Aislin of Arianrhod (Land of Alainnshire) (14 page)

Colven turned to Tristan. “Do you think this is true?”

Tristan shook his head in affirmation. “Jariath is violent and cruel, and more than a little unstable. He’s not afraid to use brute force to get what he wants. His invasion of Arianrhod is a direct result of his inability to convince Princess Aislin to marry him.”

Aislin narrowed her eyes and hissed in outrage. “How dare you!” He had no right to know such personal things about her!

Tristan turned those unsettling green eyes to her and said, “I dare because I have spies in every kingdom surrounding Blackthorne.”

“He wants the land—nothing more,” she insisted hotly.

“That’s not what I have been told.”

“You have got to be the most arrogant, insufferable...”

Colven raised his hands in the air to settle them. “Calm down, both of you! I’ve had a nice lunch prepared for us, and we will not wage war before sharing a meal. Come. Take a seat at the table. I will pour us more wine.”

They sat down to a lovely lunch of sliced fruit, baked game hens and wine. Aislin ate in frustrated silence, her eyes averted from the two elves as they talked.

She was starting to feel like she’d fallen into some sort of bizarre alternate reality. Maybe, just maybe, she’d been sucked into some strange mystical vortex and needed to get good and drunk to find her way out. The elven wine was exceptionally good, so that wasn’t going to be a problem. She poured herself one glass after another.

Lifting her head, she caught Tristan’s gaze. For some reason, he looked concerned. Colven looked...interested?

Is he
laughing
at me?

She sat the goblet down on the table.
Nothing
about this situation was funny. The wine filled her with courage and she was going to let them have it, diplomacy be damned. Before she could speak, her line of vision melted to the right. The room began to spin in a most nauseating way, and the low buzz in her ears became a high-pitched whine.

Surely, this mystical vortex would spit her back out into her own bed at the manor house. Jariath would be gone, and she would be free of the pesky elves. She would tell Roderic about the nightmare she’d just had, and the two of them would have a good laugh.

Take that, you human-murdering elves!
Aislin was sure she’d said it out loud. She looked at the two sitting across from her, but they seemed unaware that anything was amiss. The whine grew more intense, and she moved forward in her chair, eager to see the look on their faces as she disappeared. She took several deep breaths, and oblivion claimed her.

They were both startled by the solid
thump
as Aislin pitched forward onto the table.

Tristan looked over at the woman slumped forward in her chair, her head resting directly on top of the half-eaten game hen, her dusky pink lips slightly parted in a way that was most tempting. He looked back at Colven with a hint of a smile and said, “You did that on purpose.”

“Oh dear. I must admit I have always wondered how a human would react to our wine. Not very well at all, it turns out.”

Tristan shook his head and laughed. “She’s going to be furious when she wakes up.”

“And probably very ill.” Colven shrugged. “I did not force her to drink it.” He smiled at the unconscious woman. “I can see why you’re smitten with her. She’s quite intelligent, and very engaging, for a human.”

“I’m
not
smitten with her,” Tristan sputtered.

“Nevertheless, she is charming, but she and her courier present quite a problem for us. If what she says is true, we may be in danger whether we let them leave or not.”

Tristan nodded. “Jariath’s first order of business will be to secure the borders, and I would imagine he’s anxiously searching for the princess. Despite her protests to the contrary, I happen to know he’s been trying to win her for years. Once things settle down, he may probe further. I don’t think we’ll remain hidden for long if he stays at our border. Her reaction to my...
appearance
was very telling. She had no idea we existed. We’re the last race of elves to inhabit these lands, and we’ve stayed hidden for many years. It’s possible that we have become just a story—a legend—to humans.”

Colven stroked his beard thoughtfully. “I’ve always feared that something like this would happen to us.”

“What do you mean?”

“We stay apart from the world of humans, in fear of the past, but it wasn’t very likely, nor very realistic, that we would remain hidden forever. Even now, we see more and more humans traveling through Blackthorne. I can see it is only a matter of time before the trickle becomes a flood. We can’t kill them all. We will have no choice but to reveal ourselves.”

Tristan’s chest tightened. “What are you saying?”

“I think we should let them continue on their way. We could give them horses to speed their travel. By showing benevolence to them, we may be able to ally with Wyndham, place ourselves under their protection, and avoid further bloodshed.”

“You can’t be serious!
Trust
humans? Put ourselves under their protection? Have you gone mad?” Tristan was on his feet. “We will not accept protection from humans. We’re perfectly capable of defending ourselves!”

“There aren’t very many of us anymore, as you know, Tristan. Our people fight well, but our numbers are so low it doesn’t matter much. Though it grieves me deeply, the time is coming when we’ll have to make a decision about such things.”

Tristan stared at Colven. It bothered him to know that Colven was right. He’d known for some time that life had changed, and he hadn’t wanted to face the truth. There
were
more humans traveling through Blackthorne. Indeed, they could
not
kill them all.

It was his duty to see and react to change, but he’d been content to continue doing things the way they’d always been done. Fear of the past had kept him blind.

Colven had thought it through, had evidently been thinking about it for some time. Every fiber of Tristan’s being rejected allying with humans for
anything
, but what Colven said made sense. It was his duty as chieftain to be proactive in protecting the Sylvan, rather than
reacting
at the point of an enemy sword. Still...ally with humans? The taste was bitter in his mouth. It tasted like surrender. It tasted like defeat.

Colven sighed and patted Tristan on the arm. “I know the past is still fresh with you, so we won’t speak of it right now. I can’t explain it, but I feel as though letting them go is the right thing to do. Her concern for her people is evident, and it touches me. I can only imagine how I would feel if the situations were reversed.”

