A Dance Of Twilight: (A Fae Dark Fantasy Romance Stand-Alone )
Chapter 1
Ihad walked these woods since my name day, although dark and gloomy from the outside, the secrets that hid within them were beyond any imagination. This was where I came to escape, to leave behind the hustle and bustle of the court. The court I longed to run away from. Here, I could pretend to be someone else. Someone who I always longed to be. The voice inside me that wished desperately to be free, to show the world who I truly was.
But I was afraid, terrified of not being accepted, shunned, and hidden away from the world. Mother made it perfectly clear that I was to uphold the family name. To strike fear into those who would try to usurp us, but I continued to follow my father’s gentle path of ruling and showing myself to others with kindness, forgiveness – Mercy.
As my leather ankle boots stuck in the mud a little off the woodland path, I just about managed to pull my foot out to get myself free, while my maroon-coloured skirt became more covered in mud as I slipped a little, almost falling over completely. Thankfully, I managed to balance myself and continued on my walk.
The light drizzle of rain danced against the tree leaves as birds sang softly in the wind. This place was beautiful, whimsical. Just like something from a fairy tale. But still, dark shadows loomed around me as I continued on my walk. The walk had no destination other than the waterfall I had recently found while exploring.
It was still a few miles away, and I wanted nothing more than to dip my toes into its cool, crystal-clear waters and read my book. A book I had found deep within my household”s library, hidden away behind a number of other books. As if someone had purposely tucked it away, hoping no one would find it.
The sun shined beautifully through the tree lines, glittering its light against the lush greenery and moss-covered trees. This was my haven, my safe space. No one really ventured inside this world, for fear of dark creatures that would snatch you up.
As I pushed aside some overhanging tree branches from a beautiful willow, they clung to the side of a rock formation as it dipped its trail of leaves into the water. The roar of the waterfall overtook every other sound. We’d had a lot of rain recently, so the water levels had risen.
Finding an empty spot, I dropped my satchel down and took out the small leather flask I’d filled before leaving with some fresh water along with the bunch of grapes and a fresh apple I swiped from the kitchen.
Life was peaceful here. I’d moved so far into the forest that I doubted anyone would be able to find me, unless they were very good at tracking. Peace and quiet was what my soul craved. And although I knew that once I got home after dark, I would be scolded for not attending my studies and for disappearing again, I did not care.
As the hours tolled by, I flicked through the pages of the mystery book. It was a romantic story about a stable boy and a nobleman’s daughter as they hid their love from her family. Until finally, they ran away to get married in secret. I’d already read the book three times, yet I never got over how wonderfully written it truly was. An epic love story filled with scenes of a sexual nature, ones of which I had only heard about.
I never experienced first-hand any kind of love. Locked away from that part of the world, my father had decided I was to be betrothed to the Kingdom of Awyen’s prince or a duke; I couldn’t remember which one. I wasn’t too sure of the details. I dreaded when that day arrived, when I would be shipped off and possibly never see my older brother or younger sister again. It pained me deeply, the idea of being away from them and so far across the world.
Being the first-born daughter, I didn’t have the option to marry for love. I was a chess piece on the board of power. The move my father made was strategically for the good of the kingdom, he would say for I was Princess Ornella, daughter of King Sirius and Queen Elora of the Crystal Fae. I was no heir to the throne unless my brother Norok died, and my younger sister Talia relied on me to help protect the family, and that was by marrying respectfully.
As I laid down on my cloak, my feet dangled over the edge of the rocks, dipping in and out of the water. I felt my eyes starting to grow heavy, and I knew if I fell asleep here by the time I woke, it would be dark and I didn’t ideally want to be lost in here when the sun went down. Even I wasn’t that brave.
Looking towards the sun that hung halfway in the sky, I knew it was time to pack up my things and head home. Still, I would take my time getting back and sneak in through the kitchens, knowing none of the maids would tell my mother and father when I appeared. I would just dress for supper and be on my best behaviour, as if nothing had happened.
Taking slow and steady steps back through the pathway, this time missing the mud, I made it to the woodland’s edge. Instead of crossing the edge, I was hesitant to step out and back to reality. The castle guards did their formation as usual before supper and were wandering the grounds in groups of two and three. Most often than not, they never really noticed me; other than bowing out of respect, they would go on their way.
As I finally stepped out, I could feel a set of eyes behind me. Something was watching me from the shadows, and a part of me wanted to turn around and find the face the eyes belonged to. If there was such a thing. The other part of me wanted to run away in fear. Instead, I stood still and slowly turned around to face back into the woods.
Nothing.
“Come now Ornella, it’s just your mind playing tricks.”
I thought as I continued to stare, wondering if I could catch a glimpse of something or if it was all in my head. When nothing jumped out to snatch me and take me away, I felt a small sigh escape my lips. How exciting it would have been to be taken far away from this place and the demanding responsibilities I had been born into.
I didn’t regret being a princess as I was able to do some good, bring some joy to the people and I always made sure to be active during any celebrations the people had. I would attend many festivals, market days and well, anything that got me out of the castle walls.
“Princess Ornella, there you are!”
