A Woven Attachment
Chapter 11
“How do you like it?” Emmy asked casually as she looked up at Yuki. In a single graceful movement he tossed on his new cloak. Holy toasted buns, a perfect model! She bit her tongue to keep her smile from widening. It was every seamstress’ dream to see their finest work displayed so well.
His enchanting features never failed to elicit squeals from his fangirls, but Emaline was more concerned about how his features complemented her handiwork. Though, on this occasion, she had to admit that it was more the other way around. The black cloak made his shining silver hair even more captivating, and fabric fell in such a way that reminded her of his impressive stature.
“It’s wonderful, Miss Emaline,” he grinned ear to ear and spun with exuberance, admiring the peacock-colored inner lining and the silver corded embellishments on the shoulder. “This is just what I needed. How do I look?”
“Dreamy.”
Yuki ceased his preening and looked at Emmy in surprise.
“Oh!” her hands flew to her mouth. “I was just marveling at how well the colors suited you.”
“Is that so?” a playful smile crept onto his face. “What about…” Yuki turned away from her for a second before whirling back around, “Now!”
Yuki’s head was entirely immersed in his oversized hood. He held his hands up in a spooky manner, as if imitating some oversized ghoul or ghost, while murmuring some nonsense about the land of the living.
“Hey!” Emmy squealed with laughter as he started chasing her around the study. As she ran around she felt the tenson from the precious day melt away.
“Okay, okay,” Emmy huffed, “You’re gonna be the death of me.”
Yuki ceased his shenanigans and pulled the hood back, leaving a remarkably messy mop of hair atop his head. With a few quick shakes, his stands fell obediently back into place, though Emmy almost wished the perfect prince could have remained a bit imperfect for a few moments longer.
“Well, I’m quite satisfied with the cloak. And you finished it so quickly. You’re most adept at your craft.”
She plastered a serene expression on her face, though felt a twinge of guilt mounting inside her. Looking at Yuki, she wondered what he’d think if he knew she’d only done it for a quick coin. How pathetic that would seem to him.
Yuki cocked his head, as if trying to read her face, “Is something bothering you?” he asked earnestly.
“I’m as peachy as a peach cobbler,” she said quickly. “Besides, I wanted to ask why Your Highness would need another cloak. Besides, I thought coats were more in fashion these days, especially among the royalty.”
“But it’s much more charming to dash into the evening air in a cloak, wouldn't you agree?”
Of course he’d have some hairbrained reason!
Emmy raised one eyebrow but kept her inner monologue to herself. “I was quite unaware of a cloak’s unique charm.”
Charm!
In her haste, she had failed to stitch the appropriate stitch to imbue the cloak’s user with greater charm. Yet, from the moment he put the coat on, he hadn’t failed to sweep her off her feet with his characteristic playfulness. Perhaps the crown prince was simply gifted with his baffling ability to draw others in, regardless of their station, personality, or relationship to him.
“Forgive me.” Emmy shot up and walked within half a foot of him, staring at his cloak. She placed her hand on his arm to investigate the stitching, “It’s dawning on me that I failed to properly imbue your cloak.”
Emmy broke her gaze from his coat and released his arm. “I can take it back with me and return it tomorrow.” She turned to face Yuki, finding herself but drawn in by his ocean eyes. Suddenly aware of her proximity to the prince, she flushed and stepped quickly to the side.
“Nonsense, it’s perfect. Besides, I can’t give it back to you.”
“And why is that?”
“Because it’s time for me to dash out into the evening air, so I can’t be bereft of my cloak just yet,” he said wryly as Emmy shot him a sideways smile. “Won’t you accompany me?”
Growing up with a younger brother, Emmy was quite familiar with men. Even working at her family’s bakery, she encountered about every type of person there was in Falworth. Yet, when she was with the prince, she felt in control one second and then taken aback the next. He was, in short, an enigma to her. In fact, she now had two men she couldn’t figure out at all. Theo too left her baffled, but in a different way.
Her instincts told her to return to her warm workshop, away from the arm being offered to her. Even if Prince Yuki was amiable, did her station truly not matter to him? Did he truly desire the companionship of a seamstress?
While her thoughts circled around her brain, Yuki lightly grasped her elbow and led her toward the door. “Let’s go!”
