Chapter 479: A Glass at the Gazebo

The door swung shut with a quiet, dull thud as Ezek stepped out into the crisp night air, the cool breeze brushing against his flushed face. He let out a long, heavy breath, his chest rising and falling beneath his leather armor. His broad jaw was set tight as he stared out across the sprawling, moonlit gardens of the courtyard.

He felt a deep, dark burn sitting right in the center of his chest, a sharp, irritating knot of pure frustration. He wasn’t even angry at Reiner. Gods knew he couldn’t be mad at him if he tried. Reiner’s terrified, saucer-wide eyes and the frantic, warm weight of his small palms slammed over Ezek’s mouth were still burning in Ezek’s mind.

No, Ezek was angry at himself. He was a respectable guard, a man trained to keep his composure under the threat of a drawn sword and amid the political traps of the court alike. Yet around Reiner, he felt like a clumsy recruit who couldn’t even hold a sword properly.

Ezek made his way down the winding gravel path, intending to complete his late-night loop around the perimeter before heading back to the barracks.

As he passed the rose garden, the quiet rustle of leaves was cut by the faint, low murmur of voices and the soft clink of heavy glass.

Ezek paused, his instincts immediately shifting into high alert. He slunk behind a tall, neatly trimmed hedge, his hand resting casually against the hilt of his side sword as he peered toward the stone gazebo sitting in the center of the lawn.

The moonlit gazebo was lit by two low, flickering amber lanterns hanging from its domed roof. Sitting at the circular marble table inside were Elios and Marielle. A half-empty bottle of dark, imported amber liquor rested between them, alongside two heavy crystal tumblers.

"Well, well, look who’s slinking through the bushes," Elios’s deep, gravelly voice called out, his sharp eyes instantly catching Ezek’s shadow. Elios leaned back against the stone bench, a lazy, amused grin spreading across his weathered face as he motioned with his hand. "Come out of the dark, my friend. You look like a guard who’s forgotten how to go home."

Ezek straightened up, stepping out onto the open gravel path and offering a swift, disciplined bow toward the gazebo. "My apologies for the intrusion. I was merely conducting my late-night perimeter check."

Elios let out a low, breathless chuckle, shaking his head as he reached for the glass bottle. "Still so stiff, even at midnight. Are you done with your duties or what?"

"I have two more courtyard sectors to inspect," Ezek replied smoothly, keeping his posture immaculate.

"Oh, nonsense," Marielle cut in, her voice light, smooth, and carrying the comfortable warmth of someone who was already three glasses deep into very expensive alcohol. She set her tumbler down with a firm tap, gesturing imperiously toward the empty stone seat beside her. "The perimeter isn’t going anywhere in the next twenty minutes, Ezek. Come join us for a drink."

Ezek instinctively took half a step back, raising a hand in polite decline. "My Lady, I am on duty. It would be entirely inappropriate for a guard to consume alcohol while..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Marielle was already on her feet. She glided across the small stone gazebo with surprising speed, her silk dress rustling against the stone floor. She grabbed Ezek by the forearm, her grip shockingly firm for a lady, and dragged him down onto the bench beside Elios before he could even think to resist.

"I said sit," Marielle laughed softly, snatching a third clean tumbler from the tray on the table. She unstoppered the heavy glass bottle and poured a generous, dark amber splash into the glass, pushing it directly into Ezek’s hand. "Whether you have problems or don’t have problems, you just drink, ok? That’s what the night is for."

Ezek looked down at the heavy crystal tumbler in his palm. The dark liquid caught the flickering amber light of the lantern, sending a rich, warm aroma of aged oak and spiced plum rising up toward his face.

Under normal circumstances, Ezek’s strict sense of military discipline would have demanded he refuse the drink, bow politely, and return to his post. But his pride, a thick, stubborn wall built over years of guard service, refused to let him look weak or overly uptight in front of them. Besides, the dark, irritating burn sitting in his chest from his disastrous encounter with Reiner was still aching.

"Thank you, My Lady," Ezek said softly, lowering his head in a brief nod.

He lifted the glass to his lips and took a long, steady swallow. The liquor hit his throat like a line of liquid fire, burning hot and smooth as it slid down into his stomach. He didn’t even wince, downing half the glass in one single, practiced gulp.

Elios raised his eyebrows in genuine approval, letting out a loud, hearty bark of laughter that echoed softly across the quiet garden. "Look at that! I told you he had a liver beneath all that iron armor, Marielle!"

"Impressive," Marielle agreed, a mischievous spark in her dark eyes as she tilted her head, watching Ezek carefully. She leaned her chin on her palm, resting her elbow against the marble table. "See? That wasn’t so hard, was it? You look like you needed that more than I did."

Ezek set the tumbler back down on the stone surface with a quiet, solid click. "It is a fine vintage."

Inside, however, the alcohol did nothing to quiet the raging storm in his head. If anything, the sudden rush of heat making its way through his veins only intensified the burning sensation in his chest. He felt an intense, suffocating frustration with himself. Reiner was so simple to read, a bright, open book whose emotions flickered across his face like sunlight on water, yet Ezek kept pressing him too hard, cornering him in dark corridors and forcing him into a state of sheer, panicking terror.

Why can’t I just go slow? Ezek thought bitterly, his fingers tightening around the heavy base of the crystal glass until his knuckles turned pale white. Why do I keep backing him into a wall?

Elios, who had survived enough wars and court politics to read a man’s posture like an open ledger, leaned forward slightly, setting his own glass down. His sharp eyes narrowed as he studied the rigid line of Ezek’s shoulders.

"You’ve got a heavy look on your face," Elios said quietly, his tone shifting from casual banter to something a bit more grounded. "Something bothering you? Trouble with the barracks? Or is it something else?"

Ezek didn’t look up immediately. He reached for the heavy glass bottle, lifting it with a steady hand and pouring himself a second, even larger glass, filling the crystal tumbler almost to the brim.

"No," Ezek replied softly, his voice dropping into a low, quiet rumble that barely carried past the edge of the gazebo. "Nothing is wrong."

He lifted the glass and took another heavy, deep drink, letting the fiery liquid burn straight down his throat, ignoring the quiet, knowing look Elios and Marielle exchanged across the table.

Ezek stared down into the swirling amber liquid left in his glass, feeling the slow, heavy numbness of the alcohol beginning to creep into the edges of his mind. He didn’t care if it was a temporary fix. Right now, he just prayed that enough of this burning drink would help him forget the terrified, beautiful look in Reiner’s eyes for just a few hours.