AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Aurdyn closes the door behind us and I allow my gaze to travel over the room. A large bed made of rich, dark wood, and covered in silken green drapes, is covered with a blanket of white fur that looks so plush and inviting, reminding me somewhat of my own bed back home.
The entire ceiling is one large dome of glass panels, and I gaze up at the open sky and the sunlight overhead. This space is big enough to accommodate Aurdyn’s four-legged Dragon form. He gestures to it. “The panels in the center open,” he points to them. “This is often how I come and go from this room.”
Against the far wall, and across from that is a fireplace. The l’sair crystals in the hearth providing soft light and heat in the space. A large wooden desk and chair sit in the far corner.
Aurdyn points to a door on the left. “That is the cleansing room.” He points to another door beside the bed and guides me toward it.
When he pushes it open, sunlight spills into the room so bright I raise my hand to my forehead, shielding my eyes as they adjust. “How is this possible?” I gape up at open blue skies overhead and a lovely, enclosed garden with a water fountain in the center with a wooden bench beside it. “I thought we were deep in the mountain.”
I stare in wonder at the vibrant blooming plants and the thick green vines climbing the walls. A thick carpet of grass covers the space, cut through in a few places with small winding paths.
“We are,” Aurdyn replies. He points to the obsidian stone wall that surrounds it. “This has been carved out to make this private space.”
I lift my gaze to the sky, enjoying the feel of the sun on my face and the warmth that permeates the atmosphere here. “How is it so warm here?”
“The Dark Elves gifted this to my grandfather shortly after the last Great War. It is maintained this way by their magic.”
“Your people were friends with the Dark Elves?” I’d always thought they were enemies.
“We both lost many people during the war, and such shared trauma can create bonds that would normally never have been created,” he explains.
“Are you still on good terms with the Dark Elves?”
“Sometimes.”
I wait for him to expand on his answer, but he does not, and I don’t press him to because my attention is drawn to a door directly across the garden. “Where does that lead?”
A smile tugs at his mouth. “I will show you.”
He leads me across the way and when he pushes open the door, a room even larger than the first and more opulent awaits us inside. Large tapestries of nature scenes decorate the walls, and thick fur carpets cover the floor. A massive bed, even bigger than the one in the first room sits across the way. It’s made of the same dark wood, but the curtains are white instead of green, matching the many furs piled atop the mattress. Two sofas sit before a large hearth with l’sair crystals. The cushions are dark green and appear so plush and inviting.
The ceiling is made of glass panels, just like in the first room, but this space has a loft area just below it on the far wall. “What is that for?” I ask.
“It is a platform to use for take-off and landing.”
I do not remember seeing this in the first room. “Why in here, but not in the first room?”
“My mother had it built for me when I was first learning to fly.” He grins. “This was once my room when I was a fledgling.”
A smile lights my face as I imagine him as a child.
“That door”—he points to one along the right wall—“leads to another cleansing room.”
He guides me toward it, and I gasp when I notice the sunken crystal clear pool in the center of the massive room. A light mist of steam rises from the surface. Beside it is a long counter with folded towels and a sink and a toilet area behind another door on the left.
As I take it all in, it occurs to me that this room can only be accessed from the garden, which can only be reached by going through the first bedroom we entered. “What is this place?”
“The first bedroom is where I sleep and this one is yours,” he replies, eyes shining with pride. “I have had it prepared ever since I came of age, waiting for the day I would find a mate.”
“Aurdyn, I—”
“I know you have not decided to stay here yet,” he quickly adds before I can protest. “Even so, this nest is yours for as long as you wish to remain.”
“Nest?”
He nods. “It is the most secure room in the entire castle.”
“I… don’t understand.”
