Page 88 of Legacy of the Heirs
Chapter Forty-Eight
Elisara
“Why the recent change to red gowns, Elisara?” Larelle asked from the vanity, where Sadira stood behind her, twisting Larelle’s curls into an up-do at her guidance. Elisara refused to meet Larelle’s eye. Had they been alone, she might have addressed how Larelle had spoken to her and Kazaar before the other rulers.
“It is notallgowns,” Elisara mumbled, adjusting the thin golden chains draped over her chest and shoulder, forming the upper half of the dress before connecting with a fitted red bodice; sheer panels highlighted the slight radiance of her skin after sitting in the sun for the latter half of the afternoon. The same gold chains draped across her hips before falling into a waterfall of velvet, the open slit moving as she strode to the mirror. It was customary for the realm to host a ball in acknowledgement of another ruler’s presence. Nyzaia had suggested it so the people of Keres could witness the unity of their rulers during such pressing times.
“It’s Kazaar’s favourite colour.” Nyzaia grinned from where she sat cross-legged on her bed, waiting for the others.
“Nyzaia!” Elisara scolded, meeting her eye in the mirror.
“I am assuming he also likes an exposed leg, given the last dress she wore here also donned a slit.” Nyzaia wiggled her eyebrows at Larelle, who covered a laugh. Elisara rolled her eyes and pulled back her curls, clasping half up with more gold pins before placing her crown atop it. It was odd being in a room with the other women. Larelle had suggested it, and Nyzaia had promptly agreed for want of a distraction, and Elisara could not say no to that.
“Are you wearing the same thing underneath as last time?” Nyzaia asked, and Elisara glared.
“No,” she mumbled, pulling the slit closed to hide the gold garter. Nyzaia’s grin widened. Before she could say anything else, Elisara sat down beside her, looking at Larelle and Sadira.
“So, Larelle. Have you heard from Alvan?” Sadira smiled and finished twisting Larelle’s hair.
“He should arrive this evening,” Larelle said, though her expression remained neutral. The other women shared a look.
“And how will you be greeting the lord?” asked Nyzaia. Sadira sat next to Larelle, resting her chin in her hand as she looked at the queen.
“What do you mean?” Larelle asked, looking away. Elisara exchanged another look with the women in shared understanding.
“Larelle, it is clear he is in love with you,” Sadira emphasised.
“He is not,” Larelle said, readjusting the off-shoulder sleeves of her thin peach gown. She scratched her head and looked away.
“Something has happened,” Nyzaia said, smirking. Elisara smiled at her. Nyzaia was so often surrounded by men that she rarely talked with the women. She did a good job of hiding her pain and contributing to the conversation, but Elisara caught the rare moments when her smile slipped, and her mind wandered to Tajana. Elisara refrained from squeezing Nyzaia’s hand. She, too, felt the pain of betrayal, even if Talia had been a friend rather than a lover. But Nyzaia would acknowledge her feelings on her own terms, and Elisara did not wish to force her into that position. Larelle tilted her head back and sighed.
“Fine, we nearly kissed.”
“Only nearly?” Sadira exclaimed. Larelle rose from her seat and paced the room. She bit at the skin around her nails, indicating another emotion was at play, like worry or guilt. Falling for someone new after losing the love of your life must be painful, and it almost made Elisara forget how Larelle had spoken to her earlier.
“I do not know why we did not. He was holding my face, and Iwas crying, and we rested our foreheads against one another, and then… nothing,” Larelle rambled.
“Did you want to kiss him?” asked Nyzaia.
“Yes, no—I don’t know.” Larelle sighed. “Am I a bad person? To want someone else after losing Riyas?” Sadira rose and twisted Larelle to look at her.
“Note your past tense, Larelle. He has been gone for so long. Youdeservehappiness.” Larelle smiled, but the grief was clear within it. Elisara could not imagine what it would be like to move on from Kazaar if she were in Larelle’s position. While she had known him for years, her feelings had heightened in such a short time. She felt more for Kazaar than she had after years with Caellum. She glanced down at the realisation all could be lost in thirteen days. She lost her smile, and Nyzaia bumped her shoulder, frowning.
“Do you think we will ever be able to do this again?” Elisara asked, surprised to find herself in a situation where she enjoyed the company of all four women. She barely knew Larelle until a month ago, and Sadira was the woman who had captured the heart of the man who betrayed her. Even so, Elisara liked Sadira. She wore her heart on her sleeve in a way that gained Elisara’s trust.
“We will,” Larelle said. “There will be a day in the future when we all sit like this, whether we are laughing or crying. We will all be together. We will win.” Elisara was inclined to believe her, given the confidence in her tone.
“No more sad thoughts,” Nyzaia said. She rose and took Elisara’s hands. “While I will never understand your fascination with the male species, it is time they stare at the beauty before me.” She smiled, and Elisara hoped she had genuinely forgotten about Tajana for the evening as she led them to the ball.
***
Amber liquor tasted like fire, Elisara decided as she downed herthird glass of the evening and waited for a passing servant to refill it. Being in Keres reminded Elisara of her mother, even more so since watching the visions at the Neutral City. Now, she saw Vespera in every corner with Razik, keeping their love a secret. No one had spoken about the visions; it was easier to repress their pain in favour of worry about the kingdom instead, easier to focus on the next steps than replay the image of their families accepting their fates and hearing Edlen’s screams. Elisara gulped, tears stinging her eyes as a servant refilled her glass. She pretended not to crave the taste of fire on someone else's lips as she leant against the brick wall, staring at the staircase descending into the hall. Being in Keres dressed inredsent Elisara’s thoughts spiralling, remembering the last time she was here. It left her with a lingering sense of defeat, given the position they were in now and the expectations placed upon her and Kazaar. Elisara focused on her breathing to ignore the frustration. She did not have any other power, and even Kazaar’s ability to wield all four elements was not enough against the creatures. They still had that secret. Larelle’s words rang through her mind about already keeping so much from them, and Elisara ignored the pang of guilt, too afraid of what they might say if they discovered the extent of Kazaar’s powers.
As she turned from the wall and nodded her thanks to the servant, she felt his presence—the acute awareness of the other half of her soul approaching. A gentle breeze tickled her back, and given there were no open windows, she knew it was his way of greeting her. Elisara did not turn, distrusting her ability to not kiss him. She had not felt his lips since that night in the tent by the Vellius Sea, and every day that went by was a tear in her skin as her heart tried to break free to reach him.
“Careful, or you might lose all your inhibitions to drink.” His voice was sultry in her ear. She knocked back the drink, and the glass nearly cracked when she placed it on the table. Kazaar glanced sideways at her, and Elisara ignored his worry.
“Had you lost your inhibitions the last time we were here?”she asked, tracing her finger around the glass. Kazaar trailed his finger up her back, and she glanced around. No one was watching, not even Vlad, who Elisara instructed to relax for the evening. He appeared to be doing just that as he leaned against a wall, clinking glasses with a beautiful Keresian woman. Nyzaia sat drinking with Farid while Sadira and Caellum danced with one another. Larelle stood by an archway, her back to the crowd as she watched the palace entrance.
