Chapter 18: Lord Waryn Eloroan

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Beside her sat Lord Waryn Eloroan, a lithe and tall man, with intensely blue eyes and curly light brown hair that spilled down to the collar of his stiff jacket. He was dressed completely in black, down to his boots that folded at the knee.

His mask, while doubtlessly expensive, was also quite conservative, as if he wished to appear modest or inconspicuous—despite the fact that he was too handsome to achieve either. It was a cast of smooth gold designed to make the wearer's face resemble that of a lion, without a mane. The mask's nose covered the tip of Lord Waryn's nose, and there was a green beryl right where the lion's nose should be, with small diamonds circling it.

A little away, on a bench of her own, was Lady Nava Somaer. She had an air of detachment about her and was reading a thick tome. Even when seated, I could tell that she was probably as tall as Lord Waryn, but more slender in build than I was. Her hair was a sheet of shimmering black silk that fell all the way to her tiny waist. With the book in the way, I couldn't see her face or her mask very well.

I could already tell that today Lord Waryn and Lady Leah were on better terms than the night before. I tried to pick up on their conversation before our presence was known but, once we were in earshot, Afali made that impossible.

"Lord Waryn! Cousin Leah! How lovely it is to see the both of you. And Lady Nava, you are as beautiful as they say."

Waryn and Leah rose, but Nava simply turned a page in her book and made no indication to have heard anything.

"Afali," said Lady Leah with a curtsy. "You're looking well."

"And you, Leah, haven't changed. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the wedding."

"Oh, I was at least glad to have Lord Alik," said Lady Leah. "Though were you well an entire summer on your own?"

Afali's jaw tightened, but she hurried to relax her features. "Of course. I had to look after Velamia."

"And who will look after Velamia this winter?" Leah asked.

"Oh, father will only attend the Masquerade for a month," Afali replied.

I wondered if anything had happened to Afali during the summer. I told myself to think about it later.

Lord Waryn took Afali's hand and bowed over it. "Lady," he said. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Oh, I am too. I heard so much about you, Lord Waryn..."

"I doubt it was anything in my favour," he said.

A rustle on my right told me Lady Nava turned another page in the book she was reading.

"Lord Waryn, you remember Lady Dylana?"

"How could I forget?" the man in the lion mask said, almost sharply.

I curtsied at both of them. "My lord and lady," I said demurely, trying as best I could to deepen my Desmelas accent.

"My loyds," Lady Leah imitated my accent with a bark of laughter. People of the state of Desmelas didn't pronounce their 'r's quite as northerners did. "Come now, Lady Dylana, say work and walk and let's see if I could tell the difference."

"Work, walk," I said, purposefully making both words sound similar.

Leah threw her head back, laughing. "I can't, can you?" she asked, turning to Lord Waryn.

"She said walk first," he replied drily. He was watching me through narrowed eyes. If I wasn't mistaken—and I hoped I was—Lord Waryn didn't like Dylana.

Afali was being strangely quiet, perhaps she was debating whether to defend Dylana, or help these nobles mock her.

I laughed. "Aren't we full of mischief today? Make me try another."

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