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“Alright then,” I conceded. It seemed like too large a promise to make, but I trusted him to keep it—for the day, at least.
“Clemencia, you may relax at the palace,” Roar said. “I’ll take care of Lady Neve for the rest of the day.”
Clemencia blinked. “Are you sure, my lord?”
“Absolutely.”
She performed an enviable, perfect curtsey. “I’ll see you later, Lady Neve.”
“Bye.”
We left the castle grounds with an escort of three knights. The streets appeared less crowded this time around. Had Roar had his soldiers clear them of fae when they went looking for orcs? Or was it an off day? I was not sure how the markets ran here.
“Neve,” Roar said as we turned onto the main road. “I want to apologize again. For last night. I shouldn’t have acted so forwardly.”
I stopped, halting him with me, and stared into his eyes. All around us, a few fae milled, some throwing us curious glances. How to play this in a way that didn’t hurt him, but also did not lead him on?
I cleared my throat. “You don’t have to apologize. Even if I’m not sure it’s the best idea, given our situation, it’s kind of natural to want to kiss when in our situation.” I smiled playfully, hoping to lighten the tension I felt coming off him. I didn’t want to make him feel bad as he’d done nothing but act on his feelings. “Or at least, I don’t find it odd.”
A few seconds of silence passed between us before Roar spoke again. “Good to know. Should I show you around?”
“Um . . .” I wasn’t sure what to think of his reply, so I settled for, “Yes, please.”
We began walking again, and my head swam. “Good to know”? What in all the nine kingdoms did he mean by that?
Though I wondered what he meant, I stayed silent as Roar led me to a shop door and opened it for me. Stepping over the threshold, a million scents hit me all at once, and I staggered back, overwhelmed.
“You’ve never been in a tea shop, have you?” he laughed lightly.
“No. It’s very pungent.” I wrinkled my nose. “The only teas I’ve had were very weak. Barely more than hot water to warm us in the winter.”
The vampires didn’t keep wide selections of teas on hand. Why would they? A vampire’s preferred drink of choice was blood, followed by wine. Anything else and they turned their noses up.
“That’s a crime,” Roar said. “I’ll buy you a cup of tea here so you can have the real thing. The owner of this shop is a brilliant teamaker as well as the leader of the Merchant’s Guild, which is why we’re here. I need to speak with him.”
We ventured deeper into the empty shop. In the back, someone moved things about.
“Tvali?” Roar called out. “It’s the warden. Are you there?”
“Warden Lisika? Just a mo!” A portly fae sprouting deer horns from his head entered the room. “Ah! And you brought your fiancée! The lovely Lady Neve, it’s a pleasure to meet you!” A chubby hand gripped my forearm.
I did the same, completing the fae greeting custom. “It is good to meet you too, sir.”
“I was hoping to purchase a cup of tea for my fiancée, and speak with you, of course.”
“Anything she wants!” The teamaker rubbed his hands together. “What do you like, my lady?”
“I’ve not had much tea.” I gestured to the room. “So I don’t really know.”
The fae lifted an eyebrow. “You don’t say? Well, I have an excellent local brew. Made of pine needles from the mountain forest. Some say that the brews blended with southern ingredients are the best, but I disagree. A good home brew, when made by a practiced teamaker, is very indulgent!”
I nodded. “I’ll take your word for it.”
He set to work, and Roar caught my eye. “Let me speak with him privately for a moment. You should look around. If any of the teas smell nice to you, I’ll get them.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
We separated, and I began pursuing the teamaker’s wares as Roar and Tvali spoke. Such pretty things lined his shelves. Small strainers one could fill with tea and handmade painted mugs seemed to be the most numerous items beside tea. The brightly colored mugs made me smile.
