Elina considered her next words very carefully. She took a deep breath. “Please do not ask me to do such a thing. I don’t want to be part of your…bedroom activities.”
He chuckled at the remark, though there was a hardness to his expression that indicated he did not much like this turn of events. “Very well,” he said, still smiling, “you may go for the evening, since I clearly have some bedroom activities to attend to.”
Elina could do nothing but stare at him, until Kilian’s genial expression broke and he indicated towards the door with his head.
“Get out. You need not come to the castle tomorrow.”
When Elina stepped outside the wind had picked back up again with a renewed ferocity; her face was pelted with hailstones which very quickly robbed her of the heat in her cheeks.
She had walked out of one kind of storm and into a new one. She didn’t know which one was worse.
Chapter Eight
Kilian
“Get out, get out,” Kilian repeated, over and over again to his empty bedroom for nobody to hear but himself. He didn’t understand: why had he reacted so physically to a head massage? Elina certainly hadn’t intended it to be erotic in nature. He should know – he’d hired many a girl to perform exactly that kind of massage…only, they didn’t stop at his shoulders.
It occurred to Kilian that he hadn’t arranged for a woman to be brought to him since the day he’d decided Elina should be his servant. Clearly the tailor girl had unnecessarily distracted him. But he now had an insatiable thirst that needed quenched, so he barked out for a servant until one arrived.
They stared at him nervously; he didn’t often let anyone into his chambers when he was bathing. “Bring a woman to the castle,” he said. “Any young, pretty one will do.” For a moment he thought about requesting she have brown hair, green eyes and sun-kissed skin, only to remember that likely the only girl in his entire country that fit that description was Elina.
The servant’s eyes darted to the window. “Your Royal Highness, in such weather it might be –”
“Are you suggesting you cannot fulfil my orders?”
“Absolutely not! I – I shall see to it right away, sire.”
The servant quickly retreated, leaving Kilian to his bath and his taut, frustrated body. Even he had to admit that he was getting too hot in the scalding water, though perhaps it was the scent of the bath salts that was getting to him and making him feel drowsy. Kilian wasn’t sure what the steam smelled of exactly, other than the fact it was clearly exotic.
I wonder if Elina knows what the scent is, he thought as he hauled himself out of the bath, choosing to sit in front of the roaring fire to dry off instead of using a towel. An open bottle of wine that quite possibly had spoiled sat by the hearth; Kilian grabbed it and began eagerly swallowing the red liquid inside.
By the time a woman finally arrived at his door he had moved onto another bottle of wine, though Kilian had already been drunk before starting the first one. Now he was truly wasted.
The woman was young and pretty enough – all buttery hair, blue eyes and lithe limbs – but for some reason Kilian couldn’t stand the sight of her, especially when she smiled. “Your Royal Highness,” she began, “it pleases me to serve you –”
“Get out,” he said, echoing the words he’d said to Elina. He turned away from the woman to stare at the fire, thinking of the way Elina’s hair almost seemed to become alight when she was near it. It was annoyingly captivating.
“Your Royal Highness?” the woman asked uncertainly.
“I didn’t stutter. Get out. I can’t stand the sight of you.”
She left without another word, leaving Kilian to sit, naked, in front of the fire, wondering what on earth he was doing to himself. His frustration would only grow if he left it unchecked. The tumultuous weather outside would get worse, too, though considering it remained terrible due to his constant bad mood Kilian did not care much for this point.
After a few moments he called back the servant he’d barked orders at before. “Arrange for grain, alcohol, cloth and firewood to be sent to Alder from the stores,” he demanded.
“Now…?”
“In the morning, obviously!” Kilian exclaimed, beyond irritated with the servant’s lack of common sense. “There’s no point in having what’s left of the castle’s staff breaking their necks on the ice because it’s pitch black outside, is there?”
“No...I’ll see it done.”
