“I think you enjoy yourself at my expense,” he murmured, his tone not very happy. “But then I have not understood a word you’ve said since you first opened your mouth.”
Hmmm… well that was rather abrupt. I didn’t think Elves were supposed to be that rude. “I’m sorry; perhaps we can start over, without you prying into my mind. And you then might introduce yourself to me as I have not the vaguest idea who you are.”
He drew breath into his lungs and looked irritated once again.
“Look, you don’t need to worry. I won’t ever be your Queen; that will be my Mother’s job, not mine. So you don’t have to give me the speech about how I don’t belong here or warn me away from delusions of grandeur, since I don’t have any. I came to meet my Grandmother and keep Amras from getting into trouble because of me. So if that was what you wanted to tell me, you need not bother.”
He lifted a hand and ran it through his hair. He looked like he might be pulling it out by the roots and I actually winced in sympathy while I watched him. He growled softly so that I lifted an eyebrow and by some miracle managed to keep my mouth shut long enough for him to say. “I’ve no idea why you would think…” and he waved his hands at me, “any of that as I have had no intention to say any such thing. I merely wished to apologize for my earlier rudeness and explain that I was fascinated by your… what did you call it… your funnel. I have upon occasion, been known to have a curious nature and I did not wish for you to be unduly annoyed with me. And I thought if you were willing, that we might discuss your healing abilities as I am very interested in understanding the mixing of Elf and Dragon blood and its potential affects upon you.”
“Oh, you’re a doctor,” I muttered and nearly bit my tongue off.
“A healer, yes. I am also… your Mother’s healer.”
“And with her carrying my four sisters….” I muttered and he nodded, his eyes searching my face intently.
“Yes we need to ensure she has the best care.”
“I have it on good authority that all five of them will be fine.”
He looked at me in surprise and I shrugged.
“I also happen to know that none of them are gold… like me,” I leaned in to tell him. “But I’m not sure my parents know that. Although Dad should be able to….” I trailed off, giving myself a shake. “Do you have a name?” I asked, giving him a somewhat lopsided smile. “You didn’t say.”
He looked flustered and told me, “Maglor Mithrandír.”
“Seriously? You don’t carry a title around with that do you?”
He looked pained and replied, “Lord Maglor Mithrandir. I am the seventh Earl of Massessl,” he told me, waving his hand as if it was of no importance.
“So shall I call you Lord Maglor?” I asked and tried not to smile when he frowned.
“If you must,” he told me with a grimace.
“What can I assist you with that the Keeper of Knowledge cannot tell you?” I asked quietly, and then raised an eyebrow when he flushed and glanced anywhere but my face. Oh this should be interesting I thought, and smiled up at him patiently waiting for an answer. What did the most attractive Elf in the place want with me? Let me rephrase that… what did the absent minded professor type who might also happen to be the most attractive Elf in the place want with me? Goodness he must cause a lot of frustration in the locals, I couldn’t help thinking to myself.
He swallowed and his eyes flicked to me then away again. His voice was barely a whisper when he asked, “You… you think I’m attractive?”
My eyebrows nearly climbed into my hairline at his question. “Have you never looked in a mirror?” I asked, wondering how surreal this conversation was going to become.
He made a rude noise. I wasn’t sure what shocked me more… his response to my question or that such an odd noise had actually come out of someone so beautiful. “With your permission… I’d very much like to know what’s… behind the red door,” he muttered and shifted from foot to foot where he stood as if he might be standing upon coals. I wasn’t certain if the subject pained him or if he was embarrassed at having to ask.
“Lord Maglor, exactly how old are you?” I asked, wondering if he was capable of handling what was behind my red door. For all his good looks, I wasn’t sure about his other abilities. My thought earned me a strange look.
“I am nearly millennia old,” he replied stiffly and I realized I might have offended him by asking such a personal question. However he had started it by asking me questions first, so technically if anyone should be offended it should be me.
