Page 60 of Dark Princess: Shadows

He smiled. "Were you always strong-willed?"

"That's putting it mildly. I was lucky that the head priestess was my aunt, and deep down she felt sorry for Ell-rom and me. Otherwise, my obstinacy would not have been tolerated."

"I'm glad that you retained your memories. Ell-rom remembers next to nothing."

"I know. He told me."

She hoped that Ell-rom had forgotten about his ability, but even if he had, she needed to warn him to keep from getting angry. He could harm people who did not really deserve it.

Morelle brushed her fingers over the fuzz on her head. "I hope it will grow fast now that I'm awake."

"As I said, to me, you look gorgeous just as you are." He looked at her with heat in his eyes that made her feel the kind of things that her mother had talked about. "I wouldn't mind if you wanted to keep it like that."

She chuckled nervously. "Don't be silly. I don't want to be known as the hairless princess."

He laughed, the sound rich and throaty. "Beautiful and funny. What a rare find you are, Princess Morelle."

She felt heat rise to her cheeks.

During her twilight state, Morelle had heard Brandon speak of wanting to kiss her. Was he truly attracted to her? Or was he just being charming?

It must be the latter.

She had seen her reflection in the mirror, and she was far from attractive. Her head was nearly bald, and after thousands of years without sunlight, her complexion was so pale that it was nearly transparent.

Then again, she hadn't looked much better on Anumati. Always hidden behind veils when outside her room, she'd never felt thesun's warmth on her face or breathed truly fresh air. Everything had been filtered through layers of fabric, muting even those simplest and most basic pleasures.

Anumati's volatile climate hadn't helped. Their home had been hot and humid, and if not for the constant strong winds, wearing the ceremonial robes would have been unbearable. After even brief outings in the palace gardens, her and Ell-rom's bodies had been drenched in sweat beneath the heavy garments. Still, they'd seized those precious moments, treasuring the few minutes they could spend outside each day.

"You seem a thousand leagues away." Brandon's voice drew her from her memories. "Where did you go?"

"Anumati," she said. "My face was always pale because I couldn't expose it to the sun, not even by sitting near the window in our room. Ell-rom and I could only remove our veils when the curtains were drawn tight. No one could ever see us. We lived in constant fear."

Something fierce flashed in Brandon's eyes. "Those days are forever gone. You'll never have to wear a veil again." A smile lightened his expression. "Tomorrow, I'll get a vehicle and take you on a trip around the village. It's not a large place, but it's beautiful, green and vibrant. There's even a lookout point where you can see the ocean."

Morelle had never seen a lake, let alone an ocean.

Excitement surged through her. "Why not today?"

He laughed. "Because it's already getting dark, and the village is not as pretty at night. Besides, you need proper clothing." He gestured to the light blue garment that covered her body. It lacked proper buttons or clasps and was open at the back."I could wrap you in a blanket, but I think you'd prefer to be dressed properly for your first outing."

He was correct, but she had nothing. "Where can I get clothing?"

"It's all arranged." He patted her hand. "Everything will be delivered tomorrow."

Delivered by whom? And who made those clothes? Did they have someone in their village who made clothing?

"How do things like that work here?" she asked. "I mean, how does one obtain clothing on Earth?"

Brandon pulled the chair closer to her bed, his hand still warm around hers. "Well, there are these amazing places with many stores you can stroll through and choose what you like..." He launched into an explanation of how human commerce worked and the money that was used to purchase things.

He also told her about the many places that served food from different cultures, places that played music, and still others that showcased performances of stories.

It all sounded wonderful. The idea of walking freely, choosing what she wanted to wear, eating whatever appealed to her with no veil, no restrictions, no fear.

Morelle couldn't wait to experience it all.

"The village has no shops," Brandon continued, "but it has places where you can eat and drink. The real shopping is in the cities nearby, though. When you're stronger, I'll take you there. I'll also take you to the beach…"