Shattering Dreams

3. A Night at The Tankard

3

A Night at The Tankard

Alex laughed as the serving maid slipped from his grasp, winding her way through the crowded tavern back toward the bar.

Kyle’s eyes flicked up to the door and tracked someone as they entered, causing Alex to smile. Without looking, he recognised from that brief look and the fact that his friend had relaxed that the guards had caught up with them. He shook his head. Their keepers should realise if the three of them meant to lose them, they certainly would not have come to The Tankard for their night of entertainment. Since this was one of their favourite haunts, their guards always checked here first.

Alex raised his goblet in silent salute and caught his friends’ eyes. Tainted we might be, but let’s live this life while we have it.

Hearing the musicians strike up his favourite song, Alex grinned. A mischievous expression on his face, he looked at Kyle and Jess and threw back the rest of his drink. He saw more than heard them groan. They knew what that meant before they followed suit. Alex stood and, catching sight of a familiar figure to one side of the bar, groaned himself.

What the hell is he doing here? Jess, watch out, your paramour has tracked us down.

Alex snorted as Jess looked up and spotted Rathan Cartwright standing awkwardly at the bar. If looks could kill, Lord Minor would be dead.

The i***t didn’t even change out of his court clothes. As much as I like this place, we should find a new establishment for our night’s entertainment if that fool can track us here.

Jess looked up as a serving maid refilled her goblet. She held up her hand to ask the maid to wait and threw back the contents before holding it out once more. Another benefit of being Tainted—they could wash away the sometimes-negative effects of alcohol if they chose to, negating the hangover regular people often suffered from. Still, tonight it seemed they were all determined to feel the after effects. At least, for now. The morning might be a different story entirely.

I’ll speak to the guard. If they must follow us everywhere, they can be useful and dissuade unwanted attention. Alex’s lips quirked in a half smile. I’m sure his Royal Highness, Prince William, would be most displeased if he found out you have a stalker who goes to these lengths.

Alex grinned at Jess, then turned and made his way through the packed bar toward the small island of space before the musicians. A blonde attached herself to him and before too much longer was joined by a redhead and a brunette. Alex threw back his head and laughed, moving rhythmically with the women in time to the music. The blonde ran her palm up his chest, biting her lip she looked down, feigning shyness before grinning and raising a bottle to his mouth.

He raised one hand, pushing the wine away, and turned to the redhead, who was demanding his attention most directly. He kissed her, causing the blonde to pout, drawing her busy hands away from his pants and up to his chest. He almost groaned as the brunette started in, then Kyle was there, peeling the brunette from him. At some stage, amidst the jostling, the bottle of wine the blonde had been trying to get him to drink smashed on the floor. The woman looked down, appearing way more upset than she should be over a smashed bottle of wine.

“Come on Alex, you can’t show the proper attention to all three lovely ladies!” Kyle looked down at the smashed bottle of wine on the ground and winced. “Sorry, here, it’s okay have this one, I appropriated it from a table on the way.”

Kyle clamped his mouth on the brunette’s, sliding his tongue through her parted lips. He pulled her away, thrusting a bottle of wine he’d swiped off a table into Alex’s empty hand.

Alex glimpsed several unhappy looking men at the edge of the dance floor with their knuckles going white from gripping their belt knives. He dismissed the men, turning to the ladies as he saw familiar guards moving across the bar toward them. They would sort the men out.

Alex tossed his head back, laughing, and took a long swallow from the bottle of wine before returning his attention to the serving maid, pulling her into his body, not noticing as yet another of his female companions was dragged off him by Kyle.

Alex didn’t care. His world had narrowed, and revolved entirely around him and the blonde serving maid.

Jess laughed, watching Kyle and Alex on the dance floor, and contemplated joining them. She glanced around the bar; there were several likely candidates that she felt she could persuade to get up and dance with her. That, or she could throw a pretend tantrum and haul the women off Alex and Kyle. The thought amused her for a moment, then she discarded it. They were determined to forget the world existed—she didn’t want to spoil their fun. Scanning the room once more, she noticed that Lord Rathan Cartwright had stood up from his seat at the bar. He stood, tugging at his tunic, before walking in her direction, his intent clear.