I should have just fucked the prostitute, Kilian thought grimly once the nervous servant once more left his room. But he knew that he wouldn’t have been able to, even if the woman had spread herself out on his bed, wanton and lovely.
Kilian couldn’t believe he had actually found a limit to his hedonistic, self-serving ways.
As with all limits imposed on him, he hated it.
Chapter Nine
Elina
“Elina, you don’t have to work in the shop on your day off! You must be so tired.”
Elina rubbed at her eyes before giving her mother an, admittedly sleepy, smile. “I’m fine, mama. The fact you’ve had to work in here all by yourself whilst I’ve been at the castle means you must be tired. And you’re still sick!”
Her mother laughed lightly as she carefully folded a thick, lustrous wool blanket and wrapped it in paper. “I’ve been much better since you started giving me those medicines from Miss Duke and Mister Wolfe.”
“I still can’t believe how effective everything they gave me was, to be honest.”
“I suppose that’s what happens when you can explore the world and pick up remedies from exotic countries. It makes sense that they’d have access to far more potent medicines.”
Elina watched her mother shrewdly as Lily sat down. She’d been mentioning moving away from Alder and travelling more and more frequently with every passing day. Before, when she’d talked to Elina about seeing the world, it had been framed as an old dream – something she knew she’d never truly get to experience. But now…
I think she might really want to leave. And if she does, and she truly is well enough to travel, then…that might just be the best thing to ever happen to us.
For of course Elina wished to leave Alder. The only thing keeping her there was her mother and the family business. If Lily Brodeur herself was finally serious about packing up and leaving then Elina would gladly follow. Briefly she thought of her father and if he was still alive. Was it so improbable to believe that they might find the magician that had changed Lily’s and, in turn, Elina’s life?
Outside the shop door the ever-present sounds of blasting winds and freezing snow were engulfed by another sound entirely. Elina and her mother cocked their heads to one side in almost identical fashion, listening intently.
She glanced at her mother. “What’s going on out there? It sounds like half the town are shouting.” When the door to the shop was thrown open the two of them winced away from the bitter cold. “Close the door!” Elina exclaimed before she even worked out who had entered in the first place.
“Ah, my apologies Miss Brodeur!” Daven – the woodcutter – said as he struggled to close the door against the wind. Something about his tone took Elina aback. It was…genuinely conciliatory.
Lily smiled widely at Daven as he brushed snow off his clothes and walked towards the counter. “Daven Arner. I haven’t seen you in here since your mother passed. How is the family doing?”
He flashed a glance at Elina before replying, “Struggling through the winter just like everyone else, ma’am. But now it seems that’s all changed for the better.”
“Oh?”
Daven looked at Elina once more, this time with an incredulous grin splitting his handsome face. He had never looked at her that way, not even when they were children.
“The king has sent through supplies for the town. And – what’s more – it’s double what we needed, and his servant said we’ll be getting more in a few weeks! Elina – Miss Brodeur – how on earth did you do it?”
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Elina stared at him gawkily. “What do you mean how did I do it?”
“Oh come now, Elina!” he exclaimed, having now completely changed to addressing her informally. “Everyone knew it was a fool’s errand to ask Kilian Hale for anything. But you managed to get him to send more than we asked for? Did you…was there magic involved?”
She rolled her eyes before she could stop herself; from her chair her mother giggled. “Mr Arner, have you ever really thought me capable of magic? If you or anybody in the town thought that then people would fear and respect me rather than ignore me.”
Daven had the sense to look uncomfortable and apologetic. What surprised Elina was that the expression actually looked genuine. He ran a hand through his snow-soaked hair and looked away.
“Yes, well…I guess that’s true. And it’s – it’s not fair that the people who ignored you were the ones who pushed you to help them.”
Elina cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “I seem to recall said person who pushed me into helping the town was you. ‘Pretty enough’ indeed.”
Her mother burst out laughing when Daven’s face turned beet red. She stood up from her chair. “Elina, if you need me I’ll be in the back room starting on that jacket for Frederick.”
