Page 24 of Enticing the Elf
“But—”
“Look at me.”
I raise my gaze to his, and the steadiness there eases my panic. Whatever happened, he’s okay. “Why did you need to be healed?”
He grimaces. “Ari got me drunk.”
My “What?” is echoed more explosively by Ari.
“I did not,” he adds. “I told you to take a sip, not down the whole glass in one swallow.”
Ugh. Drinking games? Really? And in the king’s home? I guess they’ll never grow out of that behavior. Irritation burns away the last of my concern, and I step back, freeing my hands from Eoin’s grasp. He frowns a little, but immediately sets to work on the buttons I undid, and heat rises to my cheeks as I realize how many people witnessed my… momentary break in composure.
Definitely not a panicked meltdown.
“Wait, he was drunk, and it got healed?” Alistair asks. “Like… completely healed, no more drunk, no hangover?” He turns to Caolan. “Bro, have you been holding out on me? How come you never mentioned this? You’ve seen me suffering through hangovers!”
Caolan shrugs. “Healing magic isn’t my area. I only know spells for basic wound care, and only because it was part of my training when I joined the army.”
“And the no-drunk spell wasn’t part of that?” Alistair seems offended by that idea.
I glance at Noah, and we both roll our eyes. “Oddly enough, the King’s Army didn’t think soldiers would need to heal hangovers while they were on duty,” I point out.
“Boy, were they wrong,” Hagen mutters, and His Majesty’s brows shoot up.
“This may be a conversation I’m not supposed to be part of,” he suggests mildly, and I have the satisfaction of seeing Hagen wince.
“It’s also off topic,” Noah adds. “I want to get home at some point, so can we do what we came here for?” He settles himself into one of the chairs at the table and looks around expectantly.
I immediately sit in the chair closest to me, nerves flooding in now that it seems like the time is actually here. We’re going to give Eoin the list of tasks, and…
Well, either he’ll accept them, or he won’t.
People find places to sit, and soon the sound of scraping chair legs gives way to quiet. “So,” the king says, “Dáithí, you have the floor.”
That’s not at all scary. “Team Bro pointed out that the only single task that could give an accurate answer to the question at hand would be for Eoin to be in a long-term committed relationship, which makes this a chicken and egg situation.”
Beside me, Eoin stirs. “Hm. Can’t prove I’m relationship material without being in one, and you don’t want to be in one until I prove it.”
I open my mouth to refute that—Idowant it, I’m just not convinced he does—but since everyone here has no doubt heard all those details already, it’s not worth repeating them. Instead, I say, “To combat this, Team Bro suggested a series of tasks that will assess elements that are contributing factors of a long-term commitment. Since they’re all in long-term committed relationships themselves, it can be argued that they’re subject-matter experts.”
There’s a tiny pause as those of us with a claim to sanity ponder the validity of that statement.
“More than one task?” Eoin asks, leaning back in his chair. “No problem.”
Ari, who’s sitting on his other side, sighs. “What he meant was, the original agreement was for a single test, not an open-ended series of them.”
I nod approvingly, glad someone on Eoin’s team—because there’s no question Ari would be—is thinking clearly. “Yes, we?—”
“That’s not what I meant,” Eoin argues. “If it’s going to take more than one test for me to prove myself, that’s fine by me. I’mhere for one, one dozen, or one hundred tasks, if that’s what it takes.”
The twin feelings of guilt and yearning adoration battle within me, and my next words come unbidden. “You should hold yourself in higher esteem. Why aren’t you demanding?—”
“Before this gets out of hand,” Noah interrupts, raising his voice to talk over me, “Andrew’s going to explain the plan. Save your questions until the end, and don’t have any questions.”
“I already have a question,” Niamh says, then raises her hands when Noah shoots her a look that should cause burns. “I changed my mind. No questions.”
Noah aims that same expression around the table, and when everyone stays silent, he gestures to his husband. “Speak.”
