Chapter 15

Even after a week, Corliss's mother was still glaring at her for the way she acted at dinner at the palace. It didn't help that Bridget and Alberich absolutely loved it. Sienna scolded them both for acting like children, having egged Corliss and Meron on. Of course, Bridget complained about being the one in trouble...and while laughing. Gaven's expression any time he glared at her was identical to their mother's, even added a disappointed shake of his head as Corliss grinned sheepishly, waving her goodbyes as he left Ayveri with their parents to go back to Eld.

And maybe...maybe...Corliss shouldn't have added, "Tell Ruvyn I say hi!"

Oh, her brother was going to make her pay for that later on the next time she saw him.

But as for Meron...well, she'd somehow managed to keep her distance from the infuriating male. There was something about that cocky arrogance that had her blood boiling, and she would undoubtedly unleash her fire magic on him the next time he even dared look her way.

Which is what had a flame dancing through her fingers when she opened the door to her apartment, even with her canvas grocery bags in hand.

"What are you doing here?" Corliss ground out through her teeth.

The male in question was leaned back against the opposite wall in the hallway, looking far too casual and yet suspicious for being there by pure happenstance as he tried to make it seem.

One blond brow raised as Meron looked her up and down. "Oh, you live here? I had no idea."

"I asked you a question."

And yet, he still didn't answer.

Corliss let out a frustrated sigh, halfway tempted to give him yet another rude hand gesture as she started down the hallway. "Then I don't have to stick around and deal with you, right? Goodbye, Commander Brandt."

Eyes trailing over her again even as she walked away, Meron pushed off from the wall and followed behind, a leather satchel slung over his shoulder. "Since we haven't seen each other since that lovely dinner where you so rudely treated me, I thought I'd offer to take you out for breakfast if you were up for it."

"I'm not, thanks. I've got plans."

"Market shopping plans?"

"None of your business plans, actually."

"Then if we just happen to be going in the same direction..."

Corliss whirled around to face him, wanting to smack that smile right off that handsome face of his. "What part of the answer no don't you understand? Or do you not understand my not-so-subtle hints of it's none of your business?"

"And if I want to make it my business?"

"Are you always this annoying? How does Alberich even stand to have you around?"

"He's my best friend. He's stuck with me for life whether he likes it or not."

"My poor brother-in-law. And sister for that matter. Now, goodbye."

Corliss turned yet again, practically running down the steps as she attempted to get away from the annoying male behind her. This time, Meron let her go all while laughing from the front doors of her apartment building.

She tried to not think about him, even after a few hours shopping up and down Penrose. She had too much to do, too much she needed to remember to buy. Food for the next week since she planned on staying cooped up in her apartment knowing her final thesis paper was due soon, more rolls of parchment and a new bottle of ink, maybe even a few books to read whenever she needed a break.

What she didn't need was the bouquet of colorful flowers one florist handed to her as she passed by.

"For you," the Fae female said with a knowing smile.

Corliss furiously shook her head, trying to make her take them back. "Oh, you don't have to..."

But she wouldn't let her.

Then there was a fairy from one of the newest bakeries who gave her a box of sweets. She tried to pass her coin over the counter, but she just closed her fingers around it, shook her head, and said it was already taken care of.

By the time Corliss stepped back out into the bright sunlight, her canvas bags laden down with more than she was ever intending to buy, and flowers nestled in the crook of her arm, she took one look at the male who was sampling a bite of fruit from the merchant cart across the street and heaved a sigh.

Of course, he did all this.

Prick.

Now, she had to be just a little bit nice to him.

"You know," Corliss said casually as she stepped up to his side, watching his movements as he bit into the mango. "You don't have to shower females with gifts just to get their attention. And following me around...it's very stalker-like behavior. I can have your head for it, you know, especially since I'm the future Lady of Eld."

"And if it's to say I'm sorry for how I acted the other night at dinner?" Meron asked, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Still, a simple sorry would have sufficed."

"Really? Because I wouldn't think so with a female like you."

Corliss raised a brow, challenging. "And what kind of female am I?"

One side of Meron's mouth pulled up in a smile. "The kind of female I hope is going to be changing my life now that she's in it."

With Corliss's laugh echoing all around, all eyes turned to the two of them. Of course, the people of Ayveri knew who Corliss was, as future Lady of Eld, but they also knew who Meron Brandt was, being Commander of Eld's army. The two of them would be the most powerful in the Eld territory one day, but there was another spark between them that had the others around them staring.

"Well," Corliss grinned, putting the flowers up to her nose to sniff their fragrance...and hide her blush she willed to go away. "Even though I hardly believe that will be the case, thank you for the flowers and the sweets. I still think its creepy you've been following me around all day to see what I like."

She started walking down Penrose then, using magic to help tote along her bags so she could keep her hands free. The only thing she kept were the flowers, mostly so she could hide her face in them.

Meron easily caught up to her, walking backward alongside her until she stopped at another merchant selling different colored fabrics. "So, your sister and Alberich tell me you're here for university."

"Yes," she answered. "I put it off long enough, so I figured why not?"

"Any reason you wanted to get out of Eld?"

"Other than to make sure I never ran into you? None."

He put a hand over his heart, faking hurt. "You wound me, milady. And here I thought we'd have a great working relationship in the future once your parents introduced us."

"Well, I wasn't the one going on and on about the size of my dragon egg."

