The Warrior Elf (21 page)

“Will you have to go to war?” Sherri asked.

Rhianna started to shake her head, but stopped and shrugged. “Only if the elves are at war. Mainly being a warrior elf means I’m trained to protect others, to be a bodyguard.”

“Like Alek and Rigel?” Hayley asked.

Rhianna nodded.

“Is that why you were with Myron’s apprentice?” Duri asked. “I didn’t meet either of you, but I was here that day, the day you threw your knife at the man who shot Marcus.”

Again, Rhianna nodded.

“Have you ever killed anyone?” Sherri asked.

Rhianna shook her head. “Fortunately I’ve never been in the position where I had to.”

Since everyone had finished eating, Sister Agnes stood up and reminded the aides they had work to do and suggested they get started. Then she turned to Rhianna. “I have a few things I need to take care of, too. It was nice to meet you and I hope to see more of you while you’re here. Please feel free to join us for lunch anytime you have a chance.”

Shortly after Sister Agnes and the aides went back to work, Kevin and Rhianna resumed their tour of the country side. While they were riding, Kevin said, “I never thought about the training you went through to become a warrior elf. Sounds a lot like mine. Every time I blew something up, Glendymere would say it was better to have it happen while he was there to protect us than when we were out on our own.”

Rhianna frowned. “What were you doing? Breaking up boulders?”

Kevin laughed. “You expect things to blow up when you break up a boulder or clear a tree stump, but one time a rock exploded while I was trying to make a stove and I started a fire while I was trying to light a candle. Triggering a ward can cause a big explosion too, if the ward’s strong enough. The seeing eye was the only thing that didn’t cause any unexpected problems.”

“And to think, I’ll miss out on all of that if things don’t get straightened out in North Amden.” Rhianna grinned. “One more reason to stick around here.”

After a couple of minutes, Kevin said, “I have a question.” When Rhianna nodded, he continued. “Back there, at the chapel, when Sherri asked if you would have to go to war, you hesitated before answering her. Why?”

Rhianna sighed. “My first reaction was no because we haven’t been involved in a war in hundreds of years. The Federation of Terah was started to prevent them, but to be honest, we may be at war soon.”

“With whom?”

“Rolan and his men,” Rhianna said. “The men he sent into North Amden are getting more and more aggressive because they’re not having any luck finding Landis. They’re searching through the outbuildings without permission, even little tool sheds. I haven’t heard of anyone’s home being forcibly searched, but if it hasn’t happened yet, it probably will before long. The elves are getting fed up and someone’s going to end up getting hurt if not killed, although whether it will be a human or an elf is anyone’s guess.”

Kevin nodded. “I can’t think of anything more we can do though. I guess I could go see Rolan, but that might make it worse.”

“I know.” Rhianna shrugged. “Let’s just hope he hears about us and calls his men off before things get any worse.”

Shortly before dark, they rode back into Milhaven. Kevin spotted several soldiers and guards as well as townspeople at Fenway’s, so they stopped there for a light dinner. It was bedtime by the time they made it back to the castle.

One of the guards was waiting at the stable to take care of Kevin’s horse. As Kevin dismounted, the guard said, “Chris told me to tell you he has Nikki.”

Kevin thanked him as he handed over the reins. Then he and Rhianna headed towards the patio doors. “I have to admit, I enjoyed today,” Kevin said as they walked into the dining room.

“I did, too. But I feel a little guilty keeping you away from your office all day.”

Kevin laughed. “I’m sure whatever needs to be taken care of is still there. I’ll check my desk before I head up.”

“What’s on tap for tomorrow?”

“I’m not sure,” Kevin answered. “I’ll have to check with Chris and find out what’s gone on today before I can answer that. Let’s meet at breakfast and decide then.”

“Fine with me,” Rhianna answered as they stopped at the foot of the stairs to the guest quarters. “See you in the morning.”

Kevin stood at the bottom of the stairs until she reached the top. After she turned down the hall, he nodded and headed for his office.

When he reached the reception area, it was empty, but he could hear Chris talking to someone. He paused for a moment to see who else was in his office, but the conversation stopped as Nikki barreled out to greet him. Kevin grinned and leaned down to pet her. “Did you miss me, girl?” Nikki sniffed Kevin’s pants and boots and rubbed all over his legs. After petting his dog a little more, Kevin walked into the office with Nikki beside him. Chris was sitting at Kevin’s desk going through the mail. No one else was in there.

