by Tarisa Marie
“So when you say that you were made 300 fae years ago. That means you have been alive for like…98 human years in fae but 1500 human years have passed on earth?” I ask not sure about my math or my logic.
“Yes, that’s correct. I’m just a young buck.” He teases.
“Yeah…right. That’s completely insane.”
“Technically though I’ve spent many complete years on earth so I’m a lot older than 98 years old.”
I laugh even though nothing is funny and I’m just trying to make logic out of something that has no logic.
“So in Andaglon my parents have on been dead for like four and a half fae years and almost a year and a half in human years in Andaglon?”
“Yes.” He says flatly.
“That is so confusing. So I could live for 50 years in the human world then come here and only like 10 fae years would’ve passed or just over three human years in Andaglon?” I groan.
“Yes, still right. See you get it.” He praises.
“Yeah I get it but I don’t get it. I don’t understand how it works.”
“Don’t think too hard about it.” He laughs and takes the kitten from my hand and placing it back with its family.
“Okay, I have one more question.” I cave thinking of another. “Why do some fae look weird and others not?” I ask not sure how to ask it without sounding rude.
“We all look weird.”
“I don’t look weird.” I argue.
He begins laughing. “In the human world you look human, everyone does because the entire planet is warded with a glamour that disguises the fae. It’s an illusion. You know how I said that if anyone who didn’t create the ward knows a ward is there, it shatters? This one is so strong that it doesn’t because it was created by millions of fae together to protect our presence from the humans. If you know the ward exists, then you can see through it but it doesn’t break.”
“I don’t look weird, you don’t either and we’re in Andaglon where there is no ward.” I argue again.
He sighs. “It’s because I am glamouring myself. You aren’t yet able to willingly see through glamour. I am tricking you into seeing what you see.”
I look at him harder trying to break through it. “Drop it. I can handle it.” I say demandingly.
He immediately does. I feel it fall and suddenly I’m staring at what appears to be…a god? An angel? His hair isn’t just blonde anymore it shines and radiates. His body isn’t just perfect it’s perfect. But it’s all from his essence, not his body. He doesn’t look any different than normal besides the fact that he’s even hotter, who knew that could happen? Then I see it. Just one small difference physically that would make him stand out from any human minus his explosive sex appeal, his ears, they’re pointy. Yes, like an elf. I’m too shocked to laugh although I’m tempted to ask him if he’s lost and needs directions to the North Pole.
“Jesus.” I mouth and he grins. Then he turns it off and he’s back to normal minus the ears.
“Why don’t you just walk around like that here? Why hide yourself?” I ask him.
“It’s clear you’re already pretty weirded out by all of this. I don’t want to push you over the edge.” He jokes. “I’m masking yours too, have been since the day I found you. Unfortunately I can’t stop masking your essence or magic or everyone will know you’re alive. One day you can see what you really look like, for now I can only show you how look physically.”
Suddenly there is a mirror in his hand and he’s handing it to me. I take it hastily and nervously look into it. I look the same, almost minus…the ears. God, I’m an elf too? I almost laugh with disgust but then remember Annabelle. I’d rather have pointy ears than be a foot tall. Maybe I didn’t get the short end of the stick after all.
“We look like elves.” I say incredulously.
He snorts with laughter. “I suppose so. We’re even short.” He jokes.
I never really realized it before but yes, we are both fairly short.
Then the old woman Lenaya comes around the corner of the house.
“I haven’t seen you smile in far too long, Damon.” She approves calling out to Damon.
“I haven’t had a reason to smile in a long time.” He replies to her.
“I know, dear. Lunch is ready, you two, when you’re ready of course. Annabelle has made us quite the meal.”
The lady turns and continues back the way she came. Damon grabs my elbow and tows me with him towards the house.
When we get into the house the smell of…well I’m not sure what fills the small area. It smells good, that much is clear, I just can’t place the scent.
“Wild Ghung and for you, princess, I got my hands on some chicken from the market this morning when I heard you was coming.” The Brownie exclaims while pointing us to the table.
“Were, Annabelle, it’s were, not was.” Lenaya scolds the brownie.
“Oops! Sorry, my English isn’t perfect. Forgive me my king and princess.” She apologizes. The whole princess thing is getting so old.
“Lenaya teaches English to fae as her job. It’s a requirement by law to be able to speak English because it is the second language of the fae and spoken quite often here. Most fae are taught as they grow up. It’s something that they learn as they grow.” Damon explains.
