A Love From A Different World

Chapter 61

The bay was calm enough—perhaps willed to flatness by its lord and master—that the pleasure barge hardly rocked throughout the hours they dined and drank aboard it.

Crafted of richest wood and gold, the enormous boat was amply sized for the hundred or so High Fae trying their best not to observe every movement Rhys, Amren, and Aelin made.

The main deck was full of low tables and couches for eating and relaxing, and on the upper level, beneath a canopy of tiles set with mother-of-pearl, their long table had been set. Tarquin was summer incarnate in turquoise and gold, bits of emerald shining at his buttons and fingers. A crown of sapphire and white gold fashioned like cresting waves sat atop his seafoam-colored hair-so exquisite that Aelin often caught herself staring at it.

As she was now, when he turned to where she sat on his right and noticed her stare.

"You'd think with our skilled jewelers, they could make a crown a bit more comfortable. This one digs in horribly."

"That's too bad," she said, "I'm quite fond of crowns myself, "

There was a sparkle in the male's eyes and Aelin knew that she had baited him successfully, and now all she needed to do was reel him in. "Oh?"

"I like wearing them the most in the bedroom," She looked at him from under her lashes, ever the seductress, and said, "with nothing else on,"

His eyes flashed and Aelin knew she had him enthralled already. Fae males; utterly and completely useless against her feminine charms.

Tarquin let out a laugh, "You're quite the little minx, aren't you,"

Aelin gave him one of her infamous grins, "Or so they tell me,"

And then there was a moment where the two simply stared at each other intensely.

Quietly, Aelin wondered, "How did you keep it out of her hands?"

She knew that he knew who she meant from the way his eyes darkened. Saying Amarantha's name here, amongst such happy, celebrating people, felt like inviting in a rain cloud.

Seated at his left, deep in conversation with Cresseida, Rhys didn't so much as look over at her. Indeed, he'd barely spoken to her earlier, not even noting her clothes.

It irked Aelin how much that pissed her off. Not because she particularly cared, of course. But she looked as stunning as she always did, and indeed made heads turn when she entered the room. And yet Rhysand hadn't given her a single glance. And that's what had pissed her off.

The notion that her ego was bruised did not please her at all.

Tarquin said, "We managed to smuggle out most of our treasure when the territory fell. Nostrus—my predecessor— was my cousin. I served as prince of another city. So I got the order to hide the trove in the dead of night, fast as we could."

"I didn't know the Summer Court valued treasure so much,"

Tarquin huffed a laugh. "The earliest High Lords did. We do now out of tradition, mostly."

"So is it gold and jewels you value, then?"

"Among other things."

"Other things?" She let out a hint of flirtatious tone in that question. Half hopped that that would draw Rhysand's attention while the other half hated herself for even thinking it. "Are outsiders allowed to see the collection? I have a thing for... jewels." Aelin allowed her eyes to dip down to where Tarquin's own jewels were located between his legs.

Someone coughed, she wasn't sure who. But she knew that Rhysand heard it and knew her implication, and Aelin felt some satisfaction.

That satisfaction, however, was short-lived as the Nigh Court's High Lord's continued talking to the Summer Princess.