I nodded, done catching my breath. “Should I meet you back here? Is this where everyone will be?”
It seemed so since the room was sparse on furniture, mainly made for standing and greeting one another. Only a few uncomfortable-looking chairs sat against the walls where there weren’t any doors or paintings of the five kingdoms—and there was anabundanceof landscape portraits covering almost every square inch of the walls.
“Yes. Hurry back if you can, my heir.” He flicked a finger to the side, and one of his personal guards stepped forward in my peripheral. “He will be going with you anywhere you wander without me. Royals are allowed one guard with them.”
I stared. “Father, I’m going to the bathroom.”
He peered down his nose at me. “I know.”
“Is it far away or something?” I asked in exasperation.
“Well…no.”
“Will you be able to hear me if I scream?”
Father cleared his throat. “Yes.”
The king still didn’t back down, even if I had a point.
“Do I need to tell you that I’m not going to the bathroom to simply wash my hands? I figured you would understand this, with your problem as of late.” I shook my head. “I’d like some privacy without someone standing outside the door.”
King Traevon’s shoulders lowered in defeat. “Go on then.”
“Thank you, my king. I may shit in peace.” I offered a mocking, gallant bow of thanks, and then turned on my heel and walked as quickly as I could away from him, lest he changed his mind. I stated over my shoulder, “I will hurry!”
“That is appreciated, my daughter,” Father huffed.
I barged through the door he’d indicated, it swinging hard back behind me as I tore past. The hallway was clear of any canvases here, simply painted in white like the marble beneath my feet. I marched through the colorful sunlight and took a right as ordered. There were two bathrooms at the end of the hallway, one on each side.
I turned the handle to the bathroom on the left and shoved my shoulder against the door in my haste to use the facilities…and slammed to a hard stop, my head bouncing off the wooden door. It was locked. This bathroom was seemingly occupied, other royals having arrived before us.
My eyes rounded large on my face. I quickly stated, “My apologies! I didn’t know this one was taken!”
A few painful seconds later, a masculine grunt responded.
Oh Fae, this was mortifying.
If I was lucky, it wasn’t King Elon or King Athon in there. It could be one of their personal guards. I really hoped that was the truth since I had practically body-slammed the door.
I swiftly entered the other bathroom, possibly hiding, and stared up at the far-off glass ceiling in embarrassment. I kept my groan extra quiet in case it was a shifter in the other bathroom, their hearing far superior, and punched at the air in aggravation—way to make a damned impression.
I may have taken an extra-long time in the lavatory—sorry, Father—exploring it after I had finished my business, praying the other person had moved on. I hadn’t heard a door open or close in the hallway, but with how extravagant and large the bathrooms were, it did not surprise me in the least.
Done with fixing my windblown hair in the mirror, I had no other excuse to hide in here any longer. While the many bottles of lotions and soaps were beautiful, I had already sniffed all their scents, and the dragons depicted in the stained glass above me were more than a little frightening, as if they were ready to attack me.
I opened the door to the bathroom and shut it quietly behind me, and turned to face the individual who had, indeed, waited outside the other bathroom to see who I was.
I tipped my head way, way,wayback to look into his face. My eyes connected with his chin when his scent hit me. I jerked back a step, slamming my shoulders against the door I’d just exited. Potent honeysuckle slammed into my nostrils and invaded every edifice of my entire being, the man’s unique smell attacking me as I’d never felt before from someone else.
I shook my head hard, even as the man’s shoulders tensed where he stood leaning back against the bathroom he’d departed. My red brows puckered in bafflement as the carnal urge hit—for someone who was this tall. I lurched my attention down to stare at his black boots—hislargeboots—with my eyes starting to slowly run up his frame to understand what I was seeing before me—an abnormally huge elf, for sure.
The stranger’s white leather pants were well-worn in places, almost looking like black patches, and tugging tight against thighs that appeared powerful and rock solid. A tapered bare waist—the man not wearing a shirt—with skin the color of warm russet that showed his muscles in blatant detail, many hills and valleys on his stomach and deep indentions on his lower sides that narrowed—and arrowed—down under his pants. His arms crossed over his massive, hard pectorals were bulky with muscle I’d never viewed before on an elf. A strong throat led up to a slightly pointed chin and a severe, robust jawline. Lush lips the color of a dusky pearl stood out from his dark coloring and a straight nose, not too long or too short, was above that. Soft white hair fanned down around his shoulders, white wisps here or there brushing against his forearms along with the ends of the few tiny braids he also wore that were laced with black beads.
I lifted my eyes to his.
Black, utterlyblack—no white—eyes that were just as confused as mine were slowly traveling up my body.
He was a shifter.
