chapter Three
“Avian!” The King snapped, his voice lowered to a growl.
“Erm.” She flushed across the bridge of her nose, peeked down at her father past her glasses. “Heeey, Papa…”
Sighing, the man rubbed his temples. “Avian, get down here. Now.”
She hopped off the desk and landed smoothly on the floor just before them, eyes cast to the ground. But curiosity got the better of her, and she pushed her face up into Mathieu’s. “Oh, did you bring me a new toy? She’s cute.”
“I’m not a girl, thank you.” Mathieu said with a raised eyebrow, “and I’m not a toy. I’m your new, er…guard.”
Avian put her hands on her hips, standing squarely on her feet, before laughing heartily. “I don’t need one. I have Narrie. She protects me.”
The King laughed right back at her. “Narrie is your maid.”
“She’s Kin! More so than your little army. They suck.” Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she marched out of the room, brushing her father off. It was clear to Mathieu that she did this often.
Mathieu looked at the King, and at a nod, followed her. He found her kind of intriguing in an awkward way. Hot on her heels, he trailed her to a staircase and stayed one step behind her the whole way up. At the top, they took a left and down the hall they went. Her pace was clipped, and when she got there, Avian kicked opened her bedroom door. “Rawr!”
“Ah!” A woman dropped the stack of books she was carrying. “Damn it, Avian! Why do you feel the need to do that to me?”
“Eh.” Avian hopped onto her bed and closed her eyes. Without looking, she pointed at Mathieu. “That’s a creeper. Sick it, Narrie.”
Mathieu rolled his eyes. “I’m not a creeper. My name is Mathieu. The King hired me to protect his daughter.”
“Mathieu, you say? I’m Narrie.” Narrie was a tall, well-endowed woman. Her hair was cut into a short bob and her dark eyes flashed with good humor. “You sure have a task ahead of you.”
Avian was stretched out on her stomach, feet in the air, glasses balanced precariously on her nose, and reading a magazine.
“Yes, I suppose I do. I’ve got a q--” Mathieu started.
“Listen, knave,” Avian hadn’t moved, but her voice had become low, “you are my servant. You do what I say. You won’t step out of line, lest I be forced to punish you. Father says you’re to protect me. Fine. Just stay out of my way. I am your Princess, and you will love me. I’ll love you too.” She didn’t look at him at all while she spoke.
“Oh…kay…?”
“You will sleep through that door.” She pointed to a door just to the left of her bed. “Narrie sleeps through that door,” she pointed to the door on the right of the bed, “and I sleep here. If you need anything, ask her. But don’t get in her way. We have a schedule that must be kept.” Avian ended in a matter of fact way.
Mathieu was staring at the girl on the bed. “How old are you?”
Narrie folded a shirt as she answered the question that was clearly meant for Avian. “That’s a rude question to ask a lady. She’s nineteen. I’m twenty-two. And you’re how old if we’re going to ignore social convention?”
“…Seventeen…” Mathieu said, scratching the back of his head in a sheepish manner.
“Look at the baby!” Narrie grinned and carried the laundry to the dresser, stowing it away. “Now, it’s my job to make sure that everything is running smoothly. This means that if I tell you to jump, you jump and ask to where.”
Mathieu crossed the arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, really?” These bossy women were kind of annoying him now.
“Yes. Really. You will rise promptly at 6 a.m. and will be ready to work by 6:45. You will be fed at exactly 6:45, not a moment later. If you aren’t there, you do without. Avian starts class at 7:15, which you will accompany her to, then you will escort her to her fencing lesson at 11. She has lunch at 11:30, which concludes at noon. You have the half hour off, then you report back to take her to her study period and the rest of her lessons. They start at 12:15 and finish at 4.” Narrie recited as if from a script.
“Oh, goodie.” That seemed like a lot to remember. He hoped he just had to follow the girl. That part would be easy enough.
