“So bossy,” I replied as he left the cabin, but there was no bite to my tone. Not anymore.
As I ran my finger down the fabric of the cream-colored dress he had brought me, that thing that was left unsaid between us grew even more.
* * *
The moment we walked out of the cabin, I was struck by the beauty of The Pines. It was clear where the settlement had gotten its name. The namesake trees were everywhere.
The ground was hard and firm beneath my feet, but thankfully, there wasn’t any snow in sight. We were in the middle of a forest, and I counted eighteen log cabins.
A hum of conversation filled the air as people hurried past us. They barely spared us a glance as they went about their days. Xander led me slowly through the settlement at a pace that could only be described as turtle-esque.
Before we had left the cabin, he had insisted I tell him the moment I felt the smallest bit of exhaustion. That wasn’t going to happen, but I didn’t tell him that. Not after it took me days just to convince him to let me take a walk.
The fresh air invigorated me, despite the fact that the dress Xander had gotten me was far tighter than what I was used to. I’d had to squeeze into it, forcing it over my curves. The scoop neckline was cut so low—I felt as though my ample cleavage was only moments away from falling out of the dress and giving the people of The Pines a show they weren’t paying for.
There was only one petticoat, and after spending time in the dress from Nonna, I felt practically naked. The dress didn’t have any pockets and there was no room for my daggers. I felt bare without them, unprotected.
As we rounded a corner, I tried to adjust the gown on my frame for what felt like the tenth time.
“Stop fidgeting,” Xander whispered in my ear. “No one could tell you were moments away from death less than a week ago.”
“I wasn’t aware that ‘moments away from death’ was a measurement for judging how one looked,” I retorted, trying to mask my discomfort in the new clothes. Despite the cloak covering my shoulders and the muff around my hands, I shivered as a brisk wind blew past me.
Xander loosened his grip on my arm. “Aileana,” he whispered. “You’re beautiful. Anyone with half a brain can see that.”
He thought I was beautiful?
Warmth flooded through me at his words, and I blushed.
“Thank you,” I said after a moment. I elbowed him in the side. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
His lips twitched, and that warmth within me expanded. After being cooped up, it was so nice to be outside. To breathe in the fresh air. To justbe.
We walked in silence for a few minutes, past a row of log cabins and carefully tended gardens.
“How many people live here?” I asked Xander after we passed a group of small children kicking a cloth ball between them. They seemed so free. Growing up, I’d never played games. I wasn’t even sure I knew how to have fun.
Having fun hadn’t exactly been a priority for the king’s pet.
“It varies. Anywhere from fifty to a hundred people, although I’ve seen the population swell to nearly two hundred. Right now, I think there are about sixty people here, including twenty children.”
“And it’s safe?” I asked.
He tightened his grip on my elbow, leading me around a puddle. “Yes. The people who live here have sought the seclusion of The Pines for a long time. It’s a… retreat of sorts. A place where the king’s laws don’t reach.”
I paused, considering. “That’s why the people seem freer here than they did in Thyr.”
“Yes,” he nodded. “After the Females’ Rebellion, a few places like this were created throughout Ithenmyr. A place for people to be themselves.”
“I didn’t know that places like this existed.”
I was going to say more when I spotted Morwen out of the corner of my eye.
The elf—I’d since learned she was a Light Elf who was an exceptionally gifted healer—grinned and walked over to us. “Hello, Aileana. Xander.” She nodded at both of us. “It’s so nice to see you up and about.”
Smiling shyly, I twisted my fingers in the muff. I was still getting used to talking to people, and I wasn’t sure how to go about conversations without sounding… odd. “Thank you. I was wondering…”
My voice trailed off, and I glanced at Xander, unsure of what he would think of my request. It was a thought I’d had when I was lying in bed.