Page 14 of Quest for her Knights (The Lost Souls of Dyconia #5)

Chapter thirteen

Elora

“ A re you sure I look okay?” I ask Arrow for the third time, nervously smoothing down my long skirt.

“Yes, Princess, you look perfect,” he says, offering a warm smile. He doesn’t touch me, just gestures to where I should walk. I glance up at the massive estate in front of me, then roll my shoulders back, take a deep breath, and step forward.

We’d spent five nights in the forest before arriving at the Carlington Estate. Thankfully, I hadn’t suffered any more insomnia, as Arrow and Blaze had taken it upon themselves to help me fall asleep each night since I confessed my exhaustion.

It’s shocking what a little sleep can do for your mental state.

I felt so much more like myself, even managing to shorten a few of my dresses along the way.

But Ranger made it very clear I needed to wear the longer ones when meeting the lords.

He’s the expert in propriety, so I decided to listen.

I didn’t want to make a poor first impression on my potential future husbands.

Besides, Ranger is the leader of our little group, even if he irritates me sometimes. Like every time I start having a real conversation with one of the others, he suddenly finds a task for them, leaving me alone.

It’s not just that I want company, I’m genuinely curious about them. Blaze has a thing for herbs. He’s always foraging when we stop, and he makes me a new tea blend every night.

Arrow is true to his name. He’s always crafting bows and arrows around the campfire, and it’s mesmerizing to watch. Draven, meanwhile, polishes his many, many weapons each evening, despite not having used any. He reminds me of a secret assassin: quiet, deadly, and waiting to strike.

And then there’s Ranger. He keeps himself slightly apart from the others, though it’s clear he cares about them, especially his brother. It feels like something’s weighing on him, keeping him from relaxing, though I’ve no idea what it is.

“Greetings, and welcome to Carlington Estate,” a warm male voice calls. I glance up the stone steps to see an older man standing in the open doorway.

“Thank you. This is Princess Elora Silverthorn of the North,” Ranger says, gesturing toward me. My instinct is to curtsy, but I know this man isn’t one of the lords, so I offer a friendly smile instead.

“It’s nice to meet you...”

“Oh goodness! My apologies, Princess!” the man says, his eyes wide as he bows deeply. “I am Edger, the manager of the household.” I’d have to ask my knights later what that meant, but I assumed he helps run the estate’s daily operations.

“It’s nice to meet you, Edger. This is Ranger, my head knight.”

“Ahem, guard,” Blaze coughs into his fist.

“Right—erm, my head guard. And this is Blaze, Arrow, and Draven, my other… guards.” I try not to grin. I wasn’t sure why, but I liked calling them knights more.

“Welcome to you all. Please, come in. I’ll have your luggage brought in and your horses tended to,” he says, motioning us inside.

“Thank you, that’s very kind.”

“Of course, Your Highness. Are you hungry? The lords just sat down for lunch and would be delighted for you to join them.”

“Oh, yes, that would be lovely, thank you.”

As I walk up the steps, my eyes meet Ranger’s. He gives me a small smile and a nod, a subtle signal that I’m doing everything right.

My knights surround me as Edger leads us through the grand estate. When we reach a set of large double doors, he pauses.

“If you’ll wait a moment, I’ll announce you,” he says, ducking inside.

“Announce me?” I whisper to Blaze, who stands beside me .

“Yes, people are always formally announced when meeting royalty or lords,” he replies.

“Hmm,” I murmur, turning back to the door as Edger’s loud voice booms out.

“Your lordships, I present Her Royal Highness, Princess Elora Silverthorn of the North, and her royal guards.”

I try not to smirk at the title. No part of me feels like a princess, it’s like acting in some elaborate role-playing game.

“Head up, Princess,” Ranger whispers, stepping into the room ahead of me to ensure it’s safe. After a moment, he beckons me in. I square my shoulders and walk through the doors.

The large dining room is beautiful and looks right out of the Victorian era. A long wooden table is covered with an array of food and four men sit around one end. Leaving the other dozen or so seats vacant.