A voice came from across the castle gardens. As I turned back around, Kathlyn, my lady’s maid, stood there with her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face. She didn’t seem very impressed with me.
Kathlyn was like what I’d imagine an older sister would have been like. Protective, stern, argumentative and always had to have the final word. Even as the princess, she would treat me like an equal and a friend. Her brown hair was done in a tight, neat bun with a navy-blue cap on her head, tied up with a white ribbon. Her velvet dress matched in colour and on her feet, similar laced-up ankle boots like mine, only hers were not covered in mud. She looked more like a princess than I did.
“The king has been asking for you.”
I joined her, standing in front of her. Her eyes travelled up and down, staring at the mess of my clothes and she rolled her eyes, holding out her hand.
“Come on, we best get you cleaned up before anyone sees you.”
Although her voice was gentle, I could detect a slight tone of anger. She must have been keeping my father at bay for a while if she came out looking for me.
“I wish you wouldn’t disappear all hours of the day. I know you think you can do whatever you like, but you can’t. And if you went missing or were kidnapped, I would be the one who’d lose their head.”
Sneaking back into the castle, we went through the servant entrances and headed up the staff corridors. No one even batted an eyelid as we made our way past the staff while they carried on with their duties, bowing or curtsying as I went by.
“You know that won’t happen, my father knows how much I adore you and I highly doubt he’d make you pay for my stupidity.”
“Even so. I wish you’d at least told me you were leaving this morning. I had to convince your tutor to lie for you and say you were studying for a test of some kind and thankfully, Hector loves you and will do anything for you.”
Hector was my tutor and someone I had grown rather fond of. He was a little older than me. We did flirt from time to time, mostly one sided and I took advantage of that, always escaping my lessons early to galavant off to do my own thing. I did sometimes enjoy my lessons, they were always fun, carefree, and full of laughter. Hector always said the best way to learn something was through play and laughter.
As we reached my chambers, Kathlyn and my other maids got to work cleaning me up. Washing my legs with warm rags, putting my loose copper hair up into pins, and then almost stitching my body into a tight royal purple velvet dress with gold lace trimmings. I felt like a dressed-up doll.
“Oh, his majesty also wanted me to tell you there will be a guest tonight.”
“That explains why I am dressed up as if I were attending a ball. Any idea who the mystery guest is?”
“I’m not sure, your highness, a nobleman, I believe.”
Kathlyn continued to add small jewels to my hair then added a choker to match my dress before giving me the look of — ‘yes, perfect.’
“Will you be escorting me tonight?” I asked as she began clearing up my discarded dress from earlier.
“I’m afraid not, your guard will instead.”
She smiled a soft smile at me and disappeared into the bathing room, leaving me to stare at myself in the mirror for a moment or two before I headed towards my bedroom door. My footman opened it, and I was greeted by Marcus, my personal guard and one of my father’s favourite soldiers.
He was tall, gloomy, and barely said two words to me. That was how it had always been. Well, until after my fourteenth birthday, when we had come to an agreement about me wandering off the grounds without any protection. He would usually, during that time, visit his mother who I believed was ill and his wife.
Normally, guards would have to request leave, even if they were the favourites of the king, and sometimes they were denied. This way, he got what he wanted, and I was left to be by myself. It was a win-win situation and one I was happy to keep to ourselves, not even Kathlyn knew of it.
“Marcus, do you know who our visitor is?”
“I do not, your highness.”
Walking in behind me three paces back, I thought about asking him some more questions, but judging by his grunt after he answered me, I knew not to bother.
“Grumpy old man,” I thought to myself as we walked through the gallery corridor.
The corridor was nicely decorated with many painted portraits of my family”s bloodline, along with wedding portraits of my mother and father, and a number of portraits depicting my siblings as we all arrived in the world. As well as a recently painted portrait of the three of us together.
The reminder of that day made me smile. We had been allowed to spend the entire day together, something that we weren’t able to do often. And for the most part, we just sat, playing card games, chatting about our adventures, and hearing about Norok’s kingly lessons as father took him under his wing to be the best king he could be.
Taking each stone step slowly, I could hear the light plucks of harpist strings float in the air and out of the grand hall as Mother’s laughter joined in. Voices and chatter amongst the court filled the stairwell as I watched a few guests dart into the room when my announcement came.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my nerves as I”ve always hated entrances. I would much rather prefer to be upstairs reading or imagining a young prince scaling the walls of my balcony to come and rescue me from this place. My head was always in the clouds as my mother would say.
Stepping through the entrance as the curtains were pulled back, everyone stopped talking amongst themselves as they bowed or curtsied in my wake. Smiling at them all softly, I headed towards my mother’s side. She and Talia were dressed up just as elegantly as me. Our mother however, had left her copper locks loose and sitting beautifully on her bare shoulders, her gold dress glittered in the candlelight.
Whereas Talia was dressed more modishly, at her age it was custom for her to show minimal amounts of skin. Her hair like our mother’s was left to be wild and free. She had more of our father’s looks, sun-kissed skin and brown eyes. But there was still no doubt she was mother’s, as that copper hair shone brightly against the candlelight. The same copper hair we siblings all shared with each other.
“Ah, my daughter finally graces us with her presence.”
