attack us on the riverbank. Did I…”
A soft knock at the door interrupted Jelena’s sentence. Magnes rose from his chair and went to see who had come. “Ashinji, come in. She’s awake.” Magnes opened the door wide to admit the visitor, who crossed the room in four strides and knelt beside the bed.
Jelena could only stare, speechless.
“ Jelena, I am Ashinji,” he said. As he held her gaze, Jelena felt a strange pressure in her head, almost as if something struggled to get in past some barrier, something vitally important.
“ Ashinji,” Magnes scolded playfully, “You’ve struck my poor cousin dumb.”
The emerald eyes turned aside, and the pressure on her mind lifted, leaving her with an inexplicable sense of loss. “She is tired, I think. Perhaps I should go away and come back later, yes?”
Abruptly, Jelena found her voice. “No! Please…stay, Lord Ashinji. There are so many things I wish to know.”
“ Please, just Ashinji. You, especially, Jelena, need never bow to me.” He spoke Soldaran with a lilting accent that sounded almost musical. “I know you have many questions, but there will be time enough for them later. Now, you should eat.”
As if on cue, the door opened, and the older woman who had helped Jelena earlier returned, carrying a tray laden with dishes. Ashinji and the woman spoke briefly; then, she handed over the tray to him and withdrew. “Here is some soup, a little cheese, bread, and tea. Please try to eat,” he urged. “You have been without nourishment for many days, and you cannot heal properly if you do not restore your energy.” He gently settled the tray down on Jelena’s blanket-covered lap.
“ I’ll see to it that she eats every bite,” Magnes promised.
“ I shall leave you, then, but I promise to return soon,” Ashinji said, flashing a quick smile.
Jelena watched him go, and when the door closed on him, it felt like clouds had dowsed the sun. “He…he’s…” she stammered.
“ Yes,” Magnes sighed, “he is.”
Jelena had been in bed for nearly a week. Now, restless and bored, she longed to escape the confines of the comfortable chamber for some fresh air and spring sunshine. Her body was healing with satisfactory speed, and with each passing day, she felt a little stronger.
Magnes was a steady presence at her bedside and served as her informant on the exotic world in which they now found themselves. Each day, he reported on something new he had learned, and it soon became clear to both of them that, despite the many differences that existed between humans and elves, there were similarities as well.
In addition to Magnes’s company, Jelena had Ashinji’s visits to bolster her spirits. The young elf lord came to see her daily, and Jelena looked forward to his arrival with great anticipation. At first, she had been too tongue- tied to do more than stammer the briefest of answers to his questions, but his patient good humor soon put her at ease.
Ashinji told her much about himself in those first few days. Before long, she knew that he was the second- born in a family of five, that he served as a captain in the army, and that his eldest sibling-a brother-was to be wed in a few short weeks. He did not press her for any personal details, but she found herself telling him the entire bitter story of her life, nonetheless.
At last, the day came when the doctor, a kindly man with twinkling blue eyes, pronounced Jelena fit to leave her sickbed. Her nurse, who she had learned was named Mizu, helped her to dress in the tunic and loose trousers favored by elven women, and brought a semblance of order to her hair with a few cleverly placed pins. She finished by gently rewrapping the sling on Jelena’s mending left arm, then slipped a pair of sandals onto her charge’s feet.
Jelena studied herself in the full-length mirror that stood in one corner of the chamber. She barely recognized the well-dressed young woman who stared back at her from the slightly irregular surface of the glass. A soft knock at the door heralded Ashinji’s arrival. He had promised her a tour of Kerala Castle and an introduction to his parents.
Mizu threw open the door and greeted her young master with warm words. At the sound of his voice, Jelena’s heart did its usual flip-flop. She turned away from the mirror to face him.
“ You look lovely today,” Ashinji said, a smile lighting up his face. “Elven dress suits you.” Jelena felt a blush warm her cheeks. No man, besides Magnes, had ever complemented her on her appearance before.
Ashinji wore a sleeveless unbleached cotton tunic, breeches, and sandals. The absence of sleeves on his shirt allowed Jelena to observe, for the first time, the intricate, flowing designs of the tattoos that encircled each of his upper arms. Soldaran men never willingly submitted to tattooing; that was reserved for slaves only. It seemed that elves tattooed themselves of their own free will. The designs were as fascinating as their owner.
“ Will Magnes be joining us?” Jelena cursed inwardly at the slight quaver in her voice.
“ I assure you, I will behave myself,” Ashinji replied.
“ Oh, no, that’s not what I meant!” Jelena exclaimed. “I would never…” Her voice trailed off as Ashinji laughed heartily. She sighed, realizing that, of course, he understood perfectly well what she had meant.
“ Magnes is down in the practice yard with Captain Miri, trying out some of our weapons. Apparently, our swords are not like the Soldaran blades he is used to. He will join us later.” He held out his hand. “Come. I will show you around first; then you will meet my parents, and perhaps my sisters as well.”
Jelena shyly reached out with her good arm and allowed Ashinji to close his hand around hers. His fingers were graceful and strong, and he held her smaller hand firmly, yet not so tight that she could not easily escape if she so desired. She had no desire to escape…ever.
As Ashinji started towards the door, Jelena held back. He turned to look at her and asked, “Is there something wrong?”
“ No,” she replied. “There’s nothing wrong. It’s just…Well, I still can’t believe I’m here, is all.” She felt giddy with exhilaration and terror all at once. Simply to be alive and standing in this room seemed like no less than a miracle to her.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. From somewhere outside, the sound of a bell, deep-voiced and brazen, slowly rang out the hour. Ashinji smiled.
“ You are here, and you are safe,” he said. “Are you ready to go?”
“ Yes. Please…Lead on,” Jelena replied.
Chapter 15
Ashinji led Jelena along a short corridor to a descending staircase. He slipped his arm around her shoulders, lending her support. She felt grateful for the help-her legs were still a little weak from disuse, and it gave her a chance to be close to him. She wanted so much to rest her head on his collarbone and breathe in his scent-so different from that of a human man-but she dared not. Ashinji had been unfailingly polite and decorous; his behavior was totally in keeping with his high station. It would be shamefully presumptuous to think that he would welcome such attentions, especially from her, a foreigner and a half-breed.
Three flights down and through another door, they emerged onto an outside landing above a sunny courtyard. Jelena looked up and saw that she had been lodged on the uppermost floor of a semi-detached wing off the main
