Maeve didn’t need any further encouragement. In the last few years, she hiked and walked as often as possible, but a good seven or eight hours of hiking through a wilderness with no trails was a whole new challenge. Her thighs and calves cramped, the soles of her feet barking from the uneven terrain. She stripped down behind the screen and sank into the deep, hot water, sighing in contentment as it closed over her chest to her neck.
She heard Rodan moving around on the other side of the partition and closed her eyes, letting the sounds bleed into the background. She relaxed like that for many long minutes before she began scrubbing at herself with the natural sea sponge and the lathering soaps provided for her.
“Rodan?” she called as she rose out of the water and wrapped herself in a large drying sheet. “Do you have to picture everything in your mind before you create it, or does the magic follow more general intentions?”
He gave a low chuckle, and she tightened her grip on the fabric circling her body. Those little, infrequent laughs did things to her body that made her weak. “A little of both, I suppose. Originally, I had to focus a great deal of mental energy just to create an apple from a rock. Now, more complex creations can be formed, though I’m still limited by my reserves of power. I could not, for instance, create an entire castle without myself.”
“It’s incredible,” she breathed. “I wish I had those gifts.”
“You had other gifts if I remember correctly,” he said, and his voice held an edge.
She remembered.
Maeve could sense it coiling around her as they walked. The energy to this world. The swirling mass of potential. Individual plants seemed to call to her, and her eye caught on dropped bird feathers and the husks of insects clinging to the bark of trees. Ingredients that came to life if given the right circumstances.
Maeve ran her hand over the hanging tunics and dresses available to her. She selected a loose shirt and soft woolen trousers. She changed into them, her movements quick. Even with screens for privacy, Rodan was a strong presence on the other side.
She stepped out from behind the barrier and hesitated for a moment. Delicious aromas perfumed the air, and she followed them to the open living area.
Rodan looked up as she neared the edge of her partition, catching her eyes with his. They gave a light flick over her body, and her breath hitched.
He had changed from the imposing imperial garments he wore earlier in the day, dressing instead much like she had, in a loose linen shirt that cut down his chest and a pair of soft-looking pants. His feet, long and white, were unclad, and the shirt rolled up to expose his forearms.
He was an incredible beauty. Some of the dreams she recalled over the years had taken an interesting turn when they featured him. His sharp features were far from ugly, and his long, lean, and muscled body was a masterpiece of the human form.
Except he’s not human, Maeve reminded herself. The mismatched eyes one indication of this, but his golden skin also glowed in certain lights, as though he swallowed a living fire and it licked just beneath his flesh. His eyes slanted a little at the edges, and while he did not have the severely pointed ears of the elven race, a slight point graced the tips.
His beauty alone marked him as an otherworldly creature. Not for the first time, Maeve wondered just where those similarities between him and a human man continued and ended. Heat crawled up her chest at the thought, and she looked away.
“I made dinner,” Rodan said, gesturing out of the corner of her eye toward the low dining table. She looked toward it, glad for any excuse not to let her gaze fall on the deposed king.
My old enemy, she reminded herself. He and I remained at odds, regardless of Sebastian’s manipulations. How can I trust that he forgave all that we did?
Rodan gestured at the cushions by his side. He knelt on one of them and raised an eyebrow at her. “Please, sit. I promise I did nothing nefarious to the food.”
Maeve moved to a seat across from him, sinking down into the cushions with a sigh. After her bath, exhaustion tugged at her. Sore and tired, her belly still growled as she looked over the spread on the table. Roasted chicken, ham, and root vegetables took center stage. On the periphery of the main dishes lay bowls containing a salad of dark leafy greens, sliced peaches, cherries, and Brussels sprouts in a red sauce.
Rodan slid a steaming mug toward her. “Tea?”
She grasped at it with greedy fingers. “Oh, how did you know?”
“That you drink tea? There was a mug on the counter top of your kitchen when I arrived at your home.”
He said it so matter-of-factly, as though noticing such small things was commonplace. The grip of her past prejudices relaxed a bit more. “Thank you,” she said, breathing in the herbal fumes. “It smells delicious.” She took a sip, reveling in the sweetness of honey and chamomile, the tea exactly what she drank at home after a particularly grueling day.
Rodan began heaping a plate with generous portions of each dish, passing it to her when he finished before fixing his own. He licked his fingers clean of grease, and she blinked to see such a human gesture from him.
In fact, this whole thing seemed out of character. Every time Maeve ran into Rodan in the past, he had been as unyielding as granite—an imperious, implacable monarch. Not the type that would go around barefoot, dressed in soft, casual clothes and appreciating the herb-crusted roast chicken.
“You should do this more often,” Maeve said before she thought better of the words.
He raised his eyebrows at her, peeling the flesh off a drumstick. “Do what?”
She gestured at him. “Act more—normal. I think that the people of the Five Realms would like to see you like this. Relatable. You always seemed so standoffish.”
“A king must be above base desire,” he said, as though by rote. “I would never show this side of myself to anyone but my most trusted of companions.”
She looked askance. “I’m a trusted companion? You barely know me, Rodan.”
He smiled, and not for the first time she realized that the expression transformed his face, softening some of those hard edges and exposing brilliant white teeth. “I made it a point to study you when I realized the threat you posed. I know you better than you think. I know that you’re loyal to a fault, and that you keep your word. You accepted the position as my companion. That means something to you.”
Warmth crawled up her neck and bloomed in her cheeks. “I guess it does.” They ate in silence for a moment before she spoke again. “I do think it would benefit you to be more down to earth with your subjects. Sebastian may be a manipulator, but he always seemed to care about the people we helped. We slept in their homes and barns; we ate at their tables and danced with their children. They loved him.”
“They love him little, now.”
“So, go in there and show them that you’ll be better.” She gestured at him with her fork. “Even though there are awful things happening under Sebastian, the people weren’t happy with you, either. Not to this degree, but they knew how hard it would be to appeal to you for help. Those people who worked under you were corrupt. The common people knew they could not go to you for assistance.”
Rodan nodded and speared a Brussels sprout on his knife point. “There were many things that I would do differently, if I were able.”