by Viola Grace
She smiled. “Sleep. I would like one day of my life to just sleep, wake, and sleep again.”
He paused. “Ah. You are tired.”
“All the time.”
“Well, then, hurry home and help them prepare. I am guessing that your own preparations are clutched in your fist.”
She looked down at the nutshell in her hand. “So, I have been informed. I don’t know how that is going to work.”
He bent down, lifted her free hand, and kissed her palm. “I will see you at the ball tomorrow night.”
“Um, sure. Me and several dozen other women.” She shrugged and tried to create a plan to get lost in the crowd.
“Things must be kept fair.”
She looked at him. “So, what is the purpose of these events?”
“That will be made clear at the event.”
Amelia took in his perfectly beautiful features. “You don’t seem too enthusiastic.”
He laughed. “I will endeavor to be more enthusiastic by tomorrow night.”
For the first time, he turned his horse and ran off before she crossed back into the human settlement space.
Once, this entire area had been the elf territory. Then, humans had arrived and colonized, turning back to a subsistence-level existence as their technology failed, piece by piece.
In two hundred years, they went from advanced to feudal. It had been a quick spiral. The energy that the elves controlled shorted out human constructs. Learning to control the ambient energies was the only way to gain the upper hand over the elves, and they were not willing to teach.
She tucked the walnut shell into her bodice and returned to the house to deal with the screaming and chaos. One more day and she would get some relief from them. They would be masked and in the hired carriage, and she would be... somewhere else.
Her mother’s tree had prepared two more nuts for her. She had no idea why, but she had to crack them in a certain order when it was necessary. She had no idea how she would know when it was necessary.
Her stepmother was disappointed. “Don’t you want to come to the ball, Amelia?”
She bowed her head. “It is not for people such as me. Even if I did have an invitation for a moment.”
The girls and her stepmother cackled and climbed into the ancient carriage. Amelia waited until they were out of view, and then, she walked to the edge of the barrier. She took the first nut, found a rock, and cracked it. In a moment, she was surrounded by a storm of magic and wind. When the storm ended, she was standing in an elf-styled gown, her boots had turned to glass slippers, and her hair was piled high on her head, exposing her neck. It was the palest silver, mocking the moon. Amelia checked, and the other two nuts were still nestled between her breasts. She looked at the barrier and stepped through, listening for hoofbeats as she walked toward the castle of midnight. The wind on her back made her shiver. It seemed that the magic had missed a spot or had a daring bent when it came to fashion.
A horse appeared, white and silver, with a side-saddle on his back. When he walked up to her and paused, she nodded and stroked his neck. “Who sent you, I wonder?”
She gathered her skirt, put her left foot in the stirrup, gripped the pommel and mane, and jumped before pulling and twisting herself into a seating position. She hooked her leg around the protrusion in the saddle, and the horse turned and began walking toward the castle. That was it. She was done for the night. Next time she got onto a horse, she would find a rock to stand on.
She noticed as they went along that there were no reins.
She touched her hand to the mask she had on and wondered what she looked like. There wasn’t a mirror or lake on the way. She was going to arrive as the magic had presented her.
The horse she was on appeared to be moving slowly, but the castle’s lights appeared in only a few steps.
Elven warriors lined the path that the horse settled on, and she sat straight with her head high as she was transported past them all until the horse stopped. One of the warriors came up to her and bowed. “May I assist you?”
She nodded, and he placed his hands around her waist, lifting her easily until she was standing in front of him.
“Do you have an invitation?” He smiled kindly.
“I did. It disappeared.”
His expression turned to a grin. “Please, come with me, Mistress.”
He offered her his hand, and she took it. They walked up the wide steps and toward the glowing ballroom, but he took a detour and headed for a wide set of stairs that curved upward.
“Where are we going?”
He smiled. “There is a private reception for those who have had the same occurrence with their invitation. I am taking you to it.”
“Ah. Thank you?”
He chuckled. “To see the look on his face, it will be my pleasure.”
She couldn’t see the ballroom below except in tiny glimpses through a wrought-iron vine that wrapped the upper balcony. It let her see a bit without being seen.
They walked the upper gallery, and a room with two huge doors loomed.
“Touch the door, Mistress. It will open.”
She took her hand off his wrist and walked to the door. When she touched it, there was a chime that she felt rather than heard.
The doors swung inward, and she waited until she could see clearly before she stepped inside. The room was large, there was a tray with wine glasses and another with food. The scent of roasted meats from one tray was overlaid with the scent of fruits and flowers from another. Her stomach rumbled alarmingly.
The doors were closing, and she turned in surprise. “Hey!”
The shadows moved, and the elf king came out of their flowing shapes. “Well, maiden, you look lovely.”
He was wearing layers of silk, graceful robes that swirled, and tight trousers with elegant boots. His clothing was black and gold, and his coronet gleamed in the evening light.
