Thankfully, the server who attended our rooms for blood refreshments had come by with new bottles and a basket as I’d requested. Grabbing it, I crossed the hallway to her room and rapped my knuckles against the door.
“Darling, are you ready?” I called out.
The door flung open, and I let out a low rumble in appreciation of the long white dress she’d put on. It drew attention to and contrasted her hair and beautiful eyes, making me feel nearly out of breath as my heart beat extra hard, stunned by her perfection.
“We match,” she observed while taking in my own outfit.
“That we do,” I agreed, offering her my arm. I enjoyed the warmth of her small hand in the crook of my elbow as I steered her down the hall.
Before we could leave, Dakath leaned out of his room, an uncharacteristic smirk filling his face before he warned, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I loved seeing this humorous and playful side of Dakath continuing to blossom out of him the longer Kyella was with us.
Kyella’s cheeks turned bright pink as she bit down on her lip, likely stopping herself from saying something. She probably felt embarrassed at the thought of me knowing what Dakath had done to her and concerned how it would affect my feelings towards tonight. While we had never openly talked with her about sharing her, it had to be obvious that we weren’t opposed to the concept.
Turning and winking at the bastard, I joked, “I’ll do everything you do, and I’ll do it better.”
He laughed good-naturedly before closing the door as we rounded the corner.
Kyella reached up to twirl a strand of hair, and I felt her eyes settle on my face. “So, uhm, you know what happened between us earlier?”
As we descended the stairs, I smiled gently at her. “To an extent, but please don’t feel embarrassed. I have no qualms with sharing you with the two men I know will treat you the way you deserve. Your happiness is our joint priority, even if it might not seem that way with Elijah yet.”
She nodded as she processed my words, and eventually I saw her smile.
Moving on in case she still felt uncomfortable, I offered, “I think that moody bastard is finally coming around, though. He seemed much more laid back and happy at training.”
A myriad of emotions ran across her face as we came to the bottom of the stairs. “Can I ask you something about Elijah?”
I found it endearing that she would ask instead of simply requesting the information outright. She was respecting the boundary of my relationship with him, and it didn’t surprise me, considering how perceptive Kyella was. Nodding, I answered as I steered her to the exit of the castle and onto the path that we needed to take. “Yes, but if it’s something very personal, you’ll need to hear the answer from him.”
“That’s understandable,” she quickly responded. “I was wondering if there was someone important to Elijah in his past that he lost. Someone he loved.”
I nearly laughed at the thought, but I didn’t want her to think I was laughing at her. The only relationship that man had ever had in all my time of knowing him was with his hand. He once joked—an event so rare I’d never forget it—that if he wanted it to feel different he’d use his left hand to spice it up. He’d been a few ales deep that night.
“Why do you ask?” I questioned, curious about her line of thought.
We continued to walk down the path, leaving the hustle and bustle of the main population and moving into the surrounding woods. Her eyes drifted, taking it all in as she answered, “He told me he couldn’t afford to act on his feelings, and that he’d seen too many lives lost when emotions are involved. That he didn’t want my life at risk.”
Ever the valiant warrior.
“Between that and the wall he tries so desperately to keep in place, I guess I came to the conclusion that perhaps he loved someone that had fallen, and he blames himself for it.”
The amount of time she’d taken to observe Elijah and his subtle shifts of mood was impressive, but I was happy that I could answer this question and hopefully put her mind at ease.
“Elijah has never, in the time I’ve known him, had any relationships.” The audible sigh of relief from her made me smile. “He was never able to even form a friendship before me, believe it or not.”
That brought out a laugh. “How shocking! He’s such a sunny individual.”
Chuckling, I finally sighed, further explaining, “Over the time we’ve been friends, I think I’ve come to understand that Elijah values quality over quantity. He doesn’t have the same need as others to be surrounded by people, or to fill the void with pointless chatter. He isn’t afraid to sit in silence, and I admire that. What he has to say has meaning to him, and he cares deeply about those he chooses to let in.”
I smiled, feeling a surge of excitement as a tree in the distance came into view, its blood-red leaves peeking through the surrounding green foliage.
“To answer the part about seeing too many lives lost when emotions are involved…” I breathed out, thinking of the best way to describe it. “Our empire isn’t perfect, although it is a far cry better than the Thaician. Quarrels between lovers have ended in bloodshed, and those fighting for a position of power, be it militant or advisory, sometimes let their emotions get the best of them in their greed.”
I paused, looking at her to make sure she was following my line of thought. Her gold eyes glistened in the fading sun, her brows furrowed as she listened intently.
“When you live as long as we have, you see and hear of many unpleasant things,” I added, “but I don’t think that is truly his biggest obstacle to get over.”
