“Considering the circumstances, I’m sure you’d have their wholehearted support.”
“Despite courting Elias’ favor for ages,” Aisalan began, “Many Aelven are just as wary of her priestesses as you are. I often stay with them when I need rest away from the court’s prying eyes.”
“So, no other Aelven will be there?”
“Ours is the only party from Myrenden.”
Miri could accept that and was almost relieved. The fewer people from their stronghold who saw her, the easier it would be to blend back in once everything was said and done.
She watched the sprawling countryside roll past faster than she could take it in. She never considered herself a homebody, but navigating the wilds on foot was rarely a good idea. Stories of brigands patrolling the main roads and memories of the beasts she had seen in her youth were more than enough to keep her close to civilization.
The rocking of the carriage began to work its magic, the gentle rhythm acting as a calming aid she hadn’t realized she needed.
As she leaned her head against the carriage wall, angling her body in an attempt to prevent strain, she used the time to study the male currently sitting too close for comfort. His large form seemed to take up too much of the bench opposite her. With his face turned away, she was able to catch a glimpse of one of his ears, so close to human yet so different in the way it curved and narrowed at the top, coming to a sharp point.
She could understand how humans could become so mesmerized by them, but she would not be one of those humans.
Miri was still at a loss as to what he really wanted from her during their time together. When their bargain involved sex, things were harrowing but simpler. Now the expectations had shifted and it left her uncertain as to what new ones could arise. Would he expect her to respond favorably to his advances?
He claimed to be an Aelv of his word but only time would tell if that was true. She allowed her eyes to droop shut as the lack of sleep finally caught up with her. Time was the only thing she was willing to give.
Chapter Nine
Aisalan
Some fine companionship she was turning out to be. After a light doze, Aisalan woke to find they had slept through half their first rest, and Miri was thoroughly uninterested in rising when he tried to wake her. He had seen a few death glares in his life, none rivaled the one he received rousing Miri Third-Born.
Attempts to explain that she could get out and stretch her legs were met with a grumbled ‘I don’t care’ before she managed to reposition herself and fall back to sleep within moments.
Aisalan had to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. He could have had any choice of females from the courts to the most expensive brothel in the stronghold, yet he was traveling with a reluctant human alchemist who could be as surly and skittish as she was lovely.
His gaze lingered on the slight furrow creasing her brow. Even in sleep she seemed anxious and tense, something he found himself wishing to alleviate. It may have been naive to think releasing her from the sexual aspect of their agreement would instantly soothe her worries but he hoped doing so would lessen them and make her far more accepting of his presence.
A guard rapped on the carriage door and he exited.
“How many arcs to the temple?” Aisalan asked, bringing his hand to his eyes to shield them.
“Four or five give or take the gods’ mercy.” Neramyn replied. The guard was infamous with a sword but still put more faith in the gods than himself. His eyes drifted to the window of the carriage, no doubt curious about Aisalan’s guest.
Aisalan led him away and motioned toward their supply cart. “I will need you to keep your eyes sharp during this engagement.” He looked down the road, a normally idyllic vision overtaken by a shroud of foreboding. “Something about all of this feels wrong.”
Neramyn rummaged under the tarp covering their goods and removed a small bundle from a lidded crate. “In that case, it might have been better to attend unaccompanied.” He handed it to Aisalan’s waiting hands.
“That would arouse suspicion.” He inclined his head toward the rest of the guards. “Even more than I already will with such a heavy guard.”
“You think the humans are up to something.” Neramyn said, crossing his arms.
“I do not think this summit is being held in good faith.”
The Otravians were a stubborn, willful, group of humans with a well known history of subtly rebelling against the dominion. Their wealth and distance from Omel Dorei, the seat of power within the Aelven realm, made their boisterous defiance little more than a nuisance to many.
Things began to change when rebel groups grew in number and their attacks became more frequent and strategic. Ulther Otravian boasting of supporting his brothers in spirit did not help matters. That Aisalan was being sent to speak to him meant the dominion was losing its patience and hoping the gentle guidance of Aelven neighbors would bring him to reason.
The next course of action would be something Aisalan did not wish to linger on.
“We have learned as much as we could about the guard at Ulther Otravian’s disposal and have been in communication with those of the other Aelven strongholds that will be in attendance.” Neramyn said, resting a hand on Aisalan’s shoulder.
Aisalan nodded. “You are as prepared as one could ever be.”
“Short of asking an oracle.” Neramyn replied and though the comment was meant as a joke, Aisalan almost wished they had considered it. He was not a superstitious Aelv but the ability to see an outcome ahead of time could have been useful, as vague as the priestesses predictions tended to be.
He gave his final thanks to Neramyn for the parcel and walked back to the carriage. Miri had not stirred. She would be annoyed when she finally awoke. Aisalan smiled. He hoped a small offering would appease her.
Miri
Despite her best efforts, there was a crick in her neck. Her mouth tasted like it was filled with sand, and her head was pounding both from hunger and thirst. The steady rocking of the carriage that lulled her to sleep before now seemed like a jostling reminder that she had been in the same position for only the gods knew how long.
