CHAPTER 22 #3
“Are you sure we can leave you two alone?” Nox laughed as he strode toward Lenore, handing over the hot mug.
Herbal scents wafted upwards into her nose, and the heat of the drink nearly matched the warmth coming off her skin.
Nisa quietly crept over and placed the herbal tincture onto the table that Lenore once sat on before slinking off.
Hurried footsteps resounded in the hallway the moment she escaped the doorway.
Nox glanced between the pair and made a thoughtful noise. “As a Thalryn, it is my duty to note that both of you seem a little flushed in the face. Well, more than a little.” His grin turned impish. “Should I be concerned?”
“Get. Out. Nox,” Edmund snarled the words out through clenched teeth. Tensed veins strained across Edmund’s closed fists. The wood underneath Edmund’s foot creaked out a menacing groan as soon as he took one step toward him.
Nox fled the room, cackling all the while until the sound faded into the distance. The pair remained frozen where they stood until there was a certainty that they were truly alone.
No sooner had the quiet settled in the room, Edmund shifted his gaze toward her over his shoulder, his back still turned. “I’m off. See that you don’t get yourself into more trouble today.”
“W-wait!” The stuttered word was far softer than what Lenore had expected, and she blamed it on the guilt and the jittery mess in her chest.
Without thinking, she had leapt forward and taken hold of Edmund’s coat, a bundle of fabric clasped in her palm.
Herbal tea spilled over the edge of the speckled mug, splashing onto the ground below.
When she looked up, she found herself staring directly into his baffled face. In one hasty motion, she let go.
“I’m sorry,” Lenore mumbled. She looked down at her boots.
“For what?” The cold response bit at her heart, and she felt like shrinking into oblivion as the guilt grew stronger.
There was a palpable silence between them as Lenore struggled to find the rest of her words. She squeezed her hands around the mug.
For lying. “For putting you in that embarrassing position. I hope Nox isn’t one to spread rumors.” Lenore frowned, more so at herself. Honesty was failing to be her strongest virtue at the moment. And worse, she selfishly wished Edmund wouldn’t leave.
In a small voice, she added, “But if you want me to stay out of trouble, maybe you could help me find some ingredients for making tea blends later?” The words left her before she held them back in her own insecurity, and she braced herself for rejection.
Edmund turned to fully face her, frowning as he raised an eyebrow. “Tea ingredients?” he asked incredulously. “You want to wander around the forest with no survival skills for that?”
“Well, I actually do have some basic knowledge of making tea blends from wild plants and herbs,” Lenore mumbled. “And I have a future guest I promised tea to.”
“What—who?” The low growl to his voice surprised her. He tensed up, waiting to hear who she’d name.
“Um... Astra Fia. She helped me at the butcher shop, and I wanted to repay her by having her over for tea.”
The sharp glare turned to bewilderment. “Astra Fia,” he repeated slowly. He shifted his weight, unable to stay still. “... That grouch of an old woman?”
“Is it too much to say you’re cut from the same cloth then?” Lenore looked almost amused, but she still anxiously waited for his answer.
He frowned deeply. “So you want to further this misunderstanding?” A faint crease formed between Edmund’s eyebrows, but the scolding didn’t quite reach his eyes. “For tea ingredients?” He wavered when Lenore looked up at him with sad doe eyes.
“Aren’t you the one always implying I don’t know anything? How I’m a weak little whelp? Since I don’t know any better... and you said before that I’m under your personal care, isn’t this your responsibility?” Lenore’s lips stuck out in a small pout.
“My responsibility is to give you plenty of warnings, and remind you that you’ll probably mistake a poisonous leaf for an edible one.” He shot her an unamused look.
“Fine, alright,” she said with a sigh. Deflated, she couldn’t quite hide the sadness in her voice, knowing how ridiculous the request sounded. The heat of the drink in her hands had since simmered down to a subtle warmth. “I know the answer is probably no, but thank you for hearing me out.”
“... I didn’t say that,” Edmund muttered.
“What do you mean?”
“I didn’t say no.”
Lenore brightened instantly. “So does that mean…”
Edmund ran a hand through his hair, a light dusting of red warming his cheeks.
“I’m only coming along to make sure you don’t end up back here.
” He glanced out through an arched window.
“I still have my other duties to attend to first. We can meet later tonight, at seven, by the tree springs. You know where that is now, right?”
“I do,” Lenore nodded. “That all sounds good to me.” She smiled, almost giddily as she lifted the mug to her lips, hiding her glee behind the ceramic cup. “I can meet you there at seven.”
“Seven,” Edmund repeated. “And if you forget where the tree springs are exactly, just stay at your place. I’ll go to you.”
“Like a true gentleman,” Lenore noted. The clear enthusiasm that radiated from her rubbed off on Edmund—his own eyes lit with a hint of anticipation.
“Say what you want,” he brushed off, though the corner of his mouth quirked.
“It’s so we don’t start off the evening having to track you down.
” He turned and moved toward the door, stopping at its frame.
“If you want to go do your little venture tonight, you need to rest properly or I’ll drag you back here to sleep through the night instead. ”
“I can do that,” Lenore said with a giggle. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll see you later.”
“Hmph.” With a click of his tongue, he turned away. “If Nox bothers you, just tell me.”
“Um, wouldn’t that, you know, further the misunderstanding?” Her smile turned lopsided when he didn’t give her an answer.
“Seven,” he only said. “Don’t forget.”
“Mm. I’ll see you soon,” Lenore replied. Her gaze was soft with warmth when Edmund glanced at her. For a moment longer, he lingered there in their shared presence. He parted his lips ever so slightly, almost as if to say something else, but his mouth closed. He turned—and left the room.
With a quiet sigh, Lenore finally relaxed in her own company. Settling herself by the window’s alcove, she took her first sip of the herbal brew. Rich and earthy, a bitter taste settled on her tongue—yet nothing could ruin the honeyed sweetness encasing her heart.