, the gesture oddly comforting. “We just want to make sure we correct the misunderstanding. Was it someone from the family, or…”

“A guard,” Raine said quickly, flushing pink as he kept his gaze down.

“I’ll have a word with the head of the castle guard and make sure everyone’s properly aware of your status.”

“There’s no need…” Raine murmured.

Darien interrupted him. “There most definitely is.”

“He’s right,” Thorne added. “There shouldn’t be any question about your status.”

“Not now,” Rex agreed.

Raine lifted his head at that, glancing around at all their faces. Beside him, Darien tensed. The king stopped pretending to pay attention to Lord Alton and even Thorne looked pained.

“So there was a question, but there isn’t now?”

He felt more confused than hurt, wondering what exactly they were talking about.

“This is not the time or place for this discussion,” the king said sharply before his tone softened. “I’m very sorry there was a misunderstanding, Raine. It is not acceptable for you to be treated that way. If anything else of a similar nature occurs, please talk to Darien, Lord Alton, or myself. Darien, speak to the guards and clear up any confusion.”

“Yes, Father.” Darien gave Raine a smile that he was sure was meant to be reassuring.

“The skies should be clear tomorrow,” the king continued. “You can show Raine the gardens then. They’ll be open in the morning for the festival, of course. But I’ll ensure that the two of you have them to yourselves for the afternoon.”

“Don’t go to any trouble on my part,” Raine said immediately. He didn’t want to interrupt a kingdom tradition.

“Nonsense,” the king said firmly.

And that was that.

The rest of the dinner was blessedly uneventful, until Rex and Thorne began whispering across the table, and people started leaving in twos and threes.

“Will you be joining us outside?” the king asked.

It took Raine a moment to realize the alpha was talking to him.

“Outside…?”

Darien answered for him before he could ask more. “No, he won’t.”

“Perhaps—” the king began.

“It’s freezing out there. And it’s raining. Besides, it’s an obscure tradition that Ludinia doesn’t celebrate. He should stay inside, where it’s warm.”

Raine swallowed any retort he might have had. He wasn’t going to argue with his husband and certainly not in front of the rest of his family. But he couldn’t help but feel a pang of pain at being excluded yet again. For all that Darien had talked about starting over, this was just more of the same.

“I am quite tired,” he said suddenly, giving an exaggerated yawn. “I think I might get an early night.” He stood, glancing Darien’s way as he did. “Perhaps, since you’re busy anyway, we should leave our evening get-together.”

A flash of disappointment crossed Darien’s face, which made no sense since he was practically sending Raine to his room.

“Of course. I’ll see you at breakfast. Goodnight, Raine.”

“Goodnight, Prince Darien.”