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"Absolutely not!" Maude said quickly as she grasped her sister's arms. "You are stunning; I was just surprised."

Bryn smiled at her before rolling her eyes. "You're a shit liar. Come on, let's sit down. I'm starving."

Maude followed her sister, tugging Gunnar along with her and seating him closest to the door with Dahlia.

The long table that stretched from one end of the room to the other was decorated with fat pillar candles that dripped wax onto the glossy wooden table, ceramic plates and bowls that were matte in the candlelight, and long vines of gardenias and moonflowers whose alternating white and deep purple added a warmth to the table that Maude reluctantly found cozy.

At the head of the table was a chair that was only slightly larger than the rest but no grander than the others, which Maude assumed would be where Aeric would sit, so she tried to avoid that end of the table.

Liv had other plans, however, and steered her and Bryn to sit directly to the right of Aeric's chair.

The chair opposite to her was still vacant so Maude hoped Liv would be seated there, but her friend opted for the chair directly in front of her sister.

Maude flashed a warning look at Liv as she caught her friend staring at Bryn, her grey eyes glossed over and soft.

Catching her eye, Liv quickly looked away, striking up a conversation with Dahlia as her ebony skin darkened at her cheeks for a moment before dissipating.

Bryn was still mourning Revna, and Maude didn't want Liv to get hurt in the crossfire if Bryn could not return her attraction.

That's what she told herself, anyway. Surely it had nothing to do with Maude being protective over her little sister, the genuine heart that lay beneath the exterior of fire and steel.

As she pondered over her sister's current emotional state, the seat across from her became occupied.

Herrick had slipped into the hall with Hakon at some point under her nose and silently made his way to the seat in front of her as his brother sank into the last spot in front of Dahlia.

She thought the Elven stiffened as the Heir of Rivers ignored them all and reached for the wine, but Maude wasn't sure as her focus was solely on the man in front of her.

His dark brown hair was shining in the torchlight; the curls that Maude knew slid over skin like the finest silks hung over his forehead loosely as he met her stare.

The firelight gilded his eyes until they were molten as he studied Maude as intensely as she studied him.

Even in a simple black tunic and pants, his new axe fastened to his side in a rich leather belt that was surely a gift from her birth father, Herrick was devastating.

The iron band around his neck screamed at her and reminded her of the scars he now bore, but his calm presence was a balm that only he could provide.

Suddenly, her skin was too tight. The air she breathed was too thin.

The sound of their friends talking and laughing died to a low buzz as the world around them fell away.

Herrick's gaze traced over her curves like a physical graze, causing her very core to throb with need.

She clenched her thighs and cleared her throat as Herrick's gaze traced her lips with agonizing attention.

He looked at her like a starved man who had been served his final meal. Ravenous.

Needing to move her body, to know she was still in control of it, Maude gathered her long hair and brought it over her shoulder. Her hair brushed over her shoulders and neck, the sensitive flesh breaking out in goosebumps.

Through each movement, Herrick's predatory gaze traced over each reaction and breath she took.

His eyes landed on the jasmine she had tucked behind her ear, and Maude held her breath, waiting to see how he would respond.

Before she could find out, the double doors opened again, and Aeric entered the room, effectively dousing her desire for the man in front of her and bringing on an onslaught of new emotions.

Uncertainty. Curiosity. Longing. Wariness.

Back and forth, her emotions warred with themselves.

Only when she remembered her mother's journal entry about him did she see him in a new light: the teasing, curious, gentle male who only wanted to protect his people.

The mental image cleared some of the unknown haze that surrounded the man who had sired her.

Everyone seated at the long table rose at Aeric's entrance, the soft scraping of chairs on the floor grating against Maude's ears as she tried to force her body to move.

"Please, sit," Aeric said, his melodic voice silky like the darkest part of the night. "There is no need for formality amongst friends."

