Chapter 13 - A Table Set for Two
The light in the room was soft, filtered through pale curtains that swayed with the breeze. Iris stood at the small mirror by the window, dusting a thin layer of powder along her cheeks with practiced ease. The dress she had chosen was hanging neatly on the wardrobe, pressed and ready, its colour one that always made her feel a little more like herself. Her hair was nearly done, gathered into soft waves with a few silver pins that caught the light just enough. A hint of shimmer for charm. A little elegance, just in case.
She reached for her lip tint, pausing for a moment before applying it.
It was just dinner. That was all. A simple meal. He hadn’t called it anything more. Just a gesture, probably meant to thank her for helping Ayda, for being a decent guest, for not making things complicated.
Still.
He’d written that note so gently. He said she made the grove feel brighter. That had meant something, hadn’t it? She wasn’t imagining that.
Iris set the lip tint down and looked at her reflection.
It’s just dinner, she told herself again. Nothing serious. You’ve done this before. You’ve had nice nights with nice people and they didn’t mean anything. This doesn’t have to be different.
But part of her wanted it to be different. Just a little.
And that was the problem.
She smoothed her skirt and turned away from the mirror, crossing the room to where her earrings were laid out in a neat little line. Her fingers hovered above the plain ones, but she reached for the sparkly pair instead. Then she sat down on the edge of the bed.
What if she was reading too much into everything? What if this was just a kind-hearted scout doing something nice, and she was here making a fool of herself for hoping it could be more? Maybe he was just the type to write gentle words. Maybe he’d be kind no matter who it was.
She pressed her palms against her knees.
It didn’t have to mean anything.
But if it didn’t... then why did her heart keep racing?
The sky was already deepening into twilight when Elarion fastened the last button on his collar. He stood in front of the mirror in his small, tidy cottage, smoothing down the front of his new outfit with a quiet sort of focus. The fabric still felt unfamiliar under his fingers. Soft. Crisp. Meant for someone else, maybe.
The pocket watch Mr. Thavendir had given him sat gently on the table nearby, catching the candlelight in its delicate, worn curves. He picked it up, turned it over in his hand, and held it for a moment longer than necessary.
He looked at his reflection again. The man in the mirror looked different tonight. Straighter. Sharper. A little older, maybe. Still not elegant, but... trying.
She was probably already getting ready.
He tried to picture it. Her in front of a mirror, brushing her hair, choosing her earrings. Maybe second-guessing her dress, even though she could probably walk into that restaurant in anything and still draw every eye in the room. He’d never met someone like her. She was warm and bright and full of colour, even when she was quietly sitting still.
He breathed in, then let it out slowly.
What if this was a mistake? What if she saw him for who he really was, and didn’t like it?
He wouldn’t blame her.
There were things about him she didn’t know. Things he hadn’t said. Things he still didn’t know how to say. But if he kept holding all of that back, he would lose her before she ever had the chance to decide.
He pressed the pocket watch into his palm.
Maybe this would be the only night. Maybe she would smile politely and that would be the end of it. But if he never tried, if he never reached out, then he’d never know what might’ve been.
Tonight wasn’t about pretending to be someone else. Tonight was about taking the risk.
He slipped the watch into his pocket, took one last look at his reflection, and walked out the door.
Elarion stood before Nymeris’ front door, dressed in his best. The pocket watch sat tucked securely in the inside pocket of his coat. He took a breath, then another, before finally raising his hand to knock. Inside, he heard Ayda’s voice ring out with zero attempt at subtlety.
“He’s here!”
The door opened. And for a moment, Elarion forgot how to breathe.
Iris stood before him in the warm glow of the lanternlight, looking radiant. She always looked beautiful to him, but tonight there was something else. Something more poised, more polished. The kind of presence that made him feel like he was looking at a woman from a storybook. Her dress caught the light in soft waves, her hair was pinned just so, and her eyes sparkled with something he couldn’t name.
He caught himself staring and quickly cleared his throat.
“You look... stunning,” he said softly. “Thank you for waiting.”
This wasn’t the dorky lythari boy she met at the tavern. This wasn’t the mess of nerves and flustered shrieks who once tried to cover his shirtless chest with a towel. This was someone different. Still Elarion, but sharper. More composed. He wore a dark green tailcoat, paired with a deep brown vest and pressed trousers, his boots clean and without a single scuff. His hair had been styled carefully, giving him a distinguished look.
