At least people will be looking at both couples, so Cerian won’t have all eyes on him. He won’t be happy about getting his fingers sticky, though.
“I think we’re supposed to do this together,” Rominy whispers.
Right. Elowyn lays her hand over his as he presses the blade into the sugary confection. It looks spongy and springy inside, and Elowyn’s mouth waters.
Once their small slice is on a plate, she glances at her brother to see how he’s doing.
He’s scowling again. He looks as if he’d rather hurl the cake across the room than eat it.
“Ready?” Rominy holds a small square of the cake in his hand. “We’re supposed to do it at the same time.”
“Oh! Sorry.” She picks up her own bit of the white sweet bread and glances at Cerian once more. His hand hovers over their slice of cake as if he can’t bring himself to touch it.
Arisanna is speaking to him in Elvish, though Elowyn can’t make out her words.
They need a diversion.
Hopefully, Rominy will forgive her for this.
Just as she’s about to slide the cake into his mouth, she smears it across his face instead.
The room goes silent as Rominy stares at her in shock.
Everyone is staring at her.
Which means they’re not looking at Cerian.
Elowyn laughs nervously as she meets Rominy’s gaze. His hand still hovers near her lips, poised to place that delicious morsel on her tongue.
“You little imp!” Rominy’s eyes twinkle as he licks his lips. “I can’t believe you did that.”
Before she can respond, he smears cake across her face to match his.
“Oh, stars above,” Rominy’s mother mutters nearby, but laughter flows freely from Elowyn’s cake-covered mouth.
“This is delicious,” she says as she licks her lips.
“Oh dear.” Rominy sucks in a mouthful of air between his teeth. “I think I got it in your hair.”
She just laughs harder.
“Here, let me get it out for you.” He wipes at it with a napkin. “Nope. That just made it worse. I’m getting it everywhere. I think it’s in my hair now, too. How did I manage that?”
He moves to dab at a bit of icing on her gown but apparently thinks better of it.
“We might need to hop in the shower to get it all off,” he murmurs.
Then he turns bright red, and Elowyn can feel herself heating, too. All the way to the tips of her pointed ears.
Rominy sputters. “Not...er...that is—”
“On that note, I think it’s time for our happy couples to retire,” King Gerault announces as his own mirth shines in his eyes. Queen Yalisa looks less amused.
When Elowyn catches Cerian’s eye, he mouths a thank-you, and she nods.
Before she knows what’s happening, she and Rominy have been shuffled into the corridor as Cerian and Arisanna appear behind them. Elowyn looks awkwardly up at Rominy as she tries not to transfer the sugary mess onto anything else.
He only hesitates a moment before taking her sticky hand in his own. “Come on.”