The lords immediately stand as I enter. My eyes roam over them with interest. This was my first official meeting, and I wanted to make a good impression. I’m pleased to see they’re all decent looking, with brown hair of varying lengths, and green eyes.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Elora. Welcome to our home,” the first man says as he moves forward to greet me. I suddenly realize I have no idea how I’m supposed to greet them.

Do we hug? Shake hands? Fist bump? My wide eyes meet Ranger’s and he gives his head a small shake, which I take to mean don’t do anything , so I just stand there as the man stops five feet in front of me and bows.

“I am Archie Carmichael, and these are my brothers, Byron, Cameron and Donald,” he says, pointing to each of the three men who have come to stand with him, each giving me a bow when their name is announced.

“It’s so nice to meet you all, thank you for having us in your home.”

“Of course, would you like to take a seat and enjoy some lunch with us? I’m sure your journey has been tiring,” Byron says, motioning to the table. They seem nice and welcoming, so I gave him a smile as I nod and move to the table.

Cameron pulls out the seat at the head of the table for me and I thank him as he pushes my chair in. They take the seats on either side of me, facing each other and as I watch them, I start to grow nervous.

Glancing up, I look for my knights and find them standing around the room, along with some other men who also look like guards. Were they not joining us? I open my mouth to ask, but Ranger must have known what the confused look on my face was as he shakes his head quickly, making my jaw snap shut.

I turn my attention back to the lords as they ask what I’d like to eat, then place food on my plate. It’s sweet and makes me relax a little. I could do this. It was a first date with four lords, so what? I’d had plenty of first dates before .

We start eating and an uncomfortable silence starts to surround us. The only sounds are of our cutlery hitting the plates. My eyes take in the lords, who are all staring at their plates like they’re the most interesting thing in the room.

Maybe they’re just as nervous as I am? When the silence becomes more than I can bear, I decide to speak. “So, tell me about yourselves,” I say, gaining me four sets of surprised eyes.

“Us?” Cameron asks.

“Yes,” I reply, wondering why they seem confused at that question. “Tell me what you do with your time.”

“Well,” Archie starts, “We watch over the surrounding lands and make sure everyone is acting in a peaceful manner. We help in any ways we are able, or offer solutions to help the betterment of their land.” Well, that sounded… nice of them.

“Oh, I see, and what do you do for fun?”

“For fun?” Donald asks before taking a bite of his mashed potatoes.

“Yeah, like when you aren’t… overseeing the lands, what do you do?” I notice them all share a quick nervous look before their expressions relax.

“We all enjoy playing instruments. Donald and I play the lute, Cameron plays the violin, and Byron plays the flute.”

“Oh wow, you’re like a family band!” I say with a smile, which causes them to frown. Right, they wouldn’t know what a band is, or perhaps it has a different meaning here. “A family orchestra,” I correct myself. “Do you play together often?” I ask, hoping to change the subject.

“Sometimes, yes.”

“I’d love to hear you sometime,” I say, batting my eyelashes at Archie.

This is a first date, right? I’m supposed to flirt a little.

But I can’t stop my eyes from darting to Arrow and Ranger, who are standing beside each other in my direct line of sight.

Arrow is frowning at me, and I see Ranger’s hands clench into fists.

Why is he upset? Did I do something wrong?

“We could play something for you after lunch, if you like?” Cameron offers, bringing my attention back to him.

“That would be wonderful! Thank you, Cameron,” I say with a soft smile. He gives me a tight-lipped one in return before turning back to his plate.

“So what does the Princess of the North do for fun?” Byron asks from where he sits to my right.

“I love to read, and I love making my own clothes. I mean… ordering my own clothes.” God, I sound like a rich twat. What do princesses do with their time? Stare at handsome knights while fanning themselves?

“That sounds nice,” Byron says, a little too politely.

“Does it?” I laugh. “It sounds boring, even to me.”

“And playing the flute sounds so exciting?” he asks with a raised eyebrow, making me smile .

“It means you have talent, Byron,” I say, placing my hand on his arm. “There’s nothing boring about that.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Ranger says, stepping away from the wall.

“But perhaps the Princess would like to clean up before she joins you for your musical performance.” His eyes bore into mine.

I can’t tell what he’s trying to say, but something about his tone makes me think I’ve done something wrong.

I shrink back a little as my eyes move to Archie.

