Bastian
Chapter Side Story 23 - Cocoa Without Rum

✧Cocoa Without Rum✧

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Odette looked up at the picture hanging above the fireplace in the lounge. She could almost hear the pop and feel the after image of the flash on her eyes. She could still smell burning flash powder and hear the applauding onlookers. Viewing the photo brought the memories of that day back to life. The immense joy of stepping onto the balcony, hand in hand, was unforgettable. Odette remembered every detail of that day with such clarity, it was as if she were reliving the moments right then and there.

   Odette hummed one of the waltz tunes the orchestra had planned as she twirled about the living room, cleaning up the ornaments and dusting the courners.

   “You should really leave that for the maids to do,” Dora said as she came into the room with breakfast.

   Odette approached the table where Dora had set breakfast with a laugh. The sea of Ardenne glittered in the sunlight as she sat. Although the scene was no different to any other day, Odette felt like there was something brighter about it. It was a feeling that made the absence of Bastian felt a little stronger than normal. He had to leave shortly after the wedding anniversary party for a business trip to participate in a maritime security conference in Belov’s capital, also assuming the duties of a state guest following an official invitation from Prince Nikolai.

Odette was unable to join him because the trip coincided with the start of the new semester at the Royal Academy of Arts. Princess Isabelle appeared to be disappointed by her absence, yet, thankfully, the Crown Prince stepped in to smooth things over.

   “ Master will be returning this weekend,” Dora said, guessing at why Odette was so whimsically staring out at the sea.

   “Yes, he’s coming back this Saturday.” A hint of liveliness returned to Odette.

   “You knew already, didn’t you? Of course, how could I forget? You two are always in communication.” Dora smiled as she poured out a fruity smelling tea. It was a lot different to what Odette used to drink, since this autumn, she always added milk to her tea. She also didn’t touch her boiled egg, prefering instead to nibble on the small fruit selection and a soft, warm roll. This shift in her breakfast choices seemed to coincide with the change in her tea preferences.

   Odette barely seemed to touch any of the food that was usually prepared for her. She even skipped the large quantity of sweets she would normally eat when Bastian was absent.

   “You don’t seem yourself, ma’am, should I contact Dr Kramer?” Dora probed tentatively.

   “No, its okay, Dora. I am quite healthy. Its just the change of the season,” Odette said, shaking her head. “If it gets worse, I will contact the Doctor. There’s a hospital near the school, it would be more convenient.”

   “I think it would be better if you rested in mansion for today.”

   “No, I have already declined a stately invitation, I can not skip school or I will just some lazy.” Odette got up from the breakfast table and started fussing with her things, making sure she had everything she needed for lessons.

   Dora busied herself clearing away the breakfast table, worried that she had pressed too much and set Odette in a poor mood. “Do you intend to drive today?”

Dora sighed as she observed Odette fully dressed, noticing the scarf elegantly tied over her hat, the lace gloves, and the practical, low-heeled shoes — an outfit clearly chosen for driving. 

“Yes, I’ll be off, Dora,” Odette announced. After bestowing a parting kiss on the dogs that lingered around her like loyal specters, Odette exited the bedroom with a lively stride. Dora watched in silence as her mistress departed. Moments later, her pale yellow convertible disappeared down the drive, blending into the distance.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

The black car, assigned as Admiral Klauswitz’s ceremonial vehicle, came to a halt at the entrance of the naval headquarters. Upon seeing Bastian, the driver hurriedly got out and opened the door for Bastian.

   “To the Royal Academy of Arts,” Bastian said sharply.

   Bastian leaned back in his chair as the driver took off for the desired destination. That morning, the return ship moored at the pier of the naval ministry. Directly from there, Bastian went to the headquarters to brief on the maritime security conference’s results and the restructuring of the post-war international order. Following a working lunch with the general staff and tackling a backlog of tasks spanning several weeks, it was already late in the afternoon.

   The ceremonial car circled around the fountain outside the headquarters and sped off toward the Academy. Before long, the elegant classical structure of the academy building came into view and the car stopped at the foot of the steps. Bastian got out and lugged his trunk from the back.

   The driver looked at him in astonishment. “Please, Admiral, let me get that for you.”

   “No, it’s fine, you can go home now.”

The driver blinked at Bastian for a second before the clock tower rang out, marking the hour.

“If you doubted her driving skills, my wife might be displeased,” Bastian, seeking to ease the tension, quipped with a light-hearted joke, ” A smile of relief quickly spread across the driver’s face as he understood the admiral’s jest.

“Not in the slightest! That was never my intention,” the driver hastily clarified, his energetic rebuttal underscoring his earnestness.

“I will take my leave then, have a good evening Admiral.” And with a salute, the driver left.

 Nearby, students who had just finished their classes observed the exchange from afar. Being so late in the afternoon, chances were that most of the classes were already finished and Odette would probably have moved on to a practice room. Reaching the room, however, proved him wrong as Odette was no where in sight. 

“Good afternoon, Admiral!” greeted a female student, her face lighting up with recognition as she approached Bastian. She was female violinists close to Odette. “Mrs. Klauswitz is currently at the café in the student union!” After sharing Odette’s location, the young woman quickly made her way towards a building across the lawn, not to the practice room, but to the café.

   “Greetings Admiral Klauswitz, its been a while.” Spoke a familiar voice just as Bastian was about to step into the cafeteria.

   “Count Xanders, good afternoon,” Bastian said, removing his hat.

   “I believe you’ve met Alma, its polite to say hello to the Admiral,” Xanders said, half turning to a small child cowering behind his legs.

