by J. D. Wright
Forever.
~*~
Rhea’s mood was exponentially better for the rest of the day. The next morning, she woke to the sound of someone knocking on her chamber door. Reeve was on the other side.
“Good morning,” he said, smiling. “I hope I didn’t disturb you.”
“No, I was already awake,” she lied.
“Great. I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
Oh, no. Here it comes. He’s changed his mind… she thought.
“The queen is expecting guests and will be needing your chambers free. Today.”
“But where will I stay?”
“Well, my sister and I share a suite on the second floor now. I told the queen that you could stay with us. Or with Gabby, I mean. If that would be acceptable to you?”
“Yes! I mean, I find it acceptable.”
“Good. We’ll just fetch your belongings and take them down.”
“Umm… I actually only have one piece of clothing apart from this one,” she said, touching her nightgown. Other than the short white dress that she had worn each day since leaving Anestas, the nightgown was her only other clothing. She had already snuck the borrowed clothes from the queen back into the wardrobe.
“Is that so? Well, that won’t do. We will need to visit the seamstress, in the village, and have a few gowns made for you.”
“I can’t ask you to do that,” she said, blushing.
“It would be my pleasure. Besides, I have a large sum of prize money from the tournament and have been looking for something meaningful to spend it on. Gabby would certainly appreciate a new gown, as well.” Before she could protest, he added, “We can consider it a thank you gift for saving my life in the valley.”
She couldn’t say no to his gorgeous smile, so she nodded.
“Fantastic. I will secure a coach to take the three of us into the village after breakfast.” Before she could change her mind, he turned and walked down the hallway.
Rhea closed the door behind her and leaned against it. She wasn’t sure what just happened. However, being closer to him would make her plan much easier. She smiled and hurried to change into her dress. Breakfast and her future were waiting downstairs.
~*~
“I can walk on my own, Dagan.”
He kept his arm around her waist so she swatted it away.
“Are you sure? It hasn’t even been an entire day since you performed the single largest piece of magic that I have ever seen. Not to mention the toll that removing Rhea’s collar took on you, yesterday. Are you hungry? I can get you some more food. You only had two plates at breakfast.” Sidonie refused, but he ignored her and called out to a kitchen maid who was sweeping the floor.
Finnley spotted them as he entered the hall.
“I think you may want to come into the courtyard. There’s something you should see,” he said.
Sidonie swatted Dagan’s hand away, again, and they followed Finn outside. She was surprised to see what looked like a group of fairies standing in the middle of the courtyard. When they saw her approaching, one of the fairies with long dark hair and a blue dress stepped forward.
“You must be the Elder Mage,” she said, looking Sidonie up and down.
“How could you tell?” Sidonie asked. Standing next to the flawless fairies, she suddenly felt frumpy in her dress. There were at least a dozen fairies, all tall and curvy with long hair in every shade. Each was wearing a short dress in bright colors with flowers sewn into them in varied designs, unlike Rhea’s dress which was always white. She noticed Dagan and Finn were ogling the women. They quickly looked away when they realized she had caught them. Sid shook her head. Men are predictable.
“I can sense your magic,” she replied. “We request an audience with Queen Breestlin. We’ve come to assist her kingdom.”
Sidonie gathered that they must be there to help with the aftermath of the wildfire, but she didn’t understand why. According to Rhea, the fae had outright refused to aid Junacave or anyone else. However, she nodded and sent Finnley to find Bree. Then Sidonie escorted the fairies inside.
Bree was on her way to the hall with Rowan when Finn found her. She thought he was joking when he said that there was a group of fairies in her castle. She poked her head around the doorway and sure enough, there were fairies standing in front of her throne.
“Rowan, you should probably stay hidden until they leave,” she said, pulling her head back into the hallway. “If they see you and realize that Reeve isn’t you, who knows what they will do to him. Or you…”
Bree stepped into the hall and greeted the fairies. Raven introduced herself and was the only fairy to come forward and speak.
