Chapter 77
I bit back a tired sigh and moved a hand across my face, shaking my head while I pursed my lips in annoyance. "Do they know that you are talking to us?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I looked at the ?ren, whose name I had never caught. "Or are you going to get in trouble again?"
The ?ren bit back a small smile and bowed his head in greeting.
"I did not get in trouble the first time I had talked to you without permission, Daughter of the Southern Tip," he said, and I held back an eye roll while I scowled.
"I am sure that I will not get in trouble now because I am talking to you three. "
"Hmph." I leaned back in my seat and looked at him, folding my arms across my chest and tapping a finger against my arm.
"And why not?" I asked and cocked my head to the side while I studied him.
"Are you somehow related to the N?ran?" I asked, switching over to the Elvish tongue and earning a curious look from Lexus while I talked about Arden.
"Marini," Caspian said with a small frown on his face, and a look of annoyance flashed across his face when I spoke in a different language than the common tongue that we all spoke. "Please. What did you ask him?"
"Unfortunately, that is none of your concern for now, Rupor," the ?ren said the common tongue while he bowed his head.
He looked at me and bit back a small smirk.
"I am not able to disclose that information just yet," he said in Elvish tongue, earning a small tsk from the young prince and a small snort from Lexus.
"If I do, then I will get in trouble with him. "
"Hmph." I pressed my lips into a thin line and looked at Lexus before I looked at the ?ren. "Does he know?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I studied the ?ren and nodded toward Lexus.
The ?ren looked at Lexus and recognition flashed through his eyes before he looked at me. "He does," he said and nodded in confirmation. "He knows who I am, and I know who he is."
I looked at Lexus before I looked at him and raised an eyebrow in question when a thought occurred to me. "Why is he with Rupor?" I asked and cocked my head to the side while I studied him. "Or is that something that you are not able to answer either?"
The ?ren shook his head and smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, I am not able to answer that question, Daughter of the Southern Tip," he said and bowed his head in apology. "The N?ran would not be pleased if I did."
I bit back a tired sigh and moved a hand across my face while I slowly nodded, pursing my lips in annoyance without saying a word.
"How long did it take you to figure out that he wasn't something else?" the ?ren asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he looked at Lexus before he looked at me. "Did it take you a while to figure it out?"
I shook my head no. "I knew that he was something else when he noticed the necklace on my neck when he was with Rupor after I had made sure he was safe in the forest." I gave Lexus the stink eye before I looked at the ?ren, slowly blinking, and the ?ren raised an eyebrow in question, amused.
"But that didn't stop something from happening earlier today. "
"And I have apologized, L-"
"If you call me "Lady," again, then I will ask the N?ran if I can challenge you," I said and turned to look at Lexus with annoyance filling my body.
I narrowed my eyes and bared my teeth in warning, and my eyes flashed with anger.
"It will not be to the death, but I will ask for permission if I can challenge you. "
Lexus's face grew pale, and he bit back a small gulp while he stared at me with wide eyes filled with worry and fear. He didn't say a word because he knew that I would do it, especially since I had talked to him in their tongue.
The ?ren chuckled and tucked his head closer to his chest, amused. He didn't say a word while he looked between the two of us, and I had a feeling that he wanted to know what happened but would ask later when it was safe.
"Does that mean you know what they are saying, Lexus?" Caspian asked and furrowed his brows while he looked between the three of us before he looked solely at his friend. "What are they talking about?"
"He knows what we are saying, and he will not say a word about what it is we are talking about, Rupor," I said, switching to the common tongue, and Caspian looked at me without Lexus saying a word.
"We can discuss it later when we are not waiting to be called back.
" I looked toward the lanters and bit back an annoyed groan when I saw that it was still lit.
"Come on, Jonah," I said and pursed my lips in annoyance. "I need to see him."
Anxiety and worry filled my body, and I couldn't help but shift in my seat while I started to get antsy about being close but not close enough to my dragon. "Hurry up and let us go back there so that I can see him."
The ?ren frowned, and a look of worry flashed through his eyes while he studied me. "Are you ok?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper while he leaned closer to me, and he switched to his language again.
I shook my head and pressed my lips into a thin line. "I am not," I said and shifted in my seat, rubbing my hands together while I spoke the same language as him. "I am not ok. I need to go back there, but I can't go back there because of the lanterns still being lit."
Charles walked over to us with four waters.
"Here you all go," he said and started to hand out the waters.
"Jonah will be done shortly," he said and looked at me.
A small smirk appeared on his face when I bit back a small groan of annoyance, pursing my lips in annoyance.
"Are you going to try to go back there with them still being lit?
" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me.
"I am debating it," I said and rubbed my hands together while I shifted in my seat. "I need to see my friend, Charles. This is killing me." I stared at him with pain filled eyes, letting my mask fall just a tad so that he could understand that I wasn't joking.
Charles's eyes grew softer, and he bit back a tired sigh before he slowly nodded.
"Let me see what I can do, Marini," he said.
"Excuse me." He tucked his head closer to his chest before he walked away from us with the tray in his hands, and I couldn't help but breathe a small sigh of relief, grateful.
Oh, thank the Great...