   Alma timidly peered around her father and offered a silent greeting and a clumsy, half thought curtsy. Bastian smiled as he remembered the little girl that liked to cling to her father, doesn’t seem she has grown out of that little habit yet.

   “One of the professors is a relative on Alma’s mothers side, we were just discussing the potential for her music education,” Xanders said as he looked down at Alma with a fatherly smile.

   “I see, is Odette in there?”

   “Oh yes, we just happened to meet, and had a brief conversation. I hope you understand.” 

“Of course,” Bastian replied calmly, his gaze sweeping over the café alive with the presence of artists. There, Odette was sitting on a terrace, enveloped in the warm glow of an autumn afternoon, delicately sipping her tea. The significance of the two empty teacups set across from her was not hard to understand.

“Well, I must be getting on, we have other appointments we need to make before the day is done. Take care Admiral.”

   “Farewell, I hope you both stay well,” Bastian said as Xanders moved off with Alma hugging his leg.

   The reunion after nearly two years was as dry as Bastian had expected and while he suspected that he and Odette were still friends, he never put much stock into it until now. Shaking the thought from his mind, he went into the cafeteria and spotted Odette talking to one of her peers in the corner, a male student with chestnut-brown hair—who Odette often praised.

   Bastian set down his trunk and leaned on it as he watched the two engaged in a rather heated debate, which only ceased when the bell rang for the next class. The chestnut brown male then said his goodbyes with a jovial smile and went on his way.

The musician’s gentle demeanor and innocuously serene aura brought to mind Maximilian von Xanders. The similarity in their delicate features and physique was striking as well.

   “Bastian,” Odette called out when she finally noticed him standing by the door. “How are you here? You said you would not be back until the weekend.”

Emerging from the shade with his trunk in hand, Bastian stepped into the brilliant afternoon sunlight, which seemed to wash away all extraneous thoughts, leaving an expression of pure love on his face as he finally looked towards Odette. “I lied, I was always coming back today.” He took off his officer’s cap to reveal his blue eyes.

“But why?” Odette looked aghast at the confession.

   “To surprise you, of course. I wanted to see your face light up when I came to surprise you.”

   Odette glared at him for a moment, but soon she couldn’t resist a weak laugh. It was as if she knew precisely the expression she wore without needing to ask. It was clear she had deeply missed this man. The separation of barely three weeks had felt interminably long and challenging to bear. Their love might have seemed foolishly, but she had no desire to hide it.

   He was finally back and the realisation made tears well up in her eyes. She had so much to say yet uncertain where to start, so she chose for a silent greeting, extending her arms to embrace Bastian. Enclosed in his tight embrace, she was enveloped by the comforting scent of sunlight on his skin.

In that embrace, brimming with the warmth she had yearned for, Odette closed her eyes, allowing the moment to engulf her completely.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

The miniature banquet to feed just the two concluded and the couple retired for the evening. They felt bad at the amount of food left behind. The chefs, in their excitement to have the master return home safely, had prepared all his favourites, wanting to ensure his return dinner was one he would definitely enjoy.

   Bastian gave the staff the rest of the night off. Although he had satisfied one hunger, he was still ravenous for emotional feeding. He escorted Odette up to the bedroom and locked the door so that they would not be disturbed. He then began to indulge himself in his next course.

   Their lips met in a frenzy of uncontrolled passion. Bastian poured kisses over Odette as he led her to the bed. Swept up in the whirlwind of passion, Odette was only just able to catch her breath and she was laid out on the bed. Bastian had already shed his jacket and tie and was unbuttoning his cuffs.

   “No, Bastian,” Odette said desperately. “Not tonight.”

   Bastian froze as he undid the cuffs and his eyes narrowed at Odette. He threw off his shirt anyway and went leaned over Odette. She was worried that he was going to ignore her, but he gently pulled her back up onto her feet and tided up the sit of her dress.

   He smiled warmly at her. “I’ll go wash up,” Bastian said, giving Odette a kiss on her forehead.

   Odette let out a sigh of relief and went to sit on the chair by the window. The scent of the wine they had been drinking all evening still lingered on his breath when he kissed her. She went to clean herself up too, frantically brushing her teeth to remove the stench on her breath. Bastian returned soon after Odette had already got herself ready for bed.

   Odette watched him in silence as she laid out on the bed. He dried his long hair, closed the curtains and turned off the last light of the lamp on the bedside cabinet, plunging the bedroom into darkness.

   She felt the weight of Bastian sit on the bed and roll himself under the duvet toward her. She winced as his hand came across to her lower abdomen. There was no sexual intent in the way he stroked her, but all the same, it left her unable to relax.

   “It’s okay Bastian, stop now,” she said, taking his hand into both of hers to stop his movements. 

In the darkness, Bastian watched her quietly before sighing deeply and turning on the nightstand lamp. The light cast shadows on his face.

 “I was hoping for something a little different.” Odette said, trying to change the topic with natural face she could muster.

   “What do you mean?”

   “Cocoa,” Odette managed to come up with an excuse.

   “Cocoa?” Bastian’s brows furrowed deeper.

   “Yes, the kind you make without rum.” Her mouth was watering intently at just the thought of it.

   Bastian looked at her in the darkness, the gloom of his figure unmoving. Then he chuckled and got out of bed just as the clock chimed 10. Odette felt embarrassed by her sudden craving, but she genuinely longed for that chocolatey drink spiked with bitter rum. Her hands cradled her tummy where Bastian had touched her, she could still feel his touch.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.