Page 33 of The Night Prince 2

“They know you're my friend and you’re welcome. No one at the gate gave you any trouble, did they?” Cara’s bright blue eyes studied her face looking for any lie.

Elasha shook her head. “No, they waved me in. Everything was fine. I just… feel conspicuous, I guess.”

“You shouldn’t. A lot of elves come here,” Cara said.

Elasha blinked. “They do?”

She nodded. “Many come for the rock and roll.”

“Rock and… and roll?” Elasha pictured humans rolling stones in the streets.

Cara laughed. “Music!”

“Oh.”

“It’s a genre of music,” Cara explained. “And many an Aravae seems to enjoy our cuisine too.”

Elasha couldn’t help but shudder at that. “Lord Neres adores Twinkies.”

“He’s the king’s best friend right?”

A nod.

“I’ll be sure to get you some so that you can take them to him in the palace,” Cara promised.

At that moment, a group of three humans entered the cafe. One was a rather elderly woman with a cane. There was a young man with a sensitive, inquisitive face and a pretty girl with ebony-colored skin.

“Oh, goodness, there doesn’t seem to be anywhere to sit,” the old woman declared sadly and her legs seemed to shake more under her as she held on tightly to the young girl’s arm.

“Gran, it’s okay, we can get the drinks and find someplace outside,” the young girl offered.

“Yes, yes, I just had hoped for a quick sit down. My legs aren’t as steady as they used to be and we’ve been walking ever so far,” the old woman sighed dramatically.

Nearly before the words were finished, a group of people at a table next to them rose up and gestured towards their table.

“Now, now, elder,” one of the leaving women said, “you rest yourself here! We’re finished.”

“Thank you so much, dearie. I cannot tell you how much your kindness means to an old woman,” Gran said.

“Will you be all right sitting by yourself while we get the drinks?” The young man said, overly loudly as if the older woman was a bit deaf. There looked to be a smile twitching his lips however.

“Indeed I will. I’ll just close my eyes for a bit,” Gran assured him, patting his arm.

The young man and the girl went to the counter to order drinks while the elderly woman sat down facing her and Cara. She gave Elasha a small smile before closing her eyes just like she said she would.

Elasha couldn’t help but study the lines in the aged face. It was hard to imagine that Cara’s face might one day look something like this. She’d care for Cara just the same, but the thought of the other woman becoming frail and ill frightened her. The thought of Cara dying in less than a century was unthinkable. It was why many of the Aravae she knew didn’t want to make human friends. There was too much pain to get such a little return. But then Cara leaned over and gave Elasha a hug, which banished all such unpleasant thoughts.

“I’m so glad you’re here!” Cara said as she settled down in her chair. “I didn’t expect it with your uncle getting in town last night. I figured I wouldn’t see you for ages.”

Elasha was always stunned by the warmth of Cara’s hugs. There was always an afterglow from them that suffused her body. But mention of Aquilan and why she was able to be here instead of filling the Sun King in on various matters to do with the Empire caused that warmth to dim just a little.

“Oh, well, Uncle Aquilan is not one to be scheduled,” she laughed rather fragilely. “He has his own plans and they don’t necessarily correlate with anyone else’s.”

Did the elderly woman smile at that? Was she listening? But then the woman’s mouth opened and she let out soft wheezes as her chin slumped onto her chest.

She’s asleep! Not listening in!

A worried look crossed Cara’s features at Elasha’s words and she tucked a strand of her curly red hair behind her ear. “Would I be crossing a line if I asked if everything was okay? I mean, I can see that it’s not. But if you don’t want to talk about it I understand.”

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