Chapter 24 #2
“Halt!” the first guard—clearly the older of the two—calls as the two of them drop their halberds to cross in front of the gate, blocking access.
My heart stutters. I don’t know why I didn’t anticipate armed guards, but they catch me off guard.
Bastian tugs on the reins, pulling us to an abrupt stop.
“What business do you have with the palace?” the second, younger guard asks, chin raised, somehow looking down his nose at us while being below us.
“I’m returning the lost princess to her home,” Bastian states, blandly, sounding bored.
The second guard furrows his brows in confusion, but the first guard goes wide-eyed at the statement.
“There is no such thing—” the second guard starts, before the first cuts him off.
“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” the guard asks, eyeing us warily.
I clear my throat. “Well, I don’t really know how to prove it to you since I’ve only recently found out myself.
The best way I suppose would be to pass my request for access along to the King and Queen.
You can let them know their daughter Olivia has come home.
” I try to infuse my voice with as much confidence and authority as I can muster, even if it is all false bravado.
The word home feeling weird on my tongue in reference to this place.
It’s not my home. Or I suppose it hasn’t been.
Willowbrook is home. Maybe it could start to feel like somewhere I can plant my roots, but for now I feel completely lost in this new place.
Bastian’s presence at my back helps to soothe the tension I’m fighting off.
If it’s even possible, the first guard’s eyes go even wider than before.
He quickly drops to a knee and places his right fist over his heart, bowing his head.
“Your Highness, my sincerest apologies.” My breath stills in my chest. I didn’t expect this kind of welcome and it makes me a little uncomfortable if I’m being completely honest.
The second guard looks between me and his kneeling comrade with a panicked look on his face. “Wait. There’s actually a lost princess?”
“Leo, you idiot. Kneel,” the first guard hisses at the other.
A now equally wide-eyed Leo quickly drops to a knee and matches the first guard’s pose. “Your Highness,” he says with reverence.
This is a rather strange feeling. I don’t feel like royalty. I knew Bastian was serious when he said he should call me Your Highness, but that was all in jest. It’s different to actually have someone treat me as such. I certainly don’t think I deserve this kind of treatment.
“Um, please get up, that’s not necessary,” I rush out, flustered at the gesture.
The first guard rises, nudging Leo to do the same on the way to his feet. “Leo, go inform the King and Queen about their guest and get permission to let her in.”
“Yes, sir,” Leo says with a curt nod before turning and racing off towards the main palace.
“The name’s Samuel, Your Highness,” the first guard, Samuel, says, stepping forward towards where Bastian and I are still mounted on Puck.
I start to dismount but Bastian’s hands on my waist stay my movements.
“Allow me, Your Highness,” he whispers in my ear with an emphasis on your highness that sends a shiver down my spine.
He jumps down from the horse before reaching up to grasp my waist again and assist me in climbing down from the horse, nodding in silent thanks.
I turn and walk towards Samuel, Bastian close on my heels.
“It’s nice to meet you Samuel,” I say with a polite bow of my head. “I appreciate you sending Leo to speak with my parents.”
“Of course, Your Highness. They’ll be thrilled to know you’ve returned.”
Returned. He says that as if I previously spent any time of my life here before going off on a short trip, as opposed to being hidden away and raised for two decades in the human realm.
My anger starts to flare, heat rising in me.
Bastian’s hand lays a gentle touch at the small of my back, instantly flushing the anger away.
Samuel’s eyes flick over my shoulder to Bastian and I can see that this is the first time he’s truly taken in his features based on the narrowing of his eyes and flare in his nostrils.
“I—uh, unfortunately, your… companion won’t be permitted entry to the palace.
Unseelie aren’t welcome here.” The disgust lacing his words have my hackles rising, that red hot anger returning.
It doesn’t cool and ebb until Bastian rubs small circles on my back.
I didn’t even realize he had let his glamour fall away.
Or can they see through it? Is that possible?
Bastian offers an understanding nod to Samuel, not daring to look at me. “It is not an issue. We merely crossed paths, and I was simply escorting the young princess to the palace. Once she’s in good hands here, I’ll carry on.”
Samuel eyes Bastian warily but offers a curt nod of acceptance.
After several more moments of tense silence where Samuel refuses to pull his focus from Bastian and vice versa, Leo appears, racing back down to the gate.
He pauses next to Samuel, breathing heavily for the exertion. “Your Highness, the King and Queen are expecting you in the grand hall,” he says with a deep bow in my direction.
Expecting me? Did they know I was coming? Did Fleur tell them? Is she here?
“You have my appreciation, Leo.” I shoot a quick glance over my shoulder to Bastian.
“Go on,” he jerks his chin in the direction of the guards. “I’ll be in touch,” he says softly with a smirk and a wink.
I nod at him before turning back to Samuel and Leo. I let out a nervous breath. “Alright, let’s go meet my parents then,” I whisper to myself.
Walking up the path towards the palace, I’m able to get a proper look at the building.
It’s built in the same style as the rest of the buildings of Dawnspire.
All curvy whites and golds. There are several towers that stretch to look as if they’re scratching the sky with their pointed gold tips.
Some of the windows look to be made of different colored glass that have been pieced together to create an image of sorts, but I’m too far away to make them out properly.
I find that the interior looks much the same as the exterior. Whites and creams on the walls. Gold trim and curtains. It’s all at once simple and excessive. It’s like they don’t want to overpower the design, but the style choice is so grand, it almost negates the lack of other furnishings.
Samuel walks us straight through the hallway until we reach a door that stretches two stories tall. Swinging open the door, he ushers me into what I could only assume is the throne room.
