by Kealohilani
“Lani.”
Lani’s lips barely moved as she exhaled her name. The butterflies in her stomach flew up and were now beating wildly inside of her chest. She tried to speak, but could not. His emerald eyes held her captive with his gaze.
“Lani. What an elegant name. It is only befitting that an exquisite lady such as yourself should have such a lovely name.”
Rezarahn looked at her with eyes full of such passionate intensity that she felt as if she were looking directly into the sun and could be blinded if she stared at him for too long.
Perhaps this was her chance to get over Jharate, if such a thing were possible. After all, she had promised Kendra to consider it, if the opportunity arose. And it was refreshing to have someone not walk away from her in the middle of a sentence.
Maybe it was the fact that she was on the rebound— but Rezarahn’s charm, good looks, and obvious interest in her pushed her over the edge. Lani giggled like a teenage girl.
“Come! All of you! Into my house and we shall eat! I was just sitting down for an excellent feast with some very good friends. There is always room for more. You shall be my guests as well this fine evening!”
Rezarahn bid them all in with an enthusiastic gesture, but never once took his eyes off of Lani. He led her gently by the hand, and she followed like one entranced.
Jharate’s jaw clenched tightly as he watched Rezarahn walking away with Lani’s hand in his. His eyes narrowed slightly and his throat constricted. He took a measured breath and looked away as they went inside.
Lani didn’t notice the lovely architecture and décor around her. She didn’t notice the very spacious front hall with a white marble floor and a fifty-foot ceiling. She didn’t register that her favorite kind of double staircase, with elegant wrought iron railings, led up to a landing on the upper floor.
She was oblivious to the enormous crystal chandelier, which hung from a recessed dome in the ceiling. And she had nearly forgotten that there were other people following behind Rezarahn and herself as he led her directly ahead. They passed arched entryways to wings on either side, as Rezarahn continued to guide them straight ahead into a long, high hallway— made entirely of glass.
Lani was aware of the glass hallway on some level, as it was too spectacular to be missed altogether. But her appreciation of the large grassy grounds, bordered by tall, sturdy, leafy trees, visible to their left— and the formal garden with hedges perfectly trimmed in scrolling designs and patterns and topiary figures to the right— was muted compared to what it would have been.
She loved the charming little pebbled pathways that separated flower beds filled with burgundy crocuses and irises, white magnolias, and roses of both colors. Some of the roses, as well as some of the irises, were metallic gold in color— but even they didn’t stop her in her path. Nor did the large cascading fountain with lilies floating in the pool at the center of the garden, although it was quite winsome.
Try as she might to take in the sights outside the glass, her eyes would inevitably drift back to the pièce de résistance— who was holding her hand— each time with renewed warmth rushing through her veins.
At the end of the crystalline hallway they turned left through ornately carved cherrywood double doors that opened into a vast dining room. Lani’s senses reawakened as she saw everything before her.
The rectangular room had rounded corners and a twenty-five-foot-high ceiling. Fifteen tall windows were set into three of the four walls— three at the end, and six on either side. Chandeliers hung from three recessed domes above a u-shaped table that must have been over a hundred feet around its outer perimeter.
The table was covered with a golden satin damask cloth, which draped elegantly to the floor. Garlands of crimson roses, baby’s breath, and verdant green ivy lined the inner edge. Fifty cherrywood chairs upholstered with burgundy satin damask were set around the table along the outer edge. Each occupied place was set with gold plates, gold flatware, and delicate crystal flutes.
Thirty places had already been set— one for Rezarahn, and one for each of his twenty-nine guests, who were already seated at the rounded part of the table. Rezarahn’s servants quickly added twenty-two more settings— at the two unoccupied straight sides of the u-shaped table— to accommodate the newcomers. Two more chairs were also brought in and placed— one at each end.
A round table holding the feast stood in the center, where servants busily retrieved food from tiered gold serving platters to accommodate each guest’s request. Violinists strolled along the inner edge of the large table— gracefully dancing around the busy servants— playing sweet strains of music that soothed the soul and yet stirred the passions.
Lani’s mouth watered as she saw all of the glorious food! Roast duck, roast pig, roast beef, and roasted chicken— so fresh from the oven that steam was still visibly rising above them into the air. Deep green garnishes surrounded each of the exquisite beasts’ trays, which contrasted nicely with the warm tones of the meat.
Exotic fruits— unlike any Lani had ever seen— were bounteously arranged. Many of these fruit platters seemed more like works of art rather than something meant to be eaten.
One particular arrangement left Lani speechless. It was an arch that reached from one end of the serving table to the other. The fruits and vegetables in the arch were carved to look like different flowers— mostly roses— which sparkled with beads of water.
However, there didn’t seem to be anything holding them together. Lani searched for any sign of a structure, but found nothing. No skewers, no wire, no strings. She finally gave up and determined that some kind of magic was the only plausible explanation.
She didn’t have to wait long before her theory was confirmed. She noticed one of the servants loading up a tray of fruit from the arch. As he removed the various pieces of fruit, there were spaces in the air for a few seconds— without any structural collapse. Moments later, the empty spaces were filled with identical pieces of the gorgeous carved fruit.
