“Jahrra,” Keiron said, his voice much closer than before.
Jahrra jumped and sat upright, opening her eyes to find he’d taken a seat next to her. Had she been so lost in the sensations of nature around her, or had Keiron managed to cross the Round without making a sound?
“I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” he continued, his eyes on the hands he had folded in his lap.
“You see, the Spring Equinox is in a few days, and my father usually hosts a celebration that lasts all day and into the night.”
Keiron stopped speaking, so Jahrra offered, “Oh, right. I’ve heard about it. The merchants on our street have been posting signs and hanging decorations. The woman who owns the small bakery explained what was going on when I asked her on the way to practice the other day.”
Keiron nodded, then lifted his head to look her in the eye. Not for the first time, Jahrra found herself captivated by his clear blue gaze.
“The celebration culminates with a dance. A spring ball, at the castle fort. I was wondering, hoping, actually, that you might attend that ball with me. As my special guest.”
For several seconds Jahrra simply sat there, blinking at him. Her? His special guest? At the ball?
“I, uh, I would be honored, Keiron,” she said, giving a nervous laugh. Then, when she’d managed to get a better hold of her composure, she smiled. “I would love to go with you.”
Keiron smiled brightly, then stood up. “I would like to linger here a bit longer, but I think we should return to the practice field. I’m sure Dervit will be looking for you.”
“Of course,” Jahrra responded.
Keiron offered his arm, and the two of them returned to the practice field, neither one saying much the entire way back. The protracted silence, though awkward, gave Jahrra time to think. Initially, she found her companion’s bland mood very odd. He had been all formal manners and complacency when offering his invitation, and his strange lack of emotion upon hearing her response was a bit disheartening. Did he really want her to accompany him to the ball, or had he been ordered to invite her by his astringent father and cold mother? Had she read too much into their growing friendship, and was Keiron merely playing the part of a polite host? Or maybe he had simply been nervous about asking her. Biting her lip, Jahrra decided not to think much further on the matter. Perhaps she could make a better judgment at the party itself.
Dervit was waiting for them when they returned. He gave Jahrra a curious look and Keiron a more pointed one, but said nothing. Keiron offered to walk back with them, his characteristic good cheer back in place once more, and Jahrra gladly accepted. They began the trek across the city, with Keiron conversing amiably with her this time and Dervit trailing along behind them, remaining mostly silent. Before reaching the cabin, the trio made a stop at the stables.
“Would you like to ride with us?” Jahrra asked Keiron as she hoisted Phrym’s saddle from the tack room.
The regent’s son shook his head. “I’d love to, but my schedule will not allow it.”
“Busy with your own state affairs?” Jahrra teased.
The young Resai elf only offered her a quirk of the lips. “You could say that.”
Before he left, Keiron took Jahrra’s hand. For a few moments, he simply held her palm against his, his thumb slowly caressing her skin. Jahrra swallowed nervously, fighting a shiver. Perhaps, she had misjudged his earlier impassive mood after all.
“If I don’t see you at practice tomorrow,” he murmured, his voice pitched low and his lids lowered over his blue eyes, “I’ll see you at the ball the following evening.”
He bowed, kissing her fingers before turning and leaving the stable behind.
Jahrra stared after him, feeling suddenly flushed and dizzy.
“If I didn’t know any better,” Dervit stated matter-of-factly, “I’d say that young man is courting you.”
Jahrra’s blush intensified, and she turned to give the limbit a harsh glance. “Do not be ridiculous,” she huffed, crossing her arms and turning back toward Phrym. “He’s just being polite because he’s the regent’s son and I’m, in a sense, a special guest here in Cahrdyarein.”
“I don’t know,” Dervit mused, rubbing his chin with a fuzzy hand, “he sure does stare at you a lot.”
“Ugh, enough!” Jahrra hissed in irritation.
But, she really wasn’t all that irritated. The thought of Keiron being interested in her as more than a friend was tempting, and just a little thrilling. Could Dervit be right? She paused in the process of adjusting the stirrups on Phrym’s saddle.
“He did ask me to be his special guest at the Equinox ball,” she murmured without turning around to look at her small friend. To herself, she added, Even if he didn’t seem entirely thrilled when you accepted.
“I knew it!” Dervit barked. “Erron and the others think so, too!”
This time, Jahrra whipped around, her jaw slack in shock. “What?! You and the children have been gossiping about me?”
Dervit shrugged his shoulders and turned his palms toward the stable roof. “What? It’s pretty obvious. He wasn’t happy the other day when Pendric stepped in and took over.”
“Pendric is married!” Jahrra shot at her friend.
Dervit shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. Keiron clearly didn’t like being ordered aside. And you should have seen the way he glared at Jaax when the sparring match was over!”
Dervit whistled, a long, drawn-out sound. “Good thing Jaax didn’t see him looking at him like that. Your guardian may very well have singed the hair right off his head, regent’s son or not.”
Jahrra snorted and got back to saddling Phrym.
“You must be reading too much into it. Keiron is my friend, and he has no reason to be jealous of Pendric, or Jaax. Especially not Jaax. He’s my guardian, for goodness sake! And a dragon!”
Dervit only grinned, his ears flitting to the side with mischief. Jahrra rolled her eyes. She would just have to ignore him since he clearly wasn’t going to let it go.
Once she was done with Phrym, Jahrra slipped a halter onto Rumble and Gliriant. Fortunately for her, all three horses were well-mannered and not easily spooked.
“Think you can handle Rumble again?” she asked Dervit.
He smiled and nodded. Ever since arriving at Cahrdyarein, he had made time during the day to get to know the horses better. He was determined to get over his fear, and he’d even forged a bond with the large bay.
Once Dervit was settled on Rumble’s back, Jahrra clicked her tongue and led Phrym out, the other two horses trailing behind on their lead ropes.
As they cleared the stable and headed to one of the trails meant for equestrian exercising, Dervit said, “Well, I guess we’ll know in a few days, then.”
“You guess we’ll know what?” Jahrra sent over her shoulder.
“What Keiron’s intentions are. Rumor on the streets of Cahrdyarein is that the Equinox celebration is meant for young lovers.”
Jahrra clenched her teeth and shot her friend a nasty look. “We are not young lovers, Dervit.”
“Like I said,” he trilled. “We shall see.”
Jahrra tried to block him out, but to her chagrin, he seemed to be enjoying the prospect of Keiron displaying affection toward her. That chilling thrill coursed through her again, and although she promised herself not to think about what Keiron’s intentions were, her limbit friend was definitely making it hard to doubt the sincerity, and validity, of the young elf’s attentions.