The next two months for Eva were filled with learning what she could do with magic and growing stronger in her use of it. During that time, she discovered that she was able to use her magic to charge her phone, enabling her to see pictures of her kids.
Edan continued to search for answers both on how to send her back home and how she had ended up there in the first place. Having exhausted his resources, he was about to send a letter to the King requesting access to the library in the palace when a message arrived from the King.
Arriving late afternoon, Sirah refused to find Lord Edan until the man had agreed to stay the night and taken a minute to sit down. Once she was satisfied, Sirah found Edan and informed him of their visitor waiting in the front reception room.
After meeting with the messenger, Edan led the man to a spare bedroom to rest and went to find Sirah. “I have been summoned to King Kyden’s side. I do not know the details why, so don’t ask. I will be taking Eva with me, but the rest of you will remain here unless it turns into an extended stay. Please help Eva pack for the trip, I will go tell her about it now.”
The King’s messenger had departed early the following day with Edan and Eva following him a few hours later.
“How long did you say it will take to get to the castle again, My Lord?” Eva asked when they stopped for lunch, stretching stiff muscles. They had already passed through the first town and expected to reach the next one in a couple of hours.
“Three days.” Edan laughed at the look of dread that crossed Eva’s face. “You’ll get used to the riding quickly enough. Didn’t you say you rode before?”
“Yeah, but it has been over ten years,” Eva looked at the horse, Ruby, dubiously, rubbing at her legs.
After they finished their meal, they continued on, passing through the second town Edan had told her about before stopping in a third town. That night, they found a tavern with overnight rooms and Edan found a room with two beds.
The second day of their journey led them out of the forest they had been traveling through and into farmland spread across low, rolling hills. Eva could see a random house in the distance and every once in a while someone in the field. They stopped for lunch in the first town they reached but continued on into mountainous foothills until they made it to the next town just after dark. That night they found another tavern to stay in, this time with separate rooms.
The third day of their journey, Eva could barely move as they got up and went for breakfast. Laughing, Edan reassured her that they would reach the castle that day. They set out shortly after sunrise and, following the road, came upon a river about two hours later as they made their way into the mountains.
About an hour of following the river led them to a sharp curve in the road and when they rounded the corner, the city was directly in front of them, barely more than a kilometer away.
Suddenly, as if they had just walked through some kind of barrier, the scents and sounds of a bustling city reached them. Eva could smell food, drinks, flowers and all sorts of scents all mixed together as they approached. She could hear what sounded like hundreds of people talking in the distance. Books and movies from back home prepared Eva for either a bustling marketplace or small, dirty houses just inside the city gates, so she was expecting just as much.
But she was not expecting and was most mesmerized by the walls. They looked to be made of stone, but had a deep blue shimmer in the sunlight. Above the city wall, Eva could see the castle overlooking the city. The wall around the castle had a rose gold shimmer while the castle itself had a deep red shimmer.
As they approached the city, Edan suddenly turned down a path, back into the trees, cutting off the sights and sounds of the city just beyond.
"But-" Eva looked between the city and him questioningly.
"You will see. Now, follow me." Edan smiled and continued on.
Following the path, they approached the city walls again, but this time it was much quieter as there were only a few people around. Edan showed his letter to the guards and the two were waved through and made their way through the city streets to the castle.
Edan chuckled at her look of awe and explained that they had entered through the Noble’s Gate because he was not in the mood for the markets crowding the other gate.
As they approached the castle, Edan again pulled out the letter he had received and showed it to the guards who then waved him by. They took the horses to the stables and walked the remainder of the way to the castle itself.
Seeing Eva staring at the beautiful castle, Edan told her that the shimmer was a magic effect and they could change it for special events or even remove it if the need arose.
They were greeted by a doorman who summoned a servant when shown the letter. The servant, a boy of no more than twelve, led them through several corridors until they arrived at a guests’ suite.
The boy unlocked the door and opened it to reveal a comfortable sitting room. There was a large sofa in the center facing the left wall which held an elegant fireplace. Against the right wall stood a small bookshelf and writing table. A couple of comfortable looking chairs were placed near the window, perfect for curling up with a great book, Eva thought. The rug covering the floor was thick and shimmered blue like the city wall.
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As Edan and Eva stepped through, the boy handed Edan the key and told him how to summon a guide if needed and that someone would be by to guide them to dinner when the time came. Edan thanked the boy and closed the door behind him.
An open door in the wall to the left revealed a spacious bedroom. Eva looked through the doorway and saw a bed that looked to be bigger than even the king size she was familiar with back home. In one corner stood what had to be a closet, several times larger than the one she was used to. There was also a small vanity table with a matching chair next to the closet. All three items were painted the same pure white with gold trim. The rug in the bedroom was like the one in the sitting room except the same beautiful red as the outside of the castle. Through one final door in the bedroom, Eva found the washroom, looking more refined than the one Edan had, but still not the same as what she knew from before.
Edan smiled as Eva took in the luxurious rooms, her eyes as wide as possible. "Do you like it?" He asked.
"So gorgeous!" was all Eva could say at first.