There were many pitchers filled with assorted juices. Some red, some purple, and— more curiously to Lani— one that was bright blue. Crystal bowls, showcasing a mouthwatering fruit punch with slices of ornately carved fruit floating in it, looked especially inviting.
And then there was an entire table dedicated to chocolate! White chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate caramels, chocolate-covered strawberries, chocolate-covered cookies, chocolate-covered honeycombs, chocolate cake, chocolate pastries, and much more!
The feast was a wonderful sight for hungry eyes and gastronomic nirvana for empty stomachs. The food was so tempting that Drakne had to resist the urge to take some for himself several times. But he decided to forgo eating until after Rezarahn and his party exited the dining room so that he would not risk detection.
Each of the tall windows had a plush burgundy crushed velvet window seat at its base. Drakne chose one that suited him and settled in. He glanced outside. The sun had just set and so not much could be seen of the grounds besides the silhouettes of the trees that lined Rezarahn’s property.
However, there was a rather pleasing effect that this particular time of night afforded. As he peered through the window, he could see the golden luminous reflections of the chandeliers and the hundreds of candles set into the deep blue of the sky as if they belonged there.
“Come, you delightful apparition. You will sit by me.”
“I’d be honored.”
Lani smiled happily as Rezarahn continued to lead her gently by the hand to the head of the table. She looked hesitantly at Kendra and the others to make sure they didn’t feel abandoned. Kendra and Tierza waved her on enthusiastically. Even Arante smiled approvingly. Justin was too focused on the feast to notice Lani was gone— while Raoul nodded mild encouragement to Lani.
“Excuse me, Tierlahn,” Rezarahn said addressing a tall man who was occupying the seat next to his own. “Would you mind very much getting to know one of those lovely young ladies at the ot
her end of the table whilst I get to know this one?”
Tierlahn quickly searched through the females in the rebel group until his eyes fell upon Te‘era’s long, wavy, titian locks.
“Not only will I— but gladly. That woman is far prettier than you are, my old friend!”
Rezarahn laughed as Tierlahn made his way over to Te‘era and took the seat between her and Raoul. Rezarahn’s servants acted quickly to bring a new place setting for the spot Tierlahn had just vacated. Rezarahn pulled Lani’s chair out for her.
Lani beamed. She had always loved chivalry and good manners. Her past boyfriends had always opened doors for her. They had also done other things like putting their jacket around her when she was cold, helping her out of the car, and offering their arm when they walked together— partly because they knew she loved that kind of behavior, and partly because some of them had been raised the right way by their mothers.
However, Rezarahn’s manners were impeccable. They flowed so naturally that she knew without a doubt that this was the way in which he always behaved. She sat down gracefully, and he pushed the chair in beneath her with ease, as she sat, in one fluid motion— so that no awkward scooting in was required on her part.
“Excuse me,” Lani began with a soft tone as she caught Rezarahn’s eye— omitting his name since she did not know what to call a deposed heir, who had not given her permission to use his first name. “I do not drink alcoholic beverages, and I am not familiar with all of the drinks you have available here. Would you be so kind as to inform me if there are any I should avoid?”
“There are none, dear lady. I do not allow alcohol in this home. I do not consume it. I like to keep a clear head at all times and I despise being the only sober one in the room.”
“We have that in common. Thank you,” Lani replied with a shy smile.
Jaresh stood up— a raised glass in his right hand. “With your permission, Prince Rezarahn,” he said, looking to Rezarahn expectantly.
“Of course!” Rezarahn answered warmly.
“I would like to make a toast. First— to our honored host for this bounteous feast.”
“To our honored host!” everyone repeated in unison— lifting their glasses and drinking.
“And to our Prince— who continues to lead us with the strength of his father— in honor of his reaching his twenty-sixth year, on this, the day of his birth!”
Drakne shot a look of disdain at Jharate. “We share a birthday, do we, Prince?” he muttered quietly with rage boiling up in his heart. If only I could make it your death day as a present to myself.
Unfortunately, Jharate had made himself useful as the weapon who would kill Lani. Therefore, Jharate could not be removed from the game board before Lani’s destruction was accomplished. Drakne returned to gazing outside, from his comfortable window seat.
“Should Jaresh be telling everyone who Jharate is?” Erik whispered to Arante.
“There is not a soul here who wouldn’t already know,” Arante answered. “Remember how I said he and I cannot hide anywhere in Alamea? Jaresh knows this. His addressing it head-on may actually be the smartest tactical move we have at the moment. It makes it seem like we are expected here and under the protection of the host.”
“But if everyone recognizes both of you, isn’t being here dangerous?”
“Absolutely! But Jharate let Tierza hijack everything and wouldn’t listen to me— and I stand by Jharate in his final decisions. Thankfully, we leave tomorrow. The short time here should minimize our risk. Although Jharate is being such a prig lately that I’m not too happy about his getting any positive attention at the moment.”
Erik laughed quietly. Jaresh had been continuing his toast whilst Arante and Erik had whispered their conversation. They stopped just in time for the last bit of it.
“Many happy returns of the day to you, Prince Jharate! Happy birthday!”
