against her chin, his rank stench after two weeks without a proper wash layered over with the sting of antiseptic, and the cot’s bar digging into her, this would almost be comfortable. Perhaps they should have done a lot more snuggling in the past three months when they’d had a chance. Now that she had him back, she was going to make up for that lack.
It would be a few hours until the diplomatic meeting. Surely she would have enough time for a nap.
“I want to go home.” Farrendel’s murmured words were so quiet she wouldn’t have heard them if she hadn’t been snuggled up next to him.
She kissed the tip of his ear. “We’ll get you home to Estyra just as soon as we can.”
Though, how he was going to navigate the branches of Ellonahshinel when he was so weak, she didn’t know.
“Estyra. Or Aldon. Both are home.”
“Even after what had happened in Aldon?” Essie lifted her head so that she could better see his face. She’d never heard him refer to Aldon as home.
“Yes.” He turned his face in her direction, though he didn’t open his eyes, as if too tired for that. “It was...nice until then.”
She probably shouldn’t keep him up with talking. But she couldn’t help herself when it came to talking. She snuggled down next to him again. “I’m sure Averett has cleared out all the traitors, and it will be a lot safer the next time we visit. Whenever you’re ready. Though, maybe we’ll take a few more elven guards next time, and you should wear your swords all the time. No one would blame you. Oh, and we should invite Brina to Aldon. Not right away, of course. But sooner rather than later. She seems really fascinated with human culture. Though, your brother might find that rather appalling.”
Farrendel gave a tiny snorting sound. “I missed your chatter.”
Essie winced. “Even my nighttime rambling when you are trying to sleep?”
“Yes.” His laugh was still in his voice, though it was breathed out on a yawn.
Essie closed her eyes and tried to relax. Light streamed around the tent flap, and her body was telling her that it was still daytime. But she had been up a large chunk of the night. Surely she could use the rest.
She must have dozed at one point. She woke with the brush of cold air on the back of her neck and Averett’s voice from behind her. “I see we should have knocked.”
Essie shrieked and tried to roll off the cot, but she had been balanced too precariously. The moment she moved, she wobbled, her feet catching in the blankets, and tumbled to the ground with a shriek. The ground beneath the rug was hard, but Essie landed on her rear end, so the embarrassment hurt more than the landing.
“Told you the cot was too small,” Farrendel murmured, though he reached out a hand to her as if to check she was all right.
She patted his arm as she clambered to her feet. “Yes, yes, know-it-all elf. Just admit it. It was worth it.”
This time, he didn’t even murmur but instead just gave a tiny smile.
Averett was still standing there, smirking. Worse, Weylind was standing beside him, both eyebrows raised as if still hoping someone would provide him with that book on the care of humans one of these days.
Averett crossed his arms as Edmund and Jalissa strode in behind him. “Done being all mushy?”
“For now.” Essie stood and stepped aside.
As soon as she was out of the way, Weylind strode across the tent, crashed to his knees next to the cot, gripped the back of Farrendel’s head, and pressed his forehead to his. “Shashon.”
The depth in that one word. Weylind could be a stubborn pain, but he was a good brother to Farrendel. That wasn’t something that could be said for all of Farrendel’s siblings.
Averett touched Essie’s arm, drawing her a few steps away, and spoke in a lowered tone. “I’m sorry to ask this of you, but the diplomatic meeting is going to start in a few minutes, and I’d like you to come as well. You—and your marriage alliance—are the reason Escarland is even here and invited to be a part of this treaty. I’d rather neither the elves nor the trolls forget that. It would be too easy for them to negotiate between them and leave Escarland out of it.”
Essie hesitated, glancing between Averett and Farrendel. More than anything, she didn’t want to leave Farrendel’s side.