Imperfect

by Darci Darson

  Ettrian had treated her like she had been some invisible air. He seemed to be polite but also distant and neutral. She did not blame him, though. That was his way to show his respect for her bonding with Rav.

  She sat within Rav’s strong arms, kept hidden and safe by the angle of his hot body. She hitched up her blanket and melted into Rav’s strong and beautifully shaped muscles.

  The night comforted with its clear, black and glittering infinity. Owl’s hooting at one another sent chills down Yasmeen’s spine, but it could not contain her excitement and hope to start a completely new life, with her beloved Rav.

  As the wagon advanced towards Felicia’s castle its steady movements brought sleep to Yasmeen’s exhausted body. Her eyelids closed and she swayed in the safety of Rav’s embrace.

  As she was floating on the edge of reality, a strange thought crossed her mind.

  “Yasmeen, what is it now?” Rav said with his sleepy voice. “You are irritated with something. I can feel it. This bond is a useful thing. And you can’t blame me now.”

  “It’s just this true love thing,” she started.

  “I won’t even be able to look at other women now,” he said. “I am absolutely mad about you and you only.”

  “I’m much better now,” she said and let herself drift off to sleep.

  She woke up when they stopped in front of the castle, its scary dark shapes against the orange and purple ribbon on the horizon. The world was still and quiet as if preserved in a timeless moment. Then all life began to greet the day as the intense the orange ball of the Sun started to ascend. The smells of food, smoke and freshly cut wood danced in the air as Yasmeen entered the Great Hall and jumped into Felicia’s arms. This was her home, her new home.

  When they finished with the hugging, Felicia’s face wrinkled and she gently stroked Yasmeen’s arm.

  “The Elves told me everything. I’m sorry, Child. My home is your home now.” She glanced at Yasmeen and Rav with suspicion.“One or two bedrooms for you, Children?” the old woman asked frivolously and let out a hoarse chuckle.

  “One,” Rav said with no hesitation and grinned.

  “Two,” Yasmeen said in a timid voice. “No, one. One would be perfect,” she corrected herself. “No, two,” she said at last. She wanted to be a lady with good manners in Felicia’s eyes.

  Felicia shouted something to Ausa in the local language and then turned back her head to Yasmeen and Rav.

  “Wedding, wedding. We will have a big wedding!” Felicia said and folded her hands as if praying. “But for now, eat and rest! And you will definitely get two separate bedrooms in the two furthest corners of the castle. Your mum, Yasmeen, would kill me if I allow you to have one.” The woman grabbed Yasmeen’s elbow and led her to the bedroom where the girl had slept previously. She frowned and sent Rav a murderous glance when she saw him attempting to follow them so the boy decided to stay in the Great Hall.

  When the women entered the bedroom, Yasmeen sat on the mattress with a loud sigh.

  “What are you going to do, Child?” Felicia asked. “Rav is madly in love with you but what do you really want?”

  “I want to be with him. It is like we were soul-mates,” Yasmeen responded. “I like this dimension as well. I just wish my parents were here with me.”

  “You Devitas are not meant to have easy lives.” Felicia sat next to her.

  “I know,” Yasmeen murmured. “Something evil is hunting us.”

  The old woman did not answer. She wrapped her arms around Yasmeen’s chest and hugged the girl, sharing all the kindness and warmth with her.

  Yasmeen had a relaxing bath and put on a beautiful, red gown with wide sleeves. She joined everyone in the Great Hall. There were more elves and some other human guests, about thirty people in total, only Felicia’s daughter and her child missing, probably resting. The guests laughed and talked and ate. Yasmeen slid onto the chair next to Rav. He had managed to have a bath and had jump into some decent clothes as well. He put his hands on her waist and moved her as if she was weightless, repositioning her on his lap. Yasmeen rested her temple on his cheek and raised her cup towards Ettrian and Saleh. She mouthed the words ‘thank you’ and the two Elves nodded their acknowledgements. She sipped her drink, enjoying the warm and sweet taste of Felicia’s herbal tea. As time passed, she realised that Rav was not interested in anything else apart from kissing her. His lips wandered along her neck, his hands pressed against her rib cage. Each time she touched him there was a flash of her pearly glow following the movements of her fingers like an aura.