“Mama –” Elina began, sincerely wishing not to be left alone with Daven, but her mother was already gone. She glared at Daven. “You can stop with the false gratitude now that my mother isn’t around.”
Daven looked ashamed. “I’m not – it isn’t false gratitude. Elina, everyone is barely coping with the harsh weather. It’s only because of you that we might pull through. I know there will always be people in Alder who won’t respect or appreciate what you’ve done by virtue of you being, well, you, but I’m not one of them.”
Shifting behind the counter and rearranging papers and ink in lieu of responding to the man, Elina was surprised when he placed his hands on top of said counter and leaned in closer to her.
“Mr Arner, what are you –”
“You didn’t…you didn’t go to bed with him, did you?” Daven murmured so quickly that it was clear he’d been mulling over the question for a long time.
Elina resisted the urge to slap him. “That was what everyone wanted me to do, was it not? That’s what Frederick was insinuating at the town meeting. Does it matter how I got the prince regent to send supplies to Alder?”
Daven looked torn. “No, I – I suppose not, but…Elina, I’m sorry. I should never have suggested you. I didn’t even want you to do it. Not if you –”
“I didn’t go to bed with Kilian Hale,” Elina said flatly, brushing past Daven on her way to dust some shelves that definitely didn’t need dusting. But he grabbed onto her wrist, preventing her from moving away.
“Mr –”
“You really didn’t? He didn’t touch you?”
Elina didn’t know whether to be outraged or mortified; she settled for somewhere in the middle. “No,” she said emphatically. “I don’t know nor care what you think of me, nor anyone else in the town for that matter. But I care what I think about myself. And when it comes down to it, why should I bed the king for the benefit of a town that does not want me?”
“I want you.”
“You – what?”
“I want you,” Daven repeated, eyes bright and keen. “I always have, but I wasn’t allowed. But my mother is dead, leaving me the head of my family. Nobody can tell me what I can or cannot want, now.”
“The entire town would judge you.”
“For what? Falling for the magician’s girl who saved Alder? I think, once this winter passes, nobody will ever dare snub you, Elina.”
Despite herself Elina lit up at the thought, even though she’d been relishing getting as far from the town as possible mere minutes ago. With a flick of her wrist she freed herself from Daven’s grasp. “So, what you’re saying is that you’re only interested in me now that there’s no risk to your reputation?”
“I –” Daven paused, shaking his blonde head as he laughed softly. “I guess it looks that way. But it’s not really…it’s not like that.” He looked back up at her. “Let me take you for a drink some time. Or dinner. Let the two of us get to know one another and you can decide for yourself if my interest is superficial.”
Elina clucked her tongue. “Considering how different I look from everyone in Alder I would never assume that you were even superficially interested in me.”
“Elina, are you serious?” Daven stared at her as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You’re beautiful. And everyone knows it. It’s part of the reason they hate you so.”
She hadn’t considered this angle before. “Why would anyone consider me beautiful when I don’t conform to their standards of beauty?”
“Because pretty is pretty no matter whose standards you use.”
Elina blushed despite herself. Aside from kind words from her grandparents and her mother she’d never received a compliment before – unless she counted the way Kilian looked at her hungrily and tried to touch himself when –
Do not think of Kilian Hale! she scolded herself. The last thing Kilian had intended to do was pay her a compliment when he acted the way he did. He merely viewed Elina as a plaything. Even sending the town supplies was all part of one big game he was playing with her to abate his boredom. But even so…
“I do not have much time these days for socialising, Mr Arner,” Elina finally said, very carefully.
Daven’s eyes grew wide. “That wasn’t a no, was it? And call me Daven.”
She smiled very slightly. “Not a no...Daven. But I work up at the castle most days, then help my mother out when I come back to Alder.”
“You work in the castle?”
“As personal, tortured servant to the king,” she said wryly. “That’s how I got him to send supplies to Alder.”
