A wise woman probably would.
Trouble was, no one had ever accused me of being particularly wise.
“Bethany—”
I took another hasty step back, though I had no idea if he intended to reach for me or not. “If I do continue a relationship with you, I want it to be real. I don’t want it to be nothing more than a dream, and if that means waiting three?—”
“Thisisreal,” he cut in. “We are not dreaming. We are not walking the dreaming plane. We are here physically, not just spiritually.”
I stared at him for a second then looked around. “If this place is real, then why does it feel otherwise?”
“Because we have yet to fashion it to our wills. Think of it as a canvas waiting for the paint.”
I frowned. “Poetic as that sounds, it doesn’t really explain what this place is, or how we can use it without the risk of you being seen breaking the rules of mourning.”
“This is what we call a liminal space—a place that exists between time and space, a pocket of reality that can only be created and accessed by a certain kind of magic. The paired Bruadar bracelets contain that magic and each allows entryonlyto its mate.”
“Then it works on the same lines as an Annwfyn bridge?”
“Similar, but a liminal space is anchored in this world rather than being the connection between two worlds.” He waved a hand. “Did you never wonder why we royal dark elves were the only people who could open and close the gateways?”
“Not really, though I did think it unfair that it was only your people who held the task of guarding them.”
He half laughed, a warm sound that was nevertheless edged with just a trace of bitterness. “There are few enough who thought eventhat. We have been patrolling and repairing the gateways for as long as they have existed, thanks to a godly game that anointed our ancestors the only ones capable of doing so.”
“But you’ve discovered other uses for it, obviously.”
“We do have a rather well-deserved reputation for lascivious behavior.” His voice was dry and yet there was an edge to it that spoke of barely contained emotions. “Our ability to invite those we wish to seduce into a liminal space to ensurecomplete anonymity while the seduction occurs is certainly a key ingredient to that reputation.”
“I thought the bracelets were rare, and only gifted to a favorite lover or to wives?”
“They mostly are.”
“‘Mostly’ being defined as whoever you fancied at the time?”
He laughed, a rich, warm sound that ran over my skin as sweetly as any caress, fanning the fires of wanting to greater life. “There are always those who take advantage of a situation or a gift, but remember, we, unlike the Ljósálfar, are monogamous once married. Until then? Life is to be enjoyed.”
“That sounds like you think marriage cannot be.”
“What I think is it depends entirely on who you marry and why. A marriage of the heart is a very different matter to one of State and necessity.”
Which was why he was determined to seek the former rather than the latter, even if it broke with royal tradition. “What type of marriage did your parents have?”
“The latter, of course, because the choosing is usually part of the crowning ceremony and neither had lost their hearts to others. But they did grow fond of each other, and my father deeply grieved her death.” He paused, once again seeming on the verge of saying something before changing his mind. “I want more than fondness out of my marriage, Bethany. I have grown up in that environment, and as much as I loved my parents, I will not inflict it on any children I might be blessed enough to have.”
“And yet you are the crown prince, and you have a duty to your people.”
“I would rather walk away from both than be trapped in a loveless marriage.” He thrust a hand through his dark hair. “But all this is nothing more than conjecture until the Tears are found.”
“The possibility of you breaking my heart is not conjecture, Cynwrig. It is fact.”
His hand flexed, and just for a second, his turmoil echoed through me, sharp and fierce. Nothing showed in his face however, which remained impassive.
“If you do not wish to continue the sexual nature of our relationship, I will understand. I won’t like it, but I will understand. If thatisyour choice, however, I will ask that you keep the Bruadar on your wrist, as it will give you an escape ‘room’ if you ever need it.”
“Will keeping it on affect the way it works?”
“No. In fact, until this relationship is ended, you will not be able to take it off. The magic will not allow it.”
