If only he was looking at me like that from across the Warrior room in Gaumond. I would not let anything stop me from standing up and walking straight to him, nor would I hesitate to sit myself perfectly in his lap and let his hands rake across my body in front of the full of his court.
I smirk at the thought and slowly glance over to Keane again. The Prince still has his brown eyes fixated on me, his own grin no longer hiding behind his drink as he gives me a small nod, almost as if knowing where my thoughts have led me. I shake my head with a smile and bask under his gaze, my cheeks remaining unashamedly flushed throughout dinner as his eyes rake over my body.
“Ooo!” the crowd standing on the veranda cheers.
“Amazing,” someone says with awe.
“Truly beautiful,” a woman claps.
Edam and his Prince stand outside in the middle of the crowd next to a large golden fountain. The King and Queen and their sons are all standing with them, as is the rest of the Leviathan delegation. Edam lifts his hands in front of his chest and manipulates the water that spurts out of the fountain, sending the stream high into the air before it branches off into multiple arms over the crowd.
“Lady Alexis.”
I turn around with a grin.
“Lord Daniel,” I reply, catching his sparkling light brown gaze as he reaches for my hand. He brings my fingers up to his lips and gives me a small kiss.
“It’s very good to see you here, Lord Daniel.”
“A bit sooner than I anticipated, but finally happy to visit the Court that has produced such a woman as you.”
“You’re too kind,” I murmur, turning back to watch the show. Edam’s hands are manipulating the water before him, but all I can see are those same hands that tried to take Daniel’s life.
“Such a terrible beauty,” I scowl.
“Yes,” Lord Daniel replies, eyes also trained on Edam, “as summoning usually is.”
“You stayed behind in Fumagalli when we left for Gaumond,” I turn to him quietly at my side, “was everything all right?”
“Just preparing,” he nods, “readying. We added a few new features to the Bulwark Plains just on the outskirts of the Black Forest.”
His grin is small and proud as he turns back to the Leviathans, his eyes fixated on them with a certain hardness I’ve yet to seen from the Lord. I can only envision what Daniel has done to the earth and stone in the Plains, but I know that whatever he did is his own personal warning to anyone attempting to get close to our forests again.
“I missed you those nights,” he says quietly, “in the trees.”
I grimace on a nod. Both nights I was to stay in the Hidden City took me in different directions, first out to the clearing to meet Hirovale and then to the mills that were hosting Troy’s man. Lord Daniel had made preparations for me to stay, and now I can’t even offer him a truthful excuse as to why I wasn’t there.
“I found myself in an unlikely situation on both nights,” I give him an apologetic look.
Lord Daniel remains quiet as I turn my guilty gaze back to the delegation up front, my eyes landing on Troy laughing with Prince Isham. The two of them are watching Edam and his water show with delight, the sight making me scowl even more as I try to connect Troy with the blond Discerni and everything I’ve learned about Woodlands.
“Alexis…”
“Hmm?” I turn back to the Lord.
“I asked if everything ended up alright for you?”
“Oh. Yes,” I give him a small smile, “I actually plan on making it back within the next few months. Willem requested.”
“I know it,” Lord Daniel beams, his grin widening behind his beard, “he’s been telling all of his little friends in the trees. Pulls out his new shiny red marbles every chance he gets."
I grin broadly at the thought, "he's a sweet boy.”
Daniel nods and looks at me over his ale, his brown eyes hooded as he considers his next words.
“Do you enjoy children, Lady Alexis?”
“I do. Immensely.”
