Chapter 11 Kailin
"A tongue loosened by ale speaks truth of one's heart's desire, while wisdom waits in silence til passion's flames expire."
—Elucian Proverb
As I walked into the bar flanked by Shovia and Morek, its warmth washed over me.
I took a moment to defrost and scan the crowd.
It had been over a year since I'd last been to the pilgrims' bar, and I had forgotten how packed and loud it got right before the pilgrimage.
It was filled to the brim with out-of-towners and locals who came to check out the pilgrims. The air was thick with the smell of alcohol and the tang of excitement.
Shovia's grip on my arm tightened suddenly. "There they are." She pointed with her chin.
I followed her gaze, and that's when I saw him.
A prince.
That was my instinctive impression of him, and it wasn't because of the fine clothing he was wearing or the aristocratic bearing that he was trying to hide by assuming a casual pose.
The guy just looked like a prince.
It was in the quiet confidence and natural aura of authority he exuded.
His hair was wavy, just long enough to be gathered in a ponytail, light brown with some darker and lighter strands woven through it.
It was left loose to frame a face that was all sharp angles, softened only by a neatly trimmed beard in the Elurian style.
But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention.
Sharp intelligence shone from the piercing blue that seemed to glow in the dim light of the bar.
A small voice in the back of my head taunted that the handsome stranger's eyes were not midnight dark with golden flakes swirling in the irises, but I pushed the annoying voice aside.
Why was I still thinking about those drakking eyes that I'd gazed upon for mere moments five years ago?
According to Shovia, the best way to get over my obsession was to find a new hot guy to bed, and although I had laughed every time she'd said that, I was suddenly struck by the thought that the Elurian noble fit the bill.
My cheeks heated just from having such indecent musings about the stranger, and I was grateful for the dim light that hopefully hid my reaction.
The Elurian held a drink in one hand, but unlike many of the other patrons, he appeared sober and serious.
His friend, on the other hand, looked quite plastered. He was no less handsome, with beautiful green eyes and hair that was a little darker and shorter than the prince's, but he lacked his companion's aura of authority.
"Typical Elurians," Morek said from behind us. "They look almost feminine with their fancy clothes and long hair."
I stifled an eye roll. There was nothing feminine about either of them. On the contrary, they were not as heavily muscled as Morek, but the way they held themselves, even the one who seemed a little drunk, hinted that they could take care of themselves.
They were also older than the typical Elucian pilgrims.
As if to prove my assessment of his inebriation, the green-eyed one threw his head back and began to sing an Elucian ballad, his voice carrying over the din of the bar.
"The dragon soars so high,
Its scales gleaming against the sky,
But I'd trade a bond of wing and fury
For a romp of dazzling flurry."
As the bar erupted in cheers and laughter at the suggestive lyrics, my overactive mind immediately began associating images with the words, causing my cheeks to flush even deeper.
At twenty-one, I shouldn't blush because of a handsome guy and a lurid ballad, and I also should have at least some carnal experience, but to my great embarrassment and Shovia's even greater disappointment, I was still a virgin.
It was not by choice.
I wasn’t a prude, and I wasn’t saving myself for marriage. I just hadn't found anyone who inspired me to go any further than kissing.
"Come on." Shovia dragged me forward, her eyes locked on her prey. "We are just going to pass by them on our way to the bar."
Behind us, Morek snorted. "Have fun, ladies. Let me know if you need me to escort you home."
I turned and smiled at him. "Seen someone interesting?"
"Several someones." He winked.
"Make an impression, Kailin," Shovia whispered in my ear.
"Make an impression?" I hissed back. "How exactly am I supposed to do that?"
But she was already moving, weaving through the crowd with a practiced sway of her hips and a confidence I couldn't replicate. I followed, doing my best not to look as self-conscious as I felt.
"Oh, my," Shovia said loudly. "The bar's quite crowded. Perhaps we should find a table." She smiled at the Elurians and then struck a pose in case they misinterpreted her hint.
The one whom I'd dubbed Prince turned to look at her, his striking blue eyes sweeping over her and then turning to me. When his gaze lingered on me for a moment longer than it had on my friend, I felt my pulse quicken.
His companion broke into a broad grin. "Come, join us." He waved his hand at the two empty chairs at their table. "We were saving these for you."
"Thank you." Shovia rewarded him with a grin of her own. "That was quite a performance," she said as she sat down on the chair he pulled out for her. "You have a lovely voice."
The Prince pulled out a chair for me, and I had to admit that I liked the Elurian custom. What I didn't like was Shovia's blatant maneuvering to get us invited to sit at their table.
"Thank you." I offered him a smile, hoping that he couldn't see the furious blush on my cheeks.
Now I finally understood why Morek got tongue-tied when talking to girls he liked.
I had never blushed because of a guy before, not even Morek when I had my silly crush on him, but this stranger with piercing blue eyes and aristocratic features heated the blood in my veins and made my pulse quicken.
I should follow the advice I'd given Morek and pretend that he was just a nothing-special guy, so I would stop acting like a drakking blushing virgin.
