Elder Vi'Ailean laughed and shook his head.
Meryn sighed. "Okay, almost perfect."
"I would take exception to that, but I know how helpful you and your laptop have been with the ongoing investigation." Elder Vi'Ailean said pouring her a cup of tea. Meryn looked at the cup and remembered the cake.
"Oh! Ryuu, can you put that down here?" Meryn pointed to an empty part of the table. Ryuu sat down the box and stepped back behind her chair. Meryn carefully opened it and lifted out the round, vanilla frosted cake.
"Is that Marius's Lemon Crunch Cake?" Vivian asked, leaning forward.
"Yup, Adelaide said to thank you for last night, she said you made the night pleasant." Meryn set the cake down. Immediately Vivian reached for a knife and cut it into slices. She lifted a piece onto a small plate and handed it to Meryn. Meryn lifted her fork and took a bite. This could easily become one of her favorite desserts. She turned around to Ryuu.
"Did you want some?"
He shook his head. "Denka, you have to pretend as if I wasn't here. A squire does not eat with their charges." Ryuu explained.
"That's rude!" Meryn frowned. Maybe she hadn't thought this whole having a squire thing through.
"She's so young. Makes me feel very old and jaded." Elder Vi'Ailean sat back with his tea.
"I agree. We've had servants for so long, I've never even thought it might be considered rude." Vivian took a bite of her cake. At that point Meryn began to have serious doubts about her being able to fit into Aiden's world. A warm hand on her shoulder had her looking up. Ryuu's expression was kind.
"It does not bother me Denka. It makes me very happy that you are concerned for my wellbeing, but you don't have to worry about me. Serving you and seeing the world through your eyes is reward enough for me."
"If it were me I'd rather have cake."
Ryuu's mouth twitched, "Of course Denka."
Meryn took a sip of her tea and was pleasantly surprised.
"Honeycup!" She took another sip.
"I have such a sweet tooth, so Celyn always keeps it in stock for me." Vivian took her mate's hand with a smile.
"I have to have my tea sweet." Meryn looked out at the garden and blinked. She rubbed her eyes. Just on the corners of her vision she was seeing darting specks of light. She turned back to Vivian.
"Thank you for supporting me last night. It really gave me the confidence I needed to face everyone."
"Don't get me wrong my dear, I had already planned on inviting you over based on the glowing descriptions Celyn gave of you. But it was infinitely more satisfying to deliver the invitation in person at the ball instead of with a written card just so I could see the expressions on those nasty old harpies' faces."
"Vivian." Elder Vi'Ailean chided with a grin.
"Don't Vivian me Celyn. Those women have been a thorn in my side since I arrived here two hundred years ago. I won't stand by and see the same thing happen to Meryn." Vivian said waving her fork in the air.
"So I'm not the only one who wants to stick them with a pin to see how loud they yell?" She laughed when Vivian bobbed her head enthusiastically. Meryn squinted, the lights were getting brighter.
"I knew you and I would get along the second you chastised Daphane Bowers, indirectly of course, about the clothing shops in front of everyone."
"I didn't mind, but poor Adelaide nearly had a coronary shopping that day." Meryn shielded her eyes.
"Okay, seriously! What in the hell are those little light?!" She exclaimed.
Vivian gave her mate a triumphant look. "I knew she'd see them!"
"See what? Fireflies?" Meryn asked.
"No dear, what you are seeing are the garden sprites. Not even all of the fae can see them. When I first mated Celyn, there were a lot of nasty insinuations that I wasn't his true mate since I was human. The fact that I can see the sprites quieted down those naysayers almost immediately. There's no doubt in my mind Meryn, you belong in Lycaonia."
Meryn turned to face the garden straight on. The more she focused the clearer they became. Soon she could discern tiny body outlines. After a few minutes she could see them clearly. They laughed and played, dancing in the air and hiding behind flowers. Of all of the wondrous things she had seen since in arriving in Lycaonia, this had to be the best.
Meryn watched as one tiny male sprite made his way over to her. Unlike the others he didn't dance or play, he stayed on the outskirts. Meryn scooped up a finger full of icing and extended it out to him. His eyes widened and he drifted down to the table. Hesitant, he reached out and took a handful of icing from her finger and began to eat.
"I know what it's like to not fit in. Everyone thinks you're strange because you like to be alone, when really you just don't know how to say hello." Meryn whispered to the tiny creature. He looked up surprised and nodded.
"Me too. Sometimes I get so nervous I throw up." She confessed. The tiny sprite nodded vigorously and pointed to his chest.
"You too huh? Maybe we introverts should stick together." She joked. A huge smile broke out on his face. He gave a single nod and darted to the prickly holly bush. Meryn turned to Vivian.
"I thought your garden was amazing before, but the sprites make it magical."
"They were my only friends for a long time." Vivian said watching as one sprite pushed another into the birdbath.