  “Rav,” Yasmeen whispered into his ear. “There are people around looking at us.”

  “They are drunk,” he said and placed a soft kiss on her lips, his fingers running through the density of her styled hair. “Let’s go to your bedroom,” he added with disarming bluntness. There was a naughty flicker in his burning eyes and his face seemed even lighter and glowed as well.

  “No,” Yasmeen said, shaking her head. “Felicia prepared the feast for us. It would be rude. And you know, there are rules... We, humans have some rules...”

  “Felicia is drunk as well,” Rav muttered, disappointed. “You, humans, are strange creatures.”

  “My dad used to take me to the church every Sunday,” Yasmeen said. “I refused when I was fourteen so he attended the service on his own... “

  “That’s... interesting,” Rav muttered, his lips grazing along her jaw line. “I don’t want to go to this... church. Let’s go to my bedroom instead,” he attempted once more.

  “No,” Yasmeen said firmly.

  “Later?”

  “Maybe,” she answered and chuckled. “Is this so simple for your kind?”

  “What, Yasmeen?” he asked with his sweet confusion.

  “Going to my bedroom,” she explained, whispering into his ear.

  “I chose you and you chose me. This is very simple,” he said with his disarming honesty. “We love each other and we should sleep in one bedroom.”

  “Maybe later,” she repeated and kissed the tip of his nose. “You are a very healthy man, by the way.”

  “I’m only Radveriel,” he said with a tint of embarrassment.

  Yasmeen kissed his cheek and smiled. Lifting her eyes towards Ettrian, she saw the shiny paint of friendship on his face. He was happy for both her and Rav and he was so intrigued with them, looking for a second like he had just discovered something important in his life. In the next instance, he was himself again, neutral, mysterious and strangely distant.

  Yasmeen sank into Rav’s hug deeper and deeper and then she felt an unstoppable urge to dispel her last doubt.

  “How old are you, Rav,” she asked with a tint of uncertainty, a little nervous of what the answer would be.

  Rav smiled mischievously as if he sensed her anxiety.

  “I’m very young for our standards. I’m young like you,” he said, kissing the tip of her head.

  “Did you have many girlfriends?” Yasmeen questioned resolving to learn about his entire life during one evening.

  “None, there was no girl for me. I wasn’t blind but I knew that I had to wait. I waited for you.”

  “What about your parents?”

  “They were killed by the Opyri a long time ago. I was raised by my aunt. She had to stay there in Atlantis after the catastrophe. She had done something wrong.”

  Yasmeen saw that this part of his life seemed to be difficult for him so she just hugged him with all her love and warmth at the same time realising that no revelation from Rav could really surprise her. She just absorbed the knowledge with a stoical calm.

  “There is one think I’m really curious about, Rav,” she changed the topics. “How are you born?”

  “Like humans but the pure Varuh could literally see the essence wrapping around the consciousness flowing into an unborn baby. They could touch it and send somewhere else, like they did for Cherry,” Rav explained. “I asked them when they brought me here. I wanted to know what happened
to Cherry.”

  “I have one more question,” Yasmeen continued.

  “Yasmeen, you will have a lifetime to ask me all the questions,” Rav said as if surprised by her impatience. “I will be with you for eternity and you’ll see that you’ll be bored and fed up with me.”

  “Never!” she said firmly. “I will never be fed up with you.”

  “Promise,” Rav said, strangely serious. His face was sharp and focused.”Promise me, Yasmeen, that we will always be together, no matter what.”

  “I promise,” she answered. “And I promise that I will talk to you more instead of getting angry.”

  “Teach me to deal with these human emotions that I have with you,” Rav said. “You made me insane... I was so jealous, and then so angry that you would return home without me, and then scared that you would not love me. This is too much for a former Varuh, but I love you for this insanity.”

