The following morning, Axel was woken up softly by one of the servants shaking him awake. He didn’t recall having a servant, believing he’d sent them away, and the ones who’d waited for him in the bathtub the day before were also sent away. He would not bed someone who was forced to be there.
He also didn’t trust anyone there. The palace gave him the creeps. He did not know how Evanna was related to the king and queen. It was clear the king had melted from meeting his granddaughter, even though he was still cold, calculating, and fearful, but the queen was worse. He was so happy to have removed Ronan from her clutches.
He’d already lost Ger; he couldn’t lose Ronan too.
"Good morning, Sir Axel. Prince Arawn requires your and Sir Ronan’s presence in the hall for breakfast." A woman’s voice called to him from across the room.
Axel sat up from the luxurious bed that made him feel as though he’d slept on the softest of clouds. Or so he assumed that was what they would feel like. He located the servant, who bowed and left swiftly.
Sir Axel? He was not a knight. He wanted to correct her misconception, but she had departed before he could utter a word.
Axel would not complain, though; he was glad to be left alone. Amongst the party members, Ger aside, who had mostly lived in modest conditions, the others were accustomed to such luxuries. Lavish chambers, servants eager to attend to his bathing, dressing, and, in these peculiar
circumstances, his intimate desires. He knew how to bathe and dress, and he hoped that the next woman he shared his bed with would be someone he could potentially settle down with.
Anticipating a possible departure after breakfast, Axel seized the opportunity to indulge in the luxury of bathing in such an exquisite tub before preparing himself and making his way to Ronan’s chambers, ensuring he was awake. It didn’t take long; his chambers were across the large hallway to his. He knocked on one of the double doors and waited.
A frown tugged Axel’s eyebrows together as he waited a few more moments. Did Ronan already leave? No, Ronan would have checked on him because he was known for getting some more shut-eye than the others. Axel grimaced as he recalled the potion Fiza gave him days before that would not let him sleep.
Despite knocking again, Axel received no response. Opening the door cautiously, he peered inside, fully expecting to find an empty room. However, his expectations were shattered, and he let out a concerned sigh upon discovering what awaited him instead. Hastily closing the door behind him, he directed a worried gaze toward his friend.
Moans filled the air, and sweat and sex permeated the messy room. Ronan lay on his back on the large bed, a woman bouncing on top of him, another grinding against his mouth, another with her backside facing him, moaning to his hand working between her thighs. Axel’s back stiffened as he noticed another woman stripping- she was the servant from before who woke him up.
Axel diverted his gaze from her and walked around the bed. "Ronan, get up," he snapped.
His voice was loud, making the women finally notice him through their blissful, sweaty states. Ronan didn’t pause his movements, and neither did the women; they watched Axel instead.
The she-elves were all beautiful, and this was a sight to see, something of every man’s dreams.
"Why don’t you join?" The woman who previously spoke to him asked. She’d crawled to Ronan’s free side and used his free hand to grope her breast.
Axel cleared his throat, ignoring the woman and looked back at Ronan’s face. He’d removed his mouth from the woman’s core and glanced at Axel, his eyes somewhat lost.
Concern stung Axel’s chest again.
He knew Ronan wasn’t dealing with Ger’s death well. All of this... the women were nothing more than a distraction. A mighty good distraction, but it made him worry that he might do something foolish.
Axel tried not to grimace or show how uncomfortable he was standing on the side of the bed as these women took their pleasures from him.
"We need to go, Roach." Axel declared. "This morning will be crucial to what will happen next for us. We might even be departing today."
He hoped his words would incite him to move.
"You do not need me there." Was his only response before he returned to licking out the blonde elven woman sitting on his face.
Axel sighed, rubbing his beard. He didn’t know what to do. Maybe Ronan was right.
It wasn’t pleasant in the great hall, but Axel wanted to see what would happen next for Evanna. For all of them. Today seemed increasingly important, and he was anxious to know what the day held for them. Axel glanced at the women again, satisfying Ronan- that was if he was really finding true pleasure from all of this.
"We’re all grieving, Roach," Axel said quietly. He knew Ronan heard his words because he moved the woman off his face and watched as Axel closed the door behind him.
Axel stopped outside of Ronan’s room upon seeing Fiza. "I heard your friend fucks like a rabbit. He has been nonstop all night." She glanced at the doors, eyes alight in amusement.
Axel narrowed his eyes at the night fae. He thought Fiza had left already. He shook his head and walked away. He knew she was fishing for details, and while uncertain of how she might exploit such information for her own benefit or if she would store it away in her personal vault of secrets, he had no intention of revealing anything to her.
Fiza smirked at the giant departing and decided to check in on Ronan herself. She didn’t want the information for anything. She was just... curious.
Unaware of the spymaster in the room, Ronan switched women, remaining in the same position as before, though this time, two women shared his length, licking and sucking whilst another hovered above his face. He happily lost himself in the pleasures of the women, though he kept his eyes open.
Ronan hadn’t slept since Ger lost his life to the dragon..