“Friends,” Animir offered with a firm nod, placing his hand flat against his chest to indicate himself.
His mouth dropping open, Rey gasped, “You’ve been teaching him to speak our tongue?”
“Aye, he wanted to learn,” Baldwin laughed, coming out of his room and taking a seat in one of the chairs, turning it so that it faced the fire and trying out the cushion. “This place is nice. Did you see how high up we are? Higher than the tallest mast!”
“I know how high up we are,” Rey agreed, still staring at the elf. “What else did you teach him?”
“Just some words,” Bally shrugged, indicating for his new friend to take a seat. “Sit down,” he enunciated, pointing at a chair.
“Sit down,” Animir parroted, doing as he had been instructed.
Shaking his head, Rey laughed out loud, then recalled that Amicia was still in her room, presumably sulking. “I’m going to get a nap. You guys hold it down and do not disturb her,” he commanded, pointing at her door before closing his own.
Kicking off his boots, he stretched out on his bed and admired the softness of it. He had never slept in such a comfortable place, or at least he couldn’t remember it if he ever had. The room pitch black, he sighed.
The Mate was a cruel man, toying with Amicia the way that he did, but in the end, he was right. In time, he would get a chance to court her, and if Piers had to break her heart before that happened, at least he could be the man to help her mend the pieces.
Magical Lands
The sunlight shining from the balcony and into the room had all but disappeared when Reynard left his chamber. Stretching, he groaned loudly at the pleasure it gave him. Days and weeks and months had it been since he had slept well, or so it seemed.
Looking round the expanse of the room, the air felt damp and cool in the fading light. No wonder they keep a fire, he observed. Drawing the heavy drapes that hung at the sides of the narrow opening, he blocked out the remaining sun and the cool air at the same time. No one else stirred, and from the two open doors on the opposite wall, he deduced that the other men were already below.
Facing the one that shared his side of the tower, he approached on silent steps, knocking faintly. Waiting, he listened. When she did not reply, he knocked a little more firmly and twisted the handle. The latch clicked as he opened it, inching it towards him and peeking into the blackness.
“Amicia,” he whispered hoarsely.
Nothing.
Pulling the door open, he stepped in and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim stream that barely illuminated the room. On the table before him, he could make out her personal items, and her bag hung from the back of the chair. “Ami,” he said more firmly.
“What do you want?” She lay on her side beneath the covers, holding a pillow to her chest and resting her face against it.
Creeping forward, the shadows hid her features. Seeing that he had room to sit, he took part of the mattress. “It’s time for dinner. We haven’t had a good meal in days,” he reminded her.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Yes, you are!” he laughed loudly. “Your body is, anyway.”
Cutting her soft green eyes up at him, she only stared.
“Come on. I’ll help you dress,” he offered, pulling at her blanket.
“I really don’t want to go down,” she sniffed.
“I know,” he agreed, fully understanding why. “But sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do, and this is one of those times, Amicia.”
Growling, she sat up, pulling herself to the edge of the bed and sitting beside him. “Piers is really an ass,” she informed him.
“I know,” he said again, nodding. “But it’s ok, love.” He paused, rubbing her back firmly through her undergarments and noticing the hair she had dutifully pulled into a braid before she lay down. “You are going to go down and have a very good time with our new friends.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” she grimaced, getting to her feet.
“Well, you’ll have a good time if I have any say in the matter,” he joked.
“That’s not the part I doubt,” she replied, her voice not changing as she spoke. “It’s the elves. I have my doubts about their intentions.”
Standing to help her slip the first layer on, Reynard ignored the comment. He knew that she hurt; her heart and spirit had taken a beating. Her attitude would improve after she had some time to heal, and a good meal wouldn’t hurt either.
Lifting the gown, he held it above her head, and she raised her arms, slipping them in and then adjusting the material into place. His fingers agile, he pulled the laces in the back and tied them, then stepped back to admire her slender form. “You really are beautiful,” he breathed.
“You can’t even see me,” she chuckled in the dim light.
“I see you,” he insisted, absently brushing the side of her head with the backs of his fingers.
Catching her braid, she bit her lip. “You like it down, don’t you?”
“Aye, like a golden halo,” he assured her.
Pulling the tie loose, she unwound the braid. Picking up her brush from the table, she informed him, “I can smooth it all out, but it will be all over the place before dinner is over.”
He grinned at the thought of it. “I know, I love it that way.”
Shaking her head, she finished the chore and pronounced herself ready to go. Pausing at one of the chairs in the common room, she slipped her feet into the cloth slippers and then followed as he led her down the stairs.
On the ground a few minutes later, the couple exited the tower and looked around at the streets and paths lit by small lamps scattered along the way. They could hear the noise of people, and followed the sound towards the palace, where the queen had greeted the girl earlier that day.
When they arrived at the fountain at the center of the square, the maid who had tended to her before met them and announced, “Oh, my lady, I was coming to see to you!”
“I have been seen to,” Ami replied, reaching for Rey’s arm.
Allowing her to take it, the man next to her inquired, “Does she know how Oldrilin is doing?”
