Page 10 of Crown of Ellova: Vol 1

The cool metal of a ruby necklace I'm holding slips through my fingers and hits the table, knocking over an earring display, much to the alarm of the noblewoman who is purchasing it. She has my apologies but not my attention as she drops a bag of coins on the table and leaves with a huff.

So quickly I almost miss it, he nods in the direction of the nearly empty wine table, and he casually heads that way.

I lay the purple velvet cloth over the last of the bright jewelry, and a few guards step closer to my abandoned table. The women still shopping make irritated noises but move on to other vendors.

Drawn to him as I am every night I slip into this miserable kingdom, I approach the wine table. It would be wise to wait for him to come to my booth, but the temptation for just a few extra moments with him is too alluring.

Leon stands with his back to me, inspecting the wine bottles laid out on decorative blue fabrics for the courtiers and a few of the chosen vendors.

He doesn’t turn, only stands taller when he senses my presence. His head tilts slightly in my direction, and alarmingly green eyes gaze at me as he places an empty crystal wine glass in front of me.

Without breaking our eye contact, he sips on his freshly poured wine. I beam at him and for a moment we just stare, lost in each other.

A few lords and ladies linger at the end table to boast of their profits from the month while drinking bottles of the finest wine imported from Versairen, the kingdom across the Elbasan Sea, paying no attention to the handsome healer and me.

My heart beats wildly and I am suddenly thankful mortals have such poor hearing. “Healer Leon, how are you this evening?” I keep my voice low, only for him.

“Quite well, Lady Arra. The bazaar is always my favorite nightof the month.” He smiles briefly and it steals a little of the breath out of me. “It brings the best company.” His deep voice melts some of the fear I carry as I tempt fate with my deceptions here.

“That it does,” I whisper. The sensation of fluttering luna moths erupts in my stomach in his presence.

I pretend to look at the bottles but Leon leans across me, his outstretched arm ever so slightly sliding up against my own. His shy smile widens at my sharp intake of breath. He selects a cerulean crystal bottle and pours the pale wine into my waiting glass.

“I asked the wine master this morning. It is the driest they have available tonight,” he says, handing it to me.

We can only speak for a handful of minutes each month like this. I’ve told him so little about myself, and what I have revealed has been twisted with lies upon lies. The only truth he knows about me is my love for dry alcohol. As I take a small sip, the bitter taste of the oaked wine coats my mouth. Every month, for the first moments in his presence, I can barely focus on anything but him. I’m struck by his features; he’s handsome in a way that brings a flutter to my stomach at having all of his attention. His sharp jaw is dusted with a shadow that has not seen a blade in days. His nose is prominent and perfectly straight.

The bustling ball around me seems to fade when he looks at me, every bit of my longing reflected back at me in those emerald eyes, pulling me in.

“Thank you.” I keep my voice low. The delicious tartness of the wine draws me to drink more. He is quiet for a moment, watching the glass rise to my lips again. He clears his throat before speaking, finally looking up at me.

How can one mortal be this fucking handsome? A gray streak of hair slides from the leather strap that holds it back and falls in front of his eye. I envision my fingers gliding through his hair, roughly pulling him towards me. To sink into him with a burning kiss and peel off the layers he wears as he hastily removes my gown.

“I received your letters after I returned from my travels. I apologize for the delay in response.” I hope he can hear the sincerity in my voice.

He nods; his answering smile is charitable. “I was beginning to believe you were avoiding me.”

“No! Never!” His smile widens at how quickly the words rush out of me. “I’ve done some traveling this month, sourcing new materials. My journeys often take me away from my shop.”

“May I call upon you tonight, then, after the bazaar? Or even tomorrow? I can return to your shop. I wish to speak with you privately.” His easy grin has vanished, his eyebrows slightly together with an intensity he has never shown me before. “It is of the utmost importance.”

I should tell him that would not be possible, as nothing he needed to tell me could possibly matter to me. Outside of Beggars’ Row, Adreania holds no mortal affairs I need to trouble myself with, but looking at him, I find I cannot resist a few extra minutes with him tonight.

“I’m heading to the coast tomorrow. I hope to be back by the next bazaar, though my business there may keep me away for longer.” Disappointment fills me from having to lie to him once again. I need to give him a reason not to show up again at my empty shop in the future or ask questions why the shop sits empty all month, devoid of the family I pretend to have.

His face pulls down slightly and I do not miss how his shoulders slump just a fraction, so I quickly add, “But you may escort me when I return to my shop tonight. I will not have much time and the walk may be cold, but I’ll be glad of your company this evening.”

Relief paints his face; Small creases appear at the corners of his green eyes when his smile returns. “Thank you.”

“Of course.”

His happiness at my words fades slightly and is replaced with a slight frown. “H-how is your family?”

The false family crafted from my endless falsehoods. The one I spun when first arriving here to make my lie convincing after Grayden showed a bit too much interest in me years ago. The husband, a blacksmith, and three little ones, or was it two?

“They are fine.” What did I say their names were again?Oh, Ellova’s grave, don’t ask more questions about them.One was definitely named Arra, so that was easy.

“Are your children happy to be out of school?”

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