“Oh, hell no.” Jess muttered under her breath.

Jess stood, determined to head toward the dance floor. Creating a scene was more desirable than being stuck with Rathan. When she turned, she found herself face to face with the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen.

“I’d be honoured if you’d have a drink with me.” He held a drink out to her.

Jess couldn’t help but smile back and, nodding her thanks, accepted the goblet. “Why, thank you. Care to take a seat? I don’t imagine my friends will need one for some time.” Jess nodded toward the dance floor, where both Alex and Kyle remained otherwise entertained.

“I noticed they look distracted at the moment, so I thought it couldn’t hurt, seeing if I could tempt you. I’m Damien.” Damien grinned at her and held out his hand.

Jess hesitated for a moment then held out her hand. Damien grasped it and kissed her on the fingers, a simple act which caused Jess to blush. She sat back down at the table, breathing a sigh of relief as she saw Rathan. He stood, frozen, halfway between the bar and her, his confusion obvious. Briefly catching her eye, he retreated to his corner in the bar.

“Nice to meet you, Damien. Thanks for the drink. I’m Jess.” She added, “It’s not common for someone to behave like a gentleman here.” Jess probed for information, suspecting that Damien was not a commoner, although she didn’t recognise him at all.

Damien laughed and nodded his head, conceding that she made a point.

“The Royal Court begins the progress to the Summer Palace soon. Everyone who is anyone is here, so accommodation options are limited. I’m not sure I am anyone important, but I can hunt well. That many court-bound aristocrats riding together in one group, they need fresh food along the way—or, at the very least, we need to make sure the Royal Family don’t get stinted. The rest can look after themselves.” Damien grinned at her as she laughed.

“Ah, so you work for a living, unlike the self-entitled idiots who clutter the court with egos bigger than they are.”

Jess took a sip of her wine and raised her eyebrow at her companion. She glanced at the goblet, swirling the deep red liquid in the glass as she closed her eyes and breathed in the aroma of the wine. She took another sip and decided the wine was as good as the company. He’d obviously splurged on one of the better quality wines The Tankard offered, rather than just the house wine. Still, the family that ran the establishment owned several bars in Vallantia and Callenhain, the location of the Summer Palace, a few of them catering to the more well-to-do clientele, as well as others, like this one, for the working class.

“Their egos find people like me useful during this time of the year and for the hunts that follow, that is about it.” Damien shrugged, grinning to show he wasn’t concerned at all. “Tell me, what do you think of the wine, Jess?”

“The wine is excellent, I don’t believe I’ve drunk it before. Which one is it?”

Jess took another sip, savouring the flavour; it was more than good. Jess was certain her companion didn’t realise it was strange she hadn’t encountered it before, given that she lived in the palace and mixed with the Royal Family.

“A small shipment came from the Heights. There is a delegation visiting at the moment—they brought trade samples with them. This was one of them. The owners have an agreement with them. I’m surprised they are stocking it here though.” Damien nodded toward the bar absently, savouring the last of the wine.

Jess grinned. Seeing that he’d finished his, she swallowed the last mouthful of her own wine. She stood, grabbed his hand and hauled him toward the dance floor, winding through the tables, pushing aside patrons who laughed as the pair made their way past.

Damien laughed along with her and gathered her in his arms to dance. Jess decided there were worse ways to spend her night.

Jess groaned, pulling a pillow over her head, trying to drown out the insistent pounding at the door. Growling inarticulately, she pulled the pillow off her head, knowing they wouldn’t go away. She also knew that if she didn’t answer shortly they would come in, regardless. She looked at Damien, who suddenly woke up due to the pounding on the door, and sat bolt upright. Before she could stop him, he’d rolled out of the bed stark naked, grabbing his long hunting knife and turning toward the door as it opened.

“No, Damien don’t …”

Jess groaned, sinking back onto the bed, one hand over her eyes as the guards entered the room. Damien was disarmed and taken to the ground as even more guards entered, cluttering the small room.

