The Ambassadors (2 page)

Calo and Reni were staying still at least, settled next to the prince's empty chair. The guests kept approaching them, and Anike had seen enough simultaneous smiles—how did they do that?—to fill his dreams for a lifetime. The prince was dancing with his fiancée, but he would occasionally return to chat with the ambassadors before returning to her.

The rest of the guests would not hold still and Anike was killing his fingers trying to draw them. He wanted a drink, but he couldn't take a break for another hour. Besides, he wasn't sure he wanted to go downstairs yet.

Anike scowled, pausing a moment to stretch his fingers before returning to drawing. He sketched figures with billowing skirts and figures with stiff pant legs and initialed each person to return and add detail later. He was lucky that the first job the prince had ordered him to do was to make portraits of every Person of Interest. It made the bigger gatherings simpler, since he could use the details from his previous sketches.

It was also a good thing that he liked his job, otherwise he could very much see himself hating it. Shaking his head ruefully, Anike filled in the last blank section of the sketch and checked to make sure he hadn't duplicated anyone before flipping to the next page.

Glancing back up, Anike's eyes gravitated automatically to where Calo and Reni had been sitting. He frowned, surprised to see them no longer there. But perhaps they were finally dancing? Only Anike's scan of the ballroom didn't reveal them to be anywhere in sight.

They'd probably left early. It wasn't unusual for foreign ambassadors to do that, especially once the other guests got more and more into their cups. Unfortunately, that didn't mean that Anike could go. It did mean that he could sneak down to get something to drink later without worrying about them.

Smiling, Anike bent his head and began sketching in skirts again. He'd only just started in on the prince and his fiancée when warm hands slid across his shoulders from behind. Anike jumped, losing his pencil and knocking his sketches to the floor as he leapt away from the out-of-nowhere touch. Turning sharply, he tried to calm his heart down as he caught sight of Calo's smile.

"How did you get in here?" Anike hissed, running a hand through his hair and knocking his spare pencil from behind his ear to the floor to join the other one.

"Through the door," Calo replied with an easy smirk, looking far too smug and it didn't help that he looked so much better in his dark, formal clothing up close than he did from across the ballroom.

"It was locked," Anike snapped, still trying to recover from his fright. Still, if Calo was there, where was Reni? Not that he wanted either ambassador close enough for him to make a fool of himself again, but Anike preferred to have both of them where he could see them.

"
Was
being the key word," Calo drawled, sauntering around Anike's chair and taking a seat in it. "Where have you been, pretty artist?"

"Working," Anike replied shortly, stooping to collect his sketches. They were hopelessly out of order, and Anike sighed but began to sort them into the pages he'd already completed for the evening and the blank sketches of the ballroom he was filling out.

Calo watched with interest, but he didn't try to interrupt. Anike snatched up his pencils, frowning at Calo before moving to the other chair. He tugged it close to the balcony's edge, setting up his drawing board again.

Trying to ignore the ambassador, Anike began a new sketch—everyone was too far out of their positions for him to finish the last one—and started to draw out the lines of the skirts and suits on the dance floor.

Surprisingly, Calo left him alone, though Anike had even more trouble focusing on drawing, too aware of Calo's presence to concentrate properly despite Calo not making a sound. Anike couldn't even hear him breathing, and his muscles slowly tensed as he decided that Calo was sneaking up on him to startle him again. So of course he kept glancing over at Calo, but each time he looked, the ambassador was just sitting there, staring at him with a smirk curving his lips.

"Where's Reni?" Anike finally asked after a few moments, glancing back down to the ballroom floor.

"Don't fret, pretty artist, he'll get here." Calo's voice was smug and Anike decided to keep quiet and hope to run out of paper soon. Then he could leave.

Anike sighed, focusing on drawing again. Calo didn't move, and Anike eventually decided ignoring him was the best option. He got two more sketches finished before the door opened and shut (audibly that time), and he made the mistake of glancing behind him to see Reni shutting the door behind him with a booted heel.

