For the next few weeks, life settled into a predictable and almost idyllic routine. Rowan spent most of her days studying in the library or practicing combat magic with Teague. She knew that Aidan would’ve liked to teach her himself, but he had many other demands on his time.
The bard might not be on the same level with a lord of the fae, but he could certainly teach her the basics. Every day, either Fenella or Aidan himself took her to see Polaris. The faux-unicorn would now readily come over to receive affection and treats, but was still far too skittish to even put a bridle on, let alone be ridden.
As far as the prince went, sleeping next to him became less nerve-wracking as time went on, and she actually came to look forward to the time they spent lying together, talking about the events of the day. Rowan valued his thoughtful opinions and his sly sense of humour, but she enjoyed the feeling of being in his arms just as much.
But things had not progressed further than kissing. It was strange how she now awaited with growing impatience a prospect that once terrified her. She had been meaning to ask Fenella’s opinion on the subject, since she felt she could trust her handmaiden to be discreet, but the past few days had been so busy they hadn’t had much time to speak alone.
Still, in every other way, Rowan was almost deliriously happy. Sometimes, she felt guilty when she chanced to remember her father lying lifeless back in London, but Aidan had assured her that, despite appearances, he really was well-cared for.
It was just that she had so much more freedom here. She could study whatever she wanted, wear what she chose, and speak to whoever interested her. Her only real limitations were for her own safety, and that was swiftly becoming less and less of an issue. With Teague’s help, she was developing well as a magical combatant, something which would never have been allowed back at Oxford.
On one particular afternoon, they were engaged in a practice duel, with Fenella on standby to heal any accidental serious injuries. Rowan sent a stream of water against Teague, which he didn’t even bother to shield.
“Come on, girl, that didn’t even wet my underfur,” the fox-like bard taunted across the courtyard, returning a fiery blast that singed her shield. She only smiled and cast another spell. This one affected the whole field of battle, dropping the temperature so quickly that the puddles on the ground turned to ice.
Before Teague could react, she was casting again, this time a jagged line of lightning. It apparently hurt, because he yelped, slipped on the ice and fell right on his rear.
The sound of laughter startled both combatants, and they found Prince Aidan standing in the main archway, nearly beside himself with mirth. “Of course, you would arrive just in time to see me knocked on my ass,” Teague grumbled, though he accepted Rowan’s hand up with a nod of appreciation.
“Perhaps you should restrain yourself from teasing your opponents,” Aidan said, still thoroughly amused as he approached their group. He slid his arm around Rowan’s waist, and she found herself leaning into him. She enjoyed his casual affection more than she would’ve liked to admit.
“You’re back early today,” she said, smiling up at him. He pressed an unprovoked kiss to her forehead, and she could have sworn she saw Fenella grinning like a madwoman from the corner of her eye.
“Yes. I’ve finally finished alliance negotiations with the Court of Waves. They’d like for us to come for a visit.”
“The Court of Waves?” Rowan said, remembering what she’d studied. “Isn’t their realm completely underwater?” Magic notwithstanding, she thought she might get tired of swimming everywhere.
Aidan laughed again. She liked to hear him laugh, and he did much more of it these days; she didn’t mind if it was sometimes at her expense. “It is mostly underwater, you are correct, but the palace is on an island. I promise you’ll be quite comfortable there, even without magic,” he said, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “If you wish to accompany me, of course. You are not required to attend.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m coming with you,” she said a little fiercely, and this time, everyone laughed.
“All right then, we’ll start making the preparations.”
****************
“It sounds to me like he's waiting for you to make the first move,” Fenella said, her voice slightly muffled, as it was coming from the interior of the closet.
Rowan bit her lip and frowned as she picked up her teacup and found it empty. Again. Her frustration was obviously driving her slightly mad. “Really? I… I’m not sure that I can. I mean, I’ve never…”
“I’m not suggesting you do anything particularly scandalous. From what you've told me, it sounds like he's holding back because he doesn't want to pressure you into something you aren’t ready for,” the handmaiden said as she emerged from the closet with an armful of clothes.
“Despite what you might expect, I don't think the prince has that much experience with women. So, maybe if you were to take the lead, by say, kissing him first, maybe he’ll realize that you're just as interested as he is.”