“The siren is resting,” Sadrir said with a smile. “I am to take you to the great hall for the dinner.”
“She said she’s ok, and we are going to some banquet, I think.”
“A banquet,” he agreed, his stomach growling at the thought of a fine meal. “They really have welcomed us here.”
“I know,” Ami frowned, “that’s what has me so concerned.”
Following the elf maid, they took the left set of stairs into the palace area and arrived a moment later at a great hall that had no roof. There, three tables sat facing the doors in a great “U” with the floor between wide open; enchanting with the stars above it. The one at the far end obviously the head table, the queen sat at the center of it, and servants passed in and out from the doors on that end of the structure.
Joining them at that moment, Piers growled, “Is this fancy enough for you?”
“It’s exquisite,” Amicia breathed. “I’ve never even dreamed of such an occasion as this.”
“And I’ve seen far too many of them,” the older man bit tartly. Turning around, he swore under his breath and then walked away, appearing to be in a hurry. Pursuing him, a tall slender elf with long brown hair caught him as he made the turn to walk behind the left side table.
Laughing, Rey observed, “How do you like that?”
“Like what?” Ami frowned, noticing the chummy way that the Mate and the elf seemed to interact.
“That’s the girl he had in our suite today,” he informed her.
“Is it? I hadn’t noticed,” she lied flatly.
“Come on,” he laughed again. “You know what this means?”
“I have no idea.”
“It means, he got her into bed, and now he wants to move on to the next conquest. Only, she’s not letting him get away that easy!”
Watching the
pair, she could see that he did seem to be making an effort to remove himself from her grasp. Giggling spastically, Ami agreed, “It looks that way, doesn’t it.” The Mate had stated he intended to make as many new female friends as possible while they were there. The fact he had run into a snag amused her, and she laughed a little more fully.
Rey chuckled with her and the couple were still at it when Anerion joined them, presenting his elbow for her to take. “My lady,” he announced. “I’m here to see you to your seat.”
“Oh, thank you,” she beamed, clinging to Rey and snubbing the offer. “He’s going to show us to our seats, love.”
Glaring at her, Anerion did not lower the appendage. Instead, he indicated the head table. “Your seat is next to my queen, Lady Cilithrand.”
“Oh! We are at the head table!” she announced in surprise.
“Only you, my lady,” he said, his meaning clear as he glared at the other man.
Picking up on his dismissal, Rey removed her fingers from his flesh. “Go sit with the queen, love,” he whispered in her ear. “I’ll sit at a side table and enjoy the view.”
“What view?” she clipped, angry that he would abandon her.
“You, of course!” he laughed, pushing her towards the elf. “I wouldn’t be able to see you if you were next to me, now would I?”
Rolling her eyes, she accepted her new guide. Walking slowly beside him with her beautiful gown flowing around her ankles, the room grew quiet as they passed through the center of the wide floor between the tables. Making their way around the end, she was taken to the center and given the seat to the queen’s left hand.
Glancing around the room anxiously, she could see that Rey had been true to his word and sat between two elf maids not far from the close end of the left side table; twenty yards away at most. Accepting her chair, she sank down next to Cilithrand, who greeted her warmly.
“And how was your bath?”
Her royal voice dripped with honey, but it grated on the girl’s nerves, sending chills up her spine. “It was splendid,” Ami replied, forcing a large, fake smile.
“I am pleased to hear it,” the queen said softly. Waving her hand to a servant, the elves began carrying out food and placing the platters on the tables. Serving the plates, those who sat at the banquet feasted happily.
Looking up and down the long, flat surfaces, Ami’s eyes grew wide. It almost appeared that the elves were in fact two different races of beings. Tall and slender sat at the tables, being waited upon. And smaller versions do the serving.
Working up her nerve, she finally asked, “Are all of you elves?”
“Yes, of course we are,” the queen replied stiffly. Taking a sip from her wine, her smile did not reach her eyes. Glancing around, she appeared to be considering her response before she explained, “We of the ruling house have a certain look about us, I guess you could say.”
“Your size,” Amicia supplied.
“Yes, that is part of it,” Cilithrand agreed. “You are in a magical land now, Amicia Spicer. Forget the rim of mortals and open yourself to that which is yours.”
“That which is mine,” the girl breathed, the air hanging in her chest as if it refused to come out. Her brow furrowed, she said quietly, “I assure you, I have no magic.” Instantly, her hand shot up and lay over the merdoe that hung within her cleavage. “Are you talking about the shell?”
“To use magic requires a certain degree of ability, that is all,” the queen informed her with a faint smile, confident her suspicions about the young woman were sound. The frail being next to her would be no match in combat, and she would easily be molded as Cilithrand saw fit.
Turning her attention to her meal, the older woman dropped the conversation, instead plying the girl with interesting and trivial facts about her home, the forest, and the mountain on which they had built their realm. Then, when most of the diners had completed the meal, she called loudly, “Bring in the dancers,” clapping her hands twice as she did so.
“Dancers?” Amicia asked, a hint of curiosity tickling her from within.
