Page 26 of A Simple Truth (the Freckled Fate #2)
25
FINNLEAH
T he mighty blue waves crashed into the small boat, a few splashes making their way onto my light cloak and the nice dress I wore. Lord De Villiar effortlessly rowed, propelling us further from the pebbly shore, towards the large craggy islands scattered in the Northern Ocean like haystacks in a field on a late autumn day.
When Aurelia interrupted me mid-laundry as I crouched over large buckets of water and coerced me to go to dinner with her, I had already done all the possible chores and more. I had also trained more, read more, and even tried a bit of wood carving. But no matter what I did or how hard I tried, I still found my mind drifting to the morning where, once again, I found myself intertwined with the General in a passionate embrace.
One kiss? A desperate measure, needed in the moment for a win.
Two kisses, two days in a row? A set precedent.
And the worst part of all this? I had very much enjoyed the feel of his lips on mine. The obsessive, all devouring kiss or the small tender peck, it didn’t matter. I had taken pleasure in all of it.
It’d been years since I had kissed anyone, or since anyone had kissed me for that matter.
Maybe that was why it felt like a volcano erupted within me, gradually melting everything at his touch.
It’d been years… And even then, it’d always been Ollie before.
Ollie, who was killed by Destroyers; who died protecting me from them.
He died… so I could now make out with the Destroyer General? Was I, truly, that pathetically lonely? I fought back a frustrated grunt as I caught myself amidst the tangled-up threads of my feelings.
Besides, attraction, loneliness, or the mere fact that we simply spent too much time together didn’t matter—I joined the Rebels with a clear purpose. Each moment I spent pining after the General and not dedicating my time to training, was squandered. All time simply wasted, while Viyak was chained up in the Rock Quarries, waiting for me.
The boat hit a small strip of sand lining up the tall mountainous cliffs of the island where humans resided. I jumped out, picking up the skirts of my elegant dress, trying not to think of the man who gifted it to me only a day prior. Aurelia was adamant I wore a dress for dinner, and perhaps, if I didn’t leave all my dresses and skirts back in Svitar, I would have found myself wearing something other than a handpicked dress from the General.
The first stars flickered high above us in the soft, lilac sky. We hiked the carved stairs to the top of the rocky cliff. I had never been to this island before. It was much smaller than Dragon's Island. The settlement was smaller too, but the houses were bigger and not as colorful; mostly built out of stone with wooden roofs, now covered in moss.
I pulled my cloak a bit tighter; though the days were getting warmer with the returning spring sun, the nights still held their wintery sting. We had walked down a narrow, pebbled path to one of the larger houses on the island. But it wasn’t the size of the house that made my mouth drop, it was the sphere-like tower made of nothing but glass that sat atop it.
“That’s my room,” Aurelia whispered as she noticed me staring at it in awe. “I like to watch the stars to help me sleep, it also helps me see all the birds flying by. Daddy built it for me when I got sick of my old room,” she explained as we approached the house. “The other one only had one window! How would I ever see any birds through that?” She shook her head at the audacity of her parents that put her in a room with only one window in the first place. “Though cleaning those windows is one hell of a chore, I’ll tell you that much.” She released a dramatic sigh as we walked into the craftily built house.
“Mom! We're back!” Aurelia shouted. A tall and slender woman appeared at the end of the hall.
“Oh finally, my little angel! I was getting worried,” Lady De Villiar sweetly spoke, giving her daughter a warm embrace. Fleur De Villiar was strikingly beautiful; she had dark, chestnut hair with a small silver streak, neatly fashioned into a beautiful updo. Her dress was modest though well-made, and tastefully embroidered. She wore only a few pieces of jewelry, highlighting her slightly darker undertone and prominent collar bones. She was a woman of great taste, grace, and beauty.
“We’ve brought a guest, my love, I hope you don’t mind.” Her husband gave her a welcoming peck as he gestured to me, and we exchanged friendly nods.
“Welcome, Finn. It’s been long overdue to have you come to dinner.” Lady De Villiar smiled, and I felt a bit guilty for taking so long to accept their invitation to dine.
“That’s exactly what I said too!” Aurelia exclaimed, running up the stairs to her room.
“I am glad to be here,” I politely replied, hanging my cloak on a small line of hooks by the door. “It smells amazing,” I added as the delicious aroma of food filled my nose, making my mouth water. I took off my boots, setting them beside a few others. The warm air in the house prickled my cheeks with heat, turning them a bit flushed as my eyes wandered around. The walls were made of rock, the dark stained wood paneling decorated the bottom half, complimenting the beautiful oriental rug that covered the hardwood flooring.
Lord De Villiar gestured for me to come further down the hall, and I followed him. My eyes admired the beautiful oil paintings hung on the walls, bringing color and warmth to the house. Golden frames of various sizes were filled with scenic landscapes, and beautiful flowers, accompanied by portraits of their family throughout the years and Aurelia. So many portraits of Aurelia.
Lord De Villiar noticed as I paused in front of one picture that tugged painfully on my heart. The grand building of Svitar’s famous city library. The painting portrayed it perfectly. It wasn’t just the highlights or the perfect brush strokes against the canvas that warmed my heart, it was the familiar feeling it depicted of the busy streets of the city, the tall, wide columns of the library, the long shadows on the steps from the many flirting students.
“My wife is quite an artist, isn’t she?” Lord De Villiar softly chuckled near me.
“These are breathtaking,” I whispered, my eyes still unwilling to look away from the painting of the library.
“That one is Svitar’s Library. A grand building, made from ancient stone, it is rumored they mixed gold with clay while laying blocks for the extra sparkle.”
“Did you live in Svitar?” I asked, eyeing a couple more miniature paintings, making a beautiful mosaic on the wall across from me.
