Crown of Ellova, Vol. 1 (Crown of Ellova Duology)

Chapter 33

CHAPTER 33

T he Quartzridge crystal palace sparkles in the late-afternoon sun, the entire structure made of gold and crystal, with yellow flags atop golden spires. Vibrant music and thunderous cheers greet us as we step into the atrium. Nueena waves at everyone there to welcome her to my court.

Lazalai stands in front of the crowd between two Gem Court honeyguards, who hold large yellow flags embroidered with our crest. She claps her hands in delight and reaches for Nueena, pulling her in for a tight embrace.

“Welcome! Welcome!” Lazalai’s voice is like honey. When she’s done speaking with the royal family, she turns towards me and Leon. She is older than I am, with laugh lines at the corners of her eyes, but she has a youthful beauty to her. Covering her pale, ample chest is nothing but draped necklaces over a slip of bronze fabric; her dark hair is pinned up with an elaborate headpiece with stars hovering above her. Her sheer skirt has a six-foot-long train trailing behind her, and a thick belt hangs low on her spacious hips, draping more gilded chains over her center.

“My dear, how I’ve missed you!” She embraces me tightly. Some of the heaviness I’ve carried releases as she holds me, the sensation of coming home replacing it. I hold her tighter as she whispers in my ear, “You’ve been gone too long, my golden girl.”

Although Lazalai has been Guardian of the Gem Court for centuries, she has felt like a trusted aunt during my time here since I was young, and she still does. I was always welcomed at Quartzridge, even before I chose it as my court. My talent is continuously celebrated, my company enjoyed, and here I have a creative community centered in unity to offer support.

“Lazalai, this is my friend Leon,” I say and try for a bright smile.

“Welcome, Leon.” She does not ask more questions, for which I am thankful.

Leon is polite as always. “Thank you. Izadella has told me many wonderful things about your court.”

“Your room has been cleaned and ready for you,” Lazalai says to me before turning back to Nueena and her family. “Our finest accommodations overlooking the lake have been prepared for you. Leon, I’ll have one of my attendants find a room for you. All the rooms in the palace are full, but we have some lovely guest quarters in the lake houses.”

Leon frowns, his eyes sliding to mine.

“Oh, that won’t be necessary. He can stay with me.”

She raises one of her eyebrows and looks between the two of us, a devious grin on her full red lips. “Oh, well, this is exciting. Two historical events in one week, I see.” She links arms with me as we walk further and leans in conspiratorially. “You’ll have to tell me all the details. He’s quite delicious. If you feel like sharing, I’m sure he would be a hit in the underground lounges.”

I’m about to respond to her jest, but Leon beats me to it.

“There will be no sharing.” He tries to sound lighthearted, but he cannot hide the hardness in his eyes at the very idea of it.

This only causes Lazalai to laugh harder. “I’ll let you all get settled before dinner. Goodbye, Leon.” She winks at him before wrapping her arms around two handsome guards’ waists. One kisses her exposed shoulder before they head off, her hands squeezing each of their ass cheeks .

I turn back to face Nueena and Tavien. Nueena is laughing so hard Tavien has to hold her up. Even Lillian is smiling at us.

Leon’s frown deepens.

“Come on.” I grab Leon’s hand, pulling him past the musicians composing songs about Nueena’s greatness.

The main part of the palace is alive with art and creativity as we walk through the atrium. I wave at the fae I know, but am thankful they don’t try to stop me. While this is my court, I’ve spent far more of my life at the High Court palace, and I have few close relationships with those who live here. We walk past artisans of all kinds working on blown glass, needlework, painting, and poetry. One firefae holds glass in their hand until it glows bright orange and shifts into a vase. Another uses frost magic to turn a tray of water into an ice sculpture of Nueena. There’s a mix of music from musicians all over, tuning their instruments or writing songs.

