Just One Night
By Misha
Disclaimer- Not mine. I’m just borrowing them for a little while and will return them when I am finished.
Author’s Notes- @violetflipflops asked for a story where Commander Magnus (my OC best friend for Diavolos) and Diavolos went drinking. She also sent me a request for “The kiss that leaves a tingly feeling for the whole day and makes you want more”. This is set a few months before Luther’s attack on Stormholt.
Pairing- Kenna/Diavolos
Rating- PG
Summary- Prince Diavolos has an unexpected encounter in a tavern during a visit to Stormholt.
Words- 1526
“You look like you could definitely use this drink,” Magnus commented as he and Diavolos entered the tavern.
“It was a long day,” Diavolos admitted as they found their table. He could feel several eyes lingering on the pair of them and knew that they had attracted the interest of most of the women and some of the men in the place. Usually he would be up for a bit of a distraction, however, tonight, he wasn’t in the mood.
“I understand now why Father sent me,” he complained, “these peace talks are long and boring. Queen Adriana might have good intentions but her goal is unrealistic. She’s never going to get all the sides to agree.”
“Especially your father,” Magnus snarked, “I can’t believe he’s even humoring the talks.” Diavolos just shrugged, unwilling to delve too deeply into his father’s motives.
A blonde barmaid brought their mugs of ale and made flirty eyes at Magnus. To Diavolos’s surprise, his commander ignored her, normally Magnus never passed down an opportunity to flirt. However his eyes were locked on something by the door.
Diavolos turned to see what had caught his friend’s eye and noticed the young woman who had slipped into the tavern. It only took Diavolos a second to recognize the problem. “What’s she doing here?” He muttered.
“She seems to be undercover,” Magnus replied, “do you think her mother knows?”
“I’m going to say no,” Diavolos commented, thinking how protective the Queen of Stormholt was, “and I’d guess that’s the reason for the get-up.”
The girl in question was wearing a simple peasant guard, including a hood. It wasn’t a bad disguise and it might fool someone less observant, but both Diavolos and Magnus had spent a lifetime honing their observation skills.
Diavolos stood up from the table.
“What are you going to do?” Magnus asked in a low voice.
“Just talk to her,” Diavolos assured his friend and then headed towards the wayward princess, who was glancing around the tavern, obviously looking for someone.
“Funny meeting you here,” Diavolos commented in a low voice, “I didn’t think good little princesses frequented taverns.”
Princess Kenna took a step back and glanced up with a start. “Prince Diavolos.”
“No need to use my title,” Diavolos assured her, “like you, I prefer to travel under the radar.”
“Except you don’t have to sneak out of the castle,” Kenna commented bitterly and then bit her lip, obviously having spoken too soon.
“No,” Diavolos agreed, suddenly intrigued by the woman in front of him. He hadn’t given Adriana’s daughter much thought, though he’d noted her beauty, but there was something about the bitterness in her voice and the stubborn tilt to her chin that fascinated him. This was no typical princess.
“Would you like a drink?” He offered.
Kenna hesitated, her eyes sweeping the room once more. Diavolos wondered who she was searching for, whoever it was didn’t appear to be there because Kenna sighed and then nodded. “I’d like that.”
Diavolos led Kenna to the table where Magnus was currently chatting with two women, they both perked up when Diavolos approached the table and then cast an unhappy look at Kenna.
Magnus smiled, “I’m glad you could join us,” he told Kenna, purposely not using her title.
Kenna smiled, “it was my pleasure.”
The two women glared and then, after a moment, they flounced away, obviously realizing that they had lost the commander’s attention. Diavolos ordered Kenna a mug of ale, watching her face as she drank it. He’d expected her to be unprepared for the taste, but she sipped it without so much as a grimace. There were definitely hidden depths there.
The three of them made light and easy conversation, talking about how the men were enjoying their visit to Stormholt. Suddenly though, Kenna’s attention drifted and her posture stiffened. Diavolos followed her gaze and saw a young blonde man emerge from a back room with an attractive redhead, both of them a little disheveled. He realized that the young man was who Kenna had hoped to see.
