Mathieu (White Flame Trilogy) (13 page)

Wrapping his fingers around its stem, he focused his energy and created a smooth, clean cut. Pulling it free, he cupped his hands around it, and encased it in a ball of energy; the flower floated up from his hands and hovered there, safe from being damaged. Checking his watch again, he nodded to himself and delicately poked the little bubble forward, back toward the palace.

When he got back to Avian’s room, the young woman was perched on a stool and watching as the lady behind her piled her hair on top of her head in an elegant twisting up-do. Mathieu smiled at her from across the room, hiding the flower behind his back. The whole room was teeming with servants moving to-and-fro, working on Avian’s hair, dress, make-up, shoes, and all sorts of other things he couldn’t imagine needed to be done at that exact moment.

“Hey!” Avian waved at him, beaming via the mirror.

“Hey, Avian, how are you?” He approached the Princess, kissed her cheek, and seated himself on the window sill.

She wrinkled her nose.
“Getting tortured by this broad.
She keeps pulling my friggin’ hair.” Avian cast a mean look and a rude gesture at the woman.

“What if I said I could make it
all
better?” Mathieu said, wiggling his eyebrows.

She fixed him with a sideways look. “If I didn’t know you swung that way, I would get concerned about the things you say.” Then her face perked up. “But what will make me happy?”

Grinning, he held out the flower in the ball of translucent energy.
“For your hair, love.”
Happiness and embarrassment made his mocha colored cheeks flush at her squeal of delight.

“Thank you!” The brunette hopped off the chair away from her “torturer”, much to the large woman’s dismay, to glomp a hug on him. “I love it!” Avian kissed his cheek hastily as the lady pulled her back to the stool.

Smiling, he pulled the white strands over his shoulder, running his fingers through it. Mathieu winced lightly as his fingers caught a tangle. “So, tell me something…”

“Hm?”
His best friend closed her eyes as the lady wove the flower into her hair.

Tilting his head, the man wondered how to phrase the question he’d been pondering about etiquette. “I know that there are proper ways to greet people of different statuses. Like ways to greet the…helpers of the important people, but I’m your protector, but you’re taking me as your ‘date’. Tell me, am I expected to act like a right-hand or like an equal to you? This is all very confusing.”
Mathieu began to rub his temples. “Damn it!” He hated to have to think about stuff like this.

She smiled, “The proper title for the others is the ‘entourage’ and no one will know that you are mine. If they ask, you are my
date,
therefore you’ll be treated like my equal. Don’t worry about it. If you really make a big mistake, I’m play the Princess Card and they’ll have to forgive you.”

Stucking his tongue out at her, he blew a raspberry; that made her smile. “Thanks. This is hard work, I tell you.”

“You’ll get used to it. I mean, you’re gonna spend forever with me…right?” She looked up at him with big, golden eyes.

He stood and patted her head, smiling slightly.
“Yeah, Avi…yeah.”
Something inside of him told him that it was the right answer, but it didn’t help the knot that formed in his stomach whenever they talked about the future. There were just too many unknowns, too many variables he couldn’t account for. He knew deep down that someday he wouldn’t be by her side, that he wouldn’t be able to protect her; that scared him.

“Good! Now go get ready. The torturer says she’ll do your hair too. Make it all smooth and shiny and stuff.” Avian pointed with her toes to his bedroom door.

Nodding, he gently nudged her before going into his room. Sliding the closet open, he found his suit pressed and hanging, ready to be put on. Mathieu looked at it before pulling it off the hangar, feeling as though a daunting task lay ahead of him.

Twenty minutes and many swear words
later,
he stood half in his suit, half out. He had to jump around to prevent losing his balance.
This thing has like eight pieces to it! Why couldn’t it have been as simple
as

put
on the pants, button a top and pull on a jacket. But
nooo,
had to make a fancy-smancy one that is going to make me break my friggin’ neck!

Nikola purred with amusement from her perch on the bed. Mathieu huffed to himself as he managed to right most of the suit and get it on. Mumbling to himself about the benefits of an instruction manual, he straightened the pants and tucked in the pockets. A few more pieces fell into place, with some aid of brute force, and soon he was standing in front of the mirror, supposedly fully dressed.

