One of the guards stepped forward and kicked Twain back into the cushions. He bounced slightly with the landing, the softest kicking he’d ever received. “Give yourself up!”

“Vanata, honestly. He’s not actually the one who blighted everything. Didn’t I tell you? Don’t listen to a thing the humans say.”

Vanata glowered at him. “He’s a moon elf. They’re untrustworthy. And he’s blighted.”

Laying back on the pillows, Twain stifled a yawn. His eyes drifted half-shut. Damn, it’s too soft. After spending all night and all day running, I’m going to fall asleep.

Vanata scowled deeper and jabbed the spear at him. “Don’t take me lightly!”

Eleda raised a leg and kicked Vanata away bare-footed. “Okay, alright. We’re all very impressed. You and your friends go run along to the front of the float, okay? Let me handle this dangerous, dangerous man. As you can see, I’m taking the threat he poses very seriously. I mean, look at him. Good Goddess, he might even fall asleep on me.”

“But—Your Highness—”

“Gave you an order. You dare ignore my orders?” Eleda drew herself up and looked down at him, her ears flattened back against her skull with displeasure.

Vanata shrunk before her wrath. “As… as you wish.” He raised his spear and skulked off, and the other guards followed, though hesitantly.

“Oh, and put the canopy back up, please? It looks like it’ll rain again soon. Thank you!”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Vanata scowled, but said nothing and walked off.

Eleda sighed and fell back on her pillows. She waved a bejewled hand at him. “Dear Goddess, Mouse, what happened to you? You look awful.”

Twain glanced down at himself. He was covered in dust, still damp from the bay and salt-marked where he wasn’t, stained with blight, and his jacket barely fit and was missing half its buttons. He sighed. “It’s been a long day.”

“We can’t send you to Felix looking like that. Come on. I’ll fix you up.”

Vanata’s ears twitched at that. He glared over his shoulder. “Your Highness, I must protest. We cannot accept this man into our palace. It would be an international—”

“What? It would force us to acknowledge that the humans have gone fully nuts and push us apart from them? Say it isn’t so,” Eleda mocked him dramatically. “If Father won’t do it, let me take the first step.”

“You’re the one who explains this to him,” Vanata grumbled.

“Yes, yes. Double-time, now. We need to get to the baths before Father hears about this.”

Twain sat up at that. “Er, Eleda, you do know—”

“That you’re a man? For a while now, yes. You make a very beautiful woman, for what it’s worth. And an equally handsome man.” Her eyes swept up and down him, and she licked her lips.

“Ah, then… the baths…”

“Do you not want to go in together?” she asked, leaning closer. A sweet scent filled his nostrils. Curves barely restrained by soft silks brushed against his chest.

Twain’s throat went dry. A bare squeak escaped it.

Eleda giggled softly. A hand touched his cheek, so warm. “So?”

“I—” Twain swallowed and tried again. “I, I appreciate the offer, but uhm, I…”

With a dry laugh, Eleda fell back into her cushions. “Ah, I knew the answer before I asked. You’ve already got someone in your heart, right?”

“I—I really don’t know what everyone’s—”

“Oh dear, you haven’t realized?” Eleda sighed and shook her head. “Mouse, darling. At some point, you’ve really got to sit down and take a deep look inside. Who are you willing to go to the ends of the earth and back for? Who do you want to protect, more than anyone else in this Barrier?”

Twain’s brows furrowed. “I—”

She pressed a finger to his lips. “Shh. Sleep, rest. You’re our only hope, and you’re almost there.”