Arranged (18 page)

"I dance the traditional Vidarian dances at festivals and celebrations. There is a whole troup of us. My mentor is the most graceful dancer I have ever seen. One day I wish to be like her."

"I would like to watch sometime," and to her surprise, she really did.

Adalia smiled. "Maybe you could dance with us. I know a few that would be perfect for you."

"I've never danced…I wouldn't know where to even start."

"We would teach you."

Alison shook her head again, tugging at her dress.

"I'll change your mind yet," she said with a laugh. "I've been meaning to tell you, your dress is beautiful."

"You think so?" Alison asked, for the first time feeling almost comfortable in it. For some reason, Adalia's words helped. Alison wanted her approval.

"I haven't seen that style for years, but it looks amazing on you."

Alison blushed shyly. "I feel so…exposed."

Adalia nodded. "I can imagine. I have seen what the women wear on the surface. I don't know how you wear all of those clothes. Your dresses do not give you freedom to move or glide. They don't show your hips or anything!" She said with a shake of her head.

Alison thought of the corsets, high collars and stockings. "You're right. But it's improper to show so much skin in my world."

"Why? We all have it," she stated.

Alison leaned forward, furrowing her brows. "But…don't you worry about what the…men will think?"

"Should I?"

"Well, aren't you worried they'll look?"

Adalia smiled knowingly. "Don't you
want
them to look?"

Alison blushed, looking away.

"It's fascinating how you face can change color."

Alison blushed deeper and Adalia giggled. "Look at it this way. You should be happy with who you are. If you cannot accept the way you look, then you will never be happy."

Alison pondered her words for a moment, she had a point.

They chatted more. Alison told her about her father and how much they'd love each other. Adalia taught her about how the earth gave them the power to grow food without the sun. She also told Alison how she had been a child when she was on the surface.

Adalia was beginning to explain something about magic in her blood when the door opened.

Qwinn let himself in, a hesitant smile on his face. Alison felt the urge to hide her exposed legs, but fought it. She was now determined to accept her body.

She tried not to think about Adalia and Qwinn together. They looked perfect for each other. She also tried not to think too much as to why she was feeling so sad about it.

It seemed that she had no way of escaping, until her leg was healed. So until then, she'd pretend to try to fit in. She'd gain their trust, then run.

QWINN LOOKED BETWEEN THE TWO women nervously. His sister tended to be speak openly, too openly. He hoped she hadn't said anything he didn't mean for Alison to know.

Before coming into the room, he'd stilled himself against Alison's beauty. She seemed to be growing lovelier every time he saw her. It hadn't done him any good, she seemed alive with a warm glow and he knew she was growing comfortable with her surroundings.

Adalia stood at his arrival and smiled brightly. "Where is the meal?"

He frowned slightly as he slipped into the Vidarian language. "I intended this to be a private meal."

"I want to come along. She is comfortable with my presence. Maybe she will open up more to you," she answered back, in their language.

Alison lowered her eyes to stare at the floor, avoiding their gaze. He took a deep breath. "I want it to be private. Perhaps you may join us another time."

Adalia pouted, but Qwinn ignored her, turning his attention to Alison. "The meal has been prepared in the garden. I thought you might enjoy going outside for a while."

Alison hesitantly raised her eyes to meet his and nodded. She glanced to Adalia. "Is she coming?"

Adalia looked smugly at Qwinn, who worked his jaw. "Not this time."

His sister sighed and sat back into her pillows, fingering a flower on the wall as if none of this bothered her. "By the way," she added in Vidarian. "She wants to dance."

Qwinn's heart picked up, however he didn't answer. He knew his sister had only said that to gain a reaction out of him. Without a word, he scooped Alison into his arms and turned toward the door. He heard Adalia chuckle, apparently his silence was enough of a reaction for her.

He cursed her gift of sensing people's emotions. Even as a child, she knew how to manipulate a situation. Dancing was a large part of his culture. No doubt, if Alison began dancing with Adalia's troupe, they would teach her the traditional dances performed only at marriage ceremonies.

When he closed the door behind him, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Alison didn't wrap her arms around his neck this time, which made him wonder just what his sister had told her.

"Did you enjoy your time?" he asked, desperate to fight the awkward silence growing between them.

She nodded. "She seems nice."

Qwinn was left with nothing more to say. For the life of him, he couldn't think of a subject to start with.

"You two love each other, don't you?" she suddenly asked quietly. Qwinn could tell from her tone that she didn't want to ask it.

"Of course," he answered. Why did she seem upset?

"I'm happy for you," she mumbled, turning her green eyes to the stone walls they were passing. Qwinn's forehead furrowed. Why would loving Adalia be a cause of grief? He wished he had his twin's gift to read peoples moods. Alison was confusing him now more than ever.

He studied her, trying to decipher her mood. She said she was happy for him. Could it be because she didn't have siblings? No, there had to be more to it than that. He opened a small door and entered into a courtyard at the center of the palace that was filled with a beautiful garden; courtesy of his sister.

His confusion was forgotten for the moment as he watched Alison's eyes consume the garden. His sister had made sure to have the most beautiful flowers brought in, even from the surface; however, without the sun, those flowers evolved into a strangely beautiful underground species. Purples and glowing white were the majority of the colors; however, the species varied to uncountable numbers.

The garden consisted of stone walkways through flower bushes, fruit trees and a few statues. He headed straight for the large hedges that made a cozy little hide away, the perfect place for a relaxing meal. Fireflies danced around the hedges, creating a warm glow. Alison gasped at the sight, smiling with wonder.