The suit was a deep red with black pinstripes. The pants fit his hips tightly but hung loosely around the rest of his legs and had straps that crisscrossed around his hips and thighs. Meanwhile, the jacket was single breasted, cut snuggly and actually looked pretty badass when buttoned. Under the jacket was a white shirt, a black vest and a silver tie. The overall effect was rather sexy, but it was a pain to get into. He was certainly glad that it wasn’t required of him to wear it daily. That might drive him to quit.

He scooped up Nikola, who had returned to her ball form, and put the Shadowrider into his pocket. Re-emerging into Avian’s room, he stretched and felt the suit move with him. It wasn’t overly uncomfortable, but it put him out of his comfort zone. His ‘comfort zone’ was somewhat skewed, however, considering he wore girls’ clothes now. “How does it look, ‘ey?”

“Damn.” Avian gave a low whistle and the stylist woman
gave him a slack jawed look. The looks that they were casting him made him feel vaguely self-conscious, so he fiddled with the suit, buttoning and unbuttoning the jacket.

Avian smiled and hopped up again, much to the chagrin of the portly woman. “You’re hair isn’t finished yet,” the hairstylist huffed, “come back.”

“Nope, it’s fine as is. Not changing it now.
Your turn!”
The Princess pushed Mathieu towards the stool and forced him to sit down. “Now, make him look manly, but pretty. I’ll be right back.”

The woman, one of the ladies he’d seen in the servant’s dining room more than once, pulled his hair free of the hair tie he’d put it up with while dressing and let it cascade down his back. She picked up a brush and pulled it through the silky strands. The food here had done the health of his hair wonders and he appreciated it. No longer was it a mess of tangles, but it spent most of its time as a waterfall of luxury. He prided himself on it, somewhat.

“I think a fancy plait over one shoulder would be nice. We could give it a nice twisting column look…” The older woman’s fingers fiddled with his tresses as she thought aloud.

Mathieu shrugged one shoulder. “Whatever you think is best. You’re the stylist here. You don’t tell me how to protect
people,
I don’t tell you how to make people look good.”

She laughed and set to work, first getting the few knots out and then separating the hair evenly. He quickly
became bored of watching her, especially since he didn’t think he’d put that much effort into anything in his life.
Ever.
His eyelids became heavy and he fell into a light doze. It wasn’t long before he felt a tug on his sleeve, Avian looking at him with expectant eyes, Tesla hovering just over her shoulder.
“Eh, what?”
Mathieu rubbed one eye blearily.

“You’re done. And it’s almost time to go.” Her makeup was done lightly, highlighting her naturally high cheekbones and startlingly golden eyes.

“Crap, I slept longer than I thought. ‘
m
sorry.” He smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. Looking in the mirror, his hair now hung over his shoulder in an intricately twisted design that he was pretty sure he could never replicate in his life. Even with an instructional manual and unlimited time.

Avian patted his back. “Not to worry, it happens. I’m a fan of napping too.” With that, she threw her head back with a manic laugh that matched her personality.
“Now, my loyal puppet, onward to the gathering of well-endowedly pocketed people!”
One hand was on her hip, the other pointing towards the door, reminiscent of their first encounter.

Nodding, he rose and offered his arm, choosing to ignore her inability to create a proper sentence with real words. As she graciously took it, Mathieu led Avian out of her room and down through the house with a practiced ease. The palace was in full swing tonight, servants bustling here and there, laden down with dishes and trays. They all gave cheerily, heartfelt greetings to the pair as they went past, some even stopping to chat for a moment until someone else gave them a less than friendly look.

At the head of all the chaos seemed to be Narrie, dealing out orders to those who scurried by, frowning at those who seemed to be at a loss. Currently, she was berating one man whose hands were empty: “Is it
not
obvious that everyone else is working? Do you feel it is acceptable to stand around like a monkey while the rest of us work, trying to make this banquet as grand as possible? It is our job as the staff to create the
perfect
environment, meeting every expectation of our guests! How are you doing that at this moment?”

