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She looked to Isael. He was still engaged in casual conversation with Casean, the two of them discussing something about a port, or perhaps a port city. He gave no indication that he'd noticed the egg, and Cera wondered if he hadn't placed his hand over it by pure happenstance.
Then, without missing a beat in his conversation, he lifted his other hand to summon a servant. Cera thought she recognized the man as the one who'd brought their breakfast to them, but she wasn't certain. She felt terribly tired and drained from the events of the day.
“Mir aesolin,” the servant said as he arrived at Isael's side.
Isael lifted the egg from the table and passed it to the servant. Tersely, he said, "Ensure that the food is properly inspected before you serve it."
Feeling guilty that the servant was taking the blame, Cera said, "It wasn't his fault. I think I—"
Isael cut her off. "Did I ask what you think?"
Cera closed her mouth, ice running down her spine.
"What happened?" Casean asked, switching back to Ateran.
"A bad egg," Isael said absently. "I must be tired, to be irritated by such a trifling thing."
Casean nodded gravely. "I am rather weary myself. I had planned to travel home tomorrow, but perhaps I'll enjoy your hospitality another day, or even two. There is the matter of Wylonsor. I suspect that Yulwen Esolin will be here any day, beseeching us to..."
Casean mumbled whatever else he had to say as Isael abruptly stood. He gave a wave to the others at the table, signaling them to carry on with their meal. Then, he offered his hand to Cera.
A childish part of her wanted to ignore his hand and get up on her own, but even in her tired state that part could not win out over her good sense. She took his hand, letting him lift her from the chair. She barely had time to bid good night to Casean and Esodir before Isael was pulling her away. She hastened her steps to keep pace with him, not wanting it to appear as though he were dragging her.
He went on holding her hand as they made their way down the hill. She waited for him to say something, but he remained silent and gave no indication that he wanted to converse.
During the walk, she tried to make sense of what had happened with the egg. As with the diamond, she'd somehow managed to share the image in her mind, just as Isael said she'd be able to do. Only, Esodir had said that even the most skilled elven enchanters couldn't make Isael see their illusions. How could she have done such a thing, and without even trying?
"I'm sorry," she said, once the sounds from the hall had grown distant.
"Not here."
He didn't sound angry, but she still felt wary. Her wariness intensified once they reached the walls of the castle. Inside, Isael continued to pull her along, until they were passing by the guards that flanked the door to her room.
At the end of the hall, Isael pushed open one of the heavy doors that led to his room. He pulled Cera inside and shut the door behind them.
The Magic
Isael rounded on Cera the moment the door closed. The room was dark, only moonlight coming in from the glass door of the balcony. She stared up at his shadowed face, her back pressed against the door.
"Tell me what happened with the egg. Every detail."
His hands were on either side of the door, closing her in. The position should have put her on alert, but she was still just as tired as she'd been at the table, perhaps more so after the long walk through the gardens.
Rubbing her eyes, she tried to think back to what she'd done.
"I was eating a pomegranate and it started bleeding," she began. "But not really, it was only in my mind. Then I saw the egg, and I thought that it would be a safe thing to look at, because it was so plain. But then I started to wonder what sort of bird might be inside and I..."
She looked up at him, hoping that he really could tell that she was being truthful. "I never once thought of making you see it. I was really only thinking about partridges and canaries. I don't know how I put the image into your mind."
Isael stared at her for a long moment, and then took a step back. He ran a hand through his hair, pulling off his crown in the process. He held the silver crown in front of him, regarding it for a second, and then tossed it aside onto his bed, as one might cast off a heavy coat.
"Come," he said, turning and beckoning her to follow.
The door to the balcony seemed to open of its own accord. Evening air swept through the room, far colder than Cera had remembered it being. Shivering and wrapping her arms around her middle, she followed Isael out onto the balcony.
Unlike her balcony, which overlooked the gardens, Isael's had a view of the city in the valley below, as well as the distant northern mountains. From her vantage, the city appeared even larger than it had when she'd arrived. Lantern light was clustered along the densely populated hillside beneath the citadel, but the valley was filled with hundreds of more sparsely spaced domiciles.
Isael directed Cera's attention to the balcony itself, which was enclosed by an ornately carved stone railing. Blanketing the railing was some sort of ivy. Isael pointed out three small buds among the leaves.
