Chapter 64: Banquet 2
As the banquet proceeded, the nobles began to filter out from their groups, forming a steady line toward the royal family. One by one, they approached the king, queen, and their children, bowing low as they offered extravagant gifts and long-winded blessings. The procession was slow and tedious, each noble seemingly trying to outdo the other in their displays of wealth and reverence.
His gaze swept the room, searching for the one person who had been on his mind all evening. It didn’t take long to find him. Thorne stood near the far wall, his broad frame unmistakable even amidst the crowd. He was leaning slightly on his cane, looking extremely unapproachable.
Without hesitation, Noelle made his way across the hall, weaving through clusters of nobles who were too absorbed in their conversations to notice his departure. He approached Thorne quietly, slipping into his line of sight just as the general’s gaze flickered toward the procession of nobles once more.
"Enjoying the show?" Noelle asked lightly, a hint of teasing in his tone as he came to stand beside him.
Thorne turned to look at him, his scowl still present but softened by Noelle’s presence. "Hardly," he grumbled, his eyes trailing over Noelle’s figure in the elegant attire he wore for the evening. "You’re the only thing worth watching, my beloved star."
Noelle smirked at the compliment, stepping closer to Thorne. "Careful, General. People might start thinking you’re actually fond of me."
Thorne’s lips twitched, but he didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, his hand tightened around the cane, his eyes darting toward a nobleman who had been casting lingering glances in Noelle’s direction for most of the night. His jaw clenched visibly. "Let them think what they want," he muttered darkly, his voice low. "If one more of them looks at you like that, I might just lose my patience."
Noelle chuckled softly, his fingertips gliding lightly against Thorne’s arm in a way that felt both casual and intimate, though charged with a deeper meaning. "You’re far too possessive, you know that?" he teased, though there was an unmistakable warmth in his voice. His words carried no bite, only a fondness that hinted he didn’t mind the possessiveness in the slightest.
Thorne let out a rough exhale, his gaze softening the moment his eyes locked onto Noelle’s. "Can you blame me?" he muttered, voice low as if the mere sight of Noelle left him breathless. "Look at you."