Arranged (41 page)

She raised her brow as her eyes flitted to Alison. "Did anything...happen?"

He shrugged and headed for the door. She growled lowly at his turned back. "I'll grab some food and return in a while."

Alison glared after him almost as much as Adalia did. He was leaving on purpose because he didn't want to explain anything that had happened to his sister. So, he deserted her, leaving Alison to the wolves.

As soon as the door was closed, Adalia turned to her. "What happened?"

Alison wondered if she should bother to explain. She blushed just thinking about it. Adalia's eyes widened at her reaction. "What did he do?"

Alison held up a hand, trying to hide her embarrassment that Adalia would think she would do anything inappropriate with Qwinn.

"The cave and the pools were beautiful," she said. "Nothing happened between us…except…"

Adalia raised her brows in encouragement. "Well?"

"He likes me," she answered, unable to top her face from lighting up.

Adalia smiled knowingly. "I knew it."

"He kissed me…"

Now his sister looked surprised.

Alison twirled a finger absentmindedly around her hair. She had never felt so giddy or girly. "What do I do now?" she asked.

The woman tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"I've never…liked anyone, or had anyone like me in return. I don't know what happens next."

Adalia patted her shoulder. "Just spend time with him. Get to know him. The next step will come naturally."

Alison found herself smiling again. "I really care for him, Adalia. It's actually kind of scary."

Adalia smiled sweetly. "I'm glad you're happy. There is nothing to be afraid of. I know my brother; he is a good man and will treat you very well."

The door suddenly opened and Qwinn entered carrying a tray laden with food. It was strange to see him doing something a servant would do. Adalia seemed surprised by it too. He set the tray on the bed between the two ladies, where they were seated. "Breakfast is served."

Alison's stomach gurgled in agreement and she laughed. He handed her a sweet pastry. She accepted it, brushing his fingers. She felt so ridiculous at the rush of emotion that filled her, yet, at the same time, she couldn't stop her giddiness from overwhelming her.

Adalia's eyes kept moving back and forth between the two, her smile growing the more time passed.

"I have more training to see to today."

Alison's smile seemed to fade. "Oh. Will I not see you all day then?"

"Perhaps we can have dinner together?"

"I would like that," she said shyly, biting into her pastry.

He took her free hand, kissed it and got up to leave, throwing his sister a look.

She rolled her eyes, "I'll keep an eye on her."

He nodded, satisfied, and then shut the door behind him.

Alison hadn't realized she'd sighed dreamily until Adalia pointed it out. "You really are falling fast for him."

That statement seemed to snap her out of her little cloud of infatuation. Adalia was right; she was falling too fast. She was becoming too vulnerable. She pushed her hair out of her face and took a deep breath. "Too fast."

The tent was filled with the same air of excitement Alison had felt the last time she was here. A few dancers were already practicing their pieces while others chatted with others. Adalia grabbed the bells to tie around Alison's ankles and handed her the tambourine. "Practice what you learned yesterday a few times then I will teach you more."

It didn't take long for Alison to get into the flow of the drums and the fluid movements of the dance. It seemed almost simple now. She repeated her sequence a few times, and then looked around for Adalia; she was ready to learn the next few steps.

She found the princess talking to Vin, but the couple didn't look as though they were having a pleasant conversation. Adalia looked annoyed, as did Vin. Alison decided it would be best if she left them alone for a moment.

She practiced her dance a few more times, and then grew bored of the moves. Therefore, she decided to watch the other dancers for a while. One of them was whipping around so quickly they were almost a blur. The woman was very tall, well over two heads taller than Alison was. She was as slender as a sapling also. While she danced with a dizzying display, she drew designs in the air with a long sheer ribbon. Alison became almost hypnotized as she expertly swirled the ribbon and spun so fast that she was sure the woman would get caught and tripped up, but she didn't. After a moment, the woman seemed to realize she had an audience. She turned her silver eyes to Alison. For a moment, it seemed that she didn't know how to react to the human then she smiled and stepped closer.

