They were a curiosity, and nothing more. The king took the time to inspect them before dinner the next evening. “They are quite exquisite, my dear,” he commented after he ran his fingers over the peaks. Eliane did her best not to flinch at his touch. Lydia held her hair back so it would not hinder his examination. She kept her eyes on Rhys, who stood across from her. His face remained impassive, but she could tell by the way his fingers handled the hilt of his dress sword that his anger simmered beneath the surface. Is he jealous of the king? Llyr, who was another novelty as far as the king was concerned, lay at Rhys’s feet, placed there by a word from her. He watched the proceedings carefully, his dark eyes following the king’s hands to make sure there was no threat to his mistress. “And you were born with them?” “Yes, sire,” she said. “Did your mother have ears such as these?” “Nay, sire, nor did her mother before her.” She did not lie, nor did she volunteer any information.
