He watches, mouth slightly agape, before he begins to touch himself. I look away, focusing on the task at hand. Slowly, I undo the front-facing laces of my dress. I make a show of pushing off the straps before I let the gown slide and fall to the ground.
Eneko grins as I stand before him in the thin nightgown I wear to these meetings.
If this were a regular night, he should tell me to stop here so he can splay me across the bed. But the seconds stretch on, and he doesn't.
Just continues to work himself frantically. Watching, lusting.
Panic claws through my mind. My throat closes, and my eyes burn.
Dear gods. Ra’Sa, please come for me.
Kill him.
Please.
But my thoughts belong to me alone. He can’t save me. No one can. So I cross the space between us.
When I reach over and place my hand atop the one he uses to touch himself, he smells of sweat and wine. He groans. Slowly, I lower my head. My mouth connects with salty flesh.
He grabs my hair and pulls me back. Then he surprises us both with his choked grunt as he comes.
I force myself to look at his eyes as it happens, trying to keep the disgust off my face.
He slumps back.
"I really did wait too long for you to return. We should've done this the night you turned up.”
"Yes, Eneko," I say softly.
He adjusts himself on the bed.
"Sit—wih me," he slurs.
I do, gently brushing the hair out of his enormous face.
"The king wants me to leave," he blurts out as he often does.
I continue stroking despite my shock. The Enduar King wanted me to find out if there is tension within the giants, and he wants to know if Rholker will attack him.
"He'd take you away from me?”
“Rholker doesn’t like his new advisor,” the giant breathes.
“I don’t know much about Regent Uvog.”
Eneko closes his eyes. “Regent Uvog is dead. Lord Fektir has taken his place.”
I recognize the name. It’s Queen Marej’s father. He owns most of the northern yards.
“That’s awful for the regent,” I continue.
“It’s a fucking shame,” Eneko says. “And now, I have to go to the Ogre Swamps to visit some mine. Hibsej will be furious. She’s going to nag me from the second my eyes open.”
I let him speak, waiting for him to pause before I ask, “Why the mines? To retrieve tools for the lumber yards?”
He shakes his head. “No, there’s something valuable there. Something the Elf King cares about.”
The Elf King. Gods.