This Ascent to Divinity is Lewder Than Expected

6.35 – The Heiress and the Fox

Rosalie only had a half-hour to metaphorically catch her breath before the next major event was upon her. Somehow, one that felt even more important than her meeting with her father.

"Aww," Delta's voice came from the window. "Look at the two lovebirds all cuddled up. It's so cute I might just vomit."

Rosalie and Zoey straightened out on the bed, their attentions snapping toward Delta's voice. Sure enough, she was poised there, sitting on the low windowsill of one of the many towering windows adorning the palatial bedroom.

"Delta? Where'd you come from?" Zoey asked.

"Security's lax in the d'Celestin estate," Delta snorted. "Surprisingly so. As long as you aren't in one of their prison rooms, at least." She slid off the window sill and stretched. "Sneaking into bedrooms is a useful skill to have, anyway, no matter where you are, so I was getting my practice in." She grinned. "Useful for a few reasons," she leered, making the innuendo clear. "Not just burglary."

Delta definitely seemed like she was mostly back to normal, Rosalie thought. Not sulking or glaring. That was good, right?

Then again, she was deliberately avoiding meeting her eyes.

"Uh," Zoey said, glancing toward Rosalie. "Yeah, I guess so."

A brief, awkward pause hung in the air.

"Ugh," Delta said. "You two are gonna be weird about it, then. Of course you are. Zoey, can me and Blondie have a moment?"

Zoey blinked rapidly. "Yeah, sure. I'll just go … do something," she said lamely. She squeezed Rosalie's knee and gave her an encouraging smile before making her exit—heading out into the hall to do who knew what.

Rosalie had likewise slipped out of bed and stood by then.

Another awkward silence.

"So," Delta said, uncharacteristically shifting in place, as if looking for something to say. She shoved her hands in her pockets. "You grew up here?" She looked around, obviously meaning the palace.

"Um. No," Rosalie said. "This is the Fractures. I grew up on our estate in Haven."

"Right. Obviously. Duh."

More silence.

There'd been a number of tense situations between her and Delta, but this particular one felt so much worse than the others.

Delta sighed.

"It wasn't cool you didn't tell me," she said, being blunt about it.

Rosalie supposed she shouldn't have expected anything else.

"I meant to," Rosalie said. "I really did."

"That's what Zoey told me."

"But then Lucinda showed up."

"Yup."

The foxgirl had clearly already been caught up on the situation. There wasn't much to explain.

Rosalie's hands clenched and unclenched at her side.

Eventually, she said, "I'm sorry?"

"Why?" Delta asked.

The words caught Rosalie off guard.

"Why?" she echoed.

"It's not like I'm your girlfriend. Half of what we do is bicker with each other. I'm the one being ridiculous for being upset you kept a secret a secret. It's a pretty fucking big one, so I get it."

"You're not being ridiculous," Rosalie instantly said.

Delta tilted her head. "Aren't I?"

Rosalie's words came mostly by instinct. And her actions—like how she walked forward to close the gap between them. Delta seemed almost wary as Rosalie arrived in front of her. She had to look up slightly to meet Delta's eyes.

She bit her lip. "Even if we were only friends, I shouldn't have taken so long. As soon as I knew I trusted you, I should've. And I knew that a while ago." After another hesitation, she added more quietly, "And we're not just friends. So you deserved more."

Those words hung in the air for a few moments.

"I don't usually fuck my friends quite as much as I do you," Delta eventually joked, but it seemed strained. "So. Yeah."

Taking a page from Zoey's book, Rosalie reached out and grabbed Delta's hands—the foxgirl blinking several times at the action. Rosalie guessed 'earnestness' wasn't really her dominant trait, so Delta was more than a bit caught off guard.

Rosalie took a breath in, steadying her nerves. "So. Like I said. I'm really sorry. I hope you can forgive me. I was just … scared of how you would react."

"Scared?" Delta repeated incredulously. "Scared of what?"

Rosalie hesitated. "I know you have opinions. On established wayfaring families. Much less ones like mine."

Delta's face stayed surprisingly passive at that statement. Her swishing fox tail gave away her agitation, though. "And? You aren't those assholes. It's just your name."

For a second, Rosalie wondered whether she should accept that dismissal. Because it wasn't just her name. Her heritage was a fundamental part of her, and she didn't reject it—she stood behind her father's decisions. Not that she condoned all of them. But ruling, much less over a violent world like the Fractures, was … complicated. She didn't think her father was a bad man.

But continuing that half of the conversation maybe wasn't appropriate right now. Not tacked onto the end of her apology.

"And I care what you think," Rosalie finished softly. "So I took longer telling you than I should've. Until it was too late. So again. I'm sorry."

Delta searched her face. Several seconds passed, Rosalie's anxiety growing, Delta standing there stiffly, but then, finally, it happened. Delta's expression slowly softened, and so did her tense posture. The relief that washed through Rosalie was nearly palpable.

Then Delta took a half-step forward, and Rosalie was suddenly aware of just how little space there was between them. Her heart started to beat faster as Delta's face grew closer to hers, purple eyes studying Rosalie with a quizzical look—as if she herself wasn't even sure what she was doing.

