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I took one last sip of wine and then nodded.
Dinner was indeed an intimate occasion. Cyrus had chosen a private set up for us—a tiny table in the common area of his chambers. The sitting room was as majestic as the rest of the castle. A golden design embellished the impossibly white carpet. The couches were also blindingly white and arranged in the perfect setup for conversation and friendly gatherings. Books with leather bindings were spread on the center table and fluffy blankets had been tossed in a staged casualness across the backs of the couches. A grand fireplace roared and yet somehow the room was still a mild temperature.
“A specialty of mine,” Cyrus said when he noticed me staring at the flames. He flicked his fingers, and the tips burned for a few seconds before fading.
“You’re a fire wielder?” I asked.
He nodded. “And you’re an air wielder.”
We both took our seats at the elegant table in front of a large bay window. Cyrus’s sitting room had a beautiful view of the sea and the sun had just set, painting the sky with hues of pink and purple before fading into midnight blue. He snapped his fingers again and a pair of candles lit in the center of the table.
“How did you know?” I asked, draping a napkin over my lap.
“I’ve done my research.” He drew out the words with an effortless smile.
“Oh?” I wondered if I should’ve done research before coming to Renoa.
He chuckled and tilted his head to the side. “More like your father was eager to share details about you when we were discussing, ah, arrangements.”
I tried not to wince at the word. If we didn’t say it out loud, we could pretend this relationship was organic and not something we’d been forced into.
“What else did he tell you?”
“That you were kind, funny, witty.” Cyrus leaned over the table, closer to me. “Beautiful.”
“He did not.”
“I may have added that last one myself.”
I didn’t even have to force the smile that formed on my lips. It was nice to be complimented.
“Can you show me something?” he asked.
I racked my brain for some display of magic that would be impressive enough for a king. The window burst open with a gush of air, bringing in the scent of the sea and an array of red and white roses. They circled around us and Cyrus watched with a twinkle in his eyes as I let the petals fall around his room.
He laughed. “You know I’m going to have to clean that up.”
Shrugging, I said, “Leave them.”
I could tell he wasn’t upset at all with the mess I’d made and I hoped that we’d wind up on top of that blanket of roses in front of the fireplace before the end of the night.
“It seems unfair. I hardly know anything about you,” I said. “Tell me something I should know.”
“Hmm, well I—”
The door to his chamber opened, and two servants pushed a cart toward our table. I could smell the savory food before they even crossed the room, and it made my stomach growl. They set a pasta dish in front of me and I spotted shrimp and mushrooms among the white sauce and noodles. I ran my thumb over my bottom lip to make sure I hadn’t drooled.
All good.
We ate in near silence, occasionally taking sips from the light sparkling wine the servants had left behind. I was so lost in the delectable flavors that I momentarily forgot to be nervous.
It was only after the main course and the following dessert had been finished that I realized the evening was coming to an end. I hadn’t done nearly enough flirting to seduce this man. We’d broken the ice, but that was a far cry from getting him to rip off my dress and take me to bed.
My heart rate picked up as the minutes ticked by.
“What do you do for fun, Cyrus?” I asked.
The corner of his mouth curled up. “For fun?”
