Chapter 75: The Private Garden
"You know what WOULD make me very happy, Evanna?" His deep voice took on a tone that sent a shiver down her spine. She did not bother answering; it was a rhetorical question. "If you told me why you took my gem and how I could acquire it back."
Evanna shrunk slightly by the iciness in Arawn’s voice, but she hid her trepidation by turning her head and glancing away from the prince. She wished at that moment, her hair was down like it usually was in such settings; it was easier to hide behind, but not today, it seemed. From now on, she would make sure to have it down because the prince was not going to stop his line of questioning, and she was not going to tell him what he needed to know.
With her head turned, she could still feel his icy gaze on the back of her head, causing her to shiver. The prince slammed his hand atop the surface of the wall shooting ice along it. Evanna immediately pulled her hands back and stared at the ice forming before turning to look at the prince wide-eyed.
"Oh good, I have your attention," Arawn said flippantly with his face as stoic as ever.
Evanna narrowed her eyes, "If you wanted my attention, you need only ask."
"I should not need to ask. We are walking through my gardens. I should have all of your attention," Arawn snapped back, taking a step towards her, one she did not step away from.
Evanna took a deep breath in, and instead of answering his question from before, she asked her own, "Rina told me about these gifts the elves have," she began and watched his face darken even further. But she continued, "how does it work?"
Arawn took another step closer to her making Evanna feel uncomfortable once again by his close proximity. She wanted to take a step back, but it would either cause him to become somewhat moody, from what she had observed so far about him, or he would continue relentlessly until she stopped. Instead, she tilted her chin up. His lips twitched into a smile, but it was gone within a flash, making Evanna wonder if she imagined it.
"Rina should not have discussed with you about such matters," He drawled and tilted his head to the side, his eyes still focused on her, causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end.
Evanna suddenly felt worried about her handmaid; she hoped the servant was not in trouble. In fact, the princess felt terrible for the she-elf. Rina must have the most challenging job looking after the prince’s ’plaything’. One false move, and her handmaiden might lose a limb!