Page 43 of Ryld's Shadows
“He’s quite well, my lady.” Kai’s own smile was fond, a more gentle one than he often showed. “Busy, of course. His department is forever short-staffed and forever overrun, but he loves the work.”
Clematis returned with a large canopy and poles and began to set them up to provide some protection from the afternoon sun. There was a hand crank involved and little buttons than clicked into place and the canopy itself was designed to flow down more poles set overhead. This meant they didn’t even have to move while she set the shade up, and Ryld was far more interested in how it was put together than in the conversation.
Lady Jessamine and Kai were discussing travel by train, and Ryld slid out of his seat to go examine how the long poles set in the ground and connected in the center.
One of the dainty carved wooden teacups nearly disappearing in his hand, Hank watched him with a little smile. He still had said nothing, and Ryld wondered about that. Maybe the aelfe queen made him shy.
Looking at Hank’s smile made a little wash of warmth spread through his middle. Lady Jessamine seemed nice enough, she certainly liked nice things around her, but she was also…boring. He’d rather be talking to Hank. Hank was never boring. Hank never talked to him like he was a child either.
He turned back to Kai and Lady Jessamine as she was telling him about how special some of the roses in the garden were. “Is the one who thinks he can teach me going to join us?”
“Not this evening, my dear.” Lady Jessamine turned to him, her wide sleeves swaying. “You’ll meet them in the morning. Twins. Very unusual and even more so that they crossed over together.”
“They are aelfe?”
“They are, yes.” Lady Jessamine turned to Kai with a silvery laugh. “Kai, did you not say so?”
“I believe I mentioned it. Ryld does well to confirm.”
“How do the aelfe know how to control drow magic?”
She hesitated, though she did look like she would answer, but a servant hurried in, interrupting them. He knelt by Lady Jessamine’s chair and offered a scroll, which she unrolled. Her smile vanished. With a look of distaste, she turned back to Kai. “She wants to see you.”
Ryld had no idea what that meant, but Kai nodded and put down his teacup. “Ah. That was perhaps sooner than I anticipated.”
“Will you go to her?” Lady Jessamine asked with a breathless hiss.
Kai nodded. “It would be more than rude not to. I’m not here to cause a diplomatic incident. I’ll go see her this evening.”
“Who?” Ryld finally blurted out.
“The drow queen. Ksatha.” Kai rose, brushing cake crumbs from his trousers. “She has heard of my arrival, and while I owe no allegiance, it would be improper to ignore her.”
On a logical level, Ryld knew that there were other drow living in Elvenhome. Until that moment, he hadn’t put together that he might actually have to see them, interact with them. Most importantly he hadn’t thought he might be required to meet the drow queen and be expected to act polite and sane in her presence. He couldn’t do it. The thought that he might be expected to had him frozen and all the shadows under the canopy, in the bushes and leaves were suddenly dancing erratically around him.
Hank put his cup down as well. “Ryld, breathe. Kai didn’t say you had to go.”
Ryld closed his eyes and drew a breath. In through his nose, exhale through his mouth. He was still shaking, but was less afraid with Hank’s words reassuring him, and after a moment he opened his eyes again.
Lady Jessamine was watching him carefully, though he couldn’t read her expression. A fleeting moment and her attention flicked to Kai again. “I’ll lend you a horse and a guide. You do ride, Kai? I shouldn’t assume, I suppose.”
“I haven’t in years. But one doesn’t forget such things. Thank you, my lady.” Kai stopped by Ryld to murmur, “The Elvenhome drow will not come here to this bright court. You’re safe. Stay with Hank. I won’t be long.”
“But are you safe, Kai Hiltas?” Ryld asked, his voice trembling.
“I have no reason to doubt my safety. They would avoid diplomatic incidents as well.” Kai offered a hint of sharp teeth in his smile. “But I am slippery. They will not hold me if it comes to that.”
Ryld nodded, shivering, some of the brightness leached from the day.
