"Thank you," Leonie said, blushing as she twisted her hands together. Did Dorian truly find her beautiful?
"Look at yourself in the mirror," he nodded toward the mirror standing beside the bath, then folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall, watching Leonie's every movement with keen attention. He had found her beautiful even before—worn, with tangled hair and dirty clothes—but now she looked breathtaking. He had to admit, Revna had truly outdone herself with the choice, sending something quite restrained by her own standards. The deep green lace began just below Leonie's ears, as if the intricate patterns had been etched into her snow-white skin, running down her entire neck, over her arms, and to her waist like a second skin. There it flared outward, cascading around her legs like a waterfall. Over this layer lay a silk corset covering the translucent fabric, which also widened from the waist down and was slit high on both sides, revealing her pale thighs with every step.
"Isn't this too much?" Leonie asked, mortified. She had never worn anything but worn servant dresses in the castle. In this garment, she looked like some death-bringing goddess. She barely recognized herself. Revna must surely be a special and beautiful woman if she wore such clothes.
"It's definitely too much," Dorian grinned as he stepped behind her. He, too, was no longer in his leather armor but wore an elegant black tunic with fine embroidery and black linen trousers. He looked decidedly majestic in it.
"Shouldn't I change into something else?" Leonie fretted as she turned toward him. "What will they think of me?"
"They'll probably soil themselves when they see you," Marcus whistled appreciatively from the doorway.
"I agree," Dorian nodded, smiling as he brushed a loose strand back from Leonie's face. "They'd better. After all, you're the king's beloved. If they knew what you're capable of, they'd crawl before you on their knees…" He laughed darkly. "Come on. Let's get the introductions over with." He offered Leonie his arm. She cast one last glance at the mirror, then with a sigh slipped her arm through his. His presence calmed her a little, but it still took a great effort not to panic. They stepped out into the corridor, where the entire group was already waiting.
"Why is everyone armed to the teeth?" Leonie asked. She couldn't help noticing that although they all wore fresh clothes, they carried as many weapons as an entire army—more than they had on the road.
"Just as a precaution," Dorian shrugged. "There's really nothing to worry about."
"Nothing promotes peaceful negotiations quite like a pile of steel," Aeson winked at her. Leonie went pale, a chill running down her spine. Did they really think things were this bad?
They walked silently down the corridor, then down the stairs, and on the ground floor through more hallways, until they stopped before a massive door. The guards standing watch there greeted Dorian respectfully, and he returned the greeting, calling them by name, before turning to Leonie.
"Remember—no harm can come to you while you're with us. No matter what they say, you're worth no less than any of us," he said, kissing her forehead. Then he turned toward the door and gestured for it to be opened. His expression changed in an instant. He assumed his cool, regal demeanor and walked in at Leonie's side like someone fully aware that he commanded everything here.
"You kept us waiting," a stern, metallic voice rang out from the far end of the hall. Leonie straightened, and despite her instincts, she tried not to hide behind Dorian. Instead, she surveyed the room, taking stock of those present—exactly six figures seated at U-shaped tables.
"Father," Dorian inclined his head to the gray-haired elf seated at the head of the table, though there was not a trace of warmth in his voice. "With your permission, we refreshed ourselves after the long journey." And though he was impeccably polite, Leonie noticed that he did not apologize for being late.
"Who is the girl?" the elderly elf frowned.
"Father, this is Leonie. Leonie, as you may have guessed, this is my father, Aequellis, regent of our kingdom. Beside him are the members of the Council. You've met Atarax," he said, and the man in question nodded to her with a smile. "This is Erlan, leader of the Floaters," he gestured to a long-haired brown-haired man, then to a short-haired woman with icy blond hair. "Lislyn, head of the Shapeshifters. Ardoryell, leader of the Fire-summoners," he indicated a man about his own age, strikingly handsome, with nearly orange hair.
"And finally, from the earth elves, Galeth," he said, pointing to the last man at the table, who appeared the oldest among them and wore an expression at least as unfriendly as Xavier's. Leonie noted to herself that they were likely related.
"Now that we've dispensed with the formalities, we may as well sit," Dorian said. It pleased him somewhat that every one of those present stared long at Leonie. He knew well that they were marveling at her queenly appearance. For once, he was grateful to Revna for her tendency toward excess.
Since the Council members were seated on one side of the tables, Dorian escorted Leonie to the opposite side, taking the seat closest to his father. He let his cool gaze travel over those present before finally resting on Denniel, who stood behind his father.
