Arranged

by Spears, Jessica

  Alison couldn't help but lean forward in anticipation to hear what happened next.

  "Then Adalia scared me, not an easy feet, and I fell onto the curtain of moss, falling right through. We discovered the pools that day and have kept this a secret place ever since," he finished with a shrug. "We never know when we may need such a hide away."

  "When I was young, I once was hiding in the forest, avoiding my uncle and tripped on a root hidden by the leaves, I fell against a bush and right into a hollowed out tree. I'm sure an animal had lived there once, but it served as a great hiding spot for me when I needed to be invisible…which was a lot of the time," Alison said.

  "Do you want to be invisible now?"

  She thought through her answer for a moment, "At times. Even on the surface I never had as much attention as I'm getting from you and Adalia, let alone the townspeople..."

  "Do they scare you?" he asked, a worried look flashing across his face for a split second.

  She studied the fire. "A few of them. I've never seen anything like your people before...it's a little overwhelming sometimes. But I imagine, if they are anything like you or your sister that I have nothing to fear..."

  He smiled softly. "They are good people. They simply need to get comfortable with you."

  She nodded and curled into her blanket again. The cave offered little protection from the chill of the forest.

  "We should return," he said again, this time he stood and made his way toward the ledge. She quickly followed. "What about the fire?"

  "It will burn itself down," he said, beginning the climb down. Alison folded the blanket and left it by the travel bag, then copied him. She learned very rapidly that climbing up was much easier than climbing down, especially when her foot slipped and she lost her handhold. Her world dropped out from under her as she fell, unable to grip the rock enough to stop her decent, screaming in fear. Thankfully, Qwinn was not too far below and caught her wrist before she slid too far. He quickly pulled her upwards, against him.

  In a panic, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hanged on for dear life, her limbs shaking violently from her fall.

  "It's alright," he tried to calm her. "But, I'm going to need you to climb onto my back and hold on while I climb down the rest of the way."

  She shook her head, swallowing hard. Her eyes looked down, taking in the long ways they still had to go.

  "Alison, look at me." Immediately her eyes met his as she trembled. "I will not let you fall, now climb onto my back."

  She hesitated for a moment, fear coursing through her. She sucked in a deep breath and shifted so that she could climb onto his back. She pushed her feet off the cliff wall and quickly swung onto his back, nearly pulling him off with her swing. She screamed again, but he regained his grip and balance with an exhorted grunt. She was wrapped around him like a second skin.

  After a moment, when he was steady, he continued their descent. Alison squeezed her eyes shut, pressing her face between his shoulder blades, which she could feel move with every inch they descended.

  After what felt like hours, his feet finally touched the ground and she loosened her grip only enough for him to turn around in her arms and pull her into a tight, reassuring hug. "It's alright. No more."

  Her limbs still shook furiously as she held onto him as if he were her anchor. She fought tears of relief. He rubbed a soothing hand down her back and up again until she was calm and her shakes were under control.

  When she pulled away, he lowered his head to look her in the eye. She nodded at him to let him know she was going to be all right. He took her hand and began to lead her silently out of the forest.

  She had never been so relieved to see an ou'tani as she was at that moment. He helped her up and mounted behind her, urging the creature to a quick gallop. She didn't want to spread her hands out this time. She wanted to curl up and be safe. Suddenly she felt Qwinn press into her back, warming her. "We'll be home soon."

  Home? Had she accepted the palace as her new home? She was surprised to find the relief and comfort the thought of the palace brought. Her dungeon was more home to her than her Uncle Jackson's manor had ever been.

  Without realizing what she was doing, she pressed her back into him and sighed. His strength against her made her feel safe, made her feel strong. The farther they rode from the cave, the less it felt like the fall ever happened and the easier she could breathe.

  The palace came into view and she straightened herself, not wanting to embarrass Qwinn if anyone saw them.

