Bloodsworn (MxM)

Chapter 11

Rowan had been on the run for nearly half his life. Endured things Julien couldn't even think of, and yet, Julien's line of questioning was enough to send him back into a spiral. He had spent years pushing away and hiding his past under lock and key, and suddenly everything was being unraveled.

Well, mostly everything.

He knew better than to divulge everything about Oscar or even brush upon the information Ivan had entrusted with him, especially about Marlon. While clumsy and mischievous to a fault, Julien was smarter than he looked.

If he said too much, Julien could guess; said too little, and he'd grow suspicious.

It was a careful line he needed to tread.

Especially if Julien were to coerce the information out of him, Julien had told him that he wouldn't cross that line, but it was still well within reason for a prince of the royal family to coerce a guard for information. It didn't matter that Rowan was older; Julien's social standing outranked him.

"I ran into him the night I saved your siblings, the twins," Rowan said once inside the privacy of his room, which was closer to the training ground than Julien's. He didn't intend to share everything, only the necessary bits and pieces to satisfy Julien, at least for now.

A playful smirk danced on Julien's face as Rowan released his grip on the prince's wrist.

"Had I known you were going to drag me back to your place, I would've worn something different," Julien teased, daringly reaching his hand to Rowan's chest. Though his guard wouldn't harm him, Julien's light tap to his chest was hesitant. He had already struck a nerve with Rowan on the training grounds; it was impossible to gauge when Rowan's stoicism would dissipate. It only took his narrowed eyes for Julien to add, "Right, right. Spies could be anywhere."

When Rowan said nothing, Julien fell back onto the bed, his arms outstretched, exposing his pale stomach. Though faint, he could almost smell his guard's scent from the pristinely made bed. Julien hadn't been in Rowan's quarters long before; the lack of decor and clutter was shocking. The longer he stared around the room, it looked hardly lived in, as he had just moved in a month ago, not twenty and odd some years.

He had almost forgotten what Rowan was trying to bring up. "During the parade, right? All they said was that you were some good samaritan that saved them from an attack."

Rowan tilted his head. While it was a true summation, much had been omitted over the years.

Julien had likely heard the watered-down version, the events happening when he was younger. As an immature vampire, he likely hadn't left the estate often, too sheltered from the outside world for his own benefit. After the death of Owain and increasing threats, Ivan had done everything in his power to keep his children safe—well, long enough to reach maturity and confidence in defending themselves.

Julien likely had faced the same treatment, even as Ivan's half-child.

"Prince Laurent hosted a parade to honor a mortal's holiday with your siblings. Mortals and creatures were all invited, a perfect breeding ground for trouble." Rowan recounted the events that had led up to the event. Banners and parchment posters were hung all over Laurent's region for months before it, marketed like a proud celebration. There was no building without some sort of infographic pasted to its walls. The city was known for accepting different species, hosting various events to encourage inter-species relations, and it's center for trade—a perfect place for a rogue vampire to slip into the crowd and hide.

The perfect place for Rowan to survive while on his own. And yet, he had foolishly believed he'd be safe from his father's reach. It seemed every city or village Rowan had found a semblance of a safe haven; Oscar was right around the corner, instilling the same fear from the night he left his childhood home.