Lovely Dark Things

TWENTY-THREE (RUBY POV)

"Calm down, Iselen, you'll do great. We've been training a lot for this day to be a success and besides, you know how to deal with demanding and spoiled aristocrats and how to be kind to them. You've done this before." I cradle de advisor's face between my hands carefully to avoid ruining her makeup. "I'll be by your side and you know you have the support of the Queen and the Black Guard."

"Yes, I know, I'm sorry." The beautiful human swallows hard and nods. "We'll get there, wait our turn with people from your father's house, he'll greet the monarchs on behalf of his clan and that's all... I can do it without tripping over and fall on my face, I guess."

"Yes, you can. We only need to stay around my father and his viper wife, after all, some nobles could get closer to take a look at you maybe but, if you remain calmed and kind, everything will be all right because I'll be the one talking to them. The High Priestess, Helien, and my mom will be in the main hall too but won't get close to my father and his wife because they don't like them... Maybe Sryne wants to drop by and say hello, I know she's pleased with your ideas to improve her city and loves to boast of being the first person supporting you out of Baalberith."

"Sryne doesn't like me..." Iselen mumbles taking a last look at her reflection in the mirror.

"I know, she's jealous of you." The advisor frowns and looks at my own reflection, standing behind her.

"You told me she considered me insignificant and that a stupid human couldn't be a threat to her."

"That was before she heard me falling apart on your mouth," I admit reluctantly. "Sryne knows you're special to me and not only because you're a mission entrusted by the Queen herself." The girl looks at me with her mouth wide open and her cheeks blush but I can't help chuckling seeing her reaction. "Don't get too excited, babe, it's not what you think. You're a job but also my responsibility and my... possession. You rely on me to survive and that flatters my dark elven ego, I guess. You're good in bed, passionate and playful, but you're still a weak human and it allows me to relax and enjoy too. Your successes are mine and I feel proud every time you design a new weapon... It'll be more difficult to protect you in the future when the attacks become dangerous and better planned, it'll be a challenge for my skills... I like all those feelings and won't give up easily, I'm going to be your bodyguard for long years and Sryne knows it."

"And it interfere with her plans about you?" the human asks with a faint tone of voice.

"Yes and that's why she'll send the God of War's Brides to kill you, eventually. I can't wait..." I whisper excitedly, picturing the epic fight in my mind. "Don't worry, baby, they won't succeed. Put your cape on and let's go."

Iselen obeys keeping her head low although it's pretty obvious she's scared. She's doing this a lot lately, avoiding my eyes thinking that, this way, I won't notice what's in her head but she's wrong: the advisor has no secrets for me. I've been watching her closely and know every one of her reactions, she managed to fool me once but not anymore, it's easy to read this human if you know what you're looking for. Luckily, other dark elves don't know her well and they admire her poise, lot of my compatriots never thought she'd be able to stand this but the girl is strong and, even if she's not one of us, we admire her stubbornness, endurance and ambition. In addition to that, now they know her methods work and they pretend they support her out of interest and because the Queen is happy.

Nevertheless, I want to reinforce the idea that my father is protecting her too, just in case, and that's why I picked out her dress tonight: thick black velvet embroidered in silver thread, the colours of the Black Guard, that also matches my dark grey gala uniform. The plunging neckline and her hair up in an elegant updo make her pale skin stand out and show the Queen's protection charms around her neck. It's impossible for Iselen to look like a dark elf and it'd be ridiculous to try to dress her with one of the traditional tunics that noble women will wear today, also to try to undress her with clothes the priestesses from the Temple wear despite she trains hard with me every day to keep fit and her body is perfect and toned, but this dress is elegant and she moves with natural grace despite her anxiety. She'll do great.