Chapter Thirty-Seven Riela
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Riela
Undressing proved to be a bit of a challenge, but eventually I was naked and Grim’s—Vastien’s—eyes were firmly closed. I tugged him slightly closer. “I’m going to step into the bath now.”
He nodded and held my hand as I climbed into the warm water, then he sank down beside the tub as I got settled. I reached
for the soap, then sighed. “This isn’t going to work.”
“Do you require assistance? I can call Bria.”
“No, hold on.” The last thing I needed was yet another person in this bathroom. But if I could use both hands, this would
go a lot faster. “Give me your other hand.” He obliged, and I lifted a leg from the bath, blushing scarlet. “If anyone asks,
this never happened,” I growled.
Vastien grinned. “As you say, my lady.”
I guided his free hand to my ankle, then shivered when his fingers wrapped around it. “That’s my ankle. You can hold it while
I wash my hair. Feel free to move around a bit so you’re comfortable, but no peeking. If you get tired, let me know and we’ll
switch it up.”
He shifted so he was cradling my ankle in his palm. It felt unbearably intimate, but I couldn’t explain why. At least, not until his thumb softly stroked over my sensitive ankle bone. “You’re trembling. Are you okay?”
“No,” I admitted with a laugh. “This definitely wins for weirdest bath, and I once bathed in the livestock pond.”
“On purpose?” he asked with a smile, his eyes still firmly closed.
“Well, on purpose after I’d fallen into the pen I’d been mucking. I smelled so bad I didn’t think I could make it home. I
waded into the pond clothes and all. The owner was sure I was going to drown.”
“Can you swim?” he asked after I came up from wetting my hair.
“Yes, of course. All of the children in the village learn early because of the river. Even in the summer, the water is clear
and crisp, so it’s the best way to cool down after a long day of work.” I lathered soap into my hair. “Can you swim?”
“You think I live on an island and can’t swim?” he asked, his voice lightly teasing.
“Maybe there are deadly mermaids in the water so you never learned. I certainly wouldn’t get into that lake voluntarily.”
Vastien chuckled. “Garrick’s power keeps most of the dangerous creatures away. But a fish or two might try to nibble your
toes.”
I rinsed my hair, then started scrubbing my skin. “That’s fine as long as they don’t nibble them off.”
I finished washing and rinsing, then just sat in the bath for a moment, enjoying the warmth and quiet. The ache in my chest
kept growing, and soon I’d have to tell Vastien or Garrick about it. But not until after dinner.
“Are you okay?” Vastien asked quietly.
I blew out a slow breath. “Today has been a lot. I don’t suppose I could hide in here until Garrick is ready to go back?”
“You could,” he said slowly, seemingly choosing his words with care. “But I don’t think it’s the best idea. You need to prove
that you aren’t afraid.”
I snorted. “I’m terrified.”
His thumb smoothed over my ankle again in a soothing caress. “The king and I will protect you. Even Lady Bria has agreed to
see to your safety. The more allies you draw to your side, the safer you’ll be.”
“And if all I draw are enemies?”
Vastien’s smile was cheerfully ruthless. “Then Garrick and I will get to enjoy cleaning house.”
My face was hot with embarrassment by the time the three of us managed to get me into a simple, pretty gown that reminded me of the exact shade of Garrick’s moonlit magic. The pale silver should’ve washed out my skin, but through either luck or magic, my skin glowed.
Lady Bria had worked magic on my hair—literally—and the dark brown strands were swept up into a curling and braided mass on
top of my head that was reminiscent of a crown.
The simple sheath gown looked demure as long as I was standing still, but when I moved, a slit reached high on my thigh and
showed a great deal of my legs.
It would also let me run without restriction, as would the flat silver slippers on my feet.
I hadn’t been able to find a place for my dagger, so Vastien had added it to the collection of weapons he was wearing, positioning
it in such a way that I could draw it with my right hand when he stood on my left.
I hoped it wouldn’t be necessary.
“What do you think?” Bria asked as I stood in front of the full-length mirror.
I was still nowhere near her level of beauty or sophistication, but now I at least looked like I might belong on the fringes
of the Etheri crowd below. Maybe that would be enough to prevent me from becoming an embarrassment to Garrick. “You did amazing
work.”
“You are lovely,” she murmured. “It was no work.”
I slanted a glance at her and took a risk. “Why are you being so kind to me?”
Her violet eyes darkened, and her expression turned serious. “That suspicion will serve you well in the Silver Court.”
