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I snatched the parchment from his hands and began.
Faenir Evelina & mate are hereby invited to the Joining Ceremony of Princess Frila Evelina & mate.
Proceedings will occur within the capital, Neveserin,by Queen Claria the Light.
Blessed be.
“AJoining?” I questioned, looking back at Faenir after I had read it aloud twice.
“Your kind, from my understanding, used to celebrate such partnerships and name it a wedding. This is Evelina’s equivalent.”
There was no stopping the barking laugh that exploded from me. “A wedding! They have not known each other more than a number of days.”
“It is custom.” Faenir took the parchment, crumpled it in his hand and threw it with precise aim into the burning hearth, as he did with all the other letters that arrived each morning. The invite crackled upon impact, singeing as the fire devoured it. “Elves who chose a mate will always sanctify their union and Join with one another. It is the first step towards the… necessary.”
“Children,” I echoed, remembering back to what Faenir had revealed to me. “You pick your human that fits your taste and desire, then marry them before fucking. Seems an awful lot of hassle to get your dick wet?”
“The production of halflings is far more important than just… sex.” I shivered with delight at the discomfort the single word caused the elven prince. “Frila is the youngest of our family, a spritely girl who has always, if I must admit, irritated me with her presence alone. For that we will not be going.”
“Hold on,” I snapped, twisting in the chair to get a better look at him. “Why?”
“I could list the reasons… The most important is your safety.”
I scowled at Faenir down the point of my finger. “Don’t you dare use me as an excuse to continue hiding from your family and the responsibilities that come with them.”
“May I ask why you show such interest in forcing me to do things I do not wish to do? First it was the ball, now this. It is not safe beyond Haxton, not for you.”
I stood from the chair, squaring myself off against Faenir who crossed strong arms over his chest. Standing so close that our toes almost touched, I looked up at him and made sure his gaze was fixated on mine. I wished for him to see the honesty in my soul alongside what I was about to say.
“If we do not go then you allowthemto win. Claria. Haldor. Anyone who has shunned you for being something you cannot help yourself from being. You may be complacent with letting the bad ones succeed, but I am not. Swallow your pride, Faenir. We’re going.”
Faenir’s fingers twitched, I caught them out of the corner of my eye. “It is not the right decision to make. Believe me, I have spent far more years than you could imagine keeping my distance from family relations. This invite has only reached Haxton because it is a challenge, one I would gladly lose if it means keeping you out of harm’s way.”
I spun back to the table, snatched the knife from beside the plate and twisted back around all within a blink. Faenir spluttered a gasp, one mixed with surprise and pleasure, as I pressed the blunt blade to his neck. “Don’t fear for me. I can handle myself. And this time… I am far more prepared.”
Faenir’s exhale fogged against the metal of the blade, his chest rising and falling heavily with each breath. “If we accept Frila’s invitation we will be openly disrespecting Claria before all of Evelina. I highly imagine she does not have an inkling that the invite has reached us.”
“I am relying on that. Which is exactly why I wish for us to go,” I replied, reaching up on tiptoes until our faces were inches apart. “Disrespect.”
* * *
Neveserin, the capital of Evelina, was the most ethereal place I had ever laid eyes on. I drank it in, face pressed against the glass window of the carriage, as though I was a child and freshly baked cakes waited for me on the other side.The city was carved into the mountains that Faenir had named Cul Nair.
The Goddess Nyssa fell from the skies and left her dent in the world. Where she touched, life blossomed. Neveserin is believed to be the birthplace of our kind.
Domed roof buildings and arched walkways connected one another through a pathway of bridges that seemed to float over cascading waterfalls of azure and opal blues. Trees broke up the countless constructions, each locked in the autumnal shades of amber, gold and brown.
Neveserin seemed to be constructed in levels. The lower levels, which melted from cobbled streets to wide pool-like glens of water and fields, housed small buildings. Above them towered far larger buildings, spiralling towers and monstrous stone temples.
I could not fathom how many elves must have dwelled within this city.
Far in the distance I could see the outline of Evelina’s heart, the Great Tree we had visited during the ball, Nyssa. If Neveserin was the birthplace, Nyssa was the place where the Goddess went to die.The Great Tree seemed to guard the city with its shadowing presence.
Once the carriage finally came to a stop after journeying for countless hours, I almost felt disappointed. I could have ridden around the city over and over and never grown bored.Being here amongst such architectural beauty made it hard to believe that Tithe was even real and made it even easier to believe in the Goddess; only someone of such great power could have created such a place.
“Do you remember our deal?” Faenir asked as he stood beyond the carriage and offered me a hand. This time I did not refuse it. Still distracted by the city’s physical attraction, I was not prepared for the soft kiss of the air and how it hummed with magic. Using Faenir’s hand to steady myself, I inhaled a lungful of lavender and cherry blossom.
“Yes,” I replied meekly, unable to look at him for longer than a second for fear of missing out on the wonder of the city. “I don’t leave yours or Myrinn’s sight.”
