Summary: Kenna makes an announcement and an offer after the final battle, Diavolos makes a decision, and Luther is his usual horrible self.
Diavolos almost leaves without saying goodbye. His father is furious, Zenobia is irritable that she won’t get more time with Tevan, and Diavolos is dreading the trip home.
One of the first announcements Kenna had made at the banquet was that she would be granting rule of Abanthus to Diavolos. She’d told him privately ahead of time, so he was prepared, and he knew immediately that Luther wouldn’t handle it well. He’d taken her hands spontaneously, squeezing her fingers and asking if she was sure, and warning her that his father wouldn’t take the news well.
“I’m sure,” Kenna had reassured him, squeezing back. “I trust you, Diavolos. You’ve proven yourself to be a more than capable leader. And I know Luther will be angry. But he’ll be angry at anything I suggest other than putting him back in power, and that’s not an option.”
Luther had contained his rage at her announcement, just barely, then left the banquet early. Diavolos had been the one to suggest they leave early the next morning. It’s partly just to get the dreaded trip over with, and partly because he’s genuinely worried for Kenna’s safety. He knows what his father is capable of.
Kenna looks beautiful, radiant, when she makes her way down to the fields, and he finds himself a little envious of whoever’s hand she takes in marriage. She’s proven herself to be the ruler Stormholt and the Five Kingdoms need, intelligent and compassionate, capable in battle, and putting her people before all else, even her own life. He’d opened up to her on the airship like he never had before, taken by surprise when she’d kissed him, and even more surprised at how much he kept thinking about her after.
The crowd at the banquet seems to anticipate an announcement about a proposal, and Diavolos expects it to be Dom, or maybe Tevan, for political reasons (which would really send Zenobia over the edge, so he finds himself hoping she doesn’t), but she makes no announcement of her intent to marry anyone. Instead, she circulates through the crowd, laughing and joking, making arrangements for meetings, and graciously accepting congratulations from soldiers and well-wishers. When she’s talked to nearly everyone, she sits next to Diavolos, smiling.
“Well, King Diavolos,” she says in a gently teasing tone. “We should probably schedule a meeting as well. Tomorrow sometime?”
He hesitates for just a second, but it’s long enough that she notices and frowns. “What’s wrong?” she asks.
“We’re leaving early,” he says.
“My father is furious,” he explains in a low voice, mindful of all the people around them.
Kenna’s brow pinches in irritation, but before she can say anything further, Raydan hurries up and asks to talk to her. Diavolos smiles, kissing the back of her hand and bowing as he stands.
“Diavolos!” she calls. “Find me before you leave?”
“I will,” he promises.
~~~~~~~~~~
He shouldn’t have told her that he’d find her before they left, Diavolos muses as he quietly makes his way up to Kenna’s quarters later. It would have been easier, and probably safer, to leave without saying anything.
It’s the middle of the night, but he doesn’t want to chance Luther insisting on joining in on this conversation, or worse. So he knocks quietly, slipping silently into her room when she opens the door.
“I’m sorry it’s so late,” he apologizes. “But I didn’t want my father to insist on coming with to talk to you.”
“Thank you.”
Kenna settles on the edge of her bed while Diavolos leans against her desk. She looks nervous, fidgeting with the sleeve on her cloak.
“Kenna? What is it?”
She looks at him with such heat in her eyes, it makes his breath catch. She stands slowly, making her over to him and perching on the edge of her desk next to him.
“I don’t think you should leave,” she says quietly.
Kenna steps in front of him and reaches out hesitantly, running her hand into his dark hair. He stares down at her, unsure what she’s getting at.
“I think you should stay here in Stormholt,” she continues.
“Kenna…”
“I want you to stay,” she whispers.
She rises up on her toes, leaning into him, and while his brain is screaming at him to tell her no, to push her away, that he’s putting her in even more danger of retaliation from his father, he can’t resist her, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning down. She exhales softly against him as he brushes his lips over hers.
“Why do you want me to stay?” he asks, kissing her again, her lips soft under his.
“I like you,” she murmurs. “I feel…I feel like I’m falling in love with you.”
“…what?” Of everything he’d prepared himself for, Kenna Rys telling him she was falling in love with him hadn’t even crossed his mind.
Kenna looks indescribably nervous again, and he can’t stand the thought of her thinking he doesn’t want her, even if this shouldn’t happen. “Oh, Kenna,” he groans, leaning down to kiss her again. “We can’t-“
“We can,” she interrupts him. “Unless you don’t want to.”
