Donia didn't expect the knock on the door, and the person behind it even the less.
Seth. The mortal lover of Aislinn. What is he doing here?
He seemed a bit uncomfortable, and nervously bit that iron ring in his lip. Donia tried to stay polite.
"Welcome, Seth. What can I do for you?"
"Well.. Aislinn is busy with the whole court stuff, and I didn't know where to go, so I thought I might as well spend some time with.. you.", he finished with a small smile. "After all, you are one of the very few people I know here."
Donia was surprised, but decided to not show it. Instead, she let him in, and he just sat down on the sofa. He let his eyes wander around the room, and smiled. "You have quite a nice home. I like it." Her smile was more a sarcastic one.
"I guess if I was still mortal, I'd say "Thank you" now."
Seth laughed, and it was a real, genuine laugh. Not spiteful, faked or pitiful, just amused.
"Who would have thought? The untouchable Ice Queen can be funny!"
Donia frowned. "Ice Queen? What's that supposed to mean?"
Seth kept grinning. "Oh, I'm sorry. Does it offend you? I thought it's sweet and fits you. It sounds a bit friendlier than Winter Queen."
The corners of Donias mouth twitched. "I suppose so, yes. But 'sweet' is not really how I would describe myself."
A hint of interest glittered in Seth's eyes. "No? Then how would you describe yourself?"
"Serious, sarcastic and sometimes sad, I guess.. The three 's' words." She grinned slightly.
"Oh, you forgot one 's' word." Seth replied with a huge grin.
"I did? And what would that be?"
"Sexy.", he shot back.
For a moment, Donia just stared at him disbelieving. Then, she did something she hadn't done for years: She laughed. She laughed so loud and so hard, that Seth just had to laugh with her. After a few minutes, Donia had to wipe tears of laughter from her eyes. "I.. I can't believe you just said that!"
Seth merely shrugged his shoulders. "Why? I'm just being honest."
A warm feeling rose in Donias chest. She looked at Seth rather sympathetically.
"Even though.. I have to correct myself. Sexy.. yes, you are, in a way"-he grinned at her- "but more than that, you are beautiful."
Donias eyes widened in surprise. "Do you really think that?", she whispered.
"Do I look like I am lying?", he questioned back.
Donia looked down at her hands. "No man has ever said I'm beautiful.. except Keenan, back when we met. But that was the only time. When I.. when I changed, he didn't say that anymore." She looked really vulnerable and hurt.
Seths gaze was warm. "I thought you were beautiful from the first moment we met. And you looked quite different, I remember."
When Donia looked into his eyes again, she smiled, and looked even more beautiful than before.