Passing through the gate was cold, like plunging into an icy bath. One moment Leonie was still standing on human land; the next, she felt magic surge through her veins with such force that she nearly collapsed to her knees. Fortunately, Marcus was holding her hand and supporting her, sparing her that undignified moment in the very first second. Dorian, who glanced back over his shoulder, raised an eyebrow at the sight.
But Dorian had no time now to dwell on how his friend had come to be on such intimate terms with Leonie. Besides, he should have been glad that there was someone she trusted—someone to whom he himself would gladly entrust Leonie's life. There was no time to linger on it, yet these thoughts still flickered through his mind in the span of a heartbeat. Then his attention turned to the welcoming party. At least twenty mounted soldiers stood arranged in a semicircle around the passage—around them—led by a broad-built elf with closely cropped black hair. How could he have thought his father wouldn't send his men to receive them? They had probably been stationed here for days.
"Greetings, Denniel," Dorian addressed the man at the front coolly, the one who was slightly older than he was. The other elf looked over their company, his gaze darkening when it landed on Leonie. Marcus drew closer to her, and the others shifted to shield her more fully. Denniel, of course, did not miss the movement.
"Greetings to you as well, Dorian. Your father is already growing impatient," he said, yet did not move aside to let them pass. His gaze slid back to Leonie as the other soldiers eyed her with furrowed brows. Leonie had tried to prepare herself for the elves' reaction, but even so she felt flustered, blushing under the crossfire of so many stares. She longed to hide behind Marcus's back, but she steeled her butterfly soul and did not move. Instead, she met Denniel's eyes. Powerful men had tried to intimidate her all her life—but this was the first time she did not have to face it alone. Nir, Filarion, Aeson, and Marcus stood around her like stone cliffs.
"Who is the girl?" Denniel finally asked, and it was clear there was no answer that would satisfy him.
"I don't believe that concerns you," Dorian replied coldly. His father's commander of the guard never seemed to know where the limits of his authority lay, and it infuriated Dorian.
"You brought a human into our realm! I think it concerns me very much," the elf snapped, leaping down from his horse to stand directly before Dorian and glare at him. To his credit, Dorian's icy gaze did not intimidate him.
"Your father will rage when he hears of this. I'll have to place her under arrest." Aeson laughed, but his voice lacked its usual good humor.
"You were always a funny one, Denniel. Perhaps we've been gone so long you've forgotten who you're talking to?" He folded his arms across his chest. Denniel ignored Aeson and gestured to the soldiers, who dismounted, preparing to seize the girl. Leonie stared at them with pupils wide in terror, but not for long—Marcus moved her behind him in one swift motion, shielding her completely.
"Anyone who takes a single step toward her, I'll rip his throat out with my bare hands," Dorian said, still terrifyingly calm. His gaze, however, promised death to anyone it fell upon. The soldiers hesitated beside their horses. They were sensible enough not to test whether Dorian was bluffing—a wise choice, for he truly had resolved to protect Leonie at any cost.
"We are the king's guards. You can't command us," Denniel said angrily. This time it was Marcus who laughed.
"You do know you're standing before your king, you fool?"
"What did you say?" Denniel moved toward Marcus—when Nir suddenly sprang forward. The sound of tearing cloth cut through the air, and four paws landed softly on the ground. The commander of the royal guard froze; someone cursed loudly among the soldiers, and several reached for their swords. Leonie tried to peer out from behind Marcus, searching for the cause of the uproar, but he would not budge. She had no idea what was happening around her.
"May I make a suggestion before we become so tactless as to start brawling in front of a lady?" Filarion tried to draw attention to himself. As always, an air of boundless calm radiated from him. He turned toward every member of the welcoming party, though Dorian and his friends still did not take their eyes off the soldiers.
"Our guest will remain under our supervision. We will go before the Council immediately and accept their decision regarding the girl." They had, of course, agreed in advance that convincing the Council was even more important than swaying the king, so they had to go to them first.
"Our laws forbid humans from setting foot on our lands. The order is clear: anyone who does so is to be seized and brought before a tribunal," Denniel said, glaring toward Marcus—behind whom he knew Leonie stood.
"In that case, it's a fortunate coincidence that the girl is not human, but an elf. One of us," Filarion said with a gentle smile, loud enough for everyone present to hear. A stunned silence fell over the soldiers. Even surprise flickered across Denniel's face for a moment.
"That's not possible," he frowned.
"Leonie, please come," Dorian said, turning back, the warmth in his voice a stark contrast to how he spoke to his father's soldier.
Leonie stepped out from behind Marcus and walked toward Dorian under the weight of so many gazes. She tried to look strong, but her hands trembled so badly she had to press them to her sides, hoping no one would notice. After two steps, she stopped with a small yelp. A massive fox stood before her. She had never seen anything like it. The fox was nearly as tall as she was—clearly not a creature of the human world.
"It's all right, that's just Nir," Marcus murmured behind her, accompanying her every step. And indeed—it was. His gleaming eyes truly did remind her of the young elf. If she survived this day, she would give him a thorough scolding for not warning her about his animal form. She quickly gathered herself and moved on. She even felt Nir's nose brush against the back of her hand before she reached Dorian's side.
"What do you want from me?" she asked, lowering her eyes submissively. The situation—the circle of hostile men—flung her straight back, in her mind, to the baron's castle. Her instincts told her it was easier to survive by showing submission. Dorian frowned. He did not like the change that had come over her in mere moments. He understood the reason at once, and it only made him seethe more. He wanted Leonie never to bow before anyone—least of all before him. He wanted her to know her own strength and never again live in oppression. And though he hadn't planned it, he took Leonie's hand and lifted it to his lips, pressing a kiss to it.
"You know I want everything, when it comes to you," he said loudly enough for the unfamiliar elves to hear. Leonie jerked her head up in shock and stared at him. Had she heard that right? Heat crept up her face; she was unable to speak—but there was no need, for Dorian had already turned back to Denniel.
"If you paid a little closer attention, you could feel the magic on my partner. And perhaps, if you asked nicely, she might even tuck her hair behind her ear." Leonie still stared at Dorian in astonishment. It was both mesmerizing and frightening how he shifted personas depending on whom he addressed. And he had said my partner. My partner. The thought made her dizzy—though perhaps that was because magic on this land struck her with such overwhelming force. Dorian squeezed her hand, which he still had not let go.
"Enough of this stalling," Dorian said harshly to Denniel, who was still staring at Leonie in disbelief. He lifted the girl onto his horse and mounted behind her in one smooth motion.
"We're leaving," he commanded the others, who were already mounted.
"Your father will fly into a rage," Denniel said, then swung into his saddle as well, the entire stunned guard following him.
"Bastard," Marcus muttered beside them as they set off.