The sound of a branch breaking quickly snapped Elisa out of her thoughts. She looked over to see a familiar pair of electric blue eyes smiling down at her.
“I thought I’d find you here,” Markus said lightly, sitting down beside her. “Is everything alright?”
Elisa smiled politely, trying not to show her irritation at his interruption. This was another complicated matter on her mind. There seemed to be something developing between the two of them and she didn’t know what to make of it. It was clear Markus had some sort of interest in her, though the depths and magnitude of it were still unclear to her. As for Elisa, she wasn’t sure exactly what she thought of him. He was twelve years older than her and lived a life she was unfamiliar with. What her father would think of it was a completely different problem all on its own. The thing was, she did find him extremely attractive. His face was angled in all the ways she liked, his mouth was wide and plush, always smiling. He was extremely kind, and attentive, but there was just something missing. And what about his conversation with Antonio? Could she really like someone who could easily discuss killing someone close to her? She turned to look at him, studying every inch of his face His eyebrows were raised, still waiting for her answer.
“I’m fine,” she replied, hoping that was the correct answer. She had waited so long, she forgot exactly what he had asked.
“Do you miss your home?” She looked around at the beautiful white flowers that surrounded her, their rich scent filling the air. She remembered what life at home was like. Every day was the same routine: go to training, practice, eat, and sleep. They lived and breathed the army there. It seemed so dismal now that she had been here in Nysa, but when she was home she had loved her life. Hadn’t she?
Turning back to him, she nodded her head, thinking this would be the best way to let them go home, even if she didn’t really mean it. “My father will want me home soon,” she said gently. “I’m afraid we can’t stay any longer.”
His face fell. “I thought you were enjoying yourself.”
“I am!” she reassured him. “This place is wonderful,” she motioned to their surroundings. “But Eden is still in a time of war, and my father and King need us home. We were supposed to go home as soon as I got Wolf and Logan, and we’ve already been here four days.” She kept the tone of her voice firm, afraid he might try to convince her otherwise. He had a way of getting things he wanted. That couldn’t happen anymore. They had already been away too long.
“I understand,” he sighed, but a warm smile filled his face. “I suppose I have kept you hostage long enough.” He chuckled as he got up from the bench. Holding out his hand, he pulled her up to stand close to him. Their faces were closer than she had expected. Without warning, Markus leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. It was a slow and gentle kiss, and didn’t last long, but it left Elisa breathless. Her cheeks were burning when he pulled away. Smiling, he took her hand in his and began walking back towards the path. “We’re having another garden party shortly, and we both need to get ready.”
Wordlessly, Elisa followed. They walked in silence, their hands still intertwined. Instead of trying to make sense of her current situation, she tried to focus on the music of the birds in the trees. It was undeniably peaceful here. The palace came into view. Two oversized French doors led onto a massive patio, where servants ran about decorating it for that evening’s festivities. Before they approached the doors, Elisa noticed a few men setting up targets not far away from where she stood.
“What are those for?” she asked, a note of surprise in her voice. She took the opportunity to slip her hand from his, using it to point at the men.
Markus looked over and laughed. “Those are for archery. I thought you of all people would know that.”
She looked at him dryly. “I know that. I mean, what are they there for?”
“We’re having a competition tonight,” he explained, leaning in closer. “We’ve also set bets, and I put all my money on you. So try not to let me down.” His voice was playful, and he took the opportunity to give her a quick peck on the cheek and grab her hand again. The man was persistent. They walked back in together through the ballroom towards the main hall. When they reached the stairs, Markus told her he would see her later. Nodding, she began to ascend the stairs alone, wondering where Wolf and Logan were, and if they’d be at the party that night.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The canopy of leaves above their heads shaded them from the afternoon sun. Wolf chewed on a piece of long grass as he and Logan rested in the palace gardens. Markus had made sure to include them in all the training sessions the last four days. What bothered him was that Elisa hadn’t been to any of them since that first one. They had barely seen her the entire time. Markus was keeping her close, and it didn’t sit well with either of them.
“I’m so sick of these damn parties,” Logan grumbled. A servant had come earlier to inform them of the evening’s upcoming festivities. “Why does he insist we go? He doesn’t even talk to us. He’s always too busy with Elisa.”
Wolf rolled the piece of grass between his fingers. Why did Markus want them there? He didn’t understand the leader of the south. Part of him wondered if he was doing it just to rub his affection for Elisa in their faces. Another thought was maybe his was a political ploy to keep them close, so he could monitor them just as they were doing to him.
“I can’t handle making small talk anymore, Wolf. Seriously, I’m going to go insane one day.”
“You and me both,” Wolf replied. They really hadn’t got much else from all their investigating. What they knew was that Markus had sent troops to the north. One person, a sparring partner of Logan’s, said something about Markus planning to leave in a couple weeks’ time as well. This had interested them immediately. It was strange that the leader of a city would travel so far during a time of war. Wolf wished they could stay longer to find out if he was really leaving. Then they’d be able to follow him and find out for sure if the rumours of his betrayal were true. Unfortunately the King wanted them back. If only they could leave already, Wolf thought sourly.