Avian bumped Mathieu lightly, “There she goes again. Man, I think she should just pop out a kid to yell at and leave the rest of our ears alone.”

“--ack to work.
And I heard that Avian. However, you do look lovely and are perfectly, fashionably late. Now get in there before your father has a panic attack.” Narrie smoothly switched her attention to the stately pair. Avian nodded and allowed the bossy woman to lead them to the doors.

“I’m kind of nervous…” The Princess confided quietly, her cheeks tinting red with the admission. “What if I mess up or Papa thinks that I don’t belong there? I did sort of invite myself…”

Mathieu sighed softly and turned her to face him, setting his hands heavily on her shoulders. “Now you listen here. You’re one hell of a woman who never backs down from anyone. You can do this and you’ll do it with a flair that hasn’t been seen before. Everyone will think you are the most gracious, perfect daughter a man could ask for and he will be moved to tears by the aptness you show for such delicate, formal situations. If anyone is going to a
make a fool of themselves, it shall be me and I will do it in my own dignified style.” Avian gave him a small, thankful smile. “Besides, if I think that you’re about to make a blunder, I’ll do something really stupid like spill my drink on myself or someone’s ‘entourage’.
Fair enough?”

Avian hugged him quickly, giggling all the while. She straightening her dress, as well as her confidence, and nodded to the bossy lady.

Winking at the pair of them, Narrie grasped the handle of the heavy door and pulled it open, ushering Mathieu and Avian into the Grand Hall
.

Chapter

Six

Mathieu had only been in the Grand Hall once, and it had been during his initial exploration; however, the room was now transformed. Originally, it had been just a very plain, if a not large room with floor to ceiling stone walls and small decorative mirror placed in the center of etched with swirling patterns carved into the stone.

Now it held a handful of petite, round table with beautiful white table clothes, dark blue doilies and ornate place settings on each. Along the walls, gossamer curtains had been hung with some pulled back, and some not; it had a pleasant effect that added a very ethereal feel to the room. A soft jazz band was playing on a stage set along a side wall, and men and women were milling about the room. They stayed towards the back where a sitting area had been arranged. It was a grand sight and it made Mathieu swallow hard.

Avian tightened her grip on his arm and smiled pleasantly, half-dragging him forward. Her voice was a low whisper, barely loud enough for him to hear. “You see the woman with the pink hair? That’s Elise.”

Mathieu looked in the direction that his date was nodding and he spotted her with ease. Elise had a wavy mess of hair that was a shocking bubble gum pink color. Her eyes were a light teal that sparkled in the dim lighting and were the same shade as the short, flowing dress she wore. A ruby-lipped smile was offset by her pale skin; the way she was talking to the person beside her gave her the air of casual politeness.

The woman beside her, however, was another story. She was in a tightly fitted dress that hung past her knees and was a simple black color with a plunging neckline. Her blonde hair was a short, shaggy pixie cut that was in direct opposition with her forest green eyes. Her mouth was not nearly as inviting as the gentle smile on Elise’s face had been. It was a hard line that matched the sharp look in her eyes. She was not a person that Mathieu was particularly excited about meeting.

Avian nudged him, nodding to the other girl. “The other one is Mina, and she takes the title of Kin to the extreme. Her sole purpose is to protect Elise. That’s it. If Elise has to go to the bathroom, Mina is beside her, not three feet from her at most. It’s creepy. Watch out for her, Mathieu. She’s a User too…”

“What power does she possess?” Mathieu murmured back.

Avian shrugged and guided them to a completely different person. This new person was a boy, around Avian’s age and seemed…lacking, in Mathieu’s opinion. He was skinny and had a slight case of acne. Sighing, Mathieu walked next her, sizing the kid up.

“Be polite, he’s the son of a defense contractor. Shh.” She said under her breath.
“Oh, Jonathan!
How lovely that you’re here!”
Avian smiled sweetly and stood on her tip toes, brushing her lips to Jonathan’s cheek.

