The manor was quiet when Aegis finally got back, which was nice. She needed a minute.
She walked through the entrance hall, past the sitting room where Scarlett was loudly recounting the ceremony to anyone who would listen ("and then she just WALKS UP and says ’I object’ like it’s NOTHING"), past the study where Evelyn was probably already organizing paperwork, and into her private chambers.
Then she sat down in her favorite chair, crossed her legs, and let out a breath she felt like she’d been holding for about six hours.
[I can’t believe that actually worked.]
She’d walked into a royal betrothal ceremony uninvited, invoked an obscure legal right that most people had forgotten existed, given a speech in front of every noble in Valdria, and sohow walked out with official status as an alternative marriage candidate for royalty.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Her hands were shaking a little, she noticed. She hadn’t felt it during the ceremony, too focused on looking confident, but now that she was alone the adrenaline was wearing off and the tremors were showing up.
[Okay. Maybe I was a tiny bit nervous. Just a little. Barely worth ntioning.]
A knock at the door.
"Co in."
The door opened, and Talia walked through.
She’d changed out of the white gown, thank the gods, and into sothing simpler. Dark pants, loose shirt, black hair pulled back in a ssy ponytail. She looked tired and wired at the sa ti, like soone who’d been running on pure adrenaline for hours and was finally crashing.
She also looked like she wanted to either laugh or scream, and hadn’t decided which yet.
"Hey," Aegis said.
Talia crossed the room in about four strides, climbed into Aegis’s lap, straddled her, grabbed her face with both hands, and kissed her.
It was not a gentle kiss.
It was the kind of kiss that said "I’ve been holding this in all day and I physically cannot hold it anymore." Aegis kissed her back just as hard, her hands finding Talia’s hips and pulling her closer, and for a few seconds neither of them did anything except make out like they were teenagers sneaking around behind their parents’ backs.
Which, well, technically, they kind of were.
Talia broke away just long enough to press kisses across Aegis’s cheeks, her jaw, her forehead.
"You absolute fucking lunatic," she breathed between kisses. "You beautiful, insane, ridiculous—"
"You’re welco."
Talia laughed, and it was the slightly unhinged laugh of soone releasing way too much tension at once. She pressed her forehead against Aegis’s and just breathed for a mont.
"I can’t believe you did that."
"I can’t believe YOU did that." Aegis grinned up at her. "Standing up to your mom in front of literally everyone? Incredible. I thought her head was going to actually explode. Like, physically. Brains everywhere."
"It might still. She was furious when she left." Talia’s smile dimd a little. "She’s going to co after you, you know. Hard."
"I’m counting on it."
"I’m serious, Aegis."
"So am I." Aegis’s hands slid up Talia’s back. "I didn’t co this far just to give up now. Let her try whatever she wants. I’ll handle it."
Talia studied her face for a mont, those yellow eyes searching for sothing. Whatever she was looking for, she apparently found it, because her expression softened.
"You’re an idiot," she said.
"Your idiot."
"Unfortunately." But she was smiling again. "I’ve been thinking about this all day, you know. Standing up there in that stupid dress, pretending to be happy about marrying Darius. All I could think about was getting back here and doing this."
"Yeah?" Aegis’s hands squeezed her hips. "What else were you thinking about?"
Talia licked her lips.
"Let show you."
She slid off Aegis’s lap and dropped to her knees between her legs, and Aegis’s brain imdiately went offline.
"Oh," she managed. "Yeah, yeah. That works."
Talia’s fingers were quick to pull her cock free. It was already half-hard just from the kissing, and it stiffened the rest of the way under Talia’s gaze.
"I missed this," Talia said, and her voice had dropped into that low register that always made Aegis want to do stupid things.
"It’s been like, a few days at most."
"A few days too long." And then Talia’s mouth was on her, and Aegis stopped being capable of speech.
Talia didn’t rush. She took her ti, her tongue tracing along the underside of Aegis’s cock, her lips pressing soft kisses to the tip before taking it into her mouth. Her yellow eyes stayed locked on Aegis’s the whole ti.
Aegis groaned and let her head fall back against the chair.
"Fuck, Talia..."
Talia humd around her, and the vibration sent sparks shooting up Aegis’s spine. Her hand wrapped around the base, stroking in a slow rhythm that was absolutely maddening.
[This woman is going to kill . What a way to go.]
She lasted longer than she expected, honestly. But eventually, with Talia’s mouth working her cock and those yellow eyes staring up at her, Aegis hit her limit.
"Talia, I’m gonna—"
Talia just took her deeper, and Aegis ca with a groan that was probably audible from the hallway. Talia swallowed everything, because of course she did, and then pulled back with a satisfied look on her face.
"Feel better?" she asked.
"I feel incredible. Get up here."
Aegis pulled her back into her lap and kissed her, tasting herself on Talia’s lips. They stayed like that for a while, just kissing and holding each other, and Aegis thought that if she could freeze any mont in ti, this would be a strong contender.
---
The next morning, Aegis woke up alone.
Talia had slipped out soti before dawn. Plausible deniability, maintaining propriety, all the boring stuff that ca with secretly dating a princess. Annoying but necessary, at least until the assessnt was over.
Aegis stretched, winced at the pleasant ache in her muscles, and dragged herself out of bed.
She was halfway through getting dressed when soone knocked.
"Co in."
Evelyn entered with a folded piece of paper in her hand and an expression that said "I have news and you’re not going to like it."
"My lady. There’s been a developnt."
"Already?" Aegis pulled on her coat. "That was fast. What’s she doing?"
Evelyn handed over the paper. Official seal, fancy letterhead, very formal language.
Aegis scanned it and snorted.
"A complete financial audit. Ordered by Duchess Evangeline Stone, to be conducted before the formal assessnt." She looked up at Evelyn. "She’s going after my money. Classic."
"It would appear so, my lady."
Aegis read through the docunt again. The audit would cover all of House Starcaller’s financial records. Inco, debts, assets, everything. If there were any irregularities, any discrepancies, any hint that she’d exaggerated her house’s wealth...
Well, that would be a problem.
[Smart move, actually. If she can prove I don’t have the money I claid, everything else falls apart. Good thing I wasn’t lying.]
"Is there anything in our books that could cause problems?" Aegis asked.
"I don’t believe so. Our records are accurate and well-maintained." Evelyn paused. "But an audit of this scope will be thorough."
"So we make sure there’s nothing to find." Aegis folded the paper and tucked it into her pocket. "Prepare the books. Every transaction docunted, every copper accounted for. If they want to go through our finances, we’ll make it the most boring experience of their lives."
"Of course, my lady."
"And get the twins on finding out who’s conducting this audit. Nas, backgrounds, connections to Stone or Goldspire. I want to know if we’re dealing with neutral parties or if Evangeline’s stacking the deck."
Evelyn nodded and turned to leave.
"Evelyn."
She paused at the door.
"Good work on the legal research. The Right of Petition saved my ass yesterday."
"I’m pleased it was useful, my lady." The faintest hint of a smile. "I’ll have the financial docunts ready within the hour."
She left, and Aegis walked to the window.
The manor grounds spread out below her. Gardens, walls, the city beyond. All of it belonging to House Starcaller. Her house. Her territory.
[So that’s your opening move, Evangeline? A financial audit? Okay. Let’s see what you’ve got.]
She grinned at her reflection in the glass.
[This is going to be fun.]
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