to end, really. He can just keep holding me forever and I wouldn’t mind.
That peaceful feeling quickly wanes however when his eyes get foggy for a moment and his horn pulses.
That...is not normal. I don’t think so anyway. I’ve never seen him look that way.
He frowns slightly as if confused, but his eyes clear at the sound of someone clearing their throat, bringing my attention to our unannounced visitor. A tiny sound of surprise escapes me, but I’m thankful for Eliph’s arms that shield most of the exposed bits of me from the eyes of our company.
Peering around his thick arms, I set eyes on the elf standing demurely by the door. Of far more delicate features than our escort the night before, she’s clothed in a simple pale green dress with a fitted jacket of a paler, green-tinted cream with delicate embroidery along the hem that matches the dress beneath it. Her hair a duller color than the ice blond of the male, she has the strangest magenta eyes and delicately pointed ears. Her features make her stand out enough that I wonder if they’re even the same type of elf. Also, unlike our escort the night before, she smiles politely at us and inclines her head.
“My apologies that you’ve been waiting so long. I’m Satharal, and I’ve been asked to bring you to dinner to discuss your situation now.”
I scurry off Eliph’s lap, and, clutching my sheet around me, I give her an apologetic smile as I head toward the privacy screen by the bathing pool.
“Sorry. We hadn’t heard anything about when to expect you. Just one sec and I’ll be ready to go.”
Behind the screen, I drop the sheet to the floor to pull on my clothes. I can hear the polite murmur of conversation between Eliph and the elf as they wait, but as it’s mostly about the castle, I decide to ignore it and finish getting ready. The clothes fit perfectly, but whether that’s because Eliph has a good grasp of measurements or just really spent time memorizing the shape of my body, I have no idea. All I know is that I’m wearing one of my better outfits—one that’s actually been improved on so that it’s quite probably the finest thing I’ve ever worn—and that makes me feel as if I’m wearing armor against the world.
I even pull on the soft dress socks. My matching red pumps aren’t part of this ensemble, but I don’t mind too much. They kill my feet, and if I need to drop everything and run at a moment’s notice, I don’t want to be doing that in heels. At least I’d had the presence of mind to scrape the mud off my black ankle boots and give the leather a good cleaning. They aren’t perfect—I can see the streaks of where the grime was more spread around than buffed off—but they’ll do. I therefore don’t hesitate to slide my feet into them and tighten the lacings until they are fitting snug and comfortably on my feet.
Confident that I’m put-together enough, I finger my hair self-consciously. Although I thoroughly combed it after washing, I had nothing I could use to style it. It’s curled in every direction, but that was more an annoyance than anything else. A case of hair gone wild isn’t going to hurt me. I peer at my reflection on the wall nearest me as I give my clothes and hair a final pat before I nod to myself, straighten my spine, and step out from behind the screen.
Eliph smiles appreciatively, his eyes drifting over me with hooded interest as he stands. It’s sexy as hell, and my insides melt like warm butter when he brings my hand up to press a kiss against my palm.
“You are beautiful, Ahandral,” he murmurs, his eyes shining with warmth and sincerity.
Blushing, I murmur my thanks and allow him to take my hand and place it on his forearm, tugging it into the crook of his elbow. I can tell that while I’ve been occupied he’s somehow managed to straighten his clothes so they look fresh rather than rumpled from wearing them all day, and I make a mental note to get the secret of that particular magic out of him. Ironing is my bane in a very real sense, and so I spend a fortune for my clothes to be washed and pressed by launderers.
“If you are ready, it’s right this way. I ask that you stay with me