As Thirteen and Princess Xynalia talked, the succubus found that the teenage boy was good when it came to dry humor.
Xynalia laughed, covering her mouth with a delicate hand. "You talk like a jaded old man."
"Well, you're not wrong."
"Hah?"
"I feel like one sometimes," Thirteen muttered. "Too much scheming, too many plans. It's nice to see something… simple for once."
Xynalia looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Do you think it's simple? A princess offering herself to a stranger in the name of diplomacy?"
Thirteen's expression turned thoughtful. "No. But you know well that she's not doing it for the sake of diplomacy alone. You know what I mean, right?"
The soft strumming of a harp echoed through the room as evening settled fully.
For a time, Thirteen and Princess Xynalia sat in silence, sharing the calm before the Wanderers and the Succubus went to their respective rooms to continue their discussion in private.