“I didn’t say that,” he protests. “But my father-“
She cuts him off, grabbing his collar and yanking him down, pressing her lips to his insistently. He tries, for a second, to resist, to explain his legitimate worry that his father will have her assassinated, but then she bites his lip and groans his name, and he’s gone.
He lifts her up to the desk, leaning over her and kissing her impatiently. Her legs wrap around his waist, her fingers digging into the back of his neck as he kisses his way down her throat and pushes her cloak to the side. Kenna pulls his head back up, bringing his mouth back to hers and sliding her hands into his hair. When they part a moment later, she keeps him pulled in close, flushed and panting against him.
“Gods, I’ve wanted you,” he confesses.
“You can have me,” she whispers. “If you want.”
Oh, he wants her. He wants to forget about their family history, forget about Luther, forget about the very real threat he poses to Kenna’s life. But he can’t. He will never forgive himself if something happens to her.
So he steadies himself, stepping back. “We can’t,” he says again.
She looks confused and heart-broken, and the look on her face crushes him.
“I want this, Kenna,” he reassures her. “But even not being king, my father has a lot of power. He’ll send assassins after you if we-“
He stops suddenly, listening intently and pressing his hand over her mouth when she goes to protest. She glares at him, and then her eyes widen. She hears it too. Someone is at her door.
Diavolos pulls her to her feet, drawing them into the shadowy corner of the room and pushing her behind him instinctively. He pulls his sword out, feels her fumble for a moment and then she has her dagger in her hand. They don’t say a word, and all he can hear are her quiet breaths behind him before her door slowly slides open.
It’s Luther. A flash of rage runs through him, and Diavolos nearly storms out, but Kenna grabs his hand, stopping him, and steps out in front of him.
“Luther,” she says coolly. “This is a surprise.”
Luther can’t see him, Diavolos realizes, as he starts raging against her making Diavolos king, telling her that it will never work and the people of Abanthus will never accept it. Luther grows steadily angrier as Kenna regards him calmly, advancing on her with his dagger drawn.
“This is purely strategic, Kenna,” he says coldly.
Diavolos hears her inhale sharply and step back, and then he’s in front of her, the tip of his sword resting against Luther’s throat, before he’s even aware of doing it.
“Get away from her,” Diavolos says angrily.
Luther doesn’t even look surprised, just chuckles lowly. “Diavolos. This I was not expecting.”
He doesn’t move, and Diavolos presses against his sword just slightly, noting the slight trickle of blood dripping down Luther’s throat as he winces. “I said get away from her.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Luther seethes. “You’re choosing this…this girl over your family?”
“I’m choosing her over you,” Diavolos answers calmly.
He’s aware of movement just outside Kenna’s door, and then Raydan and Jackson and several guards are in the room, and Luther is being slammed to the floor. Diavolos thinks they would have gone for him too, except Kenna stops them.
“No,” she reassures Jackson. “Luther snuck in. Diavolos stopped him.”
Diavolos is grateful that no one questions why he was in her room in the middle of the night.
When Jackson drags Luther up, he looks at Kenna expectantly. “Get him out of my sight.”
Luther sneers as they drag him off. “Again, Kenna? Locking me up in the dungeons?”
He yelps as Jackson yanks on his arm.
“For now,” Kenna says. “There are people who deserve to choose your fate more than I do.”
She looks at Diavolos, and he realizes she was referring to him. Luther smirks, and Diavolos is angry all over again at his arrogance, his assumption that Diavolos will be lenient.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Father. And don’t worry. You won’t be spending your life locked in the dungeons,” he says.
Luther’s face falters briefly before his usual sneer returns. “Very well.”
When they’re alone again, after Kenna has reassured Jackson she’s okay, she touches Diavolos’ shoulder lightly. “Are you-mmm!”
He cuts her off, slamming his lips onto hers and pressing her against him tightly. She responds immediately, burying her hands in his hair and pressing her lips to his, hard. He finally pulls back with a groan.
“I’m sorry,” he says.
“Are you?”
“…not for that, no,” he admits with a smile.
She looks flushed and he grins, tucking her hair behind her ear.
“I do want this,” he reassures her. “I just didn’t want…well, what just happened to happen.”
“It’s a little late for that now,” Kenna retorts, but there’s a hint of a smile on her face as she rests her head against his chest.
Diavolos tilts her chin up, unable to resist kissing her again. “Does your offer still stand?” he murmurs against her mouth.
She smiles again, winding her arms around his neck and shrieking as he lifts her up, bridal-style. “It does,” she confirms.
“Good. Because I want you.”