Page 108 of Black Sea

To not make me feel wrong.

“You’re kind of human tonight, right?” He winked at me, offering his arm.

I smiled, getting lost in his eyes. “Right,” I whispered, sliding my arm into the crook of his elbow.

Yesterday afternoon, my father had sent heralds to every alley in Aegel, to every noble family, and even to the smaller villages reaching the port, to announce that the King of Men would be our guest of honor this evening and that a peace treaty would be publicly signed between our two kingdoms.

So, as Amlach and I made our way through the crowd to reach the reception hall’s outside entrance, the whispers intensified, blending admiration with hostility.

They wondered what I was doing with him. They appreciated seeing us together. They called Amlach an impudent human. They noticed that he had covered my hand on his forearm with his own as we passed the step into another laden garden, where the less shy had already begun dancing. They questioned how Amlach dared to be so close to me. They noticed the glances we exchanged. Some couldn’t understand why I had agreed to be accompanied by such a vile man.

We ignored their voices and, as if we were the new sovereigns of Aegel, gave polite nods even to the sullenest elves, moving among the little ones who scurried around us with eyes bright with wonder.

As we entered the hall, Amlach drew a sudden breath, gazing around, entranced.

The space was so vast that I had to sharpen my eyesight to see the bottom. It featured an endless series of arches with brambles carved into the capitals of large columns. Branches intertwined with dense emerald-green leaves climbed up to the glassy, vaulted ceilings. Lush flowerbeds lined the paths between wide steps and small bridges with low balustrades. Beneath them, water flowed down tiny rocky waterfalls scattered throughout the room, converging into an irregular ring around the dance floor, where white-flowered plants floated. Large, already-set chestnut-wood tables with chairs with pointed backrests dominated the various small squares.

The ethereal music played by the three singers and the group of musicians with flutes, string instruments, and percussion from the largest bridge, just beyond the water circle around the dance floor, suddenly stopped.

The nobles’ heads turned to us in unison, and several gasps echoed throughout the vast hall. Unlike the citizens, no one dared to speak, their stunned faces saying it all.

Amidst a sea of robes in soft pastel shades of sky, water, and nature, Amlach and I stood out like two gems of rhodolite garnet and malachite on a bed of diamonds.

Like two dark rulers.

That thought, so unexpected, startled me. Where on earth had it come from?

Noticing my discomfort, Amlach stroked the back of the hand with which—I only realized it then—I was squeezing his forearm one last time. Then he unhooked his arm from mine and nodded regally to the guests.

I mimicked him, fascinated by his impeccable manners, and then drifted my attention to my parents.

Standing on the dance floor in their elegant white and gold robes, my father and mother, surrounded by a small group of elves who had come to pay their respects before joining the other guests, continued to look at me in shock for a few more seconds. Then he adopted a neutral expression and nodded to his mate, signaling her to follow him along one of the three wide wooden walkways that hovered above the water circle.

“Welcome, King of Men,” Father greeted in the common tongue, willing himself to sound as friendly as possible. But when his eyes fell on me, the flash of wrath that crossed them felt like a stab in my chest. “Daughter.”

I held his gaze, daring him to scold me in front of everyone. “Father. Mother,” I said with a curtsy.

“Your Majesties.” Amlach bowed. “The splendor of your banquets is renowned even in my kingdom, where we try to match your grandeur. Unfortunately, we have no success in doing so, of course,” he added, unbelievably managing to coax a few nobles into chuckling. “It’s an honor to participate in one of your events.”

My mother laid her hand on her mate’s shoulder, smiling affably. “And we are more than happy to have you with us, Your Grace.”

A second later, her eyes minutely studied every inch of my exposed skin. Yet, she didn’t seem like she was about to yell at me, like Father. In fact, she seemed very intrigued by my appearance.

The King of the Elves signaled the musicians to resume playing, and within moments the atmosphere lightened again.

“Where’s Araton?” I asked. I couldn’t help but notice that he hadn’t jumped down my throat as soon as I’d set foot in the room.

For a moment, sadness veiled my mother’s pointy face. “He preferred to stay in his rooms.”

To avoid dealing with Amlach, I supposed. And perhaps it was also to avoid dealing with me.

“King Amlach,” Father suddenly announced, gesturing toward four maidens waiting near a column. “Allow me to introduce you to my nieces.”

They joined us and, to my horror, I noticed that the different shades of light green in their gowns perfectly matched Amlach’s tunic. It wasn’t by chance—and my mother’s brief look of apology confirmed it.

Amlach offered them a deep nod that made me want to grab him by the hair and set him upright. “It’s an honor, my ladies.”

My cousins bowed. They were each more beautiful than the last, with brown hair styled in intricate updos adorned with silver crowns. I’d expected strained smiles or stiff postures that suggested they wanted to leave, but instead, they observed Amlach with keen interest.