~•VI•~

I climb onto Drazens balcony.

It was easy enough to get the exact location of his room. Just had to bribe an officer in sub rosa with a pearl ring of mine. Corruption at its best.

His window, as I'd suspected is locked from the inside. I knock once reluctantly. No response. I knock again, this time louder. Still no response.

Maybe it was ridiculous to come here in Romeo style, but I had no other option. His chambers are guarded by high ranking officers, so I had to improvise.

It seems like he won't open up, so before I raise anymore chaos than I already have, I decide to make a run for it.

I'm halfway to the other side of the balcony, clutching the railings and hanging high, when Drazen jerks the window open. Literally jerks. And I almost plummet down to death.

He stares at me as if he doesn't recognise who I am. Then smiles wide and says, "Well, well, if it isn't my worst enemy." He pretends sniffing in the air, " You smell of trouble.", and grins wider.

I'm the one who is gaping at him now. As far as I can tell, he is drunk. His dark chocolate hair is a rumpled mess, and his button-down black shirt has come all the way undone.

I am at a loss for words for a while, not sure where this will go.

He's drunk, which is good because I can get a conversation out of him that way. The stars are in my favour for once.

"And you reek of cheap intoxicants. We are going to talk, let me in." I say as I make my way closer to where he is standing.

"No, no, we talk here. I'm afraid that you're going to cripple me in my own room." Drazen drawls on his words, grin plastered to his face all the while. I have to suppress my own on that.

" Not yet. Let me in now, will you. This is important."

Drazen consider this a while, eyes lingering on me still. Then he moves aside the window, to let me in.

I take in his room, and I'm surprised by the lack of personalisation. His majestic canopy bed sits in the middle, occupying almost half the space. The room's completed with a working desk, an enormous divan and a fireplace. No idea about the inner room.

There's no denying it is spacious and lush, but it's not what I'd expected. It's too simple. Nothing here expresses him in anyway, though I wouldn't know what that expression would look like.

" I suppose you know we're to be wedded." I start, while Drazen tends to his glass of whiskey.

"I'm familiar with it, yes." Drazen says, going in for a refill.

" And you're ok with it? Do you not mind marrying an Asterian?" I'm trying not to let my eyes drift anywhere other than his face. Explicitly on his rugged and exposed torso.

" I don't mind having a problematic wife, if that's what you mean." He smirks at me, mischief on his face.

Yeah, he's so much delirious.

" if you have the slightest love of life, get a hold of yourself for the next few minutes." I snatch the glass from his hand, and he pouts at me in return. 

" You talk now. Are you ok with it? Because there's no point if either of us are already committed to somebody else. For our own sake." I state, hoping he'd take a hint on what I actually want to know. Do not do this if you are in love with somebody else. It's not going to get you anywhere.

I want him to tell me he likes someone else, that he is against this as much as I am. That way, we can both use it as an excuse to get out of this. That way we'll both spared.

" It's not about my like or dislike. I'm ok, if you're ok with it." Drazens voice is soft, and he's looks down at the rug beneath us.

I chew the inside of my cheek, unable to respond.

He looks back up at me and asks, " Are you? Are you committed to somebody else."

Maybe it's something about the way he's letting his guard down, or maybe it's the way he's asking me, I know not, but for some reason my voice catches in my throat. I'm starting to get that undecided feeling in my sternum again.

I do not answer that.

" Drazen, if we're to do this, I have my terms. Tell me yours when you are sober enough." I choke down on whatever I'd been feeling, replacing it with measure.

"Wait, wait. Terms will not be accepted if they involve me getting violently hurled on the ground." Drazen shakes his head, laying emphasis on what he'd just said.

He's drunk as a skunk. He's being playful. Although drunk, I hadn't the slightest idea that he'd have this playful side to him.

"That I can't promise." I play along. " Anyway. First things first, I want in on the Black Ring Regiment." To him, it doesn't come out as a request. I reckon starting off with something he could agree to in his stupor would be much better. I don't know what I'm expecting, because being a part of the Black Ring Regiment is incredibly difficult. It is the crème de la crème of Zephrys armed forces.

Drazen makes his way to the conjoined room, staggering a little, and comes back with two rapiers. He hands one to me. " Prove your worth. Fight."

"Oh you want to fight now princess? Can you even walk in a straight line?"

This fool.

Drazen says nothing, but strikes his rapier against mine. The force of this blow is strong, even though he doesn't have much of muscle coordination at present.

Even the slightest moment sends excruciating waves of pain down my arm, and I wince as I defend his blow.

"Oh." Drazen stops immediately. "Al-" he beings but I stop him short, not wanting his sympathy or fellow feelings.

" We will fight plenty, and I can prove my worth tomorrow. But how about you just recruit me with a plain yes?"

Drazen nods, and I feel almost sorry that I'm using his current state to my advantage. He wouldn't have been so gullible otherwise, wouldn't have agreed to this.

"Wait." I take my phone out to record his ratification. According to Zephrys legislation, a vocal agreement is valid it has a Royal assent. So if he forgets this, which he likely will, I'll have proof.

You only learn from your mistakes, today has taught me that much.

Drazen puts his rapier on my shoulder ceremoniously. " Alyona, I now announce you as a part of the Black Ring Regiment." He slurs on his words, smiling. He thinks of this all as a joke. Poor him.

My part is done here. But wait, I could inquire more about Kolans package, and what he actually wanted to accomplish. Getting some more confessions out of him won't be so bad. I deserve to know at least.

"Drazen, why'd you think I was interrogated today." I try not to imply anything.

" An important communication device went missing from the armoury. And you were down there..." Drazen squints, trying to put together his words, failing.

"So you claimed it was me?" I ask.

"Did not. Kolan confirmed he saw you going in that direction." Drazen slumps on his divan, looking drained.

Kolan, son of a bitch.

"And you believed him? My being there was circumstantial, could've been just a coincidence" I raise my eyebrows, curious.

" He doesn't give me much of a reason to put my trust in him. But Caspian, he does." Drazen staggers from the divan to where I'm standing, looks at me for a moment, and gently strokes my cheek with the back of his finger. It's warm, his finger. Warm and affectionate. " What Caspian did to you today, you did not deserved it. I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner."

Don't know how, but my heart skips a beat. I frown, wanting this feeling to go away. I do not want to feel anything, especially not for him.

" I did pilfer a package from the armoury, only because Kolan requested. Don't know if it is was that device you're talking about, but that is why I was there." I confess, knowing there's no point in covering this any longer, and hoping he'd believe me.

I back away, wanting desperately to get out of here, away from him, with my crazy beating heart.

Drazen follows me to the window as I leave. I stop midway. I have to apologise.

" Only because you're not sober and you'll not remember this, I- ugh am sorry. For slapping you. Twice." I say taking Drazen by the collar of his shirt.

Drazen takes me by the collar of my own shirt. " what about when you booted me in the calf ?"

"Have a trash night" I grin a little, unable to help myself and head out.

~•~