Sure, Princess Aelin was described as beautiful and elegant, but her looks were the least important thing about her. Princess Aelin spent a lot of the book proving that she was more than a delicate ornament.
It wasn’t something Nessa could relate to. In her world, women were not seen as more fragile than men. After all, it was women who had the agonising bleeding every month and who bore the children, facing the pain and frequent death that came with it. But the Noble world was clearly different. It was interesting to watch Princess Aelin fight against how others saw her. Nessa could relate to that bit. Feeling like there was more in her than others saw. Wanting to break free.
By the end of the book, the princess had saved her kingdom, broken the spell which had cursed her parents into a state of frozen slumber, and explained to the prince that she could not marry him until she had seen the world and decided what her future would look like. It was a tale of a heroine who was overlooked and underestimated until she proved she was the strongest and bravest of them all.
Princess Aelin was meant to have long, red, twirling curls. Completely unlike Elise’s pitch-black, soft waves. And Nessa doubted that the princess could have had those unique golden eyes. Other than that, it was hard for Nessa to see the differences between the headstrong princess and the woman she shared a home with.
She now stood outside the shop looking at the book’s cover. This one was red, not blue like the book she had read as a child. However, the slanted white letters of the title looked the same. Nessa was taken back to moments of complete joy and escape while reading those pages.
A hint of fear seeped into her nostalgia. What if Elise didn't like the book? Perhaps she should tell her about the chapter where Princess Aelin makes the impossible choice between waking her parents from the curse or saving the kingdom from the attacking gargoyles first. That was the chapter which made her choose the name for Elise since the princess and Elise had that in common, the ability to make tough decisions quickly.
When Elise dithered about her name, it was the first time she had seen her hesitate. She knew that if it had been a bigger decision, Elise would have made it in a heartbeat. Nessa envied her for that. Imagine being able to face decisions without months of going back and forth.
She chewed the inside of her cheek as she ran her fingers over the cover. Perhaps this was a mistake? Perhaps Elise would think her silly? Or maybe she was expecting a more luxurious and grown-up present?
Nessa closed her eyes, trying to find the resolve to go home and put the book in Elise’s hands. That was a mistake as she didn’t see the young lad selling newspapers rush past. His elbow hit her waist as he hurried down the street to find richer looking people to buy his papers.
Gods curse these city crowds.
She sighed. Then she willed her feet forward. This was the present she had chosen, and she would just have to explain why to Elise. To trust that she would understand the sentiment behind it and not be disappointed. If she seemed disappointed, Nessa would go out and buy her some fancy honey tartlets or a bottle of winterberry brandy.
The walk home seemed to take an age. She had changed her mind, and then changed it back again, twice before she could finally put the key in the door and enter their room.
Elise was sitting at the table, undoing her top knot. The thick hair spilled down her shoulders, and she began combing it out.
“Ah, there you are, I was worried about you. What took you so long? You must have left the workshop more than an hour ago.”
Nessa shifted her weight from foot to foot. “I stopped to pick up your present, remember?”
“Oh yes.” Elise shot to her feet and put the brush down. “Well, where is it? More importantly – what is it?”
Nessa smiled. Elise’s excitement was, as always, infectious.
Without any explanation, she held out the book. In two steps, Elise was standing in front of her and taking it from her hands. She read the title of the book out loud and added, “Oh, so this is the book you got the name Aelin from?”
“Yes,” Nessa croaked. Her nervousness was ridiculous, but, somehow, she felt as if she was baring an important part of herself in front of Elise. Worse than that, it was like she was showing Elise exactly how much she had come to mean to her.
Completely unaware of how rude it was, Elise sat down on the bed and began to read.
Nessa knew that she should let Elise read it and come to her own conclusions. Nevertheless, what if those conclusions were wrong? What if she misinterpreted the reason behind the gift?
