A Dance Of Twilight: (A Fae Dark Fantasy Romance Stand-Alone )

Chapter 8

As the days went by, I attempted to avoid making an excuse to go into the city and potentially bump into Lord Cole. Talia had yet to find out any more information either. It seemed Lord Cole was a bit of an enigma, only allowing you to know certain details about him and his life. He was a mystery.

The only one I could really ask about him now wasn’t the best option. Norok. He’d befriended Lord Cole and may know more information about him. Asking him would make him ask me more questions and why I wanted to know so much. I wasn’t sure if I wanted that.

I found my brother in the stables as he prepared one of the horses for a ride, insisting—well yelling—at the stable hand that he didn’t need any help as was perfectly capable of tacking his own horse. In fact, we all were.

“A future king should be able to prepare his own horse, and not have it done for him!” I heard Norok shout as I walked down the pathway.

The stable hand almost tripped over his feet as he left the stable promptly. He saw me walking down, quickly bowing, and proceeded to escape behind me. Norok had the wrath of Mother, and I knew if the stable hand didn’t escape when he did, he would have faced that anger and possibly more.

“You need to stop scaring the poor boy. I heard only the other day you were quite heavy handed and if Father finds out, you will be restricted to the grounds and not allowed in here anymore,” I said as I stepped through the doorway.

“Father will never restrict the future king.”

“He will if that ego gets any bigger.”

“What do you want, Ornella? You can see I am busy and don’t have time for your childishness,” he scoffed as he placed the saddle pad down onto his chestnut horse, Arthur.

He rubbed the horse”s neck seconds later. Although Norok was quick to snap at people and lose his temper, he had the gentlest soul when it came to animals. Always tending to them as if they were the most precious thing in the world.

“I need to ask you something, without it getting back to Mother.”

He didn’t seem to pay any care or attention to me as he went to lift the saddle up onto Arthur and started to buckle it up.

“And since when do I speak to our mother, unless I am forced to,” he muttered, adjusting the saddle a bit better, and then patting Arthur on the neck.

“Well, she seems to know a lot about Lord Cole. She’s told me to stay away from him and refuses to tell me why. So, I am asking you as he is your friend. Why would Mother insist I stay away from Lord Cole?”

Turning around to face me, he looked as if he was thinking of something. He stayed silent for a moment or two, before picking up the reins on the wall and then placing the metal bit into Arthur’s mouth.

“Mother just wants you to have a husband that will be loyal to you, and she would have heard rumours of Lord Cole’s discrepancies,” he paused, turning back to me, “However, he’s from a good bloodline, his family was a part of the great war. I’m not sure what side of course, as that’s nothing I need to know, not as crowned prince anyway.” Norok sat down on a bench and began to put on his riding coat. He continued, “He is a ladies man and at the moment, to have his eyes set on a princess would help his standing in his family. He may come from a good household, but money wise I believe his mother swallowed it up or something. I am not too sure on the details.”

“Right, well then, that would make some sense. A marriage to a princess would set him up for life.”

I didn’t know what to say. Most lords weren’t loyal to women. I knew Norok wasn’t and would often have many ladies come in and out of the castle at night. Lady Gelda was very fortunate that she wasn’t sent away and paid off for her silence. But then again, no one knew for sure that she was with child, it was still too early to tell.

“Ella, if I were you, I’d use Cole for what he’s good for. Treat him like a horse that needs to be ridden. You have no experience with men, and as your brother, I feel it is my duty to advise you on these matters. No man in his right mind wants a woman who is a fidget or doesn’t know how to suck cock.”

My eyes widened at his crassness. I may not have known anything about men. I was clearly a virgin, but taking advantage of another human being for my own personal gain was not something I wanted to do. If Mother did find out, it would be the end of me.

“Norok! Don’t be so disgusting.”

He laughed as I blushed.

“Or you could promise yourself to the temple and become a priestess if you don’t wish to be married off to someone twice your age. I know Father would agree to that.”

He mounted his horse then and I wanted to smack him for being so insensitive and disgusting. I wasn’t one of his male friends where he could discuss such things. I was his sister, and he was supposed to protect me from such conversations.

“I know I may sound sharp and as if I don’t care for your happiness. I do, but if you like Cole, take full advantage of it. You only have what? A few weeks until he leaves and in that time, you could learn a thing or two.”

Before I could object to anything, he clicked his heels, and rode off out into the gardens, to wherever he needed to be. Leaving me standing there with more questions than I had to start with.

Heading back inside, I contemplated the words from Norok, wondering if it was truly possible for me to sneak off with Lord Cole. I didn’t have a chance after lunch the other day. Mother watched me like a hawk, and by the time I returned from the gardens, he’d already left for the evening.

I understood Mother only wanted to keep me safe, protect my name and not shame me. But she also had to keep the crown”s name protected and our families legacy. If it turned out Gelda wasn’t with child, it meant my brother could call off his marriage and all eyes would turn towards me again.

Since the night I was stalked by that creature in the woods and the way my man of shadows crept into my bedroom, I hadn’t escaped to the woods—my sanctuary—and it hurt my heart a little. I used that space as a place to escape, to heal and feel more like myself.