"Took you," Calo drawled, and Anike forced himself to sketch in Lady Diara's skirts instead of paying them any mind.

"I was waylaid," Reni hissed, sounding annoyed. Anike glanced back despite himself. Reni set down the tray he was carrying, tugging sharply at his shirt. There was a dark spot staining the front of it, and Anike briefly wondered what had happened before he remembered he was supposed to be ignoring them.

Calo said something in reply … but it wasn't in any language Anike knew. The words were soft and whispery, like silk running across his skin, and Anike shivered. Reni replied in the same language, and because he was speaking Anike could hear him approaching.

Still, he jumped a little when Reni leaned over the back of his chair and started playing with his hair. Blushing, Anike sat still for a moment before twisting away, turning to glare at him.

"I need to work," Anike told him sharply, trying to ignore Calo's smirk as he sipped at one of the glasses of wine Reni had brought.

"No, you don't." Reni smiled slowly, showing off his fangs and Anike wondered briefly if they were poisonous before indignation took over.

"Yes, I do," Anike snapped, narrowing his eyes and jerking away from Reni's hand. No matter how much he wanted to lean into it, to accept the soft touches … it wouldn't mean anything good and he'd learned his lesson. He wasn't going to be stupid.

"The prince told us you were painting the ball because of us," Calo spoke up, sauntering across the room with a second cup of wine. "Since we're not at the ball anymore, you don't need to do more sketches."

"That's not true." Anike dragged a hand through his hair, frustrated. "I have to do the entire ball, since it was the first one you both attended."

"And this ball is so different from the other ones that have been held?" Reni asked, his fingers darting out and caressing Anike's cheek lightly.

"I—not really," Anike managed as Calo pushed the goblet of wine into his hand.

"Then you could duplicate the work from another ball, yes?" Reni asked, and Anike sighed, taking a long swallow of wine.

"It would take more work," Anike said half-heartedly, taking another sip of the wine. It was sweet and light, the way he liked his wine, and he wondered if Reni had known that or had just picked what he wanted. "I'd have to plan where people were, and not make them too close to where they are in the other paintings, and if someone leaves early and I paint them in anyway, I could be fired," Anike continued, glancing down at the half-finished sketch in front of him. Another one he couldn't finish.

"Ah." Reni half-smiled at him, and Anike could've sworn he saw a flash of disappointment in his eyes but it was gone before he could pinpoint it.

"We'll stay and keep you company," Calo decided, his fingertips caressing Anike's cheek lightly before he drew back a little. Anike shrugged (it wasn't like he could have made them leave, after all), and flipped to a new piece of paper.

Reni didn't move, continuing to lean against the back of Anike's chair. Anike steadfastly ignored him, focusing on the people swirling and chattering below. Beginning another sketch, Anike worked quickly—the faster he ran out of paper, the faster he got to go back to hiding in his rooms.

"You're quick," Reni commented quietly as Anike sketched in the outlines of the nobles loitering by the drink table.

"Practice," Anike replied absently, working on the dance floor. Another thing he'd had to learn—the dance moves for each song, so he could easily choose a pose and put everyone in it. Reni didn't pester him further, thankfully, and Anike was able to complete the sketch without a problem.

"Would you like something to eat?" Calo asked as Anike slid the sketch into the finished pile. "Reni brought snacks."

"I'm not hungry," Anike dismissed quietly, stretching his stiff fingers before beginning to sketch again.

"How long have you been up here?" Reni asked, and Anike managed to not jam his pencil through his sketch when Reni's fingers traced a pattern along his back.

"Stop that," Anike grumbled irritably, shifting to sit further forward on his seat. Glancing down, Anike began sketching again, skirts and suits and dance poses and he wanted to be finished for the evening already. He wasn't sure what would happen then, except it would probably induce him to be an idiot.

