Chapter 18
Nightingale Wings
Nocturna the divine, the Goddess of Fae in the realm of darkness had blessed fae folk with their equal halves, eternal beings destined to be together either for the good or for the evil of Terran.
An indication of these immortal beings meeting their mate in due time is the song of a nightingale.
One of Nocturna's beloved children. Sacred to all Duvessan fae, and rare to be found as it carries natural healing properties in its shimmering blood ~Duvessan Fae History
The following text has been transcribed in an oath of truth by Volda Keely Darkblood of the Darkblood Witch Coven.
The original text has been destroyed upon command from the High King of Apollo, Solaire Gideon.
Iheard the wind slide against trees, curling into the leaves to create rapid touches against the skin of my cheek.
I unpacked the grey stallion, unburdening him from all the weight of my weapons and the few essentials I had packed.
"You're supposed to let me unpack, you know, since you basically announced me as your weapons boy," Red muttered as he followed me into my yellow tent.
Yellow... how original for the Apollons.
I ignored his comment and shoved a wooden box of my belongings into his arms. He stumbled back but caught his footing as he placed it down beside my bedroll. A puzzled look plastered on his face as he opened up the box.
"Red, what in Nocturna are you doing? You aren't supposed to go through a lady's—"
"You own a violin?" he asked. My heart skipped a beat, I laid my eyes on the instrument he referred to. Gritting my teeth and looking him dead in the eye, he paled and somehow understood he needed to drop the subject, keeping it back in place.
"I'll go see where they're setting up the rest of the camp," Red spoke, exiting quickly.
Fala must have been the one to pack the violin, she was the only one who understood the connection I had to it. The mere thought of her and her actions brought anger to my system. I roughly dropped my cloak over the box to cover it. Out of sight. Out of mind. It had no purpose in my life anymore.
"Then destroy it. Throw it away," the little girl challenged in my mind. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. "You won't however... Because it reminds you of our home," she whispered sadly. I let out an anxious sigh and left my tent. A much bigger one was stationed closely next to my own.
Red seemed gleeful at the campfire where a golden teapot was set atop a fire. I made my way to join, to listen for any potential whispers that might provide some insight on a future escape and hopefully get a cup of tea for myself.
"I thought it would be good for you to acclimatise first to your surroundings by giving you your own tent," a charming voice said from behind.
"What do you mean?" My nostrils flared as I met the prince's red eyes. He leaned against the wooden post of his tent.
"Don’t take me for a fool warrior, I am sure the thought of escaping has gone through your mind, more times than you’ve blinked.
But I believe we should establish a relationship of trust, and just in case you are not on the same page, your companion will be staying in my tracker’s tent.
I doubt you will leave him behind." He cocked his head to the side, as if he were reading my every thought.
Pompous ass.
“The other option would have been to put you in my tent. You are my bodyguard after all.” The prince smirked, and I bit into my cheek.
"You have over a hundred guards here, I don't mind standing outside your tent if that's what it means," I argued. Trying not to get sucked into those ruby eyes. "You've survived this long without me," I muttered.
"You'll need to get used to your guard duties and please do learn the Apollon etiquette lessons, Inanov will be able to teach you some.
" He ignored my statement, looking me up and down, as if he could see right through me.
I was back to being afraid of him and suddenly nauseated.
The tea at the campfire didn't seem too appetising now.
"You will also receive clothes fitting to be part of the royal guard.
" The prince frowned at my boots. I wanted to be defiant but instead kept my mouth shut, plus, new boots wouldn't hurt.
"Enjoy dinner." He looked to the campfire behind me and brushed into his tent.
I silently strode for the campfire, where everyone seemed to have finished the tea and was now passing around bread, grapes and cheese.
Sitting next to Red, a cloaked and hooded guard pinched out some grapes and passed the rest of the food to me, it was Inanov.
He passed me a cup from the ground, with tea that was no longer hot but close to warm.
I appreciated it regardless. "You did not get your share," he roughly answered. My cheeks warmed.
"Thank you," I murmured and sipped on the overly sweet tea. The rough vulgar sounds of soldiers talking quietened. Some making it obvious to look at me.
“Just be patient with him and follow orders. You will be fine,” Inanov’s deep voice murmured into the cool night air.
