But it could have been worse. At least she was holding the scandalous nightgown and not wearing it.
By the time he got all the cake off himself and collapsed onto his bed, his previous exhaustion abandoned him, andhe lay awake long after midnight, trying to fathom how in the world he ended up married to an elf.
As the sun illuminates his eyelids, he groans again. It’s far too soon for morning. Right? Didn’t he just close his eyes?
His bed rocks beneath him in a gentle rhythm, and his eyes bolt open. The sun is high in the blue sky, silhouetting sails above him, and he barely catches himself before he rolls off the deck in his shock.
The heartlanding. It’s just the heartlanding.
“Rominy?”
He jumps again at the sound of Elowyn’s voice before lifting his head toward her. As before, she’s wearing the white dress that flutters gently in the breeze.
“I’m here,” he says as he lies back again.
“I’ve never seen so much water in one place. It’s so...powerful. And soothing.”
“You’ve never been to the sea?” He pushes himself up on his elbows so he can see her again.
“Our coast is too far from Nunia. The distance would have been too much for Mother to maintain the heartbinding.”
“Oh.” A twinge of guilt plagues him as he thinks of his own treks throughout Nunia during his twenty-two years. Did his traveling ever strain Queen Nestraya?
His mother-in-law.
Stars above—he has a mother-in-law now. And a father-in-law.
That’s frightening.
“So...what shall we do first?” Elowyn holds a nearby rope as she hovers over him, her silver hair catching the wind while the asymmetrical hem of her skirt dances around her knees. Her smile lights up her entire face, and for a moment, Rominy just stares at her.
He’s married. To an elf. To her.
And not just married. Heartbound.
To an elf.
“What is it?” Her smile fades. “Is there frosting in my hair here, too?”
Clearing his throat, he looks away. “No frosting. What would you like to do?”
“Well...we could head below and explore. I wonder if the hatch always leads to the cottage.”
Rominy pushes himself to his feet. “Shall we go see?”
She’s at the open hatch before he can blink, and an unbidden smile forms on his face. Together, they descend the stairs into the cottage they visited yesterday.
“So it is the same,” she says. “Do you think it will always be this cottage?”
“I have no idea.”
“I suppose we’ll find out.” She’s already gravitating toward the exterior door, and Rominy leans his hands in his pockets as he trails behind her.
“Would you like to go outside?” he says, though he doesn’t need to ask. It’s obvious what she wants to do.
Her hand turns on the doorknob, and she pulls it open to reveal the beautiful gardens they saw last time. Then she frowns as she looks at her feet. “We’re not wearing shoes.”
“The heartlanding would provide them if we needed them...wouldn’t it? Perhaps we’re not supposed to leave the house.”
