Chapter 369: Another Kind of Home

Chapter 369: Chapter 369: Another Kind of Home

By the time Liam returned to their assigned apartments, the sun had begun to disappear behind the western towers of the imperial palace.

The rooms Gabriel had prepared for them occupied the southern residential wing, overlooking the gardens and the distant rooftops of Agaron’s capital. Their sitting room opened onto a wide balcony, where the evening breeze carried the faint fragrance of flowering trees and the distant sound of traffic beyond the palace grounds.

Liam had spent the better part of the afternoon exploring with Cecil and the twins, and he was beginning to understand why Arik had been so reluctant to describe the palace in any particular detail.

The place was enormous.

And apparently, his husband had spent a considerable portion of his childhood using its extensive architecture to torment his younger siblings.

Cecil had provided several examples.

Liam intended to collect more.

He stood before the bedroom mirror, adjusting the cuffs of his dark purple shirt while examining the outfit Rubis had prepared for the evening.

The fabric was soft, falling neatly over his shoulders and tapering slightly at his waist. His trousers were black, and the mate stone rested against his chest, secured by a delicate gold chain.

Gabriel had assured him that family dinners did not require formal imperial clothing.

Liam had appreciated the information.

He had also appreciated discovering that Arik’s definition of informal apparently included walking around the palace in a shirt with half its buttons undone.

The bathroom door opened behind him.

Arik emerged with a towel draped around his neck, his damp hair falling over the shoulders of a loose black shirt. He had changed into dark trousers but had apparently decided that fastening his collar was an unnecessary inconvenience.

Liam watched him through the mirror.

"Are you feeling at home?"

Arik stopped beside the wardrobe.

He glanced toward Liam, then around the bedroom, as though considering the question before approaching him.

"Why do you ask?"

"You have been away for months, and now you are back in the palace where you grew up." Liam turned to face him. "I was wondering how it feels."

Arik dropped the towel onto a nearby chair and reached for him.

Liam stepped into his arms, settling his hands against Arik’s chest as his husband drew him closer.

For a moment, Arik said nothing.

He simply held him, one broad hand resting at the small of Liam’s back while the other moved slowly along his spine.

"My home is wherever my mate is."

Liam smiled.

"That sounds suspiciously convenient."

"It is also true."

Arik lowered his head and pressed a kiss against Liam’s forehead.

"Nuria is our home now. It is where we are building our life together, where our responsibilities are, and where I intend to spend the rest of my life with you."

Liam leaned against him.

"And Agaron?"

Arik glanced toward the balcony.

The last of the sunlight illuminated the pale stone balustrade outside, while the gardens below had begun to disappear beneath the shadows of the surrounding buildings.

"Agaron will always be home in a different way. My parents are here, my siblings are here, and I spent most of my life within these walls. Coming back doesn’t change where I belong now."

He looked down at Liam.

"But having one home doesn’t mean we cannot have another where our family is."

Liam’s expression softened.

"I like that."

"Good. Because I suspect Mother would be rather offended if I informed him that I no longer considered his palace a place where I belonged."

Liam laughed.

"Gabriel would simply tell you to stop being ridiculous."

"And Father would have an entire argument prepared concerning the precise definition of imperial residence."

"Would he?"

"Absolutely. I am fairly certain he has already considered whether Nuria’s Emperor can retain an official residence in Agaron without creating another diplomatic incident."

Liam raised an eyebrow.

"Another?"

Arik’s expression became distinctly unimpressed.

"Apparently, knowing things about the country where I grew up is now a matter of international security."

"Your father has a point."

"You are supposed to be on my side."

"I am. I would prefer that my husband not accidentally disclose Agaron’s restricted military information during a Nurian council meeting."

Arik stared at him.

"Do you genuinely believe I would do that?"

"No, but I do believe you would complain about it for the next twenty years if Damian forced you to attend additional security reviews."

Arik considered the accusation.

"That is unfortunately accurate."

Liam was still smiling when Arik lowered his head and pressed a kiss against the side of his neck.

The gesture was gentle enough that Liam barely noticed the first one.

The second was considerably more deliberate.

"Arik."

"Hmm?"

His husband moved Liam’s hair aside, exposing the curve of his neck before pressing another kiss beneath his ear.

Liam tilted his head instinctively.

A familiar warmth spread through him as Arik’s lips traveled lower, following the line of his neck toward his shoulder.

The hand resting at his waist tightened.

"You smell good."

"I showered."

"I noticed."

Arik brushed his nose against Liam’s skin, inhaling slowly before kissing the place where his neck met his shoulder.

Liam’s fingers curled against the front of Arik’s shirt.

"Are you trying to distract me?"

"Yes."

"At least you admit it."

"I have never seen the point of pretending otherwise."

Arik’s mouth curved against his skin.

He shifted his hold, turning Liam slightly until his back rested against the broad chest behind him. One arm settled around his waist while the other moved toward the delicate chain holding his mate stone.

Liam watched their reflection.

Arik looked entirely too pleased with himself.

His damp black hair had fallen forward, partially concealing his face as he pressed another kiss against Liam’s exposed shoulder. The movement was slow, his lips lingering against the warm skin just above the collar of Liam’s shirt.

Liam’s eyelids lowered.

Then he remembered something rather important.

"We have family dinner."

Arik continued kissing his shoulder.

"I am aware."

"In less than half an hour."

"We are already dressed."

Liam looked at their reflection.

Arik’s shirt was only partially buttoned, and his own collar had slipped noticeably to one side.

"That is debatable."

His husband made a small, dissatisfied sound.

Liam caught the hand that had begun moving toward the fastening of his shirt.

"Arik."

The Emperor of Nuria lifted his head.

Liam smiled at him through the mirror.

"Your parents are expecting us."

"They have seen me before."

"They have not seen me nearly enough, according to Gabriel."

"Mother has had you for most of the afternoon."

"And you have had me for months."

Arik narrowed his eyes.

"That is an entirely different matter."

Liam turned in his arms and reached up to straighten the collar of his shirt.

"We can continue after dinner."

Arik clicked his tongue.

"Tsk."

Liam laughed.

"Was that supposed to convince me?"

"No. That was an expression of my profound disappointment."

"Very profound."

"Devastating, actually."

Liam pressed a quick kiss against his mouth.

Arik immediately attempted to deepen it.

Liam caught his chin between his fingers and pulled back just enough to look at him.

"Dinner."

Arik regarded him for another moment before releasing a long, exaggerated sigh.

"Fine."