A Court Of Fire and Earth - Chapter Two.
Staring at the amber eyed male standing directly across from her, Aurora could do little but blink in pure shock. Out of all the things he could have asked of her, she never in a million years expected him to ask for anything like this.
Shifting slightly on his feet as if her stare made him somewhat uneasy, Eris Vanserra reached to pluck a flower from the bouquet; choosing a golden-yellow daisy, which he twirled between his fingers, studying it for half a heartbeat before his eyes flickered back to hers.
"Come with me to the Gathering."
Placing a hand on the table for support, Aurora let out a soft laugh of disbelief. She had, of course, heard mumbles of the Gathering from the workers and farmers that visited the mansion from time to time with supplies.
All the high lords and human kings, lords, and important people gathered in one place to discuss and update the treaty since the wall fell seven years ago.
Aurora herself had never taken much interest in the politics of the courts or the human lands beyond their borders, nor had she ever been allowed to take part in anything of importance.
Amber eyes narrowing ever so slightly at the challenge in her voice, it seemed the male was otherwise completely unfrazzled by her responds except for the small smile that was now slowly curling his lips upwards as he drawled at her like a lazy feline stretching in the morning sun.
"Because I asked nicely?"
"So you expect me to just pack up my stuff and leave with you, a stranger, just because you asked me nicely?"
His blunt responds made the female clenching her teeth in annoyance, however, she chose not to react. Her instinct was to snap back at him, to return his attitude with her own, but that wouldn't get her anywhere. So instead she let out a annoyed sigh, gently rubbing the spot between her eyes.
"How in the world is me going to this meeting possibly going to serve any of you?"
"Because you are my wife, and..."
Eris paused briefly as Aurora choked on air at the mention of her attachment to the Autumn heir, coughing rather dramaticlly. Pretending he didn't take notice of her reaction, Eris simply continued.
"... and father demands your presence."
Sapphire blue eyes narrowing dangerously to slits of sharded diamonds that twinkled in the sunlight streaming through the windows above the main entrance, Aurora quickly regained her composure.
She did not like the sound of this. Her mouth felt dry, and the warm energy that slithered just beneath her skin began to stir, reacting to the sharp stab of fear that now echoed through the hollow of her bones.
The years of hiding her fear came to good use as she did little to hide the pure disgust from her voice; hearing how it practically dripped from her lips like venom, the word father stumbled over her tongue; the concept in itself was completely foreign to her, so she didn't have to fake that part.
Hopefully, the male couldn't scent her fear from where he stood, that would have been really embarrassing.
There was enough hatred in her voice to make him pause to stare at her for half a second, quickly realizing several things.
One, she held no affection for her father.
Two, she wasn't particularly pleased that she had been summoned like a dog. Because that was exactly what Lord Hallewell had done. Even his own father had given the Lord a long glance at the way he had refused to even mention her name, simply referring to her as "the child".
And three, the female was very likely stab him if he attempted to bring her along by brute force.
So deciding that his life was far too precious to him to tempt fate by acting recklessly, Eris suddenly found himself thankful for the table between them as he drawled.
Something dark and vicious slithered through those mesmerizing blue eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared, leaving him unsure if he actually saw it or simply imagined it.
"So I am to be presented as a pretty ornament to further boost the power and appearance of a court that don't even know my name?"
Eris found himself admiring her feistiness. He had been told enough times that he had an intimidating and intense presence. All his life, even before he'd earned his reputation, people had been wary of him, and as a child, this had irritated him. However, it had become so normal for him through the centuries that her fire felt like a breath of fresh air he didn't know he needed.
He knew that his eyes had shamlessly roamed over her body as she spoke, taking in the female's rather mouthwatering curves and lean yet soft muscles that sleakly wrapped over a delicate bone structure that gave him all kinds of dirty fantasies, before eventually returning their attention to her mouth as they had countless times since he entered the mansion.
He couldn't quite help himself. Plush, carnal, and soft lips that currently pealed back to reveal a perfectly pearly set of teeth, the elongated canines adorning her upper jaw snatched him out of his thoughts, his eyes shooting up to meet hers.
And as she met his stare boldly, it occurred to him that it was very possible that he had found someone who could outstare him.
"Not exactly how they phrased it, but yes that is the general impression I got from the conversation."
Chewing on her lower lip, which was so distracting that Eris almost reached across the table to gently tug the silken flesh free from her teeth, unholyly tempted to sink his own teeth into them as he was sure they would not only feel amazing but taste just as sweet, the male almost sagged in relief as she eventually turned to her maid, mumbling a few things that escaped him, but if the other female's expression was anything to go by, Aurora had come to the same conclusion as he had on the way over here.
Fighting the pull of the higher ranking royals of the Autumn Court was pointless, as they would drag her out by her hair if she didn't agree to go with him today.
He didn't like how well-versed she appeared to be in the brutality of his court, as if she somehow had been exposed to it, but there was little he could do to change that if that had been the case. He could, however, do his best to prevent it from happening again while he was around, which he realized then and there would be quite often, as staying away after this would no longer an option.
After a few words exchanged with the maid, the female turned back to face him, her tan complexion slightly paler than earlier, the flush in her cheeks gone, replaced by shadows of what lay may ahead.
"I shall accompany you to the Gathering. However, do not get any ideas. I purely agree to this out of self preservation.."
Something in her eyes told him that she understood more than she said. Understood some of the danger not only to her but to him as well if she didn't agree.
Gathering the hem of her skirt in hand, Aurora rounded the table that had worked as a barrier between them up until now, and it was only as she came close enough for him to count the strands of gold falling in warm waves down over her collarbone that he realized how small she actually was in contrast to himself. She barely stood tall enough to reach his shoulders, which, for some unexplainable reason, he found beyond adorable.
Instintively, Eris inhaled deeply as she came near, realizing too late that doing so had been a big mistake. Fuck.
The sweet scent of wildflowers, sweet honey, peaches, and apple blossom slammed into his system and shot straight to his already hard cock.
It was an effort not to growl in arousal as he went to follow her, those sun- golden curls bounching against the emerald fabric of her dress as she elegantly made her way down the path leading up to the house.
