Princeps

13. True Love Beckons

Similarly to their seating privileges at the table, no one planned for or had interest in how Atef and Erleia will pass the night. It was already late when the newlyweds closed the doors and cut short the formal part of the ceremony, but that didn't stop the guests to continue partying until Lita firmly gripped Sur and Baor left the horizon. Atef initially stayed with the rascals who wanted to see the lovemaking through the windows or hear it, but Bortos quickly bolted shut everything. Whatever could be heard was either muffled or engulfed by loud music, so he headed back to the square. Erleia went back to dance and even cozied up to Amos as per the received advice. She picked up the group dance by now, but in dancing with Amos he was the one who had to follow the moves she knew; and those were distinctly elven. Elves, such as Erleia, don't jump or sway or tread around in rhythm as much as the humans, their dance is slow and gracious, a presentation of oneself which is to be mimicked and supplanted by the dance partner with dignity, precision and veneration. Amos naturally lacked all of those and the elven dance moves were too slow for the music. Nonetheless, he was dead set on impressing the only unique one among all the females at the party. Erleia was enthused by this boy and her body flirted with him while her eyes were everywhere but on him. She enjoyed being in the center of attention, so she made her moves and looks inviting, sending out piercing glances all around, teasing forth the next one who would like to try.

When Atef saw this a feeling riled up in him, bitter and burning, galvanizing a fighter's resolve that would cut down like a scythe doused in hellfire anyone who dares sullying Erleia. He swooped in and placed himself between Amos and Erleia trying to keep pace with her moves. He looked ridiculous, out of sync, as if he was a lagging and erroneous mirror image. Amos' blood invoked his competitive spirit as well, so he swerved around Atef placing himself again in front of Erleia and continued the dance. Atef turned crimson, his eyes that of a bull, his heart a sledgehammer that will destroy mountains. He returned the favor and swerved around Amos placing himself in front of Erleia, their noses touching. He wiggled his nose against hers, getting a "You're silly" look in response. A forceful tap landed on Atef's shoulder cutting short the wonderful, cheeky smile she had for him. He raised his finger to announce she will be back in the center of his attention in a moment.

- What?! – he thundered as he swung around, eyes crossed, nostrils flaring, his face clenched with wrinkles looking like crevasses of oblivion into which Amos will sink if he doesn't immediately disappear out of sight.

Although having the hots for the she-elf Amos lacked, now like many times in the past, a key component to get what he wanted; a set of steel balls that would run the crazy juices into his blood and explode his courage outward to incinerate anyone opposing him. In short, he lacked the finer qualities that a slave beaten and tortured below the ground in a myriad of ways countless times had. Even in his most reckless state, Amos' willingness to fight wouldn't come even close to Atef's in this situation, not to mention that Atef's was partly guided by what was within him, his gift. Fear settled on the face of the challenger and he slowly backed away, setting a lesson for the others who were eyeing Erleia and vice versa.

When Atef turned around, Erleia had a type of look he never experienced before. Her eyes were large, dead set on him, peering deep into his soul. Her face had the slightest hint of a smile, teasing, asking for it to be marveled. He looked at her and all the courage that he had worked up, to even slay Amos if necessary, evaporated in a scorching instant. He grabbed the back of his neck and just stood there, as if painfully constipated.

Erleia glanced around and found a sizable audience being interested in particularly them so she grabbed his arm and took him away. As they were leaving the gathering, they noticed that some of the other revelers are calling it quits.

- Canna two of Gorla's friends sleep in your house?

- Nope, sorry boy. Go with your little Aebor lassie somewhere else.