Chapter 12
Evie's POV
Beautiful feminine hands, with long fingers, brush non-existent fluff from the skirt of her pale green gown.
A solitary silver ring with little stones of different colours sat on the middle finger of her left hand. Her right hand moved to twist it absently off. On. Off. On.
She had done this many times since it was gifted to her from her Grandma. "to represent the different parts of you that make you so special. That you are loved."
Evie was nervous. Nervous beyond any other time in her life.
A King. She was to dine with a fucking King!
She dropped the ring and reach up for the crystal heart pendant hanging around her neck.
Why hadn't Legolas told her? He literally pulled her into his world blind.
Evie's gown was a made of a plain soft fabric, an elven mixture of chiffon and silk that she would never have found back home.
They style had a modest V neckline, long fitted sleeves, pulled in waist, an A line skirt to the floor, complete with a short train that flowed behind her.
Petite golden slipped peaked out from the bottom of the skirt.
Half of her curly, red hair had been braided and twisted up to the top of her head, with tendrils flying around her face and the rest hung wild down her back.
Taking a deep breath, she stood up to her full height and squared her shoulders.
I got this, she thought.
She reached down to take a handful of the skirt that was made for a much taller being than herself and walked to open the door of her suite.
Stepping out she saw a guard standing at the ready.
She was about to ask where to go, when a gorgeous male elf with dark hair silently emerged from around a corner.
Twin braids sat at each temple and behind his pointed ears.
Warm grey eyes raked over her form and gave her a soft smirk.
"Lady Evangeline, at last I meet the mortal beauty that saved our beloved Prince."
A male hand gently took her own and raised it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles.
Legolas must not have told anyone about her origins.
Tugging her hand back, she frowned slightly, unwilling to correct this unknown elf.
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, my lord."
"quite so." Surprised lined those inquisitive grey eyes. "We are grateful to you, nevertheless for your brave actions. I am glad to see you recovered."
"thank you. the King has been most…kind"
He gave her a knowing look, as if she had wanted to use a different word to describe the intimidating elf.
"I am Galion, My Lady, an adviser to our King."
"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Galion."
"I believe you are to dine with his Majesty, shall I escort you?"
Her brows shot up at the offer, certain that he had been sent to fetch her.
Keeping her emotions in check, she held her tongue and placed her hand on the arm that was offered.
"lead the way, My Lord."
Galion led the beautiful woman down the corridor, enjoying her awed expression as they proceed through the great halls.
And few turns in the labyrinth, left, right, left and they came to a large closed wooden double door with no noteworthy adornments. Two guards, clad in deep green and brown complete with several knives strapped to their bodies, were posted either side.
The male elf on her right unlinked her hand as he turn to face her, but did not let go of her hand.
"this is where I leave you, My Lady. I hope to see you again."
He lingered slightly over her hand as he kissed it again, before letting go and strolling back the way they came.
Evie glanced at the guards briefly and focussed her attention on the door in front of her.
Without instruction, the guards moved simultaneously to open the doors for her.
'Best not to keep him waiting." Was whispered from the guard to her left.
Realising she had not moved an inch; she gave the guard a grateful smile before moving forward cautiously. The doors snicked shut behind her softly.
The room appeared to be the King's personal study. Large bookcases, filled with books of various sizes and odd ornaments, stood floor to ceiling.
A large wood desk, perfectly tidy, sat imposingly before her, complete with a deep blue velvet chair, made for a tall being.
The king's chair, she thought.
She noticed that no chairs were on the other side of the desk.
He must make them stand before him, she surmised, a constant reminder of who they were speaking to.
"You're late."
Evie snapped her gaze to the tall, breathtaking elf standing in front of the fireplace to her left.
"my apologies…your majesty."
Evie sank into a deep curtsey, that felt awkward to her, trying not to fall.
Rising, she thought she glimpsed a spark of surprise in the blue eyes, but it was gone the next time she blinked, replaced by cold indifference.
"please, join me, lady Evangeline." He waved his right hand to the table set for two.
She made her legs walk forward and sat in the chair nearest to her, her back straight.
The King's gaze had flickered to the hand holding the skirt up off the floor, lips pressed in disapproval.
"wine?" he asked, while reaching to pour a glass of dark burgundy liquid into a glass.
"please."
He lifted the glass to pass into her waiting, a sliver of his pinky finger brushed her hand.
A lick of warmth under the skin where contact was made for moment, before the King snapped his hand back as though burned.
