Akyran's Folly (Love and Other Sorcery #3)

Chapter 9

　　I took the wine goblet with me to Akyran's door and knocked. I heard him call out, so I opened it. He was standing, looking out the window at the darkening sky, whilst Ithyles finished buttoning his cufflinks.

　　"My Prince," Ithyles murmured, seeing me.

　　Akyran turned his head with a smile and looked surprised. For a long moment, he regarded me, the surprise fading into an expression I could not put a name to. "You were right about the dress not needing jewels," he said finally.

　　"The locket is perfect, however," I agreed, reaching up to where it rested on my neck. "Here," I handed him the wine.

　　He took it out of my hands and took a mouthful, without taking his eyes from me. He grimaced and looked into the cup. "What is in this?"

　　"Oh, this and that. A precaution. Your mother has been a little… loose with her magic recently."

　　He raised his eyebrows. "You think she'll spell me to think I have lost my magic, and send me out into the world with a Destiny spell?"

　　"Well, I doubt, very much, knowing your mother, that she'd attempt the same trick twice," I replied. "Drink up. I will also point out," I said, accepting the goblet back from him and checking to make sure he'd drunk it all. "That I am ready for the ball, and you are not."

　　"By moments," he replied as Ithyles released him. "Thank you," he clasped his manservant on the shoulder. Ithyles collected up discarded items of grooming and removed them into the other chamber. Akyran walked around me. "This is really an unusual dress," he observed. "Totally unlike the current fashion of the courts, but I expect that will be remedied by most of the court ladies tomorrow."

　　"Is that a compliment?" I teased him, preening a little and swirling my skirts so the light caught the golden glint of the threads.

　　"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You've always had your own distinct style in clothing, and I can't see you in the fluffy flowing pastels everyone is wearing at the moment," he adjusted the locket on my neck, his fingertips brushing my skin and sending a current through me. He leaned over in such a way to look at it, that it was as if he inclined in for a kiss. His eyes flicked to mine, and held them, and for a moment, I thought I saw… And then he straightened. "We should go."

　　"Thank you for the oils, as well, Akyran."

　　He paused, his back to me. "You smell nice," he said. "The Fae rose goes well with the cinnamon you use in your hair." When he turned back to me, his cheeks were flushed again. He was fidgety, his movements sharp as he smoothed his coat and flicked back his hair. "At least my blue goes with your gold," he decided.

　　"Yes," I looked at him from under my eyelashes. He was nervous. In all the centuries we had spent together, I could count the times I had seen him nervous on one hand. "You look very handsome," I offered, as he seemed to need some reassurance. "But very… tense. What is going on? You haven't been yourself at all today."

　　He blew out a breath. "Ah, so many things. Rivyn bringing home a pregnant bride, this mankind's war against the brethren and Aurien getting himself involved, and now my parents are debating whether it might not be better to step in now and prevent another tragedy on the Phimion scale…"

　　"I'm sorry," I laid a hand on his arm.

　　He covered my hand with his. I could feel the callouses from his weapons on his fingers, and the heat of his skin. "We should go," he said quietly. "My father and I had words last time I was here, and he has little patience with me as a result. Perhaps you should be more worried about my father's magic, than my mother's," he added as an afterthought.

　　"Oh, I covered that, too."

　　"Of course, you did," he paused and brushed his lips against my forehead.

　　"You did not tell me you had words with your father."

　　"Ah, he would not appreciate me talking about it, even to you," he replied lightly. "I have already said too much." He opened the door and led the way into the hallway. "I wonder if Aurien's wife knows she is yet," he added with amusement. "Dragons are unfathomable sometimes but that was unusual even for one of them."

　　"He'll have his reasons, I'm sure," I replied. "But it was… odd."

　　"If she wins, he'll be king of Uyan Taesil. That will be a first for history. A dragon king of a mankind kingdom."

　　"Uyan Taesil has always straddled the line between mankind and the brethren," I considered it as we made our way across the polish stones and the colour faded from the artwork, indicating we were moving from the private residences of the royal family. "If there was ever to be a dragon king, it would be there. I cannot see him taking the throne, however. He has no interest in ruling. Perhaps that is why he is being so secretive about it. He wants the woman, but not the crown."

　　"That's a problem for him, then," Akyran noted archly. "Because we need her to win back the throne. But I suspect the wily dragon has a plan."

　　"Yes," I agreed. "Perhaps if her people believe her unmarried, they will accept her as queen more readily, and once they do, he can claim her, but not the role of king?" We had entered the main public hallway of the castle.

　　The music and voices of those within the ballroom made talking quietly impossible, and, as the servants had set up a refreshments table out here, the area was busy with clusters of elaborately costumed courtiers and nobles holding drinks or plates of food, inclining their heads together in order to talk.

　　"Aurien would have a plan," I added. "It would be good to see him again. I did not see him when he was here."

　　"No, I think I pissed him off."

　　I flicked him a look through my eyelashes. "Why am I not surprised about that?"

　　He laughed, startling a gathering of courtiers outside the ball room. They smiled and bowed to him, pleased to see their prince in good humour. He acknowledged their obeisance with a nod as we walked through the doors.

　　The ballroom had been magicked to resemble an enchanted glade, the doorways into the chamber and out onto the terrace beyond it formed from the trunks of moss clad trees and leafy boughs, with seating areas set upon lush grass framed by wildflowers. The ceiling that arched high above, held the moon and stars to light the room below and the balconies to the gallery, where the musicians played and courtiers gathered to watch the dancing from a loftier viewpoint, were wound with vines and fragrant flowers.

　　"Hmmm," Akyran paused to cast his eye over the room. "A little… tasteless and overdone."

　　"Oh, come now," I scolded him. "The dragon's lair themed ball was tasteless, and the undersea themed one was overdone - we were both shaking sand out of our hair for a week after. This, by comparison…" I paused and giggled, hiding my face against his shoulder. "Are the fauns' guests or part of the decor? I cannot tell."

　　He saw where I was looking and made a sound in the back of his throat as he smothered laughter, managing to keep his face straight. "It's anyone's guess. I do not think they even know." He moved us further into the room. A servant brought a tray of crystal glasses filled with sparkling wine and Akyran handed me one before taking one himself. "Come, we'll do a round."