Narrie smiled. “She has free time for two hours, then dines with her parents. You’ll have that time off to eat, just over an hour, and then you will escort her to the gardens where she relaxes until 10. Bring her back up here and you are free for the night. This is the schedule for five days of the week. The weekends are her free time and you will be at her beck and call to take her anywhere she’d like to go other than this room.”
“So, otherwise, my freedom is gone and I’m on a schedule. Wonderful.” Wrinkling his nose, he sat in a nearby chair with his arms folded. This new job felt like entrapment to him.
“Exactly. I’m glad you understand.” Narrie replied blandly and disappeared into her room.
Avian had turned and was sitting up now, watching him, feet crossed at the ankles. “Aren’t you an interesting creature? Your eyes are purple, and your hair is white. You’re not a Unithian, are you?”
“I don’t--”
“You aren’t.” Avian steamrolled over his feeble denial. “Narrie isn’t either. I know one when I see one. You’re one of the others…from Korinth. Are your parents like you?”
“I don’t have parents.” Mathieu said coolly, looked out the window. He was only able to see the tops of some trees from his vantage point.
The girl cleared her throat awkwardly. “Oh. I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t ask.” He looked around, taking in the room. At the far end was a simple fireplace and two arm chairs facing it, as well as a large rug. The walls were an off white, and the floor a reddish stone. Two different tables were in the room, the small circular one he sat at, and a sprawling monstrosity that could be used as a desk. A few bay windows jutted out of the castle walls and then were lined with pillows to sit on.
Avian tutted. “Well, excuse me. Is there anything else I should know about you?”
“Hm.” Mathieu thought for a long moment. “I don’t think so. I’m an orphan. Nothing big. Just didn’t know my parents.”
“Well! Since we ditched class today, we might as well do it right. We should go down to the grounds.”The girl yawned and got to her feet, stretching out her back.
Narrie re-emerged from her room. “You are going to the rest of your classes, young lady.”
“No, I’m not. Mathieu said it was okay.” Avian pointed to the white haired man.
“I did?” He asked, tilting his head in a confused manner.
“Yes.” Avian had a devilish look in her eyes. “I feel a shift in power within the confines of this room! A new player has emerged in this little political system, and I declare we have moved from a dictatorship to an oligopoly!” Grinning, she hopped onto a chair, balanced on one foot. “I love this new dynamic; it is wonderful!” Giggling, she suddenly started to tip, headed for the floor.
Mathieu reacted instantly, catching her the moment her foot left the chair.
“Awe, my hero!” She threw her arms around his neck and laughed. Then, she jumped out of his arms and pulled the door open. “To the grounds!” With all the speed of a bullet, she took off, racing down the hall.
In Mathieu’s opinion, this girl was very easy to please. It seemed that despite her initial label of him as a ‘creeper’, she now wanted to form some sort of alliance with him. Avian also seemed to suffer from some sort of mood swings, if he had to guess. She was very odd; Mathieu wondered if he would regret taking this job.
Narrie watched as he stood there lamely. “Better get going. You’ll lose her if you aren’t careful.”
“Er…right.” Mathieu followed the young woman out the door just in time to see Avian leaping and landing on the banister, using her momentum to carry her down the staircase. She slid down it with a practiced ease while he took the stairs two at a time, trying to keep up with her.
“Good job!” She said as she flew off the banister and rolled, coming back to her feet. Avian tore through a side door that had been partially concealed behind a bookcase, dashing past nonplused maids and astonished butlers. The path she was taking seemed well traveled and the other travelers moved out of his way as he tried to keep up with her; she was deceptively fast.
The young woman was surprisingly fast and light on her feet. She would be racing down one hallway, then suddenly would be sprinting down another, traveling in a completely different direction. Mathieu had been one of the relatively faster people at the orphanage, but even so, he nearly missed it as Avian vaulted over a food cart and through open double doors, landing with a soft thud in the castle’s lawn.
Mathieu finally caught her, panting and holding the stitch in his side, his free hand on his knees.. “Please don’t,” his breath was coming in huffs, “do that again.”
