Brightest Stars | Love of Royals: Book I

XVI: Touched

I'm almost reluctant to admit that Gelya has been right so far. About going out, I mean—not about Thranduil. She couldn't be more wrong about him and I.

However, what she was right about was that going out into the gardens with her would make me a great deal happier. And although I had my doubts at first, we have managed to avoid encountering anyone unpleasant. I have kept this to myself, but I am utterly relieved that Thranduil was in that meeting. If we had come across him, I don't know what would have happened.

Gelya is in the middle of a huge story about her brother-in-law, when she stops abruptly, narrowing her eyes at the horizon. The sun lies low in a burning sky, glimmering through the gaps in the rustling trees. 'Oh my... look how late it is!'

'How long does that mean we've been here for?' I ask, dreading the answer.

'Well, we had lunch at around midday, came to this spot about three hours later...' Gelya bites her lip. 'We've been here for about two hours.'

'And the meeting was supposed to finish when?' My voice strains in anticipation.

'Sundown at the latest. Which means it will surely be done by now,' she replies. We exchange glances, both hoping that the other has some sort of plan. Yet neither of us had expected for us to stay out this long, meaning our only hope is to keep our heads down until we make it back to my room.

'Well then...' I breathe, 'we'll just have to be quick and quiet. Which will be hard, considering you still have to help me walk.'

'Oh, about that,' Gelya interjects, 'I thought you could try and walk unsupported tomorrow, since you've been needing less and less help of late.'

My mouth curves up into a grin at the prospect. 'That sounds amazing. You don't understand how much I've been longing to walk since the day I got here. I cannot describe how grateful I am to you for helping me.'

'It wasn't all me, was it?' My friend smirks slightly.

A lump promptly rises in my throat. She's right—it was Thranduil who helped me to my own two feet for the first time—and then wrapped his lips around mine and made me feel on fire inside. What were we thinking at the time? Oh, stop it. This is the first time in hours I've let myself think about him again.

'No, it wasn't,' I finally answer, before swiftly changing the subject, 'we should go back inside now.'

'Alright,' Gelya says, sounding relatively serious but with the smirk still lingering on her youthful face. I roll my eyes and she giggles. Only when I shoot her a fake glare does she proceed to help me up off the elegant bench, surrounded by a seemingly infinite ocean of niphredil.

As we make our way back across the gardens bathed in the sun's dusky glow, where the white niphredil appears a soft gold colour, and once again into the halls of the kingdom, I put progressively less weight on Gelya. I'm becoming more confident to hold myself by the second, but not yet confident enough to let go of her completely.

No one so far. No Avadhil, no Avalor, no Tavalon... no Thranduil. It seems luck is on our side.

Until, that is, Gelya opens the door to my room, and my heart leaps into my mouth.

'Hello, Elena.'

Avalor looks up with a malicious grin from where he's sprawled casually on my bed.  To my horror, his shirt is unbuttoned, revealing a set of toned muscles gleaming in the light of the setting sun.