The sky here was bluer than the skies in the human realm. Everything here seemed more vivid and bright. The clouds drifted across the sky like they were glowing and the colours of the trees that covered the mountainside were like an oil painting, varying in shades of green, orange and red. It was breath-taking.
My eyes drifted to the parts of the castle I could see from my window. The grounds went on for miles. Some of it was immaculate and well-kept but some of it was just acres of meadows and wildflowers. The building itself was made of pale grey stone. A lot of it was covered in ivy but I could only see the North Tower from here. At the very top of the tower I could just about see the guards, watching the grounds for intruders, reminding me that Avaria wasn’t the peaceful realm I remembered. Even though the coup had failed, there was still unrest here. With more and more Fae wanting to move to the human realm to take up permanent residence and people questioning my father’s leadership after the attack, it had thrown the realm into chaos. There had been a lot of shade thrown at him for spending so much time in the human realm but it’s not like he could leave them to suffer the Impius attacks alone.
I felt Blaine beside me.
“Quite the view.”
“Yeah.”
“I can see why you like it here.”
“It’s home.”
I glanced at his bag on his shoulder.
“I guess you want to see your room now? It’s not quite as flashy. But it does have a nice bath.”
He smirked and we left my suite. His room was only down the hall. It was spacious and welcoming but missing the homeliness my room had. He dropped his bag on the table and slunk into the sofa, eyes scanning the room.
“Not bad,” he said. His eyes landed on me as I leaned on the door frame. “What are your plans then?”
“I plan on having a long bath.”
“I mean for the week.”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “My dad wants me to keep up with my studies while I’m here and the Autumn Equinox is this week. Other than that, I just wanted to be here.”
He nodded.
“What about you?”
“I suppose I should go see my mother.”
“Don’t sound too excited.”
“You haven’t met her yet.”
“Is she like your dad?”
“Not even slightly.”
I woke with a headache in the bath in my suite. The hot water and steam had carried me off into a light doze at some point and while it had been nice then, my head was starting to pound from the heat.
I dragged myself out of the water and wrapped myself in one of the towels. The cooler air in my room dizzied me but helped sooth the pounding in my head. I was just about to sit down when I noticed a piece of paper lying beside my door.
Gone to see my mum.
A quick glance at the clock told me I’d been in the bath for well over an hour. I collapsed onto my bed and looked out the window. The sky had turned bright orange as the sun set behind the mountains. I turned onto my side and stared out at the view, watching the clouds move across the sky.
I had only been sat there for a few minutes when there was a loud knock on my door.
“Come in,” I called, tucking the towel tighter around me. I expected Sash or some of the other maids to enter but when I looked up I opened my mouth in surprise.
“Finally!” Remi declared, rushing over, shortly followed her sister, Rita. They jumped on me, wrapping me in hugs.
“What are you doing here?” I asked when they finally released me.
“We heard the Princess was back,” Rita said, moving to sit on the armchair. “You didn’t think you could sneak in without us finding out?”
“Nicole sent a raven the minute you were back,” Remy explained, leaning over to my bedside table to help herself to an apple. “And we had to come and see you. It’s been ages since you were here.”
I shifted back against the headboard and rubbed my eyes, not awake enough for the Romlen twins. Rick had always been my best friend but they were my close seconds. Despite the fact that they were twins, they’d done everything they could to make themselves look different. Remy had cut her blonde hair short whereas Rita kept hers long, plaited down her shoulder. Their personalities were different too. Remy was the loud, bold type who always had to be the centre of attention and Rita was more of a wallflower.
“I heard that you were attacked in London,” Remy stated as she munched on the apple. “Is it true?”
“Yeah, it’s true.”
“What was it like? Were you scared?”
“I…”
“She doesn’t want to talk about it,” Rita warned her sister. Remy pulled a face.
“Fine. What about your new fiancé? Is Blaine still as hot as he was when he was training?”
So much for getting away from all my problems. Even without internet and TV, everything that happened in the human realm made its way back here.
“Is he here?” Remy asked when I failed to answer. She looked around the room as if he’d be hiding in a corner.
“He’s gone to see his mum.”
“What’s he like?” Rita quizzed as she stretched her legs out across the rug. “Is he nice?”
“Have you two had sex yet?”
“He’s okay and no,” I said, shooting Remy and irate look. “We’re taking it slow.”
“I’d be all over that if it were me,” Remy said, ignoring my look. “Is Rick here?”
“No. We’re not really talking at the moment.”
They both stared at me.
“Why not?” Rita asked.
“He’s… being a pain.”
“Is it because you’re engaged?” Remy guessed. “He always had a thing for you.”
“Something like that,” I shrugged. “He’s been an ass since I told him.”
“All guys turn into assholes when they don’t get their way,” Remy shrugged. “He just needs to get over it.”
“Well, he’s not over it. I don’t think he ever will be.”
“Have you talked to him about it?” Rita asked.
“Yep. Several times. I just made it worse.” I shook my head. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Okay. Let’s talk about your impending wedding,” Remy declared, her eyes sparkling. I let out a long sigh. “Have you set a date? Have you found a dress? Oh, please let us come dress shopping with you.”
