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“Liana,” I corrected, and his smile grew.
Where his brother was all cheeky grins, and sly stares, Finn was intense. He held me captive in his pensive gaze and didn’t seem to speak unless it was to say something intelligent. A philosopher trapped in the toned and deadly body of a Horde warrior.
A beautiful combination of strength and wit.
I don’t know why I hadn’t noticed before.
“Liana,” he intoned, as if tasting my name on his tongue, and enjoying the flavor, “I wanted to apologize.”
“For what?”
He looked to the floor, and I noticed frost form along the ridges of his knuckles.Ice.One brother of flame and the other of frost. How fitting. “For not being around as much as my brother, or Alaric. I—well I requested duties that would keep me away. You see, I’m not used to being around—”
“Royalty?” I offered.
“Females.”
“Oh.”
I didn’t even realize I’d stopped walking until Finn was a few steps ahead of me and I jogged to catch up. “I didn’t realize,” I started. It was hard to picture that either of the twins wouldn’t be accustomed to being around females. I knew of the brothels in around the Horde camp, and there was no way the two of them wouldn’t be well-attended there. As if their looks weren’t enough, they were Draconian.
I knew, at least for me, that would make them even more appealing. They were rare.Exotic.
“Consider it forgiven,” I told him, waiting for him to lift his head before I finished, “And in case you didn’t know, it was only a week ago that I firstsawa male, let alone spoke to one, or had one guarding me as I slept.”
“Oh.”
We cleared the rest of the corridor, my arm looped through his, and rounded the bend to my royal chambers, “Don’t worry, Finn. We’ll both figure it out, eventually.”
He laughed, and the sound was one which started deep in his belly and made me want to laugh too.
It was nice to know I wasn’t the only one getting used to new things.
Chapter Thirteen
“Alaric?” I exclaimed, walking into my chamber, Finn and I subduing our outburst of laughter.
Alaric raised his eyebrows at us, and I thought I saw his jaw tighten, “I rested, as requested. I’ve come to relieve Finn,” he said, sharing a tense look with his sentry.
“I can stay—” Finn started.
Alaric shook his head, “That’s alright. I need you to shadow Edris. We think he might be—”
“I’m just going to wash up,” I interrupted, before Alaric could tell Finn what I had done earlier that day.Would he agree with me,I wondered? Or like Alaric, would he think it unwise? I didn’t care to know.
I left the pair in the entryway, eager to feel clean after days spent in bed and hours spent pouring over dusty tomes in the library.
The water was luxurious, heated to perfection and infused with lavender and jasmine brought to the palace from southern traders. The oils made my skin feel like silk, and the warmth soothed my body, but did little to temper my thoughts.
I knew it would take time for my Grace to develop, and even more time still for me to learn how to use it. But every Graced Fae got a small taste of their new power during the Ceremony. They knew what to look for—what to expect. I didn’t.
I wasn’t even certain I was Graced at all… unless my Grace was having eyes able to change color. I hadn’t looked in the mirror since I awoke, but Finn told me they seemed to have settled between only changing from blue to violet and back again.Whateverthatmeans.
“Are you alright?” Alaric’s strained voice came through the wooden door.
“Fine!” I called back, sighing, “I’ll be out in a moment.”
It was maddening having to be guarded at all times. The hour I had spent in the bathing room was no where near enough. I had spent hours each day alone with my own thoughts, free to roam the isle as I pleased. I’d traded one cage for another, and I still wasn’t convinced it was an improvement.
