The trumpets sounded, announcing a visitor. Maddox wondered for a moment if Fergus had sent his emissaries to declare war. He moved away from Aidan carefully, but still the boy woke. "Where are you going?" he asked groggily.
"I have to take care of something," Maddox explained, leaning down to kiss the boy's soft lips as he pulled on a pair of pants.
"Can I go with you?"
Maddox sighed. "It's probably best if you stay here in my quarters for the next few days."
Aidan nodded and stretched in the bed, then curled back under the covers like a cat. "Like it here..." he mumbled.
Maddox felt himself swell with pride slightly at the fact that Aidan was enjoying the bed.
Finally dressed and presentable, Maddox went to the reception area. Before he could sit in his chair, he saw a blur from the corner of his eye and then felt the wind get knocked out of him. As he regained his composure he heard musical laughter behind him.
"Kat!" he exclaimed as he turned. The redheaded woman laughing at him had been like a sister to him since childhood. Her slightly pointed ears and slanted green eyes made her look like an elf, but that wasn't entirely true. Some from the Edana province claimed to be descendants of the ancient race that had suddenly disappeared. Kat wasn't one of them. She had left her home at a young age to study under Master Garvey and was now one of the most effective agents in the world.
She shrugged out of her cloak and handed it to the servant next to her. He was a middle aged man who nearly fainted at the sight of her perfect figure in a close fitting, golden gown. Only Maddox knew that Kat was just as dangerous as she was pretty. There had to be at least ten weapons hidden on her petite form.
"So, I hear you've gotten yourself into some trouble," she said.
"I wasn't aware I was in any trouble yet," Maddox said.
She shrugged. "Oh. Well, you are. Over a little pierced up slave boy I heard? I didn't know you were in to that."
"Well, there hasn't been a formal declaration made, so for the time I'm safe."
She shook her head and clicked her tongue. "From what I hear, Fergus isn't fucking around with formalities. He's mustering all his forces and hitting you probably in the next few days."
"How in the world do you even know all this? The boy was stolen not even two days ago."
"Word spreads like fire," she said.
"Especially when you make a living being nosy," Maddox grumbled.
"Well if you're going to be a jackass I can just leave," she threatened, though he knew she didn't mean it.
"Kat..."
"Oh, you know I'm playing. I wouldn't have come to warn you if you weren't a half decent jackass. So is this little fucktoy even worth it?"
Maddox felt a low grumble in his throat and it escaped as a growl before he knew what was happening.
"Oh, wow. You really like this one," Kat commented.
Maddox nodded. "He's worth fighting for."
"Well, you definitely have a fight coming for you."
"I tried to do this the right way, but when that didn't work..."
"You stole him," she said with a smile. "I'm so proud of you."
Maddox smiled half-heartedly.
"Well, can I meet this little slave boy?" she asked.
"Aidan," Maddox quickly corrected her. "He's not a slave anymore. He's mine."
She smiled knowingly and rephrased her question, "Can I meet Aidan, then?"
"Sure. I left him sleeping in my bed."
"Oh, hold up. You let him stay in your bed after messing with him? Wow, you got it bad."
"You could at least try to have a little respect," Maddox grumbled.
"I could," she said, then shrugged.
She followed him to his room. "Wait here," he instructed, but of course she didn't.
Aidan's hair was messy and he was sleeping peacefully, hugging Maddox's pillow to his bare body.
"Aww, he's so cute," Kat commented.
"I told you to wait," Maddox said.