My first thoughts upon entering, is that the place is extravagant.
Opulent. And basically, any other synonyms to explain how over the top this room is.
It screams royalty. Although, I’m not entirely sure what else I would’ve expected from a palace.
I guess I’ve just spent so much of my life around mediocre accommodations that this is a bit… extreme. Dare I say unnecessary?
The vast openness and the way everything stretches to the high vaulted ceilings makes me feel small and insignificant.
Perhaps that’s the intention. Being a royal, you’re able to go through life with this air of superiority that anything else is an ant in comparison.
It’s incredibly intimidating and I curl in on myself the slightest bit at how out of place I feel.
At the far end of the room is a raised dais where two golden thrones sit side by side.
Seated on thrones are a couple who look like they couldn’t be older than their forties, but based on my recognition of them, I know for a fact that they are a great deal older than they appear.
I stumble as I trip over my own feet and my breath catches in my throat when I catch my first glance of them.
Diana and Oberon look almost exactly as they did in the vision from over a hundred years ago.
Maybe a few wrinkles around the eyes and mouth that weren’t there a century ago.
Diana’s hair is still the same sheen of golden blonde as mine, twisted into an elaborate braid that circles her head, her gilded crown sitting within the nest it creates on her head.
Oberon’s warm, violet eyes pierce into where I’m standing and it’s like the first time I looked into the mirror after the glamour fell away.
His knuckles are white from how tightly he’s gripping the arms of the throne.
Samuel walks me through the throne room, our steps the only sound as they echo off the smooth, gilded walls, until we reach the foot of the dais.
My palms slick with every step, my nerves ratcheting up the closer we grow.
He instantly drops into the same kneel from earlier, closed fist positioned over his heart. “Your Majesties,” he says.
Right. Bow. I’m supposed to bow.
I lean my upper body forward the slightest amount, tilting my head down, before Diana’s hand shoots up in a motion indicating to stop.
My body freezes halfway into the bow and my eyes flick up to hers, nervous I’ve done something wrong.
Caused some sort of unintentional slight.
“You are under no expectation to bow, Olivia.” Her voice is warm even though her words are stiff.
“Right, okay,” I say, clearing my throat and straightening up to standing again. I still keep my eyes lowered to look at their feet. It feels improper to look right at them for too long. It’s almost like looking directly into the sun—stare too long and you’ll go blind.
“Olivia.” Oberon says my name with a tone that causes me to look up and meet his gaze head on. So much for not staring into the sun. His expression seems to soften after a moment. “You look just like your mother,” his voice is a soft whisper. “Samuel, you may go.”
Samuel rises to his feet and offers a curt nod to the King before marching swiftly back out the door we entered through.
I shift nervously on my feet. I’m so out of place.
I’m still in my dusty travel clothes, most likely tracking in dirt and other elements on the pristine marble floors. They’re in elegant attire of shimmering golds and bronzes. I assume this is supposed to be their more casual wear, but it’s still entirely too elaborate for the moment.
I’m a commoner in a palace.
A fish out of water.
Looking between the two of them, it’s hard to tell what they’re thinking and feeling.
I mean it’s not every day your mysterious daughter shows up on your front doorstep.
Or palace gates in this case. Their expressions are firm, but I can just make out the barest softening around their eyes, a slight warmth in their gaze.
My shoulders drop from where they were bunched up towards my ears.
“Fleur sent a message ahead of your arrival,” Diana says softly.
“Is she… here?” My voice is quiet, yet it still echoes through the spacious room. I don’t know if I want Fleur to be here or not. I know that I owe her an apology now that I’ve let my initial anger cool with time, but I’m simultaneously on edge at the prospect of seeing her.
Diana–referring to her as my mother feels wrong seeing as how she’s still a stranger to me–offers me a sympathetic smile. “No, dear. She’s remained in the human realm for the time being.”
My brows furrow and I nod repeatedly. “Right, that makes sense,” I say, not really sure if the drop in my stomach is disappointment at not seeing her.
Diana and Oberon look between each other, communicating something silently between them, before rising from their thrones in sync and stepping down from the dais. They pause in front of me, assessing, and I do my best not to squirm under their focus.
Diana lifts her hand and brings it up to caress my cheek. It takes everything in me not to flinch away from the touch. And that initial reaction fills me with guilt and self-hatred. They’re my parents, I don’t have anything to fear from them. I shouldn’t want to flinch at the smallest touch.
Tears shine in both of their eyes as they look me over.
“Oh, my darling daughter,” Diana whispers with a shaky breath.
“Welcome home.” She throws an arm around me, pulling me in so I’m sandwiched into a hug with the both of them.
I’m so shocked by the action that I don’t immediately respond but eventually muscle memory kicks in and I loop my arms around them and sink into the embrace.
Home.
Right now, this place doesn’t feel like home.
It’s cold and empty. These people are strangers to me.
The only person who could make this place feel more like home isn’t allowed in.
And that’s another thought that sets off alarm bells in my mind.
Why does this man I’ve known for all of a week feel more like home to me than the parents who brought me into this world?
Oberon clears his throat as they pull back and release me from their hold.
“We can’t wait to get to know the wonderful person you’ve become.
” He gives me a smile that is filled with so much love, longing, and pain.
It softens me to them the slightest bit more.
“We know you’ve had quite the journey, so why don’t you go get settled into your quarters to clean up and we can speak over supper.
Sound like a plan?” They both look at me with hopeful gazes and I can’t help but give them a small smile in return.
“Yeah, that would be nice.”
“Great, Adriana will show you to your room.”