Page 54 of Bound to the Elvin Prince

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“Ladies, your assignments, please,” Henril said briskly, sweeping into the library where he conducted their language and history lessons. The history ones were a new addition, as she and Maggie had gleaned just enough Elvish to be able to comprehend lessons originally created for young children. Cal would guess they were at a second-grade level. Not too shabby for only being in Eria for a total of sixteen weeks. Maybe she was being too generous, though? Maybe they were operating at a first-grade class? Nothing like being sent back to elementary school. She suppressed a smile, not wanting Henril to think she was smirking at him.

She shuddered and reached for her homework. No, that wouldn’t be good at all. He was a very stern male, not mean, but very aware of the authority he’d been given over them. She suspected he saw them as a challenge at which he wasn’t going to fail.

As he glided by their table, he swiped the parchments from their hands without a glance. His dove-gray robes billowed away from him most impressively. She and Maggie watched him as he sat down at the desk that had been placed in front of the table. He folded his hands and stared at them, not uttering a word. She hated it when he did that! He knew it unnerved them, which probably was why he did it.

He finally bent his head over a pile of books, silver hair falling over his shoulders. At least he was pretty to look at, not that she’d ever dare to mumble such a thing in his presence.

After picking two books out of the stack and tapping them twice, he smiled benignly. Cal shifted uneasily and heard Maggie do the same. They knew that look, damn it.

With a flick of his hand, he sent the books soaring toward them. Cal prepared to duck, but the book landed softly on the desk before her. The other one parked itself in front of Maggie.

“Read the first chapter of the book given to you,” he said, slowly enunciating each word for their understanding. “Then switch books, and read the first chapter in the second book. Am I clear?”

Both she and Maggie said, “Yes,” and dug into their books.

Hers was a history geared toward children and spoke about the founding of Eria. Their recorded history went back ten thousand years. Cal felt her mouth drop open. Holy crap. It made her wonder, not for the first time, just how old Relian and Talion were.

Reading was slow-going, but she felt she was getting a little faster every day. Interesting. There had been a lot of wars in Eria until the monarchy had been set up. Relief hit her when she saw that the first king had not been Talion. At least he wasn’t ten thousand years old. Then her relief died a swift, violent death. No, but he was the grandson of one.

Cal stifled a groan. So Talion was old, like really old. That meant Relian probably was, too. And not just a few-hundred-years-old old but truly ancient. Well, when she touched him, he certainly didn’t feel decrepit to her. No, he was stolid, muscular, and oh-so yummy to kiss and caress.

She sighed dreamily. What she wouldn’t give to be with—

Henril’s voice brought her back to earth—er, Eria—with a hard bump. “Lady Calantha, are you done daydreaming, or should I put your lesson on hold until you’re done? I’m sure your thoughts of the prince can wait.”

Warmth flowed to her cheeks. Was he a fricking mind reader?

Apparently, she’d said that out loud because he smirked, “No, just observant.”

Cal did groan this time and sunk down at least an inch into her chair. Maggie snickered. Cal wanted to elbow her in the side but refrained. God, how embarrassing.

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