My father’s voice bellowed out as he clapped, of course, showing the pretence that he cared if I were there or not. As I took my seat in between my mother and Talia, Norok rose from his and again, everyone stayed silent, hanging on to every word he said.
“Yes, I am pleased my sister has finally joined us, for I have an announcement. Granted the king would have loved to have announced this himself, I asked him kindly if he would permit me.”
Norok, the tall, dark and handsome type of the family, was a mixture of both of our parents. The tall stance of our father, the copper hair of our mother, his hazel eyes, and his skin were a mixture of them both. Tanned and gorgeous. He was the man most women wanted to marry and the envy of all men.
“Come here, my dear.”
Norok’s voice brought me out of my thoughts as a small, petite girl stepped out from the crowd. She wore a rose-pink dress that complimented her pale skin and gave her long, jet black hair a beautiful contrast.
“Lady Gelda and I would like to announce our betrothal.”
The crowd erupted into a chorus of claps and small cheers and as I clapped lightly, my mind wondered. When did all this happen, and how did I miss it? Talia whispered into my ear, “Father demanded he marry her, for she is believed to be with child. If she doesn’t bleed, Norok has but a week to wed and if she does bleed, she will be shunned by the court, a disgrace Mother has said.”
Talia, although the youngest of us three, was very good at finding out information, and I highly doubted that our mother and father had told her any of that. Most likely, it came from one of Lady Gelda’s lady’s maids and then she passed that information onto one of Talia’s maids and so forth.
Talia had many spies within the castle. Sweet and innocent on the outside, but if you wanted to know something, or for false information to spread, she was the one you asked to do it. She would have made a perfect diplomat if she wasn’t female.
As congratulations and celebrations began, we ate and drank ourselves merry. Mother refused to allow me to slip away, demanding I at least dance with some of the gentlemen. I may have already been asked to wed, but I still had to give off the idea that I was still available.
By the fifth dance, I managed to escape out onto the garden courtyard. The air was crisp and slightly warm as spring was finally settling in, and removing the winter chill from the air. This was my favourite time of year—when you could walk outside without a shawl if you wanted to and didn’t have to worry too much about becoming cold.
“I thought a princess was meant to stay within eyeshot at all times.”
A man stepped out of the darkness as he sipped on a leather tankard. I had to refrain from rolling my eyes and scoffing at his attempt at flirting. I wasn’t interested, and my face ached from fake smiling all night. I was tired and longed for my bed.
“I believe I still have eyes on me,” I replied, glancing slightly back at Marcus, who stood no more than ten feet away from me.
The man chuckled lightly as he leaned over one of the courtyard stone walls. He didn’t bow or show any care for my station and part of me enjoyed it, it was strangely nice.
“Do you not wish to dance with the ladies, sir?” I asked.
“Ha-Ha—I am far more suited out here. If I were to go in there, I am afraid I will be set upon by the mothers of those ladies who demand me to take their daughters off their hands, especially now that our prince is off to be wed.”
I laughed a little, as I could already imagine it happening. It was a common occurrence at these types of events when the entire court was allowed to mix with each other in conversations and dance. It was usually the only way some of the riskier ladies were able to have their sexual awakenings, and most often or not, their parents were drunk and had not noticed them disappearing into dark corridors with a nobleman, or sometimes a guard.
“Yes, I can see why outside is far more appealing.”
I stood next to him, crossing my arms and rubbing my forearms up and down to get rid of any goose pimples. He cupped the tankard in both hands, and while one tapped against the silver edge, a gold ring clinked against it.
“Well, it wasn’t until you stepped outside, your highness.”
“Very kind of you to say so. But I am no more entertaining than those ladies in there.”
“I highly doubt that. You don’t seem to be a mindless lady hellbent on marriage. I think you are more of the adventure type. Someone who longs to run away and be rid of this world.”
I tried not to show any surprise at his words. At how true they appeared to be. As if he already knew what lived in my soul. Looking a little closer at him, as the courtyard was now lit with lanterns, I could see he was paler than most of the fae here.
His long black hair was brushed back neatly with a small tie, keeping it in a ponytail and away from his face. Giving him a rather interesting and eye-catching look. I turned away from him as quickly as I could once he caught me staring at him, waiting for my reply.
“Oh, I enjoy my life as your princess and don’t wish for anything more.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, your highness.”
He finished his drink then turned to step away, bowing. My heart fluttered a little as I looked at him once again. He was tall with a slender build. Unlike other nobles, he dressed differently, more elegantly. wearing black leather trousers and a black silk doublet, decorated with golden trim.
“I expect you to save me a dance, princess, when we meet again.” His voice filled with confidence, and I tried not to convey a smile, pleasantly surprised by him.
“Perhaps, we shall see,” I called back as he wandered back into the hall.
Staying outside a little longer, Talia came to find me and asked if I could escort her to bed, knowing that I was desperate to leave. She used herself as my excuse, and I was grateful for her when I said goodnight to her. Kissing her gently on the cheek, I watched as she disappeared into her bedroom across the hall from mine. Marcus opened my bedroom door and did a quick check inside before he deemed it safe and left me to sleep.