“Each of the hallways leads to a different subsection of the palace.” I point out the window to the large lake. Temples and luxurious homes surround it, each decorated or designed to show what they create there. One home with tall pillars is covered in murals of every color. Another is made entirely of gleaming metal. At the far end of the lake are rows of vivid tents. “Most artisans trade their work at the lake pavilion if they don’t travel to other courts. Ellovians come from all over for their creative works.”

The air is tinged with the sweet smell of herbs and flowers from one of the perfumeries we pass.

My room in this palace has a large gilded four-poster bed with matching furniture, exactly the same as when I was originally assigned it as a dewling. I show Leon inside. Yellow dresses hang in the closet with a collection of jewelry I made when I was young and Lazalai taught me how to control my powers. The large windows overlook the crystal-clear lake, the sound of laughter and singing drifting in. Besides a few portraits I had commissioned, there’s not much of my personal belongings here. Our items have already been put away, and Leon looks out the window before quickly looking away. I think I know what he is trying to avoid. I peer down out the window and my laughter is soft .

Many of the swimmers and sunbathers are splashing freely in nothing but the skin they were born in.

“Afraid of a little skin, healer?” I taunt.

“Never. I just don’t wish for you to think I’m staring.”

“If you do have an issue with nudity, you may not enjoy this court. Plenty of places here are clothing optional, especially when swimming. It won’t be the last naked fae you will see, especially after the sun goes down.”

There’s a knock on the door and a palace hand walks in with a platter of fresh fruit juices and wine. The fae woman is lovely, her lips painted gold and matching the long blonde locks that cover her chest. She wears the same type of sheer dress that is favored here.

Leon suddenly becomes interested in the paintings on the wall.

“Hello, crown maker. If you need anything, I’ll be taking care of this floor. Just shout for Iris.” She places the tray down with a conspiratorial smile at me. “May I see the crown? Just a peek?”

Leon freezes as I walk over to the chest and remove a few items, pulling out the rich redwood box and lifting the lid.

She leans down and makes a noise of delight. “It’s beautiful!”

“Thank you. There are a few enchantments on it, so try to get a good view during the ceremony.”

She nods enthusiastically. We have never met each other before, but nothing bonds those in the same court faster than wanting to upstage the other courts during Ellovian events. “It’s stunning! I cannot wait to see her in it.”

“Me too.”

“Thank you for showing me. Enjoy your evening.”

Before she can close the door behind her, I add, “Please tell Lazalai that I’m not feeling well and may not make it to dinner tonight.”

She is instantly concerned. “Would you like me to send for a healer? I saw a few of them swimming in the lake.”

“No, no, that will not be necessary. My companion is a healer. If you could just bring up some dinner when you have time, that would be lovely. Thank you, Iris. ”

Her eyes shift between me and Leon. She nods in understanding and gives me the same smug grin Lazalai did. “Of course, not feeling well. I understand. I’ll send up dinner.” She leaves with a flick of her hip.

“Why are we avoiding dinner?” Leon asks. “Or are you truly ill?”

“Two reasons. First, I want to avoid Lazalai as much as possible for now so she doesn’t ask questions, notice you’re mortal, or figure out that my magic is glamoured.”

“How would she be able to tell if you have a glamour?”

“Each fae releases a unique pattern of magic. If you’re close with someone, they learn to recognize it, and I have known Lazalai most of my life. Plus, she’s a powerful fae.”

“And what’s the second reason?”

“This is a communal space where we prioritize collaboration. I can’t access my magic while I wear the crown, and the people here would expect me to use my jewelsmith magic. Everyone lends their powers to everyone else’s creative endeavors. It’s encouraged, expected even. I don’t wish to disappoint anyone.”

“I can understand that.”

I fidget nervously. “Sorry there’s not an extra room for you so you can have your own space. It tends to be crowded here; it’s not unusual to share rooms. We keep talking about extending the palace, but it would mean putting a pause to the nightly parties and we simply haven’t gotten around to it.”

