She had no desire to know exactly what her master was occupied with; blushing, she stood frozen before Kalisio, her gaze cast downward.
"It seems, Elina… that you don't quite enjoy living with us… Are we not handsome enough, as men?"
"That's not it. You are handsome, of course. It's just that… I don't know when I'll ever get used to this… it's not the life I'm accustomed to. I used to live with my parents and servants in a large house."
"I know only a little about your past… that you arrived with a group of people from another planet, attempting to colonize Xantari, but were forced to submit by the local authorities… well, nothing to be done about that! My cousin took a liking to you, so he brought you to Azaren as a new princess—to our great delight…"
"To 'our'… and just how many of you are there?"
"Fewer than a thousand… but don't you worry. As it stands, you're here now, and it's unlikely you'll be moved to another court… And every one of us is worthy of your attention…"
"In what sense?"
"As an inspiration!"
His cool, smooth palms gripped her wrists, drawing her closer to his slender torso. Spinning her into a slow, unhurried dance, Kalisio pressed himself even tighter against her, refusing to let go.
"You must be prepared for the masquerade ball—and I must say, you move with such grace."
"What masquerade ball?"
He fixed his gaze upon her flushed face and wide, startled eyes, carefully studying the state of the flustered princess.
"So sweet and delicate… Hmm… It's truly wonderful that you remember nothing at all… Your mind is unburdened by anything superfluous, making it all the easier to captivate your young heart…" - Kalisio murmured thoughtfully, bringing his lips toward her crimson mouth as the twilight deepened.
"Does that mean… Lariel handed me over to you?"
"Oh, no… you shouldn't think so! And though he has many women, I suspect he is quite taken with your exquisite refinement… A true rarity, indeed!"
He kept his gaze fixed upon her, as if spellbound. Never before had anyone admired her so openly. After a few frozen moments spent in mutual contemplation, his breathing quickened; with passionate reverence, he pressed his lips to hers, his tongue slipping just slightly between them. She yielded easily to his charms, and Kalisio—pleased to find himself not rejected—began to caress her shoulders and neck, pulling her onto his lap on the carved garden bench.
"But… what will Lariel say to this?" Elina asked, attempting to resist his insistent passion.
"Nothing at all…" the aroused seducer whispered, wrapping his arms around the princess and burying his face in the silky strands of her fine hair. "Good heavens! I'm simply melting with delight… and how, my dear, did they ever let you leave Xantari? Though, why ask such foolish questions—especially when you wouldn't know the answer yourself? We were promised a new princess, after all… and I am among the first to sample you, without a single protest. How marvelous! The Lord has finally heeded our pleas…"
"Does this mean that each of you will want me?"
"Do you consider yourself too fragile and weak for so much attention?"
"Exactly!"
"In that case, you'll have to meet guests every other day… since you're so tired—agreed?"
"No!" the princess snorted indignantly, squirming in his embrace.
"No… no? Ho-ho!" Kalisio teased, plunging back into his intoxicating caresses and planting sweet, smacking kisses on her swollen lips.
"It's already dark out!"
"Ha… so what!"
Suddenly, a massive figure descended noisily before them, exclaiming sharply:
"Well, well, well… is this how you await my return, Kalisio? Cornering some little bird in the shadows… behind my back! And here you were, insisting that women didn't interest you in the slightest—scornfully rejecting my tastes and turning down all the delightful amusements in Ornalion!"
"Oh… ha! Erin!" Kalisio stammered, looking sheepish as he released a startled Elina. "My dear fellow! You're back!"
She immediately slipped away, not daring to look back.
"Who's that? A lady friend? Where did she come from?" Erin asked, throwing up his hands.
"She's… Ler's new woman!" Kalisio said, scrambling for an excuse as he draped himself over the giant's broad shoulders. "I was just… offering a bit of comfort—she's so sweet! And she's just as lonely as I am! You rascal! You've been off with your sluts for a whole month! I was heartbroken left be alone for so long!"
"You should have come along and enjoyed with me!"
''But you always scoffed at my suggestions with such disdain!"
"I don't even want to discuss this! Are these mistresses of yours really that much better than me? You were gone for so long! Not a single word! Not even a 'hello'! Not once! Such an egoist! And now, there's no one to take me to Ornalion! I'm practically dying of longing for you!" - Kalisio exclaimed, giving free rein to his intense emotions.
"Where's the girl?" Erin asked, looking around. "Did she run off?"
"Don't you dare touch her! Lar will be furious if anything happens to her!"
"And what would happen to her? I want her! She really is quite lovely!"
"When did you even get a good look at her? Calm down! I'll take care of your tension—after all, I've been worn out from waiting for you!"
"She's somewhere in the palace, isn't she? Here… nearby!"
All attempts to dissuade Erin from searching for the girl in the dark garden proved futile. The giant spent a considerable amount of time looking for her, unable to settle down:
"What kind of girl is she, anyway, to have caught even my darling's eye?"
"She's so ordinary! Completely ordinary!" Kalisio mumbled, desperately grabbing at his arms and trailing helplessly behind him. "There's no need to make such a fuss over finding this little grey mouse!»