Arranged

by Spears, Jessica

  He only glanced behind him once to make sure she was still there. She had no intention of running. She was more than certain that he could easily catch her if she tried. For the first time since she arrived, she felt as though there were more pressing matters than running.

  He opened her door for her, bowing his head slightly. "Have sweet dreams." Before she could say anything, he was already walking away.

  She shut her open mouth and instead let herself completely into her room. She was more confused now than she had ever been. He almost seemed sad that she had wanted to go. But that couldn't be...he was the Vidarian king, of course he wouldn't be sad that she, a mere human, had returned to her room/prison...could he? The thought seemed so out of place, yet at the same time made her heart pump a little faster.

  She eased herself onto the bed. Her leg was slightly sore from all of the walking they had done in the village. She rubbed the stiffness out with her hands, thankful that she could at least walk again.

  Once she was comfortable, her mind immediately returned to Qwinn. The entire day, he had been completely focused on her, and no one else. She fought the sudden excitement that rose in her. She needed to stay on top of her game, now more Than ever.

  She remembered back to the grove, by the glowing tree. He had laughed so genuinely, she found that she liked his laugh. For someone as hard as he seemed to be, it was quite remarkable how a single laugh could sound like the planets coming into alignment and everything at peace in the world.

  She had never known someone who could change emotions as quickly as he could, she could hardly keep up. He was completely exhausting, she thought as she ran her hands through her hair. Yet at the same time, he was intriguing beyond anyone she'd ever met before.

  He had said he wanted to take care of her. For as long as she could remember, she had been forced to take care of herself. The thought of relying on anyone else for such a task seemed foreign to her. She couldn't fathom it. How could she let him take care of her? That is, if that's what she even wanted.

  She threw herself back on the bed with a frustrated sigh. She was still as confused as when she left him. Why was it that she was suddenly completely aware his eyes on her? Or, when he touched her, how her skin grew goose bumps and her heart jumped into a frenzy? Could she like him that much?

  She smiled slightly as the memory of him tracing the paint off her hand while they were lying in the grass began to play out before her eyes. She studied her hands. Even though his was so strange, it seemed strong and sure against hers. He had already proven that he would take care of her; he proved it every time he came back to her room, so why was she so scared?

  She subconsciously fingered her scarf when there was a knock at the door. She sat up quickly; surprised to find her intense hope that it was Qwinn.

  The door opened to reveal Naliya. She smiled shyly, "You...like bath?" she asked in her timid yet friendly way. Shoving her disappointment aside, she nodded, standing and walking slowly towards the door.

  Naliya had come in to check on her every few hours before Qwinn had demanded that no one visit her. She smiled in surprise at the fact that Alison was now walking. This was the first she had seen Alison's newly healed leg.

  "I hear...rumor. I happy for you," she said as Alison met her at the door.

  They walked in compatible silence with each other to the baths. The room was just as Alison remembered it; sheer sheets of white shimmery cloth hanging from the cave-like ceiling, steam filling the air that smelled of sweet flowers and heat, the pool glistened with invitation. She was thankful that she was bathing here again and no longer having to sponge herself down with a bowl of heated water in her room.

  Naliya helped her untie the intricate sash around her waist. Alison blushed but was surprised to find that she wasn't nearly as embarrassed by her semi nakedness was when she had first been to this room. Naliya had helped her dress and bathe when she could hardly bend due to her leg. She was also surprised to find that she was growing accustomed to the dresses that were given to her. Every once In a while she would grow embarrassed by the sight of her own exposed legs, but the fabric was comfortable.

  She assumed the look that she had seen on Qwinn's face helped with her self-consciousness. As quickly as the thought had jumped into her mind, she kicked it out. What would her grandmother think? She was becoming comfortable with immodesty!

  Naliya kindly turned her back as Alison removed the rest of her clothes and lowered herself with a pleasurable sigh into the heated pool.

