XXVII

Sitting on the tree was very uncomfortable, but Elanor would choose it anytime over risking wandering alone in the halls with all those arrogant fae. It was a tall pine, and it smelled very comforting. The view from up here was not very good: lush branches obscured most of the garden, but she could see some of the sky and even a bit of the sheds and other backyard structures. She used the last charge on her phone to read a book, and after less than an hour, Talvi appeared at the base of the trunk. 

He waved at her with a smile once she noticed him. Elanor carefully climbed back, having to allow Talvi to catch her in his arms for the last distance left at the bottom, not being able to reach the ground safely. He spun her in a circle playfully before placing her on the ground. 

"You seem in a much better mood. The meeting went well?" asked the girl.

"Oh, you cannot imagine," was his answer, but Elanor did not feel like prying further.

They headed further into the forest, letting Lumi out, and the happy Samoyed ran around them in circles until they stopped at a beautiful meadow full of lupins. 

"Great spot for a break!" announced Talvi, lying right on the grass and placing his arms behind his head, eyes already closed. "That awful Seelie bed sucked all joy out of me. I'm in need of a nap, have you seen my eye bags this morning?" he complained, barely able to move his mouth. 

He looks more exhausted now than he did even an hour ago. What was he doing at this meeting of his?

Talvi was fast asleep, and Elanor spread her jacket on the ground near him, sitting down with Lumi. She looked closely at Talvi's hands that were still bare after yesterday's need to wear an outfit that drew far less attention than his usual refined abundance of trinkets and accessories. She noticed that the black disease moved up. She could tell because even though he took off most of his rings, he left one of them on his middle finger, a thin silver band, getting wider with filigree towards the center, and a round opal embedded in it. 

Something happened to trigger his illness to progress, and now it has made him lethargic. Will he be able to wake up for the ball?

She touched his forehead with the back of her palm, and it was flaring with fever. She decided to wake him up then, to ask what might be of help; she doubted that acetaminophen and lemon tea would be of any use here. She shook him, gently at first, and then with full force, but the elf did not move, only mumbled something she couldn't hear. Elanor shook him some more and leaned closer with her ear to his face. Eventually, she was able to make out that he was repeating "ice". 

Yes, ice is a great idea, actually. Where do I get ice? 

She did not want to admit that she would definitely have to go to the castle and search for it in the kitchen. She went through all five stages of grief in a row and in random order before the sun rose high, and there was no denying she needed to hurry. 

"Lumi, stay here and guard him. I will try to return as fast as I can," instructed Elanor nervously and ran to the residence. 

***

She started by sneaking up to the group of humans that were decorating the polls and grabbed a half-filled basket containing ribbons. Plastering a lost, blissful expression that all servants had, she then walked after some humans, not making eye contact and trying to look busy. Eventually, she saw a guy arranging kegs with drinks at the special tables set up on the sides of the main stairs, and waited until his wheelbarrow was empty, assuming he would have to go refill it at the kitchen or at least the pantry. She was correct, and it was not hard to track down the kitchen by following the smell of food after the guy led her to the storage room. 

She stood around the corner for a bit, trying to smooth her breathing. Her heart was racing wildly with adrenaline, but there was no time to be scared, because Talvi needed her, and she desperately needed Talvi. She almost stepped out from her hideout when she heard voices coming her way. It was three fae guards; she waited in the shadows until they passed by. 

"... you heard? Willy and Olly got so drunk, they fell out of the window-"

"Those ogres have four left feet amongst the two of them, no wonder-"

"-They had to move chicken fight rinks because of it, the castellan of Western Tower is furious."

When the sound of their steps faded in the distance, she quickly slipped into the kitchens and, due to a miracle, no less, saw a whole basin filled with ice at a table with appetisers. She had no plan from this point, so she simply walked to it, grabbed the bowl and headed out. Unfortunately, one of the kitchen maids called after her:

"Hey, you! Where are you taking it? Put it back, it's for the bottles of cider; Sir Aeden caused such a stir last time the cider was warm!" was complaining the human woman. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat of the stove; she was not at all dazed like most other humans and was probably one of the supervisors. "Don't just look at me with those doe eyes, leave the bowl!"

Elanor had to improvise, so she smiled, trying to look thoughtless and compliant, and placed the bowl back.

"Excuse me, they asked me to bring ice for the princess," she replied in her best absent-minded impression. 

At that, the woman lost her confidence, but was still suspicious.

"Princess, you say? I thought she was doing better?" tried the maid.

"Lady Yara sent her potions yesterday. Her Highness is a bit feverish after those," lied Elanor without giving herself time to get scared. 

"Well, I suppose..."

And without testing her luck, the girl grabbed the ice and rushed away from the castle. When she passed the decorated grounds and turned to go towards the woods, she wrapped her scarf around the bowl, secured it in a hug against her chest, and ran with all might to the lupin meadow.

***

Talvi was just where she left him. She dropped to her knees, breathing hard from running, and cursed after feeling his forehead: the fever has gotten worse. Lumi was licking the elf's beautiful face. Quickly, she unwrapped the large basin and spread the ice around him, contouring the shape of his upper body. She wrapped some remaining cubes in her scarf and placed them on his head. 

There is nothing left to do but wait.

Elanor was lying on her side, head propped with her elbow, watching Talvi's face until she slipped into dreaming. The sun was starting to set when she was woken up by Lumi walking on top of her and wagging his tail, hitting her face. She opened her eyes and saw that Talvi was stirring; the ice around his frame had mostly melted. 

"Tal! You hear me? You need to wake up, the ball will start soon."

"Water..." breathed the elf raspily. 

Elanor rushed to fill the mug with tea, blowing on it to cool it down a bit. She helped the young man lift his head, and Lumi dove to prop it against his fluffy back. Talvi took a few sips and slowly sat. She left him to finish the tea and just watched the sunset rays falling onto his majestic profile, his posture looking elegant even in such a feeble state. He noticed her stare and winked. 

"You should have woken me earlier, I need at least two hours to get ready!"

 "Excuse me, my lord, next time I should risk my life for some ice cubes with more speed," commented Elanor without malice.

Talvi looked around him, noticing wet soil in the shape of his body. His expression changed to being flustered. 

"I'm sorry, I keep dragging you into trouble."

"That's fine, I'll take the first dance as a payment then," she smiled, feeling braver after going through today's challenge with victory. 

"That's a deal." Talvi extended his hand, she shook it, and they both laughed, helping each other stand up to hurry back, having not much time to dress for the masquerade.