A flash of something Elina would, fifteen minutes ago, have never identified as jealousy crossed Daven’s pale face. “You…don’t need to do that for our sakes.”
“Yes I do. Otherwise we’d die. I can put up with some abject humiliation for a winter – I’ve been doing it all my life, after all.”
Daven didn’t seem to know how to react to that. But then he grinned. “I go through the woods every morning looking for trees that may have been felled in the wind. Perhaps we might walk to the castle together some mornings and keep each other company?”
To Elina’s surprise she actually liked the idea. Having someone to talk to that wasn’t Kilian sounded like a dream. “I think I could agree to that.”
“Wonderful,” Daven said, still grinning. “I could pick you up from here tomorrow, then? What time must you leave?”
She grimaced. “Well before sunrise.”
“Good thing I’m an early riser. I’ll see you in the morning, Elina.”
And with that he was gone, leaving Elina wondering what on earth had happened to her. In the space of fifteen minutes she’d been apologised to for having been ignored, thanked for everything she was doing for Alder, and confessed to for having been a man’s object of desire for quite some time. She’d even agreed to something that could almost be considered courting.
All because of the whims of Kilian Hale. Elina still couldn’t quite believe he’d stuck to his end of their deal.
“I have to thank him,” she muttered darkly, knowing in her very soul that it was the last thing she wanted to do. But she barely had any time to mull over such an unappealing task when the door to the Brodeur shop opened once more, letting in, of all people, Adrian Wolfe.
He flashed a brilliant smile at her. “Elina Brodeur. I believe there should be a package for me.”
Elina stared at him for a second too long before fumbling around the back of the counter until she located the blanket her mother had been wrapping in paper. She hadn’t realised it was for Adrian but there, written on the paper, was his name. She passed it over to him demurely.
“Thank you,” he said. “The tavern’s
rooms are awfully cold. I had it on good authority that your mother’s shop was the best place for warm fabric.”
She smiled at that, feeling her cheeks flush with pride. “It is, Mister Wolfe. That blanket is made of the softest, warmest wool you could find north of the equator.”
Adrian considered her with interest. “Your mother told me and Scarlett about your father, when we came in to order the blanket. So he was a foreign magician?”
Elina shrugged. “That’s what my mother says, and the whole town too. I’m assuming it’s why you could smell magic on me in the tavern.”
To her surprise Adrian shook his head. “No, that doesn’t explain it. The magic on you is…stronger. Constant. As if you’re in contact with it all the time.”
Unbidden she thought of Kilian and his empty, foreboding castle. Working up there was the only change to her life that might explain Adrian’s observation, after all. But she had no proof and, even if the prince regent was responsible for whatever magic was clinging to her, what could Elina even do about it?
She sighed. “I guess it’s a mystery, Mister Wolfe.”
“Adrian,” he smiled. “Just call me Adrian.”
“What is it with men and demanding to be called by their first names?” she said, thinking of Daven and, of course, Kilian, whom she was yet to address in any way he actually desired.
“Because names have significance, Elina, and it’s only natural when you like someone that you want them to address you in a more familiar fashion. Otherwise you may as well be strangers.” Adrian gave her a wolfish grin as he made for the door. “Don’t forget to stop by the tavern soon to talk with me and Scarlett – she’s extremely bored.”
And then Adrian wrenched open the door and was swallowed by the snow, dark cloak swirling round his ankles making him look very much the image of a mysterious magician, just like Elina used to imagine her father must have looked.
Chapter Ten
Kilian
“Who is that man walking out of the forest with Elina?” Kilian asked the servant who was lighting the fire in his room. Though that was usually Elina’s job and, indeed, the morning sky was still dark, Kilian had barely slept. He’d called the servant out of their bed to warm up his chambers and bring him wine, despite the ungodly hour. He knew why he hadn’t slept, though he didn’t want to confront the issue.
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