Evie, too, had felt the warmth and looked at her own hand in shock.
Shaking it off, she watched as the King took his own seat across from her.
"thank you."
"I'm sorry?"
She took a deep breath and began.
"thank you for caring for me. I know you don't like mortals and I imagine the hurt you felt when you saw your son with me."
His blue eyes flickered with amusement and surprise, but they did not warm.
"I do not like mortals, as you say, but not for the reasons you think."
He waved a dismissive hand and carried on before she had a chance to speak. Evie began to eat the food on her plate.
"I care not for your gratitude. Your presence is a temporary conundrum that I intended to get to the bottom of. Now, tell me why my son calls you 'naneth."
Her anger at being spoken to like a small misbehaving child licked to the surface, but she contained it. He was a King. She had to keep this civil for Legolas' sake.
"Legolas hasn't told you what happened?"
"My son, a very strong tone of possession laced these words, has been silent on the subject as yet. You will tell me the events that occurred and you will not lie to me"
The implied threat was clear. Inwardly, she was seething, but managed to keep her tone calm.
"As you wish."
"My King."
"what?"
"You will address me properly."
A small hand fisted in the material of her skirt.
"your son appeared in the backyard of my home chased by orcs about 12 months ago."
The king didn't show any sign of shock.
"that is not possible, he was gone barely half an hour."
She took a sip of her wine, crossed her arms over her chest and continued as if he hadn't said anything.
"He came through a portal, but by the time I killed the orcs and coaxed him out of hiding, the portal was gone."
The king drank from his wine glass, suspicion in his eyes, but did not interrupt again.
"Portals are cyclic, so I knew that it would be a while before he could go back home. So I opened my home to him. We spent a lot of time together, got to know each very well. I prepared him well for the journey back to you, gave him a little push to the portal when it opened, but he pulled me through it and we landed exactly where he had left before. I killed the orc we came across, but it nicked me when I tackled it. You know the rest because you were there."
Evie thought her summary of events was very tidy. Over the rim of her glass, she could see the King wasn't pleased with her answer.
"you haven't answered my question."
She knew what he eluding to.
"I tried not to form an attachment, because I knew he had to come back. But I couldn't control it."
"you will instruct him to stop calling you naneth."
Anger spured to life again.
"I will do no such thing."
"you are not his Naneth. Calling a mortal such is an insult to her memory."
"I am not trying to replace her."
"then the sooner you leave, the better."
"Well you better learn to like my presence as I am not going to abandon him."
Fury stirred from both sides of the table.
"What right do you have, mortal, to demand that?!"
"the right of a caregiver who loves him!"
"He is not yours to love."
Evie narrowed her eyes at the infuriating elf. King be damned.
"My heart will not be dictated by you. He deserves the right to be loved."
"he is a Prince beloved by his people, he doesn't need you."
"it isn't the love of his subjects that he was denied."
"careful what you insinuate mortal!"
Blue eyes flashed in extreme anger.
Evie rose to her feet, both hand flat on the table in front of her.
"it is the truth. You would know this if you took the time to listen to your son."
In a flurry she unknowingly knocked her wine glass onto the wooden floor, and raced to the study doors, stopping only when a warm, undeniably male presence behind her raised a hand onto the door next to her head, stopping the door from opening and consequently caging her in.
"you do not walk away when your King is speaking to you."
Lifting her head and locking her burning green eyes with the livid blue eyes over her shoulder, she placed her hand on the doorhandle.
"I am not mortal and you are not my king!"
Quick as a flash, she had the door open just enough to slip through and bolt down the corridor back to her room.
If she looked back over her shoulder, she would have seen the King's face slip it's usual mask, completely stunned.
Holding her hand to her chest, back flat against the closed door of her suite, she tried to take deep breaths to calm her pounding heart.
She was angry that the King dismissed her love for the little elf like it was nothing.
She was terrified with the knowledge that she had enjoyed having his body so near hers, that she could smell his male pine and earthy scent.
After a new moments, Evie walked deeper in the sitting room and through the doorway into the bedroom, noticing the fire that was not there when she left for dinner, flickering away.
She paused when she looked to the invitingly remade bed and saw the small platinum head resting on one of the pillows.
Her anger instantly melted.
Stripping out of the gown, pulling out the pins in her hair and discarding her shoes, she pulled back the covers and moved to cuddle the small elf to her, clad only in the white silk shift.
Feeling content, she closed her eyes and let her mind drift into sleep.