“My wife did. She is a Svitarian born and raised,” he responded. “Have you ever been to the city?”
“Yes, I lived in the city for a short while before I came here,” I answered.
“Oh, then you and my wife will surely have a lot to talk about.” He smiled as we turned down the hall to the dining area.
The welcoming room matched the rest of the artistic décor. The large, fine ceramics nook was made from dark cherry wood, exposing well-made, decorated plates behind the glass. Masterfully painted art covered the rock walls, and an oval, burgundy, rug with yellow tassels covered most of the floor. A small oil chandelier hung low from big, wooden beams, lighting the room just enough for warmth and coziness to imbue the space. The large, rectangular table was covered with a white, embroidered tablecloth, and a beautiful flower vase served as a centerpiece. Already, a few dishes were set out on the table, though untouched.
When Aurelia demanded earlier that I come to dinner with her today, I had keenly accepted. In fact, I was very grateful for the chance to get away from the Destroyer camp for once, to put some distance between me and a certain ruthless General that was like a disease, making me feverish.
However, in some twisted turn of Fate, I had managed to do the complete opposite of that.
Because there, across the room were seated Zora, Xentar, and Orest… And unfortunately for me, the one man I wanted to see the least tonight.
“Oh, Finn, what a nice surprise!” Xentar, in his full magnificence, smiled wide, raising his large goblet, his long, thick braids filled with golden trinkets, fluidly moving with his gesture. Zora raised her brows, surprised to see me. Orest just sent me a welcoming nod.
“I didn’t know you were joining us here.” Zora sent a sly smile to me, noticing the dress. I didn’t dare to glance at the General, whose piercing gaze I could feel against my skin.
Before I could respond, Aurelia ran into the room, bumping into me. She had changed into a new dress, her hair down, decorated with a small, light blue headband.
“Aw, everyone is here,” she happily proclaimed, going straight for the chair across the room. “That’s my spot. Everyone knows that’s my spot,” she speedily mentioned, as her silver eyes darted to me. “Here.” She sharply elbowed Orest, who was sitting right next to her.
“Aurelia Fredericka De Villiar, where are your manners, young lady?!” her mother protested but Aurelia nudged Orest again until he politely stood and took a seat next to Zora. The Commander awkwardly shifted in her seat making room for him.
“As my best friend, you will sit next to me.” Aurelia eagerly patted the empty chair between her and the General. I took a quick breath and made my way across the room.
Just because I’d sit right next to him didn’t mean I’d have to talk to him, I assured myself.
Yet, all those assurances and plans crumbled like a sandcastle against an ocean wave, as he swiftly stood up, pulling my chair out for me.
I blinked a second too long, considering telling him that I could move the chair myself. But I was a guest in someone’s house, and it was dinner; the least I could do was be polite.
“Thank you,” I forcefully muttered, sitting down. His muscled thigh, covered in dark pants, rested just a hair away from mine as he took a seat.
“You look rather… charming ,” he murmured, taking a sip of what I hoped was wine. Something I desperately needed if I were to spend the next few hours sitting alongside him. “Can I not compliment you now?” he whispered, as both of us pretended to pay attention to a lively conversation happening across the table.
“I didn’t say anything,” I retorted, my voice hushed.
“Oh, but I can see those little angry flames in your eyes from a mile away,” he purred, leaning closer to me. “Though, you should know that your fury doesn’t scare me,” he whispered, and I was suddenly aware of just how close his mouth was to my ear.
“Oh good, and here I was, worried,” I replied, attempting to sound uninterested.
“Is that why your heart is racing all of a sudden?” He wickedly smirked, causing my heart to race even faster.
“Is that why yours is?” I snarkily shot back.
Gods, what a terrible comeback!
But my mind was completely useless, thanks to his close proximity. Instead of coming up with a quick-witted response, I was now more interested in the fact that he had leaned so far over, that our shoulders touched.
His sultry whisper poured straight into my ear, almost paralyzing me.
“Well, my heart is rather concerned, you see. The most stubborn yet captivating woman I’ve ever met, attempts to kill me, then she kisses me, then she stabs me, then she kisses me again, then she denies my dinner invitation and any interest in spending time with me beyond training, only to show up to dine with me in a gorgeous dress, looking absolutely enchanting. Whoever got it, must have great taste, by the way.” He grinned wide but continued. “But based on the overall pattern of her behavior, I’d say I am due to get stabbed by her again. So currently, I am worried about the amount of sharp silverware laying around, and the Basalt Glass dagger she has strapped to her thigh.”
He ran the back of his hand against my upper leg, stopping just at the hilt of the dagger as he tapped on it with the back of his finger, clicking his tongue in admonishment.
Failing to find anything of reasonable value to counter. I turned to face him, our gazes colliding. His dark, almost black eyes swallowed me whole.
“What are you doing here?” I finally managed to ask.
“Well, my original dinner plans got canceled so I decided to take up the standing invitation to the De Villiar’s house. You?” He leaned away from me, as he gratefully nodded, passing the basket with rolls across the table.
“Aurelia invited me here and I figured—” I took a roll and passed the basket to Aurelia.
“That it would get you far away from the camp...” he finished my sentence, his voice turning into a soft chuckle, a sound smooth and pleasant. “It seems we shared the same idea, Finnleah.”
“It seems so,” I said as I loaded my plate with steaming mashed potatoes. “Fate is just determined to make me suffer today...” I mumbled; my voice laced with irony.
“To make you suffer or please me…Whatever her intentions were for tonight, it appears that we will have to enjoy each other’s company after all. Regardless, Fate is never wrong.”
“Wrong or not, I disagree with her on quite a few of the things she came up with,” I grumbled, though secretly enjoying a hint of a smile on his face at my words.