“I’m surprised to see you here,” Bree said. “But very pleased nonetheless. We certainly appreciate the assistance from Queen Viola.”
“Unfortunately, we aren’t here on behalf of Queen Viola.”
“Oh?”
“The queen does not wish to offer assistance. We have come on our own. And we would appreciate your discretion. We only have until dusk before we must return to Anestas. We cannot aid the other two kingdoms.”
“Why have you chosen to help Junacave?” Sidonie asked.
“We each have our own reasons, I suppose. However, I will not lie. The simple fact that you, Elder Mage, are a woman and not a man is enough reason for me.”
“I wish other wizards felt the same as you do.”
“Wizards fear what they cannot control. You, Elder Mage, will never be safe in the realm. The last sorceress left a stain on the history of magic in Everealm. You would be wise to avoid making the same mistake.”
Sidonie nodded. She wondered if they knew that the last sorceress was her mother, if they would still choose to trust her. She highly doubted it.
She led the fairies to the southern wall and watched as they spread out over the ground to work their magic. One fairy with bright red hair began to hum a slow tune. Then another fairy started to sing. Then another. Soon, every fairy had joined in, creating a lovely melody in a language that she didn’t recognize.
“It’s the language of the fae,” Rhea said, walking up beside her. “The oldest language known to the realm. It is of the land, which is why it is able to heal the land. Even from magic.”
Sidonie smiled and closed her eyes. The song was beautiful and she could feel her magic calming. It was similar to a terra circle but more relaxing than energizing. She almost felt sleepy.
Raven stopped singing when she spotted Rhea and walked over to her. Another fairy, with blonde hair like Rhea’s, followed her.
“What in the realm are you wearing?” exclaimed the blonde fairy.
“It’s good to see you, too, Twila,” Rhea said, forcing a smile. Her gowns that the seamstress was making for her wouldn’t be ready for several days. However, the lady was kind enough to give Rhea a beautiful yellow dress that she had already made for her own daughter. Apparently, her daughter hated the color and refused to wear it, so the lady offered it to Rhea. The hem had to be let down a bit because Rhea was taller but other than that it fit perfectly. The color may have been a brighter yellow than she would have preferred, but Gabby loved it and declared that she couldn’t wait to wear it when she got old enough. The thought that Rhea might still be around when Gabby was old enough to borrow the dress was a small ray of hope that she clung to.
“The color looks good on you,” Raven said.
“Oh, Raven,” Twila said. “Don’t lie to the poor thing. Yellow really isn’t her color.”
“I think she looks radiant,” Reeve said, walking up from behind them. “Like a ray of sunlight.”
Sidonie had to pretend to cough to muffle the laugh that escaped when she saw Twila’s expression. The fairy was embarrassed. Her face was turning as pink as her dress. Reeve didn’t notice the other two fairies because he was fixated on only one. Walking up to them at that moment had been a coincidence, but seeing the way that Rhea seemed
to shrink in the presence of the blonde fairy was enough to make his blood boil. Rhea was by far the bravest of them all. When Rowan came to ask for assistance with the pixies, it was Rhea, alone, who volunteered to help.
“I was just returning the horses to the stables and wanted to know if you would like to go riding with me later? You can ride Starlight again. I won’t tell Gabby,” he said, smiling at her.
She lost all ability to think. Or to speak. Or to breathe, really. She was certain that he was only asking her this because the other fairies were there, but she couldn’t tell her heart that.
“Of course, she would love to go riding later!” Sidonie interjected, seeing that Rhea was unable to move.
Reeve stepped closer to Rhea, bent his head down, and whispered in her ear.
“Meet me in the stables once they leave. And you look gorgeous in that gown.”
He lingered for a moment, which made her heart flutter when she felt his breath on her neck. He gently kissed her cheek then he pulled back and walked away.