Alison fought to stop herself from shrinking back in intimidation by her sheer height. The woman held out the ribbon to Alison, who looked at it as if it were the strangest thing she'd ever seen. The woman laughed, or what Alison would guess was a laugh. It sounded as if the woman were gasping for air. She flicked her wrist and caused a beautiful ripple to travel the length of the ribbon. Once again, she offered the ribbon to Alison. This time, she accepted the instrument and tried to imitate the flicking. The ripple didn't make it a third of the way down the ribbon. Again, the woman sounded like she was gasping for air, but the smile on her face told Alison that she meant no harm. Her long dark blue fingers circled Alison's wrist. She jerked her wrist and the ribbon rippled longer. Alison tried again, this time without the woman's help. To her satisfaction, the ripple continued half way.

As she practiced, the woman walked to a chest that was laying open and pulled out another ribbon, this one a sheer green. She came back to Alison, motioning for her to watch. She swooped her arm over her head, the ribbon following with a silent flutter.

Alison tried, but the end of the ribbon didn't quite make it and became caught around her arm. She growled in frustration and tried again only to get the same result. The woman huffed next to her and Alison fought a blush, she didn't like anyone laughing at her expense.

Everyone continued to practice their dances, paying no mind to the human tangling herself in the rippling ribbon. The woman was very patient, she never yelled or motioned angrily, instead she seemed to be enjoying herself. Once Alison mastered a move, the woman immediately moved onto the next, more complicated move.

Adalia found them a while later, twirling the ribbon around their ankles and jumping in and out. She smiled apologetically, "I hate to steal you away, but we still have a lot to learn."

The woman bowed her head and took back the ribbon, returning to her practicing, as if their session had never happened.

Adalia led them to a slight clearing, which was hard to come by in the crowded tent. Alison wanted to ask what her argument with Vin was about, but knew it was none of her business. Adalia jumped right into it, going over the next sequence of steps. Alison had gotten better at watching for key movements like how she moved her legs and hands, or how she landed out of a turn, so she wouldn't have as many questions.

They practiced for what felt like hours, and then took a break to eat. Alison rubbed stiffness out of her leg while she ate and listened to Adalia banter back and forth with Vin, who had been missing the better part of the early evening after their argument. She watched Adalia, noticing that she still seemed slightly agitated with him, though she wasn't completely ignoring him.

He kept himself close and open, as if pleading for forgiveness with his body language.

Alison looked away, giving them some privacy, still wondering about what a beautiful couple like them could be fighting about?

For the millionth time that evening, her mind wandered to Qwinn. She wondered how his training was going. She also began to wonder if he was thinking about her and if he would show up to her practice. She shook her head, stopping her thought process. Just because he kissed her didn't mean that she needed to fall head over heels for him. She was still her own woman…wasn't she?

No matter how the council tried to convince him to postpone the war, he knew that it needed to be done, for his people, and he had no time to waste. No one would be safe with those monsters roaming the forests. His future children wouldn't be able to explore without fear. He would save them from their uncertain future.

He opened Alison's door quietly, peering in. The lamp was still burning, but she was obviously asleep on the bed. His annoyance grew as he realized adalia hadn't even bothered to help position her comfortably. He closed the door softly behind him and moved swiftly. Gently, so as not to waken her, he scooped one hand under her legs and the other under her back so he could shift her in one move.

When he laid her head on her pillow, her eyes fluttered tiredly open. "Qwinn?" she murmured, obviously trying to stay awake.

He smoothed a palm over her cool forehead, "Yes, sleep now. I was merely seeing if you were alright."

She smiled around a yawn, "I missed you today,"

His mouth twitched in a smile of his own, at her words, he couldn't help but wonder if she knew what she was saying or if she was rambling because she was tired. He hoped very much that it was the first rather than the latter. "I missed you too," he said gently, pulling her blanket up to her chin and leaning in to kiss her forehead. She was asleep before his lips touched her smooth skin.

He found himself lingering by her side, even as she breathed the deeply with sleep. He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and she turned her head toward his hand, as if wanting more of his touch. He literally had to pull himself away. The sheer amount of effort it took so that simple act shocked him.

The sounds in the enormous cavern outside his window changed to those of night. He knew, without having to open his eyes that the sun had set and he should wake up, however, he had no motivation too. When he woke up, he knew he would have another long day of tiring and rigorous training ahead of him, which also meant that he wouldn't be able to visit the only person he wanted to see, again.

For that reason, he remained in his room until Jabr found him there, insisting that there was work to do. It wasn't that he didn't want to train and prepare his soldiers. He loved his people more than anything else, however, the selfish side of him was becoming more and more apparent. Perhaps Alison wasn't changing him for the better...

