“I don’t like to keep people waiting,” It wasn’t the whole truth but it would do for now.
“My people are curious about you,” he took my hand in his and helped me down the last few steps. His white brows shot up when he eyes my bare feet poking out from beneath the massive ball gown. “You are full of surprises.”
I shrugged as he kissed my hand again. “I am glad you could make it on such short notice. I would love nothing more than to meet your people, maybe that can be our next meeting place.”
He grinned wickedly. “I put on that good of an impression already? I get to see you again?”
“If you play your cards right.”
“I was never a gambler, but I would be willing to bet on myself.”
How Edna prepared a feast with very little vegetables and fruit were beyond me. But when I saw the roasted duck and the chocolate pudding was wheeled out, I knew the magic was playing a large role in the success of this evening. Reva, thankfully, stayed outside of the dining room and Alric was once again nowhere to be found. I hoped he pulled his head out of his ass soon. The conversation around dinner was light and evasive. I wanted to know more about the man seated across from me but he was tight-lipped.
“What do I need to do to get to know you better?”
He dabbed at his lips with the linen napkins and his gaze searched my face. “I want to know your real intentions of having me here. You wouldn’t have called if you didn’t need something. You could have waited until war was knocking on your door, but instead, you wait a few weeks and then call. I’m curious.”
It was all or nothing with this one. “So a truth for a truth?”
His lips curled slightly. “Yes. I suppose so.”
I took a deep breath to ready myself for the long tale. “When we first arrived here, the magic did everything. We didn’t need to want for anything. My cook learned and grew in her position while I explored my magic. But eventually, the magic started to dwindle in preparation for me to take over on my own. Which is fine, we’ve made do, but we don’t have cattle. We don’t have horses.”
“You need livestock and dairy,” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“Yes, we are going to need more resources than that eventually. But for now, I need to be able to feed myself and the people living in this castle.”
“I see,” He nodded. “It’s all yours. I will send one hundred head of cattle and a few horses. Horses are rare around here because they can’t get through the mountains as easily. We brought cattle with us when we moved to this island hundreds of years ago. They’re resilient and can handle just about anything and they procreate quickly.”
“Thank you,” I blew out.
“Don’t thank me, you might live to regret this decision.”
“Why would I do that?”
He shrugged before he took a sip of his spiced ale. “I don’t think I’ll be able to leave you alone, Juniper.”
The Shadow Elveschose a leader who was strong and could lead them in battle. They didn’t believe in appointing heirs. If Jesper could no longer lead them in battle, they would choose the next strongest. But it wasn’t only with their bodies, it was their minds as well. They needed to be tactical, thoughtful, and extremely smart. They were known for assassinations but since the last Mage Queen perished, they’d lived in relative peace with the other inhabitants on the island here. King Jesper enjoyed fighting and forging blades in his free time. He eventually wanted a whole slew of children, as he’d grown up with a large family. The Shadow Elves loved sex but loved nurturing even more. They were some of the only creatures not touched by the infertility the blight caused. His home was at the top of the tallest tree in their forest and he enjoyed sleeping under the stars. His mother called him a heathen but it was the only placehe felt alive. I wondered if that was why he kept gazing at my crown while we spoke.
I gave him a small tour of the castle, despite Reva following closely behind. She knew she didn’t have to follow as closely as she did but she was nosey and I rathered it over giving her a play-by-play later. When the tour ended at my chambers, Jesper’s eyes seemed to darken. “This is my room.”
I knew better than to open the doors but there was a small temptation to see what it would feel like. Would I think of Ryven if Jesper kissed me? Would I like it? What would it be like to be with someone different? Someone new? It was too soon, but the thoughts entered my mind anyway.
Jesper read the room well and took a step back from my doors. “Your home is lovely. I saw what you did with the city outside. It’s rather empty.”
He intertwined his fingers with mine and tugged me away from my chambers. I would have been lying to say the breath I released wasn’t one of relief.
“I’m hoping more survivors will show up. Two of my guards and one of the refugees went back home to see who was all left. I’m hopeful these homes will be filled soon.” He ran his fingers down the top of the piano in the middle of the hallway. It never really caught my attention until he touched it. It was a small sitting area that would be cozy for entertaining. He threw himself into one of the chairs that faced more big windows that overlooked the empty city below.
“We have begun to outgrow our tree tops,” Jesper began. His tongue flicked out and wet his lower lip as I tucked my feet beneath me in the chair across from him. “If you’d like to see this place prosper, I could send some families that are looking for something new.”
This was an interesting turn of events and I didn’t know what to say so he continued, “Some of them are farmers,others miners in the mountains. They would offer good skills to your local economy and it would get them off of my back.” He chuckled. “They are begging me for freedom, for adventure, for something other than the treetops. Our ancestors would be furious.”
“They probably won’t get much adventure in my local economy here.”
His face grew serious. “No, I would imagine not. But that would be after the war, when magic isn’t so taboo. When our kind won’t be hunted for our horns.” He ran a fingertip along the edge of one of his as if to make a point.
“After the war, I hope the world will flourish again.”
