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“Edmund!” Essie squealed, dropped Farrendel’s hand, and raced forward. She leapt into the young man’s arms, hugging him tightly around the neck. He responded by lifting her from her feet, swinging her around.

She had said Edmund was one of her brothers, correct? Farrendel strode after her, not sure where he should stand.

The young human man, Edmund, set Essie back on her feet, holding her at arm’s length as he gave her a look over. “Are you all right? I couldn’t believe what Avie did. And without giving me a chance to properly investigate him.”

The look Edmund gave Farrendel over Essie’s shoulder pinned Farrendel in place. It was not a glare but rather something penetrating and calculating.

Essie stepped back and reached for Farrendel’s hand again, tugging him forward. “Edmund, this is Farrendel Laesornysh. Farrendel, this is my brother Edmund.”

Edmund held out his hand to Farrendel, a smile on his face. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I can see by my sister’s smile that she already cares for you very much.”

He could tell that from just a few moments? Farrendel studied Edmund right back. This brother of Essie’s was perceptive.

And, there was a test in Edmund’s words. This was the kind of test with which Farrendel was familiar. It was the type of probing statement an elf would make.

Edmund’s hand remained in the space between him and Farrendel. As if he was expecting some reaction from Farrendel.

Farrendel glanced at Essie. What did Edmund want him to do?

Essie leaned closer and said in elvish, “This is a human greeting custom. You clasp his hand and shake it.”

Clasp his hand? That was highly unsanitary. Farrendel had no idea where Edmund had been or when he had last washed his hands. It was a wonder humans as a race had endured this long, if they had no compunction against spreading diseases with every stranger they greeted.

Farrendel swallowed, forcing himself not to stumble back. This visit to Escarland was going to be far more difficult than he had anticipated.

THREE MONTHS AGO, Essiehad left Escarland mostly married to a mysterious elf prince she didn’t know. A marriage of alliance, nothing more.

Returning now, it was so much more, even if it was odd to have Farrendel on Escarlish soil, facing her brother Edmund.

Farrendel eyed Edmund’s hand. Elves barely held hands with their significant others, much less clasped hands to shake with a stranger.

Essie leaned in close and whispered, “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

It would be a fine line between encouraging Farrendel to learn her culture and yet not force him to do things he was uncomfortable with, like shake a stranger’s hand.

Edmund started to withdraw his hand, but Essie glanced at him and shook her head. Edmund needed to give Farrendel just a little more time to decide if he wanted to do this or not.