I couldn’t help but snort.
“Sure.”
“I’m not doing anything this afternoon,” she hinted.
“Or we could go to the Beehive for a drink and proper catch-up,” Rita suggested.
“Sash actually wanted to go tonight,” I said, remembering my brief conversation with her. “Let me get changed.”
“Perfect.”
We left my suite once I’d put on one of my Avarian woollen dresses and headed down the stairs. When we were nearly at the front doors, I spotted a few familiar faces standing near one of the conference rooms, talking. One of them glanced my way.
“Ashley?” he frowned when he saw me.
“Hi, Devan,” I said, offering him a small smile.
“I had no idea you were back in Avaria.”
“It was a spur of the moment decision,” I shrugged. “How are you?”
“I’m great, thanks. How are you? How’s the engagement going?”
“I’m okay. And yeah, it’s going well.”
It felt wrong, talking to Rick’s father about Blaine. I wasn’t sure how much he knew about what was going on, but he had to have an idea.
“How’s Rick?” I asked before I could change my mind.
“He’s doing alright,” Devan said, though his tone changed a little. He paused for a moment. “How are things between you two?”
“Complicated,” I said stiffly.
“I gathered as much. He’s been home more in the last few weeks than he’s been in years.”
“Is he here?”
“No, he’s still in t
he human realm.”
I nodded, not really sure if I wanted to talk to him about this. He was Rick’s dad after all. He seemed to be having the same thoughts. Remy and Rita were staying quiet for once.
“I know you two aren’t talking at the moment but he misses you.”
“He shut me out,” I said bitterly.
“Rick is… temperamental. I’m sure you know that. He’s struggling to deal with the fact things are changing. He just needs time.”
“I just figured our friendship meant more to him than that.”
He gave me a sympathetic look but didn’t respond.
“I’ll see you around,” I said before walking off. Remy and Rita fell into step beside me.
“That was awkward,” Remy stated. “I had no idea things between you and Rick were so bad.”
I said nothing.
Chapter 23
Stepping out of the castle and into the streets of Avaria was like stepping into Wonderland. After so long in the human realm, normal things here felt alien. People waved at me and called out to me but there were no cameras in my face, no reporters watching me in the hopes of a story. My shoulders slowly relaxed as I strolled with Remy and Rita through the town.
There were no cars here. Most people walked where they needed to go or travelled by carriage for long journeys. The streets were a mismatch of cobblestones and paving, with trees jutting out of every available space. No two buildings looked the same here and none of them reached up into the sky, blocking the beautiful views.
It was the stark opposite of London.
We walked by the church. Fae believed that God was the earth itself. Taking care of our world was our prayer, though the church had been built for those with problems to come and be at peace. Inside, it was filled with the most beautiful plants and the glass windows were angled to bring in enough sunshine to let the plants thrive. Father Hallow, our priest, waved at us as he used magic to water the flowers outside.
I looked up at the distant mountains as we walked. Earth was seemingly endless with so many countries. They had the ability to travel everywhere and anywhere. Avaria was a little different. The mountains became treacherous the further you travelled them and the seas eventually gave way to the Great Falls. Anyone who ventured down them never returned.
There were several towns throughout Avaria. Aldore, this town, was the heart of it all. The Avarian River linked all the towns, allowing easy trade and travel. Even though we were centuries behind Earth on technology, life in Avaria was simple and easy. I’m sure technology would make it easier but it would also ruin what made our world special.
The Beehive was the main pub in Aldore. The building stretched out along the river with wooden walls and a thatched roof. It was more beautiful than anything I’d seen in the human realm.
Remy led the way inside, headed straight for an empty spot by the bar. People looked our way as we entered and a few people looked surprised to see me but nobody commented. I sat down beside Remy while she waved at the bartender, an older man with thick grey hair and a beard to match. Gavin had owned the Beehive for decades.
“What can I get you?” he asked, giving me a big smile. “Welcome back, Ashley. I haven’t seen you in a while. Still got trouble in the human realm?”
“It’s… complicated over there,” I settled with.
“We’ll have three of your famous honey ciders,” Remy said. “Put it on my tab?”
“You ever gonna pay off that tab?”
“One day,” Remy winked. He rolled his eyes and strolled away to get our drinks.
“So, what’s new with you guys?” I asked before they could ask me any questions. “Have I missed anything?”
“Only a lot,” Remy grinned. “So, remember Donny? That super hot guy who works at the mill? Turns out he’s getting married.”
“Weren’t you two dating?”
“They were shagging,” Rita corrected.
“He never told me he was engaged!” Remy said defensively. “Besides… I’m over that. I’ve got my eyes on someone else now.”
“Shocker,” Rita mumbled.
“Anyone I know?”
“Benjamin Fowler. You know him?”
“Nathan’s son?” Nathan was on the Council with my father.
“Yeah. He’s got a mohawk now.”
Remy had endless stories to tell and filled the silence easily. Gavin brought us our drinks and I was quick to take a sip.
It was even better than I remembered. The honey made the cider sweet and delicious.
