Ten
I laid awake in bed for hours. Shaken out of sleep because of a nightmare.
Damien died again. A spear through the heart like the first time.
At least there was no screaming this time, no need to reach for the pitcher of water I kept next to the bed. I was only jolted awake to find myself staring at the gold and white ceiling and the crystal chandelier.
I wondered when the nightmares would stop.
I thought about Damien.
There wasn't a moment he wasn't in my thoughts, in my heart. I'd send him silent prayers - pleas that if he could hear me, he would know what I was doing, why I was doing it.
And that I loved him.
And that when this was all over, we could be together in some capacity, somehow. In the Underworld or in the human world.
We'd figure something out.
Or at least I hoped we did.
It was the smell of breakfast, the sound of those familiar noises of someone searching for pots and pans in the cabinets that pulled me from the bed.
I dressed in a comfortable, modest blue dress I found and went downstairs to find Naida in full cooking mode.
"Good Morning," she chirped as she poured batter into a skillet on the stove. "Pancakes?"
I eyed the slew of ingredients on the counter and nodded. "I can't remember the last time I had pancakes."
A stack appeared on a plate on the island of the kitchen. "Perfect! They're Julian's favorite too!"
I took some of the syrup on the counter and covered the pancakes in them. Taking a bite, I moaned with pleasure, "So fluffy. They're delicious."
She laughed as she continued on the stove.
I dug in. "Where is Julian anyway?"
She shrugged. "Getting everything ready for tonight, I suppose. I had plans of hanging out by the pool or even going for a walk. Want to join?"
I nodded. "Sure."
Instantly, the clothes that Naida was wearing disappeared replaced by what looked like green hiking clothes.
When I looked down at myself, I noticed the same.
The outfit looked like it belonged in a Renaissance festival.
I had layers upon layers of green and brown with a brown leather-like vest that wrapped around my modest chest in a warm embrace.
The green fabric underneath the vest reached my knees in layers and covered the pants underneath them.
The sleeves were long, dark green and wrapped around my thumb covering the heel of my palms. Sturdy, heavy, tall boots that covered my knees finished the ensemble.
Naida's outfit was similar with darker and deeper greens than mine.
She smiled. "Did I mention it would be a hike through the mountains?"
It was nearly an hour later when we started our walk.
The forest was quiet, beautiful, haunting. I could hear the wind rustle through the trees, the occasional calls of the animals, the scurrying through the grass.
It was so much like home.
We weren't going anywhere in particular, Naida had said. She just loved to walk through the woods of her childhood.
"This is where you grew up?" I asked as I followed her.
Naida nodded, her ebony curls bouncing. "Yes. Father was the Lord of Skryen before Julian was. Mother was the Lady."
"Where are they now?"
She shrugged. "Who knows these days? Human world? The Summer Kingdom? After Father renounced his work, they went to travel the world. I haven't heard from them in fifty years."
I blinked. "Wow. That's a long time."
"Is it? As a faerie, when you live forever, fifty years is barely long."
"How old are you?" I asked as I ducked under a low lying branch.
She shrugged. "I lost count after two hundred. It's been a while," she laughed.
Naida deftly moved through the unmarked paths, carefully stepping through, jumping over fallen branches.
"How does one become a Lord or a Lady?" I asked wanting to learn as much as I could about the new world I was exploring - becoming a part of every day.
She didn't turn back to me as she spoke.
"It's usually given by the Royal Family or one is born into it or married into it.
My father received it from his father and so on and so forth - Julian received it because Father did not want to stay bound to Skryen anymore.
Ladies as well, it is always the firstborn. "
"So you're the youngest?"
She nodded as she approached a flower bed.
"Yes. Had I been the oldest I would have been the Lady of Skryen.
" She knelt down next to the blooming purple flowers.
"I am a Lady both as the daughter of the Lord of Skryen and through my husband.
He is Lord of Yakstin, protector of the Frozen City.
" She shrugged. "It was an advantageous marriage for him, forbidden for me.
" She smiled as she looked at me. "We both love each other very much, Father wasn't convinced.
But as he was no longer a Lord, he couldn't say much in the matter. We married with Julian's blessing."
I frowned. "How different."
She laughed. "Julian doesn't care for rules. It was - is - below us to marry anyone in the Winter Kingdom but I wanted him, he wanted me - and Julian very rarely denies my happiness."
I laughed. "Older sibling keeping his younger happy?"
She smiled. "Brother spoiling his baby sister." She plucked a flower from the soil and approached me, placing the flower on my ear. "For luck. Since I think we all need it right now."
I frowned but she continued her trek. "Come on."
I followed closely as she continued her walk. "What do you think of Julian?" She didn't turn as she continued.
I shrugged. "He's nice, understanding."
She nodded. "Good. He's nice to you. Sometimes he can be a drag - "
I frowned.
She stopped and turned, her hair a dark frizzy halo in the sunlight. "I was afraid he was pushing too hard."
I shook my head. "I don't think he's pushing enough, honestly."
She laughed. "You'll regret those words." She continued on and stopped at a particularly high climb. She grabbed my hand and immediately we were at the top of the high hill.
I looked back. "Why didn't we climb?"
She kept walking. "I don't have my equipment."
I shook my head with a smile and followed close behind.
"I'm sorry about what I said yesterday," she said clearing her throat. "About him trying to bed you."
I blushed deeply. "He hasn't said or done anything like that-"
A small smile quirked her lips. "He has..." Naida struggled to find the word, "a reputation of getting lost in a lover's embrace, damn the consequences big or small - I didn't mean to question your virtue by any means."