Fenella started laying the clothes out on the bed while Rowan mulled over this suggestion. It was true that she’d never really initiated any of their romantic encounters, though she did think she'd returned his affections with plenty of enthusiasm lately. A kiss…that wasn't so difficult. “Maybe you're right,” she said, pushing herself away from the table so she could commence with getting ready.
Today was the day they were headed to the Court of Waves. Though she was a bit anxious about the idea of trying to fit into a new Court, she was also a little excited to see something different. Though she loved Serenalis and the estate, she was aware that the Otherworld was a vast place, and what she had seen so far was the proverbial tip of the iceberg. With an eager smile, she looked down at her outfit, but found herself frozen in shock.
She’d become used to the insubstantial dresses and positively scandalous gowns that were commonplace in the Court of Heavens, but this was something completely different. There were dark leather pants that reminded her of the breeches she’d worn for the hunt in Niall’s domain, but they only reached to mid-calf.
The blouse could hardly be called such, as it mainly consisted of a band of linen that wrapped around her breasts and long sleeves of diaphanous material meant to make her look as if she had iridescent wings instead of arms. “Are you sure this is what I should wear to meet the Lord and Lady of another Court?”
Fenella grinned. “Don’t forget, the Court of Waves only has a Lady. Aine rules her people ably and goes through consorts the way most of us go through fashion trends. And that outfit is the pinnacle of fashion in Court right now. Besides all that, you can hardly wear an evening gown flying.”
Rowan stopped halfway through putting on her breeches to stare at her friend in confusion. “Flying?”
“Didn’t Aidan tell you?” The handmaiden’s brow furrowed slightly, but relaxed into a smile almost immediately. “He probably wanted it to be a surprise.”
That was a good way to describe her feelings when, once dressed, she went out to the courtyard to find a familiar dragon lazily sunning his wings. His lupine head turned in her direction, indigo scales shimmering in the sunlight, and she could feel his attention on her like a wave of pressure. She had known that Aidan was holding back his power for the sake of her comfort, but she hadn’t truly understood before that moment.
However, unlike her previous experiences with the true power of a lord of the fae, this was not entirely unpleasant. He could crush her with a thought, but she knew that he would not, and for some reason that made her feel powerful. He moved toward her with a predator’s deliberation, tucking his wings in behind him and circling her slowly.
She could feel his breath on her skin, and she reached out her hand to run her fingers over his smooth scales. They were almost hot to the touch. His eyes closed, and she could feel a rumble of pleasure through her fingertips.
“You aren’t afraid?” His voice resounding in her mind was still gentle despite its power, like a caress against her thoughts.
“Not of you,” she assured him. “I’m not terribly keen on the idea of flying though.” She felt his chuckle more than heard it as he coiled possessively around her.
“I won’t let you fall,” he purred into her, and she felt like she might melt from his voice alone.
“If you two don’t quit your shameless public courting, you’re going to be late,” Teague said, not without humour. Aidan huffed audibly and unwrapped himself from around her with obvious reluctance.
“I suppose he is right,” he said, lowering his head to ground. “Climb onto my neck.” She was momentarily puzzled on how to accomplish this, since, even lying down, the furred fringe of his dorsal ridge was nearly at chest height. But he didn’t complain when she grasped one of the slender horns crowning his skull and pulled herself astride. “Now, hold on.”
“To what, exactly?” she asked, finding it difficult to keep the fear out of her voice as she felt him moving beneath her.
“Just squeeze with your knees and wrap your arms around my neck,” he said, obviously amused. “You aren’t going to hurt me.” Rowan was sceptical of his reassurances, but when he started to scale the wall, she grabbed on like she would choke the life out of him.
“What are you doing? Why can’t we just go out the front door?” she shrieked, her eyes squeezed tightly shut.
“I could take off directly from the ground, but there’s a chance you could be dislodged in the process. A fall from height will be much more effective for attaining the proper amount of speed.”
“A fall from height?” she repeated, incredulous and terrified all at once. “Can’t you just use magic?”
“Waste not, want not, as you mortals say,” he said as he perched at the top of the guard tower. She could feel the cold wind in her face and hear the sound of his wings unfurling behind her.
“Don’t you trust me?” That was enough to make her panicked thoughts still. Did she trust him? She opened her eyes and saw him looking back at her, one dark eye fixed on her face, warm and steady.
“Yes, I trust you.” Just saying the words diminished her fear to a more bearable level. He had promised he wouldn't let her fall.
“Don’t let go,” he said, and they leaped into the sky.