The room smelled like alcohol and sex.
Rowan sat up slowly with his hand on his head as a groan escaped his lips.
His head was clear enough... But he had never been the kind of drunk who lost himself completely, just the kind who used it to make a room quieter than it actually was. Or maybe when he wants to achieve something while he's half-sane.
The two of them were still asleep on either side of him, tangled in the sheets, dark hair spread across the pillows.
He looked at them.
He had specifically asked for dark hair. Hazel eyes. A certain build.
They had gotten close to what he wanted but they were not close enough.
He stood, picked up the robe from the floor, and wrapped it around himself. He moved to the window and looked out at the palace grounds... the garden below, the gate beyond it, the city further still... and stood there until the knock came.