I shook my head. "I didn't take it that way."
She smiled, looking away towards the trees as she continued forward. "He was a general, you know, once. It's been a while."
"I figured."
"There was a conflict between the Summer and Winter Kingdoms," she rolled her eyes.
"Something about a girl. In any case, Julian made a reputation for being the go-to general for training - a lot of the things you see in the estate were funded by the money he got from that job.
I think he's sold most of it - he wasn't particularly happy with how the conflict turned out. "
No wonder Kymra chose him to train me. "How did it turn out?"
She shrugged. "The Winter Kingdom received a hell of a beating - what he didn't like about the conflict, you'd have to ask him. He rarely talks about it."
I huffed at the effort of the walk. "How old is Julian?" She looked like she was old as I was. Whereas Julian looked to be much older late twenties early thirties if I had to put it in human years.
She laughed. "About three hundred years? Something like that."
I blinked.
"Come on," she extended a hand. "We're nearly there."
I didn't realize I'd stopped but took her hand.
We walked in silence and eventually made it to a small clearing.
As we made it to the center, I watched the sky in fascination.
The trees' branches made it out far enough to cover almost all of it, but I could still see the clouds and the blue sky.
The sunlight filtered through the leaves throwing shadows along the clearing - an ideal place to sit and relax.
"Perfect," Naida sighed as she set her small bag down. "This is Julian's favorite spot. He showed it to me once, and I'm always inexplicably drawn to it. It's peaceful." She took a deep breath and sighed. "Time for a break."
I nodded as she sat then followed suit.
She went through her bag and took out a flask for each that she'd filled with water earlier before we left. "How did you meet the King?"
I smiled. While, admittedly, it was not one of my fondest memories, the night Damien and I met was still special. It was the day my world changed.
I told her of it, the night in the rain, the time in the forest, who I'd seen and what it meant.
She laughed wryly. "That bastard Robyn, he knew as soon as he saw you what you were even with your power bound."
I shook my head. "I still don't know how."
"When they were around, the Light fae, they mostly kept to themselves.
Never married outside of their own kind.
Never really left their kingdom. They knew the power they had, how it could be manipulated.
Robyn changed that. He made it so he knew as much as he could about them before -" she stopped. "Well, you know."
I nodded. Yes, I did know.
"Is the King nice?"
I smiled fondly. "Yes. The kindest person I've ever met.
Selfless, funny, brilliant - his personality is incandescent, you can't help but feel drawn to him.
But he's moody, snappy, secretive." I rolled my eyes.
"So secretive sometimes - but now I know why.
I know why he didn't tell me everything.
Overprotective - worse than my mother." I laughed.
Naida gave a knowing smile. "You love him."
I looked away. "Of course. I mean, I've known him for years, how could I not?" I sighed, looking up towards the sky. "I just hope it's not too late."
She looked away. Maybe she felt my mood, the heavy weight I felt in my chest that never really seemed to leave just as soon as I learned what happened to Damien. "I hope it isn't too late either."
We spent most of the afternoon talking - and I realized how much I missed it. I missed talking to someone else about almost everything.
I told Naida of my parents, the constant worry I felt, how Robyn had managed to use them to his advantage.
How Damien and I grew up together as friends ....
but not the whole truth - somehow sharing that we both loved each other felt like too much to share.
Despite how friendly Naida was and what she'd done to save me, revealing my feelings to her about Damien felt too personal, letting her know how Damien about me felt like a betrayal.
As we spoke, she'd braid flowers in my hair, told me about her own home, the Winter Kingdom - the role each kingdom played in their world as well as the humans.
As the sky began to darken and the sprites began to rise, Naida spoke. "We should get back."
I nodded, careful not to undo the braid and flowers that Naida had woven into my hair.
She laughed. "You look like the goddess of spring!"
I laughed along with her as she took my hand and spectered us back home.
We appeared at the edge of the patio, the jovial mood carrying over. Julian stood on the balcony overlooking the patio and grounds overhead. "Took you long enough to come back."
We both looked above to the balcony when Naida grabbed my elbow and spectered us next to him.
Immediately after, Naida appeared in Julian's arms, her own arms wrapped around his neck as he struggled to suddenly capture her.
He looked like he was going to a formal party, in a black unbuttoned coat with embroidered shoulders and large silver buttons that ran down the front. A black collared shirt peeked beneath the coat with the first three buttons undone. The black pants were tailored perfectly to his height.
Naida yelled merrily, "Happy Saddaim, big brother!"
I laughed as he finally caught hold of her and cursed out loud.
"It is time to celebrate!" Naida yelled in glee, clapping her hands. Not at all fazed that her brother could drop her at any moment.
"Absolutely not."
Naida spectered next to me, on her feet. "Why ever not? It is Saddaim!"
Julian shook his head. "No, absolutely not. She cannot be seen. You know why. And don't you dare do what I know you'll do."
Naida gasped dramatically, the playfulness of her act obvious. "What do you mean?"
Julian groaned. "I know your games, Naida. It is out of the question for Emylin to be in those festivities."
Naida tsked and rolled her eyes. "She will be fine."
He turned to me. "Emylin, remember what I said. No one can see you."
Naida spoke up. "But -"
"No."
"But-"
"No, Naida, that's final."
"But-"
"If I so much hear about a Light fae out on Saddaim, it will be your ass Naida, I'm not fooling around." He turned to me. "You too, Emylin."
I shook my head, looking away. "I didn't say anything."
Suddenly, he disappeared.
I looked at Naida, a mischievous smile plastered on her lips. "What my brother doesn't know won't hurt him."