Chapter 20
Days went by, but Nicholas didn’t come to visit me or seek out my presence. Instead, I was left to my own devices of reading the many books in the library, wandering the gardens—which were just as beautiful in the day as they were in the night. April kept me company during the day. It seemed she had been charged as my escort and told to become my friend.
I sat in a little corner cove flipping through a page on Fae history—one April demanded I read—to get the lay of the land. I was bombarded with facts and information I had never heard of.
The Crystal Fae and the Obsidian Fae had been at odds for centuries. Even before the war in which my father was captive. The long, detailed family tree blew my mind. I hadn’t realised how diverse and large Nicholas’s family line was.
“You know, I always found history to be a boring subject.”
I let out a surprised gasp, dropping the book from my hands as Morgana appeared out of thin air. She laughed as she caught the book in the air. I didn’t think I would ever get used to Nicholas’s family just showing up whenever they chose. It made me think about privacy and if I were ever really alone.
“Your brother ordered me to read up on my history.”
“And since when do you take orders? I thought you would be a fun princess, one who broke the rules.” She winked at me as she slid down into the chair opposite, crossing her legs.
“That was before I agreed to marry your brother. Now I do have some rules I must abide by.”
She puffed out her cheeks and rolled her eyes at my response. She reminded me of Talia and it made me miss my younger sister deeply. It didn’t help that Morgana was also the youngest of the four siblings. Nicholas being the oldest, then April, Vanessa, and finally Morgana.
“My brother will soon learn he takes orders from his wife. Just like Da did.”
“Da?”
“Our father, King Theodore.”
“I read about your father back home. He and your mother captured my father and held him prisoner.”
She lowered her eyes, her smile dropping at the same time as she placed the book down on the small wooden table in between us.
“I wasn’t born then, none of my siblings were. I’m not sure what happened, as the truth was always kept secret from us all. All I know was, your father wasn’t a captive. He, too, made a deal.”
He made a deal? A deal for what? I never imagined my father to be that type of Fae. He was too soft in nature, the kindest soul I’d ever known. I needed to know more. I was now craving that knowledge and understanding that we are more alike than I once thought.
“Do you know what the deal was?”
“It was something to do with some other Fae. A woman, I believe. But that’s all I know. Sorry, Ella.”
I was startled by the nickname. It was Talia’s nickname for me. A lump formed in my throat at another reminder of her.
“I hope you don’t mind the name; Ornella is just such a mouthful and Ella is kinda cute.”
“It’s alright,” I admitted, settling my shock. “My sister Talia used to call me that. When she was little she couldn’t say Ornella.”
“Ah, well if it’s upsetting, I can stick to calling you Ornella.”
“It’s fine, but only if I can call you Morg in return.”
Her smile widened as she held out her hand for me to shake it, signifying some sort of deal. At first I was a little apprehensive, staring at the outstretched hand like it was a snake waiting to strike. Deals were not as simple as they once appeared.
“Don’t worry, this isn’t a life deal,” she joked.
Reaching out, I placed my hand in hers. Shaking her hand was our way of creating not only a silly bond over our names, but possibly a newfound friendship. Releasing my hand, she brushed her hands through her hair, and snuggled back into her seat. She brought her knees up to her chest and seemingly got more comfortable.
“You don’t have to keep me company,” I said, picking up the history book once more.
“It’s not that. April is with Nicholas helping prepare for the wedding and Vanessa has gone out hunting. Personally, I think she’s meeting a man that she doesn’t want Nic to know about.”
She definitely reminded me of Talia. The younger ones were the ones you always had to watch, as they were always watching you. They kept their ears to the ground and listened to any story or gossip they could find.
“I don’t really know your sisters well enough to comment. But, I am a poor substitute for them, I”m sure. Would you like to take a walk in the gardens instead? It does seem rather pleasant out today.”
“That sounds wonderful, thank you. I can show you the summer house then! It was my mother’s favourite spot.”
Shooting up from her seat, she pulled me up from my own without wasting a breath. We left the library from the side door, through my room, practically running the whole way towards the gardens. Laughter erupted from me as she made me keep up with her pace.
