Three #2
What are they possibly discussing that they don’t want me to hear?
Politics? Conflict they don’t wish for me to know?
Has something happened in the Mortal Realm?
Has my father come looking for me?! Has Gelia finally been reborn?
! Have they finally figured out why I was reborn here instead of the Realm of Seasons?
Or why haven’t I displayed any sort of magical powers?
The possibilities were endless. I stood there, my brow furrowed.
“You mustn’t make expressions such as those, Miss Aerilyn, you will get wrinkles,” Aradia said.
She was a member of the Court of Clouds.
Wearing a white gown with white and gold embroidery, her hair hung over her shoulders and past her belly button.
Intricate fishtail braids wrapped around her head, and her features were soft and delicate, much like her voice.
“Uh-uh…” I muttered. Aradia was ‘assigned’ to ‘keep me safe’ when Neil couldn’t. Or at least that’s what he told me. I was to be watched, for my own good, for my own protection. I think it was because he worried that I would be lonely due to how I was struggling with what happened that day.
I was mourning the loss of Gelia. That day, that horrible, terrible, dreadful day, crossed my mind often.
It kept me up at night, and when I slept, it plagued my dreams by turning them into nightmares.
Unable to talk much about it, I hadn’t told Neil all the details of what had happened.
I wondered where she was; if she was lost, perhaps, or had met the Gods.
Maybe she found peace and was with the spirits now in the Realm of the Passed.
I wished I knew. I could only hope that wherever she was, she was happy.
Grief was a heavy burden to bear. Guilt, even more so.
I swallowed hard, realizing that I had zoned out again. I cleared my throat and continued the conversation Aradia had started, albeit slightly delayed.
“Wait. Wrinkles? You are telling me that despite being an Eternal being, I have to worry about wrinkles?” Aradia giggled, and I shook my head. “Preposterous,” I muttered.
“Indeed it is, Miss. I do agree. Now come.” She escorted me down the marble halls and toward the gardens.
I flashed a smile in Aradia’s direction.
Her ivory dress had the same markings embroidered into it as the door I had just been studying.
I wondered what they meant. I would ask Neil later, perhaps.
My own dress was similar, except it had Neil’s family sigil embroidered at the bottom.
It shimmered with each step I took. My eyes flicked back to hers.
“Are they always that secretive?” I asked.
Aradia raised a singular brow. “Who, Miss?”
“Our High Lord and Acheron, of course.” I hesitated.
I wonder why she’s hesitating. Perhaps she knows something I do not?
“Our High Lord has everyone’s best interests in mind, yours especially, Miss. He has taken quite a liking to you, it seems.” She nudged my arm lightly, prompting me to do the same in response.
“He is very generous.”
“That he is, Miss. He takes great care of us all. He is the kindest High Lord.”
Aradia pushed open the door that led to the gardens. We went down the marble steps in unison, toward the garden path. White roses, hydrangeas, orchids, and daffodils were in full bloom. Beautiful, serene, and everlasting.
“Why did the Wall come up? The one that separates East Haven from Wisteria?” I questioned.
Aradia tilted her head. “Does the Mortal Realm not speak of our history?” she asked.
“Not often, no. It’s… taboo to bring up the past.” Ironic for me to say, given I was doing exactly that. Then again, I wasn’t human anymore, but Divine, just like her.
“Well, the Wall was put up decades ago to separate us from the humans, if I remember correctly. I do believe that would have been centuries ago within the Mortal Realm. Though, I am not accustomed to the difference in time between our Realms and the Mortals. It’s something like…
one year here is ten or so in the Mortal Realm?
” She paused, uncertainty laced in her tone.
“There was a Great War that caused a rift between the Realms and nearly destroyed everything in the process. The High Lords of that time came together and decided it was best to build the Wall, as Mortals were far too hungry for power they simply did not understand. That is why the Wall is up, not just for the safety and protection of the Mortal Realm, but for ours as well. The current High Lords of the Realms were just children at the time, and I was but a babe.” She breathed.
“It would be a question better fit for our Lord, or Acheron, perhaps.”
I nodded at her words, letting them soak into my mind. Her version of history wasn’t the same one I grew up with. There were always three sides to a story, and this was no different in that aspect.
“Mm, and the protective barrier?”
Aradia smiled. “Impressive if you ask me. High Lord Neil’s magic is why it’s as strong as it is now. Second-generation magic is woven within those very walls. There has been peace between our Realm and the Mortal Realm since that Wall came up, and I hope it stays that way.”
“Agreed,” I replied. I wonder what happened all those years ago. The story I heard was that it was the High Lords of Wisteria who were hungry for power, not my—not the Mortal Realm. How peculiar. A thought for another time, perhaps. A question I would save for later.
I admired my surroundings. Rolling hills, towering mountains, and ethereal mist lingered in the distance. Waterfalls cascaded down sheer cliffs that peeked out of the mist. The air was light, crisp, and cool, with the subtle fragrance of sweet flowers and fresh dew.
Biting my lip, I sat in the uncomfortable silence. I found that when it was silent, my thoughts spoke the loudest. Anxious, I posed another question merely to keep the conversation going. “What are the other High Lords like?” My eyes met Aradia’s. “The High Lords of the other Realms.”
Aradia bit down on her bottom lip. “Well, High Lord Zathrian of the Realm of Stars is said to be a mystery… Never met him myself, though I know that there is political tension and strenuous conflict between their Realm and ours. High Lord Neil and he have a history, you could say. I do not know the extent of it, of course, but their rivalry began when they were children. Their parents didn’t get along and never have, I’m afraid…
” She paused, articulating her words carefully.
The way she paused, I couldn’t tell if she was speaking carefully because she was told to or not.
“High Lord Casimir of the Realm of Nightmares is said to be cruel and unforgiving. He is very reclusive. Then there’s High Lord Calix the Lord of the Seasons, who is awfully dreamy.
I could only dream of having him as my Mate.
He’s beautiful. Our Lord and he are quite good friends, actually.
We throw parties often. Primarily in the Realm of Seasons, but ours as well, from time to time, depending on the occasion. ” She smiled.
“I see.” I turned away from her and back toward the flowers with a smile. But is he as beautiful as Neil? “You fancy High Lord Calix?”
Aradia giggled. “Everyone does.”