Kevin sat down on one of the guest chairs with Nikki all but in his lap. “Who were you talking to?”

“Nikki,” Chris answered without looking up. He finished what he was writing, and then looked at Kevin. “I was telling her how busy you’re going to be over the next couple of days.” He held a message out towards Kevin. “You just accepted an invitation to lunch Thursday with Tolliver and his wife. I’ll have one of the pages deliver it tomorrow morning.”

“I what?” Kevin asked as he took the message and read it. Tolliver had sent a formal invitation and signed it as the town director.

“Apparently word of your stopping in Fenway’s yesterday has made the rounds. You’re having lunch with Jana and Wrenn tomorrow, dinner with Joan and Karl, lunch on Thursday with Tolliver, and then dinner with Laryn.”

Kevin looked at Chris, thinking he was kidding, but Chris looked serious. “Really?”’

Chris nodded. “You don’t have anything scheduled for Friday yet, but give it time. And don’t forget you’ve got Dara for lunch on Saturday.”

“Believe me, I’m well aware of that one.” Kevin sighed. “Not looking forward to it either.” Then he nodded towards the messages on his desk as he rubbed Nikki’s ears. “Any of those need my attention?”

“A couple, but nothing urgent. Why don’t you let them go until tomorrow morning? Duane’s leaving before lunch, so Rhianna will probably want to stick around until he goes. That’ll give you plenty of time to get caught up.”

With a nod, Kevin stood up. “Then let’s call it a day.”

~ ~ ~ ~

When Rhianna joined Kevin for breakfast Wednesday morning, she had the dagger he’d bought her on her belt. She leaned down and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

Kevin felt his face heat up and knew his cheeks were bright red. “You’re welcome.”

With a big grin Rhianna sat down beside him and whispered, “Now no one in here has any doubt about us.”

“What about your brother?” Kevin asked. “He doesn’t look pleased.”

“He’s playing big brother. He knows what’s going on.”

“If you say so,” Kevin said, one eye still on Duane’s frown.

“Now he can go back home and tell my father we’re doing our part.”

Lunch with Jana and Wrenn turned out to be fun. Doreen was there, and she and Rhianna spent most of the afternoon talking about the house Doreen wanted to build. Meanwhile Jana and Wrenn told Kevin some stories from the years when Wrenn was governor. Some Kevin had already heard but most were new. Before he knew it the afternoon was fading into evening.

Kevin and Rhianna made it to the Governor’s House for dinner with only a few minutes to spare. While Joan helped Gracie in the kitchen, Karl, Kevin, and Rhianna played with Caitlyn and Corey out back. By the time dinner was served, the children considered Rhianna their company and insisted she sit between them and tell them about her family and Crinsor Run. Once again, Kevin and Rhianna didn’t make it back to the castle until bedtime.

When they joined Tolliver and his wife for lunch Thursday, Tolliver was a confident and gracious host, which was good because his wife was skittish and shy. Rhianna tried to draw her out, but every time someone spoke to her, she wrung her hands and stared at the floor as she stammered out a reply. Kevin was relieved when Tolliver said he needed to get back to the store so Nan could have a lunch break.

Dinner with Steve and Laryn was relaxed. When Laryn insisted Shana have a seat and join them for dessert, Kevin put his arm around the back of Rhianna’s chair, rested his hand on her shoulder, and fingered her hair. When they got up, he held her chair for her, and while they were in the living room, he rested his hand on hers. When it was time to leave, he held out his hand to help her up, and as they left the house, he put his arm around her waist.

They’d barely cleared Laryn’s front yard when Rhianna started giggling. “Pouring it on a bit thick, aren’t you?”

“Me? You’re the one who kissed me in the dining room yesterday.”

“That kiss was nothing compared to the way you acted tonight.”

Kevin shrugged. “We want her to believe we’re a couple.”

“She’ll have us married by morning,” Rhianna laughed. “What’s on the schedule for tomorrow?”

“Not a wedding,” Kevin said with a chuckle. “Believe it or not, we don’t have anything we have to do tomorrow unless Chris signed us up for something while we were gone.”

“It would be nice to hang around the castle for a while.”

