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Cal slapped her hand against her forehead. “What did you do?”
“Nothing. I needed to get away from the rat king. He was torturing me. No, I really mean it.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he got out the whips and chains.”
“There’s no reason to be kinky. What you and Relian do is your own business.”
Cal smacked Maggie in the arm and sent her an affronted glare that demanded seriousness.
Maggie threw her hands up in surrender. “Okay. Okay. I hooked up with Kenhel and Avrin, and they kept me out of the king’s sadistic paws and entertained me.”
“Maggie!” For the second time that day, shock infused Cal’s tone—only this time it was real, and her voice rang out louder than she’d intended. She gave an apologetic smile to the startled few that turned their way. The elves smiled back politely, but she could tell they thought that she and Maggie were gossiping about the wedding night. The knowing looks that lingered behind those smiles said it all.
She rounded back on Maggie. Her friend wore a flabbergasted look and shook her head wildly. “What! No! You think... No!” Maggie sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “They’re good-looking, funny, attractive, but no. And especially not two at a time.” She sighed in exasperation. “Please, I wasn’t that lost to my senses.”
“Glad to hear it.” And she was. That could’ve been a sticky, awkward situation.
Maggie grimaced and slanted a glance at her. “When have I ever acted like that, anyhow? I don’t bed hop, tipsy or not. Heck, you were with me during most of my dates, right along with your own. And you saw what happened during those—a big, fat nothing.”
“Well, you have to admit your words were misleading. Hooking up with someone often means sleeping with them.” Cal flushed. She’d indeed been doing that activity herself last night, but it was sanctioned, legal, whatever she wanted to call it. Now, she just had to let it sink in that Relian was hers and would be for the rest of their lives.
“Are you blushing?” Maggie chortled. “I thought you’d be thoroughly cured of that last night. You know, no longer the blushing bride. Last evening, you two seemed like you were on some type of mission to hightail it out of here. You did do it last night, didn’t you?”
She glared at Maggie. “What do you think?”
“The way he was looking at you this morning, I would guess yes.”
How was it possible to feel mortified and pleased at the same time?
“Not that you were much better, mind you.”
Any pleasure fled, leaving mortification alone to gasp in the dust.
Cal buried her face in her hands. “We’re that bad? Really?”
“Yes, but not in a bad way. It’s not lewd but kind of sweet. You two never do anything outside the bounds of propriety”— Maggie gave a teasing grin—“at least not in public.”
Ha, Maggie didn’t know about their bench episode. “That’s a relief. Now everyone thinks we go at it like rabbits behind closed doors.”
“Oh, come off it, Cal. Everyone knows what married people do. They’ve been doing it since the dawn of time and will continue to do so after I’m long gone.”
Her heart clenched at Maggie’s reference to time, but she shoved it to the recesses of her mind as something to mull over later.
“When you were leaving last night, I overheard more than one couple say that you and Relian reminded them of themselves when they were young and newly married.”
Before Cal could reply, a hand slid around her waist, and she jolted. Recognizing the touch and the familiar scent of pine and sandalwood that made her senses swim, she immediately relaxed.
Relian prodded her into movement. “Come, my ladies, no hiding behind trees. Many people are eager to meet you but fear to intrude.”
She sent him a smile, and he returned it with adoration in his eyes. Maybe meeting the rest of his people—no, their people—wouldn’t be so bad.
***
Cal stood in Relian’s arms that evening, gazing out over the terrace of the private dining room. Their meal had been informal and shared with a select group of people. They’d all missed the near feast that had been taking place in the Great Hall every evening since they’d bonded. There were still guests who had yet to depart, so those more elaborate dinners would continue until they left.
The buzz of conversation inside the room floated out to her. Maggie was laughing gaily with Kenhel, Avrin...and Sardon? She listened closely and smiled. Yes, Sardon. Were human women growing on the austere lord? She certainly had made an impression on her elf. Her hand slid down Relian’s arm, the muscles tightening in response.
Through their bond, the mutual satisfaction of a day well carried out hummed between them. More than likely, that was a temporary feeling, for much remained to be solved. Her and Maggie’s discovery of the parchment was fortuitous, due to being in the right place, at the right time. So far, their presence hadn’t done anything miraculous, except shake up the status quo a bit.
As she bit her lip, a thought filtered in, startling in its simplicity. Their presence.... Maybe that was all the veil needed, and everything would ripple out from there, just like a pebble upsetting the calm of a pond. There might be no grand scheme for her, no great prophecy or role. In fact, her path in Eria wasn’t as clearly mapped out for her as it would’ve been in Wisconsin. But she had Relian and the possibility of visiting her old home. Right now, that was all she wanted. Well, that wasn’t quite true, but what she wanted would require a more private spot.
As if reading her mind, Relian leaned down to nuzzle her ear. “Let us escape to a more secluded venue while we can.”
She didn’t look back as she linked her arm through his. They walked down the steps and faded into the gathering shadows of the garden.
