Silver's Shadow
More of what I have taken to calling the Light & Dark series. Last time we had Sahara meeting the General, now we have the General meeting Sahara.
Also, it irritates me when I use words that my spellcheck doesn't know, but the online dictionary does. *grump* I need a new spellcheck.
"Someone is following me."
Secret looked up from the letter he'd been reading to find his Lord General standing before him. To anyone else, Silver undoubtedly appeared as cool and unruffled as ever. Secret, however, was a bit better at reading his friend's moods and could pick out the thread of irritation which underlaid his words.
"And you can't catch them at it, right?" he asked, grinning.
Silver's eyes narrowed, ever so slightly. "I have been unable to ascertain the identity of my shadow, yes." And oh how it pained him to have to admit it.
Secret couldn't help but laugh. "Well, it's nice to know you're not perfect at everything." Before Silver could retaliate for that one, Secret called out, "Sahara, you can come out now."
It was almost comical, watching Silver's face as Sahara practically materialized out of thin air. It never failed to amuse him the way Sahara could hide in plain sight, especially dressed as he was. There were some aspects of his former profession that he never quite let go of, and dressing in a manner designed to leave men hard and wanting was one of them.
"Silver, this is Sahara, my Spymaster. Sahara, you're obviously familiar with my Lord General if you've been shadowing him. Satisfied that he's not going to kill me yet?" Secret grinned.
Sahara grimaced, and Secret knew he'd been spot on as to the reason his pretty spy had been trailing his General. "Would you care if I said no?"
Secret's grin widened. "Not really."
Sahara snorted. "I thought not."
Secret turned to his Lord General, who was still examining his Spymaster. "Silver?"
Silver inclined his head to Sahara. "Your skill is impressive. I have never before encountered anyone who managed to conceal themselves from me for so long."
It was all Secret could do not to burst into giggles at the look on Sahara's face. The man couldn't seem to settle on one reaction, and so went through them all. Finally he seemed to collect himself and gave a stiff nod.
"I get a lot of practice, Lord General."
Silver's eyes flicked to Secret, and if it wasn't all but impossible, Secret would have sworn the man was smirking. "Indeed." The smartass.
"I should be returning to my duties," Silver continued, bowing to Secret, then Sahara. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Spymaster." He turned sharply, the half-cape he'd taken to wearing because it terrified the peons flaring out dramatically behind him, and walked crisply out.
Secret's gaze slid from the doorway to Sahara, who turned to meet his eyes. "Got caught, did you?"
Sahara made a face. "He never gave any indication!"
"Of course not. He'd never display a weakness so openly."
Sahara's lips pursed, then he sighed. "I'm still not convinced he isn't a spy for the Light, but he is a good Lord General."
"They rejected him. I'm keeping him." Secret let a dark smile curve his lips. "I look forward to the day they realize just what it is they let slip through their fingers."
Sahara's brows furrowed. "What is it that you know that I do not?"
Secret smirked. "I know who his parents were."
If anything, the puzzled expression deepened. "His parents? What has that to do with anything?"
Secret idly tapped his fingers on the arm of his throne. "Think about it. All of the people of Light have pale hair, but have you ever seen one with pure white?"
Sahara shook his head slowly. "No, just pale colors. Though I've heard that the royal-" He stopped, breaking off in horror as he finally made the connection. "Impossible."
"No, just highly improbable. It was a long time ago, before you or I were even born, and the Light did a good job of keeping the whole mess quiet, but they couldn't silence everyone."
Sahara's mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. "You have a death wish."
Secret threw his head back and laughed. "It does rather seem that way, doesn't it? My mother would have been most displeased with me."
"Her majesty would have had your head on a pike," Sahara muttered, which only made Secret laugh harder. "If you are quite through with me for the moment, I have a job to do. One which you can apparently do better, though I still try my best."
Secret slid down off his throne to bury a hand in Sahara's coppery curls, pulling the man close and kissing him until the sulk melted away. When he finally let go, Sahara blinked at him for several moments before finally managing to summon up a scowl.
"That is not the proper way to win an argument."
Secret grinned. "No, but it works. And it gives me a good excuse to play with your hair."
Sahara rolled his eyes. "Hedonist." With that, he turned and stalked back out of the room, form-fitting pants giving Secret a very nice view of his ass in the process.