Reni chuckled, but slid away from his chair. A quick glance up showed that he was wandering over towards Calo, and Anike breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Sliding back in his chair, he focused on his work, finally managing to block out the two ambassadors.

The ball was winding to a close when Anike ran out of paper. He wasn't surprised; he was usually good at estimating how much he'd need. Stretching his fingers, he winced a little—they were going to ache the next day, but there wasn't anything he could really do about that. Taking the pencil with his other hand, Anike moved to tuck it behind his ear, only to realize he still had the other pencil there.

Collecting the two together, he tucked them into his pocket, collecting his sketches and drawing board together. He drank the last sip of the sweet wine as he stood, turning to find Calo and Reni curled together in other chair. Anike blushed, one nagging question seemingly answered for him.

Reni gave him a slow smile, and Anike quite honestly wondered how they'd managed to fit into a chair that was meant for one and look so comfortable doing it. Calo didn't move, but he looked like he was fast asleep, his head pillowed on Reni's chest and Anike ached for a moment to be a part of that.

"Thank you for keeping me company," Anike said stiffly, bowing quickly. Reni hissed something and Anike nearly dropped his artwork until he realized Reni was speaking in the soft, sibilant words he and Calo had shared earlier.

Calo stirred, sleepy gold eyes focusing on Anike immediately, and Anike fought a blush. Reni said something else, and it really was unfair to speak in front of Anike in a language he didn't understand.

Calo laughed, a deep, rumbling sound of amusement, and Anike lost the battle, his cheeks heating. He was probably being laughed at.

"Good evening, sirs," Anike tilted his head in acknowledgement and headed for the door quickly. He set his wine goblet down on the tray Reni had brought in and crossed the room as fast as he could without seeming like he was running away.

Which meant he wasn't going fast enough, and Reni quickly caught up with him, teasing gently at his hair and slipping between him and the door.

"Wait a moment," Reni said, a smile curving his lips and a heated look in his eyes. Anike stared, distracted by the elegant lines of Reni's face and if his hand didn't ache so from the evening of quick sketching, he knew would have drawn Reni when he returned to his rooms.

As it was, he just wanted to go to bed. But his distraction was his undoing, as Calo caught up, sleepily joining Reni in the doorway. His eyes never left Anike, and Anike couldn't help the blush that heated his cheeks.

Why did they have to be so … lovely?

Anike fought his frustration, trying to dredge up the memories of the last time he'd allowed himself to be convinced that someone cared. But the memories of Taleir paled with Calo and Reni standing in front of him. They'd sought him out … but there was nothing special about Anike.

He was an artist, a lucky artist, and in no position to complain if the new ambassadors made use of him however they wished. Perhaps that's what attracted them. They knew he couldn't complain after, not if he didn't want to risk losing his place.

"Come," Calo spoke up, and Anike sighed but let himself be pulled from the room. Reni tugged his sketches out of his grip, smiling and completely ignoring Anike's protests. Calo simply walked far too close for propriety as they started the walk to the residential wing of the palace.

"You are a wonderful artist," Reni complimented as they walked. Anike wondered if they had their boot heels stuffed with cloth, since only his steps made any noise as they walked down the hallway (and really, it was little wonder the two could sneak up on him so effortlessly).

"They're outlines," Anike corrected him. "They're not finished and there's nothing particularly thrilling about them."

"You have skill," Calo drawled, giving him a smile. "Talented hands. It shows, even if they are simple outlines."

Anike blushed, wondering if Calo and Reni would be disappointed. His hands were normal except when he was drawing—and really, he wasn't going to let anything happen so of course they wouldn't be disappointed.

"Beautiful artist," Reni murmured, collecting Anike's drawing hand and brushing a light kiss across the back of it. Anike swore he felt a flicker of tongue along his fingers, but it was barely there so he could've imagined it. Twisting his hand free, he frowned at Reni but didn't say anything. His protests weren't heard anyway.