So, she cleared her throat. “The princess, she, um, reminds me of you. She doesn't necessarily look like a hero at first. But soon you realise that she is the only one willing and able to make the hard decisions and take all the risks. By the end of the book, you end up admiring her, just like the other characters in the book do,” Nessa said. She stopped herself there; she was about to start rambling.
Elise looked up at her in silence. A smile slowly formed on her red-tinted lips. Soon, those unique eyes glittered, echoing the smile. Nessa wondered if she was blushing at the sight of it.
“I think that might be one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me. Thank you. Both for the gift, which I look forward to reading, and for the compliment. I do not believe I deserve it, but I would like to try to be more like this princess of yours.”
Nessa tried to answer, but her mouth was as dry as sand. She licked her lips, looking for moisture to form a reply with.
“I hope you'll like the book. And th-that I didn't step out of line in any way,” Nessa said.
Elise placed the book carefully on the bed. She walked towards Nessa, eyes fixed on hers. Nessa heard her heartbeat rush in her ears. When Elise reached her, she kissed Nessa on the cheek. “You most certainly did not step out of line. I truly appreciate your candour.”
Unable to answer, Nessa merely nodded.
Elise found a lock of hair that had escaped Nessa’s braid and tucked it behind her ear. “I shall start reading the book while you wash off the soot and get changed. Then we should go out, and I will find us some nice supper. I refuse to have those horrible pies again tonight. There is a city out there full of food and drink, and I intend to explore it.” She took Nessa’s hand. “Get ready, Nessa Clay. I am going to find you some food that Ground Hollow has never even heard of!”
How could Nessa do anything but obey? She would get ready and then follow her dashing Lady Falk out into Nightport, laughing and looking forward to whatever adventure Elise was about to pull her into.
She pushed her trepidation and worry down deep and permitted herself to be happy tonight. After all, she had earned it.
Chapter 15
Nightport after Nightfall
Elise had finally gotten Nessa out of their room and out into the Nightport evening. They were both washed, in clean clothes, and smelling of sugar pumpkin oil. Ready for adventure, and, judging by the growling of Nessa’s stomach, ready for dinner. They hadn’t properly enjoyed their new city at night yet, and after that lovely present, Elise wanted to gift Nessa with a wonderful evening full of new impressions and memories.
Nightport was so different after nightfall. The faint, romantic light from street lamps gave the dusky buildings and dirty cobbles an almost magical, mystical feel. The noises were different, suddenly all pleasure and little business. The smells were headier and harder to trace. There was a sense of the city’s dangers turning from tragic to tempting.
Heat rushed through Elise’s blood. She looked at Nessa and saw that she was evaluating the evening version of Nightport, too. She had her hands in her pockets, keen eyes, and an enigmatic smile on her face.
“This place comes alive at night, does it not?” Elise ventured.
“Yes. There’s a… sort of beat to it. Well, there always is. This place is like one big heart. Lots of little parts that I don’t understand, all needed to keep it beating, all working in a frenzy to… I don’t know… repair and produce, I guess? But at
night, that heartbeat goes from slow and steady to incredibly quick. I mean, look around.”
Elise did. Everywhere people were running to and fro. Or even walking slowly but talking fast, as if they all had so much to do before the day gave its last breath.
They had reached Core Street now. In one direction, it led to the city’s life-giving port and in the other, it led to the gate they had entered through that first day. Cutting a long line across Nightport, feeding all the other parts of the city. Core Street was clearly the place to be after nightfall. It was lined with street vendors, selling everything from food to clothing.
They stopped and ate pieces of spiced yellowfish and sticks of toasted bread wrapped in yesterday’s newspaper. Washing it all down with gulps of sunberry juice, which tasted watered down. But who cared about petty details as that on such an interesting night?
They moved on, walking close together and marvelling at the hubbub. Every time Nessa stopped and with glittering eyes pointed at something, Elise’s heart soared.