Leaning back in her high-backed chair, the queen raised her hands. Her robes hanging from her arms, the light shone through the thin layers of material that covered them. “These are our entertainment,” she explained as two streams of the miniature elves poured out from the side doors that lay at the ends of the head table.
Guessing none of the new group to be more than four feet tall, Ami gasped, “They’re so tiny!”
“Yes, they come from a long line of performers. We all have our place here in Jerranyth,” the queen explained with a twisted smile.
In the center of the room, the two lines flowed around the room, one group all wearing pure white gowns and robes, while the other wore black. Forming a moving circle, the two groups bobbed over and under, around and through, in a spectacular display of twirls and spins that sent their gowns swirling and flowing around them.
“It must have taken them days to learn to do that!”
“Years,” the queen corrected, leaning closer to her guest. “This is their task. They are born to be a dancer, and work for many years before they are old enough and skilled enough to take the floor of the great hall.”
Before them, the dance had changed. Some of the elves had removed their gowns and wore next to nothing as they pranced around in the cool, evening air. Running, leaping, and twisting, they performed stunts like none of the four humans had ever witnessed. The strength in their arms and legs impressive, their need to train for years appeared obvious.
“They’re amazing,” Ami agreed, watching with a slack jaw. Glancing over at Rey, she coughed. He sat at his table, leaning on it with his elbows and stroking his beard, his clear hazel eyes not on the entertainment at all. True to his word, he was watching her. Smiling, she offered a small wave, which he returned, his bony wrist exposed as his shirt only covered about two-thirds of his arm.
Turning her attention back to the queen and her minions, Ami tried not to think about Rey and his apparent infatuation with her. Why was it she never felt drawn to men who were drawn to her? Thinking of Rupert, she giggled for a moment, then realized it might be considered rude to laugh during the elves’ display.
Her eyes darting to the right, she caught sight of Piers, his new female friend sitting beside him. I guess he wasn’t able to get away, yet, she surmised. Her eyes skimming over the crowd, she finally located Bally, only he had not been seated at a table during the feast.
Standing against the far wall with a small group of males, he appeared happy, chatting away with them. Shaking her head, she wondered what he could possibly be saying to a group of people who had no way to reply to him.
The thought made her laugh again, but she kept it to herself. If there was anything she had learned about Baldwin Carter, it was that. The man could carry on a conversation with a rock if that were all that were available to listen and getting a reply did not seem high on his list of priorities.
The group of dancers performed for what seemed like hours, but in reality, it had not been nearly so long. When they had finished, the party broke up with elves separating into their smaller groups and heading for their beds.
“You will visit me tomorrow, in my palace,” Cilithrand informed Ami as she stood. “I will send my maid, Sadrir, for you early.”
“Yes, your majesty,” Ami replied, bowing her head respectfully. Getting to her feet, she scurried over to Rey, who had not seemed to take his eyes off of her for a single second.
“You could have at least watched the show,” she informed him. “Or pretended that you were.”
“I was,” he laughed, taking her hand and guiding her through the crowd. “Since we both had a nap, I was hoping you might accompany me for a visit with Oldrilin before we turn in.”
“Oh, I would love to!”
“Good, then let’s go back to the fountain. I know the way from there,” he supplied, tugging her along as they left the rest of their party behind to fend from
themselves.
However, once they had made the turn and climbed the stairs, a tall elf blocked their path. “What are you doing here?” he demanded, looking them up and down.
“We’ve come to visit the siren,” Amicia informed him curtly, not liking the sound of his attitude. “We won’t stay long, we promise.”
“You are not permitted,” he clipped, shifting to block their path more fully.
“I am the queen’s guest,” she huffed. “Lin is our friend, and we demand to see her!”
Pulling at her arm, Rey whispered, “Perhaps there is another way around.”
“There is no other entrance,” the guard spat. “Would you like an escort to your quarters?”
“We know the way,” Ami replied with less bravado than she had previously managed. Turning her back, she slipped her hand into Rey’s. “I’m not sure what to do,” she confessed.
Arriving back at the fountain, they found Bally standing there with his new friends. “Hey, guys!” he called, trotting over to greet them warmly. “Why the long faces?”
“We wanted to visit with Oldrilin, but a guard wouldn’t let us in,” Rey informed his young companion. Glancing over at Ami, he could feel the anger radiating from her.
“Well, I’ll get Animir to get us in tomorrow,” Bally told them confidently.
“Do you think he will?” the girl asked doubtfully, noticing the elves had not followed and had disappeared instead.
“Sure he will! He’s shown me all over this place,” the boy stated proudly, puffing out his chest as he spoke. “And he’s teaching me elf!”
“Teaching you elf,” Rey laughed, not really sure what to make of the odd pair the two younger men made. “Ok, tomorrow we’ll go and see her at first light.”
“I can’t,” Ami sighed, ambling towards their building and the long climb to their suite. “I have to meet with the queen early.”
“Meet with the queen, what for?” Bally asked in surprise.
“I don’t know,” she groaned. “I only spent a few minutes with her today. And during dinner, it felt more like she was evaluating me than anything else. Like I was being tested for something.” Arriving at the entrance, the three mounted the stairs.
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