by Godiva Glenn
Sipping carefully, he turned and paced the length of the living room portion of his room. The Landsgate Faerriot had been so thrilled to see the first ever free dryad, they’d given him something called a penthouse. Vevina was all over it, having quickly ditched her own room since his had two bedrooms anyways.
He’d been prepared to stay in cheap yet adequate accommodations and felt it would be a good introduction to the ruggedness of human living, but he had to admit that the scenic view and twenty-four-hour room service was remarkable.
“I was thinking today would be a good day to walk around the area and see how much you remember,” Vevina said between blowing on her coffee and sitting at the glass dining table next to the window.
Though he was certain his memory was doing well, walking around with the humans was lackluster. On Prism, he’d been the definition of solitude save for random moments throughout the year. If he saw a handful of faces every hundred days, that was plenty.
He thought that coming to Earth and being immersed in people would be enjoyable, but it was mostly strange. Crowds unsettled him.
“I would like to see Alethea.” He pulled his phone out but she’d yet to return his last message. “I suppose I should have asked her what she does for work.”
“That’s usually question one or two on the first date, yes,” Vevina replied.
“Our first date… Well, you know. And then since, I suppose it slipped my mind. But I’ve learned other things about her, and she asks a lot of questions about me.”
Vevina placed her coffee down and pulled her tablet from nearby. “It’s moving along well, from what you’ve told me. Which is why you need to channel your inner tree.”
“How so?” He sat across from her.
“All the patience you practiced as a dryad will come in handy now. You’ve found someone you like, and she likes you. But nothing is that simple, unfortunately. I love the new go and get it attitude you have, but while it’ll work for learning about the city and probably finding a job, you can’t just tell Alethea you love her after a few dates. And I can tell you’re already there so don’t deny it.”
He frowned. Of course he wouldn’t deny it. “We have a connection. I feel obligated to tell her how I feel.”
Vevina rested her chin on her hand and stared at him. “You can tell her you like her. You can do that. But you can’t spout the L-word just yet, and you can’t try to marry her. Humans move in slow motion. The vast majority of them don’t believe in fate or true love, despite how their popular romance movies play out.”
“But love at first sight…”
“Yeah, the couples that say that usually say it after they’ve been married and have kids, and if you look back, they probably dated all through high school and got engaged in college and—”
“You lost me,” Blair interrupted.
Vevina took a deep breath. “Yeah.”
“Brook and Kerren were married quickly.”
“In their case, I think the circumstances were a large catalyst to that. But regardless, Alethea isn’t Brook. Brook wanted to take a leap into something new. Moving to Prism, becoming a royal ambassador.” Vevina waved a hand. “She got exactly what the universe intended for her. Alethea is just looking for a soul mate. Those are rarely instant.”
Blair pulled out his tablet—the same one Brook had given him before everything started. He’d finally learned to maneuver around it with more ease. It turned out that being able to write helped quite a lot when it came to searching for information.
He typed his question into the search bar and waited a second for the results, then skimmed them. What he saw horrified him. “I have to wait two years to propose?”
“What’s that?”
“This article agrees with you. And this one as well.” He looked up at her. “How am I supposed to be that patient? We won’t live forever, and this says the average couple waits three to four years before getting married.”
“You’re acting like marriage is all that matters.” Vevina sipped her coffee and glanced out the window. “You can do all the fun stuff without ever getting married.”
Blair knew she was right, but then again… “But don’t some humans want to ‘wait’ until they’re married?”
“Do you?” Vevina arched a brow. “Hold on, does Alethea? Did she say that?”
“She didn’t, and I mean, obviously I would if that’s what she wanted but...” He grumbled and drank his coffee.
“That’s actually something you should discuss at the right time.”
“And what is the right time to request sex? We’ve already discussed it somewhat.”
“You already—My mind is filling in blanks. Tell me what you mean.”
Blair lifted his mug and shrugged. “She saw evidence of my interest in her. I couldn’t exactly hide it, not when she kept wanting to kiss.”
Vevina scrubbed a hand down her face and whispered something in ancient fae, something that sounded a lot like ‘dear blessed aspects, till this soil.’
“You’re mad at me?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m utterly fucking confused. You got an erection, she noticed, and you proceeded to have a conversation about it?”
“Yes.”
Vevina smiled then burst into laughter. “Gerri is missing so much. I swear, how she managed to find you two crazies… Okay, if you already talked about your dick, she’s probably not going to make you wait three to four years before showing it to her.”
He finished his coffee, feeling relieved.
“But still, don’t bombard her with talk about fate or love just yet.”
“I can do that. She’s my future. I’m not going anywhere.” He stared at his phone, which sat face up on the table. “But I would like to see her today.”
“What did her last message say?”
“That she would be busy this weekend and the upcoming week, but she’d try to be in touch. It’s already been three days since she said that, though.” This was the longest stretch of silence since they’d first met. Now two weeks into dating, he’d become used to hearing from her nearly every day.