Her heart stopped soaring and began to race instead when they passed through a throng of people and came out with an overpowering scent clinging to the air. It smelled like purified alcohol mixed with a heavy amount of lavender.
Her signature perfume. Odd. She cannot be here.
That scent took Elise back to good memories as well as bad. Respect, dependency, and involuntary arousal were all brought to the surface. Elise hadn’t expected to ever smell that perfume again after her escape. It belonged buried in her past.
Still, she shook the discomfort off, trying to calm her thudding heart. Lavender was a common scent for women to wear, and gods knew most of Nightport smelled faintly of alcohol. It was far too lovely a night to be haunted by people from her past.
In between the selling stalls were ones where you could play games and place bets. There were tricksters hiding a ball under one of three cups, moving them about and making you guess under which cup the ball was. The ball was never where you’d think. Elise wondered if it wasn’t in the trickster’s sleeve most of the time. They saw people doing card tricks and even a few doing vanishing illusions with coins and handkerchiefs. Elise couldn’t help but notice that many of these stall-dwellers seemed to be helping themselves to the customer’s purses when they were distracted by the tricks and bets. The City Guard, who were out in force, seemed to try to stop it to no great avail.
Elise also noticed several pay-to-kiss couples. They passed one such couple, a man and a woman, who seemed to be almost all over each other without any payment.
Nessa scratched her cheek as she looked at them and then whispered, “What are they selling?”
“They are selling their… erm… affection for one another. People give them a few coins to watch them kiss and fondle each other.”
Nessa blinked rapidly and then frowned. “So, they’re pleasure sellers?”
“No, pleasure sellers allow their customers to buy their body and bedding talents. These couples will do nothing more than kiss and touch each other a little. Only each other. If you try to touch them or make them do more than that, the City Guard will throw you out. At least that is how it worked in the small, hidden underbelly of Highmere. I am sure it is the same here.”
Nessa glanced back at the kissing couple and the crowd which was gathering in front of them. “Why do people pay to watch that?”
“Well, I would liken it to having a drink before dinner. It gets your appetite going and gives you a treat before the main meal, making you appreciate your food all the more when you get it. Most who pay to watch end up going home to get the… ‘main meal’. Either with a lover or with their own hands. If you know what I mean.”
“Sure,” Nessa said casually. She put her hands in her pockets and looked ahead.
Elise contemplated her. For all Nessa’s naivety, she didn’t seem to be shy about pleasures of the flesh. Perhaps all commoners were like that? Nessa’s eyebrows were still pressed together, though, and she seemed lost in thought.
It does not quite make sense to you, does it? You are not a ‘drink before dinner’ kind of woman. I wager Nessa Clay would not settle for anything less than a whole meal right away. She would want it all.
Elise felt an unexpected tingle at that thought, making its way down her spine until she shook it off.
They walked along, past more food stalls, people selling trinkets, and even a booth where small wooden statues of the gods were sold.
After a few minutes, Nessa stopped by a booth with two men. They were being paid a handful of bronze coins by a short, blonde woman. Elise was amused to see Nessa’s eyes go wide when one of the men winked at the paying woman and then devoured his lovers mouth while grabbing his crotch. Nessa whispered, “he didn’t ask first” under her breath. Elise fought hard not to smile at her sweet companion.
Instead, she focused back on the street. Elise breathed in deep. Nightport still had its smoky, dirty scent but that hint of sweetness in daytime was gone, replaced with a more complicated mix of scents of food and drink. In the back of her mind, Elise was relieved that alcohol-spiked lavender wasn’t one of them.
Helping the gas lit streetlights illuminate Core Street were metal barrels with roaring fires in them. The fires made Core Street feel warmer than the other streets, and Elise unbuttoned her wool coat. It was the one Nessa had lent her back in Ground Hollow and still smelled faintly of her if Elise burrowed her nose into the fabric by the collar. A crisp, leafy smell under the sweetness of the sugar pumpkin oil. Elise found herself loath to replace it with a new, better-fitting coat.