“I need to be patient with him? I did not ask for this.” I was exasperated and looking at him with wide eyes.
“He did not want a bodyguard either. Trust me on that.” Inanov sarcastically chuckled, the light of the campfire shadowed his features but I remembered his face. He was handsome in a roguish kind of way yet still neat.
“Then why is he so cruel?” I muttered and Inanov looked at me with sudden seriousness. “He is far from that and I suggest you not speak that way of our royal prince.”
I tightened my fist and refrained from saying, “He is not my prince.”
"Go on, Akiel, tell us a story," a young man with hazel hair said to the older lookalike sitting next to him.
"Well Hulin, since you have never been to Abdera, I'll tell you a story or two," Akiel said, rubbing his chin. "Do your’ll know why Abdera’s trees and grass are red?
All things supposedly seen as greenery in most lands and forests are all red in Abdera.
It looks like a city of blood. Do you know what is also red?
The eyes of our royals. The Goddess of Nature, Donella is said to have favoured the Apollon royalty and blessed these lands in symbolism of their eyes.
" The men around the campfire cheered. I snorted.
Inanov, with his close proximity, noticed this.
"You seem to disagree?"
Shit.
The men stared. The boy who had similar features to Akiel frowned at me. They seemed to take it personally. "Morana has been to Abdera plenty of times. Right, Mor?" Red answered and smiled. Unknowing of the falcons that surround us. Ready to pick our bones apart.
"Enough times, yes."
"You disagree with Akiel's speculation? Be honest, you won't hurt his feelings." Vermillion eyes met mine.
He was listening.
The prince sat atop of his golden cloak as if it had meant nothing. As if it were normal to see a royal with beautiful platinum locks lounging about the grass with soldiers around. An Apollon servant laid a tray of delicacies before him and he waved a hand away.
"Your Majesty. It's your dinner."
"No need, I will have what’s being passed around." He eyed the grapes in my hand and took his own. Popping the grape slowly into his mouth and licking his lips. My mistake was watching. I looked away, heat filling my body. He smirked.
"Bring it my way, boy. I am in the mood for seconds anyways." Colfe, that foul, man called to the servant from far away.
"Well, Mor? Are you going to tell us?" the prince mockingly asked. The soldiers looked at me angrily but more composed as they were in the presence of their crown prince.
"Abdera was not always red. They had close to sub-tropical climate, with actual greenery like most forests," I answered.
But with the look he gave. It seemed he wanted me to go on.
"It changed twelve years ago. In my humble opinion, I doubt it has to do with the Earth Goddess Donella's blessing to the Apollon royalty. "
A few angry shouts arose.
"Now, now, men. My warrior is giving her opinion," the prince said, in a rather provoking manner.
"It is a high possibility that it was a blessing. His Majesty the King is the strongest man with fae lineage to ever live," Akiel argued. I kept silent and chewed slowly on the tart grape.
"No, he isn't. Go on, Mor, tell them the stories you told to Kya and I." Red was an unaware fool. The heat of anger radiating from the soldiers was unbearable. Even Inanov tensed beside me.
"It seems I am all out of stories for tonight." I dust my hands and prepare to wake up.
"Oh, please tell us," the hazel haired boy, Akiel, pleaded.
"Yes, do tell us. I'm quite intrigued now." The prince smirked, taking joy in my discomfort.
I could smack Red right now.
"She's not usually this unsocial, I'll speak for her stead," Red said with everyone seemingly more interested, keenly listening and the prince smiled tauntingly.
"They say the strongest being was the Old Queen of Duvessa," Silence.
Complete, utter silence roamed around the campfire, it nearly gave me chills.
It was forbidden to talk of such, especially around them.
I looked to Red, who was still unaware of himself as he continued talking.
"She was the offspring of shadows and death.
An immortal fae, one of the few who had such strong fae blood that there was no need for her to complete the Ragiel transformation, where those with little fae blood should complete in order to become a full-fledged immortal fae.
She had ruled over Duvessa for over six hundred years.
She passed and descended to Riaan when she heard the call of Nocturna and left her son to rule over Duvessa.
" A sudden gust of wind blew my hair against my cheek.