Qwinn washed his face with cool water, waking himself completely. He changed his robe and hurried to the dining hall. Many of his soldiers had begun to eat without him, he didn't mind. The kitchen staff brought him a plate overflowing with breakfast. He ate everything to be sure that he would be fueled for the tough day ahead. When he was finished he ordered his men to begin warm ups, he expected them to be ready by the time he was out of the council meeting.

"Today we will prepare the gown for Alison," Bartus informed Qwinn in private before the meeting began. Qwinn was thankful that he at least used Alison's name when he mentioned her.

"I haven't told her yet...," Qwinn answered.

Bartus frowned slightly, his bulldog features sagging. "You must tell her Qwinn, or the bond will not be strong due to anger when she finds out from someone else."

Qwinn grit his teeth at the thought of someone else blowing everything that he had planned. "I will tell her soon. Is there some way we can hold off the gown fitting?" he asked as he desperately brainstormed. He didn't want her to find out that way. She deserved to hear it from him personally. She trusted him.

Bartus shook his head, his features sagging more. "I'm afraid not. When she returns from the tents tonight, she will need to be fitted.

It was as if the fog in the room had lifted. A smile bloomed on his face and when he watched Bartus' eyes widen in surprise and uncertainty he couldn't contain his chuckle. "I have an idea," he exclaimed, clapping his friend on the shoulder, "allow Adalia to measure her. She will think she is being fitted for a dancer's dress." Pride flooded him for his quick thinking. Disaster averted.

Bartus thought through his words before he gave them light, "Very well, however, you should not wait any longer to tell her. She deserves to know."

Qwinn's good mood began to dissipate, "I will tell her when I see fit."

Bartus nodded, ending discussion and entering the council chamber where the other members were waiting.

ALISON STRETCHED LIKE A CAT, curling her toes with satisfaction from the good morning's rest she had. When she opened her eyes, she realized that she had somehow made it under the blankets and taken her slippers off. The last thing she could remember was falling onto the bed in exhaustion and giving herself over to sleep.

And then she remembered something about Qwinn, perhaps he was the one to settle her in bed. She blushed from embarrassment and for how romantic it was that he would tuck her in. She rolled her eyes, trying to snap herself out of it.

All the years locked away in Uncle Jackson's manor, she had managed to get a hold of a few romance books, smuggled in by some of the servants for her. She always thought the way the heroines acted was ridiculous and unbelievable, who would become giddy by a mere glance from a man? But somewhere deep down within her she longed to have that feeling.

Now here she was, giddy from the passing sweep of Qwinn's eye. While the heroines in her books always acted with poise and confidence, she was a mess. She blushed more than she'd ever done so in her life, she could easily lose track of her thought process, while in the middle of a sentence nonetheless.

Despite all of that, she wouldn't change the feeling for anything in the world. For the first time in all of her life, she felt alive. Every time he touched her, his fingers sent sparks of electricity through her, which left her shaking for more. Every time he looked at her, her heart stopped, just for a moment as she wondered what he was thinking.

She threw the covers off herself and stood, completing her luxurious stretch. She hoped that she would be able to spend some time with Qwinn tonight, since she had missed him the night before.

As if sensing she were awake, Adalia waltzed into her room with a big grin on her face. "I am here to measure you for your festival dress!"

Adalia made quick work of taking a rope with little knots in it and wrapping it around her waist, making a note of whatever measurement she got on a paper. She measured how tall she was, how big her feet were, how long her arms were, etc... Alison felt like a doll that Adalia wanted to dress up. "Perfect!" she exclaimed when she was finished. "Let's get some breakfast then we have a lot of work to do again today."

Alison's heart sunk. Apparently, there would be no seeing Qwinn today. She quickly masked her feelings before Adalia picked them up and slipped her feet into her thin fabric slippers they had given her. She followed Adalia out the door and down the hall, saying good morning to her new guard Larius, who kindly followed at a respectable distance.

Alison felt almost important to have a bodyguard, then uneasy. Why would she need one? Didn't Qwinn say his people wouldn't harm her? Unless he had lied to her. Maybe he was just making sure she didn't run away. That thought sent her heart sinking even farther. Didn't he trust her by now? She hadn't even made an attempt to run since she had broken her leg.