  “And you will teach me to be more patient,” Yasmeen said and smiled. “There is too much of my father in me. My mother must be an angel to love him.” She was drunk with this beautiful love and happiness. It was as if every molecule of her being wanted to ascend and fly, to share her joy with the whole world.

  Felicia organised the wedding within two weeks. The old woman was so devoted to the undertaking that Yasmeen did not bother her and instead took the time to enjoy Rav’s company as much as possible, especially his hot and thirsty kisses. Felicia was so bossy and obsessed with the details and Yasmeen was certain that her wedding would be a beautiful and memorable ceremony. She had no doubts about her decision despite the urgency and her young age. There was this strong feeling inside her that there would never be enough of Rav for her.

  As the day finally came, Yasmeen stood in the middle of her bedroom, smiling at her reflection in the long silver mirror. She twirled, her white wedding gown swishing like spring leaves moved by a soft breeze. She outstretched her arms to admire the widening lace sleeves falling down from her wrists as though she had a pair of angel wings. Her fingers brushed the wild rose flowers pinned into her loose hair and then she slid her hands down the bodice exposing her slender waist. Yasmeen wondered how she would manage to walk as the hem swept the floor even though Felicia had bought her shoes with very high heels.

  Yasmeen turned her head as she heard the door creaking.

  “Rav!” she yelled. “It’s a bad luck. Go away!” She frowned as she caught the train of her gown and approached him, suffocating her urge to kill him. But when she saw his confused face, her whole anger evaporated to be replaced by the warm happiness circling in her veins like sweet nectar. He stood at the doorway, immobilised by her outburst and raised his right hand towards her. “Rav, where did you find this jasmine flower?” Yasmeen asked.

  “It was in the woods, not far from the castle. I thought you would be happy to have one,” he said with uncertainty. “Your name is derived from this plant.”

  “I’m surprised that you found it. The area is too cold for jasmine. And thank you, it’s beautiful. I’ll ask Felicia to pin it in my hair,” Yasmeen said and took the flower from Rav. When her skin came in contact with the plant a strange sensation spread onto her palm and then travelled to her chest like a touch of tickling and forgotten magic. The flower faded and turned into sparkling pink and silver dust incorporating into her skin. Yasmeen rolled her fingers into a fist as the oddness she had been observing burned her skin. She hissed as she opened her hand and froze when her eyes fixed onto a black tattoo marking her palm. A strange image wavered in her mind for a few seconds. She lifted her eyes towards Rav whose expression showed uncertainty tinted with some gloom.

  “What is it?” Yasmeen asked in a quiet voice. “Rav, what is it?” The girl then raised her hand and showed him the tiny representation of the blossom on her palm. “My mother’s freakish family planted it a long time ago. It comes from the place where I was born. And it’s mine...”

  “I don’t know anything,” Rav said. “I just liked the flower and thought you would like it, too. I was not supposed to know anything. I was a soldier meant to serve not to ask questions.” He grabbed her wrist and drew her closer to him, holding her in his warm embrace. “I will protect you Yasmeen. Don’t worry now you will be safe with me.”

  “I know this, Rav,” Yasmeen said and her fingers caressed his cheek. “We will deal with whatever this is, together. Now I will have my wedding and I’m not going to let that stupid flower ruin our big day. Do you like my dress? Ettrian must have paid a lot of money for it. Or maybe he just stole it. Never mind. Do you like it?”

  “It’s very... white,” Rav answered hesitatingly.

  “And?”

  “It’s very... long.”

  Yasmeen felt her cheeks flaming. She did not know whether to murder him or kiss him. As she separated from his protective arms her hands reached out for his, her sharp glance meeting his.

  “I love your eyes,” Rav said as if with the realisation that he had made a mistake. “And I love your lips. I love your hot skin. I would like my aunt Taharial to see how beautiful you are. I love you, Yasmeen.”

  “And I love you, Boy with all my heart,” Felicia said from behind Rav’s back. “But if you don’t leave now I will kill you, I swear.” The woman placed both her hands on his arms, turning him back, her murderous glance pushing him like a real force. “You are worse than your parents, Yasmeen,” the woman muttered as Rav disappeared. “Your dad followed your mum like a shadow, sneaking into her bedroom at every opportunity. He lied to her that I had told him to watch over her. Can you imagine?”