“Hmmm, and have you never…” and I glanced around to see that no one in particular seemed to be paying us any attention, “been ah… intimate with um… anyone?” I asked, feeling my cheeks and the tips of my ears turn pink. His lovely eyes stared down at me in shock and I think he actually grew a foot or so from outrage. I winced and glanced back up at him. “Okay yes well, what’s behind my door is what got you that way,” I told him, then took a deep breath and hoped my face didn’t go up in flames from embarrassment.
“Got me which way?” he demanded, his brow creasing in a frown and I could tell he was struggling to keep his voice low.
“Intimate,” I leaned in to whisper. “What’s behind my door is lust. And no I’m not going to open the door now because it would only cause an uncomfortable scene, so please do not bother asking,” I told him when his eyes turned speculative.
“But you can open the door?” He wanted to know after a moment of what I thought was likely deep contemplation.
“Yes, of course I can and do… often. I created it, didn’t I?” In fact sometimes the damn thing seemed to swing in the breeze, I thought, and pulled myself together when he stared down at me with altogether odd expression. “Excuse me,” I muttered.
“And do you think the others will have need of this… funnel?” he asked, his voice sounding pleased at the thought and I couldn’t for the life of me think why he would be pleased about the possibility.
“Noooo… they definitely will not,” I replied while he frowned back at me and lifted an eyebrow as if he didn’t quite believe my answer. “Trust me on this… I know for certain,” I told him.
An arm slid around my waist pulling me back against an unfamiliar chest and I went from nearly purring, thinking it was Jace or Gareth, to stiff and unyielding in about half a second. “What do you think you’re doing?” I growled, tilting my head up to look at Tdem, who was looking at Lord Maglor like he would have liked to strangle him. For his part Lord Maglor wasn’t looking any more pleased with the King and I thought ‘uh oh, what is this?’
“Lord Mithrandír, it is unexpected to see you out and about mixing with the Court. But then I suppose my new Queen is enough to draw even you out of your workroom.”
Maglor looked like he’d swallowed something wrong but managed a fairly polite response as he barely dipped his head. “Your Majesty, how kind of you to join us at this moment.”
Tdem narrowed his eyes and looked the other man over. “You are not boring Her Majesty with talk of your fanciful ideas are you?” He nearly growled and I wondered if Tdem rubbed everyone the wrong way on purpose of if he just couldn’t help himself. Both of them frowned slightly and I pressed my lips together. I was tempted to find a pressure point but forced myself to stand there uncomfortably with the King’s arm still wrapped around me, while I endeavored to keep from distracting either of them. This was starting to sound interesting.
“Your Majesty, I hardly call ensuring our race’s future a fanciful idea.” Maglor informed the King in a tense voice.
“Far be it from me to disagree, since it’s clear that our women are no longer capable of having children,” the King told him with a grimace. Inside me Goldy rolled over and blinked her eyes as she pushed herself into a sitting position and made a scoffing noise low in her throat. I placed my hand over my stomach, below Tdem’s while he tensed behind me.
Maglor’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he stared
down at me. “Your Majesty?” he choked out, while I grimaced and glanced back at him.
“Apparently Goldy does not think much of Lord Tdem’s comments,” I told them.
“Who is… Goldy?” Maglor whispered, while his eyes stared down in the general vicinity of my stomach.
I sighed and tried pulling away from Tdem again, only to be gripped tighter against his chest and, hmmm… other parts. “My Dragon,” I replied as calmly as I could.
“Your Dragon?” he whispered, his eyes nearly crossing he was so surprised. Tdem merely spread his hand across my waist and hummed softly. It was clear he was enjoying taking advantage of the moment.
I leaned forward and glanced up at him. “Lord Tdem, could you please not do that?” I asked, and he frowned slightly and restrained himself from rumbling against my back. I turned to Maglor and nodded, while behind Maglor I caught sight of Gareth stepping through the crowd and headed in my direction. His blue eyes ran over me, taking in Tdem’s arm and a frown twisted his beautiful cupid bow lips. I reach out for him and mentally cupped his cheek in my palm, then brushed my finger across his lips, my own lifting at the corners, when he froze and narrowed his gaze upon me.
