Page 114 of Faeling
Grumbling, Vallek pulled back just enough to whisper, “Ignore them and they might go away.”
His hopes were immediately quashed when the sound of the door opening greeted them. It didn’t sound as though anyone entered, merely poked their head inside.
“Are you both decent?” came Eydis’s voice.
“If it’s not food, then no!”
“It’s your loving older sister, whom you respect and adore very much!”
Vallek snorted. “I haven’t such a sister.”
After the swish of robes, the door closed behind an apparently determined Eydis. “Either you come out with clothes on or I come in and we all suffer the consequences.”
Ravenna giggled while Vallek rolled his eyes.
“Ithasbeen three days,” she reminded him gently.
“Who is king of this mountain?” he grumbled.
With a few more kisses in apology, they finally rose from their bed. Hastily cleaned and clothed, they joined Eydis in the den.
“Good to see you both,” she teased, a fond smile adorning her lips. “I bring congratulations from the family and most of the court.”
“Which could’ve been a note under the door.”
Ravenna elbowed her grumpyazai.
Eydis merely rolled her eyes. “Breakfast is coming soon, so spare me the worst of your growling until you’ve eaten.”
“If you didn’t bring breakfast, what did you come with?”
“News, of course.” With a flourish of her robes, she took her usual seat, announcing that this wouldn’t be a quick visit.
Vallek sighed mightily, slumping into his own customary place and pulling Ravenna down with him onto his lap. She easily found a comfortable position as he laced his fingers together at her hip. It was effortless, the way they came together, folding their bodies to align. It actually made Eydis smile.
“While I respect the desire to sequester away until the bond is finished with you, I need you both to show your faces.”
“The people understand what new mates do,” Vallek said.
“Yes, but you aren’t just anyone. While there’s generally been good feelings toward your announcement, there are still whispers abounding throughout the city.”
“What do they say?” asked Ravenna, although she could guess.
“They wonder if this is a true mating or a stunt of some sort. They speculate who this mysterious half-fae woman is, where she came from. And my favorite, whether she’s enchanted the king.” Eydis snorted. “That’s a favorite in the pubs, too. The speculation is quite breathtaking.”
“And so we should…do what? To prove it to them,” Ravenna said.
The orcess smiled, although it was one of her more unnerving smiles, the one that made Ravenna think she already had many plots and schemes in her mind.
“You will charm them. You will go out and be visible and let the people see you. Hold hands, kiss, whatever feels right.”
“This is how she won Hilde, you know,” Vallek told Ravenna gravely, “with all the romance.”
“I’ve got more romance in my little finger than you in your whole body,” Eydis said breezily. “I just save it for when it counts.”
Ravenna shared a look with her mate, biting her lips to hold in her giggle.
“They just need you to be present,” Eydis insisted. “The enemy of curiosity is banality—make the reality of your mating commonplace. Begin your normal duties again, and the people will quickly settle.”