Rhea didn’t even realize she had her eyes closed until she opened them to find Raven and Twila gaping at her. Even Sidonie was unable to hide her surprise. She wasn’t aware that the two of them were actually falling for each other. It seems Bree’s plan had worked much better than could be expected.
“I thought that entire story in Anestas was just a show,” Raven said. “To save the man. I didn’t think you actually meant it.”
“I think I am in love…” Twila said, sighing. “Does he have a brother?”
Rhea quickly glanced at Sidonie, who opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Thankfully, Twila and Raven were too busy to notice, gushing over how incredibly romantic Rhea’s new husband was and how much they wanted to have one of their own.
Dagan watched from the balcony with Rowan, who was stitching up a gash on his arm.
“You do know that I can heal that for you, right?” Dagan asked.
“I do.”
“Then why don’t you ask me to? Look, it’s simple. Just say, ‘Dagan, heal my arm.’ It’s that easy.”
“I’ve seen enough magic recently to last me a lifetime. So I think I will pass.”
“Suit yourself. But when that cut turns green, don’t come crying for my help.”
“I won’t,” Rowan said, smirking. “I’ll go to Sidonie.”
Dagan scowled. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, I would,” he said, laughing. “Besides, she’s more powerful than you are, anyway.”
Dagan looked off in the distance to where Sidonie was standing. Rowan wasn’t wrong. Sidonie was definitely more powerful, but she was also much more dangerous. Seeing her last night was terrifying. The intense lifelessness in her eyes made his skin crawl. He thought he had lost her. It just proved how easily she could be consumed by the darkness in her magic. The darkness that would never go away. He already had to protect her from the many wizards in the realm who would certainly try to kill her if given the chance. But now he also had to protect her from herself.
~*~
Rhea looked into the stables and didn’t see anyone. She immediately felt foolish for thinking that Reeve actually meant to take her riding with him. He was only playing his part because the fae were there. Perhaps, she could sneak into the hall before anyone would notice that she had gone. Then she wouldn’t look so ridiculous for coming to the stables.
A noise caught her attention from a few stalls over. When she got closer, she heard Reeve talking. To whom, she wasn’t sure. Peeking into the stall, she saw that he was alone and talking to his horse. She chuckled, surprising him.
“That is the second time you’ve snuck up on me and startled me half to death,” he said, laughing. “Perhaps, I should tie a bell around your neck.”
He knew his mistake the moment he finished saying it. Her face drained of color and light and she looked every bit as awful as he felt for saying something so careless. He knew she had just gotten her collar removed that morning. And from his discussion with Rowan, he also knew how much she hated the damn thing. It was a constant reminder of what happened to her. He was such a stupendous idiot to suggest putting something around her neck.
He couldn’t even get an apology from his lips before she ran. He tripped over a feed bucket trying to get out of the stall, stubbing his foot on the stall door. But despite the pain, he chased after her. He caught up with her at the end of the stables and only because she was crying so hard that she couldn’t breathe steadily enough to continue running.
“Don’t touch me!” she shouted, sensing him approaching. “This was a mistake. I never should have let myself trust you.” Her mind kept flashing back to the time spent with the thieves and it terrified her.
“Rhea, please. Let me explain,” he pleaded, moving in front of her in hopes that she would look at him. But when he tried to get closer, she jumped away. Even in the gown, she was very light on her feet. He backed off, afraid that he might scare her even more if he didn’t.
Seeing that he was no longer blocking the way out, Rhea ran past him and didn’t stop until she got to the gardens. She found a tree and climbed up into it, gown and all. There, on a large branch, she hid until the sun finished setting. Then she cried herself to sleep.
Chapter Twenty
The wardrobe was full of women and girls. The seamstress had brought two assistants with her this year to fit the queen and her companions for gowns for the Winter Ball. Bree couldn’t believe that the Harvest Festival was already upon them. Several months had passed since the wildfire and thanks to assistance from the fae who healed the farmland to the south, the fall crops were plentiful. When winter came in two short months, the kingdom would have enough food in reserves to survive it.