“Thanks. It’s always nice to see you, as well.” The tone of his voice implied that this was more pleasantries than actual happiness at seeing her. His eyes drifted away and towards a leggy woman. Mathieu gave a condescending
smirk.

And Jonathan responded with a rude look. “And who might you be?” From the way he said it, it should have been ‘Who do you think you are’.

“I’m Mathieu.” Smiling, he tilted his head toward Avian. “Doesn’t the Princess look simply radiant?”

Jonathan looked at her and gave her a considering look. “I suppose she is. I don’t really think of her in that sense. She’s someone I grew up knowing, that’s all.” His sneer was enough to make Mathieu want to punch him.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, Mathieu smiled at the man. “Well, I find Avian to be as lovely as a flower and I’m very glad to be in her presence.” He already knew that he didn’t like this ass and Mathieu would not have this boy brushing Avian off.

Jonathan looked away and coughed, pretending to spot someone else. “Excuse me, I need to go. I see…someone…” and with that he walked away as quickly as common decency would allow.

Avian was barely holding in her giggles. “That was…great! He’s always so rude and you’re just like ‘screw you’! That was phenomenal. I knew bringing you was a wonderful idea. Let’s go see Venee. She’s actually the only nice one here.” She pointed to a blonde girl with a boy on either side of her.

“Alright, let’s go.” He put a hand on her lower back and steered her towards the designated girl.

The young lady met them halfway, curtsying as soon as
she was close. Mathieu noticed just how petite she was. “Avian! I didn’t think you’d come. How are you? And who’s the arm candy?” Venee winked obviously and nudged the Princess.

Laughing, Avian returned the curtsy and the nudge. “Venee,” she smiled, “I’m well enough. This is Mathieu.” she gave the other woman a pointed look matched with a smile.

“Oh-la-la.
Well, these are my brothers that I’m always talking about. This is Rick, and that’s Will.” She rolled her eyes in a ‘make them go away’ manner. “But anyway, come and sit with me.” She led them to a pair of loveseats, taking one and pulling Avian down beside her. The brothers took the other and draped over it; Mathieu stood just behind Avian, leaning back against the loveseat.

Venee smoothed her dress. “So have you
seen
Elise? She’s crazy pretty tonight! How does someone who runs a whole country stay that beautiful?” The petite blonde said with a heavy sigh.

Avian scrutinized said woman across the room. “She looks a bit more…on edge than normal. Her veneer has a crack in it.”

As if sensing the attention she was receiving from afar, Elise turned and looked at them, one hand on her hip. Observing them for a moment, a small, genuine smile crept across her face; she was completely ignoring the person talking to her. The pink-haired woman started to walk towards them, her heels clicking loudly in the silence that fell. Her hair bounced with each of her elegant strides, hips swaying. People moved out of her
way and Mina was hot on her heels.
Literally.

Avian stood as Elise approached the small group. She curtsied as low as possible, head bowed. “Elise.”

A polite tilt of the head was the acknowledgement she received.
“Princess Avian.
I feel as though a small slight has been committed. I didn’t properly greet you.” She took the Princess’s hand in hers and kissed it delicately. “You’re very beautiful, Princess. Much more stunning than I have been led to believe.”

A flush climbed Avian’s neck and face, causing her to stammer.
“T-thank you.
I’m sorry that I didn’t come to you. You look as l-lovely as ever, Elise.”

“Oh, hardly.
However, I would appreciate if I could tempt you to sit with me while we dine…” Elise kept a firm hold on Avian’s hand, eyes piercing. The Korinthian looked past Avian to Venee, as if daring her to object.

Mathieu watched with the eyes of a hawk as Elise talked to Avian. Something wasn’t sitting right with him. It could have been Mina, however, for she was giving the two her complete attention.
Totally riveted.
His hand landed on Avian’s shoulder and slid to her lower back in a reassuring manner.

Avian smiled softly over her shoulder at him. “Thank you.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Mina made a sound of surprise as her gaze flicked to him. “Who are you?” Mathieu met her gaze, his energy reacting to the pair. Now that their attention was on him, he could sense that they were like him, Users.

