Chapter 12
ELOWIN
The morning dawned brilliantly enough that I wished I’d remembered to close the curtains last night before bed.
When a shard of light stabbed me in the face, it woke me up enough to wake my bladder in turn, and I had no choice but to get out of bed.
While I was up, I went downstairs to the pump to wash.
No point in bothering Thanafern for hot water when no doubt he’d already be busy preparing for Aldian’s arrival.
Indeed, as I passed the largest room in the corridor on my way downstairs, I could hear Thanafern directing his maids like a general in command of his troops.
I washed under the pump by the stable yard and then went to visit the stables. One of the horses, a stubborn, foul-tempered beast, stamped her hooves and shook her head as I approached.
“Good morning, you evil creature,” I said, looking around for a handful of oats to feed her, though she’d as soon eat my fingers.
Rainsilver was Teon’s horse. I had never forgiven her for biting me on the ass once when I’d walked past her, and I could tell by the gleam in her eye that she’d never forgotten the moment either and was eagerly looking for a chance to repeat it.
The worst part? She’d been my horse first. A gift from the prince himself.
But she was far better suited to Teon than to me.
They were both petty and evil in the best possible way.
Still, she condescended to allow me to pat her neck while she ate, and her attempted attack as soon as the oats were done was half-hearted at best.
I thought of Teon, and of the others I’d had relationships with in the past. Most of them had been as snappy as Rainsilver, and I’d loved that.
I’d never imagined myself wanting anyone who wasn’t sharp-eyed and sharp-tongued in equal measure.
And then I’d been sent to Hillstowe and met Sparrow, who was sheltered and soft and sweet.
I’d meant everything I’d told him yesterday.
Yes, he was naive, but he was eager to learn new things that would challenge his narrow view of the world, and he was as courageous as anyone I’d ever met.
He was a jewel, and not because his parents had kept him locked away in Hillstowe all his life, growing his hair to look pretty for a prince, but because you took him out into the sunlight and he shone.
“Goddess,” a voice drawled from behind me, and I turned to see Teon entering the stable.
They were wearing their dress uniform—a cerulean blue tunic with the royal crest embroidered above their heart, silver leggings, and thigh-high black boots.
They smirked. “If I had a cute little thing like Sparrow waiting for me upstairs, I wouldn’t be here talking to a horse. ”
“Sparrow’s not waiting for me,” I said. “He’s waiting for Aldian.”
“He doesn’t even know Aldian,” Teon said.
“This Fyreham Lathian thing,” I said hesitantly. “It’s difficult to explain how important it is to him. It’s not just a polite invitation to him; it’s his purpose in life. He deserves a chance to make his case in front of Aldian. I don’t want to dash his hopes before he even meets him.”
“But you know Aldian’s not interested in marriage,” Teon said. “He’s only here to shop and get a new tattoo. Do you really think he’s going to take one look at your Sparrow and decide that actually, yes, he does want a husband after all?”
“He’s not my Sparrow,” I said, ignoring the way my heart clenched at the question.
Because as much as I didn’t want Sparrow to be disappointed, what if Aldian did say yes?
The prince wasn’t a fool. What if he looked at Sparrow and saw that he was a treasure?
The idea settled deep in my gut, heavy and unpleasant.
Teon raised an eyebrow.
“He’s here for Aldian,” I repeated. “And he deserves that opportunity.”
“You’ve gone soft,” Teon said, rolling their eyes. Then they surprised me by smiling slightly. “It suits you. But do try to remember that you deserve things too, hmm?” Their smile grew. “Now get out of here before Rainsilver remembers how good your ass tastes.”
I snorted and headed for the door.
“I know,” Teon said to the horse. “It is delicious, isn’t it?”
Their laughter carried me all the way outside into the sunlit yard.
It was almost noon when a boy came running to tell Thanafern that Prince Aldian and his retinue were approaching.
Sparrow, who had been sitting at the long table in the dining room with a book about birds open in front of him, gasped and sat bolt upright.
Then, clutching his book, he dashed up the stairs to his room, his ridiculously long hair streaming behind him.
Teon followed him with their gaze. “What do you suppose that’s about?”
I shrugged. “I’ll go and find out.”
I wondered if he was still anxious about his new clothes.
He loved them, but he’d confessed softly over breakfast that he wondered if he ought to wear the clothes his parents had sent him with instead.
I wished Rowan was here, but she was at her stall.
This was her busiest week, with everybody rushing at the last minute to find an outfit to wear at the Market Pavilion that was brighter and more ornate than what anyone else was wearing, in an effort to catch the eye of a suitor.
Whatever reassurance Sparrow needed, he’d have to get it from me.
I climbed the stairs and knocked on his door. “Sparrow?”
The door opened slowly and Sparrow peeked out at me. His brow was creased with worry.
“Can I come in?”
He opened the door farther and I stepped inside.
Sparrow was holding a polished wooden-handled hairbrush in one hand and wearing the blue tunic with the lace panels and a pair of black leggings.
The bed was strewn with the rest of his wardrobe, including his outdated velvet doublet.
“I thought it best to stay in my room when the prince arrives,” he said.
“And I still haven’t decided between this tunic or the purple for our meeting.
But then I thought that perhaps, knowing I come from Hillstowe, he might be expecting me in more traditional wear? And now I don’t know at all.”
The crease between his brows deepened.
“Sparrow, did you sleep at all last night, or did you lie awake worrying about your tunic?” I asked gently.
His shoulders slumped and he set the hairbrush down. “It’s not just my tunic,” he said. “I’m worried about my hair as well. And my magic. What if none of it is good enough? What if I’m not good enough?”
It was instinct to pull him against my chest and wrap my arms around him.