I thought she would leave it there, but she kept speaking. “You are important to Garrick, and Garrick is important to me,
so therefore, you are also important to me.” Her smile softened the honest bite of her words. After a moment, she added, “And
I have an annoying soft spot for the lost and lonely.”
I wanted to ask her why Garrick was so important to her. Were they betrothed? The question burned on my tongue, but I clamped my teeth around it. The answer didn’t matter, not really, and it would only wound, either her or me.
I dipped into a low curtsy that was only a little awkward thanks to Vastien’s grip on my arm. “Thank you for your help.”
“You’re welcome,” she murmured, her gaze fathomless. “But remember, you are an honored guest of the king. People defer to you, not the other way around. The only person you bow to is Garrick.”
When I frowned and glanced at Vastien for confirmation, he inclined his head in agreement. I chuckled nervously. “That’s sure
to make me popular.”
“I will be right beside you,” Vastien said. “You will be safe.”
A bell chimed through the room, a sound that reverberated in my chest more than my ears. Bria looked me over once more. “Dinner
is about to begin. Are you ready?”
I glanced at Vastien again as nervous butterflies took flight in my stomach. “Eating here isn’t going to trap me or turn me
into something awful, is it?”
His eyes glimmered with amusement. “No.”
“And you’re sure I can’t just stay in my room?”
His fingers squeezed my arm, the touch reassuring. “You’ll be fine, my lady.”
Vastien, Bria, and I returned to the ballroom. There wasn’t any blood on the floor, so perhaps Garrick’s return had gone better
than I’d expected. But as soon as the three of us stepped into the room, a wave of sound rose from around us, like the rush
of wind through the trees. The whispers were too quiet to hear, but I had no doubt who they were about.
Garrick rose from his throne and met us halfway. His expression gave nothing away as his gaze traced over the lines of my
gown, but he nodded to Bria with something like gratitude.
She dipped into a tiny curtsy with a secret smile. He extended an arm to her, and she only hesitated for a heartbeat before
she accepted, taking her place at his side. They were beautiful together.
My throat tightened into a painful knot as heartache and bitter, vicious jealousy stabbed deep.
I was so busy trying to keep my expression blank that I didn’t realize they’d moved on until Vastien urged me forward. I sucked
in a trembling breath and held it until the tears crowding my eyes abated.
There was no reason to feel like my heart was breaking. Garrick hadn’t promised me anything beyond protection, had never made
any declaration of feelings. A single, spectacular tumble into bed and a kiss or two did not a relationship make.
No matter how vehemently my heart—and my temper—disagreed.
Now that he was back with his own people, I was cast aside, eclipsed by the glittering Etheri around me.
Why would a king escort his human lover to dinner when a woman fit to be queen was available? Bria was absolutely lovely,
and as much as I wanted to hate her, I couldn’t. She’d been kind to me even though I was a complete stranger.
But looking at her and Garrick together made the ache so much worse.
I wanted to be the one on his arm, to be the one he smiled at with such fond familiarity. And I’d very nearly fooled myself
into thinking I could be.
Instead, I’d just been a temporary diversion.
I tried to smooth the jagged shards of hurt and jealousy and anger into something more manageable as we made our way to the
dining room. The rest of the Etheri formed a long line behind us based on some form of hierarchy I didn’t understand.
The dining hall was not the same as the one in the castle in Edea. Here, there was still an enormous table that could seat two dozen, but it was
on a slightly raised platform. The rest of the room was filled with additional tables that seemed to warp and weave in my
vision, as if the number was ever changing.
Garrick moved decisively toward the head of the main table. The chair on the end was more ornate, clearly meant for the king. He helped Bria settle into the seat on his right, then looked at Vastien and tipped his head very slightly to the left.
The jurhihoigli led me to the seat on Garrick’s left, across from Bria. My smile felt as brittle as my heart, but I sank into
the chair with a nod. Vastien sat next to me, then hooked his foot around my ankle under the table. Once he was sure I wouldn’t
startle, he dropped my hand.
We remained in Lohka. I briefly considered jerking away and sending us back to Edea, but that would only cause more problems,
and then I’d have to bleed to return.
Garrick also pressed his leg against mine. When I tried to ease away, a brief frown creased his brow, but he didn’t move his
leg. The petty, jealous part of me wondered if he was touching Bria the same way.
The rest of the Etheri began to take their seats after some subtle jostling for position. Koru, Garrick’s cousin, sat next