At my back Tdem hissed and I shifted, tilting to the side ever so slightly so that he moved and I was forced to take a step… right onto his foot with the spiked heel of my shoe. His hiss turned to a growl and I reached for his hand, my fingers delicately digging into the nerve between his thumb and first finger. His growl turned to an even more displeased noise as he yanked his hand off of me. I smiled and stepped out of the shelter of his body, past Maglor and into Gareth’s arms. His humming made me smile and I reached my arms around him and held him tight. He glanced over my head and tensed. I didn’t need to look behind me to know he was looking at Tdem and that the King probably wasn’t pleased. Oh well, if he wanted to be part of my Court he was going to have to get used to seeing me in Gareth and Jace’s arms, as I liked it there very much.
“Who’s the other one?” Gareth whispered while his lips brushed my temple.
“My Mother’s physician.”
“You find him attractive.” It wasn’t a question.
I pushed back and looked up at him. “Who wouldn’t?” I asked with a mischievous smile. “Definitely pin up material,” I added much to everyone’s annoyance. “Just look at him, he’s every school girl’s dream of the perfect Faerie Elf.”
“Shall I kill him then?” Dane asked casually from beside Gareth. He’d arrived so quietly I hadn’t heard him. I glanced over my shoulder at Maglor, who eyed Dane with a mixture of interest and concern and his cheeks were flushed again from my comments. Beside him Tdem looked like he could chew nails and his aura was yellow-green again… so not a good color on him, I thought, and he flared his nostrils and made unhappy noises in his throat.
“Now why would you want to do that?” I asked as I rested my cheek against Gareth’s chest, getting comfortable.
“The man made ye blush,” Dane mumbled and I smiled, and then laughed softly against Gareth.
“Oh I see… and you thought that meant I was attracted ‘to’ him not that I thought him attractive?”
“An were ye nae?” he replied, still staring at Maglor or perhaps the King. From where I stood I couldn’t tell without turning my head again and I was presently enjoying the beating of Gareth’s heart beneath my cheek too much to want to move.
“Hmmm… stop teasing him Dane, the poor man’s a healer. Any interest he has in me is purely scientific.”
“He’s no dead from the waist down, Lassy.”
“Dane, Dane, Dane,” I muttered. “Such a complex you’re developing,” I teased him. “Not everyone here wants to be you.”
Dane turned his dark eyes to me then flashed me a grin. “No, I’m thinking at the moment, they’d like ta be him,” he replied using a jerk of his chin to indicate Gareth.
“Very funny,” I replied and pushed out of Gareth’s arms. “Has anyone seen Cursed? I’m supposed to be meeting the Court and Amras is still busy with his parents.”
“I can assist you,” Tdem informed me and I turned and leaned back against Gareth’s chest.
“That is very kind of you Lord Tdem. But I believe the Queen’s intent was for me to converse with them, not chase them screaming before me.” He frowned and pulled himself upright at my comment, his eyes narrowing on me. “Look around you,” I added, waving my hand at the space surrounding us. “There must be over five hundred people in this room and yet there you stand as if upon a small island.” Tdem turned his eyes upon Maglor as if to disagree. “Lord Maglor is hardly the appropriate person to gage by.” It made all four of them look askance at me while I lifted my hands and gave a delicate shrug. “He is as determined as he is beautiful,” I told them, my words seeming to irritate all of them except Maglor himself, who simply raised a perfect eyebrow at me. “He wants something only I can give him. And his single minded determination is the only thing keeping him standing there. A trait, I might add, I’d find admirable were he my tax collector.”
Gareth leaned forward and brushed his cheek against mine, then told me with a sardonic note in his voice, “So it is for all of us.” His words brought grudging smiles to the other men’s faces.
I nodded thoughtfully. “My point exactly.”
