Thirty

HE CAN BE QUITE INFURIATING, CAN'T HE? Sighing, I tilted my head to the side slowly. "Alright, so let's say that it's more like a sense of survival. It sounds better doesn't it?" It's not like I'll confess to him that I used the wrong word to express myself. I have my pride.

A mischievous smirk appeared on the corner of his beautiful lips, "The only thing that's better is that you realized that you were using the wrong word all this time. And that still doesn't sound good to me," he said pouting. "It makes it look like you would die if you came even a meter closer to them."

"Well, but that's very much it!"

"They aren't those psychopaths you are painting, you know that, right? And I doubt any of them would kill you. At least not Duke Von der Meer, Reverdin, or the Princess, for a matter of fact. Yeah, they are dangerous, but so are you. And they wouldn't blow you up randomly like that, just because of the shadow magic you possess. Quite the opposite, in my opinion. Since they are probably very aware of how important you can become if you join any of them," he caressed my hair again. "Besides, even Reverdin has some sense. He's a bastard? Hell yeah, he is. But he does have some sense. The maximum he could do would be to capture you, or something, but I doubt he would kill you. And you know why?"

"Why?"

He smirked, "Because even though he's dangerous and all of that, he's under the leash. And Princess Alina Desormeaux holds the leash, since he loves her and all that bullshit, and wouldn't do anything that she would complain about. Like, killing you, when you haven't done anything directly against him, or her, for the matter. Everybody knows that. As you said it yourself, the Princess is smart, she holds her ground in the Royal Palace, and she isn't the type to act impulsively." Then he kissed me, "And since none of these two would dare to kill you, the only one that's left on your list is Duke Luc. However, you don't need to worry about him. Especially since now, you are with us and he always protects his people!"

Sigh, "I'm with you. Not with him!"

"Same thing. As long as you are with me, you are with the north, and he's the north ruler. So, you are with him as well, even though you don't like it." He kissed me before I could say a word about it, and I held him to me, letting the kiss go deeper than before. Out of breath, he stopped and touched his forehead with mine. "Will you keep making songs for people, or you will stop it?" What?

I gasped, "Why would I stop?"

"Then you understand that you won't be able to live that quite low-profile life you first intended to, right, darling?" His voice was surprisingly sweet, even though it has a deep tone. "You will get famous for it, and everyone is going to talk about you, probably even a worldwide range. They will constantly play your songs because they are new and addicting, even if we don't understand all the words you use, we'll be able to feel it."

"I… I confess that I hadn't considered that," I whispered, leaning toward him.

"You should. And as the songs spread, all the high society will talk about it. They will want you to play them on their balls, which means you will get invited to many. With that, you will be able to choose which you want to attend, except for the ones hosted by people economically and politically important, who can't be ignored," and when he smirked, I knew whatever he was going to say wouldn't be good. "Like the Dukes and Duchesses you so badly tried to avoid, as well as the Royal Princess and the Princes. Which won't be so enjoyable, since they are probably aware of your… distaste for them by now."

Then I have to get it together and find a way to create the magical mp3 already, so they will be able to hear the songs I record in it, without me having to go there and sing live to them in their balls. Sigh, "Do you know anyone in the Mage's Citadel?"

"Hmmm? I do, actually. Is it about that idea of yours to create a magical tool that will allow people to hear your songs without you being present to sing them?" Oh?

"How did you know?"

"I'm just that amazing!" I don't even know why I bother to ask, since I'm aware of how he is by now.

I punched his shoulders lightly, "You devil. Stop being so egocentric. And yes, it is for that!"

Kissing me again, he smiled amused, "Hmm, you want help because you haven't even begun getting that done, right?" So, he also managed to realize that? "And before you ask how I know that, it's just that I'm aware you haven't contacted anyone with such abilities. Although many people in the ball fell for it and got very excited about it. Honestly, lying about it right there, after you had just finished your performance was a good move. As long as they are excited about it, it'll be a profitable project. Especially when it might also be beneficial to other musicians!"

"Knows-it-all," I mumbled and he giggled.

"But, Hope, if you want the help of the Mage's Citadel, which is a free nation of its own, do you mean to really spread the songs worldwide? I was just imagining it as a consequence in the future, but do you intend to do it from the beginning?" Of course.

A nod. "I do. So, how did you get in contact with people there?"

He rolled his shoulders, "Work."

"Oh, well, makes sense. Do you think your contact will help me willingly? The mages are known to be quite hard to work with," but I still want to try.

"He will. He owes me quite a bit since I've helped him before with some things. Besides, he's the leader of the Mage's Citadel, if there's someone capable enough of helping you, that will be him. Although I bet that mercenary will want around 40% of the profit, since he loves money," my jaw dropped.

I gasped, "You are friends with Henrikh Zoryan? Isn't reclusive or something?" The novel said he only talked with his second in command, no one else since he believed contact with other humans would weaken him. "I heard rumors saying that he has an aversion towards human proximity or whatsoever."

His eyebrows went up and he burst out laughing, "God, the rumors about him are the worse. No, Hope, he isn't that kind of guy. And it's not aversion, it's more like he is extremely sensitive to other's emotions, because of his level of power."

I said it was rumored just to justify my thoughts. Was the novel wrong about him? How strange. "When did you meet him?"