“My Lady? Is everything alright?”

“Yes, Megan, I’m fine, or I was until you all barged in here. Please let Damien up, he’s not a threat. Damien calm down, I’m sorry, they won’t hurt you.”

Jess hauled herself out of the bed dragging the sheets with her since she didn’t have any more clothes on than Damien did—not that it bothered her much, having grown up living in the palace, surrounded by and tended to by servants. She guessed from experience that Damien, like any other man, would be more likely to calm down if she wasn’t standing there naked in front of men he perceived as a threat.

“Damien, calm down and they will let you up.”

Her face impassive, Megan picked up Jess’s shirt and handed it to her, then moved to shield her from the view of the male guards, although they were all studiously not looking at her. Jess smiled and thanked the guard despite herself. Pulling the shirt on, she then reached for her pants, passing the sheet to Damien, who was finally standing, under the watchful eye of the guards.

Jess looked at Megan and frowned. “I suppose it is useless asking you guys to wait outside?”

“Sorry, My Lady, he had a weapon.”

Jess noticed that Megan didn’t look at all sorry. Still, she couldn’t be angry; the guard was only doing her job and if anything happened to her while the guards had their backs turned it would likely cost them their job.

“In case you hadn’t noticed, so do I.” Jess shook her head, knowing the futility of arguing with any of them.

She ran her hand though her hair, which wasn’t tied up in its usual braid or a sophisticated pile on her head held in place with an assortment of pins and combs. Left to its own devices, her hair was thick and fell halfway down her back. She pushed it back in annoyance as she crossed the short distance between her and Damien.

Jess paused, her eyes narrowing as the guards tried to put themselves between her and Damien. “Move. Now. If Damien intended any harm, then he’s had plenty of opportunity to do it.” Jess tried to suppress her irritation and flicked her gaze across to Megan, knowing she was the senior ranking guard among them.

“Megan, you can stay in the room, but don’t test my patience.”

Megan looked at the other guards and jerked her head toward the door. One of them opened his mouth, intending to protest, but closed it again without a word, filing out the door as Megan’s gaze turned deadly. The guard then moved her position—not so incidentally—giving her a straight line to Damien if she needed it. Jess noticed that the positioning wasn’t lost on Damien, who seemed to be trying to regain some of his usual humour.

“Mad husband?” Damien smiled a little and shook his head.

Jess bit her lip and closed the distance between them. She raised one hand and ran her fingers down his cheek, pulling him down to kiss him on the lips.

“Not quite. I’m sorry, it’s a little complicated. They’ve come to drag my friends back, I’m nobody important but from the point of view of the guards, it’s a package deal.”

Hearing a snort of laughter that was quickly suppressed behind her, Jess turned to glance at Megan, her eyebrow raised.

“Sorry, My Lady.”

Unfortunately, the guard didn’t look all at that sorry.

Jess sighed and turned back to Damien. Pulling his head down, she kissed him. “Thank you for an enjoyable night, Damien, I’m sure we will run into each other again.”

Jess backed away, a little reluctant for the night to be over, then turned and walked out the door, sighing again as she walked into the hallway. She grinned, seeing both Alex and Kyle leaning against the wall at the end of the hallway near the stairs.

“Well, at least father can’t complain about the guard hauling us out of one of the pleasure houses this time.” Alex grinned at them all and trotted down the stairs, with Kyle and Jess following.

Kyle chuckled. “I’m not sure he’ll find the upper rooms here at The Tankard much better.”

Jess followed them across the deserted common room of the bar to the door being held open for them by a sleepy looking barkeep.

“Thanks.” Jess smiled as he nodded acknowledgement and let them out on the street.

It wasn’t the first time the guard had hauled the three of them out of the establishment in the early hours of the morning. Seeing their horses waiting for them in the cobbled street outside the bar, held by more guardsmen, she shared a grin with Alex and Kyle. At least the guards were useful for something. Mounting their horses, they walked them through the empty streets of the early dawn back toward the palace.