Amelia swallowed as he approached her on silent feet.
“My men were on the lookout for someone wearing my boots, not a woman on an enchanted horse.” He chuckled and walked in a slow circle around her. “I was beginning to despair.”
She felt the lightest touch of fingers up her back, and she shivered.
“I suppose now is the time to tell you why I am holding this event.” He paused in front of her, and he smiled. “I am holding it for you.”
His kiss was sudden, but there was a hot response under her skin while she went up on her toes to meet his lips with hers. She really wished she knew how to dance. These particular steps were lost to her.
Chapter Three
She stumbled back when he let her go.
“So, little maiden, what is your name?” He caressed her neck, and his finger trailed along the edge of her gown.
She stepped back, but he moved with her. “Amelia.”
He snorted. “There is no way that your mother named you Amelia before she passed.”
She swallowed. “Elladualian.”
“So, why the name Amelia?”
“My father thought it would make it easier for my stepmother to adopt me.”
“Did she?”
She shook her head nervously. “No.”
He sighed. “Well, you are far too thin for one of your kind. Eat. I will attend to my guests. When you have eaten, you may join the party. You will be announced.”
She was surprised. He kissed her on the forehead and left, his robes floating around him in a cloud of fluttering shadows. She looked around and found a small plate. She took a few of the savoury pieces and walked out onto the balcony to eat.
Below, on the path she had arrived on, men and women were arriving—many more men than women. The ladies were all wearing court dresses with laces that showed narrow waists and pressed their cleavage up beneath their collarbones. The men were dressed similarly to the king, for comfort.
She finished her snack and went back for some more. When she was done with the savoury, she went for the sweet. She washe
d it down with a few sips of wine and went to the door that she had entered through.
She pressed her hand to the door, and it began to swing inward. She stepped back and waited.
Two guards were there. One on either side of the door. They each tapped quietly on the floor, and that small sound summoned a third elf with an engaging grin.
He bowed with a flourish. “Well, dear Mistress, how shall I announce you?”
“Elladualian of the Barrier.”
He paused. “That is your name?”
“Since birth. I rarely get to use it.”
He inclined his head.
He took her hand and led her to the top of a grand staircase. His voice reverberated, “Lady Elladualian of the Barrier.”
The gathered elves and humans stopped and stared as she was escorted down the steps. When she reached the marble of the ballroom, the king stepped forward and took her hand. As he touched her, music began. The dance floor cleared as the elf king moved, and he faced her, with one hand on her waist, his fingertips brushing her naked back.
He murmured, “Do you know how to dance?”
She gave her head a small shake.
He nodded, and they began to sway in a slow waltz. His hands steered her, and to her shock, her slippers seemed to know where they were going.
Her gown was suited to the dance; it let her move easily as they cruised around the floor. He was an excellent dancer. They didn’t collide or stumble, but she guessed he had a lot of practice.
“You are doing well.” He smiled and continued their lazy path around the dance floor.
She confessed. “The shoes are doing most of the work.”
He chuckled. “So, you did not discard the boots.”
“No. They got transformed with everything else.”
Couples joined them on the dancefloor, and soon, they were moving around in the mix of bodies.
She was just about dizzy when he steered them from the floor and left the dancing to the others.
“So, Elladualian, are you enjoying your proper name?” He asked her as he led her into the back gardens.
She looked up at the moon. The air pulled at her hair and ruffled her dress. She could smell flowers on the wind, and her skin tingled where it was cooling. “You are the first person to say it to me in a very long time. It sounds nice when you say it, if a little long, Your Highness.”
He chuckled. “What would you like it shortened to? There is a lot to choose from. Ella, Adua, Alian, you can select your designation, and I will use that for you.”
“Tonight then, I will be Adua of the Barrier.”
“Adua then. Not Ella?”
She wrinkled her nose. “It has been done.”
He laughed and continued to walk with her past topiaries and into the shadows.
“Your Highness, where are we going?”
“Just a little further, Adua. I am attempting to distract you from the mass debauchery that is taking place in the hall.”
“What?” Her tone was bordering on a shriek as she tried to look back.
He chuckled and continued their walk. “You may have noticed a slight population imbalance among my people. Some of the males pair off, but others prefer females, and species doesn’t matter. If a human is all that is available, that is what they will seduce.”
“What about the elf women?”
“Ah, they like to either watch or participate.”
Her mind reeled at the ramifications of that. She started to walk faster, and the elf king laughed. She tried to release his hand, but he wouldn’t let go.
He pulled her back against him. “Don’t worry. I won’t let them get you. Two more evenings from now, they will return home with presents from their lovers.”
“Wait. Three evenings?”
“Yes. This is only done every five to ten years, as needed.”
She whispered. “What if someone gets pregnant?”
He turned her to face him. “That has only happened once in the last fifty years. It was across the continent, and there was a daughter. One. I met her. She was charming. Golden hair and her ears were only lightly pointed, but it was still obvious that she was half of both our species. She settled nearby and had a daughter.”
