Kabal - 4. Chapter 4

Seagulls... I could get used to living on a boat. Nico sighed, then turned around intending to drift back to sleep. The gentle rolling of the sea... Wait... something was wrong. He blinked his eyes and stared at blue and white striped wallpaper. Huh? Then something big, wet, and hairy was in his face.

Ivan grinned when he saw Nico trying to fight the behemoth. He stood at the end of the bed, holding a tray with breakfast. "Good morning, Your Highness. Did you have a pleasant night?"

This earned him a glare and some mumbled expletives. Finally, Nico seemed to have the dog under control; well, as much as possible.

"Your Highness, meet Henry. Henry, meet your master's mate." Strangely, the dog looked as if it understood everything, and a big, wet nose was once again poked in Nico's ear. He heard a loud sniff, and then Henry jumped out of the bed and sat down beside it, looking from one man to the other, then to the tray in Ivan's hand. He woofed.

Nico rubbed at his wet ear and cringed. "Yuck, who trained this dog?"

Ivan raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Nobody?"

"He's a menace." He shook his head and grinned. "At first I thought I was still on the boat and the movement was the rolling sea." He looked at the open window. "That explains the seagulls; at least I wasn't hallucinating."

"Do you want your breakfast in bed or outside on the balcony?"

Nico sat up, leaned against the headboard, and patted his lap. "In bed. With the open window it's almost as if I were outside, just more comfortable." He looked at the two mugs on the tray, and wiggled his eyebrows. "Wanna have breakfast with me?"

Ivan pointed out a small bowl with treats. "With you and Henry."

"Uh huh." Nico eyed the dog warily, who promptly woofed again and wagged his enormous tail. Nico threw him one of the treats, and Henry caught it easily and crushed it loudly between his impressive teeth. "Didn't know D had a dog."

Ivan poured coffee into the two mugs, added a large amount of sugar to one of them, and passed it to Nico. "He came with the house. The king found him when he was here with the realtor. Ronan tells the story much better, but the recap is the king, wearing his usual business attire--leather loafers, a light wool suit, and a long cashmere coat— heard a whimpering noise and immediately stalked between the piles of junk and puddles of mud until he found this tiny whelp. It was tangled up in some wire, half-starved and full of fleas. He fished it out, untangled it by ruining his leather gloves, and then gave the shivering bundle to Ronan with the words: 'First cleaning, then to a veterinarian, then feed it. When it…’ and here he turned the poor dog on its back to check out its gender, ’when he is presentable and free of fleas and other vermin, he will be called Henry and guard the house.’”

Nico snorted. "His attempt to not lose… um... his kingly demeanor while rescuing the filthy mutt?"

"Exactly." He watched Nico pet Henry between his big, fluffy ears, and give him another treat, then huffed.

Nico looked up. "Spit it out. What do you want to know?"

Ivan turned the mug in his hands a few times before he caught Nico's gaze. "Why are you really here? It’s more than balancing the king’s soul, right?"

Nico rubbed his face. He wasn’t ready to discuss his motives yet. Primarily, because he didn’t know himself.

"Are you moving in?" Ivan challenged him.

Nico closed his eyes and exhaled loudly. “For now, I’m here to help with the negotiations."

Looking distinctly unimpressed, Ivan inquired, "For now?"

“For now is all I can give you, Ivan, at the moment.”

“I don’t believe you. You say you want to be here at the king’s side in this time of need but don’t dare claim your rightful place.” Determined, Ivan put his coffee down. “Is it because of Kris? Do you fear you’re betraying him?”

Not so hungry anymore, Nico set the tray aside, "Let me tell you something: After the docs at the hospital confirmed Kris was terminally ill, he sat me down and tried to make me promise to get back with Diarmad after his death." Ivan opened his mouth, but Nico shook his head. "I want to get this out in one go, okay? I’ll answer your questions after."