  The girl was quick to get the shampoos and soaps ready, stirring flower petals into the water. This time Alison didn't need help with her bath and the hot water seemed to grab at her sore leg muscles, relaxing her.

  She completely submerged herself, swimming a few feet away from the wall. This time Naliya didn't jump in after her, trying to rescue her. It felt great to have complete movement of her leg, and the water was just the right temperature. After a moment, she returned to the edge of the pool and took the shampoo from Naliya, scrubbing it into her hair. This was exactly what she needed.

  She took her time, cleaning every inch of her, then again. Inside the warm pool, she could pretend that her emotions weren't going haywire. In the water, she was in control. Out there, she had no control. It was obvious that she liked Qwinn, a lot, despite the fact that he kidnapped her and that he wasn't human. No matter how she tried to talk herself out of it, she knew there was no use; she'd been trying to talk herself out of it from day one.

  Whenever she thought about the grove, about the way he laughed as he chased her, about the way he pinned her with his body so he could draw on her, about how comfortable she'd grown toward him, she knew she couldn't lie to herself any longer.

  She held her breath and went under again, trying to quiet her thoughts. Eventually, when she was well pruned, she climbed out and dried. Naliya helped her into a new dress, and by far the most immodest yet. It was a deep plum purple. The fabric climbed in a V around her neck and shoulders, then dipped dangerously low in another V, exposing almost down to her lower back. A lovely golden rope served as the sash around the waist, showing off the curve of her hips. The dress stretched almost to the floor with slits along the side, all the way to her upper thigh.

  She was about to comment on how inappropriate of a dress it was when she moved and felt the flow of the dress. It was…comfortable. The fabric was breathable and the deep color made her skin color stand out beautifully. Naliya patted the side of the pool, allowing Alison to gather her dress, sit and dip her feet in while she braided her hair.

  Alison moved her feet back and forth in the water as she puzzled over her life. Naliya braided easily with experience giving the girl time to think. A compatible silence covered them, and before long, Naliya was finished. She stood back and surveyed her handy work. Alison glided her hand gently over her intricate braids, smiling. She pulled her feet out of the water and stood carefully, watching the swish of her breezy fabric.

  "What sort of things do dancers wear?" she asked as she did an experimental turn. Her dress billowed around her in a lovely cloud. The more she moved in the dress, the more she grew to like it, despite the immodesty of it.

  Naliya began to clean up the mess that they'd made. "Different dance have different dress."

  Alison nodded, she had suspected as much. Butterflies were already dancing in her stomach at the thought of what crazy things Adalia was going to make her do at practice. But at the same time excitement took over her. She had never tried anything as exciting as dancing before, she didn't know what exactly to expect. She hoped, however, that she wouldn't have to dance with a man the way that Adalia and Vin danced. A blush heated her cheeks at the mere thought.

  Naliya nodded for her to follow. Alison returned to her room with a new anticipation as she saw the sun begin to rise outside her window through the bubble. She smiled to herself. When she woke, she'd be at the tent in no time.

  She laid her head down, careful not to ruin her
newly done hair.

  "Alison," a soft voice sounded.

  Alison's eyelashes fluttered as she tried to pull herself away from a pleasant and comfortable dream. Suddenly her eyes flew open as she realized she had in fact been dreaming about Qwinn.

  To her relief it wasn't Qwinn who hovered over her this evening, but instead Adalia. Alison smiled sleepily.

  "Come on! We have to get to the tents."

  Immediately Alison jumped up, clutching her head at the sudden change in gravity. When the world stopped fading to black, she straightened her hair and dress, washing her face and her teeth.

  Adalia stood back, smiling excitedly. "Hurry!"

  Alison, who had already been rushing as fast as her leg would allow her, dropped a bottle of perfume as her hands became clumsy.

  A crash of glass filled the room, along with a gasp from Alison, "oh no!"

  The door suddenly opened with Qwinn hurrying in from the hallway. As soon as he was in the room, his eyes took her in, to make sure she was all right. Adalia was wearing a knowing smile as she leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, staying out of the way.