Walking through the corridors of the castle aimlessly, I felt as if I didn’t have a purpose. I wanted to find something to do. Talia was off visiting our grandmother and preparing for her debut into court life. Her day had been brought forward, after the Festival of Light finished, she would be allowed out.

Which also meant, she’d be allowed to start looking for suitors and create connections. Thankfully, she would not have to marry anyone, as she still had not come of age just yet. But it would give her the opportunity to get to know people.

Deciding against my better judgement, I headed towards the gardens, into the rose garden and then stepped through the tree line. This time reminding myself not to go too far in and to leave within an hour, or two. I just needed to hear the birds singing, the sound of the wind in the trees, and feel that soft spring breeze of fresh air against my skin.

Gathering my skirt in my arm, I stepped over a fallen tree and aimed for a wild lilac patch to sit and just enjoy some peace and quiet. As I sat down on the damp ground, I closed my eyes and lifted my face up towards the sky, feeling the warm sun brush against my skin.

I felt his presence before I opened my eyes and the pressure of someone leaning against my back. I didn’t want to open my eyes or acknowledge him there, but my heart betrayed me as I felt it begin to beat faster once again.

“Are you here to try and convince me to leave with you again?” I asked, a little sarcasm at the tip of my tongue.

“Only if you ask me, will I be allowed.”

“Ah, so you need my permission. It’s good to know you can’t just kidnap me in the middle of the night.”

“Indeed, I cannot, princess. There are certain words you need to say in order for me to whisk you away.”

This was becoming interesting. Was he something more than a Fae? Perhaps he was a magical creature and that would explain why that monster from the other night retreated and did as it was told.

“What are those words? You know, maybe I should know them, just in case.”

“Now, that would be spoiling the surprise wouldn’t it.”

Rolling my eyes, I laughed a little under my breath. Realising his company, although it made me nervous, wasn’t that bad, and I felt some comfort in knowing he was near. Safe even.

“Could you really hear my thoughts the other day?”

“I can hear anything you permit me to hear. Sometimes you don’t even mean to. Earlier I heard you thinking about a chocolate pastry or something.”

A flash of red went to my cheeks as I thought about the other things. The way I felt after his touch lingered on my body. What Norok said about Lord Cole, did he hear those impure thoughts?

“No, I did not hear how you thought about that lord’s body or how it would feel to have your legs wrapped around his waist,” he said mockingly.

Leaning forward, I covered my face with my hands as the embarrassment and shame took over. I wasn’t meant to think such things and what made this entirely worse was he heard them.

Someone who was a complete stranger to me.

“Don’t worry, princess, your secret is safe with me. I can’t blame you for thinking of such things, as I have thought the same of you sometimes.”

I was unsure on how to respond to that. I knew men were always thinking with what dangled between their legs, but I was not sure if he was a man of shadows or a shadowed covered man.

“So, have you guessed who I might be?”

“Perhaps if you could give me some clues, other than me knowing your name. I know many names.”

“Would you care for a dance?” he asked quietly.

“Don’t try and change the subject,” I demanded.

“Just one dance and I will give you some clues,” he promised.

“One dance? But there is no music.”

Suddenly, as if the birds were listening in on our conversation, they began to all sing harmoniously together. Something I had never deemed possible if I hadn’t heard it myself. The warmth from behind me moved. Then he stood in front of me, the only exposure of him being a man at all was the gloved hand that he held out for me to take.

“Why can’t I see your face? Please,” I begged.

He sighed and stepped back. As he did, the shadows slowly began to fade away from his body. Melting into the ground beneath his feet. Once they were completely gone, I saw him, and my eyes widened a little.

He was tall, at least six foot seven with broad shoulders and long black hair that sat neatly on his shoulders. His eyes, the palest of blues, and his Fae ears poked out a little, which made me relax a little to see he was just like me. Though I didn”t recognise him, I felt like I knew him somehow.

He wore a beautiful midnight blue cloak and a black shirt with black trousers. Truly the embodiment of shadows. He bowed a little to the floor. Then as he came back up, his smile dazzled me a little, and he held his hand out once again.

I didn’t hesitate to take it this time, and when I did, he weaved his other arm around my waist. Placing his hand lightly on my lower back, he then took my other arm and placed it on his shoulder.

We danced a simple waltz in the middle of the lilac patch, and although we did not speak a word, I began to feel everything, hear everything.

It felt as if I’d done this before.

With him.

Twirling me out and then spinning me back in, my body pressed against his and a small growl escaped his lips. He was devilishly handsome and just like something that stepped out of a fairy tale.

“You said, you have watched me for a long time. What did you mean?” I asked, breaking the silence.

As we continued to dance, he looked away from me before he said, “You and I have known each other our entire lives. I was gone for a while, but then one day I heard your voice again when you summoned me. I was, and always have been, desperate to rescue you. To protect you, there are forces at work that prevent me from doing so.”

“I think I would remember your face though, and as I said once before, I don’t remember summoning anyone.”

“You know me with a different face.”

I stopped the dance then as I listened to his words. It was as if he was giving me pieces of a puzzle but there were still things missing. Stepping away from him for a second, I could feel the slight pull from him to bring me back and I fought against it.