* * * * *
Standing in front of the mirror, she took a deep breath in as Mary made the final bow on the back of her dress. Markus had picked out another gown for her, which she found unfortunate. The loose dresses she wore throughout the day had become familiar to her, she found herself not minding them after a while. At least in the light fabric, she was able to move and breathe freely. The gowns he picked for evenings were evil torture devices in her eyes, and they were heavier, making it harder for her to move quickly. She missed her riding pants, praying that Lorenzo had kept them. There was no way she was riding back home on horseback in a dress.
“You look lovely, Miss,” Mary said, smiling at her in the reflection of the mirror. The gown was a golden yellow, almost the same colour as Elisa’s hair. Her skin was far more tanned than when she arrived, and stood out nicely against the rich fabric. Mary left quickly, coming back to place a chain around her neck. This one was similar to the ruby she had worn before, except the large jewel was now a gleaming emerald. The green against her golden skin and the gold of the dress took her breath away.
“I have brought clip-on earrings for you,” Mary said, showing her two small pearl earrings in the palm of her hand. “Since you don’t have piercings, I went to the market this morning to get these.” She smiled down at the tiny girl, and thanked her. Mary smiled back, clipping the earrings onto her lobes. Elisa couldn’t help but admire her reflection. Her father would have died if he saw the way she looked down here. The dress, along with the cosmetics and hair…it was as if she was a completely different person. Jameson would have got a kick out of it too, Elisa thought, smiling to herself. More at her father’s expense than anything.
“Are you ready to go?” asked Mary, interrupting her private thoughts. Nodding agreement, Elisa let her lead the way down towards the garden area.
When she reached outside, the sun was low in
the sky, but still offered enough light for the lawn games to take place. The air was filled with laughter as people ran around playing in ridiculous competitions.
“There she is!” a voice boomed. Elisa flinched, and her eyes soon found Markus beaming at her from across the lawn. He was holding a bow, a loose arrow lying on the ground by his feet. There was a group of men standing around him. As she walked slowly towards them, she realized that she recognized two of the men. Logan stood smiling at her, his dark hair loose past his shoulders. The sun had done wonders for him too. He wore his riding outfit, which made Elisa instantly jealous. Behind him stood Wolf. A serious look was plastered on his face. He also wore his normal clothes, and was holding another bow. Their eyes met briefly before he turned away to focus on the targets set at varied distances away from them.
“Are you ready to show these men how it’s done?” Markus asked, reaching for her hand as she approached. He gently kissed the back, before straightening back up to turn to the others. “We were just waiting for Wolf to finish his turn. So far, only Logan was able to reach the last target, but he was far from hitting the mark.” Elisa squinted to see an arrow stuck in the furthest target. It was on the outermost ring, but it had indeed hit it. There were many others strewn about the grass in front of it. Seeming to ignore her, Wolf stood at the line that was drawn in the grass and pulled back the string. He let an arrow fly, hitting the last target in the second ring, inches away from the centre. The surrounding group let out a howl, congratulating him on the best shot so far.
“He was always better at this than me,” Logan laughed.
“Before you all start praising our good friend Wolf,” Markus said, holding up his hand. Elisa thought she heard a sarcastic note in his voice, but ignored it. “Let our fair lady here try her hand.” Some of the men looked at her skeptically. Straightening her posture even more than the corset already did, she walked purposefully over to where Wolf stood. He watched her silently as she approached.
“Nice shot,” she said, her competitive side showing through. It brought a small twitch to the corner of Wolf’s mouth.
“I suppose you’re going to try and show me up now?” he asked.
“I won’t have to try,” she replied, letting a smile cross her face. This was what she was used to between them. They both loved to show off. Thankfully, she was a better archer than he was, and he knew it. He handed her the bow, and she took it without looking at him, focusing her attention on her target. It was approximately 200 feet away, which she knew she could hit with her eyes closed. She had been able to hit over 300 feet when she was eleven. A wave of calming confidence spread over her, and she couldn’t help but feel slightly smug.
She picked an arrow out of the quiver a small boy brought to her. Feeling the smooth surface and sharp tip, she let the pleasure of her profession sink back into her. It had been too long since she shot an arrow. Stepping up to the line, she lifted up the bow, relishing in the feel of it. Stringing the arrow, and keeping her hand steady, she focused her line of vision on the red dot. She kept her breathing shallow, knowing that any disturbance could ruin the shot. She waited, trying to judge when and how hard the air swept by. Everyone behind her stood silent; no one dared to interrupt her concentration. She figured most doubted her abilities. She’d show them.
And she did.
The arrow flew expertly through the air, piercing the red center. A loud cheer arose behind her, a sense of surprise in most of the voices. Two arms came flying around her waist, lifting her up and twirling her in the air. Markus’s laughter was close to her ear as he set her back onto the ground.
“I knew you’d do it,” he laughed. Logan unexpectedly stepped up beside her, throwing his arm around her shoulder. There was a brief look between him and Markus, but both retained cool smiles.