  Alison's closed her mouth, which had been hanging open seconds before. She didn't know what to say. "I'm so sorry!" she gushed, bending to pick up the pieces of shattered glass. Qwinn moved forward to help but halted, covering his nose and coughing.

  Adalia giggled. "Why do you think I am staying over here?" she asked in amusement. "Strong, isn't it?"

  Qwinn blinked back tears from his stinging eyes as Alison threw him a questioning glance.

  "Our sense of smell is very keen," Adalia explained.

  "I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."

  Qwinn held his breath and knelt, stopping her from picking up more. "The others will take care of this. I don't want you to cut yourself," he said as he took her hands and lifted her to a stand.

  She eyed the mess with a frown. "I really didn't−"

  "It's all right," he interrupted, stepping away from the powerful aroma of flowers and fruit. She tried not to read into it too much that he had pulled away so quickly.

  Sensing her mood, Adalia slid forward and wrapped her arm through Alison's, as if she were meaning to escort her. "Are you ready?" she asked.

  Qwinn frowned slightly. For someone who wasn't around him all the time, the expression wouldn't be noticeable. But for some reason, Alison was now aware of everything Qwinn did. "Where are you going?" he asked, trying to keep the curiosity out of his voice.

  Adalia rolled her eyes. "Leave it to you to forget. The tents," she answered, as if it were the most obvious answer.

  Qwinn nodded, not retaliating to her comment about him forgetting. Suddenly, his dark eyes were on Alison. "Are you sure you want to go?" he asked gently, almost hopefully.

  "Yes, you should stay here and be bored out of your mind," Adalia said sarcastically.

  Qwinn shot her a glare then returned his attention to Alison, waiting for her answer.

  "I want go. I'll be alright," she added, not sure why. She smiled at him before she could ponder for too long.

  Was it just her or did his eyes soften? Before she could think another thought, Adalia began dragging her towards the door. "Good, now we must go. We can eat when we get there."

  With that, Adalia had closed Qwinn into the room behind them. The guard stationed in front of the door smiled at her and nodded, completely ignoring Alison.

  It didn't matter. The butterflies in Alison's stomach were in a frenzy. She was going to learn to dance.

  QWINN REMAINED IN THE ROOM for a while after they had left. The perfume was very strong but he was stilled by one thing, he could still smell Alison's scent over the perfume. It rocked him slightly to think that she was so quickly becoming a part of him.

  After another moment, he let himself out. It would do no good for him to stay in the room while there was work to be done. He was still confused about the night before. Why had she left so suddenly after he had told her that he wanted to care for her? Did she not want him to?

  He shook the thoughts from his head. He had a lot to see to today, he would need to be sharp and fully focused, or the training would go horribly. He found Naliya on his way to the council chamber and instructed her to clean the perfume spill and to venture into town to buy a replacement. He told her to choose a scent that she thought Alison would like.

  He tried hard to keep Alison to the back of his mind while the council discussed what to do about the preparation of wine and food for the wedding. He couldn't help but think of Alison in the dancer's tent, probably being partnered with an unworthy man and taught to sway to the music. He literally shook the thoughts out of his mind at the sudden anger they brought. The council member Mar looked up. "Does the thought of digging more fields for wine bother you?" he asked with his usual sneer.

  In truth, Qwinn had not been listening in the least. He didn't let that fact show on his face however. He cleared his throat and set a stern gaze on Mar. "Why waste the time or the space for wine when we can send soldiers to the surface to gather some from the human wine fields a few miles from here?" he asked.

  A few of the council members agreed with him, but Bartus looked as though he did not.

  "The farther we venture from the doorway, the more in danger we are."

  Now engrossed in the conversation, Qwinn leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. "Vidarian's travel outside the gates all the time to trade with the elves and trolls."

  Bartus nodded. "This is true. However, that is one Vidarian. When we send a group of twenty soldiers to gather wine, there is a much greater chance that we could become caught."

