Chapter 69 - The Balcony

With the doors slammed behind her, Evanna leaned against them; her breathing was heavy as though she had been sword fighting for hours. She closed her eyes to calm her thunderous heart, only to snap them open once again after visualising prince Arawn behind her eyelids.

Yes, he's handsome, now move on, Evanna.

Pushing off from the doors, Evanna sighed and shook her head, trying to rid her thoughts of the elven prince. She walked forwards and collapsed on the bed, rolling over so she faced the canopy of the bed, her arms flung by her head, and her dark locks fanned out beside her.

Her mind was still consumed by thoughts of Arawn. As much as she tried, she could not shake him off. She could not fathom her own bodily reactions to such a ruthless man. 

Every little cold touch of his made her flustered, and his gaze left her skin aflame. Was this because he intimidated her? Even looking at his bare chest and muscular arms, she found herself stuck on the spot, unable to look away. Her cheeks heated at her own actions this evening.

Evanna had taken the bait and followed him into his room, his room! The shame! And not only did she follow him by herself but to stop and gawk at his approaching half nakedness. Evanna placed her hands over her eyes; her reputation could have been ruined from that very action if she had one in such a place.

A knock at the door interrupted her swirling thoughts; she sat up and pulled herself towards the edge of her bed, fretting over her hair, before calmly composing herself and folding her hands in her lap. "Come in," She softly raised her voice, loud enough for it to travel to the double doors and the person behind it.

Slowly, the door opened, and Rina entered. Evanna's brows furrowed at the handmaiden, with her heart sinking, but she did not know why. At Evanna's expression, Rina smiled gently, "His highness requested for your meal to be sent to you." Evanna glanced down at Rina's hands and blinked her eyes in confusion at the golden cloche covering a plate.

Evanna stood and began to gesture towards the room but stopped her hand movement; the room was still foreign to her. She had yet to be accustomed to it and to scout it out. Rina took a few steps and paused, "Would you like to eat at your table or on the balcony?"

The- balcony? Evanna followed Rina's gaze; turning her head to the side, she realised the big windows with sheer curtains pulled to the sides were, in fact, clear double doors. They were not as glamourous as the ones in Arawn's room, which was why she guessed it was a window. One side of her lips curled up, and she quickly hid it before facing Rina again.

"I would like to eat on the balcony," Evanna replied and stood up.

Rina walked forwards and opened the doors. Evanna quickly followed behind her and stopped with a gasp when her gaze fell on the sight before her. The balcony was the length of her room; the white bricked railing at the end had vines wrapped around it with radiant roses sprouting out. To the right side, there was a trellis, again covered in vines and an assemble of blooming flowers she had never seen before. Each of them glowed underneath the moonlight.

There was no need for candlelight; the moon and the flowers were aglow. Beyond the balcony, Evanna could see enough light to see the river and outskirts of the forest on either side of the palace. When she glanced down, there were some gardens that Evanna and Cilv must have missed on their reconnaissance of the place. It seemed the prince's quarters faced away from the waterfall. 

To her delight, she realised, he had one of the best spots in the palace. The sun would rise and fall here, bringing with it the rays of orange and yellow upon the land, something she could happily watch. This much she knew from when she slept next to the cave upon the cliff across from the palace. All thoughts of escape vanished from her mind and were replaced by the beauty she was surrounded by. 

Rina set the plate upon a small white bistro-style table before bowing her head and standing to the side. Evanna's brows drew together at the realisation that Rina would not leave until she finished her meal. Sighing quietly, she stepped forwards and sat down on one of the chairs, staring off at the rushing water in the distance with the moonlight whispering platinum-golden hues upon the surface. Evanna glanced back down to the cloche and removed the lid, half expecting the servant's hand to be hidden beneath.

In its stead, there was the meat and vegetables which were served earlier at the dining table—this time without any blood. Evanna inhaled the delicious scent of the food, making her stomach rumble in complaint. She picked up the cutlery she presumed Rina brought with her and took the first mouthful of the tender meat. A small moan of appreciation left her lips. She dug in eagerly to the rest of her meal, enjoying the rich and unique flavours bursting on her tastebuds. 

Evanna was quite glad now at not eating in the great dining room because she would find herself embarrassed after moaning so much at the food. Which, of course, was rude and unladylike. If she were in the Dunhurst palace, she could only imagine the snide comments leaving the noble's mouths, or more so, her sister's mouth that would most likely start rumours about her.

"Do you like the food, my lady?"

Evanna opened her eyes after taking another bite and nodded her head at the servant. For some unknown reason, she did not find herself uneasy in her presence or blushing from the small moans she had made by something as simple as food. Maybe her time apart from palace life made her appreciate the cooks more, or the food made by the elves was impeccable.