“Many happy returns and happy birthday to Prince Jharate!” the group responded.
Jharate gave a regal nod of acknowledgement.
“A birthday cannot go uncelebrated!” Rezarahn exclaimed. He clapped his hands twice and added, “See to it!”
The five of his servants who were closest to him bowed their heads and left immediately. The men among them were dressed similarly to Rezarahn— but the shirts had no frills and the embroidery was less elaborate. The women were in dresses similar to Kendra’s— also much less elaborate.
It seemed like no time at all had passed before decorative boxes and intricately-wrapped packages made their way to Jharate by the dozens. Arante rolled her eyes in anger-fueled disgust but kept her mouth shut. Eventually, the focus on Jharate began to dwindle as everyone returned to their own conversations.
Lani sighed in frustration. She hadn’t known that today was his birthday and a large part of her wanted to go wish him well. But as he would only walk away from her, she stifled her desire.
Sadly, there was more to learning it was his birthday that hurt her heart. From what she had written in her notes for her novel, she knew that Jharate’s birthday was the same as Josiah’s— October fifth. Since she and her friends had gone missing on July tenth— that meant she had been away from home for five days short of three months.
“What is wrong, beautiful lady?” Rezarahn inquired, looking at her with sincere concern in his gorgeous green eyes.
His kind tone and caring gaze snapped her back into the moment in front of her. She smiled gently and she replied with a sweet tone.
“Nothing I can speak of at the moment— and nothing I can’t push aside for the sake of the evening.”
“Very well. I shall not inquire further for your sake,” he promised with a genuine smile. “However, if you find yourself in need of a confidant, you need not hesitate— nor need you look further than your hand.”
He took her hand and kissed it before letting it go again so she could eat.
“You are very kind,” she replied with a grateful tone.
“Not at all. In truth you deserve much better than I could ever give to you. However, that will not stop me from the attempt.”
He flashed a debonair smile that contained a streak of mischief within it that set Lani’s heart aflutter again. And just like that— her mood was lifted and her appetite returned.
They all feasted until they could eat no more— except for Justin. He continued joyfully past the point where he couldn’t eat another bite. Only Jharate seemed to have a smaller-than-normal appetite.
Rezarahn and Lani had been talking the entire night away— laughing, smiling, and flirting all the while. Since Arante and Tierza had emphasized the importance of Lani and her friends blending in, Lani skillfully directed the conversation away from anything to do with Earth.
She focused instead on asking Rezarahn questions about himself, which he answered easily and cheerfully. He found himself as fascinated by her personality as she found herself astounded by his many adventures. He was truly a daring man. One story in particular left a strong impression on her mind as he related the tale.
“I was a lad of only sixteen years when my kingdom fell. However, I did not let that stop me from rebelling in secret. I will never forget the seventeenth year of the day of my birth, may I live to be one hundred years old!”
He laughed a jovial laugh before continuing.
“Three of my closest friends and I decided that the best way to celebrate would be to assault one of Vranah’s caravans. It was full of riches that had been stolen from our kingdom to help finance his war with Kelamosa.
“Our people were suffering greatly from the devastation of the recent fall. We could not bear the thought of good Zenastrans starving whilst the then General Asharen was becoming wealthy from appropriating portions of stolen Zenastran treasure.”
Lani flinched at the mere mention of that name. She recovered quickly and tried to hide her reaction with an interested smile.
Rezarahn lifted one eyebrow slightly and glanced in her direction— but it wa
s obvious that she did not wish to talk about whatever the painful memory was.
He returned his face to his normal expression and pretended to have seen nothing so as to avoid making her even more uncomfortable and— instead— continued with his tale.
“None of the four of us had yet reached our twentieth year. We dressed as Trisaknen robbers and raided the entire caravan. We recovered all of the gold and jewelry they had stolen and tied the guards to nearby trees where we painted their faces with the colors of Trisakne. We proceeded to empty their pockets and took what riches they had on their person for good measure!”
Rezarahn laughed heartily, as did every friend he had within earshot— but his eyes twinkled brighter when he saw Lani’s smile and the light shining in her sapphire eyes. He smiled back at her before continuing his story.
“We returned to our village to disperse the riches to their rightful owners and gave away the additional plunder we had managed to attain during the raid.”
“Such a generous heart!” exclaimed one of his friends.
“I only did what was right.” Rezarahn waved his hand as if physically waving off the compliment. “To that end, I took great pleasure in giving a pocket watch— which I had taken from one of the guards— to a particularly needy family. I also returned their only prized possession, which that same guard had stolen from them that very morning.
“The widow and her five children had almost no belongings whatsoever and had tears of gratitude in their eyes. If I remember correctly, the precious item the guard had stolen was the widow’s great-grandmother’s wedding ring. Vranah’s men are so crass!”
One of Drakne’s eyebrows arched. He had not been aware of Rezarahn’s youthful escapades. He would most certainly bring this to Vranah’s attention later. No doubt Vranah would want to deal with him personally.
“Dancing!” Rezarahn called, clapping his hands twice sharply. “We will have dancing! Do me the honor of joining me, my dear lady.”