“Birdoswyn Abrecan Cranhawc-Hazelthorn, you are a genteel elf of good standing from an excellent family. You are attractive and clever and kind, your manners are impeccable, and you are able to produce beautiful magic with a single kiss. I meant what I said last night. If Aldian doesn’t see your value, then he’s a fool. ”
Sparrow drew a shaky breath and mumbled, “Thank you,” against my chest. He pulled away and tilted his head back.
“But what if he doesn’t want to marry me?
What will I do then? This is my life plan, Elowin.
I don’t have a trade or skills. Am I supposed to just go back to Hillstowe? Because I don’t know if I could, now.”
He gave me a sad smile while he waited for my answer, and my heart broke for him a little. He’d poured so much of himself into being the Fyreham Lathian that it was all he knew, but at the same time, it wasn’t who he was at all.
He was so much more than that.
Drawing a breath, I said, “Sparrow, have you forgotten? This is the Marriage Market, and you’re a catch!
If you did want to find another noble elf, well, three turns of the pavilion in one of your fancy new outfits, and you’d have a crowd of suitors lining up at your door to offer you their hand.
” I plastered on a fake smile. “Your mother will never have to make cheese again.”
“Oh.” His own smile faded. “Of course. Yes. Another genteel family.”
“Or you could take up playing the lute,” I said, “or go and work with Rowan, or buy a horse and travel the continent. There are a thousand choices you could make if you don’t marry the prince.”
“Yes,” he said in a small voice. “But being the Fyreham Lathian is more than my birthright, Elowin. It’s my duty too.” The divot between his brows appeared again, but he squared his shoulders and nodded to himself. “I look fine. More than fine. And my hair is brushed and neat. I’m ready.”
From the window I heard the clop of hooves and the jangle of trappings.
Aldian was arriving.
“Well then,” I said, my heart sinking. “I think it’s time we went to the Ceremonial Pavilion.”
Flanked by his royal guards as he arrived at the Ceremonial Pavilion, Aldian Fyreham-Aethelan looked every inch the noble prince.
He was tall and handsome, with hair the color of spun gold.
And despite having already traveled for hours today, his clothes barely looked rumpled.
He was effortlessly noble and, judging by Sparrow’s sharp gasp when he laid eyes on him, breathtakingly beautiful.
There was a crowd watching. Of course there was.
The Ceremonial Pavilion was mostly used for marriages, but Aldian was a prince, and the Fyreham Lathian was a tradition old enough to have some pomp and ceremony attached to it, so this was where he and Sparrow would meet.
The crowd murmured appreciatively as Aldian strode into the sunlit pavilion and approached where Sparrow and I waited.
If I knew Aldian—and I did—then despite his noble bearing and gracious smile that gave every impression that this was important business, he was already planning to head over the bridge to the Glaesflod Islands for a game of dice and a couple of hours under the influence of the most potent intoxication charm his money could buy.
Teon and their fellow guards made a corridor for Aldian to approach unimpeded.
Beside me, Sparrow vibrated like the string of a lute wound too tightly. I wanted to reach out and squeeze his hand, but I had a feeling that would only add to his nerves, so I kept my hands firmly clasped behind my back.
“Your Highness,” I said. “Allow me to present Birdoswyn Abrecan Cranhawc-Hazelthorn, the Fyreham Lathian.”
Aldian didn’t even blink at Sparrow’s name. “Welcome to Everend Market, Birdoswyn. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“It is an honor, my prince,” Sparrow said, his voice shaking just a little bit as he bowed. When he straightened up, his face was pink, and his gaze darted nervously to the assembled spectators. “Might I display my magic for you, Your Highness?”
“Please do,” Aldian said with a slight nod.
Sparrow took a deep breath and closed his eyes, an expression of fierce concentration on his face. Aldian watched on, and after a minute or so he tugged at the collar of his tunic. Then he said, “Let me know when it starts, won’t you, Birdoswyn?”
Sparrow’s eyes flew open and his face turned a deeper shade of pink. “That’s it, Your Highness. The warmth, I mean.”
A whisper ran through the crowd, and Sparrow’s face flamed red.
To Aldian’s credit, he just nodded seriously. “Oh, I see. Well, you don’t get that sort of magic very often, do you? It’s very subtle.”
Sparrow blinked rapidly, as though he was trying to hold back tears. His throat bobbed, and he said, with a note of desperation in his tone, “I can do more!”
Aldian gave him an encouraging smile.
And Sparrow darted forward in front of a crowd of watching elves and kissed the prince. I tensed, waiting for the explosion of butterflies that was absolutely not subtle and would surely impress Aldian.
And nothing happened.
Sparrow stepped away from Aldian, his expression falling as he too glanced around for the butterflies that weren’t there.
Aldian cleared his throat, still smiling. “Well, thank you. That was very nice. What’s the magic part?”
“I—” Sparrow looked at Aldian and then turned his horrified expression toward me. “There was supposed to be…” He trailed off and swallowed.
In the crowd, someone whispered and someone else tittered, and then laughter spread like wildfire. Sparrow’s face was bright red with humiliation, and his eyes welled with tears.
Teon threw the crowd a dirty look and took a menacing step toward the nearest tittering elf. It still took an excruciatingly long moment for the laughter to fade and for the crowd to grow silent again.
“Well,” Aldian said kindly to Sparrow, “perhaps you can show me again later. It was lovely to meet you. Thank you for taking the time to attend the market.” He turned his gaze to me. “And thank you, dearest cousin, for traveling with him.”
Sparrow’s eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. His face lost all its color.
“Sparrow,” I said, my heart clenching, and reached out for him.
I wasn't fast enough.
Sparrow, pressing a fist against his mouth to hold back a sob, turned on his heel and bolted, leaving Aldian and me, and half of the visitors to Everend Market, staring after him.