Chapter Seven
“Ijust can’t believe you did that!”
It was four in the morning, and darkness still surrounded us as we trudged through the dark, lush forest. I was recounting the last day, and poor Aleixo was the one stuck listening.
“I can’t believe that in the span of twenty-four hours, not only have I been bound to a very dim human, but I now need to break the binding myself, and somehow escape becoming queen with the most feared and despised man in Coven Haven, never mind the rest of the realm!
And you…” I flung around to face him. “If you hadn’t come walking into our brewery, this never would have happened!
To be so careless, so reckless, so completely and utterly—”
“Lost?” he offered.
“Unwise!” I rumbled back at him. “What kind of man comes in somewhere and inquires about a silver ball!?”
“I didn’t specifically walk in and ask about it. I was curious; I wanted to know why someone was hanging something perfectly valuable outside.”
“Silver isn’t valuable. My sisters had gold hanging outside. Silver is just…it just is,” I finished lamely, trying to hide the awkwardness of addressing the value my sisters had above me. True, we weren’t wealthy, but the inequality bothered me to no end.
“If your sisters had gold hanging outside, then why did you only have silver?”
“Never mind that,” I huffed, turning to continue on my way.
I felt something brush my arm before wrapping around it, and I had to look at him once more. “I find silver valuable,” he said softly. “I think it’s beautiful.”
More awkward feelings surrounded me as I shrugged off his touch and put some distance between us. “You are not from here. You don’t understand our ways.”
“No, I do not. But where I come from, silver has value.” I appreciated his words, but then he went right back to annoying me. “And at any rate, now that you’ve admitted I don’t understand your ways, can you at least let it go that I’ve somehow bound us for eternity?”
“Not for eternity,” I barked at him. “For now.”
“How was I supposed to know that you were serious? I thought you were kidding. A silver ball deciding your life partner? Who’s ever heard of such a silly custom?”
“Everyone!” I yelled back at him. “At least this way I can actually help you get home. Then I’ll be rid of you and return home a widow.
What other explanation will there be after my father has likely announced our engagement to everyone?
Even with all this confusion, he’ll tell everyone who will listen that his daughter had not one, but two offers.
So let us complete our mission so I can be a sad widow who must be in mourning for a year. ”
“Thanks,” he shot back sarcastically. “What about the Realm Guard? How will this fix things with him? Won’t you just be re-bound once I’m dead?”
“There is a mourning period, and I will figure out what needs to be done in that time. Besides, you won’t really be dead, Aleixo. You’ll be back in your realm where I will never have to look upon your face again.”
He grinned at me then. He actually grinned at me.
“And you can wipe that look off your face.”
“This look? Of eternally wedded bliss? To my soon-to-be queen?” He paused for a moment, leaning over to take my hand to assist me over a rather large stump. Uncharacteristically, I accepted. “Say, why is he called the Realm Guard, but you’ll be the Realm Queen?”
“Because it would be silly calling two people the Realm Guard. I cannot be the second Realm Guard.”
“Then why doesn’t he call himself the Realm King?”
“Because he guards the realms.”
“Like…a king?”
“But he isn’t a king. He’s a Realm Guard.”
“Yes, I know,” Aleixo fought back. “But if you’re to be the Realm Queen, wouldn’t that make him the Realm King?”
“No,” I spoke slowly, as though speaking to a curious one. “That would make her queen, and him the Realm Guard.”
“These rules don’t make sense.”
“Says the man from a different realm.”
He sighed in defeat before a smile lit up his face. “Either way, this isn’t so bad. I’ve never been bound to someone before.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t see how you can be so chipper when you’ve just become my intended. Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to talk too much in visiting realms?”
He blinked at me. “No one has ever visited realms.”
“The more you tell me about yourself, the more I think you’re just a figment of my imagination. No races, no realm visits, no silver balls. You come from the dullest place I’ve ever heard about.”
“My place is very relaxed, thank you very mu— Hold on. Hold still.” He paled as he looked at my shoulder. “Don’t move.” He raised a hand, but before he could make a move, I grabbed his hand and pulled it down. “I said don’t move!” he hissed.
“Don’t touch Dewdrop.”
“What?” he questioned. “Dewdrop? The…creature,” he shuddered, “on your shoulder has a name.”
“She’s a large jumping spider. A direct descendant of the Klaroinsie Regal family. I cloaked her until now, but we’ve been walking so long, she’ll be overheated.”
“She… What?”
“I can’t believe you were about to smack her!”
“Yes, well, where I come from, we don’t have giant jumping spiders just sitting on our shoulders.”
“Dewdrop isn’t giant; she’s actually the smallest in her family, and an absolute delight. As long as you…” I paused for a moment, giggling to myself. “As long as you don’t drop her.”
“Don’t drop her?” His crinkles returned as he looked at her closely. “Don’t drop…as in Dewdrop?”
“No, no.” I shook my head vigorously. “Dewdrop as in, don’t drop.”
Aleixo raised a hand to his forehead, stroking it for the millionth time today. “I think I need to sit down.”