"You want to see it?" he asked, gesturing to his satchel. "Because I tote this thing around with me everywhere. You know...just in case it decides to make its grand entrance into the world. I'm hoping it will so I can somehow manage to impress a certain female even just a little bit."

"I've been around dragons all my life, so you'd have better luck with one of the females in Ayveri or the other territories who rarely see them."

"Dammit."

Corliss laughed before catching herself, turning her face away and sticking her nose in her bouquet of flowers yet again. "What are you still doing here, Commander? In Ayveri, I mean. I figured you'd either be heading back to Eld with my parents or up to Asturia to spend time with Alberich, not sticking around here just to bug me."

Meron, though, caught sight of that blush...which had that smile turn into a knowing smirk. "You do know it's also my job to keep an eye out on the future Lady."

"A future Lady who can take care of herself. Now, leave me be, please."

Corliss continued down Penrose, trying to distract herself from the male who just didn't seem to want to get the hint and leave her alone. Meron stayed just a few steps behind, ever the faithful guardsman she didn't need. If this were her mother and father's version of punishment for her behavior at dinner, in making her spend time with the infuriatingly handsome sorcerer commander, she would put herself out of her misery then.

"I like that one the best," he would say, pointing to whatever she had in her hands she was choosing between.

"And I asked for your opinion...when, exactly?"

Except...

Surprisingly, Corliss liked having someone there with her, looking through everything with her, pointing out which color or fabric looked best, commenting on the aromas of the food vendors they passed, and even picking out some of his favorite titles whenever they browsed the bookshop together.

"This one," Meron told her, reaching up to the top shelf above her head. The movement made him get just a little too close to her...and had her hiding her face in her flowers once more when she felt that jolt go between them. "My mother used to read this to me when I was a boy. It was my absolute favorite. And whenever I have little ones of my own, I plan on reading it to them, too."

The front cover illustration was of a warrior and a dragon, both off to safe a beautiful princess stuck in a tower by a dark force holding her hostage.

Corliss smiled, taking the children's book from his grasp. Flipping through the pages, it didn't take her long to realize her mother had read the same one to her also, a book she wanted to read to her own children whenever the Mother blessed her with them. She didn't know where it ended up, though.

"Your mother and mine apparently had the same idea with children's stories," Corliss tole him as she looked through the illustrations inside.

"She read it to you, too?"

Corliss nodded, finally looking back up at him to find him staring. "She read it to all three of us, actually."

"I wish I had siblings," he told her with a slight smile. "I was a handful myself for my parents, so they probably didn't want another one after me. I like to think of Alberich as a brother, though."

"He is quite something, isn't he? I'm just happy Bridget has him. And he's the best brother-in-law, so I guess that's a good reason to keep him around, too."

"Of course, it is."

Meron reached for the book to take it from her but ended up tucking it beneath his arm as they continued looking through the bookshop. They went their separate ways and yet always ended up in the same section. Corliss already had five different titles in her grasp by the time they reached the last section to look through, only to smile when she saw Meron had even more in his arms.

"What?" he asked her, looking down at the stack of eight books he was awkwardly carrying. "I'm building my library."

"That's not going to be fun trying to get back to Eld whenever you head home."

"You do realize there's this thing called magic, right? It's something both you and I share."

"And yet I'm still just a little bit more powerful than you, aren't I?"

"Of course. Me just being a lowly Commander of the Eld army and you the Heir and future Lady of Eld. Yet here we are."

"Here we are."

Standing face to face with one another, trying to make the other one back down and yet both failing.

By the time they left the bookshop, it was Meron's coinage that was lighter by a few gold pieces. He wouldn't let her buy the stack in her hands, offering to purchase them for her. Even as she objected, he easily plucked the books from her arms, set them on the counter next to his, and then looked back and grinned as he set the children's book right on top of their shared pile.

"For the future little dragon riders in our lives," Meron winked.

"You're very optimistic, aren't you?"

"I told you, I've met a female who I hope will change my life."

"Well, don't hold your breath then."

The human bookshop owner was watching their exchange even as he was ringing up their purchase, a slight smile on his wrinkled face. "Here you go," he told them, handing them two canvas bags with their books in each. Then he seemed to purposely keep the children's book out so he could comment while putting it in Corliss's bag and said, "For the future little ones."

Meron, of course, thought this was hilarious, especially when Corliss turned to glare at him.

"Goodbye, Commander," she told him, yanking her book laden bag off the counter.

"No thank you for the books?"

"I...thank you."

"You're very welcome. And now as payment for the flowers, sweets, and books, I require one dinner."

Corliss's snort was so unladylike. "And you won't be getting it."

"Tonight then?"

"Goodbye, Commander Brandt. See you never."

"Goodbye, Lady Lis."

She was stuck there, arms heavy with her bags until her magic took over the hold on them. "Don't think you can call me that."

"Then I'll just call you Lis."

"It's Corliss."

"And I don't care...Lis," Meron grinned, and tossed a few gold coins to the shop owner the whole exchange took place in front of. He started walking backward then, hand still clutching the strap of his satchel and his own canvas bag, as he made plans she didn't have any say in. "I'll be at your place at sundown. Don't worry about cooking. I'll have the whole meal planned out. Just have the pots and pans ready and waiting and I'll bring everything else, including myself. Maybe even a little something I know you're curious about, too."

"And if I don't open the door for you?" she called out.

By then, Meron was almost out the door, but looked over his shoulder with that same godsforsaken smirk. "Oh, you will."