For a while, he lost himself by staring at the sea through the open window. "Of course, I immediately objected to this ridiculous idea. I couldn't, wouldn’t, promise him that. He simply told me to shut up and listen for once." Nico smiled wistfully, remembering Kris' unusual choice of words. "Then he explained from our first encounter on he had known two things: I was his love, the one, but that he would never be mine. What did he call himself again? Ahh yes, an interlude. Always the musician.” Nico chuckled. “I was stricken. How could he say this? And be okay with it? Kris assured me it had been a conscious decision and he had always been perfectly fine with his role in my life. The alternative would have been a life without me and therefore unacceptable. According to him, he took what he could get, since my heart had never been free for him, as it always belonged to Diarmad, whom I still loved, even if I didn't see it at the time. He asked me not to lose hope and mused that some people simply needed to meet twice to understand they were meant to be together. Therefore, I had to promise him to try my best and act against my supposedly better knowledge after he was gone, and here I am.” He stood up and stepped out on the balcony, where he gripped the banister.

“I was so angry at Diarmad; first because he dismissed me as a mistake and shoved me aside in favor of being with fucking Laird, and later, because he didn't tell me about the poisoning.

“The almighty king took away my choices, making them for me. He arrogantly assumed I’d drop everything as soon as I learned the truth. For the record, I wouldn’t have left Kris even if Diarmad had asked me to. Kris loved me with all his heart. I was his entire world. How could I have betrayed him? I loved Kris.” Nico turned to Ivan. “Even if I had been open to the idea of reconciling with Diarmad, his behavior and reaction to my being here now makes me wonder what the fuck I was thinking.”

“Did you ever try to read him?”

“What? Are you implying I should use my abilities for my own personal gain, against the law, without a court order, on the king, my mate no less?” Nico took a quick step until his chest almost touched Ivan’s and pointed at the triangle on his forehead. “Do you know why I had this tattooed here? So everyone knows I’m a telepath. People are afraid of us, Ivan. They fear we read their mind all the time. That is why I’m wearing this necklace, which activates when I read someone. I would never do that!”

“I’m sorry, Nico. I truly am. I had to ask this to make sure.”

“If you think so.” With his lips pressed into a thin line, Nico briskly walked to the bathroom without saying a word. The shower immediately started, after he closed the door. Ivan understood the dismissal loud and clear

Fifteen minutes later, Nico came back, a towel around his hips and neck, looking annoyed when he saw Ivan was still there. Unperturbed, the housekeeper caught his eyes.

“Okay. Maybe I could help you decide."

"How?"

"Get dressed; I want to show you something."

Curious and strangely hopeful, Nico threw on some clothes, and followed Ivan out of the room and down the stairs. He stopped in the foyer and looked around. "Where is he?"

"If you mean the king, he and Ronan are meeting some people in town. They'll be back around noon." He walked around the stairs, took out a large bunch of keys, and unlocked a small white door beside the kitchen. He opened it wide, but didn't enter. He waved at Nico to approach. "Have a look."

The room was larger than he thought it would be. The back wall was one large floor-to-ceiling window framed by dark red velvet drapes. The other walls were stark white, and the only furniture standing on the honey-colored hardwood floor was a wing-back chair with black leather upholstery, a red cushion lying beside it, and a black grand piano with a matching bench.

Nico felt as if his heart momentarily stopped, then beat again much faster. He whispered, "A Steinway... is that... I mean it looks like...as if...."

"He never sold it, but put it in storage. When the house was as he'd wanted it, he brought the piano here. A master tuner comes every six months to tune and regulate it." The click-click-click of dog paws could be heard as Henry entered the room and settled down on the cushion while keeping a steady eye on them.

"Nobody is allowed into the room except Henry and the cleaning personnel. Look." Ivan took two steps into the room and the dog immediately growled. He stepped back and Henry quieted.

Ivan eyed Nico curiously, then he waved his hand in the direction of the room. "Now you."

Nico looked at him warily. "I thought nobody is allowed into the room except─"

"It's an experiment." When Nico still hesitated, he said, "Don't worry, he'll warn you. I wouldn't recommend going further inside than one or two steps when he starts to growl, but until then.... go ahead."