Kevin nodded. “Especially considering we have lunch with Dara on Saturday.”

“You don’t want to go?”

“No, I don’t, but we have to,” Kevin said. “Just please keep in mind I’m only related to her by marriage. And to be honest, if Dayed didn’t have his workshop to hide in, I’m not sure he’d still be there. She’s something else.”

“Then why are we going to her house first?” Rhianna asked.

Kevin sighed. “You know when you have several things to do, and most of them will be fun, but one will be a real pain? Well, that’s lunch with Dara. So we can either leave the worst for last or get it out of the way first. I opted to get it over with and enjoy the rest without having it hanging over our heads.”

“Surely she’s not that bad.”

“Trust me, she is. You’ll see.”

Fifteen minutes later, Rhianna was upstairs and Kevin was in his office with Chris and Nikki. “What’s been going on around here today?”

“Nothing much, just a lot of questions about Rhianna. Who is she? How long have you known her? How do you know her? How long is she staying? What’s going on between the two of you? Are you getting serious? And so on.”

“In other words, the plan’s working.”

“I’d say so. That kiss yesterday morning didn’t hurt things. Neither did that dagger.” Chris stacked up the papers he’d been working on. “Elin wants one just like it, by the way.”

“I’m not buying her one,” Kevin said. “I’d have to buy one for every girl in the castle if I did.”

“I know, but she still wants one. Hope Tolliver has some more.” Chris leaned back in his chair and asked, “How was your day?”

Kevin gave him a quick replay of his lunch at Tolliver’s and a more detailed description of his dinner at Laryn’s.

“Shana’s going to have plenty to talk about tomorrow.”

Kevin nodded. “And hopefully plenty to tell Rolan.”

“One can hope.” Chris stood up, picked up the papers, and started out the door. “Come on. Nikki’s tired, and so am I.”

~ ~ ~ ~

While Kevin was eating breakfast Friday morning, Miranda asked if she could speak with him for a moment before he left. So as soon as he finished eating, he went into the kitchen to see what she wanted. She led him through the door to the kitchen gardens and closed it behind them. “Myron, has something happened? Aren’t you happy with the meals I’ve been serving lately? Is the food not cooked the way you like it? What’s wrong?”

Kevin frowned as he tried to figure out what was going on. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, the only meal you’ve eaten in the dining room lately is breakfast. From what I’ve heard, you’ve been eating at the tavern a lot.”

“I’ve eaten at the tavern twice. But you’re right. I haven’t been here as much the last few days as I usually am, but it has nothing to do with your food. You know I love the food around here.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s because of Rhianna.”

“She doesn’t care for our food? Well, that’s easy. Tell me what she likes and I’ll see to it we have it.”

Kevin quickly shook his head. “That’s not it. She likes your food just fine. It’s because people want to meet her. We keep getting invitations for lunch, dinner, tea, and so on, and I can’t turn them down without hurting someone’s feelings. They’re trying to make her welcome. Even Tolliver invited us to his house for lunch.”

“Tolliver? As nervous as he gets every time he’s within a hundred feet of this place?”

Kevin nodded. “But you should see him at home. He’s a relaxed and congenial host.” Then he put his arm around Miranda’s shoulders. “I’m sorry if we hurt your feelings, but I’m sure you can understand the position we’re in.”

Miranda nodded. “It’s fine. I just didn’t want you thinking you had to leave home to get a decent meal. We can change the menu or the way we cook things anytime you want us to. All you’ve got to do is say so.”

“I like things the way they are, so please don’t change anything, all right?”

Miranda smiled as she opened the door to her kitchen. “Remember what I said though. All it takes is a word and we’ll do what we can to please.” And with that, she turned back to her stove.

Rhianna had finished eating by the time Kevin got back to the table so they went down to the office. As soon as they walked in, Ariel handed Rhianna a message. “This came for you in the morning mail.”

“Thank you.” Rhianna fingered the message and frowned. The only person who would be writing to her was her father, and that usually meant something was wrong. “I’ll be back in a minute. I need to get something from my room.”

Kevin nodded, wondering if the message involved him. With a shrug he went into his office and sat down at his desk. If it was something he needed to know, she’d tell him. In the meantime, he had work to do.

Half an hour later there was a knock on his door and Ariel stuck his head in. “Rhianna’s back. Would you like for me to send her in?”