And yet, when he smiled at her, it was still him. Still warm. Still real.
“You clean up well,” she said with an ease that didn’t quite match her heartbeat. “Shockingly well.”
He chuckled, then offered his arm.
“Shall we?”
The streets were beginning to quiet as they made their way through Selathryn. Lamplight spilled across the cobblestones, casting golden halos around them. When they reached the lane that led toward the restaurant, Elarion gently stopped.
“Close your eyes.”
She looked at him. “Are you serious?”
“I am.” He held out his arm again. “Trust me.”
“This is extremely corny.”
“I take full responsibility.”
With a breath of amusement, she slipped her arm around his and closed her eyes.
“You better not walk me into a pond.”
“I’m not making any promises.”
They walked slowly together, her hand light on his arm, his steps careful. The sounds around them shifted. Footsteps became softer, music floated through the air, and the scent of florals mixed with something sweet lingered on the breeze. When the grand double doors opened in front of them, Elarion leaned in just slightly.
“Alright,” he said. “Open them.”
She did. And her breath caught in her throat.
Calanmir stretched before her in quiet grandeur. A restaurant carved with ancient moon elven architecture; it shimmered with gentle silver and gold details. Floating lanterns cast soft light across arching ceilings. Music played low and elegant in the background. Carved floral motifs traced the pillars. Drapes of fine silk fluttered like whispers from the balconies above. And every table flickered with candlelight that felt like starlight in miniature.
She had been to beautiful places before. Lavish parties, elegant halls, grand receptions. But this was something else entirely. This was magic.
“Elarion?”
He was still looking at her, not the restaurant.
“I thought you’d like it.”
She did. Not just the place. But the gesture. The thought behind it. The look in his eyes when he saw her smile. And beside her, Elarion’s lips curved into the quietest, most honest smile he’d worn all day.
They were seated at a small table near one of the inner balconies, where soft light spilled down from floating lanterns and scattered like moonlight across their plates. A gentle melody drifted from the quartet in the corner, barely louder than a whisper. The waiter had just stepped away, and for a moment, the only sound between them was the soft clink of cutlery and glasses being arranged nearby.
Iris glanced around, taking it all in. The soft chatter of other guests. The golden warmth of the room. The shimmer of silver thread in the curtains. It was beautiful. And quiet. Too quiet.
Elarion cleared his throat lightly, leaning forward just a bit. “So... how have you been finding the grove so far?”
Iris turned to him, a little smile playing on her lips. “It’s lovely. Peaceful. I think I needed a change of pace,” Iris said, her voice softer now. “Being back home wasn’t exactly... comforting. The grove feels different. Quiet in a way that’s actually peaceful, not lonely.” She paused, then added with a little shrug, “It’s a welcome change.”
Elarion nodded slowly. “You don’t sound like you were very happy to be back home.”
Something flickered across her face. Not quite a frown, but not quite a smile either. She looked down briefly, her fingers brushing the edge of her napkin. “I have some family stuff,” she said quietly. “It’s not awful or anything. Just... complicated. I barely see them, and honestly, that’s probably for the best.”
The shift in her tone was subtle but clear.
Elarion’s gaze softened.
“I get it,” he said gently. “Sometimes a little distance is what keeps things from hurting more than they already do.”
Her eyes lifted to meet his. There was no pressure in his voice, no need to fill the silence. Just quiet understanding.
She exhaled slowly, then tilted her head a little. “I’ve never heard you talk about your family either,” she said. “Not that I’m prying. I just realized I don’t know much about you.”
The question was gentle, almost casual, but it reached somewhere deep inside him.
He didn’t flinch. Didn’t show the way it hit. But something behind his ribs tightened, slow and quiet, like a thread pulling taut. He kept his eyes on the candle between them, watching the flame flicker and sway as if it could anchor him in the moment.
She wasn’t asking for everything. Just a glimpse. A crack in the door.
He had promised himself, if she gave him the space to try, he wouldn’t let the moment pass.
Maybe it was time to stop hiding behind silence.
Maybe it was time to let her see the part of him no one else ever had.