#update tomorrow

Eris clicked his tongue, shaking his head in disbelief. His familiar amber eyes studied Elain for a long moment before he reached into his jacket to pull out a polished apple. He held it in his hands, his gaze fixed on Elain as he contemplated what to do. Then, he said, “Elain, can you repeat after me? I want you to say, ‘I release all my bargains regarding the restrictions I placed on talking about my mate.’”

Elain glanced around the garden, noticing how everyone had gone quiet once more, including her mate, who stood tensely beside her. He shifted his posture, drawing closer to her until his arm touched hers. She tried to focus, her mind getting lost as she searched for any hidden memories that might be important, but nothing significant came to mind. It was as if her worries had vanished, leaving her with an odd sense of clarity. Taking a steadying breath, she shrugged off the slight unease and nodded, meeting Eris' gaze with indifference. Then she repeated, “I release all my bargains regarding the restrictions I placed on talking about my mate.”

Something changed in the air around them, as if a blanket were being lifted. The change was subtle but still noticeable. "That was... surprisingly easy," someone remarked. "I can't believe it!"

"Let me try it first," a male voice said. Elain turned her gaze and noticed Hermis striding towards them. He fixed his eyes on Lucien and continued, "You know, when I first met Elain, she was in the act of stealing a bag of yours right off the balcony of your chambers. It was during the summit in Diox. Quite the introduction, don’t you think?”

Elain did not remember such a thing. “I’ve never stolen anything in my life,” she protested.