Sitting upon a simple black cushion was silver moonflower hair ornament. The metallic vine gave way to opalescent moonflower, refracting hues of purple, white, and pink as she tilted it in the light. It was simple and elegant, matching her dress and every dress she owned perfectly.
“This… this is beautiful.” She stammered. “I can’t—”
“If you care the slightest bit about what I feel, Nymiria, I would urge you not to finish that sentence.” She rolled her eyes and then plucked the ornament from the box and twisted it around between her thumb and her index finger, watching as the opal shifted from color to color. “Here, let me.” She didn’t hesitate to hand him the ornament, her body moving stiffly as he ushered her to the vanity.
Behind her, Aziel carefully removed his gloves and picked up the brush.
There was no way for her to even start to comprehend what she felt when she watched him. From the intense concentration on his face, to the way his hands felt in her hair, she could hardly focus on a single thought or emotion. She felt conflicted—torn between a promise she had made to herself on his behalf, and the undeniable desire she felt for him. A desire that was growing increasingly harder to ignore, harder to push away.
He braided her hair so carefully, twisting and pulling until the ornament was perfectly secured at the side of her head. He scattered a few other charms about the braid—simple, rounded crystals that look like dew drops. When he finally stepped away and began putting his fingers back into his gloves, Nymiria turned to him and smiled.
“What?” He asked. “Is it not good?”
She shook her head, stepping towards him as she lifted her hand. She imagined the flower in her mind, first and then let that thread of thought travel from her brain, to her core, and then to her palm. A small white bloom unfurled there, itspetals uncurling to reveal a white carnation. “Thank you.” She whispered, plucking the flower from her hand and tucking it into the pocket of his suit jacket. She shrugged. “You know… moonflowers are the hardest flower for me to produce.”
His body was rigid, eyes still focused on the flower in his pocket. “Is that so?”
She nodded. “Surprising, isn’t it? Given that moonflowers are the staple of the Anam.”
Aziel finally lifted his eyes to meet hers, the blue in them seemingly a shade darker, his pupils flaring. He looked as if he wanted to say something in response, but he was already backing away from her. “I need to speak with your father before dinner tonight. I was supposed to be there an hour ago.”
She watched him as he left, unsure of how to react. His movements implied a rush, but the tightness of his muscles implied that he’d used all of his strength to pull himself out of that room.
***
Her father’s dining hall did not look much different from the streets of Eadyn. The entire room was decorated with blooming cherry trees, but the petals that fell from the branches seemingly vanished before they hit the ground. The long, wooden table at the center of the room was decorated in pinks and silvers, diverse bouquets of flowers and greenery sitting in white vases along the spidersilk runner.
It was obvious that this party had been intended for her. As if the dress and offerings of gifts from people hadn’t made it obvious enough already.
Nymiria wasn’t used to this sort of grandeur when it came to herself. It had been years since she’d been celebrated to such a degree and the thought of herself being the sole focus of the evening made her stomach sour.
There were glasses of bubbling liquid filling crystal flutes placed at various different seats. She plucked one from the table and downed it immediately, humming to herself as the warm bubbles tickled her throat. She watched, awe-struck, as the goblet refilled itself. She downed it again.
She’d been the first to arrive. And as the minutes ticked away, she tapped the crystal flute with her nail and walked aimlessly around the room.
Thorn was the second to enter, with young Raven following close behind. With bright eyes and cheerful face, he rushed to Nymiria, closing his arms around her waist.
“You should sit with me.” He urged quietly. “These dinners have a tendency to become rather dull, but I promise that I’m not. Aziel loves sitting beside me—Trio does too!”
Nymiria felt a surge of emotion as she looked down at his sweet and innocent face. He had grown since she first met him and his height was beginning to combat her own. “I bet the three of you causeloadsof trouble.”
Raven nodded, his dark hair bouncing. “We really do. Papa had to have us removed from a meeting once because we wouldn’t stop throwing bread at one another.”
Thorn turned to her brother, squinting his eyes. “We were meeting with potential allies from overseas.” He looked at Nymiria. “He claims that Aziel was the one who initiated the Great Bread War, as they like to call it.” As soon as more guests began entering the room, Raven hugged closer to his sister.
“Aziel said that it would be rather hilarious if someone actually wrote it into the history books. Trio said that he knew some scribes that could make it happen.” The boy continued. “You know Aziel and Trio, right? They should be here. That’s what Aziel said, at least.”
It was hard for her to imagine the God of Death having a bread fight. “Are you and Aziel really good friends?”
When they sat down at the table, Nymiria couldn’t help but notice the similarities in their mannerisms—how she and Raven seemed to synchronise. “Papa has known Aziel for a really long time. I’ve been around him since I was a babe, so I don’t know what it is like to live without him.” He took up his glass of water and sipped from it. “Out of all the kids Papa takes care of, I’m the oldest, so he is the closest thing I have to an older brother.”
Nymiria watched him affectionately as he toyed with his suit jacket. “He’s a really good friend of mine, too.” She said with a smile.
“Is he like a brother to you, too?”
“Not exactly.” Her cheeks heated. “But we are good friends. I live with him, you know?”
“Does he letyouhug him?” Raven asked. “I’m just curious because Papa said that Aziel doesn’t like being touched.”