Across from her, Aisalan sat focused on a scroll partially unrolled in his lap. “Welcome back to the world of the living.”
Miri groaned and rubbed her neck. Her one nice dress was a wrinkled mess, and she could have kicked herself for missing out on the opportunity to stand up and walk around. Sol was barely still above the horizon, and she was feeling more cramped than ever. “How far have we gone?” she croaked, her voice scratchy from lack of moisture.
“We should be arriving at the Sisters of Elias’ temple very shortly. One of the guards rode ahead to announce us.”
Miri nodded and covered her mouth to stifle a yawn. Her stomach rumbled in protest, and she clutched it gently while looking around the carriage. She didn’t know what she’d expect to find but was thankful when Aisalan produced a small bundle of cloth. “You are probably starving, but I did not want to attempt waking you again.”
Miri grimaced and accepted the offering with a soft ‘Thank You.’ She whistled when she opened the small parcel. Pears, a couple of oranges, and a cluster of grapes, all prohibitively expensive for the lower castes but simple leftovers to the Aelv sitting across from her. “I was far more tired than I thought.” She murmured.
“You have not been sleeping?”
She hesitated. How much should she divulge? That she was somewhat worried she’d never be able to live up to the expectations placed at her feet by this impromptu arrangement? That the prospect of intercourse with him was as intriguing as it was terrifying? All of the above was true but seemed far too personal to share.
“We’ve been saving and planning for our shop for a very long time.” She said, deciding to rest on something safe, “Now that it’s so close...”
She allowed her sentence to end there, unsure of where she could take it that wouldn’t involve leading Aisalan into territory she wasn�
��t comfortable having him in.
She looked away from him right as he began to study her again, something she noticed he often did and that she found slightly disconcerting. That silent stare, as though she were some puzzle he was determined to figure out. The surface-level attraction she could handle, but the way he picked her apart with his gaze left her feeling bare and exposed.
“Temple ahead!” a loud voice pierced through the air, and Miri thanked the gods they were almost at their first destination.
She was elated to feel the carriage turn off of the main road, especially as the Orchards of Pomegranate, the fields kept by the sisters, came into view. She had heard of them before but had yet to see them in person. Her mouth fell open as the sight of perfectly manicured rows and the scent of exotic incense rushed in through the window. “Is there anything I need to know before we get there?” Miri asked, her eyes pinned to the passing sights.
“The sisters require all travelers to be bathed and blessed when they arrive.”
“That’s it?” Miri released a deep breath and chuckled, “That doesn’t sound bad at all.”
She was wrong. Very, very, wrong. They were directed through the main gate and quickly rushed out of the carriage to be introduced to the high priestess. A formidable, busty, Aelven female greeted them, her demeanor immediately welcoming as she engulfed both of them in a prolonged embrace.
It was only after that Miri got a good look at her ensemble; a sheer, gauzy shift crafted out of a delicate golden fabric that was nearly translucent. The material shifted with every movement and did little to hide her pierced nipples or the intricate tattoo work that covered a good portion of her thighs, torso, and arms.
The walk to their rooms was unhurried as she gave them a short tour of the main temple grounds before leading them to a small guest house tucked next to the bathing pools.
“You and your intended can rest here before the initiates retrieve you for bathing.” she said, “Is there anything else you need before I take my leave?”
Miri’s eyes cut to Aisalan at the priestess’s description of their relationship, and she allowed him to bid their farewells before she whirling on him, “Your intended!? What did you tell them?!”
Aisalan
Aisalan walked to the door, opened it, and checked that they were truly alone before closing it again. “I assumed this was the easiest way of making your presence known without causing a scandal.”
“By saying we’re engaged?” Miri screeched, “Have you lost your mind? How is that not going to cause a scandal? I thought you said there weren’t any other Aelven here? How would anyone even know?”
“I said there would not be any other Aelven parties from Myrenden’s court here.” Aisalan corrected. He understood why she might be a little upset at the depth of their deception, but there were far worse things to be mistaken for than a woman of the Vinhar. “There will be other Aelven here, I can assure you. And, to protect our reputations, it is best if people think we are meant to be joined.”
“No one is going to believe that Aisalan.” Miri groaned as she sat on the bed, “Don’t these engagements normally get huge announcements? Parties?”
“It will seem a political match and in a way...” He smirked at her and began removing his boots and trousers. “It is.” He scowled as the next words tumbled from his lips. “Though I did not consider all of the implications.”
“That much is obvious,” Miri said as she sat up, and he almost laughed when her eyes comically widened at his state of undress. “What are you doing?”
“We have to bathe, remember?” He replied with a raised eyebrow, “The attendants will be here to get us soon. They will not allow us to wallow in this space ‘unclean’ for long.” He motioned for her to get moving and chuckled when she jumped off the bed and dove behind one of the privacy screens in the room.