Maude, unable to do anything but sit frozen in her chair, watched Aeric make his way to the seat next to hers. Under the table, the soft nudge of a booted foot tapped against her ankle. Her eyes flashed up to Herrick, but he was only watching her father greet their friends as he passed them.

Too soon, Aeric sat next to Maude, his silver eyes softening as he took in her position at the table.

She supposed there was no use in telling him that Liv had forced her to sit here.

Until tonight, Maude had managed to avoid being alone with Aeric or even speaking to him for an extended period.

She knew that as soon as he knew her, he would see her for the dark creature Helvig had made her into.

She didn't know why she cared so much, but her game of avoidance was coming to a crashing halt now that they sat inches away from each other.

The thought stained the rest of her mood, its dark tendrils seeping into the very corners of her remaining good nature as she tried to focus on the conversation at hand.

This dinner was as much a meeting to plan their next steps as it was a small celebration for freeing Herrick, but any excitement or eagerness that Maude might have had for tonight started to disappear as soon as she had spotted that diadem in her room.

Responsibilities she had not accepted were hovering over her head like a blade ready to slice deep, and that silver diadem was a reminder of that.

She had escaped one crown and run right into the shackles of another.

Large trays of food were being brought into the hall and placed on the table when Maude was finally able to pull herself from her spiral.

The aroma of spiced meats and roasted vegetables filled the room as tray after tray of decadent food was placed in the center of the tables.

Sugared pears and wild berries adorned the plates of roasted meats that had been slathered in rosemary, thyme, and sage.

Small bowls of soft, salted butter were placed next to the still-warm rugbr?d in the woven baskets lined with cloth.

Small potatoes that could fit in the palm of her hand were boiled until they were as soft as the melted butter poured over them, the sprigs of dill on top adding a fresh, light scent to mix with all the heavier foods.

Her father had been speaking with Herrick about only the gods knew what as she had remained withdrawn, so she had not realized that a flute of the sparkling Elven wine had been poured for her.

She grabbed the delicate crystal glass and downed the effervescent lavender liquid, praying to the gods that she would survive this dinner.

Once everyone had served themselves, Aeric stood. The room grew quiet as they all waited to hear what the Shadow King would say.

"Friends, the gods have woven the threads of fate to bring us together for the upcoming summer solstice," Aeric's voice rang out in the quiet room, the shadows thickening as he spoke.

"The seeds of friendship and unity have been planted between our respective kingdoms in hopes that in the near future, we may all be allies once again.

We meet tonight to plan our next steps to free Ahland from tyrannical rulers and those who would defy the gods and fate for their own gains.

But first, we will feast to celebrate freedom.

May the Allfather and Freyr, the god of summer and harvest, find our sacrifice acceptable and bless us with a full crop. "

A pause impregnated the space Maude, and her friends occupied, the silence following her father's speech echoing with the gravity of his promises for only a moment before he spoke again.

" Skol ," her father said as he raised his glass of sparkling Elven wine, his silver eyes flitting to hers for a moment before returning to the room.

Everyone raised their glasses as well before shouting, " Skol !"

Maude cast her eyes down and only tipped the rest of her second glass of Elven wine into her throat, choosing to fall into her foul oblivion rather than pretend they were one big, happy family.

So they could all be allies again , she scoffed to herself. Easy to say when you've been hiding the truth of why the treaty was created after the Elemental War.

From underneath the table, a swift kick from that same booted foot collided with her shin.

Maude hissed as the sharp needle of pain traveled up her leg, bringing her into the present.

Across from her, Herrick winked at her and held his glass up for her to tap with her glass.

She rolled her eyes but obliged, tapping her empty flute with his full one.

She knew she was being childish, but she couldn't stop herself.

Conversation staggered at the long table as everyone began to feast, the scraping of metal on ceramic ringing in Maude's ears as she took in her birth father's dominating presence.

In her self-proclaimed solitude, Maude evaluated how everyone at the long table reacted to Aeric.

How many of them knew about their true history?

Liv had surely told Herrick and the rest of their friends, but did Bryn know?