If there had been any drakking involved, you wouldn't be a blushing virgin, Shovia's mocking voice sounded in my head.
"My cousin and I were just discussing the finer points of Elucian ballads." The singer winked at me. "Though perhaps some of the verses aren't suitable for mixed company."
"Codric," my prince said, his tone carrying a note of warning.
"Alar," Codric replied, imitating Alar's warning tone. "It's a perfectly legitimate cultural exchange. Besides, these lovely ladies might know some verses I haven't learned yet."
"I certainly do." Shovia extended her hand to Codric. "But I'm too much of a lady to sing them to you. I'm Shovia, and this is my best friend, Kailin."
Shovia had sung far worse in this very bar on more than one occasion, so I had to wonder whether she'd found a loophole that allowed her to skirt the truth or just didn't care about following Elu's precepts when dealing with Elurians.
After all, their interpretation of Elu's Truths was much more flexible than that of most Elucians.
Codric lifted off his chair just enough to lean over Shovia's hand and kiss the back of it. "Enchanted."
I heard Alar release a hissing breath before he offered me his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kailin."
"Same here," I mumbled as I put my hand in his.
The contact sent a zing of electrical current through me.
I was dying. If he kissed my hand like Codric had done to Shovia's, I might turn into a puddle of goo and seep into the ground through the cracks in the floorboards. It would be a mercy too, because at least I wouldn't have to endure the humiliation of acting like a fool in front of him.
He didn't, and I was a little disappointed, but to add insult to injury, he also let go of my hand far too quickly. "I apologize for my cousin," Alar said. "He seems to have forgotten his manners after one too many tankards of Elucian ale."
"That's okay," I managed. "I've heard much worse sung here by drunken Elucians, and it was also often out of tune. At least your cousin is a good singer."
"Thank you." Codric finally let go of Shovia's hand and turned his attention to me.
"I'm glad you find my voice melodious." He took my offered hand and kissed the back of it, but it didn't elicit the same reaction Alar's mere touch had, and it also didn't compensate for his cousin dropping my hand as if it was dirty.
After the barmaid took our order, Shovia turned her charm on Codric. "Where did you learn to sing Elucian ballads? Are they popular in Eluria?"
As Codric launched into an animated story about his and Alar's research of Elucian culture in preparation for the pilgrimage, I took the opportunity to study Alar more closely.
My first impression of him hadn't changed despite his attire of a wealthy Elurian merchant class member, which was one level below their nobility.
There was a certain watchfulness in his eyes, a subtle tension in his posture that hinted at military training or a position of power or both.
I was willing to bet that he was a minor noble.
Then again, I didn't know much about the Elurian Federation, and perhaps members of the merchant class trained to protect themselves and their families the same way all Elucians did.
They might even have a compulsory service similar to ours, and Alar was old enough to be a sergeant or even a captain.
The barmaid returned with our tankards. "Here you go, ladies."
I lifted my purse to pay for our drinks, but Alar put his hand over mine. "Allow me."
I was so stunned by the unexpected touch that I just nodded like an idiot instead of insisting on paying for myself and Shovia. Men covering the bill for their female companion was an Elurian custom, not Elucian, and besides, Shovia and I weren't Codric and Alar's companions.
We were just sharing their table.
After the barmaid left, Alar turned to me and raised an eyebrow. "Did I commit some Elucian faux pas? You seem upset with me."
I struggled for something to say that wouldn't sound offensive and also wouldn't require me to lie. I wasn't as good as Shovia at finding loopholes.
"Elucian and Elurian customs are different." There, that was a true statement that wasn't offensive.
He chuckled. "I'm well aware of that, but if I did something wrong, you should correct me so I won't repeat my mistake. I'm here to learn about Elucia, not just for a chance to become a dragon rider."
I could easily divert the conversation to the pilgrimage and avoid answering his question, but that was close enough to skirting the truth to make me uncomfortable. "You should have let me pay. Elucians who are not related to each other either split the tab or take turns paying."
He dipped his head. "That's good to know, but I'm afraid that's one Elurian custom I will have to insist on. An Elurian gentleman never lets a lady pay for her own drink."
I tilted my head and arched an eyebrow. "This bar is full of ladies. Are you going to pay for all their drinks?"
Alar laughed, and his whole face was transformed. "I see that I will have to be on my toes around you, Kailin. What I meant was a lady companion."
A triumphant smile curled my lips. "But I'm not your companion. I'm just sharing a table with you because there was no other place to sit."
A shadow passed across his face. "That might be true, but since you are sharing my table and we are conversing, I consider you my companion for as long as these conditions last."
I opened my mouth to argue but then decided to let it rest. "You asked, and I answered. If you prefer to have it the Elurian way, I will not argue."
He seemed surprised by my easy acquiescence but recovered quickly and dipped his head again. "Thank you. I appreciate your concession to my customs."
"You are welcome." Mimicking him, I inclined my head. "But don't expect it to be the norm. This was a one-time exception."