Chapter 97 - Dinner For Two

"*You look breathtaking.*"

Evanna's breath caught, and her heart raced from Arawn's words. She felt the heat rise on her cheeks, and she forced herself to look away from his swirling blue hues.

"Thank you. Although I do not know what you said, you could have insulted me for all I know," Evanna muttered and looked back at him as he straightened up. Amusement flickered across his eyes, and a knowing smile twitched on his lips. Evanna's brows drew together slightly as she tried to figure out what he knew.

"I would never insult you," He held his hand out for her to take and guided Evanna to her seat, pushing the chair behind her before sitting across from her. "In fact, I said you look breathtaking." He looked her straight in the eyes, and a smile twitched on his lips when she blushed again. Arawn loved seeing her blush; she was so innocent and cute. Even though she had fought monsters and took out his warriors, Evanna was still a young lady unable to take a compliment.

He was going to put his plan in motion. Already Evanna showed signs of understanding his words, but Evanna was brilliant and quickly brushed it off as a simple interpretation. Countless questions were surrounding the beauty sitting in front of him.

He wanted to know everything about her, but he reminded himself of who she was, a human, allegedly, who stole from the Flori. The gem was still missing, and he wanted it back, not just for personal reasons but because if word got out that the woodland elves weren't as superior as believed, then there could be trouble not just from the humans but also from his kind.

After their encounter in the bath, he took a well-needed breather on the balcony. He calmed down his desire to touch her and take her to bed. He ached for her, like no woman before him.

When she turned around in his arms, he could see how the wet dress clung to her curvy body; he lost all sense and nearly kissed her. But when he didn't see her outright refusal, it somehow snapped him out of his lustrous daze. He would never take a woman unwillingly, but it made him realise that he was becoming very attached to her.

Arawn needed to find out where the gem was, why it was taken and who she was. His gut was telling him she was of someone of great importance, but it clashed with the knowledge that Evanna could speak Muranthian. If she was a royal, there would be no possibility of her learning the language. He had seen the notices scattered around the kingdom when he last visited.

He almost chuckled aloud at his thoughts. The day he saw her in that dreaded Inn, sitting with her comrades, gasping and becoming excited over their stories, he never expected to be sitting with her now and coming to the conclusion of how she was such an anomaly.

"Thank you, your highness. You look.. handsome," Evanna whispered her compliment but held his gaze, making the prince smile broadly at her.

"Thin-era. I take it you like our fashion?" He queried as the servants placed their plates on the table and removed the golden cloches before the prince dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

"It is not much different to our own. The ladies garments are.. a lot lighter, but the material is exquisite," Evanna complimented. The prince smiled and started cutting up his meat. Evanna looked at her own meal and couldn't wait to try it.

After some time, Evanna heard the prince chuckle, and she looked at him in confusion. "You were humming as you ate," Arawn said with a smile in his voice.

A blush crept up her face. "Yes, the food is delicious," She replied before clearing her throat. "There is no blood on my dish this time."

Arawn chuckled again. "There is no need to cut someone's hand off. Yet." He stilled his cutlery and stared at her before smirking and continuing, "What happened in the bath?"

Evanna's thoughts of the punished servant vanished, and she remembered how the tree didn't affect her when she was alone in the bath. She glanced at the prince, pausing her cutlery by the side of her plate. "Your highness, it is inappropriate to ask such a question to a lady," She sassed.

Evanna watched as he held back a smile, and amusement flickered across his eyes. But as quick as it came, it left, and she was staring once again at his impassive features. "I am well aware of what constitutes as bathing. You know what I was referring to.." His deep voice drawled as his gaze scrutinised her.

Evanna chewed on her meat and continued to look at him innocently. Of course, she knew but did not wish to talk about it to the enemy. "I do not know, your highness," She replied quietly and met his stare that began to burn into her the longer he looked at her. After a few seconds of tense silence and feeling his scrutiny, she turned back to her meal.

"Stop calling me by my title. We are not in public," Arawn snapped. Evanna thought that calling him by his title helped put some much-needed distance between them. It reminded her of who he was and her situation. "And I think you have some idea but do not wish to say.." The prince continued then returned to his food.

"And if I did, why would I tell you?" Evanna blurted out before she could hold her tongue.

Arawn smirked, but he was not amused. He still watched her like a hawk. "I did not realise it was such a touchy subject. Let us talk of something else and not ruin our meal."

Evanna knew that their meal would be filled with this unknown tension in the air either way. So, she asked what was on her mind, "Why did you call me princess?"

Arawn tilted his head and narrowed his eyes slightly before replying slowly. "Can I not give you a nickname?"

"No. If someone heard, they would either believe it is a pet name you call me indicating that we are indeed involved with one another, or they believe me to be a princess.." Evanna replied coolly and reached for her glass.

Arawn held his hand up and poured the bottle of red wine into her glass before his own. Evanna pursed her lips and watched as he raised his glass, "Sckoll."

"Sckoll," They toasted before she took a tentative sip, removing her gaze from his and looked at the scenery to her side. The riverbed reflected back the stars and the crescent moon; Evanna sighed in content from the view and the delicious taste of the wine.

But although this place was magical and surreal sometimes, she longed for home, or more so, longed to see her parents. She left her father without a goodbye, and her mother was sick. She could only hope that Ger would deliver the gem in time. Silent tears fell down her cheeks, her food and the company she was with forgotten.

"You miss your home."

Evanna blinked away her tears and quickly wiped under her eyes. She did not return the prince's stare, though she could feel his gaze on her face. She nodded in return, afraid her voice would be brimmed with emotion.

"*What is it like?*" Arawn asked casually.

"Not like here.." She kept her gaze on the river and the calming effect it had on her. However, she knew Arawn was not happy with her answer, so she continued, "There is a forest nearby, nothing grand, not like Direwood, of course. I would escape my home and wander through them, pick the herbs, flowers, meet up with Ger.. before he left on real adventures.. My mother enjoyed the outdoors as much as me. And I know if my father was not so busy with the kingd-, with the king.." She cleared her throat, "then he too would probably join me."

Evanna cursed internally. Why was it so easy to tell him such things? She was never one to talk about herself. People in her kingdom already knew who she was. There was never a need, though it was nice to talk about her parents and herself without titles and watching what she said in case the information was used against her. She looked back at Arawn, who had stayed silent.

"So, you are from the village Reigh?" He asked; his eyes searched hers, but she could already see the wheels turning behind his eyes.

"No.." She trailed off and held his gaze.

"If your father works for the king, then he must live nearby," He said dismissively, "Otherwise, how would he be at his beck and call? You said you escaped your home to go to the woods. Surely that doesn't take much effort.. The village is next to the forest unless.." The prince laced his fingers together and leaned his elbows on the table as he observed her. "*You live in the palace.*"

Evanna blinked her eyes and looked at him in shock. Unbelievable. How did he.. She grabbed her glass and gulped down half of her wine before she composed herself again. "Arawn, you really do have quite the imagination," She muttered and looked down at her food.

Arawn chuckled, "Is that so.. *Please eat. Your food will be getting cold*"