  It must have been still early in the evening because not many Vidarian's were out. The servants took the animal to the stables and Qwinn grabbed her hand again. She could get used to the feel of his strong hand around hers.

  He walked her back to her room. She was relieved to be back. Though the caves had been nice, that was a trip she could bare to go without, for a while at least.

  She washed her face in the basin of water by her bed and dried it with a towel. Qwinn leaned against the closed door, his arms crossed, watching silently.

  "Hungry?" he finally asked.

  She nodded just as her stomach spoke up. She giggled and he stepped forward, cupping her cheek. Her mouth dried and her heart sped up as he drew her closer, his eyes to half-mast. Her eyes darted to his mouth before closing on their own accord. At that moment, the door burst open.

  "Where have you been?" Adalia squealed.

  Qwinn and Alison immediately jumped away from each other. Adalia didn't seem to notice, or just decided not to comment on it at that moment. "I have been up all morning worrying about you two! Where have you been?" she demanded again, propping her hands on her hips.

  Alison swallowed a laugh. She had seen his pose many times when the cook was lecturing the maids.

  "Do you know what time it is?"

  Qwinn folded his arms, a smug sneer on his lips. When Adalia realized she wasn't getting answers, she began to pace the floor. "I thought that something had eaten you. When no one said they had seen you even return, all these things were going through my mind. Are you trying to take away years from my life by making me worry like this?" she rambled, not even pausing when Alison tried to explain.

  "We're here and in one piece," Qwinn answered easily.

  She zeroed her glare in on him. "Where were you?"

  "The cave."

  She raised her brow as her eyes flitted to Alison. "Did anything...happen?"

  He shrugged and headed for the door. She growled lowly at his turned back. "I'll grab some food and return in a while."

  Alison glared after him almost as much as Adalia did. He was leaving on purpose because he didn't want to explain anything that had happened to his sister. So, he deserted her, leaving Alison to the wolves.

  As soon as the door was closed, Adalia turned to her. "What happened?"

  Alison wondered if she should bother to explain. She blushed just thinking about it. Adalia's eyes widened at her reaction. "What did he do?"

  Alison held up a hand, trying to hide her embarrassment that Adalia would think she would do anything inappropriate with Qwinn.

  "The cave and the pools were beautiful," she said. "Nothing happened between us…except…"

  Adalia raised her brows in encouragement. "Well?"

  "He likes me," she answered, unable to top her face from lighting up.

  Adalia smiled knowingly. "I knew it."

  "He kissed me…"

  Now his sister looked surprised.

  Alison twirled a finger absentmindedly around her hair. She had never felt so giddy or girly. "What do I do now?" she asked.

  The woman tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

  "I've never…liked anyone, or had anyone like me in return. I don't know what happens next."

  Adalia patted her shoulder. "Just spend time with him. Get to know him. The next step will come naturally."

  Alison found herself smiling again. "I really care for him, Adalia. It's actually kind of scary."

  Adali
a smiled sweetly. "I'm glad you're happy. There is nothing to be afraid of. I know my brother; he is a good man and will treat you very well."

  The door suddenly opened and Qwinn entered carrying a tray laden with food. It was strange to see him doing something a servant would do. Adalia seemed surprised by it too. He set the tray on the bed between the two ladies, where they were seated. "Breakfast is served."

  Alison's stomach gurgled in agreement and she laughed. He handed her a sweet pastry. She accepted it, brushing his fingers. She felt so ridiculous at the rush of emotion that filled her, yet, at the same time, she couldn't stop her giddiness from overwhelming her.

  Adalia's eyes kept moving back and forth between the two, her smile growing the more time passed.

  "I have more training to see to today."

  Alison's smile seemed to fade. "Oh. Will I not see you all day then?"

  "Perhaps we can have dinner together?"

  "I would like that," she said shyly, biting into her pastry.

  He took her free hand, kissed it and got up to leave, throwing his sister a look.

  She rolled her eyes, "I'll keep an eye on her."

  He nodded, satisfied, and then shut the door behind him.