Adua blinked. “Did you and she...”
He snorted. “No. She never attended evening events here. She visited when her parents were here.”
Adua nearly passed out. “I had grandparents?”
“You still do. Norem and Dahlia are still alive.”
She swayed harder. He caught her and held her against him until she steadied. “Why so shocked?”
Her child self wailed in her soul, but she simply said, “They never met me.”
“They have not been here since your birth, no. I do not believe it has been mentioned to them. The theory was that your mother was infertile.”
She tensed her lips but nodded. “And they didn’t find out I existed.”
“We were never contacted. It wasn’t until there was someone with elf blood moving in and out of the barrier that I began to pay attention. Your raids were precisely timed for the barrier holding in the cursed fey with a lot of power, but you were able to flit between them. It was interesting and quite the challenge to locate my little sprite.” He stroked her cheek. “Imagine my reaction when I caught her, and she had my people’s blood in her veins.”
“You could tell?”
“You reek of magic. There is the heady scent of moonlight and jasmine when you try and hide, and bright apples when you get ready to run.”
She swallowed. “What do you sense now?”
He leaned in and whispered, “Apple blossoms.”
She blushed. “So, why am I here with you?”
“I will be frank. It is a punishment. I was very opposed when the idea of mixing species was first suggested. The councils decided that until my blood could walk outside that door without me, I would be banished to the Midnight Castle and the surrounding forest.”
Adua blinked. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I need a queen, a lover, and a wife. I believe you could be all three.” He kissed her and cupped the back of her head.
Her senses reeled as he kissed her, his lips coaxing her into participation. His hair slid across her cheek in a cool silken wave that smelled of mint.
It took a bit of focus, but she moved her lips against his and tilted her head so that her nose wasn’t in the way. She let her hands rest lightly on his chest. His heartbeat was steady and slow.
She pulled back, and he paused. “Did you have a question?”
She blushed. “Um, do you have a name?”
He stroked a strand of hair away from her forehead. “Ledock Ilthuan.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
“Why?” his hands were slowly unpicking her hair.
“Why?”
“Why did you want to know?”
She looked away. “Because for people like me, running into people like you, this ends one way. I wanted to know who you are.”
“How do you think this is going to end, Adua?”
“You will get whatever it is that you need from me, and I will die.” She shrugged. “That is the way of things.”
He stiffened against her and set her back from him. “You think that is all you are here for?”
She blinked and frowned. “I believe that my virgin status is the only reason that I am here instead of back there.” She pointed toward the castle.
“That and your bloodline. They are entertainment, you are... special.”
She shivered at the coldness in his tone. “Right. Special. Thank you for reminding me.”
Her mind was scrambling around, and she was panicking. The thud of hoofbeats was felt rather than heard. But the horse approached rapidly, and Ledock moved to put himself between Adua and the white steed.
The side saddle made it obvious who the horse was for.
“You have a spirit horse?” He muttered it warily.
&nbs
p; The beast screamed and flashed its hooves. Adua walked around the king and moved to the horse. “I thought you sent it.”
She smiled and patted the animal’s neck.
“The beast I call isn’t nearly that wild. You rode that thing?”
Adua nodded and continued to pet the beast. “Of course. In fact, I think that seems like an excellent idea right now.”
She gathered her skirt and was on the horse in just enough time to evade the king’s grasp. The horse wheeled and took her toward the distant field, pounding toward the barrier.
Adua held on, and it was only when she glanced back that she saw the need for urgency. The elf king was on their trail, and he was gaining fast.
If she knew how to properly ride, it would have caused less panic, but as it was, she screamed and kicked when he lifted her from the saddle. He slammed her down on his thighs and brought his mount to a halt.
Her beast screamed and shook its head.
He calmly said, “She is mine, and I am keeping her. She might not always be comfortable, but she will be safe.”
Her horse shook its head and stomped.
“You have my word.”
The king’s mount got into it, and he whinnied hard, making the other horse step back. Adua was held tight. Her beast stamped and snorted.
Adua sighed. “Perhaps if you looked less like you wanted to strangle me.”
He looked down at her as if surprised she was still awake. “What would you recommend? She is not going to settle.”
Wanting to keep the peace and her adrenaline fading rapidly, she grabbed him around the neck and kissed him, teasing her tongue along his lips until he opened to her.
His arm held her tight, and his tongue stroked along hers. He flexed his hand, and she realized that his hand had slipped inside the open back of her dress when he grabbed her. His hand was just under the edge of her breast, and he moved his finger lightly against her. She blushed but kept at the kiss until her spirit beast had calmed.
Her own pulse was galloping, but the horse snorted and wandered off.
She relaxed her grip, but Ledock held her to him and continued the kiss with a far more expert focus than she had been able to lend to the endeavor.