Resisting the urge to steal a peek wasn’t difficult, not with her issuing threats of dismemberment if he dared to look in her direction, but his breath caught when she stepped out. Her eyes darted nervously around the room, and she fumbled with her braids, unraveling them one by one in front of his eyes, her fingers flying down the plaits until her lustrous crown was wild, free, and covering her breasts.
Her chemise was so thin he could see the shadow of her sex through it, and his mouth began to water at the thought of seeing her in the baths. “I guess now would be a good time to tell you that we’ll be bathed together.”
If one could die by a look alone, the one she gave him would have been enough to stop his heart. “Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?” Miri snapped.
The last thing he needed to do was a move closer to her or relish in the way her breath hitched when he entered her space. “So many things...” he murmured as he trailed a finger along a beckoning curl.
Her eyes dropped to his lips and he wrapped a hand gently around her elbow. She was warm and alive beneath his palm and so close, her small face tipped up to his, curiosity and cautiousness warring in her gaze.
A light knock on the door broke the moment, and it was a struggle to stifle his frustration at the interruption. The moment shattered, Miri slipped away, dancing out of his reach like a sea nymph among the reeds.
The attendant begged their forgiveness but waited impatiently as he removed the rest of his outer garments.
He was beginning to rethink his high rating of their hospitality.
Miri
Even though she was set to bathe in front of a male she barely knew, Miri could still admire the luxuriant beauty of the bathing pools. The building that housed them was understated to the casual observer but, once inside, the atrium featured fluted white columns covered in fragrant rose and jasmine blossoms. Fitting for the goddess of fertility, sex, and abundance.
The smell of medicinal herbs invigorated her senses as they stepped past another pair of opened doors into the main bathing area where billows of steam curled in the air and attendants doused hot stones with water.
She made a show of ignoring Aisalan’s poignant look in her direction when a temple attendant approached, “Your garments, please? We’ll provide you with new ones.”
Miri hesitated, caught between the desire to preserve what little modesty she had left and the knowledge that she was obligated to play along as his betrothed until the last hour of the third day. She had come too far to turn back now. She closed her eyes and helped the young Aelven female remove her chemise before quickly gathering her hair to cover the peaks of her breasts.
She heard, rather than saw, an attendant make the same request of Aisalan and stubbornly kept her eyes on the striking red tiles at her feet as he entered the pool.
“Are you shy, my love?” He said, a hint of teasing in his voice that Miri did not appreciate. At all.
“No need to be shy.” One of the attendants cooed before leading Miri to the water’s edge. “We are all shaped in Elias’ beautiful image.”
She felt Aisalan’s eyes on her as she stepped into the pool and didn’t miss his light chuckle when she dipped low enough to keep her entire body submerged and out of view. The attendants soon followed, each divesting themselves of their filmy shifts to aid in cleansing the traveling pair.
Miri shrieked when one of them boldly lifted her from behind. “Has he never seen you?” Long fingers poured a heavily scented concoction over her hair and began working it into a froth.
Her eyes cut to her ‘intended’ who, by now, was thoroughly enjoying the flirtatious attentions of the priestesses. Two pairs of hands fluttered over the planes of his chest and slid across the muscles of his back. Well, at least one of them was having a good time. When he responded on her behalf, she wanted to drown him, “I have yet to pluck her flower.”
“Ah!” The attendant behind her said, her voice far too chipper for Miri’s liking, “All the better to experience your first pleasures with your true love, no?”
“I suppose.” Miri replied, willing a lightness into her voice that she didn’t
feel. She wanted to sink through the floor, disappear back into The Hidden, anything to get away from the entire situation.
She remained silent while the attendants finished their work, ducking beneath the water when instructed, donning the temple robe when it was handed to her, consuming the pomegranate seeds offered to her, and making a small offering of honey at the altar of Elias by the door.
When they were escorted back to their guest house, she was more than ready to hide away for the rest of the night until it was time to leave in the morning. “That was terrible.” Miri mumbled, avoiding Aisalan’s scrutiny as she worked a comb through a section of her hair.
“Was it?’ He asked.
Miri shot him a withering glare but barely had time to formulate a response before the comb was plucked from her hands. “What are you doing?”
He studied the instrument, turning it in his hand. “Were you not hired to be my companion, Miri?”
“Yes.” She frowned and crossed her arms. “What does that have to do with you stealing my comb?”
Aisalan slowly drew closer, and Miri caught the faint hint of the baths combined with his warm masculine scent, an instant reminder of their shared solitude. “Does our arrangement not mean that you’re meant to be pleasing?”
“I thought you said-” Miri began, her breath shaky and shallow.
His fingers went to her hair, twirling among the thick curled strands, and tracing down their length, “Your hair is beautiful, and it pleases me to see it unbound.” He bent forward, almost engulfing her with his frame, close enough for her to feel his breath against her ear, “Indulge me.”
Aisalan
He was an Aelv of his word but he would not deny that he desired her. He had insisted upon maintaining the right of pursuit for a reason, after all.
An Ignoble Invitation- the Aelven Dominion Page 8