Keeping an eye on the dog, Nico cautiously took a step forward. When nothing happened, he took another step and then another. Eventually, he stood before the piano and ran his index finger over the shiny, black surface. The dog yawned, closed his eyes, and started to snore.

"I knew it!" Ivan shouted triumphantly. "Better come out now. I don't know for sure when the king will be home. If he catches us here, he'll incinerate me. Henry! Come on, you too." Nico and the dog followed Ivan, and the housekeeper locked the door behind them. Then he turned to Nico.

"And if that isn't enough of an incentive, then let me tell you one other thing. This morning the king asked me if I knew how long you planned on staying, and I said as far as I knew, you planned to stay at least until after the negotiations, as you'd wanted to help with them. The smile I got was the most genuine and blinding I've seen in... I don't know... ever."

Nico looked at the floor, trying to hide his relief. Or was it happiness?

They went into the kitchen, and Ivan started to prepare lunch. Nico sat quietly at the table, and after a while, Ivan had enough and placed some carrots and a cutting board in front of him. "Can you dice these for me?"

"Sure." Nico grabbed the knife and cut a carrot into small pieces. After working for several minutes, he blurted out, "So you think he still... cares for me?"

With his head in the fridge, Ivan's voice sounded muffled. "Of course he does, that isn't the point though. He will be a stubborn ass─"

"Excuse me?" Nico almost cut himself when his head shot up. Never before had he heard such harsh words out of Ivan's mouth when the man talked about his king. He looked at him quizzically, but the man seemed unfazed by Nico's indignant question.

"What? You don't think so?"

"That's not the point, of course he is. It's just... you’ve never spoken disrespectfully of him before."

"It's not disrespectful to speak the truth in no uncertain words. He still blames himself for what happened, and I think he’s also afraid of getting hurt again or worse, to hurt anyone... you again. All I'm saying is this will be hard work, and I need you to know that and not chicken out when it gets ugly, and believe me, it will. He will fight tooth and nail and you may have to play dirty." He gave him a once-over and waggled his expressive eyebrows. "So, you're feeling up to the task?"

Nico grinned, oddly giddy. "Dirty, huh? You bet." He hummed. Henry came into the kitchen, pushed his muzzle against his leg, and then lay down under the table, his head on Nico's foot.

"Why didn't I see Henry yesterday?”

"He had minor surgery, and the vet thought it would be better if he stayed the night at the clinic; they brought him back this morning."

Suddenly Henry perked his ears up and wagged his tail, then ran out of the kitchen to the side entrance where he barked happily.

"The king is back. He probably heard the car."

"Diarmad likes Henry, huh?"

"Very much. Sometimes he disappears for hours in the piano room and only Henry is there with him. Landyn said he treats Henry how he treated his friends in the past. It seems the dog is the only one whom he trusts enough to show affection and love to."

"He must be very lonely." Then another thought occurred to him. "What does he do in the piano room since he can't play?"

"We think he listens to music on his phone. We believe he has play lists with about every song you ever played for him."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

A door opened and the barking got even louder. Then they heard Diarmad's voice. "Hey my boy, you're home. How are you? Mmph, ugh, stop licking my face. Yes, yes, you are a good boy. Hush. Come on, let’s go look for Ivan. Ivan?"

"Yes! I'm in the kitchen preparing lunch, and Nico is helping me!" He winked.

"Oh," then after a slight pause he continued, "Okay, I'm going upstairs. Come on, boy."

"Very well sir, lunch will be ready in about half an hour though." Ivan rolled his eyes.

"I have um...some things to do, so... I'll eat in my study today."

Ivan mouthed 'coward' in Nico’s direction, and then said, "As you wish, sir."

When Diarmad footsteps subsided, indicating he likely couldn't hear them anymore, Ivan grinned. "You'll bring him his lunch."

"He won't like it."

"Tough."

Half an hour later, Nico balanced a heavy tray with one hand, while knocking on Diarmad's door with the other. Earlier, a spur of the moment decision had him dashing into his room and slipping on low-slung khaki cargo shorts and a slightly too-short black t-shirt.