Cicilly sat beside Sarita, waiting their turn. To thank Rhea for helping with the pixies and the wildfire, Bree offered to gift her a gown for the ball. Rhea insisted that she would only accept if Gabrielle also received one. So the two of them were being measured first.
“I get to choose the color, right?” Gabby asked, looking down at the woman measuring her waist. “Because I don’t really like light colors. I like colors that are really bright.”
“A girl after my own heart,” Celeste said, stepping inside. She had arrived just in time it seemed.
“And what marvelous color will you be wearing this year, Aunt Celeste?” Bree asked.
“I haven’t really decided. I may shock everyone and stick with something simple…”
Bree snorted, accidentally. She didn’t believe for a moment that Celeste would wear anything that wasn’t extravagant. It just wasn’t her style.
“And what color would you like, my dear?” the seamstress asked Rhea.
“Umm… I mostly only wear white. So white, I guess,” she replied.
“I think white would be lovely, but maybe we can find a way to make it more… fairy-like,” Bree said, certain that fairy-like wasn’t a word, but it seemed to fit.
“What do you have in mind?”
“Well, the other fairies were all wearing flowers, sewn in different patterns. Maybe we could add some flowers. Sarita, what kind of flowers did you wear last year?”
“I don’t remember, but they were white.”
“Hmm… white flowers won’t do. Perhaps, we could find some lovely pink ones.”
“If you can’t find pink flowers, we can use white ones and I can change the color,” Sidonie added.
“That should work,” Bree said. “Sidonie, it’s your turn.”
“Actually, I think I’ll wait. Adelphie should be here tomorrow. I think I might go into the village and get fitted with her.”
“As you wish.”
“What about you, Bree?” Sidonie asked. “Planning to surprise us all, again?”
“I actually only want to surprise one person,” she said, smiling. “Rowan prefers me in green. He says it matches my eyes. But just for good measure, I think we should add som
e gold in there, too.”
~*~
Finn was waiting at the gate when Adelphie arrived. She rode up on her horse and dismounted. He didn’t even try to help her down, knowing she would balk at him if he tried. He walked up closer to her and stopped. She looked at him and didn’t speak. After what seemed like several moments, they practically jumped into each other’s arms. The anticipation of seeing him again had built so intensely that she couldn’t wait to be with him. To have him hold her as only he could. Their kisses were long and deep and entirely inappropriate for the courtyard in the middle of the day. Being apart from each other had affected the both of them.
“We have a carriage,” he said between kisses. “Your sister will be a while longer, so we should go ahead without her.”
Adelphie’s eyes rolled up to meet his. She had a naughty grin on her face as she reached up and ran her hand through his thick red hair.
“So… we have the carriage all to ourselves, then?”
“Yes, we… Oh…” he said, understanding her suggestion. He took her hand and led her over to the carriage. He instructed the driver to take them to the village and held the door open for her. Last year, Finn holding the door open was one of the many things that angered Adelphie about him. This time, however, she found everything he did to be insanely arousing.
The moment the carriage door was closed behind them, they pounced on each other. This time, there was no taking their time. There was no saying, ‘please’, or any other words that made sense. Only the intense need to be with each other. The longing from being apart for months was torturous for both of them. Adelphie climbed onto Finn’s lap and stripped off her tight leather top. At once, her breasts were in his face and his hands were on her hips, pulling her animal hide skirt up so that he could enter her. It was almost a race to see who could finish first as she held his shoulders and rode him much faster than she intended to.
But she couldn’t stop. And she didn’t want to. He may have been gentle with her for their first time, but this time it was her turn to show him how a Sabra makes love. The air in the carriage was hot and thick. Adelphie hated to think what the poor driver was thinking at that moment with the carriage bouncing around.