Despite herself, Emmy felt a joyful laugh rise out of her as the stress of the previous week fell away. It would be nice to step outside and momentarily allow her concerns involving her brother and the gem inflation to slip off her dainty shoulders.
Besides, who wouldn’t want to see the palace gardens during the gloaming hour?
“Has anyone told you that you’re awfully chatty?” Emmy asked with a sideways grin as their feet crunched the gravel beneath them along the garden path. The palace garden boasted a magnificent stone fountain and hedges, but it was near abandoned at this time of day.
For the past twenty minutes, Yuki bombarded her with questions. He asked how she became the Yarn Spinstress, what she liked to do, her favorite food, and so forth. Each of her replies was met with a warm response. She hadn’t talked so much about herself in a long time, but even so, it was freeing somehow to chat so idly.
“If we talk any more about me, I’ll be sure to bore you. Why don’t you tell me about yourself?” She had, in fact, many questions stored up about the enigmatic prince who was both so open and yet guarded at the same time.
Yuki fell silent and Emmy felt a panic rising up in her chest. He was already so terribly kind to her, and treated her like her station was of no consequence. But perhaps she’d asked for too much.
“Goodness, it must be terribly rude of me to ask you to divulge your private information. Please, forget I asked.”
“Nonsense,” he said with a flick of his wrist. “I’m just not used to talking about myself. I’m not sure what to say.” He shrugged and ushered her to sit as they approached a bench.
“Well, I’m told you can learn more about someone through silent observation than through discussion,” Emmy offered with feigned seriousness.
“Are you saying you’d rather observe me?” He flirtatiously rested his chin upon the back of his hand. Once again, Yuki managed to gain the upper hand in the conversation. A melodic laugh escaped his lips upon seeing Emmy’s flustered state.
“Here,” he gently helped her from the bench. “Let’s go to the terrace. Then I’ll show you something you might truly be interested in.”
* * *
Theo wiped a bead of sweat from his brow as he watched his men spar. He had chosen to hone their skills at sunset, rather than in the heat of the midday. But the lack of heat failed to diminish his fatigue from hours of training and his uncomfortable meeting with the king earlier that day.
The sun was just descending behind the palace walls, coating the training grounds in a demure purple hue. A faint breeze offered the weary men a respite from the heat of their struggle.
Clash! The resounding sound of swords created a grinding symphony as two knights sought to surpass the other.
“Enough!” Theo shouted over the hoots and hollers of the watching knights. The hotblooded competitors were lacking form, though their enthusiasm attempted to make up for it. “You’re getting sloppy.”
The throng of onlookers spread out as Theo made his way closer in. “I’m going to finish this fight, Anthony. Watch where my eyes go when he makes an attack. Keep your movements tight to stay within striking distance of your opponent and protect yourself from attack.”
The young knight put up an admirable fight, but Theo was the undisputed sword master. Within five seconds flat, a sword thumped to the ground and the Royal Commander was victorious. Theo looked up to watch the remnants of the sunset. The training ground was surrounded by a wall with a walking terrace on it. Upon it, he saw two unmistakable figures.
What are they doing here?
It wasn’t customary for Yuki to take aimless jaunts around the palace perimeter, or accompany a lady anywhere at all.
And he’s wearing a ridiculous cloak like he hopped out of a romance novel.
The orange rays of light had all but faded, leaving a cozy cloak of settling darkness in its stead. In the darkness, a fire burst to life, lighting one of the many stone bowls that dotted the terrace’s half-wall. Then, in succession, the fire transferred along the wall, lighting bowl after bowl until the terrace became encircled in firelight. As Theo watched he surmised that Emaline would be delighted by Yuki’s unexpected display of fire power.
Theo shook his head, recalling the last time Yuki used his magic in the library. So much for putting your magic to good use, huh, Yuki?
A royal’s magic power was a matter of much speculation, but their abilities were confidential to all but their closest companions. A royal’s secret magic power gave them a unique advantage over any infiltrators. Though Yuki was one to write his own rules and live by his own convictions, he rarely flaunted his power as one of the few remaining fire-power users in the land.
So why was he so unguarded with Emaline? Did he also sense the goodwill that seemed to flow out of her?
Feeling like an intruder, Theo turned his gaze down toward the dirt. Little did he know that as he turned away a pair of amber eyes turned to look down at him.
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