The Dormant: The Elemental Witches (Book Two)

Chapter 7: The Golden City Part B

~Thalion~

I took a well-deserved shower after the whole trip with Poppy. It had me in an irritable mood. The rolling of eyes, the sarcastic comments, the bantering. I wish I could grab her and shake her, but I wasn't that type of a male, so I just acted uninterested. I put on my breeches and a white linen shirt, then an overcoat, as I knew the weather in Laureminasse can be quite cold at night. I gave myself a look in the mirror. ¨What are you doing, Thalion?¨ I asked myself as my violet eyes stared back at me.

The first time I saw the elven Princess. I liked her, and now I was here pushing her away. I have something with her I have never had with any other woman or creature. It was a sort of chemistry that began from the first time I saw her. Taking a deep breath, I stepped outside of my room.

Commanding the footman outside my door. ¨Has anyone gone to fetch the Princess for supper?¨ He was about to answer when a female voice talking in elvish came behind me. ¨Thalion Laurenande, I already sent for her but you , my prince, have already been in the city for more than an hour and haven't come to see me? Those are bad manners.¨ I turned at the woman speaking, as she walked, her plum and grey dress flaring around her. ¨Elbereth.¨ I bowed as she took my hand. ¨You shouldn't speak that way, not now that I am…. Betrothed.¨ She let out a loud, melodic laugh. ¨Thalion we both know…¨

Before she could say another word, I grasped her arm and opened the door to my study. ¨Damn Elbereth, the walls in this place have ears. You can’t go speaking like that before something gets back to Aine.¨ She squeezed her eyes at me, grabbing my hand. ¨Then we should be speaking English now that you are betrothed to a human raised. It would help you practice.¨

She put my hand on her chest, and immediately I felt like keeping my fingers away. She now started speaking in English. ¨My heart beats for you, Thalion, for a hundred years now since we were children, how can you choose her over me.¨

Taking a step backward, I had to put some distance between us. So, I walked to the other side of the table. ¨Elbereth you are my dearest and ….¨ My mouth was talking as my eyes trailed off, and then something shocked me. Underneath my table, a glimpse of red hair attached to a terrified Poppy.

She was flat on the floor, her eyes shut closed and mumbling under her breath to herself. Probably asking the gods to take her. ¨Elbereth there can't be anything else than a friendship between us.¨ I looked down as I sat on the chair, nudging my boot in Poppy's direction slightly, so she knew she was caught. I looked down, and there she was, her eyes pleading for me to keep silent.

Sighing, I looked at the fair-haired elven in front of me." Oh,, that is what you said now Thalion? Last month when I was in your bed, my lord...¨ My face drained, and I clutched my fingers together. ¨Elbereth you know that wasn't…¨ She came to my side. ¨Thalion you've been with half the young female elven population of this realm, and the only one that you came twice to visit has been me.¨ I looked down. Poppy had a smirk on her lips. A hand covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. I nudge my foot again towards her, a bit harder to keep her quiet. ¨Elbereth you and I never had the connection, and it is wrong. You still won't be looking forward to a future with me if there is no future to talk about.¨

Elbereth walked to the other side of the table, quickly setting herself face to face with me. Her hand on my shirt and crashing her lips towards mine. I broke the kiss as fast as I could. Before I could say anything, I felt Poppy's teeth biting my knee. ¨Don't look so hurt about that you always said you love my lips. Thalion. Remember, I am a true elven, and that thing you brought that Queen Aine now professes is part of our royalty would never even measure to me.¨

I shifted my head slightly, blinking slowly. ¨No she is at floor level.¨ Elbereth let out a loud huff and turned towards the door, pausing on the doorknob. A fist came to my nether region which I couldn’t stop, making me wince and clutch the armchair. ¨Don't mock me, Thalion. You will regret this someday somehow.¨ She exited my study before she closed the door. With a pained voice, I answered not to her but to my nether regions. ¨I am regretting it this exact moment.¨

Finally, hearing the click of the door, I brought the chair back, grabbing Poppy´s shoulders and standing her up. ¨What the utupnu are you doing?¨ She shrugged my hands of her. ¨What the … whatever you said¨ She contemplated the word. ¨Hell...¨ I managed to say to her, nodding in agreement. ¨What the hell are you thinking? Here I was feeling demoralized and that I had done you wrong, and you've been with half the realm already. Is that how she put it?¨ I stood up, bringing her to her full size. ¨Poppy I...I…¨My eyes wandered to the place we were. ¨Why are you here?¨ She looked around. ¨I got lost.¨ ¨In my personal apartments?¨

A small grin appeared on my lips. Poppy immediately went red. ¨I didn't know this were your personal chambers.¨ Shaking my head, I raised my eyebrows. ¨So more than a thousand doors, and you want me to believe that you stumbled accidentally into my personal chambers.¨She huffed, throwing her arms around quite rattled. ¨That’s not the point you.¨ She pointed at me. ¨You had me thinking you were a saint and you did no wrong, and I was feeling bad when all along you are untrustworthy as a manwhore can be.¨ ¨Manwhore?¨ I asked, and she snapped at me. ¨Man that sleeps with a lot of women. God, that would probably be easy, and now who is the thick-skulled man-w***e?¨ ¨Poppy you are ranting.¨

I took a step forward as she took a step backward. ¨Stay away from me.¨ She demanded, putting her hands up. ¨Or? ¨ She looked around, and I had her trapped against the door. ¨I will scream.¨ I crept more closely until we were sharing the same breath. ¨Do it.¨ I teased. She opened her mouth, closing it, and I got a bit closer, not touching her but enough for both of us to feel each other heat.

Without thinking, she grabbed the back of my head, slamming her lips against mine. Quickly, I cupped her in my arms, giving back the kiss, opening her lips with my tongue, and exploring the depth of her mouth, biting her lower lip. She grabbed the back of my neck, her hand holding my hair as she flushed her body straight with mine. I walked to the desk and, with a movement, placed her on top of it. I began kissing her lower neck, which made her groan and moan.

¨No.¨ She pushed my chest, breaking the connection. ¨I won't do anything with you, not after how horrible you've been today. I will never marry you, Thalion.¨ She got up from the desk and ran towards the door, fleeing. A small grin appeared on my face as she retreated. Knowing already what I was feeling. She may run and hide, but there was no escaping the connection, and the tiny elven that had just fled my room in a state of panic was going to become my companion.