“Slow poke!” She stuck her tongue out at him, sprawled out on the plush grass. “Well, now. Let us retire to the forest’s edge and sip fruity drinks.” She rolled up to her feet, hauling him up to a standing position in the process. She smiled and hooked her arm into his. “Aren’t we just a stately pair?”
Mathieu nodded and made a non-committal noise, not completely sure what a “stately pair” was, by definition, and knowing he had definitely never been called that before. The grounds, he noticed, were immaculately kept. All of the trees were the same shape, the grass exactly level. Everything about this place said ‘royalty’. Peering back over his shoulder, Mathieu began to realize just how big the castle was in its entirety. From outside the gates, it didn’t look all that big.
“So, you told Narrie your name was Mathieu. I’m Avian Elizebeth Kathryn Renault, Princess of Unith and sole heir to the throne.” She pulled a face. “But really, I’m Avian. I won’t have any ‘Your Majesty’ or ‘Princess’ or that sort of stuff. It makes me sound old, and clearly, I am not.” She smiled at him in a kind way, nose wrinkling.
That statement Mathieu could wholeheartedly agree to, and nodded his approval. “You’re quite fast, you know. I was surprised.”
“As are you. Sit.” Avian nodded to the small table set up under a brightly colored umbrella just in front of the forest. “Tell me how I ended up with you as my ‘guard’. Other than because my father is a paranoid fool.”
He sat in a comfortable chair and immediately women appeared with drinks for them. Mathieu thanked the women and looked at Avian. “Well, I was raised on the outskirts of the Hart Hills at an orphanage. I left recently and came here, got into trouble for hurting some officer or something, was brought before your father, and here we are.”
Avian stared at him; then she started to laugh. “That’s a horrible story. But you say my father hired you after you hurt his men…” She swirled her fruity drink around the sparkling glass. “Well isn’t that interesting? So, he tells his men that soon one of them will be selected to protect me. He’d choose Jaken, but that’s his personal guard. So, he starts having Jaken test the others. None show promise. Jaken sees you beat up some of his highly trained men. You, presumably, have no professional fighting experience and you’re able to take them down. He’s intrigued. He brings you before the king, thinking that while yes, you are now set for death row, you may be of some use to us. Maybe he thought you’d be another recruit to join the others. But Papa sees someone rogue, strong enough to hurt someone, yet deceptively…girly.”
“Okay, first off, I’m not girly, okay? Quit with that. I’m androgynous. Second, that sounds preposterous.” Mathieu rubbed his forehead. The concept of politics had never been something he grasped, and the female’s train of thought was not a locomotive he felt like following.
“Maybe it does to you now, but you stepped out of your orphanage and into the realm where the big kids play. Plotting, planning, and maniacal laughter are all requirements to play here. Especially with…well, never mind. How do you like the drink?” Avian said, crossing her legs at the knees. They looked at each other for a few seconds.
Mathieu sipped at the colored beverage. “It’s unique. Sweet, tangy…and kind of tart.” He took another drink, liking the way the flavors played across his palate.
She grinned like a cat. “How wonderfully astute of you. I wouldn’t have been satisfied with ‘good’ or anything so mundane. As I’m sure you’ve gathered, I don’t like plain or ordinary. I don’t accept anything less than interesting.” Her glass met the table as she reached for a small cookie.
“I’m beginning to notice.” He murmured under his breath.
Avian covered her mouth as she yawn, then rubbed her cheek. “Good. You pay attention. I like that. Tonight, we relax. Tomorrow, we set to work.” There was silence for a moment and then, “Do you own a suit?”
“No?” Mathieu answered in a confused tone.
“Damn. I feared that. Well, we’ll just have to get you one. Tonight, before you take me to retire, we’ll stop by my tailor and get him to take your measurements.” Her gaze swept across the lawn critically.
Mathieu looked around as well, trying to see whatever it was that she saw. “Um, okay…”
“It’s covered in your compensation for dealing with me, if you‘re worried.”