Her reverie was broken when someone shouted and a fistfight broke out to their right. The sounds of cracking knuckles, spitting, and cursing filled the air.
Nessa cringed. “I hate to say it, but my mother was right. There is a lot of crime and fucking, pardon my language, coupling in this city,” she muttered. Her upturned nose was scrunched as far as it could go into a stern frown.
Elise resisted the sudden compulsion to kiss the tip of that cute nose. Instead, she walked them away from the row. “Yes, indeed. Does it make you regret coming here?”
Nessa turned to her, hands held up. “Gods no!”
“Glad to hear it. You do not mind crime and coupling, then?” Elise asked teasingly.
Nessa shrugged, putting her hands back in the pockets of her coat. “I don’t like crime or anything that has some kind of victim. Coupling, well, I may not be a huge fan of it outside of long-term relationships myself, but I believe that people generally make too big a deal of it. Coupling, lovemaking, bedplay, whatever you want to call it, is natural and fun for most people. So, we should all relax about it.”
“That is a refreshing way of seeing it. Especially from someone who I believe means it and is not solely trying to get what they want.”
“What do you mean by ‘get what they want’?” Nessa asked with a furrowed brow.
Elise sighed. “People tend to say that sort of thing to me, especially after some alcohol. It usually means they wish to bed me. However, in the sober light of day, they will swear to anyone who listens that carnal acts are for procreation and not to be taken lightly.”
Nessa nodded her understanding. “Branding you…”
“A harlot? Yes, pretty much. One of the other ladies at court always said that I would have found it easy to be a pleasure seller if I had not been born a Noble.”
“Did she mean that as an insult?” Nessa asked, her features grave.
“Yes. Showing what an imbecile she is. There is obviously nothing wrong with being a pleasure seller. They are experts in something most people wish they could master. Anyway, people are constantly judging and making light of my enjoyment of bedplay and flirting. I have ceased caring.”
“I’m sorry that you’ve experienced that.”
Now it was Elise’s turn to shrug. “That is not the worst part, really. The worst part is that they think that is all that I am.”
“How do you mean?”
Elise walked slower, choosing her next words carefully. After their earlier conversation when Nessa gave her the book, being open and honest now seemed important. Even if it wasn’t easy. Elise preferred to act rather than to speak. Dwelling on things had never helped her.
She cleared her throat. “Well, what has been your impression of me?”
Nessa hummed thoughtfully, watching a man juggle empty wine bottles for thrown coins before answering. “I suppose I’d say that you are independent, charming, decisive, and brave.”
Elise stopped dead in her tracks and surveyed Nessa. “Huh.”
Nessa returned the glance. “What?”
“That was not what I expected you to say. That is not the way people usually describe me. I thought you were going to mention attributes like: wild, fire-starter, impulsive, emotional, or overly carnal. Something along those lines.”
Nessa tilted her head, appearing to consider the words. “Well, I can see that you have those traits. But I don’t think they define you as much as the things I said. I’d say that anyone who thought they did had never bothered to look very closely at you. Or listen to you. I told you before, you’re like Princess Aelin. Your glinting exterior makes people miss the depths below.”
Elise stumbled. She felt like everything around them was moving a little quicker all of a sudden. Just a moment ago, she had been the worldly teacher with the innocent farmer’s daughter as her student. Now she felt like a blushing girl whose diary has been read out loud.
Her whole body was numb, as if it had been struck by something. In a daze, she carried on walking.
“Thank you,” she said after a while, her voice hoarse.
“Just being honest,” Nessa said. She seemed utterly clueless of the effect her words had on Elise. She walked along, hands in pockets, eyes on the stalls and performers. The light from the fires illuminated her fair skin and rosy cheeks, making her clear, grey eyes shine like jewels.
Making a Tinderbox (The Tinderbox Tales Book 1) Page 14