Qwinn ducked into the hedges and stood inside the small room they created. Everything had been prepared, just as he had ordered. A table was set with candles and delicious smelling foods. He carefully sat Alison down on a chair and took the one across from her for himself. She eyed the food curiously, but hungrily. "Help yourself," he said.

She dug in, grabbing a bird leg and ripping the meat from the bone.

He smiled slightly as he filled his plate with food. "What did you two discuss?" he asked, no longer able to fight his curiosity and worry.

She slowed her chewing, buying time to answer. "This and that," she offered, affectively dodging his question.

His eyes narrowed slightly; however, before he could ask another question, she asked her own. "How long have you and Adalia known each other?"

Qwinn puzzled over the question. "Our whole lives."

Alison nodded, suddenly studying her plate of food as if it were the most interesting thing. "How did you meet?"

Then it hit Qwinn, she though they were mated. He also realized he never bothered to tell her otherwise; apparently neither had Adalia. Now all of her questioning made sense. He couldn't have stopped his smug smile if he wanted to. She sounded jealous.

"She was the first female my parents allowed me to be around. They knew we would love each other forever," he answered, playing on her jealousy for a moment and ignoring the way his heart jumped excitedly at the way she was avoiding his gaze. "Does this upset you?"

"No!" she said quickly.

Qwinn watched her in amusement as her cheeks colored. Finally, he decided she'd been tortured enough. "She is my twin sister."

Alison froze with her fork halfway to her mouth. "Pardon?"

He cleared his throat and leaned closer. "Adalia is my twin sister."

Countless emotions played over her pretty face. She stared at him wide-eyed, and then a fierce blush took over, her jaw slightly slack. "I…uh…"

He smiled, now completely amused with the situation. He hadn't been in this good of a mood in a long time. "You thought we were mated?"

Alison lowered her eyes shyly. "Yes."

"And that upset you?"

She wrung her hands nervously. "I…no, I wasn't. I was just…," she growled slightly at herself and took a deep breath. "I wasn't upset."

"It seemed that way."

Alison glared at him slightly, and then her eyes grew wide. "She said she was a princess. If you're her brother…you must be a prince?"

Qwinn cursed Adalia under his breath. He hadn't wanted Alison to know he was royalty. He wanted her to like him because of who he was, not because of his title. Instead of answering her, he picked up a bird leg and began eating again.

"What does Raasnna mean?" she asked.

He looked at her in surprise. "Where did you hear that?"

"What does it mean?" she asked again, determined to get an answer. He set his food down and wiped his mouth with a cloth. "It means…advisor…that is who I am. I advise the princess."

She raised her brow at him. "But if she is your twin sister, then you are royalty too."

She was a lot smarter than he gave her credit for. "She married a prince, so I am not royalty." He could have kicked himself for lying to her. But he wanted what he wanted.

She frowned in thought. "I could have sworn she said−"

"Her mouth gets away with her sometimes," he tried to cover up.

She studied him for a moment then nodded, accepting his reasoning; however, continuing to watch him suspiciously. "So if you are the advisor, why did you get stuck watching over me?"

"Stuck? Do you really think you are so horrible that I am being forced to watch you?"

She shrugged. "I'm human. Adalia said the guards wanted to kill me, but she wouldn't let them."

"Oh?"

"She said I had a pure aura…"

He almost rolled his eyes at the ridiculous story his sister had concocted, but it worked perfectly in his favor. "Yes. That is true. She needed someone she trusted to watch over you. I assure you, though I have been put in charge of you, it is not by force." He leaned forward, looking into her eyes so that she could see the truth. He needed to steer the conversation away from the lie about him and his sister. He already felt guilty for lying to her, but it was for the better. He would tell her when she was ready.

"You're so nice to me," she nearly whispered. "Why didn't you just let them kill me?" she asked, her voice trembling. "I mean…I know you don't treat every intruder like this…I guess I just want to know why I am so special."

It hurt Qwinn to see her so insecure, she'd been so strong all along. He knew he had to tread carefully. "Adalia noticed something special enough in you to let you live…and I'm glad she did."

Alison studied his eyes, her own green eyes watering slightly. "All my life, no one but my father has ever treated me with kindness," she stared off in thought and laughed sadly. "I had to get kidnapped to find another caring being." Her tears watered and she swiped it quickly. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm crying."

THE NEXT THING SHE KNEW, he had moved from his seat and was lifting her into his arms. Her feet were still on the ground as he held her in a hug. She had been so overwhelmed with so many emotions; the only thing she could do was cry. She was relieved that Adalia and him weren't together. She was angry for even caring about them being mated. She was hopeful that maybe she could get used to this place and perhaps live here. She was sad for the years wasted and she was scared she would never see the surface again.

His arms were slim, but he was strong. She couldn't explain why, but a feeling of safety washed over her. After a moment, she found herself hugging him back. His shoulders relaxed beneath her as he pulled her closer. She had never been held like this before. In fact, she'd never been held at all, let alone by a man. A blush crept up to her cheeks. At the same time, something in her liked it, though she would never tell him that. She felt safe. The only person that had remotely touched her was her father, all those years ago.

The tears fell again, this time she let them fall. She'd been so strong all her life because she had to survive, but at this moment, in Qwinn's arms, she felt like she didn't need to pretend, if only for a moment.

His arms tightened around her more, responding to her tears. He supported her as she let her knees buckle beneath her. For the first time in days, her mind grew blissfully silent. Then a spicy scent filled her nose. It intrigued her. She sniffled slightly, trying to take in more of the scent. Her nose pressed into the soft cloth against her cheek and she breathed deeply, sighing as the spice calmed her to the bone. It was then she realized that it was Qwinn who smelt spicy and she was pressing her face into him.