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Chapter 15
Cal wound her hands in the fabric of the light-green dress she wore, partly in nervousness and in part due to its length. She and Maggie followed Arrein and Vana as they swept through the halls. They had to hurry, or lunch would be late. According to the maids, the meal was already later than normal because of the festival that had occurred last night.
Since many important people would be there, they'd been primped to an inch of their lives. Was that what they had to look forward to for the next year? She cringed when she thought about what that had entailed. It’d started out so innocently. Both she and Maggie had declined a bath last evening, so they’d agreed to one this morning. Cal could think of no better way to cheer up—other than waking up in their apartment. Since that probably wasn’t going to happen, she’d settled for water therapy.
But as she’d stood before the marble tub in the bathroom that their two rooms shared, her blood pressure skyrocketed off the charts. It couldn’t be healthy—this much stress. She and Maggie had hoped to enjoy the novel experience of relaxing in a tub that rivaled the proportions of a small pool. But not with each other, at least not at the same time.
However, Arrein and Vana, the other maid, had assured them “it was common for females, no matter their standing in society, to bathe together when desired.”
She shook her head and increased her pace to keep up with the maids. Really, bath time was considered some sort of social hour?
Though she’d been surprised with this supposition, the most astonishing one had to be the discovery of hot water. They hadn’t seen how the maids filled the tub, but she definitely hadn’t expected steaming water. Maybe lukewarm, if she was lucky.
Arrein had giggled upon seeing their surprised expressions. “Not expecting hot water? Do you not have such conveniences at home?”
That comment took Cal aback. She’d not considered that the elves would be unaware of her world’s advances. Upon further reflection, did she really expect the elves to know of American culture or any culture of her world? “No, we have them. We just didn’t know if you had them here.”
Vana laughed. “We’ve had such innovations for untold centuries, long before humans surely found a way to do so.”
Arrein sent Vana a chiding look that caused her to hastily finish her last sentence. After that, the elf remained unnaturally silent. A trace of irritation settled in Cal’s chest. Did the elves consider themselves so superior?
She’d shrugged it off, and in a surprisingly small amount of time, the maids had them dressed and groomed. And out the door.
Cal frowned down at the lovely gown she wore. Here, even the simplest clothes seemed to have an understated elegance, though she couldn’t call the thin velvet dress she had on simple. While she liked pretty outfits as much as the next woman, such lavishness and coverage unsettled her. Why, the dress she’d arrived in must’ve appeared scandalous. She pushed that embarrassment aside and turned to her friend.
Maggie looked about as comfortable in her blue dress, but the style suited her. At least, it would when Maggie walked without tripping in her light slippers. She glanced down at her own in askance. They were quite comfortable but took some practice to get used to them. For some reason, she felt like a dress-up doll or a child raiding her mother’s closet.
The hallways they passed through were fairly empty. A stray elf or two walked about on whatever task that required their attention. Frowning, Cal noticed a pattern—any animation displayed by the elves melted away when faced with the truth of two human women. All would stop and stare, inclining their heads to the four females. She and Maggie offered tentative smiles, but the other elves rarely returned them. Except for a few words spoken by their maids, the silence was riveting. Sadly, that probably wouldn’t rival the disquieting vacuum that was sure to come in the great hall.
Maggie echoed her thoughts, her voice a harsh whisper. “Well, are we freaks or what? All this staring is getting to me, and I don’t think we’ve seen the half of it yet.”
Cal snorted. “Of course, we’re freaks to them. Who knows when they last saw a human? I gather there are not many around.”
They entered the massive great hall, and all went silent. A sea of eyes was trained on them as if expecting some kind of mishap from the ignorant humans. She felt more exposed than she ever had in the tiniest bikini. Pausing, she wanted nothing more than to turn around and run the way she’d come.
Deciding she was making a spectacle by standing there, she searched for Arrein and Vana. She found Maggie a few strides ahead of her but no sign of the maids. Traitors. Her mind filled with panic. She didn’t know what to do or where to go. How could they do this to her and Maggie?
She quickly took in the two-storied room, and if she’d been in a better frame of mind, she would’ve been suitably awed. Numerous trestle tables—sporting glimmering tablecloths and even lovelier centerpieces—took up a good amount of the space. Tapestries and draperies accented the white stone walls, and colorful nature scenes had been painstakingly painted across the ceiling that soared high above. There were even skylights, which let in the late morning sun. Three curved staircases swept up to the balconied walkway that lined the perimeter of the great hall’s upper portion.
While the room was a marvel of beauty, it didn’t distract her from the fact Relian hadn’t shown his face. Where was that dratted elf?
Skimming her gaze over the amassed elves around her, she spotted her quarry at a long table raised a foot above the others. His father sat at the head of the table, with Relian to his right and Kenhel to his left. Richly dressed elves had taken many of the other seats.
Relian looked straight at her. Their gazes locked and held for a brief second before he turned away to whisper something to his father. His father nodded, and Relian rose in one fluid movement.
Her breath caught in her throat as he strode toward them. The resplendent silver-and-blue tunic and gray leggings displayed his masculine beauty to perfection. Again, their gazes meshed and held her immobile. Time and space were no longer of any concern. All that existed was him.
He stopped a foot or two away from her. A smile played upon his sensuous lips. Was he delighted to see her or just a superb actor? At that moment, she didn’t care. To bask in his pleasure and acceptance, even if they only proved superficial, was all she desired.
Inclining his head slightly, he reached for a hand that hung limply at her side. “My lady, how are you this morning? You look very well-rested and lovely.”
No hint of a lie rested in his gray eyes. He seemed...sincere? She mistrusted that last thought. This charming Relian set a new precedent, and she didn’t know how to handle him. Playing it safe, she just gawked at him.
A small functioning part of her mind cried out that it seemed harder to understand his words. Surely, it’d been easier yesterday? Everyone and everything was becoming increasingly incomprehensible.
Aware he expected a reply and that she must resemble a gaping fish, Cal closed her mouth and spoke through a throat tight with nerves. “Yes, I slept well. Thank you.”
That smile again tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he cocked his head, black hair hanging over his shoulders like a shining curtain. “That is good.”
