us? Can you not see as plainly as we that she bears his vinculum marcam? You are a fool, Alseida, if you think that this confrontation will change anything, other than bringing about your eventual exile from the palace. Accept that your time at his side is over.” Alseida glanced at other nymphs, who lingered in their places around the table. “I will lend my support to such ugliness no more.”
The nymphs slipped out, abandoning Alseida, until only a scant few remained. The dryad practically vibrated with fury as she stared Diana down, anger and embarrassment clear on her face. Most of the nymphs had abandoned her, calling out her pettiness, and even her supporters looked at her with pity. Diana wasn’t sure whether to feel sorry for the dryad, or to watch her back in case the female attempted to stick a knife in it. As Alseida advanced with a scream of anger, Diana sprung up from her chair, any sympathy she might have held vanishing instantly.
“Alseida, stop!” a deep voice growled as Raskyuil stomped into the room, his eyes flashing with menace on the nymphs. The lingering females squealed as they fled, all but the dryad, who even paled and quickly backed away from Diana. Despite her reaction, the dryad stiffened and glowered down her nose at the troll.
“What gives you authority to command me, guard?”
“Silvas asked me to check on his ati,” Raskyuil replied, his arms crossing over his chest. “And for good cause, it seems. You are not welcome in this room, dryad. You were to escort the ati to her room and nothing more. Leave now, and be thankful that the nymphs alerted me to your tricks when I passed them in the hall, for if I had been a minute longer and you had harmed her, Silvas would have cast you to the sands of the great desert rather than anything as kind as exile into the human world.”
The dryad sailed out the door, leaving Diana and Raskyuil staring after her.
The male beside her chuckled. “I’ve wanted to tell off that haughty nymph for years now. About time she had someone to burst her deluded little bubble the way she’s sailed around here for years like the mistress of the palace.”
“Glad to see that you arrived safely and mended quickly so that you could adequately perform as my rescuer,” Diana replied as she took in his healed body. He had a few new scars but was whole. “I mean, damn, you healed really quick.”
“Aelven healers,” he said dismissively. “They are among the best in the forest.” His gaze slid over her as a smug smile pulled at his lips. “So, the ati, our glorious mother queen, has arrived,” he said thoughtfully. “I do believe I won our wager.”
“Oh, shut up,” she snorted, earning her more laughter from the troll. She kept her tone light. She didn’t want to let on that it made her uncomfortable to hear him address her as ati. There had been no change in their long-term plans, nor was there any indication from Silvas that he intended to keep her. Not that she was even sure she wanted to remain in the Eternal Forest. Regardless, she wasn’t going to let the dryad try to strongarm her out of the palace. “Mated to the lucomo or not, I haven’t agreed to stay yet,” she replied coolly.
“Oh, you will,” he smirked, and Diana rolled her eyes in exasperation.
Chapter 31
Silvas made his way down the staircase into the lower cavern, his hand gripping Nocis at his side. Even there the mist was curling in thick wisps. It seemed that there was no escape from it, not even within the depths of Arx. He felt a sting of guilt that he had sent Diana to his rooms, and with Alseida of all beings, but the dryad had been attempting to ingratiate herself and he had lost patience with her behavior. Sending her to escort Diana somewhere that she would be safe and waiting for him upon his return seemed like the most expedient option.
At least he had promptly sent Raskyuil after them a short time later just to be certain that the female didn’t torment his mate in any fashion. He had yearned to follow them, but the compulsion to speak with Dorinda had been strong. Silvas only made one stop, and that was to store his armor in the armory so that it didn’t impede his movements on the narrow staircase.