  Qwinn stroked his chin in thought. Bartus was right. Vidarian's rarely traveled outside the gates in groups larger than three. It was safer that way for everyone. Then an idea struck him.

  "What if we sent teams of three or four to gather in the night every night until the eclipse? Will that give us enough wine?" he offered.

  A few members murmured to each other. Mar spoke up first. "Perhaps. But will not then humans realize that their fields are being picked?"

  This was a problem. Qwinn frowned in thought again, "There are many fields north. We could pick from a few different fields."

  "Seems like a lot of work," one of the members said.

  Another nodded in agreement.

  Qwinn turned his sights to them, meaning business. "Tilling the ground and planting, then using our magic to make the grapes grow sounds like more work. We will send small groups to collect as much as they can carry and begin to make wine. By the eclipse we will have enough." End of discussion.

  After a moment, Bartus agreed. "Yes. We will, send them out in a few hours, when the humans are sure to be asleep."

  With that taken care of, they began to discuss the happenings with the cattle. Qwinn tuned out, calculating if they would indeed have enough wine. Wine was served at only the most important events. Since it was not fermented for the proper amount of time, they mixed some if their cussa, sweet alcohol, with it, creating a rare and tasty beverage.

  Would Alison like it, he thought unbidden. He tightened his jaw slightly. He needed to banish the girl from his thoughts, at least until after the training. It would help no one if he couldn't even concentrate.

  He closed his eyes, hoping to clear his mind of Alison and the sudden a vision of her in that beautiful purple dress appeared behind his lids. She had looked beautiful. Her skin was pale and glowing as her hair burned a deep red. He hadn't had the chance to tell her how amazing she looked.

  Jealousy rose in him, he didn't want any other man to see her in that outfit. She belonged to him; he sucked in a deep breath before opening his eyes, banishing the vision of her. This was not working. Thankfully, the meeting adjourned and Qwinn was quick to escape to the training hall. He was early, the soldiers wouldn't be coming until after their mid meal, however, he was desperate for something to distract him and keep him busy. Most of all he needed something to keep him from going to the stables,
grabbing an Ou'tani and riding to the tents to make sure Alison was all right and untouched. He needed to get a grip on himself. He wasn't so completely hypnotized by her that he couldn't function without her, was he?

  He grabbed a lance and cut through the air with it, the sharp metal singing. He did it again, feeling his muscle move in time with the weapon. Who was Adalia to always tell him that fighting was not at all like dancing? She had no idea.

  Relaxing from the familiar comfort the lance brought, he took another swing, going over the training plans in his mind as he moved about the large courtyard with packed dirt as the floor.

  He was going to need everyone's attention, when they planned to go to war with the Torin, they would all need to be completely focused and know the plan without fault.

  Qwinn worked his jaw, fighting off anger. They should have attacked the Torin long ago, as soon as he had disposed of their leader. They were weak and confused now because they had no royal family or sense of government system. The Torin were nothing but ruthless savages. It would be a while until they gathered their ranks enough to attack. But for some reason Qwinn felt as though they were wasting too much time.

  He wanted to take care of the beasts before they could hurt any more of his people. The soldiers had managed to save the last woman that was stolen, but would they be so lucky the next time? What if Alison was next?

  He snarled in anger, leaping through the air and slashing at an imaginary foe. He would never allow it. He would surround her with guards if he had to. He grew even more anxious about going to the tents to see her; however, he fought the urge. Adalia would keep her safe.

  Qwinn sighed as he rolled the tension from his shoulders, remembering when his people had first been banished underground. He hadn't even had time to mourn his mother's murder before the humans ran them out of their village to the series of caves.

  Ever since he was a child he had heard stories of the beasts that lived in said caves, but his father was certain that his people could handle whatever lived here. Vidarian numbers were down greatly due to the slaughter, nevertheless the elders gathered their magic and began to work the caves.