Chapter 32

Eliena was sitting in the courtyard, reading about lady knights before her mother, when a servant came running in.

"Your highness, Squire Leonard is back. So are Mistress Daine and Master Numair, and Lord Raoul." Eliena slammed her book shut. It had been, what, a month?

"Thank you. Where is he?" Eliena asked, managing to stay calm.

"In the foyer, your highness," the servant replied with a bow. Eliena nodded and went to the foyer. She stopped just before getting there to check herself in a mirror: black curls pulled into a low horsetail, spotless white shirt that gave just a hint of her figure, stain-free tan breeches, and knee-high black leather boots. She smiled. She couldn't look better.

Striding into the foyer, Eliena saw Daine and Numair talking by the door. Eliena waved. "Daine! Numair!" Not only did Daine and Numair turn, but so did Raoul—who was talking to the king and queen—and Leo. Eliena brushed past Leo, who caught a whiff of Eliena's signature scent—lavender. He forced himself to remember that he and Eliena weren't on speaking terms as Eliena embraced Daine and Numair. "Welcome home!"

"Thanks," Daine said. "We've missed you." Numair smiled.

"How you manage to keep those clothes so clean around horses always baffles me, Eli," Numair told her. Eliena laughed.

"Someday I'll show you the secret," Eliena replied, glancing around. "But when we're alone," she stage whispered. Daine and Numair laughed.

"Thanks for the welcome, Eli," Raoul remarked. Eliena smiled at him.

"Sorry." She ran into his arms. Raoul easily lifted her and spun her around. "Raoul! You're home!" Raoul chuckled.

"I should go find Thayet before she comes after me," Raoul commented. He kissed Eliena's forehead. "Thanks. See you all later." He left with a wave.

"Say hello to Leo," Jonathan whispered, nudging Eliena. She rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Welcome home, Squire Leonard. Its good to see you again," she told him. Leo bowed.

"Thank you, your highness," he replied. Their eyes met, Eliena's fiery, Leo's blank. Is he still mad at me? Eliena wondered. Because I can't stand him right now!

"How are things up north?" Jonathan asked.

"Raoul and I both have reports for you," Numair replied. Daine elbowed him. "Ow! I'm sorry, and so does Daine."

"Good. I want to hear them," Jonathan acknowledged. He turned his blue eyes on Eliena. "You'll sit in too."

"I will?" she asked. "I'm allowed?"

"Yes," Alanna replied. She smiled at Leo. "Welcome back, Leo. Your parents are here, you know." Leo nodded.

"Yes," he said. "Am I to call you Aunt Alanna or your majesty?"

"Same as always," Alanna responded. "You know the rules. Just because you and Eli don't get along doesn't mean we can't."

"Mother," Eliena scolded. She turned to Daine. "Come with me." As they walked out, Eliena called back over her shoulder, "Numair, Uncle Thom wants to talk with you. Squire Leonard, Neal asked to see you." She took Daine to her rooms, where she guarded the room and spilled the details about how Neal had been sharing her bed every night.

"You move on fast, don't you, El?" Daine commented. Eliena frowned.

"What does that mean?" Eliena wanted to know.

"Nothing," Daine replied with a shrug. "Only that you were quick to recover from Leo. I thought you loved him."

Eliena waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, piffle. Leo was merely puppy love."

"And you think Neal is the real thing?" Daine asked, skeptically raising her eyebrow.

"Who said anything about Neal?" Eliena retorted. "Maybe there's someone else."

"Mm hm, right," Daine said. "That's exactly why you've slept with Neal every night. There's someone else." She rolled her blue-gray eyes.

"When did you start taking Neal lessons?" Eliena questioned. Daine grinned.

"Spending a lot of time around you and Neal does this to a person," she answered. Eliena laughed.

"Maybe it does," she remarked. Eliena fell back with a sigh. "You know, I really miss the days when I just flitted from man to man without a care in the world."

"No you don't," Daine told her. "You just miss how easy life was. We grew up, Eli. Or, at least, I grew up."

"Maybe you're right," Eliena mused. "Maybe I haven't really grown up."

"I was kidding," Daine said bluntly. Eliena lifted her head to look at her friend with violet eyes.

"You may've been kidding, but you're right. I was sure I'd grown up when Leo proposed, but… maybe we weren't ready for it. We are only seventeen." Eliena sighed. "You're lucky—you've got Numair. He can be grown up for you."

"You think it's easy with him?" Daine said. "Sometimes I think that he looks at me and thinks how young I am. He's thirty, Eli. And I'm only seventeen. I'm a child to him." Eliena sat up and took her friend's hands.

"You are not a child to him," Eliena assured her. "Have you seen the way he looks at you? He looks at you the same way father looks at mother, or Thayet and Raoul look at each other. Maybe you need to talk to Numair. Chances are, he feels like you see him as an old man."

"Listen to you!" Daine exclaimed. "You're giving me love advice!" Eliena grinned.

"Maybe I'm not the best person to listen to," she agreed.

"Getting back to what you were saying about Leo—you said that 'maybe you weren't ready for it.' Does that mean you'd give him another shot?" Daine inquired. Eliena shrugged.

"Maybe. I think I need to grow up more first, though. And it's too soon to make a decision." She sighed again. "Maybe I needed to sleep with Neal that time. It really woke me up to just how young I am." She stared out the window distractedly.

"Eliena. Numair talks about how mature you are. So do Raoul, Thayet, Buri… all of them. Everyone is amazed at how well you handle yourself. You are not young in the way you're suggesting," Daine said. "You're just Eliena."

"I don't know, Daine." She put her head in her hands. "Maybe I should've just married Kaddar."

Author's Note- I didn't like this chapter. For some reason… I don't know. Whatever. REVIEW.