“I heard you. You probably don’t remember it. I heard you screaming for help, for them to stop and when no one came you fell silent. I tried to get to you, but I wasn’t able to.”

My eyes narrowed at his words, and I turned away. I had no idea what he was talking about. I couldn’t remember ever being in pain or being in need of help, and if I were, I had guards who would come to my aid. If what he said was true, then where were my guards when I needed them?

“Please, can you explain more to me? I don’t have any memory of what you speak of.”

My mind raced with all the possible answers, perhaps I was dreaming and cried out in my sleep? Maybe I was sleepwalking and hurt myself? Or maybe this again was my mind playing tricks on me and I wasn’t standing in the woods.

Turning me around, he took hold of both my hands and led me to sit down on a log and brushed away some hair from my face, looking at me with sorrow in his eyes.

“I took the memory from you. That night, you begged me to save you and that was all I could do. You made me promise never to tell you what happened.”

“But I need to know, for me to understand why you are here and why now.”

He lowered his gaze from me again but held both of my hands tightly. If he wasn’t able to be near me then, why was he able to do so now? I became more confused than ever before, unsure of what was real or what was not.

“Your uncle,” he paused, and I could feel my heartbeat grow faster while ringing filled my ears. “You’d just had your seventh birthday. I tried to pull him off you. I tried to even break his neck, but I was young and inexperienced with my magic.”

I felt it then, the pieces that had been missing fall into place and as the memory of that terrifying night played out I felt my heart shatter. And why I’d always been so worried and creeped out by him, whenever he looked at me, stood next to me, every single time I felt a feeling of dread snake up my skin.

The feeling of his hand over my mouth as I tried to scream out, to claw at his face—My Uncle Dorian. The feeling I had at the pit of my stomach wasn’t something made out of rumours. It was real.

Tears swelled in my eyes as the emotions all came flooding back at once. I heaved over trying not to be sick, to try and keep myself from breaking. My protector let go of my hands and wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest as he lifted me up onto his lap. He didn’t move a muscle as I cried—as I broke down.

“I’m so sorry, my princess. I have wished since that very day, I could have saved you. I tried my best to stay with you. I appeared in a different form and each time he did what he did, I took away your memory of it. So, he did not break you,” he paused, holding me tighter as I sobbed in his arms. “When he was sent away, I was eventually called back to my home. I left, only when I knew you were safe. And now, he has returned, as have I.”

My heart sank a little more as his words went through one ear and out the other. I wanted to scream, to shout and curse out the world. I understood why he did what he did, to protect me, to keep my mind from exploding on itself, but now the memory was there, and I couldn’t escape from it.

“Please, I need to know your name. I need to know how you are here and why now.”

I managed to get a few words out as I sat up, cupping his face in my hands. Up this close I could see that he had a scar above his lip, faded but still slightly there. His eyes had specks of grey in them and the roughness of his skin under my palms meant he hadn’t shaved in a day or two.

“Please,” I pleaded.

“I will tell you everything shortly, my princess, but I fear your guards are looking for you. I can hear them shouting and the sun shall soon set. You need to be tucked up in your bed. Safe.”

“I will not be safe if he is under that roof,” I declared.

“You are far safer in your castle than you are out here. There are far worse things,” he assured me.

“Is this why I have always wanted to stay away from him? Was that something you did?” I asked, the words left my mouth in a rush.

He shook his head in my hands and a corner of his mouth lifted up in a small smile. “That wasn’t me. That is your instinct telling you to stay away. I’m glad your inner voice was able to overcome my magic. Now,” he said, taking hold of my hands again, “As much as I adore having you in my arms and I hate having to leave you, sending you back in there knowing what you have just remembered, I am afraid I must.”

The shadows started to reappear around his ankles and began to make their way up his legs. He lowered his eyes in disappointment and then cupped my cheek and sighed deeply. “You will remember me soon enough. Come, let us get you back.”

Lifting me off his lap, he linked his fingers into my hand, and we began our walk back to the tree line. Mostly in silence as I began to shake from fear, my hands becoming sweaty along with my body, I felt hot to the touch but also cold to the bone.

Dorian was in the castle, and dread filled me at the thought of what other things he had done to other poor girls. I was just grateful that during Talia’s younger days, he was away often from court.

“You’re not playing tricks on me are you?” I asked him as we reached the tree line.

“I am anything but a liar, princess, and with you, I will always tell the truth.” He lightly kissed my hand and let go of me. “I will return soon; I am sorry you are to know all this now and I am to leave you.”

He took my hand once again and squeezed it gently, trying to comfort me before disappearing into the shadows, then I headed back to the castle.

Each step became more and more unbearable as the memory flashed in through my mind. I didn’t entertain dinner that evening, only asking Kathlyn to send word I had taken myself to bed with a stomach-ache.

There, I was left alone behind my locked door. I pushed over my dressing chest, with great difficulty, and put it in front of my bedroom door. I was scared that something may happen, but also feeling a little more secure and safe in my space. Then I climbed into bed and cried until there I finally fell asleep as dawn broke.