It was good to be Prince.
Also, it irritates me when I use words that my spellcheck doesn't know, but the online dictionary does. *grump* I need a new spellcheck.
"Someone is following me."
Secret looked up from the letter he'd been reading to find his Lord General standing before him. To anyone else, Silver undoubtedly appeared as cool and unruffled as ever. Secret, however, was a bit better at reading his friend's moods and could pick out the thread of irritation which underlaid his words.
"And you can't catch them at it, right?" he asked, grinning.
Silver's eyes narrowed, ever so slightly. "I have been unable to ascertain the identity of my shadow, yes." And oh how it pained him to have to admit it.
Secret couldn't help but laugh. "Well, it's nice to know you're not perfect at everything." Before Silver could retaliate for that one, Secret called out, "Sahara, you can come out now."
It was almost comical, watching Silver's face as Sahara practically materialized out of thin air. It never failed to amuse him the way Sahara could hide in plain sight, especially dressed as he was. There were some aspects of his former profession that he never quite let go of, and dressing in a manner designed to leave men hard and wanting was one of them.
"Silver, this is Sahara, my Spymaster. Sahara, you're obviously familiar with my Lord General if you've been shadowing him. Satisfied that he's not going to kill me yet?" Secret grinned.
Sahara grimaced, and Secret knew he'd been spot on as to the reason his pretty spy had been trailing his General. "Would you care if I said no?"
Secret's grin widened. "Not really."
Sahara snorted. "I thought not."
Secret turned to his Lord General, who was still examining his Spymaster. "Silver?"
Silver inclined his head to Sahara. "Your skill is impressive. I have never before encountered anyone who managed to conceal themselves from me for so long."
It was all Secret could do not to burst into giggles at the look on Sahara's face. The man couldn't seem to settle on one reaction, and so went through them all. Finally he seemed to collect himself and gave a stiff nod.
"I get a lot of practice, Lord General."
Silver's eyes flicked to Secret, and if it wasn't all but impossible, Secret would have sworn the man was smirking. "Indeed." The smartass.
"I should be returning to my duties," Silver continued, bowing to Secret, then Sahara. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Spymaster." He turned sharply, the half-cape he'd taken to wearing because it terrified the peons flaring out dramatically behind him, and walked crisply out.
Secret's gaze slid from the doorway to Sahara, who turned to meet his eyes. "Got caught, did you?"
Sahara made a face. "He never gave any indication!"
"Of course not. He'd never display a weakness so openly."
Sahara's lips pursed, then he sighed. "I'm still not convinced he isn't a spy for the Light, but he is a good Lord General."
"They rejected him. I'm keeping him." Secret let a dark smile curve his lips. "I look forward to the day they realize just what it is they let slip through their fingers."
Sahara's brows furrowed. "What is it that you know that I do not?"
Secret smirked. "I know who his parents were."
If anything, the puzzled expression deepened. "His parents? What has that to do with anything?"
Secret idly tapped his fingers on the arm of his throne. "Think about it. All of the people of Light have pale hair, but have you ever seen one with pure white?"
Sahara shook his head slowly. "No, just pale colors. Though I've heard that the royal-" He stopped, breaking off in horror as he finally made the connection. "Impossible."
"No, just highly improbable. It was a long time ago, before you or I were even born, and the Light did a good job of keeping the whole mess quiet, but they couldn't silence everyone."
Sahara's mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. "You have a death wish."
Secret threw his head back and laughed. "It does rather seem that way, doesn't it? My mother would have been most displeased with me."
"Her majesty would have had your head on a pike," Sahara muttered, which only made Secret laugh harder. "If you are quite through with me for the moment, I have a job to do. One which you can apparently do better, though I still try my best."
Secret slid down off his throne to bury a hand in Sahara's coppery curls, pulling the man close and kissing him until the sulk melted away. When he finally let go, Sahara blinked at him for several moments before finally managing to summon up a scowl.
"That is not the proper way to win an argument."
Secret grinned. "No, but it works. And it gives me a good excuse to play with your hair."
Sahara rolled his eyes. "Hedonist." With that, he turned and stalked back out of the room, form-fitting pants giving Secret a very nice view of his ass in the process.
It was good to be Prince.