Elise’s eyes followed to Mathieu after Mina’s remark, coming to rest heavily on the lightly tanned face. “Ah, Avian, you brought someone with you. And here I was told you would be alone.”

Avian gave a false giggle, reminiscence of a small bird. “This is Mathieu. He’s wonderful.”

Elise finally let go of Avian’s hand and raised a slender eyebrow at him.
“Mathieu.
Quite…exotic, aren’t you?”

“Er…” Mathieu tried to meet Elise’s gaze, but it held a knowing glint that made him want to fidget. “I suppose. I look just as I always have.” His fingers curled into the fabric of Avian’s dress, his instincts screaming at him.

Mathieu…
Nikola moved in his pocket. He had forgotten that she was there until now.

Mathieu managed to hold a straight face through his surprise.
Shh, Nikola. Where is Tesla?

The Shadowrider shifted more.
He’s tucked into Avian’s dress. He’s

 
fast
asleep. I was too, but you’re getting really warm.

“Well, you’re very…interesting looking. I enjoy your appearance.” Elise said with a bat of her lashes.

What’s wrong, Mathieu?
Nikola continued to pry in his head.

Shh. Later.
Mathieu wrapped his arm securely around Avian’s waist. “That’s very polite of you to say.”

Mina whispered into Elise’s ear, who nodded. “Yes. We
should take our leave.
Until dinner then, Princess.
Mathieu.”
Her gaze lingered for a moment on his face before she turned away. With that, the people moved aside.

Avian sat back beside Venee, who began to speak immediately. “That was
intense
! Did you see the way she was staring down your man? I’d keep a closer watch on him.” Venee nodded to herself, folding her arms over her chest. “That was too crazy.”

As they continued chatting, Mathieu slid a hand into his pocket, petting Nikola lightly.
Sorry I was short with you. What were you asking?

I wanted to know why you were so warm just now.

He looked across the room at Elise, who was locked in conversation with the King, and Mina, who was shooting glances his direction.
Hard to explain.
Some people here are just…
He shook his head to himself.

Nikola rubbed against his palm in a soothing way.
Is it dinner time?

Almost.
I’ll make sure that I tell you.
He thought fondly to her.

She started to slink up his arm.
I wanna seeee.
And with that, she popped out of his pocket and floated to hover just over his shoulder.
Oh, this is pretty. I like it.
Bobbing over to Avian, she rubbed against her cheek.

“Uh,
Avian
, what’s that?” Venee said with a note of uncertainty.

Avian looked confused for a moment before laughing.
“Oh, Nikola!”
Cupping her hands, she took the small ball of light and held it in her lap. “This is Nikola. She’s a Shadowrider and belongs to Mathieu. Tesla, her brother, is around here somewhere.”

Nikola pulsed once before smoothly changing forms, much to the awe of Venee.

“Ohmygosh, how cute is that?! Can I pet it?” The blonde’s fingers were already sinking into Nikola’s fur, massaging the feline’s back. The reddish Shadowrider purred and arched into the fingers, desiring more attention.

Avian laughed. “Nikola is the affectionate one. She’s so sweet.”

Mathieu watched rather unhappily as the girls loved on his companion.
Are you alright, Nikola?
Her purring got louder and she opened her mouth, letting out a soundless meow.

“Dinner is served.” The King had turned to address the whole room. “Please accompany me to the dining area.” Everyone gravitated towards the small tables, taking seats that seemed to be pre-determined, even if Mathieu didn’t know how.

Mathieu trailed behind Avian to a table for four where Elise was already seated, as was Mina. He pulled out Avian’s seat and sat beside her. Nikola, who had transformed back to her light form, nestled down in his lap. The servants had just laid the food on the table and it was piping hot.

Elise face lit up as they sat. “Oh good, you decided to dine with me.”

Mina rolled her eyes. “Of course they did. They wouldn’t turn down the leader of Korinth. Honestly, Elise, I swear…” The sharp woman continued to mutter in a tongue Mathieu didn’t recognize. From the look that crossed her face a moment later, it seemed as though Elise had stomped her stiletto down on Mina’s foot.