Page 39 of Journey to the Elderoak
“I already let him know. We’ve got all afternoon.”
Casimir’s boots echoed on the cobblestone streets as they weaved their way through town, passing by a bookstore and potions shop built among the towering trees. Lanterns hung in the boughs where the sunlight didn’t penetrate, and birds sang from their nests. Citizens passed them by, waving their greetings as they went about their daily errands. After a while, they stopped before a small restaurant with a sign labeledHoneysuckle Teahouse.
A bell rang as he opened the intricately carved wooden door, and they stepped inside. Ava inhaled a sharp breath as she took in the space, and he smiled to himself at her reaction.
“This is beautiful,” she said.
“It’s my favorite place,” he replied, leading her to a table in the back.
Open windows along most of the walls allowed sunlight to illuminate the cozy eatery. Vines and flowers hung from the ceiling among hundreds of bundles of dried herbs, a comforting aroma of lavender and mint hovering in the air. Outside, a small stream wound its way through the shrubs and a group of russet-colored squirrels chased each other through the water.
They sat down as a woman with blue skin, long black hair and small horns approached to take their order.
“Hello, general,” she said in an accented voice.
“Good afternoon, Sapphira.” He gestured across the table. “This is Ava.”
“Oh! Your Highness,” she said, curtsying. “It’s so lovely to meet you.”
Ava gave her a smile. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too.”
“Would you like the usual, general?” Sapphira asked.
“Yes. Enough for both of us.”
She walked away and Casimir turned to Ava.
“You brought me to a tea house?” she asked. “This is amazing.”
He met her bright green eyes. “I know how much you love tea, so I thought it would be a nice distraction.”
“How did you know I love tea?”
“I pay attention.”
What he didn’t say was he paid attention to everything she did; the contented sigh she always released at her first sip of tea at breakfast, or the way her nose crinkled when she was frowning at him. How she bit her lip when she was deep in thought or the way she twirled her hair around her finger when she was nervous.
She laughed. “Back home, I drank a lot of coffee. But you don’t have that here, so I’ve been drinking tea. I do love it.”
“What’s coffee?”
“Well…it’s a hot drink made from some type of dried bean from a tree. It’s hard to explain. But it’s brewed kind of like tea. You often mix it with milk or cream. I drank it every morning.”
“What does it taste like?”
“Hmm…bitter, but smooth and nutty.”
Sapphira returned and set down several teapots and a cup and saucer in front of each of them. “Your food should be ready shortly,” she said before bustling off.
“What kinds of tea are these?” Ava asked, excitement in her voice.
“That one is cinnabark, apple and honey; this is blue blossom and seaspice; and this one is sun mint, silver flower and borage,” he explained as he pointed to each one.
“Cas.” Ava looked at him. “This is…this is really nice of you.”
He smirked. “That’s the first time you’ve called me that.”
“What?”