She shoved the thoughts and doubts out of her mind. She was over thinking this. The new guard was there to simply make sure she was safe. He was also probably Qwinn's eyes and ears while he was busy training.

She followed Adalia to the stables and climbed onto the Ou'tani. She had grown used to the strange looking creature. In fact, she was still surprised how used to her surroundings she was. Perhaps it was because her father was good at taking life as it came.

Once at the tents, she realized the atmosphere had changed. Everyone was hustling about with more of an anticipation and worry than excitement. They had deadlines to keep, and from the look on everyone's faces, that deadline was catching up to them quickly.

Alison was surprised that her trainer didn't immediately jump into the dance, but instead, dragged her to where the ladies were putting together outfits. She began pulling out different fabrics from a large chest and held them up to Alison for scrutiny. A couple of times she cast them aside, only to pick up another. When she found a few she liked she grabbed Alison's hand and brought her before three ancient looking ladies who were bent over other fabrics and sewing.

One of them looked up from their work and studied Alison. After a moment, her wrinkled face grew into what looked like a smile.

She began to speak in Vidarian Adalia thankfully translated for them. "She says that she has been watching you dance and you dance very well for a human."

The woman continued to speak, motioning toward a pile of fabrics. The other two women hardly spared Alison a glance.

"She would be honored to make a beautiful dress for you," Adalia finished.

The woman braced herself on a cane and came to a shaky stand. She motioned with her seven-fingered hand for Alison to come closer. She cautiously stepped over bundles of fabrics to stand in front of the woman.

The old woman's gray eyes studied Alison again. Adalia handed over the colors she had already chosen. The older woman nodded in agreement and spoke quickly in Vidarian to Adalia, who hurried off to do her bidding. An hour later, Alison was standing with her arms straight out while Adalia and the woman bustled around her, tying things to her rough shape of a dress.

Her arms were no longer burning. Instead, she was numb now and was sure her arms would fall off her shoulders if she held them up any longer.

Thankfully, Adalia allowed her to take the makeshift dress off. "Now, to practice."

Alison felt like she wanted to flop onto a pillow and sleep the night and next day away. She hadn't known costume designing could be so exhausting.

They found a relatively clear space and started from the beginning. Alison was sure that she could do this dance in her sleep.

Adalia was a patient but firm trainer. She would repeat a move until Alison picked it up, then continued working on the next moves until Alison was perfect. About an hour into practice, Adalia announced that they had completely run through the dance.

Alison's excitement grew at the revelation. She had done it! Adalia allowed a quick break, insisting they still had a lot of perfecting to do.

Alison stretched her bad leg, relieving the stiffness. All of a sudden, she felt eyes on her, which wasn't unusual, someone was constantly staring at her, but this gaze was heated and meant to be felt.

When she lifted her eyes, she found cold green eyes staring back. Shea.

The woman openly glared at her, causing another chill to race through her. Before Alison could ponder for too long, Adalia was back and they returned to their never-ending practice.

Now that Alison knew all the moves, Adalia became very picky about her execution of said moves and Alison became frustrated when she couldn't flow the way she was supposed to.

They agonized over a particularly hard set of moves for what felt like an eternity and Adalia's cool composure was starting to waver. "I don't understand why this is so hard. Just flip!"

Alison gathered her dress nervously in her hand. "I don't want to hurt my leg again…"

"I showed you the correct way to do it, as long as you follow my instruction−"

"I've never flipped before," she blurted. She couldn't believe that while she was in the midst of creatures scarier than any horror story, she was truly afraid of doing a back flip that Adalia made look so easy.

"Just try Alison," she huffed.

Alison's throat went dry.

"Am I interrupting?" a familiar voice sounded behind her. Immediately, the cloud that was hovering over Alison disappeared and her face lit up with a smile. She turned at the welcome sight of Qwinn. Before she realized what she was doing, she threw her arms around him in a hug.

He chuckled, the sound rumbling in his chest as his arms wrapped around her small body. "Well, hello," he laughed.

Alison pulled away, blushing slightly. Qwinn, however, held her there, trapping her in his strong arms. "I missed you," he whispered for her ears alone.

Finally, he released her and looked to his sister, who was standing nearby, trying to keep her smile from breaking through her mask of annoyance. "Yes you are interrupting," she informed him.

