Perranth With You

3

I wrote to Yrene.

Elide sat on the plush armchair in their study, her feet flaked in front of her. She looked up from the papers covering her lap, Lorcan was sat at the too-small desk, his massive figure taking up too much room. She giggled to herself as he hunched over his work uncomfortably.

He looked up when she mentioned the healer. "What did you say to her?" he asked.

"I asked her how she was, how she was managing in Adarlan, if Chaol was alright and Dorian," she said. After a pause she continued- "I asked her if her services were still available."

At that he looked up. "Is that what you want to do? Heal your foot?"

"I don't know yet. But, it's nice to have the option." He nodded in understanding, returning back to his work.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Elide heard Lorcan let out a frustrated huff.

"What is it?" she asked.

He met her eyes, she cringed slightly as she prepared herself to hear- "We've been called to another meeting."

A pause.

"You're serious."

"Yes."

"We've already had a council meeting this month! They aren't supposed to call them so frequently, and over such silly things. What is it now?" she said with a frown.

He looked at her dryly. "Fish."

"Fish?"

"Fish."

"What could be so important to call a meeting over fish?"

He cleared his throat, held up the letter and began to read.

"Dear Lord and Lady Lochan, we, the Council, have decided to write you to ask your presence for a much-needed discussion. The fish production rates have, unfortunately, hit a downward slope and the townsfolk and fishermen alike are enraged. We know you must have a busy schedule, but we ask you to deign to join us to discuss this perilous matter. We await your response. The Council."

Another pause.

"Deign to join us? They have to be joking." She could smell their sarcasm.

"They're trying to rile us up. They know what they're doing."

"No, they're still trying to see if I'm worthy."

They called these pointless meetings to deem Elide unfit for leadership. They most certainly believed she was unworthy of the title. She also knew they were all looking to take her place. Whether it was because she was a woman or had a disability or was a slave or was involved with witches or had a Fae husband or-

"They're always going to have their heads up our asses," he smirked when Elide threw him a look, "so why entertain them? Don't let them see they're pissing us off."

"That's easy for you to say. You can just sit there all pretty and menacing and they won't bat an eyelash. I say one thing that may be deemed unreasonable and they call for mutiny."

He gave her a sad smile.

"That won't change whether you prove yourself now or later. There's always going to be people who underestimate and undermine you, so just do what you want anyway, there's going to be someone against it one way or another."

She sighed deeply and looked back down at the papers surrounding her.

She needed a bath.

"When have they called it for?"

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"So, no time to prepare, no time to get ready and no time to steel myself to see their insufferable faces again-"

She was cut off by Lorcan's hands on her shoulder. She was too busy staring at the pages in front of her to notice him quickly come around the back of the armchair and begin to rub her shoulders soothingly. She moaned slightly as he eased her tense posture, her head falling back against his hard chest.

"You know, I know and they know you will have all the power in that room," his voice was low in her ear, "You don't need time to prepare, you know how to deal with them. And so do I."

"Yeah, I sit there prim and proper and you sit there all big and scary."

He chuckled and the sound vibrated through his chest.

"No. You use your abilities and I use mine. Mine is out in the open, but yours..." he bent down and kissed the top of her head, "yours is in your head. Invisible."

"So, I'm even more intimidating than you are," she smiled, tilting her head back to look at him.

He met her gaze and bent to kiss her, and whispered against her lips, "Terrifying."

---

Elide sat at her vanity table the next afternoon, deciding what to do with her face. If she made no effort, they'd think her lazy and full of herself. If she made too much of an effort, they'd think she's trying too hard and full of herself.

Ah well. Try too hard it is.

She padded the powder over her face and used a bronzing powder to accentuate her jawline and cheekbones. She then brushed kohl over her eyelids and layered her lips with a lipstick so red it was almost black.

After slipping into her dress -that had to be picked up in a rush as they didn't give much time to prepare- she examined herself in the mirror.

The red silk dress hugged her curves and flowed from the waist down, a slit in the skirt allowing some leg to show. The V-neckline fell to just between her breasts and the thin straps fell over her shoulders and criss-crossed over her bare back.

Perhaps they might appreciate the effort this time.

---

Lorcan was waiting in the foyer as Elide began her decent down the grand stairs.

His eyes roamed all over her. Devouring her.

Her walk down the stairs was agonizingly slow. Her breasts bounced as she moved one foot in front of the other, her hips swaying in that delicious dress that showed every delicious curve on her body.

He saw a slight flush form on her cheeks as she witnessed him taking everything in. When his eyes reached her face, he was not disappointed. He never was.

Her red stained lips matched the blood-red silk and her long dark hair that cascaded down her back only made the kohl on her eyes stand out more boldly. It also matched the black tunic and trousers he was sporting.

He felt the breath leave his body as she smiled shyly at him.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, he immediately grabbed her and kissed her roughly.

"You are..." he looked her over again, "Magnificent."

She grinned up at him and laughed lightly. His heart melted at the sight of her.

After another kiss and a squeeze of her waist they made their way out the door.

Lorcan walked behind her, watching as her hips swayed side-to-side in that god forsaken dress.

That was coming off later.