  Alison hadn't realized she'd sighed dreamily until Adalia pointed it out. "You really are falling fast for him."

  That statement seemed to snap her out of her little cloud of infatuation. Adalia was right; she was falling too fast. She was becoming too vulnerable. She pushed her hair out of her face and took a deep breath. "Too fast."

  The tent was filled with the same air of excitement Alison had felt the last time she was here. A few dancers were already practicing their pieces while others chatted with others. Adalia grabbed the bells to tie around Alison's ankles and handed her the tambourine. "Practice what you learned yesterday a few times then I will teach you more."

  It didn't take long for Alison to get into the flow of the drums and the fluid movements of the dance. It seemed almost simple now. She repeated her sequence a few times, and then looked around for Adalia; she was ready to learn the next few steps.

  She found the princess talking to Vin, but the couple didn't look as though they were having a pleasant conversation. Adalia looked annoyed, as did Vin. Alison decided it would be best if she left them alone for a moment.

  She practiced her dance a few more times, and then grew bored of the moves. Therefore, she decided to watch the other dancers for a while. One of them was whipping around so quickly they were almost a blur. The woman was very tall, well over two heads taller than Alison was. She was as slender as a sapling also. While she danced with a dizzying display, she drew designs in the air with a long sheer ribbon. Alison became almost hypnotized as she expertly swirled the ribbon and spun so fast that she was sure the woman would get caught and tripped up, but she didn't. After a moment, the woman seemed to realize she had an audience. She turned her silver eyes to Alison. For a moment, it seemed that she didn't know how to react to the human then she smiled and stepped closer.

  Alison fought to stop herself from shrinking back in intimidation by her sheer height. The woman held out the ribbon to Alison, who looked at it as if it were the strangest thing she'd ever seen. The woman laughed, or what Alison would guess was a laugh. It sounded as if the woman were gasping for air. She flicked her wrist and caused a beautiful ripple to travel the length of the ribbon. Once again, she offered the ribbon to Alison. This time, she accepted the instrument and tried to imitate the flicking. The ripple didn't make it a third of the way down the ribbon. Again, the woman sounded like she was gasping for air, but the smile on her face told Alison that she meant no harm. Her long dark blue fingers circled Alison's wrist. She jerked her wrist and the ribbon rippled longer. Alison tried again, this time without the woman's help. To her satisfaction, the ripple continued half way.

  As she practiced, the woman walked to a chest that was laying open and pulled out another ribbon, this one a sheer green. She came back to Alison, motioning for her to watch. She swooped her arm over her head, the ribbon following with a silent flutter.

  Alison tried, but the end of the ribbon didn't quite make it and became caught around her arm. She growled in frustration and tried again only to get the same result. The woman huffed next to her and Alison fought a blush, she didn't like anyone laughing at her expense.

  Everyone continued to practice their dances, paying no mind to the human tangling herself in the rippling ribbon. The woman was very patient, she never yelled or motioned angrily, instead she seemed to be enjoying herself. Once Alison mastered a move, the woman immediately moved onto the next, more complicated move.

  Adalia found them a while later, twirling the ribbon around their ankles and jumping in and out. She smiled apologetically, "I hate to steal you away, but we still have a lot to learn."

  The woman bowed her head and took back the ribbon, returning to her practicing, as if their session had never happened.

  Adalia led them to a slight clearing, which was hard to come by in the crowded tent. Alison wanted to ask what her argument with Vin was about, but knew it was none of her business. Adalia jumped right into it, going over the next sequence of steps. Alison had gotten better at watching for key movements like how she moved her legs and hands, or how she landed out of a turn, so she wouldn't have as many questions.

  They practiced for what felt like hours, and then took a break to eat. Alison rubbed stiffness out of her leg while she ate and listened to Adalia banter back and forth with Vin, who had been missing the better part of the early evening after their argument. She watched Adalia, noticing that she still seemed slightly agitated with him, though she wasn't completely ignoring him.

