Back at the Imperial Palace, evening settled in quietly, lanterns casting warm shadows across the dining hall as Arvin ate with Kain and Rnzo. The clink of cutlery echoed softly, but Arvin's mind was elsewhere.
Without looking up, he asked, "Heman, has Lady Mirha returned yet?"
Heman paused. "No, Your Majesty. She has not."
Arvin gave a small nod and continued eating as if the answer meant nothing at all.
Across the table, Rnzo and Kain exchanged a knowing glance. Rnzo was the first to break the silence, leaning back in his chair with a grin.
"It has only been two days, Arvin," he said lightly. "She'll be there for another week."
The teasing tone was unmistakable.
Arvin did not respond. He neither frowned nor smiled—just kept eating, expression unreadable. That alone made Rnzo laugh, the sound loud and unrestrained.
After a moment, Arvin set his cutlery down. "Heman," he said calmly, "bring wine."
Heman hesitated. His brows knit together for a brief second—he hated alcohol, everyone knew that—but he bowed nonetheless.
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
When the wine arrived, cups were filled generously. Rnzo wasted no time, lifting his cup with enthusiasm, while Kain followed more moderately. Heman, as expected, remained untouched, hands folded neatly before him, watching from the side.
And just like that, the real evening began.
Halfway through their eighth bottle, the mood in the chamber had shifted entirely.
The air was thick with laughter, loosened tongues, and the sharp, sweet scent of wine. Empty bottles lined the table like fallen soldiers. Rnzo, however, remained steady—his posture relaxed, his gaze clear. Drinking had long stopped having power over him.
Arvin and Kain were another matter entirely.
Kain leaned back in his chair, one arm draped carelessly over the armrest, eyes heavier, movements slower. Arvin sat forward, his elbow resting on the table, fingers loosely circling his cup as if it might drift away if he let go. His composure was still there—barely—but the edges were soft now, unguarded.
Rnzo watched them with mild amusement, swirling his wine.
"You know," he said casually, "it's fascinating how the Emperor of Èvana cannot outdrink his own Duke."
Kain scoffed, waving a hand. "You drink like you're offended by sobriety."
Rnzo laughed. "Someone has to."
Arvin didn't join the laughter. His gaze had gone distant again, unfocused, as though he were staring through the stone walls of the palace, past the capital, past the roads—toward the north.
Arvin did not look drunk.
To anyone else, he appeared the same—composed posture, steady hands, measured breathing. But to those who knew him well, the signs were unmistakable. His eyes were brighter than usual, slightly widened, gleaming as though something restless had been loosened inside him.
He spoke calmly, almost casually.
"Of course I miss her," he said. "Who wouldn't?"
Heman froze internally.
Please don't describe her, he prayed.
Kain and Rnzo, however, leaned in with interest. They knew this version of Arvin—rare, unguarded, and dangerous. Sober Arvin would never speak of a woman. Drunk Arvin, it seemed, had decided otherwise.
"Have you seen her," Arvin continued, voice warm with something close to pride, "the way I have?"
He chuckled, then suddenly stopped, glancing between them with a knowing smile.
"You thought I was going to tell you everything about her, didn't you?"
Kain smirked. Rnzo lifted his cup.
Arvin shook his head slowly.
"No," he said. "Because she is mine. Only mine."
Heman exhaled in relief.
Too soon.
"She's perfect," Arvin added, leaning back. And sex with her …" he laughed softly, shaking his head, "…unbelievable. I want her forever."
Heman closed his eyes.
The gods have abandoned me.
"And to think," Arvin continued, clearly enjoying himself now, "that she's mine."
Kain nodded in agreement, emboldened by the wine.
"You're right. With a perfect chest she's… very well put together."
Normally, that sentence alone would have earned someone exile.
But Arvin only smirked, nodding as if the thought pleased him.
"Full lips," he added. "Eyes like a deer's. Brother, everywhere on that woman is temptation."
Rnzo watched with open amusement. This was history in the making—Arvin, unfiltered.
Heman looked as though he might faint.
Sensing the danger, Kain abruptly changed the subject, clearing his throat.
"I want to wed Goya soon."
Arvin glanced at him.
Kain scoffed, frustration bleeding through the wine.
"That woman enjoys testing my restraint."
Arvin raised a brow. "How?"
"She has no reason to seduce me," Kain said flatly, "and yet she does. Laughs while doing it."
Rnzo nearly choked on his drink.
"Hold on—Princess Goya is seducing you?"
"Yes," Kain replied without hesitation.
Rnzo frowned. "Are you sure you're not misreading—"
"I wish I were," Kain cut in. "She's climbed into my bed more than once. Joined me in the bath. And then she smiles like she's done nothing at all."
Rnzo whistled low.
"Then there's no way you haven't consummated your union."
Kain smiled.
In Taico, such a thing would be scandalous.
But that smile said everything.
Kain leaned back, his enigmatic smile deepening as he met Rnzo's probing gaze. 'Of course, we haven't. ' he said smoothly, his voice laced with a hint of defensiveness. 'But I teach her her lessons while keeping her purity intact.'
The words hung in the air, but inside Kain's mind, a vivid memory surged unbidden—a flashback to one of those 'lessons' that tested the very boundaries he claimed to uphold. He saw Goya sprawled on the silken sheets of his bed, her legs spread wide, thighs trembling as he knelt between them. His tongue had delved deep into her slick folds, lapping at her swollen clit with hungry strokes, savoring the salty tang of her arousal. She whimpered beneath him, her fingers twisting in his hair, hips bucking up to grind her dripping pussy against his mouth. 'Kain... please,' she'd gasped, her voice a broken plea, but he hadn't stopped, sucking hard on her sensitive nub until her body arched, walls clenching around nothing as she shattered in a shuddering orgasm, her juices coating his chin. The image burned hot in his thoughts, her soft cries echoing silently in his head, but he clamped down on it, face impassive. No one here needed to know how close he'd come to claiming her fully.
Arvin raised his goblet in a mock toast, his eyes still glazed with wine and lingering thoughts of Mirha. 'Sounds like a fine line you're walking, brother. Careful it doesn't snap.'
Rnzo chuckled, clapping Kain on the shoulder. 'Purity intact, eh? With Goya? That's a tall tale if I've ever heard one.'
Heman, ever the voice of restraint, cleared his throat. 'Enough teasing. The night's wearing on, and we've got council matters come dawn.' But even he couldn't hide the flicker of amusement in his eyes, the group's laughter rumbling low as the fire crackled on.