He folded his arms, an eyebrow raised. “It’s not that…I’m just not a suit kind of guy.”
“I don’t have a dress code, but sometimes you need a suit for…occasions.” Avian kicked her feet up onto a little snack table.
Mathieu fixed her with a look, face still tight with the expected trap that would spring around this concept. “’Occasions’?”
Her eyes sparkled with unspoken secrets. Something told Mathieu that he’d see that look a lot.
“Fine. I don’t know the way around the castle, so you’ll need to lead the way…” Mathieu set down his empty cup, tilting his head to look at the sky. It was tinged pink and blue, an amazing swirling of color. “You don’t dislike me, do you?”
“Not really. I think it’s annoying that Papa stuck me with someone I don’t know, but he could have done worse. Oh! A gift.” Avian reached into the pocket of her silk shirt, pulling out a delicate gold pocket watch with crystal inlay. “This is for you.”
With gentle hands, he reached out for the pocket watch, cradling it delicately. “It’s beautiful…”
Grinning, she surrendered the watch to him. “That’s my personal crest. Don’t lose it. It’s only on loan so you aren’t late.” The design had a sun within a star-like shape with pointed edges. It was tribal, almost. “Also, it’ll make sure no one gives you crap if you wander away from me.”
He considered the design for a moment. “Appropriate.”
Slowly, her smile softened. She looked across the gently swaying lawn to the castle, her eyes far away.
“Can I…” he hesitated, “ask you something?”
Avian nodded, eyes still glazed over. “You may.”
“What’s Korinth like?”
Her eyes flicked to his, brow furrowed. “What?”
Mathieu flushed slightly. “I-I was just curious.” His tone was defensive, arms folding over his chest.
“I can’t answer that very well,” She finally answered after a long pause, then continued, “however, if you wait until tomorrow, you can ask Professor.”
“The one you assaulted with the globe?” He said, trying not to laugh over the scene he had seen earlier. It was still fresh in his mind.
“Yep.” She grinned again. Mathieu noticed that her teeth were very white, even against her pale skin.
Rolling his eyes, he popped open the watch, looking at the time. “It’s nearly dinner time…We should head back inside so you aren’t late.”
She wrinkled her nose with a huff. “Fine. If we must.” A dramatic sigh graced her rise to her feet.
“I’m pretty sure Narrie will scalp me if we aren’t on time. She seems to take her job very seriously.”
Avian waited for him to offer his elbow, which he did, and they began to walk together. “Shall we?”
“Yeah.” He was only able to lead her to the door before she had to take over, as to prevent them getting lost. That was something he hoped wouldn’t happen for too long; he hated needing to rely on her to go anywhere.
The dining hall was large and long, the only room he’d seen with wood, a cherry color, in it used for both the floor and walls. The table in the center was made purely of glass, the legs designed as spiraling columns, the top polished with beveled edges. The chairs were made of something heavier but had the same sheen as the glass.
“Everything here is so extravagant…” Mathieu sighed, looking around. At first it had been something to marvel at, the decadence seeming so grandiose, but now it was getting tiring. Everywhere he looked were silk tapestries, overdone room décors, and unique stone work.
Avian wrinkled her nose again. “I suppose it is. I’ll see you soon.” With that, she released his arm and headed towards the table.
Mathieu looked around the room once more before going out and wandering around the hall aimlessly. He somehow managed to find a kitchen, however, it was empty. Peeking into the cabinets, he discovered that it was a completely empty room. There wasn’t even a crumb. Disappointed, he searched a bit more, how else was he supposed to learn the castle, and nearly took Narrie out as he came around a corner.
“There you are! I thought you were going to miss dinner.” She took him by the upper arm in a claw-like grip, dragging him down a hall with all the persistence of a mother.
“Thanks, Narrie…”
Nodding, she pushed him into the servants’ dining room; it was packed, but homely. There were several small tables pushed together to make a big square with over a hundred chairs around it. People were pressed together, eating and laughing as they talked about the day. Elbows and hands bumped together as everyone moved like a multi-armed organism. Only one seat was left open.