  He kept himself close and open, as if pleading for forgiveness with his body language.

  Alison looked away, giving them some privacy, still wondering about what a beautiful couple like them could be fighting about?

  For the millionth time that evening, her mind wandered to Qwinn. She wondered how his training was going. She also began to wonder if he was thinking about her and if he would show up to her practice. She shook her head, stopping her thought process. Just because he kissed her didn't mean that she needed to fall head over heels for him. She was still her own woman…wasn't she?

  No matter how the council tried to convince him to postpone the war, he knew that it needed to be done, for his people, and he had no time to waste. No one would be safe with those monsters roaming the forests. His future children wouldn't be able to explore without fear. He would save them from their uncertain future.

  He opened Alison's door quietly, peering in. The lamp was still burning, but she was obviously asleep on the bed. His annoyance grew as he realized adalia hadn't even bothered to help position her comfortably. He closed the door softly behind him and moved swiftly. Gently, so as not to waken her, he scooped one hand under her legs and the other under her back so he could shift her in one move.

  When he laid her head on her pillow, her eyes fluttered tiredly open. "Qwinn?" she murmured, obviously trying to stay awake.

  He smoothed a palm over her cool forehead, "Yes, sleep now. I was merely seeing if you were alright."

  She smiled around a yawn, "I missed you today,"

  His mouth twitched in a smile of his own, at her words, he couldn't help but wonder if she knew what she was saying or if she was rambling because she was tired. He hoped very much that it was the first rather than the latter. "I missed you too," he said gently, pulling her blanket up to her chin and leaning in to kiss her forehead. She was asleep before his lips touched her smooth skin.

  He found himself lingering by her side, even as she breathed the deeply with sleep. He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and she turned her head toward his hand, as if wanting more of his touch. He literally had to pull himself away. The sheer amount of effort it took so that simple act shocked him.

  The sounds in the enormous cavern outside his window changed to those of night. He knew,
without having to open his eyes that the sun had set and he should wake up, however, he had no motivation too. When he woke up, he knew he would have another long day of tiring and rigorous training ahead of him, which also meant that he wouldn't be able to visit the only person he wanted to see, again.

  For that reason, he remained in his room until Jabr found him there, insisting that there was work to do. It wasn't that he didn't want to train and prepare his soldiers. He loved his people more than anything else, however, the selfish side of him was becoming more and more apparent. Perhaps Alison wasn't changing him for the better...

  Qwinn washed his face with cool water, waking himself completely. He changed his robe and hurried to the dining hall. Many of his soldiers had begun to eat without him, he didn't mind. The kitchen staff brought him a plate overflowing with breakfast. He ate everything to be sure that he would be fueled for the tough day ahead. When he was finished he ordered his men to begin warm ups, he expected them to be ready by the time he was out of the council meeting.

  "Today we will prepare the gown for Alison," Bartus informed Qwinn in private before the meeting began. Qwinn was thankful that he at least used Alison's name when he mentioned her.

  "I haven't told her yet...," Qwinn answered.

  Bartus frowned slightly, his bulldog features sagging. "You must tell her Qwinn, or the bond will not be strong due to anger when she finds out from someone else."

  Qwinn grit his teeth at the thought of someone else blowing everything that he had planned. "I will tell her soon. Is there some way we can hold off the gown fitting?" he asked as he desperately brainstormed. He didn't want her to find out that way. She deserved to hear it from him personally. She trusted him.

  Bartus shook his head, his features sagging more. "I'm afraid not. When she returns from the tents tonight, she will need to be fitted.

  It was as if the fog in the room had lifted. A smile bloomed on his face and when he watched Bartus' eyes widen in surprise and uncertainty he couldn't contain his chuckle. "I have an idea," he exclaimed, clapping his friend on the shoulder, "allow Adalia to measure her. She will think she is being fitted for a dancer's dress." Pride flooded him for his quick thinking. Disaster averted.