Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Eighty-One: Amatory

"How was the flight down?" She asked as we entered the room. Reaching up, I unclasped my pin and swung my cloak from my shoulders before handing it off to a waiting butler.

"Cold, uneventful." I answered her as I sat down at the table. "though great for a ride. The currents were pretty calm."

"I am not even going to pretend that I understand what the currents feel like when calm," I smirked at her before sitting down and taking the napkin to fold it in my lap.

"I'd say it takes years to fully figure out what the winds are trying to tell you." Behind us, the door creaked open.

"Your Majesty, Miss Helain, has arrived." Nasuada looked over at the door and nodded her head.

"Thank you, send her in." A dirty blonde mass of hair appeared shortly before light blue eyes settled on my green ones.

"Pleasure to see you again, Helain." I spoke up as the blonde inched into the room with an air of tepidness. "no need to be nervous, Nasuada's bite isn't always hard."

Helain shot me a look before she sat down at the table with her precious bundle in her arms.

"So, what did the little dragon choose as a name?" I asked her as servants came in with dishes. A small violet head poked up from Helain's lap and fixed lavender eyes on me as Helain smiled.

"He chose Iorn," Helain replied with her soft voice. "I take it you are the one escorting me to Vroenguard, Suri?"

I nodded as I deposited a bunch of vegetables onto my plate as well as a few slices of cheese.

"I was asked if I would be willing to offer my knowledge and services as a Master." I explained. "since Farador and I have a decade of knowledge we agreed."

"Why do I sense that you are more reluctant to do so?" My eyes flashed to Helain's light blue eyes and narrowed.

"Please, you know that answer, Helain," I retorted. "I prefer to be on my own."

"Are you sure it doesn't have to do with a certain blond?" I shot her a dirty look.

"I spoke of that one time, one! How is it you still remember that!?!" Helain shrugged at me as Nasuada looked between us in amusement.

"I wasn't aware you two were so familiar with each other." Nasuada mused. Helain and I looked at each other, a silent conversation going between our eyes before we turned back to Nasuada.

"We met at the wedding." Helain and I replied at the same time. Nasuada raised an eyebrow, most likely sensing a bigger story, but did not pry into the details.

"I know what you are thinking, Suri," Helain said as she picked at a slice of bread. "but I have conversed with some of the elves in the city, and I think I know what I am getting into."

"I just don't want you thinking that you are locked into one destiny, Helain. A lot of people, humans, and elves combined, have a certain mind frame on what it means to be a Dragon Rider. A dragon choosing you isn't locking your fate, it is opening it up."

Helain smiled at me.

"And that's why I am glad you are going to be one of my masters. I actually hope you'll be my assigned master." I openly stared at her.

"You do realize that I have no experience in teaching... at all... right?"

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