Many calls of Narrie’s name rose from the group. She smiled and gave a small wave, dragging Mathieu behind her. As she headed for the single straight back chair, a second chair appeared next to the first for Mathieu to sit in. He took it and politely thanked the girl who had retrieved it for him. She patted his shoulder with a genuine smile and reclaimed her seat. They were like a family. It made something inside him ache.
Looking down at the plate that was put in front of him, he thanked that person too. Oddly, they actually told him ‘not a problem’. Not a problem? It was as if it was expected of them, and he found that strange.
Mathieu didn’t say much as he ate with the other, only a few people actually acknowledged him, but that was okay. He felt like he was a part of something there, and that feeling was enough. As dinner concluded, he helped clean, drying part of the dishes with Narrie.
Soon, he was free to go and went back to where he had dropped off Avian. Shouts were coming from inside the room and he hung back, waiting. The yelling was growing progressively louder when it suddenly stopped and the door flew open. In the moment between her emergence and her realization that he was standing there, Mathieu saw the hurt and the tears that were moments from spilling over. Avian’s mask of composer came back up after a split second.
Without a word, she stomped up to her room, slamming every door she went through. A few of them ended up in his face. As soon as Avian got to her room, she curled up in bed. The blanket was pulled over her head and she was shaking softly.
Mathieu was fighting a very serious war within himself. He hardly knew this young woman. Should he try to comfort and help her, or was that too intimate? She didn’t seem like the type of person to ask someone to hold her, to soothe her. Would it hurt her pride?
He settled for something mild; Mathieu slowly approached the bed, leaned down and touched her shoulder softly. She stilled. “I’m sorry.” He murmured. With that, he stood and went into the room that had been designated as his.
The room was nice, if a single sized bed covered in a puffy comforter, and a large, overstuffed pillow. The dresser was impersonal. It had translucent, already full of clothes, and the vanity was clearly meant for a woman. It had a round mirror and a stool. A bathroom was attached to the bedroom and it followed the simple theme.
Mathieu went back into the bathroom and found also that his bag had been set in a corner. The clothes were gone from it and the book was set on his bedside table. He set the pocket watch beside it. The money and his other few belongings were still in the confines of the bag.
Going to the dresser, Mathieu pulled open a drawer and held up a shirt that must be new, seeing as he didn’t bring it with him. It would fit perfectly. Narrie must have used my other clothes to get my measurements… Refolding the shirt and tucking it away, he kicked off his shoes, stripped to his boxers, then curled up in the bed. It was warmer here than the orphanage had been. He rather liked it.
~*~
Hours had passed, but still he couldn’t fall asleep. Rolling onto his back, he stared at the ceiling, wondering if Avian was alright. Silly. I’m sure she’s fine. It took a few moments for him to realize that he could hardly see. His vision at night had always been rather amazing, able to see by just the stars when no moon was present. But this room was complete dark. He didn’t have a window. Sitting up, he set his feet onto the floor which was surprisingly warm. Everything about this place didn’t make sense and it made him feel off. But he would adapt. He’d desired a new life, and he’d gotten it.
Using his fingertips, he found the wall and went to the door, pulling it open. He peeked around the doorframe and saw, with the dim light coming in through Avian’s window that she was asleep, if the deep, steady breathing was any indication. As quietly as he could, Mathieu went to the window and looked down at the view. She had a lovely view of the gardens. Even at night, they were lit up.
He wanted to get a closer look at them; Narrie had said something of gardens earlier, but with whatever had occurred at dinner, he hadn’t gotten to see them yet. The moons were different here: brighter somehow. Just like the castle, it was beautiful. Everything was so visually appealing here…
Ateri was spectacular; it was as vibrant as they said. Technology was more advanced here than it had been in the few towns he’d been to. Of course, those had been outer towns, not cities liked this. Technology had come a long way. Transportation that were controlled by a telepathic connection were common place. Hologram transmitting crystals were used for communication. Everything was so fancy and high tech.
