than he wished he was sleeping. And he had been, before Talbot had woken him with his awful retching. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness just in time to see the dog vomit all over the floor. Gavin sprang out of bed, pulling some clothing on haphazardly before quickly dragging the dog out of the room.
He had been assigned to nighttime duty with Talbot, who normally slept at the foot of King Terric's bed, when the worthless mutt had gotten into some rotten food in the kitchen. Afraid he would become ill, the king had asked Gavin to take him for the night to watch after him, and how was Gavin supposed to say no to the king?
Talbot vomited several more times as they entered the courtyard. Gavin was relieved that the dog had waited until they were outside before he retched again. Looking up into the black sky, Gavin cursed his bad luck. But mayhap it wasn't considered bad luck when his situation was a result of his own poor choices. What was his situation then if not pure bad luck? Looking down at Talbot who was now laying on the ground next to his vomit whimpering like a new pup, Gavin thought there was no other way to describe his situation but shameful.
Soon Talbot began snoring loudly. Gavin looked down at him in dismay. There was no way he was going to stay out in the courtyard with the sick dog all night. Thinking back to his soiled room, he quickly decided he would not be returning there either. Bending, he shook Talbot awake and grabbed his collar, forcing him to walk towards the gardens. If he was going to be forced to stay the rest of the night outdoors, he'd at least do it somewhere more comfortable.
By the time they reached the gardens, Talbot was ready to once more curl up into a ball and fall asleep, and this time Gavin let him. Looking around for a comfortable place to sit, Gavin settled on an inviting patch of grass under a large oak tree. He propped his back up against the ancient trunk, crossing his legs out in front of him.
Closing his eyes, a vision in white assaulted him. He wasn't surprised at the intrusion, for it was not the first time that the girl had invaded his thoughts. In his mind, she was dressed in her entrance gown, her dark hair billowing out around her shoulders, long and sleek, much like her graceful neck. He didn't know why he was torturing himself with thoughts of the troublesome imp. She clearly didn't like him, and it wouldn't have mattered if she did, for he wasn't interested in a relationship. Not after Clarice, at least.
But he couldn't stop thinking of her, no matter how much he wished it were so. He had been acutely disappointed that he hadn't been able to watch her perform the Saylatee, for he was sure she was a spirited and graceful dancer and that watching her perform would have been a true delight.
The cracking of a twig caused his head to snap up as his eyes narrowed in the darkness. His eyes darted to where Talbot still lay, unaware of the noise that had snatched him out of his musings. He tuned his ears towards any unfamiliar noise and waited. He heard another crunching noise at the same time a young lad came bounding through the shrubbery, almost skipping as if in delight.
Gavin looked curiously at the lad, noting the odd sway of his hips. What was he doing in the garden in the middle of the night? He was about to call out to the boy when the child suddenly halted and turned his face up to the moon. Silver rays of light illuminated the profile of a delicate featured face, while one dark lock of hair escaped the boy's hat, springing down his back, reaching nearly to his waist.
Gavin gasped. That was definitely not a lad. As the person turned, unaware that they were being watched, he caught a full on glimpse of the girl's face—Gwendolyn's face to be exact.
What in the devil was the imp up to now? It soon became apparent as a lanky lad approached, reaching for her hand. The girl was running away with her lover! Anger burst forth from his chest as he sprang to action.
He had been assigned to nighttime duty with Talbot, who normally slept at the foot of King Terric's bed, when the worthless mutt had gotten into some rotten food in the kitchen. Afraid he would become ill, the king had asked Gavin to take him for the night to watch after him, and how was Gavin supposed to say no to the king?
Talbot vomited several more times as they entered the courtyard. Gavin was relieved that the dog had waited until they were outside before he retched again. Looking up into the black sky, Gavin cursed his bad luck. But mayhap it wasn't considered bad luck when his situation was a result of his own poor choices. What was his situation then if not pure bad luck? Looking down at Talbot who was now laying on the ground next to his vomit whimpering like a new pup, Gavin thought there was no other way to describe his situation but shameful.
Soon Talbot began snoring loudly. Gavin looked down at him in dismay. There was no way he was going to stay out in the courtyard with the sick dog all night. Thinking back to his soiled room, he quickly decided he would not be returning there either. Bending, he shook Talbot awake and grabbed his collar, forcing him to walk towards the gardens. If he was going to be forced to stay the rest of the night outdoors, he'd at least do it somewhere more comfortable.
By the time they reached the gardens, Talbot was ready to once more curl up into a ball and fall asleep, and this time Gavin let him. Looking around for a comfortable place to sit, Gavin settled on an inviting patch of grass under a large oak tree. He propped his back up against the ancient trunk, crossing his legs out in front of him.
Closing his eyes, a vision in white assaulted him. He wasn't surprised at the intrusion, for it was not the first time that the girl had invaded his thoughts. In his mind, she was dressed in her entrance gown, her dark hair billowing out around her shoulders, long and sleek, much like her graceful neck. He didn't know why he was torturing himself with thoughts of the troublesome imp. She clearly didn't like him, and it wouldn't have mattered if she did, for he wasn't interested in a relationship. Not after Clarice, at least.
But he couldn't stop thinking of her, no matter how much he wished it were so. He had been acutely disappointed that he hadn't been able to watch her perform the Saylatee, for he was sure she was a spirited and graceful dancer and that watching her perform would have been a true delight.
The cracking of a twig caused his head to snap up as his eyes narrowed in the darkness. His eyes darted to where Talbot still lay, unaware of the noise that had snatched him out of his musings. He tuned his ears towards any unfamiliar noise and waited. He heard another crunching noise at the same time a young lad came bounding through the shrubbery, almost skipping as if in delight.
Gavin looked curiously at the lad, noting the odd sway of his hips. What was he doing in the garden in the middle of the night? He was about to call out to the boy when the child suddenly halted and turned his face up to the moon. Silver rays of light illuminated the profile of a delicate featured face, while one dark lock of hair escaped the boy's hat, springing down his back, reaching nearly to his waist.
Gavin gasped. That was definitely not a lad. As the person turned, unaware that they were being watched, he caught a full on glimpse of the girl's face—Gwendolyn's face to be exact.
What in the devil was the imp up to now? It soon became apparent as a lanky lad approached, reaching for her hand. The girl was running away with her lover! Anger burst forth from his chest as he sprang to action.
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