Page 64 of Stitches
“I did it!” Kenner dropped the flag and threw up his arms in triumph.
Grillo raced toward him, happily scooping up his child and setting him on his shoulder for the other members of their team to applaud. Kenner looked overjoyed, especially since he’d outdone a team of adults.
Ashmedai smiled to think that next year there would be a multitude of new babes, and in the years to come Kenner would have manyplaymates closer to his age.
Ashmedai was going to ask Levi if he wanted to join the next game, but when he looked, Levi had wandered toward the subsequent row of stalls bearing wares from various vendors, including Daedlys in front of his shop, and Gordoc, who had set up a stall directly beside Daedlys. The rivalry never ended with those two, since they sold similar items, each displaying garments of Emerald silk as well as an assortment of jewelry and accessories.
“There’s my Stitches!” Daedlys declared.
But Levi’s eye had caught a silver ear cuff with an amethyst stone on Gordoc’s stall. Ashmedai could imagine its elegant coiling design looking quite fetching adorning the curves of one of Levi’s half-elf ears.
Levi looked cornered, however, when he realized the cuff was not part of his friend’s wares.
“What trade would you ask for this, Gordoc?” Ashmedai breezed past Levi and plucked the cuff from the stall.
“For you, my king?” Gordoc’s fish lips puckered and then spread into a smile. “No trade at all. It’s Festival Day!Yourday. I can allow our protector to claim one item with my compliments. You too, Levi. I wouldn’t have a stall at all if not for you and Grillo, and I do have thebestitems in the kingdom.”
“Pfft.” Daedlys crossed his arms. “That’s subjective, but I suppose the cuff isn’t hideous. If anything catches your fancy here, sweet Stitches, you can accept it as my personal gift.”
Levi looked over the assorted items once more. He seemed to understand that Ashmedai had chosen the cuff as a gift forhim, because what caught his eye on Daedlys’s stall was a simple but equally elegant gold circlet with a ruby at its center.
“I know you’ve never worn a crown,” Levi said to Ashmedai as he picked it up, “but I think this would look quite lovely on you, Ash, if you like it.”
For Levi, Ashmedai would adorn himself in anything. “It’s perfect. And we’ll be certain to let anyone who asks know we found these items at thetwobest stalls in the market,” Ashmedai added to appease the competing vendors.
First he secured the cuff on Levi’s right ear, and then Levi placed the circlet atop Ashmedai’s brow, where the drop of the ruby rested comfortably on his forehead.
“I’ll admit,” Daedlys said with a wink, “looks like the perfectmatch.”
Ashmedai tugged a corner of his tunic and said, “Thank you.”
It was only then Gordoc seemed to recognize what Ashmedai’s outfit was made from, and he crossed his arms to mirror Daedlys. “You’re getting the next round of drinks, banshee.”
Daedlys laughed. “Deal.”
They took their time after that exploring other stalls, trying other foods, even tried a few ales, meads, and wines, though in moderation since Levi had a performance later. Eventually they returned to Prisoner’s Base to play a round.
Hours passed like minutes, and still so much more of the festival was left to be enjoyed.
“Is that the time?” Levi glanced at a candle clock on the wall of one of the stalls. “We better hurry. I can’t be late for Klarent’s opening act.” He grasped Ashmedai’s hand and began to speed them back up the market steps.
Klarent’s stage was at the end of the row of smaller gaming booths but twice the size of normal stalls, even sporting a violet-colored curtain as the backdrop.
“You’re assisting Klarent, is that right?” Ashmedai asked, keeping hold of Levi’s hand even after they reached the stage and could see Klarent behind it, mostly hidden by the structure, muttering to himself in practice.
“It was all his idea,” Levi said, “but I hope you like it.”
“Give Klarent my best. I’ll be watching from right up front.”
Levi squeezed Ashmedai’s hand, and before letting go he leaned in to gently kiss Ashmedai’s lips.
The light, contented feeling in Ashmedai’s chest persisted as he moved in front of the stage as promised, where a small crowd was gathering.
“Aren’t you the fetching pair?”
Ashmedai turned, amazed to see Braxton wheeling toward him. If Braxton had seen Levi, then he’d also seen them kiss, which shouldn’t have made Ashmedai feel a flutter of guilt, yet there it was.
“All Daedlys’s doing,” Ashmedai said, indicating his tunic.