"I believe you've already been informed of one thing or another," he said, a hint of mockery in his voice, then turned to his father. "And perhaps you've seen it yourself."
"I want to hear your explanation. I sent you to the humans to forge an agreement with them. Instead, you brought back a girl and admitted her to our land in defiance of our laws," Dorian's father said sternly. Leonie looked at Dorian, filled with admiration for his composure, while she herself struggled to keep her expression neutral. If only she knew how anxiety was tearing him apart. If he failed to gain the support of the Council and his father, protecting Leonie here would be far more difficult. But he could not show weakness—nor how important she was to him—or those present would tear her apart.
"Very well," Dorian sighed wearily and began his account. He told the Council everything in detail, except for small particulars—such as the state Leonie had been in when they brought her to his room, or how close they had grown during their journey. After a quarter of an hour, he leaned back and clasped his hands before him.
"As you've heard, although we did not form an alliance, I brought back the person with the greatest chance of finding the book," he concluded. Leonie pressed her lips together. What book were they talking about? She knew of the tree's dying—but a book? She realized how little she knew of elven affairs. Dorian had asked her to trust him. She tried. Yet a nagging doubt gnawed at her—that perhaps this was the only reason he had brought her along.
"But how could she be a forest elf? They vanished long ago," Lislyn, the white-haired woman, interjected. "If they still lived, the ancient tree would not be dying."
"Perhaps we don't possess all knowledge, as we once believed," Marcus joined in with a shrug.
"You should have seen it. She brought trees to life on human land. She strengthened the gate," Nir added enthusiastically. The regent furrowed his brow and fixed his gaze on Leonie.
"How can we know this isn't deception? If the book is with the humans, perhaps they sent her here as a spy," he said grimly to Dorian. "You broke the laws of our country and brought mortal danger upon us," he reproached his son.
"Let's think calmly," Atarax interjected. "If what Dorian says is true, then the girl is our greatest chance of survival."
"Or our greatest chance to all die," Galeth argued.
"It's rare, but I must agree with Galeth," said the leader of the Floaters, turning toward Leonie. "We cannot know who she truly is. She was raised among humans—we cannot trust her." Dorian leaned forward, looking over the Council.
"You don't trust my word?" he asked in an icy voice. "Have you forgotten who I am, and what I'm capable of?"
"No one has forgotten," Aequellis cut in. "But you forget yourself. The safety of our people comes before all else, and by bringing her here you've endangered us all. Even if what you claim is true, you robbed the humans, and that alone could ignite war between our peoples. And if the girl truly is a forest elf whose magic was suppressed for twenty years, then she's far more dangerous than you think. You never knew forest elves. Their power far surpasses any of ours. She will be unable to control it. You yourself said she killed a man—and here, magic is far stronger." He leaned back and shook his head. "You know we cannot take this risk."
"Perhaps we're standing on the brink of ruin because we haven't taken a single risk in the past millennium," suddenly spoke the orange-haired elf who had been studying Leonie with keen interest all along. When he turned toward her, a grin flickered across his strikingly handsome face, and he winked. Leonie blinked in surprise, her face heating instantly. Such behavior was hardly appropriate in a situation like this… what was it—flirting? And though Dorian was glad Ardoryell seemed inclined toward them, he also felt like punching him. It was well known that the fire-summoners lived rather libertine lives, and their attractive leader was among the most notorious seducers.
"The old king took risks—and so did the forest elves. They all died. That's why our people now stand on the edge of destruction," Galeth slammed his hand on the table. Chaos erupted at once, everyone talking over one another. Leonie went pale and sank back in her chair as if trying to escape. All these men were at each other's throats because of her, magic vibrating threateningly around them as they pointed at her with hatred in their eyes, as if any of this were her fault. Her breathing quickened, panic flooding her. She felt her fingertips begin to go numb, then her arms, her legs, and finally her entire torso. She closed her eyes, trying to shut out the voices. This isn't the baron's castle. Dorian will protect me. No harm will come to me, she repeated to herself. Then a large hand clasped hers, and surprisingly gently began stroking her palm. Her eyes flew open and she turned to Dorian, who was watching her. He said nothing, only continued the soothing motion, tracing slow circles in her palm with his thumb.
And though the others were still in the midst of heated argument, the regent did not miss the scene. For a few seconds he watched Leonie and Dorian stare at each other, then he raised his hand and spoke in a firm voice.
"That's enough."
Silence fell over the hall at once.