The next hour was spent with them taking turns in the washroom to clean up and putting on fresh clothes. Edan had his own clothes that he had brought with him that were up to the standards of a court visit, but since he had never had a wife, he didn't have anything for Eva. Summoning a servant while Eva bathed, Edan explained the problem and a seamstress arrived shortly after with a pile of gowns in various colors and sizes.
Eva walked out of the washroom, wearing the nicest dress that Sirah had given her and hoping it was enough, when she saw Edan talking to another woman in the sitting room. Seeing the other woman's dress, Eva knew the one she wore would not suffice. Suddenly self-conscious about it, she ducked back into the washroom, hoping she hadn't been seen.
Edan had seen her though and went to the door. "Eva? Please come back out. Rhun is here for you. She is a seamstress and needs to see you if she's going to make you any new dresses."
"Oh," Eva slowly opened the door and stepped out. "I'm sorry, My Lord."
Edan led her to Rhun who had her stand on a stool. She quickly got to work taking measurements and holding different colors next to Eva's face. When she seemed satisfied with her notes, she turned to the pile of gowns she had brought with her and pulled one out. Handing it to Eva, she directed her to change so she could see it on her.
Eva took the gown to the bedroom and changed. When she returned, it was Edan's turn to be in awe. The light pink dress hugged her torso, accentuating her curves. The sleeves hugged her arms until the elbow where they opened up and flowed loosely around her arms. The full skirt hovered just above the floor and moved around her like water as she walked over to him. Embellished with lace and crystals, the gown sparkled in the light as she spun around to show him the entire thing.
"That will suffice for now. You will have two more by morning and the other three by day's end," Rhun declared, looking Eva up and down with a critical eye. She then gathered up her supplies and the other dresses she had brought with her and left the two alone in the room.
"Thank you, my Lord," Eva said as she twirled around in the gown. "Do you think it would go with this dress if I were to put my hair in a half-up, half-down bun? I really don't know any fancy hairstyles - especially anything that would truly complement this dress."
Edan assured her that she need not worry - they had full access to the castle staff, including someone to put her hair up properly and someone to apply makeup. As he was saying just that, there was a knock on the door.
When Edan opened it, two young girls curtsied and, giggling, introduced themselves as Ariann and Lira, the ones sent to assist Lady Evailia in preparing for the evening. Edan moved to the side to allow them in the room and they bounded in, sweeping Eva up between them as they made their way into the bedroom.
Sooner than he had expected, Eva walked out of the bedroom, seeming unsure of the results. "What do you think, my Lord?"
"Breathtaking," Edan said.
"I look like I fit in now, hopefully I can act like it." Eva said, as much to herself as to Edan.
"You will be fine. And if you are not comfortable, you don't have to talk to anyone." Edan put his arm around her waist and led her to the door where a servant was waiting to guide them to the dining hall.
When they entered the hall, everyone was gathered into groups, talking. Edan made his way across the room, greeting this person and that until he stopped at a group of five near the front of the room. He quickly went around the circle and introduced each to Eva; Sir Eli and Lady Sevina, now married, Talwar and Rawlet, the twins, and Lady Kilarra. Eva greeted each before allowing her attention to wander about the room.
There were enormous tapestries covering the walls depicting scenes of battle mixed in with scenes of feasts and images of mythological creatures such as unicorns and fairies. Tables lined the walls with everyone standing in the open center. At the very front of the room was a raised dais with an elegant table that Eva guessed would be where the King sat.
"You're new here." Kilarra popped into Eva's line of sight, a grin reaching from one ear to the other.
Startled out of her reverie, Eva stuttered, "Y-yes."
"That wasn't a question, Lady Evailia," Kilarra giggled. "What country are you from? How did you meet Lord Edan? Are you two, you know?" She asked in quick succession.
When Kilarra asked about Edan, Eva glanced his way and blushed before quickly looking away. "I-I am from another world actually. And Lord Edan was kind enough to take me in."
Before Lady Kilarra could bombard Eva with any further questions, the King arrived and it was time for everyone to be seated for the meal. As they sat down, Kilarra made sure to sit next to Eva and continued to rain questions on her through the meal - about what her world was like, what the people were like, if there was magic, how things were done without magic, and everything else she could think of.
Eva did her best to answer as well as throw in questions of her own about Kilarra. Before the meal was over, the two women were talking and giggling like old friends.
After the meal, the group went for a walk through the castle gardens. As they walked along, Edan's friends slowly disappeared, starting with Lord Eli and Lady Sevina. Kilarra made an excuse to wander off next and the twins just melted into the background as they walked.
Once he was satisfied that they were alone, Edan stopped where he was and pulled Eva close to him. Before she had a chance to say anything, he turned her face up to his and gave her a kiss. He was happy when she closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss. As he opened his eyes, he slowly loosened his grip on her, but didn't let her go completely.
"My Lord?" Eva wasn't sure how to react.
"Eva, I want you to stay here. With me." Edan searched her eyes for a matching desire. "I love you."
"But," Eva didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure how she felt. "I need to get back to my kids. But I-I love you, too." She said the last as it dawned even on her, a blush rushing to her cheeks. Eva looked into his eyes as she repeated, "I love you too," barely above a whisper.
Edan smiled as he pulled her back in as close as possible and leaned down for another kiss. They spent the rest of the night enjoying each other's company, not worrying about anything else.