“I’m sure you don’t need to worry. I bet she’s just working.” Vevina yawned into her hand then tapped the screen of her tablet. “Since you forgot to ask, we can do an online search and probably see what she does. She dresses expensive so I’m thinking businesswoman. Or cat burglar.”
“Is that proper?”
“I think it’s usually done before the first date,” Vevina said then trailed off. “Oh.”
Blair waited for more but Vevina had gone silent. She pushed the tablet to him and walked away. The screen was filled with his lovely Alethea, smiling and appearing to wave.
He clicked a photo of her and read the news clip with as much dread as he’d ever had. This can’t be right. Princess Alethea Spiros.
He clicked through rows of images, and the next thing he noticed was the severe man and woman standing near her in many of the photographs. Her bodyguards. The couple on the boat ride. And now that he thought of it, they’d lingered in the background on some of their other dates as well. Dates that were always private otherwise. He’d foolishly thought that this was simply a human thing—to have dates with other strangers on a date.
This can’t be real.
“What do you want for dinner?” Vevina asked, poking her head into the bedroom.
He’d been hiding out all day, absorbing every detail of Alethea’s life. “I’ll order room service.”
“You said that about breakfast, and lunch. You ordered nothing. You can’t break down and obsess.”
“Then order something and I’ll eat it,” he said waving a hand dismissively.
The door shut, and he was alone again.
He wasn’t angry that Alethea kept her identity a secret. He’d nearly done it too, but then he’d have needed another explanation for not knowing a strawberry from a wedge of cheese.
Image after vibrant image of Alethea swept across his screen. What can I
offer her?
He’d imagined his future quite simply. Somewhere out there, a man with his talents could certainly find a job. He’d already looked into starting his own nursery and working with the local plants. That was the most straightforward career.
But then again, he’d noticed that there were educational opportunities for other fields. Though he doubted he’d enjoy working in an office setting, it was worth exploring. There were endless possibilities.
None of them would make him a suitable mate to a princess, however.
The history of the royal family was a repeating pattern. They married nobility, or they married rich. The funds Kerren and Brook had provided would help Blair settle comfortably into human life, but it wasn’t the type of wealth Alethea had or probably expected.
An ache had settled into his stomach. Not hunger but the feeling that he wouldn’t be able to keep her.
He flipped to an article and growled. The worst part of Alethea’s life being fully available online was witnessing the venom some had towards her. Whether it was someone complaining about her un-princess-like behavior or appearance, or a scathing piece about why she was a terrible role model, the hateful words made him seethe.
Not one instance of their time together had hinted that she was anything but a clever, remarkable woman. And so sweet. She wasn’t entitled or snobbish.
A list of her ex-boyfriends popped up and he flicked it away before blanking the screen. He opened the door and stepped out into the living room, where Vevina was lounging on the couch eating rainbow gummy candy—a vice she claimed help her to tolerate her boorish appearance.
“I’m going to marry a princess,” he announced.
Vevina dropped a handful of bears and stared at him, mouth open.
“And I’m hungry.”
Alethea stood in the center lobby of the Faerriot. It was one of the few buildings she hadn’t been in before, but now realizing it was intended for fae, she suspected some form of magic kept most humans from wandering in.
Royal engagements had kept her busy the full week and had kept her from doing much more than sending Blair hurried texts. She’d been looking forward to seeing him but keeping her secret would only make that harder. She was already planning the best way to tell him the truth, but for now, she wasn’t ready.
Lunch here seemed safe, at least. The paparazzi hadn’t managed to follow her to this part of the city, nor had anyone followed her into the building. Marie had entered a few minutes before her and already sat at the cafe. Joseph was still outside and would likely remain there to make sure her eventual exit would be safe.
She checked her phone for the time, knowing she was a little early. Early was her normal, to provide time for security checks, if nothing else. In this case, it also helped calm her nerves.
She’d been looking forward to seeing Blair again since the moment their last date had ended. Tucking her loose hair behind her ear, she swayed in front of the large mirrors that lined the hotel parlor.
For her usual day-to-day affairs, she had to follow a dress code. For Blair, she tossed that out the window and wore whatever was cute and comfortable. Today she had selected a grey and pink striped jersey dress and black flats.
The gentle ding of the elevator made her look away from her appearance. She stepped back and as the doors opened she found Blair smiling at her.
“Alethea.” He stepped out and embraced her in a tight hug.
She loved how easily he gave hugs, and how safe she felt in his strong arms. “I’m so sorry I’ve been busy.”
“Don’t be.” He stepped back and quickly looked her over. “You don’t need to apologize for having a life. You look lovely by the way.”
“You too. I really like that suit on you.” She brushed a finger down the deep charcoal sleeve. “Though I must admit, now that I know you were a dryad, I’m surprised you’ve chosen such a formal style.”
He tucked a hand into his pocket as they walked down the side corridor to the cafe. “I didn’t have a preference. I was given clothing, and this was it.”
“I didn’t realize the fae wore business attire.”
“They don’t. Our prince had these made for himself when he was planning to move to Earth. That didn’t work out, so he didn’t need to hang onto them. Luckily, we’re about the same height and build.”