Then her attention flicked down to Rosalie's lips, and Rosalie's pulse spiked.

Delta almost seemed like she was going to lean forward, but then she hesitated.

"Stay here," she commanded Rosalie—breaking the brief spell her proximity had put her under.

The foxgirl hurried out of the room. Rosalie was left standing there, flustered. She stared, flabbergasted, at the door Delta had left through.

She returned only moments later.

"What?" Rosalie asked. "What was that?"

Delta sniffed. "I was asking Zoey if she's okay with her girlfriends kissing when she's not in the room." She returned to standing in front of Rosalie. "Already knew the answer, but I guess that's the kind of thing you should ask." She rolled her eyes. "You know how protective Zoey is."

The words punched through Rosalie.

Her heart started really slamming.

"Oh," Rosalie replied.

Delta put her hands on Rosalie's hips.

"What'd she say?" Rosalie breathed.

Delta rolled her eyes.

Then she kissed her.

Rosalie melted into it, her lingering nerves—the worst of them, at least—evaporating as Delta's soft lips moved against her own. Her heart thundered as Delta's hands gripped her waist and pulled their bodies flush together. Rosalie also settled her hands onto Delta's hips, pulling her closer as the kiss deepened, their tongues intertwining.

When they parted for air, Delta was looking down at her with lidded eyes, seeming distinctly pleased with herself.

"Apology accepted," she said wryly. "But you're on thin ice."

"You said girlfriends," Rosalie murmured. "You two made it official?"

Delta paused. She tilted her head. "Huh. I guess we did. Didn't even think about that."

Of course that was how Delta and Zoey established their relationship. Certainly more casual than how it had happened with Rosalie.

"Also," Delta said, leaning back to obnoxiously tap Rosalie on the nose. "I still find you annoying. And arrogant. Don't get that mixed up. I'm just saying I forgive you for this whole mess."

"Of course," Rosalie said, a smile tugging at her lips, which she tried to wipe away. "The same goes for you."

Delta sniffed. "But, you know what they say. The girlfriend of your girlfriend is your enemy, or something like that." She grinned, then pulled Rosalie in for another kiss. Her thoughts were briefly scrambled for a second time.

Pulling away, Delta sighed, "And we've still got a whole lot more to talk about. What the hell. You're a d'Celestin." She shook her head and let go of Rosalie's waist. "Whatever. Let's go find Zoey and Maddy and get out of here. I hate being in this palace. And there's a whole city to explore." Purple eyes flicked to the window, where Mantle spilled down the mountainside. "Always liked checking out new places."

"Sure," Rosalie said, her heart still pounding. Half from being kissed, half from relief.

Things had really worked out, then? She'd almost braced herself that they wouldn't. Though she supposed the heavier conversations were still to come. Zoey had been right that Delta saw Rosalie as more than her name, but that far from meant she was pleased with her new circumstances—being involved with the d'Celestin family. As her wanting to flee the palace as soon as possible indicated.

Holding Rosalie's hand, Delta pulled her along, headed for the door.

Outside, Zoey immediately perked up and pushed off the wall. Seeing Delta dragging Rosalie, she started beaming at the two of them.

"Yeah, yeah," Delta said, rolling her eyes. "Your girlfriends kissed. It's hot. Don't be a pervert about it."

Zoey laughed. "That's not it. I'm just glad you two made up."

Rosalie, for her part, winced at the exchange, looking up and down the hall. "Right …" she said to Delta. "Just so you know, we're keeping all of our personal involvement to ourselves."

"Her dad knowing might cause issues," Zoey explained.

Delta raised an eyebrow. "You mean Enzo d'Celestin, Guildmaster of the Deepshunters, tyrant of half the Fractures, is a bit controlling when it comes to his daughter's maiden honor?"

"That's the allegation. But actually, it's more about … other things."

"Though also that," Rosalie grimaced.

Delta shook her head. "Okay. Whatever. Come on, I want to stop thinking about all that garbage for a second. Where's Maddy? We're heading into town."

"We are?" Zoey asked, facing Rosalie. "Is that fine?"

"I still have to greet my sisters. But Elodie is missing, like she always is, so that's happening on her own schedule. And Charlotte is out doing a shard."

"So we're all good to leave?"

Rosalie nodded. It wasn't like they were confined to the palace. She squeezed Delta's hand once, then pulled away. She couldn't go holding hands with either of them out in public, as displeased as she was about that.

"So sneaking into bedrooms is gonna be even more useful than I thought," Delta mused. "I was just joking." She laughed. "At least sneaky sex is hotter than boring-old allowed sex. We should try doing it somewhere public. Maybe the dining hall? Or his bedroom?"

Rosalie made a choking noise, which was probably Delta's intent. Even Delta wasn't so crazy as to try to do that inside the d'Celestin palace's public rooms, right? Much less her father's bedroom. That one was just disgusting.

Surely she didn't mean it.

Right?

Delta met her horrified expression with a completely serious one of her own.

Zoey spared an amused look for Delta. "Maddy's in this room," she said, gesturing. "Oh, and by the way, haven't had a chance to ask. You two also move up in advancement?"

Delta grinned at her. "Yup. Bet we all did. But that's on the docket. Let's get out of here first."