“They’re pretty, aren’t they?” Avian stood beside him, her eyes only half open. “The flowers I mean. They were Narrie’s idea.”
“You should be sleeping.” He gave her a sideways look.
She shook her head, putting her hand on the window frame. “Can’t sleep. Stay up and talk with me for a bit?”
He nodded and on impulse picked her up bridal style, carrying her back to her bed. Setting her down gently, he went to retrieve a chair and sat near her. “How long have you and Narrie been together?”
“Since I was…let’s see…four. Originally my dad wanted me to have someone to play with as a child. I was always sick and I don’t have any siblings. The garden was her idea.” Avian said, curled up on his side to watch him. Her golden eyes glowed in the dim light.
Mathieu raised an eyebrow. “It was?”
“She felt bad that I couldn’t really go outside because I’ve always been prone to severe sickness, so she asked my father if she could plant a garden outside my window. That way, even if I couldn’t go outside, I could still see them anytime I wanted. She planted a few flowers at first and then the other servants started to pitch in. It just kind of grew from there.” Now that she was talking, her eyes were starting to light back up and she was smiling softly like earlier. Avian looked at him. “My turn. Tell me about where you came from. I didn’t know that we had an orphanage outside of here and Zurn.”
“Oh, yeah. It’s down past Tuckern. It’s an old wooden building with lots of room and only a few kids.” Mathieu said, clearly not wanting to talk about it.
“That sounds nice.”
Mathieu gave a half-smile for her. “I guess it was. But it was time for me to move on. So here I am.”
“You’re brave to come here. What kind of things did you do there?” She sat up, listening attentively. She looped her arms around her legs.
Mathieu relaxed back into the chair, realizing he would have to talk about it eventually. “We used to do things like clean, tell stories, take the younger kids to play down by the streams. It was pretty relaxed. I played the cello a lot as well.”
“Played is past tense…”
Looking at the floor, his next few words were mumbled. “My cello got broken.”
Avian tilted her head. “Broken? Well then, we’ll just get you a new one.” She said simply, shrugging one shoulder. “I’m not musically inclined, so you’ll have to play for me all the time, okay?”
“O-okay.” His eyes watered. “You’re very nice, you know.”
“Eh. People tell me that and I never believe them. Who knows, maybe I am nice.” Yawning, she laid back down, pulling the blanket up to her chin and closing her eyes. He made to get up, but she cracked one eye open, “Stay until I fall asleep, ‘kay?”
“Okay.” Sitting back down, he curled up in his chair, watching her. She closed her eye again and not long after, her breathing evened out and the tension from her face slid away. His eyes became heavy and soon he was asleep, too.
~*~
He had a weird feeling in his head, like everything was coming to him through a fog and the room around him had changed.
Instead of Avian, a tall blond man wearing jeans and a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up was leaning against the wall, watching him with an intense gaze. Mathieu tried to raise his hand to in front of his face, but found that he was unable to move. His eyes were slow to look down and as he did, there were traces in his vision. It took a moment, but his eyes focused and he found himself restrained by glowing bonds.
“Hello?” His voice was slurred, sluggish.
The blond shook his head and rubbed his chin. His eyes were a startlingly green, like the brightest emeralds; small scars littered his jaw and neck. His hands bore signs of scarring too. Physically, he was cut like a swimmer with broad shoulders that led to a tapered waist and long legs. Attractive was the first thing he thought about the man.
“Hey, I’m talking to you!” Mathieu struggled to get free from his bonds, locking eyes with the blond. His words were still lagging.
The man crossed the room and tilted Mathieu’s head up with strong fingers in his hair, eyes critically analyzing him, the details of his face.
“’Ey!” His feet weren’t restrained so he kicked it up, catching the man in the shin.
Green eyes narrowed in irritation and the blond released a hiss. Shaking his head, the man went to the door and left him alone in the room.