Alethea glanced to the bar, noting that Marie was pretending to drink. No doubt that the glass in front of her held nothing but tonic water and lime. Blair caught her stare.
“Did you want to start with a drink?” he asked.
“Oh, no. I shouldn’t. I’ve just never been here. It’s lovely,” she said smoothly. “But wait, your Prince was trying to leave his kingdom?”
“It’s a long story. Vevina would be better to tell it. She’s the one who told me.”
Alethea nodded. She’d heard plenty of Vevina, his best and only friend. Given the details of his life he’d admitted so far, Alethea suspected that he wasn’t exaggerating. The notion was strange. She couldn’t imagine only having a single person in the world to rely on and talk to.
He gestured to a high table by the window and she hopped onto her seat before he sat across from her.
“Maybe someday we could take you shopping and see what you like,” she said.
“I’d like that. The suits are nice. Probably my favorite, something about the image they exude. But I’ve noticed that the men on the streets wear more casual clothing.”
“There are certainly looks for different occasions.”
“I haven’t researched this. Vevina said I would likely end up dressing to match my career, whatever that ended up being.” He fingered the edge of his jacket sleeve.
A waiter slid menus onto their table and took their drink order before vanishing. She’d looked away the entire time, just in case she got recognized.
“I’m glad to see you again,” Blair said, reaching over the table to take her hand.
She almost crumbled and told him everything about her week. That she’d been bouncing between meetings and charities and the ongoing cold war with her father. Instead, she smiled and said, “Me too.”
“Will your week be busy again?” he asked, his thumb circling the smooth skin on the back of her hand.
Her schedule paraded behind her eyes. The usual. “I suppose I’m always a little busy.”
He took the response in stride and skimmed his menu, still touching her. It was a beautiful day outside, and she recalled how nice he looked in the sun. How joyful. If she continued her lie, this couldn’t last. Her schedule was always full, but if she came out, they could at least attend a few low-key events together.
The waiter returned with their water, causing Blair to release his hold on her, but neither of them were ready to order.
“What are you doing the rest of today?” she asked.
Looking up, he shrugged. “Vevina wants me to try and walk around on my own. Get used to my independence.”
“She’ll be returning soon, then?”
“Likely. She doesn’t hide how much she misses Prism, or how little she enjoys Earth. She’s already stayed twice as long as she cared to.”
“I see.” Alethea’s fingernails tapped her glass. “Then what if I took you to a shop? I know one that wouldn’t be too crowded.”
“Today? But I thought you had something else going on.”
She scoffed. “I can reschedule that. I’m already across town. I’d rather stay here. Besides, that should be a fun ‘first’ right? Clothing shopping? Most men hate it, so we’ll get to see your thoughts.”
“I suppose there’s no sense in putting it off. I’m sure you will make the experience beyond pleasant, of course.”
She smiled and quickly typed a text to Nikki. It was last minute, but she was certain she could get one of her favorite shops to herself if she asked politely. She sent the message off with a twinge of guilt. But this is it. After today, he gets the truth.
Alethea pointed out various outfits on
display while Blair mostly nodded.
“I’ll try whatever you suggest. I don’t think I have style, but you clearly do,” he said holding a blue paisley tie up to himself.
She took the tie out of his hand and paired it with a lighter blue shirt and darker blue blazer, then handed everything to Marko, the stylist on duty.
If Blair had noticed that they were the only ones shopping, he didn’t say anything. Closing a store down for privacy was normal to her, and she’d never realized how strange it was until today. She guided Blair down a row of khakis in various fits.
“You’ve said clothing is different on Prism. What did you wear?”
“Nothing.” He lifted a pair of shorts briefly then put them back. “I didn’t need clothing.”
Her brows nearly flew off her face. “You walked around naked?”
“Yes. Some fae do that.”
Said with such ease. Her gaze lingered on his broad shoulders and she tried her best to keep her imagination PG. “Wouldn’t that be awkward at times?”
“My entire body was covered in bark. Were I to go back with this body and stand naked by my tree, that would be something different entirely.” He stopped and turned to face her. “You’ll stop me if I’m being too strange?”
“I wouldn’t stop you because it’s fine. I want to know these things.” She ran her hand over a rack of polo shirts. “What was your tree? Like the type? Is it like anything we have here?”
His brow furrowed in thought. “From what I’ve researched of Earth flora, perhaps a form of oak or another hardwood.”
Of course. “It didn’t have a name?”
“No. Dryad trees are always a little different than the rest. Our trees are part of us and aren’t recognized as a certain species.”
She pulled a hunter green shirt up and held it to his chest. “Every time you talk about your tree, your eyes light up. You must miss it.”
“I do.” He looked down at the shirt. “Do you like this color?”
“I thought you may. Trees are green.”
He grinned, and his eyes searched the area around them before he darted off. She followed him around a few tables and displays. He flipped through folded shirts in a myriad of colors, finally choosing a silky navy button-down.
