Gentle eyes looked down on her.
"I'm sorry, sleeping beauty," a long finger tapped her on the nose, "but I'm afraid you have to get up now. You have to come and sit with me and at least eat something."
Blurrily, Stacey nodded her head and allowed herself to be helped up and dressed. She leaned tiredly against the strong body.
"Dr Jin, have you got any results yet?" the man she was leaning against asked, picking her up.
"Not yet," Dr Jin replied. "I feel like something is wrong, so I secretly sent a sample to a friend's lab. I hope you don't mind. Keep this between just the two of us, but I suspect someone close to you is using the methods of the Ancients to control Lady Huo."
"That much is obvious," was the exasperated reply. "See what your friend finds then. Thank you."
Stacey sat at a high table overlooking many others. The handsome man beside her placed his hand over hers, placing a pen in it.
"Sign the consummation form," he reminded her.
She nodded, feeling uncomfortable with all the eyes on them. Her signature was scrawled and messy.
"Open your mouth," someone coaxed. "Ahhh. Eat a few more bites."
An angry gaze on her made her freeze and tremble.
"What's wrong, wife?"
Stacey slowly turned her head and saw the near lethal gaze glaring at her from an inconspicuous corner of the hall. That area was filled with people and it was hard to tell who the glarer was, but Stacey managed to make her out.
"The high heeled shoes are glaring," she whispered, wriggling uncomfortably in her chair. She didn't feel good. It was too hot and stuffy in here. "We're too close. She's going to sell me tonight."
"What? Who dares?" his voice thundered and Stacey cringed down, covering her ears.
Shocked silence filled the hall.
"Have you found them yet?" Thieren whipped his body around to glare at his bodyguards. "Did you check the surveillance cameras?"
While he was interrogating his bodyguards, a faint breeze of fresh air wafted into the hall. It brought the scent of summer grass and flowers. It was refreshing. Much better than this stuffy hall filled with the cloying smell of too rich foods.
Stacey sniffed and stood up, drifting toward the relaxing scent of summery fields. She could hear a high flute or pipe playing music and calling her. It was nice. Sounded fun.
Someone suddenly hugged her tight and bodies surrounded her tightly like a wall. There was the feeling of bristling alertness.
"Ancient, I know you're here," the man hugging her tight bellowed. "Show yourself. You aren't stealing my wife tonight. I know your tricks."
Into the silence was a light chuckle.
The hall doors slammed open, bringing a cold gust of wind that took the breath away. People screamed.
"Don't talk like that, young man," a man in long flowing robes seemed to glide as he walked into the room in the wake of the cold wind. "After all, I was invited to your banquet as a guest."
"I didn't invite you," the man hissed, holding Stacey tightly.
The scent of grass had grown stronger and if the faint fragrance had made her feel good, surely the stronger smell should make her feel even better. Instead she sneezed. Non-stop.
Thieren took out a handkerchief to cover her mouth and nose while she began coughing and spluttering. Her airways seemed to have become narrower and she wheezed.
That grassy smell was at fault. Stacey was glad that her mind had cleared for the moment with all the sneezing but sneezing non stop as if she had hayfever was very tiring.
"Smell. He smells," Stacey wheezed to Thieren in between sneezes. "Send him away. Allergies."
Thieren laughed.
"Ancient man," he coughed while laughing, "my wife appears to be allergic to you. Please retract your pheromones and leave before your smell kills her."
"What?" the Ancient man appeared dumbfounded. "That's impossible. There's no such thing."
Nevertheless, he waved a hand in a beckoning manner and caught the invisible ball of scent, tucking it back into his robes with a frown.
Dr Sun Jin raced over from a side hall, while Thieren got Stacey to blow the excess mucus from her nose into his handkerchief. Stacey's chest heaved with the effort to breathe.
A wide, plastic tube was pushed into Stacey's mouth and her nose was pinched shut.
"Deep breaths," Dr Jin said. "That's the way."
Thieren sat on a chair with her on his knee. The bodyguards continued to surround them.
A faint cool breeze from the tube wafted with the scent of medicine. Stacey took deep breaths from the tube and felt the tightness in her chest seem to magically ease up. She was soon able to breathe normally.
How amazing. What a magical medicine.
Stacey took a few more breaths and then her nose was released and the tube taken away. The bodyguards acted as a screen while Pearl hurried over with Elsa and Anna to wash and redo her makeup.
However, it wasn't before long that Stacey felt that irritating and stuffy heat rising to attack her stronger than before. Her brief moment of clarity began to fade again. She tried to keep a hold of her rational mind by pinching herself hard. Thieren caught her hand in his.
"Don't hurt yourself," he told her in a low voice. "It's alright. I understand." Stacey felt him pull her head to lean against his chest. "Close your eyes and sleep," he said. "We've just received some news. Let me deal with the rest."
Stacey closed her eyes, feeling tired. It had been a long day.
"Ancient man, would you be able to point out who gave you your invitation?" Thieren asked. His voice vibrated in his chest.
"The invitation arrived in the mail, but look. It does have my full name and your signature on it," the Ancient huffed. There was the rustling of cloth and paper. "I was invited. There was also this extra note inviting me to purchase the bride and take her away as my breeder. See. I've never been so insulted as I have been today."
"Who could have foreseen that the impossible would happen today and your potential purchase is allergic to you," Thieren gave a cold laugh. "What made you think I would sell my bride?"
"I thought perhaps she didn't satisfy you," the Ancient man said. "If it wasn't you, who would be so bold as to insult the Summerveld name?"
There were sharp intakes of breath from around the room at the name. Stacey felt herself drifting away on hazy waves, unable to think what any of it might mean.
"Come and see what drug she has been fed," Thieren said. "Tell us how to counter the effects and we will not be enemies. I will find the person who has betrayed me and insulted you and give them to you as compensation."
"That a person could be allergic to me is truly an eye opener," the Ancient grumbled.
Cold hands touched Stacey's wrist at the radial pulse.
Itchy. So itchy. Where he touched was itchy.
"She truly is allergic to you," someone batted those cold fingers away. "Look. Wherever you touched has come up in rashes."
"Impossible. Where did you find such an impossible woman, young man. I'm really curious now. Has she been brought up in utter seclusion?"
"We believe so."