When he opened the door, he found himself in a small reception room with a comfy couch and a matching chair. Through an open door, he could see Diarmad sitting behind the same maple wood desk he had at the penthouse, with Henry by his feet.

"Where do you want your lunch?" When he recognized Nico's voice, Diarmad's head jerked up, just in time to see Henry greeting his mate with an affectionate push of his big, wet nose against his bare leg.

"Um, right here." He closed the laptop and cleared his desk reluctantly so Nico could put the tray down on a clear space.

Nico tried to sidestep Henry, performing a silly dance with the dog before he could deliver the food. The entire time Diarmad's eyes seemed to be fixed on the small patch of skin showing between the t-shirt’s seam and the waistband of his shorts. His eyes switched to bright silver.

"You’re still wearing my mark...."

Nico looked down, and saw his mating mark peeking over the rim of his shorts.

"Of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?"

"I thought you had it covered up with another tattoo after we separated. I thought I heard you telling Kr.... never mind, it’s none of my business." Diarmad busied himself with putting his laptop laboriously into a desk drawer, before taking the dishes from the tray.

"You should know I would never do that," Nico said with a low voice.

"I don't know anything anymore."

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Nico took the empty tray and turned to the door. "Okay, I’ll leave you alone with your... food. Do you mind if I take Henry for a walk later? I’d like to explore the beach and find a place where I can go for a swim tomorrow."

"With Henry?"

"Yeah, we've become friends, right boy?" As an answer, the dog trotted over to him and rubbed his face against his leg before he looked at his master expectantly.

"Go!"

When Nico closed the door, he heard a quietly murmured, "Defector." He grinned. You could always come with us.

Dinner was much more informal than the evening before, because Ronan ate with them this time, and he had insisted on eating in the kitchen. His mate Becca was still visiting their son Rui in Europe, and would be home in a few days.

With Ronan in the mix, the conversation was a little lighter, but not by much. Diarmad thawed a little only when Henry came into the kitchen, tongue lolling and demanding his share of dinner.

This time though, Nico wouldn’t accept being ignored again; he wanted to join in their conversation and make Diarmad see him so he might mention the upcoming negotiations and maybe even ask for his help, or God forbid, for his opinion. Therefore, he had changed clothes once again, even if he felt silly for doing it. He dressed in black slacks that hugged his slim hips and a tight, white button-down shirt that accentuated his body and golden brown skin. Ivan had nodded approvingly when he saw him, and Ronan had even winked at him. Well yes, he was a man on a mission.

During a brief lull in their conversation, Nico asked, "D, do you still train with your swords? I’m asking because I could use a sparring partner. Isao entrusted me with a pair of old Japanese swords and even assigned one of his students, Sho, to train me. I would like to compare our different techniques and see how I do against a classic sword fighter." He looked at his mate expectantly. The others had stopped whatever they were doing and listened in, expectantly waiting for the king’s answer.

"Um, no, I do not train with swords anymore. Maybe you could ask Ronan or Landyn. He and Simon will be joining us in two weeks. Or you could always invite this trainer of yours, Sho. Maybe he would like to visit you."

There was a brief silence after that statement; the two men seemed stunned at how blatantly Diarmad had brushed Nico off. Then everybody talked at once, eager to cover up Diarmad's rudeness.

After dinner, Nico stayed to help Ivan with the dishes. He silently put the plates into the dishwasher, then sighed, "Fuck me, he is a piece of work all right. You’d think sparring is code for sexual favors. Well, you already told me he’d be a stubborn ass."

Ivan gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Yeah, but the stubborn ass follows your hot ass with his eyes when he thinks nobody is looking. I think he even had to adjust himself secretly under the table due to a sudden tightness in his pants when you came into the room. You might wanna get out the big guns soon."

“I might.”

I got some very motivating comments today. It turns out I have the next chapter finished too. I'm happy so I posted it.
Thank you for reading liking and commenting.
@Valkyrie you're the best. Thank you for editing and beta reading.