“She is the best,” Logan said, giving her upper arm a tight squeeze. The attention was suddenly becoming quite embarrassing. The only person that wasn’t making a spectacle of her was Wolf. She could see him standing behind the small crowd that had quickly formed around her. A hand was now firmly set on the small of her back, leading her away from the game towards the table set up on the patio. She followed Markus silently as they all went to eat. As they passed Wolf, he smiled at her.
“Nice shot, kid,” he commented in a low voice. There was only enough time for her to smile in thanks before he was out of sight. The long table was filled with every kind of food one could want. Fruits, meats, breads, cheeses, pastries – everything. Elisa wasn’t even hungry but she grabbed a strawberry, tossing the entire thing in her mouth. The sun was almost gone now, the moons casting a luminous glow through the tall trees. The air was cooler now. She shivered slightly as the light breeze skimmed across her bare shoulders.
Noticing her tremor, Markus walked her to the large seat that was meant for him and sat her down, bringing out a deep black cloak to put around her shoulders. “Here,” he said with a smile. “We wouldn’t want you getting sick before your trip.” His actions told her he meant well, but she could hear the note of disappointment in his voice when he talked about her trip. As he clasped the metal at the centre of her collarbone, he leaned in to kiss her gently on the lips.
“I’ll go get us some drinks,” he whispered intimately, their faces still close together. All she could do was nod and watch him walk slowly away. Things were getting more complicated the longer she stayed, she realized with a moan, pulling the hood over her face. Looking up, she saw Logan wiggling his eyebrows at her from across the patio. Elisa tried to give him the meanest look she could muster, hoping he’d be able to see it from the darkness of her hood, but the smile on his face made it difficult to be serious. After a lame attempt, she couldn’t help but smile back, giving him a shrug like they always did to her.
The sound came a second later.
She knew it immediately. It was what she had been trained her entire life to know. The sound of the wind being cut, a slight whooshing sound as it flew in a straight line towards her seat. Without looking up, Elisa flung herself to the side, crashing loudly into the chair beside her. The tip of her shoe caught on the hem of the gown, ruining the momentum of her manoeuvre, sending her crashing to the ground. The back of her head slammed on the edge of the table. Stars appeared in front of her eyes. People were screaming in the background, but she couldn’t make sense of it. The sound of the arrow embedding itself into the chair where she had just sat rang in her ears. Another sound was coming faster. Cursing, for the first time in her life, Elisa scrambled to gather her wits and moved behind Markus’s chair. Before she knew what was happening, an arm wrapped around her waist, another supporting the back of her head, and rolled her under the table, just as a second arrow hit something near her. A body was on top of hers, a voice frantic at her ear. Trying to hear and see through the stars that still clouded her vision, she slowly began to recognize the voice that was calling her name.
“Wolf?” she asked, her voice muffled in her own ears. She had a concussion, she realized. It wasn’t bad, but it would take her a while to feel steady again.
“Are you ok?” he asked, his voice dripping with concern. She focused her sight on his face, and saw him looking her body over quickly for any injury. The hand supporting her head was sitting right where she had hit it. He was hurting her, but at the same time she felt secure in his grasp and didn’t ask him to move.
“I’m fine,” she said, her voice betraying how she really felt.
“I have to go back and see what is happening. You stay here!” She grabbed his arm before he could move, keeping his body close to hers.
“Don’t leave,” she said. There was no way she was getting up from this spot on her own. He looked alarmed.
“Did it hit you?”
“No! No,” she reassured. “I just hit my head, and I think I gave myself a concussion. This damn dress tripped me when I tried to move out of the way.” He chuckled, a mixture of relief and amusement.
“Alright, I’ll keep y
ou by my side.” Her heart quickened at his words. Rolling himself off her, he reached under the table and grabbed her in his arms. Lifting her up, still cradling her body, he stood up and walked them towards the French doors that led into the ballroom. The whole thing seemed effortless for him, as if she weighed nothing at all. Chaos was all around them, but all she could focus on was how much her head hurt. She shut her eyes against the sudden feeling of nausea. The air abruptly changed, and she knew they were inside now. Even more voices were yelling. Wolf lowered her gently onto a chair, crouching down in front of her to look in her eyes. She stared back at the pale green of his.
“Where did you hit it?” he asked, reaching around to feel the back of her head. A slight flinch on her part told him where the spot was. “You’ll have quite an egg tomorrow, but I think you’ll live.”
“Thanks doctor,” she said, sarcastically. “I’ll be fine, I just need to get my balance back.” Hurried steps came running across the floor. She looked up to see Mary speeding towards her.
“Are you ok?” she said, looking from Elisa to Wolf.
“Just a bump on the head,” Elisa reassured her.
“Shall I get the doctor?”
“Yes.”
“No.” Elisa looked at Wolf accusingly. “I don’t want to see a doctor!”
“I think you should,” Wolf insisted, his voice taking on a note of authority. Before she could argue back, a loud commotion broke out in the middle of the room. All three turned to look. Markus and his advisors were frantically yelling over one another. Logan stood amongst them, his grey eyes darker than usual, and motioned for Wolf to join him. He was angry. Glancing at Elisa once, Wolf stood up and walked over to where the crowd gathered.
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