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He looked around. “Why are we here?”
“Rune stones protect the room. They will make it harder for anyone to hear us.”
The dust motes swirled in the air, illuminated by the globe of light.
My mind was still racing. “Have you noticed he didn’t once call me by my name? Or introduced himself? Or said anything about me?”
“He said he was familiar with your work.”
“But he didn’t answer whether that was a good thing. I’m not sure if he feels the same way about the situation as I do. He’s hard to read.”
His eyes were intense as he stared at me. “There is nothing you can do about it.”
“Yes.”
“A week is not enough to prepare.”
Not for this.
“I know.” I sighed. “What if we return to our ancient traditions? The Elves value tradition. They would understand if we did things a little differently.”
“You want to go back to the old ways?”
“Isn’t it the husband’s responsibility to plan for everything? All a wife should do is show up and look pretty.”
“Is that the first impression you want to make? The Aeglire is not like Midar. Be careful about what you say and how you act. It’s easy to make an enemy there. And once you do, they will never let go.”
I took a deep breath. “Do we have a choice?”
It would be better to come empty-handed than to show up with nothing but sub-par items. If we wanted to make a good impression, we needed to step up our game.
“I’ll inform the ambassador about it,” the Caid said. “But I don’t think she will like it.”
“She doesn’t have to like it.” I got up. “It’s our only option.”
It was time to play the game.
Chapter 6
Feast of Tears
The henna paste on my hands was dark and vibrant, and it smelled of lemon and spices. The woman who did my henna was very skilled, and she took her time to make sure her design was perfect.
Delicate flowers as a safeguard against all who intended me harm, while the vines stood for strength and protection. Womanhood, good luck, and new beginnings were all wrapped up in this one design.
And I needed all the luck I could get.
I was about to embark on the biggest adventure of my life, but I didn’t know what would happen. I only knew I needed to be strong and brave.
The design would remind me of that.
Sitting in the middle of the room, I glanced around. The smell of incense filled the air, and the music was soothing. It was a special moment, and I wanted to savor it. It would be my last night home.
My hair was adorned with a floral headpiece, and I wore a long, white kaftan. Around me, women were laughing and telling stories. The children were playing with each other.
It was a merry occasion, despite the underlying tension. This could be the last time we celebrated like this. I could notice it in the way people were talking and laughing a little too loudly. The way they were holding onto each other a little too tightly. It was as if they were holding onto something. Hope.
The music started up again, and someone grabbed my hand to pull me up to dance. I laughed and went with them, spinning and twirling around the room. The fabric flowed around me like a cloud, and I felt light and carefree.