Diavolos wondered who he was. He told himself it didn’t matter, he barely knew the girl. Yet, it bothered him to see her upset and he focused on distracting her by launching into a story about his brother Marco’s latest humiliation. It worked because Kenna was soon laughing, her eyes focused on him, not on the other man.
After a while, Magnus accused himself to go talk to an attractive brunette who had obviously caught his eyes, leaving Kenna and Diavolos to enjoy their ale and the casual conversation.
“This is fun,” Kenna said after a moment, then she sighed, “though my mother is going to have a lot to say.” Diavolos could only imagine. He had been at the receiving end of his share of parental lectures, though he had a feeling that Luther and Adriana had very different ideas of what was appropriate behavior and what wasn’t.
“I’ll tell her I insisted on you coming with me,” Diavolos offered, knowing Adriana was desperate to get Abanthus on board with the alliance and so would probably be willing to let anything slide if she thought it would win him, and through him, his father, over to her side.
He could tell that Princess Kenna knew it too. “You’d do that for me?”
“I would,” he told her sincerely, “after all, I’ve benefitted from the pleasure of your company this evening.”
Kenna flushed slightly, averting her eyes.
“Even if I’m not the one you snuck out to see,” Diavolos commented. Her blush deepened.
“Oh, I… It was foolish,” she admitted, “Dom and I are friends, nothing else. I just… I got the urge to be a normal girl for once.”
“And that means what?” Diavolos asked curiously.
“I wanted to laugh and relax and maybe…” Kenna trailed off, but her intention was clear.
“Is this what you wanted?” Diavolos asked and before he could stop himself, he was bending his head to hers and stealing a kiss. It was a light, playful kiss, they were in public after all, but he could feel her respond.
“Oh,” she whispered, gazing up at him, “that was….”
“I’ve been wanting to do that all night,” he told her, his hand still resting on her leg.
“We could do it again,” she suggested, nervously pushing a piece of hair back behind her ear. The suggestion sends a thrill straight through Diavolos, making him ignore the voice that told him what a bad idea it was.
“Come with me,” Diavolos instructed, standing up. He took her hand and led her outside the tavern. As soon as they were in a private spot, his lips were on hers again. This time his kiss was deep and demanding and she melted against his touch, her lips parting easily for his tongue, her body pressing against his.
“Diavolos,” she whispered as he explored the hollow of her throat.
He knew this was a bad idea. He avoided romantic entanglements, preferring to stick to casual encounters with women who wouldn’t expect anything of him, not beautiful sheltered princesses. But it was hard to think straight with Kenna in his arms, so warm and willing.
Finally, though, common sense won out and he reluctantly pulled away.
“I should get you back to the castle,” he reminded her.
There was regret in her eyes, but she nodded. “Probably, yes.”
They walked back to the castle in silence, both preoccupied with their thoughts. It was obvious that Kenna’s absence has already been discovered but Adriana seemed surprised to see her daughter in his company, but not displeased.
“Next time just let me know,” was all the queen told her daughter before retiring for the night.
Kenna turned to go to her quarters and then paused and looked up at him. “Diavolos… I had fun tonight.”
“So did I, Princess Kenna,” he told her sincerely, pulling her close to him and pressing his lips against hers once more.
They stood there for a moment and Diavolos wished things were different. He wished that she was a different type of woman so he could pick her up and carry off to the nearest bed and lose himself in her. Or that he was a different type of man, so he could go talk to Adriana and see about courting her.
But neither of those things was true, she was the type of woman who needed a promise and he wasn’t in a position to make them. So, Diavolos watched her walk away, her kiss still burning against his lips.
He briefly considered going back to the tavern and finding someone to help him forget, but he couldn’t do it. There was only one woman he wanted tonight and he couldn’t have her, which meant it was going to be a long, restless night.
As he headed towards his quarters, his lips still tingling with the memory of hers, Diavolos let a little sigh of thanks that he would be leaving Stormholt in the morning because he had a feeling that if he stayed any longer, he would do something incredibly foolish.
- End