“Yes, thank you for the meal, but I would like to freshen up a bit, if I may?”

“Of course,” he says as they all stand. “Edgar will escort you to your suite.”

“Thank you,” I say, dipping my head to him as I make eye contact with each of the men. “Thank you for lunch.”

“This way, Your Highness,” Edgar says. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him not to call me that, but the look Ranger gives me has me biting back any response.

The six of us walk silently through the grand home and up a set of wide stairs until we come to a pair of doors at the end of a hall.

“Your things have already been placed inside. This is yours to use while you’re here.

If you need it cleaned or require anything at all, just let me know.

Otherwise, nobody will step foot in here without your direct request. The rooms for your guards are at the other end of the hall,” Edgar says, gesturing down the long corridor behind us .

They weren’t staying in here with me?

“Thank you Edger.” He nods before walking back the way we came.

I reach for the door handle, but Draven steps in front of me and moves inside.

Blaze places a hand on my shoulder, stopping me from entering.

I guess Draven is making sure it’s safe.

It doesn’t take long before he comes back and motions us inside.

As soon as the door shuts, Ranger grabs me by the wrist and guides me over to the living area.

This suite looks like a large hotel room with a living area and kitchenette.

I see a handful of doors that must lead to the bedroom and bathroom, but before I can explore, Ranger sits me in an armchair, pulling the other one right in front of me and taking a seat himself.

We’re so close, my knees are sandwiched between his, and he leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he stares at me.

“Ranger? Is something wrong?” I ask nervously when he says nothing.

“Yes.”

When he doesn’t say anymore, I raise an eyebrow at him. “Care to elaborate? Did I do something wrong?”

“Yes. You touched him.”

“I—What?” I ask in confusion.

“You touched his arm, you shouldn’t have done that.”

“Oh,” I say, leaning back in my chair as my eyes move to the others. They are all watching me intently from behind Ranger. “ I didn’t know. I thought that casual touch was normal. You guys touch me all the time.”

“That’s different,” he grumbles.

“How?”

“Sometimes we need to touch you to keep you safe.” I pull my lips in to bite them, to stop myself from arguing. Their touches were most definitely not only about safety.

My mind flashes to when Blaze held my hand as we walked in the forest. He was doing that so I wouldn’t fall .

I remember him and Arrow lying with me at night. They were doing that so you would sleep .

My eyes meet Ranger’s as I contemplate his words.

I hadn’t realized they were only touching me for my safety.

Stupidly, I hoped it had meant a bit more to them.

That they were giving me small touches because they wanted to, because they liked me.

But he has made it perfectly clear, numerous times, that none of them could ever be with me like that.

Suddenly feeling emotional and in need of being my own, I quickly stand. “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again. I need to freshen up now,” I say abruptly as I push out from between his legs. He grabs my wrist and my frustrated eyes shoot to his.

He immediately releases me, and I bring it up to cradle it in front of my chest, like that touch had hurt me. But it’s only my heart that hurts right now, and I can’t hold that.

Nobody says anything as I make a beeline for what looks to be the bathroom, and am relieved when I find it indeed is. I step inside and close the door, just short of slamming it. I lean against it and drop my head back, staring up at the ceiling as I let the tears roll down my cheeks.

I hear a thump through the door, followed by a groan. But when all that follows is the low murmur of their voices, I assume they’re okay. Wiping at my wet cheeks, I glance around the room. When I see the large tub, I know that’s exactly what I need.

The exposed pipes remind me I’m not in my home realm anymore, but it works just as well.

I quickly fill the tub and strip my clothes off before getting in and sinking low in the water, letting a soft moan escape my lips at the relaxing feeling of the warm water on my skin, especially after being on the road for so long.

I find soap and a cloth in arm's reach, and take my time cleaning my body as I think about what Ranger said.

If I was on this tour to find husbands, then I needed to stop lusting after the knights. I mean, I was a woman with eyes so I wouldn’t be able to stop admiring them, but I need to focus on the lords, the men who actually wanted to marry me.

But dating clearly was going to be different here than it was in my world. I need to keep my hands to myself, but what else? I glance at the door, knowing I was going to have to suck it up and ask Ranger. He clearly understands this way more than I do.