He bowed his head. "I apologize. Continue, I'll take a seat and wait." With that, he moved to the large pillows and made himself comfortable, while affording himself a good view of the girls.

Adalia rightfully ignored him and did the flip she expected Alison to do. She made it look as easy and as natural as walking. Alison wished that Qwinn would make up an excuse and take her away, at least postponing the inevitable. She knew that even if it took all night into the morning, Adalia would keep her there until she at least attempted the flip.

Her trainer turned to her expectantly and her stomach flipped with nervousness. "I don't think I can do this," she whispered, not wanting Qwinn to know there was a problem.

Adalia propped her hands on her hips. "You'll never know for certain until you try."

Alison swallowed hard, knowing she was right. She mimicked her stance, moving to flip and hesitated at the last moment, stumbling forward awkwardly.

Immediately Qwinn was by her side. "Easy," he murmured gently.

Alison regained her bearings and set up again. This time Qwinn's hands surrounded her waist. "I will help you," he informed her. His hands were warm and his touch was affecting her. If she thought it was hard to concentrate before, it was nearly impossible now.

She cleared her throat, simultaneously trying to clear her mind. She forced herself to concentrate and ignore his hands. He counted to three and Alison bounded before leaping and flipping. She squealed and almost came crashing down on her head when Qwinn grabbed her tight and brought her back to her feet. She was a mess; just that simple mistake caused her dress to go askew and her hair to cover her face. Despite all that, her heart was racing in her ribcage as she tried to catch her breath.

"I thought I was going to hit my head…," she offered lamely.

Qwinn helped brush her red hair out of her face. "Trust that I will not let you fall. You also must follow through with the flip, do not tense in midair."

She nodded, studying the floor for a moment while she gathered her thoughts. She knew she had messed up. If he hadn't have been there, she would probably be knocked out. After her nerves had calmed a bit, they set up again.

"Trust me," he whispered as his strong hands surrounded her waist again. Alison counted to three this time then pushed off the ground, bending backwards. Qwinn helped guide her until her hands touched the ground. She swung her legs over a little too quickly and landed on her knees, gently thanks to Qwinn. She sighed in frustration as he helped her up easily.

"That was much better than last time," he said, a very attractive smile on his face.

Ignoring her feelings, she set up again, determined to prove to him she could do it. She took a deep breath then counted to three, pushed off and this time landing on the balls of her feet. She was still too early, so the move sent her skittering forward onto her knees.

Alison stood, ignoring the ache in her leg and set up again. Qwinn asked if she needed to rest, she refused. She would flip if her life depended on it. It was embarrassing to her to prove yet another weakness in front of Qwinn. She was human and not as strong, she needed him to see the best side of her…she needed him to.

They set up again and she flipped, still stumbling but managing to stay off her knees this time. After that, she allowed herself only a moment to rest and was at it again. It was becoming easier with every pass. Adalia stood by with a critical eye, giving her tips to make the flip easier.

Qwinn congratulated her every time, despite her lack of victory. When she made her first successful flip, she allowed herself a hug from both Adalia and Qwinn. They were becoming more a family to her than her Uncle Jackson ever could be.

"Perhaps we should call it a night," Qwinn offered, taking Alison's hand.

"The festival is only three days away. I'm not ready…" she protested, for once.

The siblings exchanged a look that made Alison feel as if they knew something she didn't know, and more importantly, it involved her.

"You have worked hard today, you deserve a rest," Adalia said.

Alison wouldn't argue, her leg was starting to ache pretty badly. Qwinn agreed to take her home while Adalia stayed to finish some costumes.

This time, as they rode the Ou'tani, Alison wasn't afraid to lean back into his strong chest. It surprised her, how much she had missed and they'd only been a part for a day and a half.

He surrounded her waist with the arm that wasn't holding the reins, pulling her closer. For the hundredth time that night, her heart began to race.

"How did your training go?" she asked, eager to catch up.

"Very well," he answered. She could feel the rumble of his voice in his chest.

"Are you training for war?"

She noticed he was hesitant in his answer. "Yes."

"With the Torin?"

IT AMAZED QWINN HOW SHARP ALISON WAS. He had tried to shield her from all of this as much as he could and she still figured things out. "Yes," he answered.

He could feel her stiffen in his arms. "Do not fear; my men are well trained."

"It's not them I fear for…," she said gently, so gently he wasn't sure she meant for him to hear it.