Set the two of them free
. Tristan’s gut twisted as he looked at the woman passed out on the table. He’d been trying to get a grip on the feelings she stirred in him since the moment he’d gazed down into her face as he held her on the horse. Humans had no Magik, so what
was
this? The very air around her seemed charged, different, drawing him in, making him want more. He tried to fight it, but she captivated him. He didn’t
want
to let her go.

He searched frantically for a way to postpone the inevitable. Something the human woman said had planted a seed. Without giving it much thought, Tristan blurted, “The courier should be sent on to Wyndham, but I believe the princess should be kept here as a hostage. Keeping her here would ensure that Wyndham’s army does not make a detour to Oakenbourne. Once Arianrhod is taken back from Jariath, I’ll personally make sure she gets back to her family.”

“What would you tell the council? And how will you ensure no one is sent out to track and kill the man when they discover he is gone?”

He was the chieftain; they would abide by his will. “We’ll wait for two or three days before we tell council the man is gone, in order to give him time to reach Wyndham.”

Colven narrowed his eyes at Tristan. “This is dangerous. We have always brought those types of things before the elders.”

“This is not a situation that needs to go before council. I am the chieftain, and this decision rests with me. We’ll hold the woman here and send the man on his way.”

“Why would you not send the princess along with her courier and be rid of them both?”

I don’t understand what I’m feeling, but I want to keep her. I want to spend more time with her, get to know her. I want to touch her.

Tristan dropped his head, but he knew Colven would see right through him.

“I know what you’re doing, and it is a dangerous path. She is lovely, and may very well be different from other humans, but this can never be. We live so much longer than they do, and the other Sylvan would not understand. You are the chieftain of our people. You must remember your duty,” Colven said gently.

Tristan’s shoulders sagged as he heard the truth in his words. “I need not be reminded of my duty,” he said sharply.

There were several minutes of uncomfortable silence between them, before Colven spoke again. “I have your word you will return her to her people if their kingdom is retaken from Jariath?”

Tristan’s heart skipped a beat. He jerked his head up to look at Colven. “You have my word.”

“And if Arianrhod is not retaken? She cannot stay here, no matter how much you wish it.”

“I’ll see that she is safely delivered to her uncle in Wyndham.”

“Very well. I’ll leave the details up to you. I’ll support you before council in whatever you decide.” Colven nodded. “I fear you’ll be carrying the princess back to her cell today. She has been completely overcome by the wine.”

Tristan pulled her back from the table and gently lifted her limp body out of the chair, jostling her lightly so her head rested on his shoulder.

“Oh dear. Just a minute, Tristan.” Colven reached out and gently removed a greasy piece of game hen that had glued itself to Aislin’s cheek.

Tristan took her back to her cell and nestled her gently into the blankets on the floor. She whimpered a little, her head rolling to the side.

He got to his knees beside her, his heart racing. She was out cold, and this was the perfect opportunity to get a good look at her without a fight. He knew an honorable elf would feel a modicum of guilt, but he could no more leave her at that moment than he could will himself to stop breathing.

At first glance, she was deceptively delicate, but he’d seen from her memories that there was great strength in her. Without thinking, he reached out and touched her face with the back of his hand. Her skin was a smooth golden rose, like velvet, her cheeks high and round. She’d spent some time in the sun, and he could see by her hands that she wasn’t afraid of work. Her hair was a fine golden brown, long and with a slight wave, lying in a soft, shining puddle under her head. And those full lips had haunted his dreams since the first time he’d laid eyes on her.

I am looking at the mother of my children
. The thought sent an aching jolt through his groin.

He let his hand stray to the soft curve of her breast, his thumb brushing across a nipple. When she didn’t move, he allowed his hand to play over the contour of her waist and further down to her hip. He gripped her hipbone with tense fingers, trying to imagine what it would be like to do those things with her beneath him, his bare skin on hers.

She moaned a little at his touch. He felt another shock of pleasure at the core of his being. Lowering his head, he brushed a kiss across the corner of her mouth. She was just so damned beautiful, and he was going to get to keep her for a little while longer.

“...
It is a dangerous path
.” Colven had said, and at that moment, it felt like the most dangerous path he’d ever taken.

Chapter Sixteen

R
ODERIC, FAST ASLEEP, GAVE A start when the hooded man opened the cell door. The toe of a boot prodded him roughly in the side.

“Get up,” the man growled. “I have a proposal for you.”

Roderic slowly roused himself and stared up at him. “I’m listening.”

“I’m setting you free to continue on to Wyndham. I’ll come and get you after dark tonight. You’re being provided with supplies and a horse to speed you on your journey.”

Roderic was staggered. He was sure that this would be the end for both of them.

“What about Aislin?”

“She stays here as a hostage. I don’t want to wake up one morning and find the entire army of Wyndham surrounding our village. If you’re successful in liberating Arianrhod from the invaders, I’ll return her to you. If you’re not successful, I’ll bring her to Wyndham.”

Roderic swallowed hard and tried to look past the man’s hood. “I will not leave without Aislin. She’ll never agree to this.”

“I’m not telling her that I’m releasing you.”

“Why is it necessary for you to keep her here? She belongs with me! She is a member of the royal family of Arianrhod, and you have no right to do this!”

“I am chieftain here. That’s all the right I need.”

Roderic glared at the void behind the hood. “Aislin will not take this kind of deception lightly. She’s going to be furious when she finds out what you’ve done.”