  “Actually, I can. My dad is like a guardian for my mum. I don’t think she would be able to breathe without him,” Yasmeen said. “It’s so sweet, you know, when you look at them. They are inseparable.”

  “Like you and Rav,” Felicia muttered. “My guests asked why there was so much light getting through the chink under the door from Rav’s bedroom every night. It’s blinding. Children... Children... You are adorable.”

  Yasmeen blushed. In fact, every night, she had crept into Rav’s bedroom to fall asleep in his arms. Each time he was more and more confused with her explanations of the humans’ rules yet also happier and happier, beaming with her presence.

  “Nervous?” Felicia asked.

  “Yes, a little,” Yasmeen replied and swam away into the sea of her concerns. In fact, she was scared. However, that was not from the ceremony or the marriage that had kept her mind hyperaware and her heart pounding. She feared her premonitions. Everything that had been happening in her life since the car accident seemed to be designed like a big, unavoidable plan for her. She loved Rav with her whole being but also had the impression that she was meant to love him. And in that moment, she decided that she was the one planning her life, to love her future husband of her free will, to stand up against whatever sinister fate would cross her path. She would fight for her freedom even if it was to fight with her own destiny. “Do you know why Rav wandered into the woods earlier?”

  “The Elves tried to teach him how to be a good husband,” Felicia answered. “But I’m sure they ended up playing cards and drinking the local alcohol.”

  “Yeah, Rav seemed to be a little pale and exhausted,” Yasmeen muttered.

  “Wait a minute, Child. I will make sure the Boy puts proper clothes on. He is totally absent minded without you. I’ll be back in a minute and then we’ll go downstairs to the Great Hall.”

  “Ok, Felicia. I’ll be here,” Yasmeen said and brought her hand closer to her face as the old woman left the bedroom. She observed her tattoo for a while. The flower and the Dimension seemed to belong to her. Whatever could this mean? She hoped that one day she would be able to ask Cherry about it. One day, Yasmeen would also introduce her husband to her parents. For now, she decided to just be happy and enjoy every moment of what was to come.

  Chapter 12

  Yasmeen prepared her bow to shoot the arrow at a green and brown deer-like animal. She jerked her head as she heard the
noise of branch breaking. The animal escaped, scared away.

  Yasmeen shook her head and glanced at a tall and slim teenage girl with long brown hair and big, violet-blue eyes, wearing a black tunic with narrow trousers and knee-high boots.

  “Alyssa, we will be eating veggies for our supper... again,” Yasmeen complained but she was not angry with her daughter at all. She was proud of her and appreciated every second spent with her little girl who would soon be breaking men’s hearts. The hunting was more for entertainment than benefit and Yasmeen enjoyed testing her archery skills which she had mastered for fifteen years now. She would never have suspected that this part of her life in Iioliv was so exciting for her. She had learnt to fish as well but digging and planting trees and bushes for food in their garden were Rav’s duties.

  “Dad only eats fruit and veggies and he is fine. I don’t mind either,” Alyssa said and sent her mum a cheeky smile.

  “You can both be vegetarians for the rest of your life but I like meat,” Yasmeen said and smiled back. She placed her bow on her back. “We should be going back. It will get dark soon.”

  “Saleh’s son will be asking Dad for his permission to marry me,” Alyssa said unexpectedly.

  Yasmeen’s breath stopped in her throat. She started choking and coughing. Tears blinded her eyes for a moment.

  “Over my dead body,” she murmured at last to Alyssa. As the years passed, her daughter seemed to crave for more and more independence and Yasmeen was scared that one day Alyssa would choose an elfish lifestyle. Being an adventurous young woman, her daughter was still obedient and enjoyed their time together. In fact, they had had a lot of fun together, but Alyssa was also becoming more and more like the Elves; mysterious, neutral and magical. Yasmeen wanted her to be like a girl from the world where she had been born, though she appreciated the mutual respect among Elvan parents and their children.