Walking down the elven road

Chapter 7

To TheBurningMoon and TheDragonInsideMe, so you may ship in peace.

 “Hey pointy-ears.”

“Arion!” She jumps into his arms, and quickly lets got, blushing. “You’ve been gone for a long time!”

“I’ve been doing some intensive grocery shopping,” Arion says, “Just kidding, I had to deliver a letter the Crown prince didn’t trust the post to deliver safely. How are you? I’ve heard some rumors of you being promoted. Is it true? I’ve never seen anyone having such a successful career in the palace!”

“Well, if one saves the Crown prince’s best friend’s life, one might be able to be a bit more successful.”

“What? You’re not joking?”

“Nope.”

“Things do get easier that way.” He laughs. The two talk to long past midnight, about all that has happened to them, what they want to do. After a while Melya blurts out: “Hey, are you engaged or something?” Arion is caught off guard by this question.

“No, why do you ask?”

“I just wondered. I mean, you’re so nice…”

“I just haven’t met the right girl yet, I think. Or I’m too blind to see, that could also be the case with me.”

“In the elven realm it’s usual the parents select a few suitable partners. You choose which one, but the side with the most status makes the decision. So if an earl’s daughter wants to marry a merchant’s son, he’ll have to, even if he doesn’t want to.”

“That’s odd. Humans only marry out of love. Except for the highest circles, sometimes people are matched but both sides must consent to the marriage. Most of the times they do, but not always.”

“Sounds better to me. The men my father had picked for me all were spoiled little boys who only wanted to marry me for my status.”

“Did you have a lot of status?”

“My father was the wealthiest and most successful merchant of the realm. One of the trusted few of the Royal couple, he always knew exactly what was going on in the kingdoms next to ours because of his contacts.”

“Right. That’s why you had the opportunity to meet the Queen and openly disagree with her.”

“Yes,” Melya grins, “But, to summarize all of this: you’re not engaged and neither a m I.”

“Are you insinuating something?”

“Are you insinuating something?”

“I don’t know. I guess neither do you, don’t you?”

“Exactly.”

“Oh. Great.” Arion looks at Melya curiously. He sniggers. “I wasn’t really expecting to have this conversation with you,” he says eventually.

“Me neither,” Melya answers. Arion suddenly extends his hand towards her face, and carefully touches it. He looks into her eyes and kisses her softly. When he lets go, his face turns a bright red.

“I think I should go,” he stutters.

“I think I should too,” Melya says. They go their ways, and while Melya climbs the stairs to her room, she reflects on Arion’s kiss. She doesn’t know what to think. If she wasn’t banished already she would be now. Kissing a human! An unworthy creature! Her father would have been furious.