“You’re so dumb. You’re a hairdresser who does mushroom brewing on the side. You don’t stand a chance with the prince.”
Maybe it’s the years spent at a boarding school from hell that make me so good at eavesdropping, but I wish I hadn’t heard that. No matter how many times Kyran tells me I’m perfect, one stupid comment is enough to send my mind spinning. I’m not ugly, but there’s many men, human or elven, prettier than me. Beauty might be in the eye of the beholder and all that, yet how long can Kyran’s enchantment with me last?
People usually date within the same level of the attractiveness scale for a reason, and Kyran is not only as handsome as a classical statue but also holds the title of prince and is literally the most eligible bachelor in this Realm. How could I ever hold his attention for more than a couple of months?
With a rock growing in my throat, I leave the gossiping elves behind and approach the stalls, drawn closer by the savory scent coming from pastries placed on a metal rack. Each is stamped right out of the oven with a heart-shaped stencil, and as I see a girl buying one, I wonder how they taste. Instead of biting right in, the pretty elf spins around so fast her two braids wrap themselves around her shoulders. She runs to a cute brunette with biceps bigger than mine and presents her with the treat, offering it withboth hands.
The other girl yelps, touches her chest then leans in for a kiss, which is applauded by the people gathered close by.
An arm snakes over my shoulder, and I flinch, but Kyran’s scent instantly calms me down. “Elves buy them for their sweetheart at the Ardournalia. It’s supposed to keep the heart strong if Heartbreak does approach, but really it’s just an expression of affection.”
I swallow, glancing up at him. “I… don’t have money.” It’s pretty pathetic that I only realize it now. I’ve been pampered like a sugar baby since the moment I stepped into the Nightmare Realm. I kinda love it, in a vain sort of way, but in moments like this, I’m lacking agency.
I wish I could gift Kyran this stupid heart pie. It might be only a gesture, but I want it. I want to do something special for him, but how can I when everything I have comes from him?
His fingers twitch before tightening around my hand, and as the crowd of dancing shadows moves behind Kyran’s back, he leans in and gives me a coin. “You do. As my promised, you are entitled to a stipend. I will have someone discuss this with you tomorrow, if you’d like that.”
I nod and, with a shy smile, ask the salesman for a pie, parting with the one coin I possess. When I hand the food to Kyran, I’m very aware of all the people watching us And I hope the elves gossiping about my looks are seeing us now.
“So your heart is strong,” I whisper, going breathless when a lock of Kyran’s hair slides down and cuddles up to my cheek. He’s so tall. So handsome. Yet when he looks at me the way he does now, with adoration I don’t feel worthy of, I can believe this isn’t an act. He accepts the pie and presses our foreheads together, for everyone to see.
“You make it stronger every day, my darling,” he rasps, and when our lips meet, I can feel pink flames licking me from the tip of the head to the toes.
The music swells around us, and I deepen the kiss for a little too long, pulled back to reality by a whistle from the crowd. Kyran winks at me and bites into the pie.
My cheeks are on fire, but I’m so…happy. I’ve never felt a connection like this with anyone. My first crush on a boy when I was a teenager now feels like just that—a crush. I thought I was in love, but my feelings were only the butterflies of first attraction, not the wide-winged moths fluttering in my chest whenever Kyran as much as looks my way.
“What’s that?” I ask and pull him to the next stall, eager to distract myself from the overwhelming emotions.
He offers me half of the pastry, and I take a bite, leaning into the cozy space under his arm as we take in...
“Stuffed birds. There’s nuts and dried fruit inside, and the bones add a lot of crunch,” Kyran tells me while the seller beams at me and offers us one of the roasted morsels on a stick.
“On the house, Your Highness.”
The birds are no bigger than a child’s fist, but seeing their little charred bodies doesn’t spike my appetite. But it would be rude to outright refuse food when it’s offered, so I awkwardly take the stick from the proud salesman and thank him, already wondering how to dispose of this dubious treat.
“I don’t want it. It’s freaky that it’s a whole bird. What do I do?” I whisper to Kyran right before he feeds me the last piece of the pie. Unperturbed, he takes the stick from me and puts the whole morsel in his mouth. He bites down with a crunch so loud I can’t help but laugh.
His brows go up, and he mumbles something that sounds like “Amused?”
It makes me laugh harder, and I gently punch his chest when he leans in to kiss my forehead with his mouth full.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” I say. I may have ulterior motives, but I love spending time with him all the same. “Ooh, that smells good!”
I turn my head and a tall elven lady is already reaching out to me from behind a massive cauldron. The cup she hands me is filled with black goo that smells of milk, honey, and something fruity. “This year’s cherin. Spiced with ground cherry nuts.”
The guard called this beverage ‘potent’, and it certainly smells that way. The boozy aroma tickles my nose even before I take my first sip. With the consistency of gooey pudding and a milky smoothness, it’s a drinkable dessert.
I turn to Kyran with wide eyes. “Delicious!”
He hands the seller some money and gets a cup of his own, pulling me away, to where two young ladies are decorating heart-shaped cookies with icing. I’ve seen some people wearing those on their necks, like amulets.
Kyran chooses this moment to press his cup to mine with a grin. “Your teeth are black!”
I cover my mouth in panic. “What? No! Will it come off?” I ask and lick my teeth. Who am I kidding though? Iwillbe having moreof it.
He takes a gulp of his own and stirs as if he never had anything like it. “Oh, that’s strong,” he says, revealing his own tinted teeth in a smile. He’s beautiful regardless, but I still laugh at him and get to my toes so we can kiss.
