Chapter Eighty-Four: Morning Run I
1439 Words
“I am craving pistachio ice cream.”
The first words out of my mouth, as the panic from watching the duchess of another continent walk toward me ensued, were not divinely inspired.
“What?”
The prince, with the same expression I had on, asked.
“Pistachio ice cream?”
‘Is it just me, or is my voice getting higher?’
He doesn’t even understand the concept of playful foreplay; how the hell will he react to me sending him on an errand?
Though…were the commands I uttered during our…night together playful or intent on establishing control?
I rubbed my hand to the back of my neck and exhaled deeply.
‘No, there is no point in considering such matters now. He isn’t one to be trusted with the concept of a one-night-stand, so I might as well cease pursuing the matter.’
“The thing you put inside me craves pistachios, so…”
“Excuse me.”
His frown deepened as though my impudence was something new to him.
“The baby you put inside me wants pistachio ice cream! Need I get graphic with you?”
The prince frowned, a frown so dangerous my heart’s beat accelerated.
But I am not one to back down, especially with the leverage of immortality…and certainly, neither is he so…
“Your move.”
I added softly that I was almost convinced my words melted with the waves.
He held my gaze for what felt like a full minute, then…smiled?
‘Why?’
“Whatever the lady wishes.”
He said, bowed, then turned to the far cart where Breca and Tagen still stood.
‘Did he just bow? What the hell is he up to?’
I followed his frame to the cart, but Alivai waddled into view before I could see enough of him.
“Hello, my love!!”
She said in a sing-song manner, then embraced me as though we had not just in fact met during the week…as though we were long lost friends.
She smelled like the ocean, if only a little sweeter, perhaps a tribute to the mango ice cream smeared on one of the cups of her swimsuit.
“Good morning, duchess.”
“Heavens! I told you, Alivai or Aliviai, those are the only names you should address me by! Sometimes you make me feel as though we are strangers.”
I wished to ask why in the world she had two similar-sounding names, the difference existing only in their spelling, but it seemed as though she was waiting for me to repeat her words.
“Alivai.”
“Perfect.”
She smiled.
“Oh, it is so wonderful to see you! Are you from running? You are sweating like crazy?”
“Just a light jog, nothing too intense.”
“In this heat? Honey, everything in this heat is intense. I mean, I may be saying this out of jealously, I cannot run anymore, but still, I would like to know, why not swim? It works out your whole body, there are lifeguards even if I am not there and is this location’s prime theme not swimming?”
“Oh, I-,”
“Do you not trust what I have taught you?”
“No, never…it is just… I fear I will make a fool of myself if I try.”
She stretched her hand to clear the tendrils of my hair following the roaring wind.
“Then let us make fool of ourselves together! After our date tonight, I can reserve the pool for just us girls!”
“Oh? Were you not the one who told me to avoid swimming on a full stomach?”
“Oh please, we will have our date, walk around, then swim! Oh, it will be perfect! I can picture it now…speaking of perfect….”
She interrupted her train of thought, then turned her head to the side and waved to the man who had stood by her side before she approached me.
He held two conned ice creams, one bright orange and the other as white as snow.
“Nichols! Over here!”
Unlike her, he did not look as outgoing; instead, he looked more reserved and stable?
Is stable the right choice of words?
I am uncertain: all I know is that he would perhaps be the first to call if one ever had a stress-induced meltdown.
“That is my husband.”
She gushed.
“The man you were jogging with, is he yours?”
“Oh- n-…uh, that is…complicated.”
She did not hear me, or rather the last part of my sentence. Her gaze was held soft on her husband’s careful walk towards us.
“Well…he better be something. He was rather dashing. Like a sexy grizzled bear.”
“Hmm, I should repeat the words to him.”
She chuckled and punched my arm playfully.
“Do not dare!”
Simultaneously she uttered the words, a hand linked around her waist.
“Here, my love.”
He offered her the bright orange cone that held the smell of mangoes and then turned his gaze to me.
“This is my husband Nickson Isles Nichols; I wished to introduce you two so that he could finally put a face to the many tales I parrot to his ears.”
“Lovely to meet you, your grace.”
“Please, if you call my wife by her given name, I do not see a reason why you must not grant me the same favour.”
“Please permit me this last comfort.”
I asked.
“You are as my wife described.”
‘Is…is that a bad thing?’
“Then address me as Mr Nichols.”
“That’s-,”
Perhaps it was my imagination but the couple standing before me had morphed into…puppies?
“As your grace wishes.”
“AHEM!!”
Alivai cleared her throat noisily.
“I mean as, Mr Nichols wishes.”
“Excellent!”
Mr Nichols smiled.
“Alivai has told me a great deal about you.”
“Oh…hopefully, she did not give away too many surprises.”
‘…like anything implicative of me, or I don’t know, that is bound to make me feel guilty for technically lying about my name.’
“I was unsure of the flavour you would like, so I picked my favourite, vanilla.”
He handed me the white cone in his hand.
“Oh, how thoughtful. Thank you.”
I reached for the treat but another green, nutty delight filled my hand.
“Hafsa, my love. I leave for a few moments to get your treat, and you take another man’s.”
“your highne-”
His large hands wrapped around the small of my back, startling me into silence.
“Hello, I am Nickson Isles. Duke of the south in the continent of-,”
“Cursix, I believe I have visited the isles before.”
The prince said.
“Rheyes Kerhid, Duke of the North.”
“Ah! So you are a duchess then?”
Alivai interjected.
“Ah! Well, we are not-.”
“Officially wed.”
The prince interrupted my words.
“My fiancée, Hafsa, is too keen on the details to let anyone’s confusion on that matter.”
‘Is it just me…or did he stress the name Hafsa?’
“I understand that; just a few minutes ago she tried to address me by my title; I will not have my first friend here pull away from me!”
Alivai chirped, and suddenly, as if all the bulbs in her head lit, she smiled.
“What if we do a double date today! Have a meal together, then meet in the evening for our girl’s night out, that way, if we over-eat we will not have to worry about a stomach upset because all the food will have long digested.”
“But Breca!”
“We intended to go evening shopping just us girls, right? Surely the date will only take up the afternoon, and that way, we will not have to worry about swimming too soon after eating.”
‘Ah…fuck me.’
“Oh no…my fiancé is busy this afternoon, unfortunately, his-.”
“My appointment can be postponed.”
The prince interrupted.
“But, surely your highness has to-”
The hand resting on my back pulled my frame to his.
“It is okay, you need not address me by my title, we are in the midst of friends. So you can call me as you do when we are in private, Rheyes.”
He said then smiled expectantly.
‘Wow…just…wow’
- Writer
