Page 58 of Elf Prince

He was thankful that she did not seem bothered by the fact that his mind had wandered down darker trails even though they were supposed to be enjoying a romantic evening.

But he was not very good at anything that could be termed “romantic.” Before Essie, he had never had a reason to attempt it.

He cleared his throat and gestured at the dancing fireflies down below. “This is pretty.”

Essie gave a soft laugh and looked down at the lake reflecting the glittering fireflies. “It is.”

For the first year ever, Farrendel almost wished his family was not here at Lethorel with him. With the darkness descending around them, Farrendel could almost pretend that he and Essie were alone here at Lethorel, enjoying the wedding trip that they had never bothered to have.

Even with his family here, he was determined to make the most of this time at Lethorel.

He and Essie sat in the growing dark for a while longer before Essie heaved a sigh. “I suppose we should head for bed. Breakfast will be far too early in the morning.”

At a normal time in the morning, at least for Farrendel. But Essie preferred to sleep later into the morning.

He stood, pulling Essie up with him. She opened the door to the cottage and stepped inside first, though she did not release his hand. Not yet.

Inside their darkened sitting room, Farrendel halted. This was it. It was a romantic night. He should kiss her.

Essie faced him, standing only inches away. When he eased closer, she did not step away. Instead, she tipped her face toward his, as if she was hoping he would kiss her.

His breath caught, and his muscles locked. He could not seem to make himself move those last few inches.

It was not as if he did notwantto kiss her. He did. Very much.

But that was the problem. He wanted to kiss her. But he wanted to do it right.

He had never kissed anyone before. What if he did it wrong? Would he even know if he were doing it wrong? He did not want to mess this up. Not with Essie. She meant too much to him.

Essie’s mouth quirked with something that seemed torn between amusement and disappointment. She swayed, as if she intended to pull back.

He had been frozen too long, letting his worries take over again.

With a deep breath, he leaned forward. At the last moment, he took the coward’s way out and kissed her forehead. “Goodnight.”

And then…he fled.

* * *

Farrendel attempted to read a book,but he was too distracted. A little farther along the shoreline, Essie and Brina relaxed on the moss, chatting, their hair still wet after swimming. From this distance, Farrendel could not hear what they were saying. But the bright looks on both of their faces eased something inside him. It was good to see someone in his family interacting with Essie.

Farther along the way, Rheva and Jalissa talked quietly, also enjoying the warmth and sunlight.

Footsteps scuffed the gravel a moment before Weylind dropped to the ground next to Farrendel. When Farrendel glanced at Weylind, the tense, strained lines around Weylind’s mouth seemed out of place for the relaxation they had enjoyed the past few days.

Farrendel straightened, his chest tightening. “What is wrong?”

This was it. He was going to get called away. Instead of three weeks at Lethorel, he had only gotten three days.

Weylind glanced at the others and, when he spoke, he kept his voice low. “There was another raid at the border. But this time, the trolls did not retreat. They disappeared deeper into the forest, and the border patrols have yet to locate them.”

“How many?” This was worse than Farrendel had feared. A large group of trolls could wreak havoc on innocent towns and villages. It was bad enough when warriors died in the fighting. But when innocents died in their homes, that hit even harder.

“The scouts estimate about a hundred.” Weylind’s tone remained flat and hard. Though, when Rheva glanced in their direction, he smiled and nodded as if nothing was wrong.

“When do I leave?” Farrendel stared at the lake in front of him. Everything in him was already growing cold, knowing he was headed back to war.

“You are not leaving. Not yet.” Weylind’s shoulders lifted in a small shrug. “The scouts and patrols are still trying to locate the trolls. I have ordered reinforcements to guard the towns in the area where the troll warriors were last seen. Until we have more information, there is nothing either of us can do.”

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