Chapter 20 - The Thief's Tale

*Spoilers Ahead* Kessa struggles with the bombshell that her sister and Lord Fayne are dating. If she thought that news was devastating; the announcement of their engagement is nigh cataclysmic. Impetuously, Kessa craves a near death experience to help her cope. What she gets is a meeting with the king. What’s the difference, really? Audio version of, The Thief's Tale, written and read by Meena Mason. Copyright © Meena Mason Excerpt: Rationalizing that Thomas had told her to downplay her aptitudes and skills around people she knew; Kessa discarded her emotional safeguards and exploded in a volatile tirade of complaints, accusations, and criticisms. Sinking resignedly back into her chair, Aquestria tapped her fingernails on her mug, waiting for the finale which came abruptly when Kessa spun to see Malieous standing stolidly in the doorway, arms folded, near-black eyes penetrating. His presence cooled Kessa’s simmering like a block of ice. Peering around Kessa, he commented, “I take it you’ve told her our news.” Sidestepping the youngest Decora, Malieous went over to his fiancée, bent down, and gently kissed her just long enough to make Kessa huff and look away with revulsion. He whispered something in Aquestria’s ear that made her laugh like a tinkling of tiny bells. Kessa had never heard her laugh like that before. The ache returning tenfold, Kessa craved an exit, an escape… to anywhere. Just as she turned to leave, Malieous cautioned matter-of-factly, “Miss Decora, trust me when I say, your affiliation with me will go much smoother if I never hear you speak to your sister that way again!” “No affiliation at all will run the smoothest!” Kessa retorted, folding her arms defiantly. Malieous’ eyebrow rose, the faint traces of a grin playing on his lips. “I’ll do my best.”