“We’ve shared beds multiple times since leaving Adreania.” Leon steps closer to me. “I do not require my own space, nor do I wish for it. I would much rather be as close to you as possible, especially since we’re in an unfamiliar place. While we may be in your court, surrounded by your people, your safety is still a concern of mine.”

I open my mouth to tell him it’s unnecessary, that I’m safe within these gleaming walls, but I know he’ll argue with me so I simply say, “Thank you.”

He looks surprised at that and nods once.

We are not alone long before Nueena and Tavien arrive, closing the door behind them .

Nueena waves her hand and magic flows out of her. “Sound enchantments to keep our voices to ourselves.” She sits on my bed, kicking off her shoes. “I think it’s best if you both head to the spring early in the morning. The start of the celebration is tonight and hopefully most of this court will sleep late tomorrow. Della will be expected to be at dinner, and as royal crown maker, she has to be there for the ceremony tomorrow. There may not be much time to slip away after that.”

“Do we need to hide what we’re doing here?” Leon asks.

Tavien shakes his head. “No. As a member of this court, Della has free rein to go wherever she pleases, with anyone she chooses. Now, if anyone asks why you were collecting water blutells from the Airvell Spring, you can simply say it’s for an art installation or for medicinal uses on my behalf.”

“How much do we need to collect?” I ask him.

Tavien hands me a leather sack the size of a large watermelon. “Fill this up with the leaves and get as much of the root as possible. Everything you will need is here. I suggest going to bed early if possible. It’s a long ride to the spring.”

L eon and I spend the evening dining on my balcony and eating tender cuts of meat on skewers, still sizzling in their juices, alongside steamed vegetables and brown bread with designs baked with white flour on top. We end the meal with tea and share a small poppyseed cake with lemon frosting.

Once the meal is done, we sit side by side in plush chairs in the small adjoining sitting room and read. The only sound is a crackling fire and the soft whoosh as pages turn. Leon reads from the large tome in his lap, taking notes and filling pages of his journal for reference.

I feel his eyes flit to me ever so often before they return to the book, and I find myself staring at him when he is too engrossed in his work to notice .

When the fire has gone out, I take that as a sign for us to attempt to go to sleep, and nervousness spreads.

I toss back the rest of my wine to steady the nervousness trapped within me.

Leon has a point. We slept in the same bed back at the cottage the first night, and he slept in my bed back at the palace.

I’m filled once again with the gnawing sensation of excitement and dread that is now so familiar when it comes to him. How many nights had I fantasized that he was beside me before sleep took me? It delights me to know that falling asleep next to him allows me to hear his breaths and feel the warmth of his body. His tousled hair and sleep-filled eyes only make me like him more.

After we’ve gotten ready for the evening, we slide into bed at the same time. He doesn’t offer to sleep on the floor and I don’t suggest it.

“What exactly did Lazalai mean when she said sharing in the lounge?”

It was funny this morning, but it only makes me blush now. “Well, those who live here tend to be more generous with their bodies than the other courts. Many choose to keep company for the night and indulge rather than focusing on longer-term commitments. The underground lounges offer more unique pleasures for the evening, usually with multiple bed partners. Sex is considered an expression of creativity, and we are known for our art as much as our pleasure seekers.” I laugh. “I told you this court is known for our parties, and there are many, many different types of parties.”

He chuckles. “That’s the conclusion I came to, but I just wanted to be sure and to let everyone know I’m uninterested in being shared. You have all my attention.” In the caressing low light of the moon, his eyebrows pull together. “Of course I wouldn’t attempt to stop you if that is something you’re interested in participating in. I can only speak for myself. I?—”

I find his hand under the covers and trace each finger with my own. “That’s not something I’m interested in either.”

His exhale sounds relieved .

“Good night, Leon.”

He locks his finger in mine. “Good night, Izadella.”

I dream of crimson couches in dark lounges, the space empty except for us. Of thrusting hips and tangled limbs, rough hands and soft lips.