“How so?” Dane asked.
“If everyone in the room wanted me as you claim, there wouldn’t be any space surrounding Lord Tdem, now would there?”
Tdem frowned and replied thoughtfully, “Her Majesty’s logic is sound.”
“Do not take it personally, Lord Tdem, perhaps it is merely the fierce nature of your bodyguards that is off putting. In either case you must agree were I to drag you and your entourage about the room with me I will only be meeting those with motives similar to your own. Or was that your intent?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.
“Similar to my own?” he repeated, his dark eyes turning calculating. “It would be enlightening,” he told me, and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes.
“For you perhaps. Personally I would much rather not know.”
“For what reason would you not wish to know?” Tdem asked me and I felt Gareth’s silent laughter against my body.
I sighed and looked him over. “For the reason that I am currently in a good mood and do not wish to change that by worrying. I leave that to you,” I told him and pulled away from Gareth after giving his hand a squeeze. “Now if you’ll excuse me? I’d very much like to get on with meeting the Court.” And I stepped away from Gareth and into the crowd.
Chapter 7
I went at it with a vengeance for the next several hours, meeting as many of the Seelie as possible. It was what I had expected, although as the Queen’s Granddaughter, the slurs against my mixed breeding were pretty much kept to a minimum. When I could see it was a problem for someone, I simply moved on as quickly as possible, careful not to become annoyed.
At one point I found myself alone, standing near a wall and thinking to myself, these people were a proud race and had every right to be protective of it being diluted out of existence. And that it was not for me to convince them that their fears were unimportant. Especially since being here with them like this, I actually believed they were right. It would be tragic if Elves intermingled to the point of extinction. Had I the ability I would have healed them so they could reproduce. Can Goldy whispered inside me. I nearly went to the floor in a heap, but was instead caught by my arms and helped into the nearest chair by one of the guards who must have been standing near me, although I hadn’t actually noticed him until then. It seemed Nick’s guards could take lessons from these Elves.
“Breathe, Your Majesty,” he murmured from his knee, where he knelt next to my chair.
“Thank you,” I muttered, settling my flute in my lap and dragging air into my lungs as quietly as I could. “I just… needed to sit down for a moment.”
“As you say,” he replied. I glanced at him and realized I was lo
oking at the dark Elf who had been standing behind the Queen earlier. The one I had irritated then dismissed.
“Oh,” I replied and bit my lip when he stood and crossed his arms over his chest.
“The Queen sent me to ensure that you came to no harm,” he replied and I winced and nodded.
“That was thoughtful of her,” I muttered and glanced down at my hands which were laced in my lap, working hard to not think about the irony.
“Your men are not quite alarmed,” he told me curtly, “but it would ease them were you to lift your head and smile so they do not think I am annoying you. Although perhaps that is redundant since I happen to be standing next to you,” he finished, his voice sounding almost caustic.
I jerked my head up and glanced about the room, forcing a smile when I caught sight of several of my men looking my way. They must not have seen me stumble or they would have been over here already.
“I believe your misstep was, for the most part unnoticed, Your Majesty.”
“Would it help if I apologized?” I asked softly, and glanced back down at my fingers after giving Gareth a nod to let him know I was fine.
“For what reason would the Queen wish to apologize to this lowly guard?” he replied after several minutes of silence.
Ouch… I thought and winced. “Perhaps because I was rude?”
He made a soft sound in his throat and shifted slightly. I turned my head and snuck a glance at him. He was staring out over the crowd, his dark eyes restless. “Your men appear well mannered,” he replied and I took that to be an acceptance of my apology. I dipped my head and glanced back down at my hands. “Earlier when you shared your experiences with the Earl, I could not help but notice that the Prince was also with you in many of the…sequences.”
The Prince? Oh, he meant Cursed. “Yes the… Prince arrived the same day as Lord Amras. Also brought to me by the flute,” I told him, wondering at his question, though I suppose as a Queen’s guard it was more than possible that he would know Cursed.
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