I haven”t run through halls with my own siblings like this in some years. We turned a corner and I watched her run straight into Nicholas, who did not seem at all amused. His body went rigid as he saw Morgana and me. The shadows behind his eyes danced even in the sunlight. His hand flexed then relaxed, the shadows swirling at the tips of his fingers.
“Morgana, what have I told you about running in the halls!” he bellowed and she shuddered in response. Fearful.
“It was my fault. Please do not be mad at her,” I said in a rush.
Stepping forward, I put myself in between them both. The rumble of a growl deep within Nicholas’s chest came out as he looked at me then to his sister. His chest tightened in his white crisp shirt as he rolled up his sleeves, breathing slow and deeply.
“Then I will tell you. No running within the halls, understood?”
He seemed a lot calmer when he spoke to me, but that hint of anger was still at the edge of his voice. I didn’t enjoy being spoken to like a child, but thought better about arguing with him. He seemed to be on a mission as he strode past us, down another corridor. My heart fluttered in my chest as I caught the scent of pine and fire as he walked past.
“Come on, we best move before he sends someone to move us.”
Morgana gave me a little nudge to encourage me to continue on, instead of staring after Nicolas. We walked quietly into the gardens, grateful we did not bump into any more grumpy kings. Morgana slammed the side door open hard enough it hit the wall outside.
“Are you alright?” I asked, concerned for my new friend.
We walked over to the closed up moon flowers, who were waiting for their moon to arrive and wake them. She settled beside me, linking her arm into mine and tutted as we walked the grounds.
“He always seems to have a stick up his ass. No matter what wonderful, happy thing is going on, joy is never allowed around him. I have not seen my brother smile in many months, and it saddens me,” she finally admitted. Stopping abruptly, she turned to face me. “You are what makes him smile. The last time I saw him smile he told me he’d met a woman deep within the forest. That was you, correct?”
“Oh,” I breathed, taken aback. I didn’t know if I wanted to admit anything. I may not have been the only female he stalked in the woods. “Possibly.”
She turned away as we carried on our walk towards the summer house. We stepped through a path divided by large pine trees, and there it was in the centre of the garden. Bigger than I had imagined and something I had yet to come across. This wasn”t a small cottage. It was almost as big as the large committee house within Crystal City.
“To show how much she meant to him, Father had it commissioned for Mother on one of their anniversaries. There are flowers here that bloom all year round, the symbol of his love everlasting. We used to find her out here all hours of the day.”
“He sounds quite the romantic,” I admitted, envious of their love story. It sounded like it was straight from an epic romance novel.
Pushing open the door, I was hit instantly with a concoction of scents. Wildflowers, roses, peonies, violets, and hydrangeas were all in bloom. The whole house was so incredibly colourful, I didn’t know where to lay my eyes.
In the middle was a large pond with a built-in fountain. A bridge stretched across the water. It was so clear I could easily spot many different types of colourful fish.
The entire place was so calm and peaceful, it helped that there were sounds of trickling water.
“This place is beautiful,” I muttered as we walked further in. Morg sat down on a bench as I continued looking around, unable to control my excitement.
“I’ve never seen anything like this!” I exclaimed
“Nicholas doesn’t visit here anymore. He says it reminds him too much of Mother. She and him were quite close,” she said sadly.
With her sad words my mood collapsed. Nicholas and his sisters had lost both their parents, where I was lucky to still have mine and my grandmother.
“The last time he was here, he said she visited him as a ghost, urging him about something. But he never told any of us what it was. I personally think he’d dreamt all of it.”
Sadness washed over me in waves as I sat next to her, thinking about how it must have felt to lose both parents. Gardeners were working quietly nearby. One was feeding the fish and another clipped away at some overgrown roots near the pond.
“I come here every day, in a way to remind myself of her. The others barely visit, and of course Nicholas stays far away.”
“That’s a shame, I think he’d find this place most peaceful given the chance.”
“Perhaps.” She placed a hand on my knee, a small smile ran across her face, and she said, “You can make this place happy again for him.”
“I will try my best.”