“What about you?” I asked Rita when Remy paused to have a drink. “Anything new with you?”
“She’s in a totally boring relationship with Conner Rivers.”
“It’s not boring,” Rita declared, shooting Remy a glare. “Just because we don’t have drama doesn’t make it boring.”
“If you say so,” Remy snorted. She turned to face me properly. “We’ve been talking about us too much. What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing interesting,” I hedged, taking another sip of my drink.
“I’d say being engaged is interesting,” Remy offered. “What’s it like?”
I let out a long breath before replying.
“It’s complicated.”
“Because it’s arranged?” Rita guessed.
“Dad tried to arrange me a marriage,” Remy said bitterly. “I told him to shove it.”
“Do you like him?” Rita asked.
“I… I don’t know. The Council wants us to keep the human media’s attention away from the attacks. I told him that when it calmed down he could walk away.”
“Does your dad know you said that?” Remy asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Yeah. I told him.”
“Is that an engagement ring?” Remy suddenly grabbed my hand. I winced as she studied the diamond in fascination. “That’s so pretty! I wouldn’t mind one of those.”
“Engagement rings are just materialistic human crap,” Rita scowled. “They don’t represent anything but how deep their pockets are.”
“But they’re so shiny,” Remy pouted. “Look at it!”
She pointed my hand at Rita, who rolled her eyes. I pulled my hand back and rubbed the ring gently. Rita was right. Engagement rings didn’t really mean anything but whenever I looked at it, I remembered the awkward exchange. We hadn’t been more than two people with a deal back then. So much had happened since then and honestly, I wasn’t sure what was going on between us anymore.
“So, you’re not actually going to marry him?” Rita asked.
“I don’t know,” I said, lifting my shoulders up and letting them drop.
“Do you love him?”
I met her gaze.
“I don’t know.”
“Seems like you don’t know a lot,” Remy snorted, taking a long sip of her drink.
“It’s not like we’re in a normal relationship,” I said defensively. “We were forced together. How do I know if what I’m feeling is real or not? What if it’s just the circumstances?”
“I think you’ll know, Ash,” Rita offered with a small smile. “Do you think he feels something for you?”
“I think so. We’ve kissed a few times.”
“We’ve seen the photos,” Remy rolled her eyes.
“I mean… we kissed for real. Not just for the cameras.”
“Cute. What was it like? Donny always clanked his teeth against mine when we kissed. It was kinda gross.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“It was… nice.”
“Nice? This cider is nice.”
“Fine… it was amazing.”
“Now you’re talking.”
“Have you actually asked him how he feels?” Rita quizzed. “Maybe you guys should talk about it.”
“We did talk once. But it ended in us fighting. He got hurt on duty a few days ago and when I was with him in hospital… Ugh… Why does this have to be so complicated?”
“Because men don’t know t
heir ass from their elbow,” Remy said, waving at Gavin and pointing to her near-empty glass. “They need a woman to show them what they want.”
“Don’t listen to her,” Rita scowled. “She’s full of crap.”
They bickered over their own relationship advice for a while, leaving me to think about everything that had happened with Blaine. Did I love him? How was I supposed to know? I recalled how I’d felt when I’d seen him in the hospital. I’d been so scared of losing him, but he’d never really been mine. I rubbed my temple absently.
When a messenger tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a note, Remy and Rita fell silent.
“Sash had to cancel,” I said after reading the note. “Her sister’s ill.”
“That sucks,” Rita frowned.
“Oh, please. Sara’s not ill. She’s just a drama queen.”
“You’re so insensitive.”
“She’s probably just on her period and feeling sorry for herself.”
“Why don’t we go for a walk?” I suggested to stop them bickering. As much as I enjoyed the cider, I wanted to enjoy the beautiful autumn evening in Avaria.
“But I have a drink coming,” Remy whined. Rita gave her a pointed look and she pouted. “Fine.”
We walked through the town, making our way through the big market. A lot of them were closing for the night but some were still open so we browsed for a while. Some stalls were held in big wooden carriages and some were permanent wooden structures.
“How about a love potion?” Remy sniggered, stopping at a potion stall. The table was filled with bottles and jars, some glowing. Remy gestured to a bottle of pink liquid.
“You know that stuff doesn’t really work, right?” Rita said, raising her eyebrows. “It just makes you super horny.”
“Men think with their dicks,” Remy said with a shrug. She studied the rest of the potions. “What about… a potion to cure heartbreak?”
“She’s not heartbroken, idiot,” Rita groaned.
“Well, she’s not exactly happy!” Remy argued.
“Thanks but no thanks,” I smirked. “If I need anything, it’s one of Corrie’s Aldore donuts.”
“Ooh, now that’s an idea,” Rita grinned.
Corrie’s bakery was just off the market. It was a small building with two big windows that showed delicious cakes and baked goods. Everything on display looked beautiful and delicious. Remy almost drooled over a big cake with blusberries on it. Blusberries were only found in Avaria. They were little pink berries that were sweet and creamy.
The Avarian Chronicles: A Tear In The Veil Page 14