Chapter 431: Never Again.

Chapter 431: Chapter 431: Never Again.

The door can not swing closed behind Loac fast enough.

The moment he’s out in the hallway, nevermind who’s there to think he’s insane, he flops back against the nearest wall with his hands stuffed over his face.

​Shit , is about all he can think; his pulse hammering against his ribs. His face feels so ungodly hot to the touch that there’s no way his cheeks aren’t absolutely flaming.

​All this from a fucking kiss.

​Why the fuck did I do that ?

​What on this green earth had possessed him to do something like that? If he goes around just kissing Khobi like that then before too long he’s gonna know .

And he’s not sure he’s ready for that; not ready to know one way or the other whether Khobi wants him the way he wants Khobi.

​...It’s just that it had felt like the right thing to do. He hadn’t really even thought about it; he’d just moved.

Khobi had said he was fine, but Loac knew , somehow he just knew that there was something up.

That whatever he’d seen last night in his dreams was something terrible. Something that had left him really, seriously not fine. So not fine in fact, that in that moment Loac would have done anything in his power –actually fuck that, anything , he would have found the power, somehow –to make him fine again.

​He hadn’t realised just how much it would rattle him, seeing Khobi like that. He’s never seen him like that before.

After all, Khobi isn’t someone who scares easily, and up until that moment Loac had just kind of assumed that there was nothing in this world that could scare him –so whatever it was must have been truly awful to leave him wearing that kind of face.

And Loac isn’t good at this sort of thing; not good at comfort or caring or being in love, but seeing someone as strong and formidable as Khobi left shaking...

​Something had stirred within him and all he’d wanted to do was hold him tight until he stopped, and then make it so he’d never look like that again.

​Ma had warned, but nothing could have prepared him for how terrifying it was, being so in love with someone that they need only ask and he would break the world for them.

...

​Drogger doesn’t so much as glance up when Loac barges into his office yet it’s obvious that he’s not pleased.

​"You’re late."

​Before he can even get a word out, Loac’s mouth snaps shut all by itself.

There are not a lot of people in the castle that get away with talking to him like that, but Drogger Noog is one of them and today he is all business.

Not that there’s ever been a day in his life where he’s not. Loac sighs, slinging himself down in the chair left vacant for him, and mumbles a perfunctory apology under his breath when Drogger shoots him a meaningful look over his desk.

He doesn’t bother saying it won’t happen again because it definitely will, and the bags under Drogger’s eyes say that he isn’t in the mood to be reminded.

All parties present and accounted for, Drogger finishes whatever it is he’s working on with a decisive scrawl and a long-suffering sigh.

Not a good sign. This meeting is already starting to feel like a long one, especially because Drogger appears to have miscounted; Bongo’s not there, and Loac can’t say he’s too thrilled with the person who’s come in his place.

​"Where’s Bongo?" Loac drawls, jerking a thumb towards Bongo’s usual seat –the one currently occupied by none other than Vogrid Vector.

​"The Third is busy attending to other matters," Drogger replies flatly, "Lord Vogrid and I have been working on the arrangements ahead so I thought he should be here."

His tone heavily implies that said arrangements have not been going smoothly.

There are definitely a fair few more greys showing around his temple; Loac hasn’t been paying quite as much attention as Xena thinks he should but it doesn’t take much to figure out that Drogger and Vogrid have been at odds around the upcoming housing arrangements for weeks.

​The logistics of a royal wedding are a nightmare for everyone involved; go figure.

Cooks, servants, soldiers; there were a lot of moving parts; not to mention that any large scale event where notable figures from kingdoms across the land intermingle is one inevitably fraught with tension.

Not everyone is friends with everyone, and even the ones that are don’t necessarily forget the times when they weren’t.

Loac’s never cared for what Gurdet’s soldiers get up to day to day; Drogger has always handled the boring things like castle watch rotations and patrol paths, but apparently this imminent influx of strangers presents him with a wider spectrum of problems.

​They’d had a lot of foreign guests for the tournament. This time, they’re expecting a whole lot more.

​And from what Drogger has to say on the matter, keeping the castle peace isn’t just about shows of force.

Every nobleman comes with his own company of guards, servants, and anyone else he deems appropriate to bring alongside him, and it’s a dozen times worse for any visiting royalty themselves.

Drogger’s been going on for ages about how important it is to identify the most likely troublemakers, split them away from the ones they’ll most likely make trouble with, and make sure there are always going to be guards on hand to intervene while at the same time never giving them the impression that Gurdet doesn’t trust them implicitly.

Sounds like a lot of effort for nothing, if you ask him. He’s not even sure why they’re even talking about these sorts of things.

It’s not their kingdom and it’s not their wedding; if Gurdet’s guests know what’s good for them they won’t go starting anything they aren’t prepared to have finished for them.

In fact, he’d be more than happy to do so personally .

Drogger gives him a strange look when he says that, and while Loac doesn’t offer clarification, he doesn’t take it back either.

He’s already forgotten half of the lords and ladies and royals that Drogger’s mentioned, but he’s confident he can put them, their captains, and anyone else who tries to make trouble firmly in their place. And he’s sure they know that.

​As far as he’s concerned, there’s only one kingdom they need to be at all worried about.

And he meant what he said. He’s not gonna let Silas have Khobi ever again. Not on his life.