Episode 91
Thesoundofwaveslapping at the shore fills Rominy’s ears, and he blinks at the bright sunlight shining down on them.
Elowyn curls against him beneath the covers as the early morning chill makes him shiver, and he wishes for another blanket.
The piano is still there, and memories of how it felt to play again make him smile.
And how Elowyn looked at him when he did. She was definitely swooning.
Before he can think better of it, he finds her lips in a soft kiss.
Suddenly, her knee connects with his groin, and she hovers over him with a ball of fire dangerously near his face.
Stars above. That hurt. He may be seeing stars.
Elowyn gasps as she hurries to climb off him. “Forgive me. I just reacted. I—”
“It’s my fault,” he whispers. “I should have known better than to kiss the daughter of First Nestraya in her sleep. Just give me a few minutes. I’ll be fine.”
“I hit you hard, didn’t I? I’m sorry, Rominy.”
“That was a well-aimed attack, yes.” He breathes out slowly. “And a strong one. Have you always been that strong, and I just didn’t realize?”
She opens and closes her mouth a few times before looking away. “I’m an elf, Rominy.”
As the pain subsides, he reaches for her shoulder to turn her back toward him. “You’re stronger than I am, aren’t you?”
“I’m honestly not sure. I think so? But I believe you’re stronger than most humans. We may be fairly evenly matched?”
“The way you ended that as a question makes me think you’re definitely stronger than I am.” He chuckles as he draws her into his arms. “My ego will survive, El.”
“And the rest of you?”
“I’ll be fine.”
Probably. Hopefully. That was a hard hit.
At least it’s just the heartlanding. There’s an entire kingdom expecting him to put those parts to good use soon in the real world.
And Father’s definitely ready for grandchildren. Mother wouldn’t complain either.
The thought makes his heart race. Is he ready to be a parent? Is Elowyn?
If she notices his racing heart, she doesn’t say anything. Thank goodness.
“Let’s sleep here every night,” she says as she looks out over the waves.
“Shall I serenade you every night, too? Make you go weak at the knees?” He winks at her, and a gorgeous smile latches on to her face.
“Every night, Rominy. And when we return to Nunia, I wish to transform my chamber into a music room for you so you can have a sanctuary to retreat to when you need to—how did you put it? Feel human again?”
She’d do that for him?
“But what about your bed?” he asks softly.
He already knows the answer, but he longs to hear her say it.
“I thought you might invite me to share yours, my love.” She brushes his hair back from his face, and he pulls her into a gentle kiss.
