“A courtship of realms requires delicate maneuvering, not a sledgehammer—which tends to be your way.” Ardax crossed his arms and gave me a look begging me to disagree.
“Okay,” I acquiesced.
Ardax nodded. “Thank you, Honor. I’ll be by your room this evening with everything you require.” He marched off up the path and passed Percy on his way.
The two exchanged words, but I was too far away to hear what they said. I could read the distrust on Percy’s face. He adjusted Rumple on his back and his hands gripped the leather holster.
A moment later he nodded, his face grim, before he turned and came down the path to meet me. “Ardax annoys me so much. I think it’s time we take him down a peg. How about you and I get out the poison oak and rub it on his clothes—”
“I have to go,” I rushed out, retreating up the path after Ardax.
“Go? Go where?” Percy asked.
“I need to get ready for tonight.” This was proving to be harder than I had originally thought. I didn’t know how to break it to Percy that I wasn’t going to attend the ceremony with him.
“Relax, we have plenty of time before the ceremony. We can—”
“No, we can't. I mean. You and I can’t.” I was fumbling my words horribly. My hands gripped the sides of my pants, and I dug my nails into the cloth.
“Honor, what’s wrong? You seem upset.”
“Upset? I’m not upset. I’m just excited for the ceremony.” I forced a fake smile.
“Oh, well that’s understandable.”
“I’m going with Ardax.” I forced the words out, and it felt like sandpaper across my tongue.
“Ardax?” Percy’s smile fell.
I nodded. Scared to say anything else, less he read the lie on my face and the panic I was holding back.
“This is a joke . . . right?” Percy’s gaze narrowed as he watched my expression carefully.
My breath hitched. “Ardax and I are attending the ceremony together.” My words were strained but even.
“Fine.” Percy smiled too easily. He leaned back, his head cocked to the side and shifted his weight onto his back foot away from me. “I see how it is.”
“Do you?” I asked truthfully, wondering if he could hear my anguish.
Percy spun, his feet carrying him swiftly away. When he was out of earshot, I spoke softly, barely a whisper. “It’s not the way it is. Just the way it needs to be.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
When I returned to my room that evening, there was a package waiting on my bed. A white box tied with a gold ribbon. My fingers trembled as I pulled it apart and opened the box to reveal a dark green dress trimmed with gold thorn filigree. Alongside it were two golden combs in the shape of thorns. They were beautifully realistic, as if broken off a thorntree.
When I’d asked for Ardax to provide me with a dress, I expected a simple wool gown, instead of my normal pants, tunic, and belt I always wore. This was above and beyond my wildest expectations. As I lifted the dress out of the box, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was the perfect length and he had provided slippers to match.
It didn’t take me long to get ready, and the dress fit me like a glove, except I would need a hand in lacing the back up. No matter how much I twisted and torqued, I was unable to fully lace it. Feeling slightly defeated, I finished brushing my hair and securing the sides up with the golden combs. I didn’t have any makeup, and the elves didn’t need any. I knew that even though I was wearing an elaborate dress, my beauty would always wane in comparison.
“Well, this is as good as it’s going to get,” I breathed out, tucking the last stray hair and securing it with the comb. It seemed like the only chance I would get to wear it.
A knock came at my door, followed by Ardax’s voice.
“Honor?”
I relaxed, but only slightly. I slipped the shoes on and cracked the door open to see Ardax dressed finer than I had ever seen him. His long black hair practically shone in the candlelight as it cascaded down his back, his golden eyes looked molten, and his skin looked even paler in his matching green ceremonial clothes. The gold filigree of thorns running along his cuffs and neck matched my dress.
He pushed the door open, and I backed into the room, revealing my attire. Instantly, I glanced to the floor, feeling suddenly self-conscious in a gown made for an elven maiden. I grimaced, waiting for his rebuke about my looks.
Silence followed.
I slowly dragged my eyes up, glancing at his freshly oiled boots to his pressed pants, and up the long jacket with golden closures, to his strong jaw, thin lips, and angled nose. Then I met his eyes, and they were lacking contempt. Ardax blinked multiple times and cleared his throat before reaching out to touch a finger under my chin, raising it up from the floor.
“Don’t look down.” His gentle rebuke surprised me. Then he opened his mouth again. “For tonight, you will shine like a star because you are on my arm.”
I snorted. There was the self-righteous jerk I remembered. I turned around, and he saw my attempts at lacing myself.
“Halt.”
I froze.
“Do you have no women to assist you with getting dressed?”
I spun angrily. “No, for if you remember, everyone here hates me, thanks to you and Rulah. No one dares to speak to me except for Percy for fear of your wrath.”
Ardax blinked in surprise, taken aback by my verbal attack. He took a slow breath. “Then it falls to me. Turn,” he ordered, and I glared at him. “Turn,” he repeated. “Or you can go the whole night undone, and that will cause a scene.”
I would rather have walked into a pit of Sion adders than have his hands touch me, but he was right. I turned and carefully lifted my dark hair exposing my back.
Ardax was very careful to only touch the laces, and he made quick work tying the dress, giving it a gentle tug only when needed. His hands reached for mine, and I released my hair as it fell down my back.
“I didn’t realize it was so long. You always keep it braided.”
“I never have a reason to wear it any other way.”
“That’s true. For you also don’t wear any other clothes than your hunting gear, which makes you look like a boy.”
“That’s one,” I bit out.
“What?” he said.
“You only get two more insults.”
Ardax laughed in surprise. “You were serious.”
“Deadly. You don’t even want to know what I have strapped under this dress.”
“I can guess.” Ardax glanced down, and I saw his keen eyes pick out the shape of Rhea’s enchanted throwing knife strapped to my leg.
I whistled and snapped at Ardax, gesturing to my face. “Eyes up here.”
My sassy words shocked him. His brows shot up, and that stony face cracked into another smile. “You are full of surprises.”
“Get used to it,” I said. “You ready?”
Ardax nodded and held the door open for me. Side by side, we walked in silence through the trees and across a wooden bridge. Evening had come, and with it, the trees were lit with glowing flowers and fireflies. The ceremony always took place in the middle of the night, for that was when the magic pooling from the sacred hollow was at its strongest.