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Farrendel blindly fumbled for his bag and snagged it from where it had dropped on the floor. By the time he straightened, Essie had crossed the room and had her hand on her door.
She turned back to him, giving him another smile. “Goodnight. I hope you sleep well.”
He hoped so too. For her sake, as much as his own.
As she opened her door, he drew in a deep breath. He could not let her just walk away as he had so many times before. “Essie…”
She glanced around the door frame at him. “Yes?”
He opened his mouth, but the word stuck in his throat. This should not be this hard. It was one word. Not even something personal. He closed his mouth, swallowed, and tried again. “Goodnight.”
Her smile widened into that beaming one that sparkled in her eyes and warmed him all the way to the depths of his heart.
ChapterFifteen
Another patrol along the border. More battle and blood. Another late night return.
And now, another round of nightmares keeping him awake in the middle of the night.
He stumbled down the stairs to the main room and sank onto the piles of cushions. Essie was not there yet. Perhaps she had managed to sleep through his screams this time? It would be best if she had. They had that event for wounded elven warriors tomorrow that she had been planning for months. She should be well rested, even if he was not.
But no. Scuffling footsteps sounded on the stairs a moment before the door opened and Essie tottered into the room, rubbing her eyes. Yawning, she slumped onto the cushions next to him. “I had hoped we would get a good night’s sleep tonight, at least. I guess that was probably too much to hope for.”
“I am sorry.” Perhaps he should have stayed at the border a few more days instead of hurrying back in time for the event. Then she would have gotten plenty of sleep.
“I’d gladly give up sleep to have you here.” Essie sent him a sleepy smile as she sagged against the wall behind her. “I’m glad you made it back in time. They’re coming because of you, not me. You are their Laesornysh. Their hero and wounded prince.”
Farrendel resisted the urge to squirm as he stared into the darkness of the main room. Only the faintest hint of starlight filtered through the dense foliage of Ellonahshinel.
Did his fellow elf warriors see him that way? As a leader among them? Sure, he used the wealth he had as a prince to frequent places owned by wounded warriors like Illyna and Fingol. Many had become his friends.
But he had never done anything to earn their loyalty. Not really.
It was humbling to know that he had it anyway.
“Now, I think it was my turn to tell an Escarlish tale.” Essie grinned as she squirmed into what was probably a more comfortable position.
Over the past months of nightmares, he and Essie had taken to telling Tarenhieli and Escarlish folktales to pass the time during the long nights after his nightmares. So far, he had avoided telling her the tale of Daesyn and Inara. He was not yet ready to explain about the elishina, nor did he want Essie to think he was pressuring her into anything. Right now, he liked the way their relationship was forming in its own time and way.
Essie had not asked for the tale of Daesyn and Inara either, even though Machasheni Leyleira had mentioned it at their wedding. Perhaps she, too, was not yet ready to push for anything more.
Farrendel closed his eyes and settled onto the cushions as Essie started the tale. As she talked, he shifted until he was lying down, his muscles relaxing as the soothing sound of Essie’s voice banished the nightmares back to the darkness where they belonged.
As she finished the tale with its requisite happy ending that all her tales seemed to possess, Farrendel cracked an eye open and peered at her. “Why did the prince have to use the shoe to find her?”
“They were masquerade balls. He never saw her face.” Essie said it like it was obvious.
“But he saw her hair and heard her voice. He should have been able to recognize her even without the shoe.” Farrendel worked to keep his voice bewildered rather than show his amusement. “Besides, he had only known her three nights. That was not nearly enough time to decide he wanted to marry her.”
“You decided to marry me after only a few minutes.” Essie smirked down at him.
She had a point. He probably should not critique the prince in the tale too much. “There were extenuating circumstances. We were trying to save our kingdoms.”
“And she was trying to escape her abusive home life while he was trying to escape an arranged marriage. I’d say those were extenuating circumstances as well.”
Hmm. He would have to try harder if he was going to get her adorably frustrated. “What do you have against an arranged marriage?”
Instead of frustration, Essie tilted her head back to laugh. “I walked into that one, didn’t I? Nothing, if it’s an arranged marriage between the right people and the right kingdoms.” The smile she sent him held the assurance that she thought theirs fit that category. “But not every arranged marriage is like that. Some are worth fleeing. And you have to admit, he was right, since it turned out the princess he was supposed to marry planned to murder him eventually.”
