He handed me one of the cups and sipped from another.
“Thank you,” I said, taking a small sip.
“Boreas, that’s sweet,” he said, wincing at his drink. I gave him a small smile that came with a subtle shrug. I didn’t mind the sweetness at all.
A young boy, perhaps nine years old, inched closer to Aegir and asked, “Sir? Is it true that your white friends are Ice Fae from Silch?”
Aegir raised his brow at the kid but then leaned forward and touched his cup, turning his pomegranate drink into flavoured ice. The boy gasped in excited disbelief, then grinned, poking the ice with his finger.
“It’s cold! It’s ice!” the boy announced to anyone who would listen. Then he sprinted towards the other children, a finger pointed at Aegir. A wave of wide-eyed little ones came running towards us. They surrounded him from every angle. Aegir turned to the merchant and said, “One for every child.”
I had never seen so many happy and fanatic faces at once. I couldn’t help my smiles. Alarik also joined the cause, and he, too, ended up surrounded by children. I think his misty shadows didn’t like it. They swirled and twisted all around him. Georgious must have also noticed, as he rushed to set some distance between his brother and the surrounding wave of screaming kids.
“It’s so cold!” one of the girls announced, her face bright in awe.
“It’s like a cold rock!” another boy exclaimed.
Then I felt a gentle tug at my waist, and when I looked down, I saw a little girl, not older than eight, pulling at my dress, a cup in her hand.
“Hello, little one,” I said, kneeling in front of her. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Marla. Do you think he could make it cold for me, please?”
“Let’s ask him.” I took her free hand. “Lord Hailin, Marla here would like to ask you something.” The girl extended her arm.
“Hello, Marla.” Aegir placed his fingertip on the lip of her cup.
She smiled broadly at him, letting out a giggle, then turned towards me and said, “You’resolucky to be his lady. He must make your drinks coldallthe time.”
“Oh, I’m not his la—”
“Marla, would you believe me if I told you that she refuses to accept even my ice-cold cups of water?”
The girl looked at me in utter disbelief. “What’s wrong with you, lady?” Then she just walked away, swaying her head side to side. She left me with parted lips. I didnotsee that one coming. Aegir snickered, finding pleasure in my blushed face, of course.
“The merchant should be done by now. Wait for us here.”
The seven of them returned, and I couldn’t help but gawk. I couldn’t believe that men—males—would travel and camp fordays, only to spend one day, dawn to dusk, at a market.Justto buy weapons. Two bags each!
Aegir looked at his men and said, “Let’s go lock these in Georgious and Alarik’s room. Then we’ll have some fun, ey?”
“Eyyy,” all six of them agreed.
Fun?
CHAPTER 16
Aegir took off his shirt the moment we entered our room.
He has got to stop doing that!
I looked away while he riffled through his bag. He changed into a white embroidered tunic, then turned my way. “Let’s meet the others downstairs,” he said, smoothing his shirt with his palms. “I may want to warn you, they might go a little bit wild tonight.”
Aren’t they already wild?“I would like to use the bath again. You go, I’ll meet you downstairs shortly.”
He nodded. “I’ll see you downstairs, then.”
I submerged myself in Aegir’s bath and washed my hair for the second time today. I swore I had never felt as clean. Two baths in one day,thatwas the dream. I put on my white dress—it was Sunday, after all. Then I braided my hair into a coronet that spiralled thrice around my head.
