Ilyas seethed with frustration. Why would she make such accusations, especially in a place like this? She didn’t even know anything about him beyond what her sister must have told her. It felt entirely unfair, and he couldn’t fathom why her words affected him so deeply. Perhaps it was the fear that she might gossip to other women, tarnishing his already tarnished reputation. She was undeniably different from her sister, radiating a fiery spirit that set her apart. It was often the case with twins, one more reserved while the other burned with intensity. The distinctions between her and Florinda were already quite apparent to him. The freckles, he briefly considered tracing them with the tip of his finger. And then there was the attitude, which simultaneously infuriated and piqued his curiosity.
“A sea of hungry mamas… a horde of desperate young ladies… and a young Duke-to-be… How you’ve managed all this time without me is a wonder,” Corin’s words washed over Ilyas, eliciting a low laugh that couldn’t be contained. He licked his lips and shook his head, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over him. Indeed, he had missed this camaraderie. Corin had a unique way of drawing out a side of him that had been dormant for years, a playful and mischievous facet of his personality. The tricks and pranks they used to pull on their fellow classmates were the sort of antics one might expect from twelve-year-olds, not the refined young men they were supposed to be becoming.
The mere notion of assuming the mantle of a Duke churned his stomach, sending waves of discomfort coursing through him. It felt like an ill-fitting suit. Suffocating. The weight of responsibility, the burden of expectation, it all seemed unbearable at times. Yet, despite the queasiness that the idea of being a Duke provoked, there was an undeniable allure to the power it would bring. The authority to shape destinies, influence decisions, and change to what he knew of the familily business. The difference of his desires tugged at him, the repulsion and attraction warring within, creating a complex inner struggle that he couldn’t easily resolve.
“The prodigal friend returns with a friend, Ilyas, it has been long, no?” his other best friend chimed in, seemingly appearing out of thin air at just the right moment. Inwardly, Ilyas couldn’t help but agree with the sentiment. The prospect of the three of them slipping away to a gentlemen’s club and enjoying a more entertaining evening certainly appealed to him. There, they could find more amusement and perhaps a few women of interest. The thought was certainly tempting.
“To answer your question, my dear Corin,” Ilyas began with a playful glint in his eye, “this man here is how I have managed without you.” He placed his hand on Harrison’s shoulder and gave it a reassuring pat. Harrison was his oldest and dearest friend, a steadfast confidant who had never once judged or mocked him for his ways.
With Corin and Harrison by his side, Ilyas felt an undeniable sense of camaraderie and safety. The night ahead could only get better, he thought, as the three friends reunited once more. As he introduced Harrison and Corin to each other, he couldn’t resist a playful remark. “Harrison, Corin. Corin, Harrison,” he said with a sly smile, “Aren’t you two just the luckiest men, befriending someone as beautiful as me?”
@DandelionKate corin
@Kristi Harrison
@Jass mentioned