~*~
Mathieu’s eyes flew open. That was the weirdest dream he’d ever had. Something about him had been oddly…real. He still felt that man’s fingers tugging his hair. Thinking back to it sent chills up his spine. The look the man’s eyes had been disappointed and that made a lump in his throat rise.
Rubbing his eyes, he looked around the room. It was still dark, but the moons were higher. Getting out of the chair, he tucked the blankets tighter around Avian before returning the chair to its original position at the table. Then, he went back into his room and thumped down on the bed, lying diagonally across it. The room was pleasantly warm and it made him yawn. Looking at the open door over his shoulder, he closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.
~*~
Narrie woke him up with a hard shove, ending with him landing on the floor in a heap with his legs over his head.
“Oi! That hurt.” Rubbing the quickly forming knot on his head, he yawned. He looked up between his feet at the dark-haired woman.
She stood with her hands on her hips. “It’s 6:25. You have twenty minutes to get ready or we’re eating without you.” With that, she lightly nudged him in the ribs with her foot before leaving him alone.
Stretching from his position on the floor, he considered last night. Avian had been so kind to offer to get him a new cello. He hadn’t even done anything, but she acted like he’d always been there.
He got to his feet and went into the bathroom to splash some water on his face. His eyes drifted to the shower, however. That looks tempting…
In a quarter hour, he was showered and wearing a grey cashmere sweater that hung off one shoulder and tight, black jeans that fit him well but left enough room to move. His shoes had been substituted with black flat things, definitely woman shoes. Taking them in hand, he marched into the other room and slammed them onto the breakfast table.
“What’s the big idea?”
“Huh?” Avian and Narrie both looked up at him like he was crazy.
Mathieu motioned to his clothes and then the shoes. “These are girls’ clothing! Is this a joke?”
Avian grinned. “No, it isn’t. You were chosen because you are so feminine, giving you a deceptive edge. Wearing girls’ clothes makes you seem like a very flat-chested girl, which works well.”
He didn’t get it.
Narrie rolled her eyes. “Let me explain. You look like a girl naturally. Wearing girls’ clothes enhances that. That means you can go anywhere with her and people will assume you’re a girl. You’ll never be told you can’t follow her somewhere, meaning no one can get the drop on her.”
“I don’t look like a girl…” His lip stuck out in a small pout.
Avian cleared her throat. “I think they look lovely on you. Embrace it. You don’t get a choice.”
Huffing, he dropped into a chair and crossed his arms. He was not wearing the stupid shoes.
Smirking, Avian tapped the table, flicking her eyes between him and the shoes.
“I won’t do it!” He said indignantly.
“We burned your other ones…”
“What?!” He practically shrieked. “Not. Cool.”
Narrie wheeled in a cart of food. “Breakfast.” She handed out the plates: egg whites, bacon, and a pancake for Avian, sausages and waffles for him. The waffles were smothered in a local tangy fruit for him. Narrie had a simple bowl of oatmeal with berries.
The shoe dilemma quickly forgotten, he sniffed at it. “This smells so good.” Reaching for his silverware, he found it conspicuously gone. “Uh…?”
“Shoes first.” Avian said, dangling his silverware just out of his reach.
Mathieu’s eyes flicked between the food and the shoes. Damn it. I won’t wear them. But that food…screw it. Huffing, he took the flats and slid them on. Avian handed over the silverware and he dug into the waffle.
A groan of pleasure at the delicious, melt in your mouth, waffles rose in his throat. It was beyond anything he’d ever tasted. This was the life… The girls giggled at him and his reaction to the food. It amused them how the things they took for granted were so appreciated by him. It didn’t take him long to demolish the food that had been given to him. Drinking down his glass of milk, he sat back, looking at his feet. His feet fit snugly into the narrow shoes, but he wrinkled his nose.
He could see the strategic benefit of wearing girls’ clothes, but he didn’t have to approve of it. Pouting, he crossed his arms over his chest.
Avian yawned and got up. “Let’s go, Mathieu. Time for class.” She grinned sarcastically.