Free The Elven King by Lexi Johnson

were relieving themselves inside -- a profound relief.
    Of course, the only explanation for this had to be magic. Which meant that Sade was totally out of her league.
    Meldigur waved his hand again. On a short, round table in the middle of the floor, a tray of sliced fruits appeared, alongside a cup of nuts and a flask that held some kind of beverage. Even though they’d just eaten, Sade was startled to find herself ravenously hungry again. She eyed the plate of food longingly.
    “Eat,” Meldigur said. “We may have covered the distance in an eyeblink, but your body feels the strain. Especially those of mortals.”
    Not waiting for further permission, and grateful for the offer, Sade went to the table, dropped slightly awkwardly onto a cushion, and started to eat.
    Some of the fruits vaguely resembled ones she knew. There was something soft and light orange, like cantaloupe, and something else green that had the texture and heaviness of a watermelon. To Sade’s delight, the nuts tasted like coconut almonds. She tossed a handful into her mouth and crunched them joyfully.
    She hadn’t realized that her hunger had been making her feel ill until she’d begun to eat, and the nausea lifted. Though Aranion and Meldigur were quite casual about it, they too ate heartily, which made Sade feel better. At least it wasn’t just her.
    She did find herself hoping that the elves had more substantial food for their major meals. If this was their staple fare, Sade could see why Aranion and Meldigur were both so thin.
    When Sade had finished, and was licking fruit juice from her fingers, Meldigur said to her and Aranion:
    “Make yourselves comfortable. Upstairs I have a bath area where you can both get cleaned up,” he added, “and take care of your private needs. Unfortunately, Sade, I will have to alter some of my older clothes to fit you, until Aranion works out things with his father. But it’ll still be better than those ill-fitting rags you’ve been wearing.”
    Ill-fitting rags? Sade tried not to look annoyed. She hadn’t exactly been dressed for a party when she’d crossed over, but her yoga pants and T-shirt weren’t rags, and they fit just fine. Still, it was better to keep her mouth shut – she didn’t want to seem to spit on Meldigur’s hospitality. He did seem to be doing his best to help them out, and for that Sade had to be grateful.
    So she only said, “Thank you.”
    Aranion said, “It’s midday, and my father will be meeting with his council for at least a few hours. That would be a good place to start,”
    “Ahh, yes,” said Meldigur. “The council. A more boring group I’ve never had the misfortune of meeting.”
    Aranion frowned. “Just…don’t make a scene.”
    “Me?” Meldigur grinned.
    Sade didn’t like the look of it, but before she could protest, Meldigur said again, “Make yourselves comfortable. You’ll have at least a couple of hours. I’ll lay clothes out for both of you, on the upstairs bedding.”
    He did as promised, and then made ready to go. Before he left, he admonished them both again not to go outside or call attention to themselves.
    “And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he added, with a wink and a wave. Then he stepped off the edge of the room.
    Sade ran to where he’d jumped. Of course, she knew he wouldn’t be stupid enough to accidentally kill himself by jumping out of his own house! But still, she stared, disturbed, out over the breathtaking vista, half-afraid she might see some sign that he’d fallen through the canopy of trees below.
    “He’s fine,” Aranion said, stepping up behind her. After a moment, he placed his large, warm hands on her hips. “Mel just likes to show off,” he said quietly, near her ear. “He hasn’t had an audience so quickly impressed in decades.”
    Decades? Sade found herself wondering about that. How old was Aranion, anyway? He didn’t act old, nor did he look old. But then again, how would she know what an old elf