“But I never had the chance to learn it because my parents didn’t speak it, they always stuck to the old ways and I never had to know it because I lived in the Amber Evers where laws aren’t enforced. Until Lenaya took me in after my parents were killed and gave me a job. Then I had to learn so that I could do errands in the Kingdom for her without getting persecuted. I have trouble sometimes but I speak it a lot better than lots of fae can. So I’m sorry if I say something wrong, princess.”
“I think you speak it better than I do.” I reassure her.
“Technically I’ve been speaking it for longer than you have in your most recent life, princess.” She says.
Our conversation is interrupted as Lenaya takes her seat at the table and Annabelle jumps atop it and rushes around in circles dishing everyone up with food.
“Thank you.” I tell her. “I could’ve gotten it myself.”
“Not a problem, princess. I don’t get to stay here for free, I’m the hired help you know.” She says. Damon eyes me as she calls me princess. I’m sure he’s waiting for me to snap like I did at him when I told him that I didn’t want to be called princess.
“Call me Laytah, Annabelle, please.” I ask her sweetly.
“Oh but I must call you princess, you’re royalty dear, it would be disrespectful.” She chimes.
“Please. Lenaya calls King Damon Damon, please call me Laytah. Both of you.” I explain.
“Okay, if that is an order.” The Brownie calls out across the table to me.
“It’s not an order. Just call me whatever you want.” I decide.
“Is that an order?” Annabelle calls out again.
“Uh…never mind.” I say and end the subject.
“Okay, princess.” The brownie chimes and then disappears out of the room.
“Where’d she go?” I ask confused. Isn’t she hungry?
Lenaya shrugs. “Out to finish her chores I assume. Brownies don’t eat. Neither do fae like Damon but he still always sits down for a meal with me. Kind fellow. Don’t mind Annabelle, Brownies aren’t the smartest of the fae but they are the most loyal.”
We eat in silence for a moment and I’m surprised to discover that not only is the chicken good but whatever else that was put on my plate is as well. It looks to me as though it’s some sort of mushed berries. Just as we’re finishing our meal Damon and Lenaya may make stern eye contact and then Lenaya nods to her right. Damon nods and stands from his seat motioning for me to be quiet.
“What?” I ask as quietly as I can.
“Someone’s here. Broke right through the wards. Don’t say a word. I’ll be right back.” He whispers into my ear and then he disappears out of the room silently and
I’m left staring at Lenaya who is finishing the last bite off her plate.
“Oh where is that damn Brownie?” She asks. “Annabelle! We’re finished!” She shouts and I wince. Aren’t we supposed to be quiet? Or did he just mean me?
The Brownie finally enters the room, her eyes wide with shock.
“What is it?” Lenaya asks immediately.
“King Blahyne Shafkov of the dark fae is here, my lady.” The petite woman announces quietly. Dark fae?
“Is that the same as the Emerald Court?” I whisper against Damon’s wishes.
“No. The dark fae are a Kingdom of fae rebels who wish not to follow the rules. Many years ago there were five Courts, not four. The fifth was called the Opal Court. Full of misfits and exiles it had no ruler. Then Prince Blahyne of the Sapphire Court rebelled against Damon’s orders and was exiled to Opal. He very quickly worked his way up to become the leader as he was the first prince to ever be exiled in history. He was powerful and easily became king of the Opal Court which from there only seemed to cause mischief. I’d say he’s almost as merciless as your uncle Jadorn.” She explains. “It was a shock to the whole fae world because he was King Damon’s right hand man as well as his closest friend.”
“What did he do to disobey orders?” I ask wondering what could be so bad.
“He seduced King Damon’s wife. Then took her with him to the Opal Court.” She answers eyeing me.
“Me?!” I exclaim quietly.
“Who else? You stayed with him for an entire year and then he erased all memories of himself from your mind and then you returned to Damon in a daze and not remembering anything. I can only guess that he was trying to get information from you. Whether or not he got it, is beyond me or yourself obviously.” Lenaya tells.
“So I willingly left Damon for this Blahyne?” I ask confused. I was under the impression that I was freakishly head over heels in love with Damon.
“Yes as far as I know, I was there when you left with him. But do not tell Damon that I told you any of this, young girl. He will not be happy with me. He will not like you having a sliver of doubt about your relationship.” She says quietly. “Quite a fight is breaking out outside. I wonder what he wants.” She murmurs opening the blinds and shaking her head at them.
“The King has come alone, how strange.” The Brownie mutters to herself.
As the two of them are gawking out the blinds at the two boys I decide to go out there myself. I mean if this King Blahyne was going to kill me don’t you think he would’ve while I was in his Kingdom for a year? Maybe I’m just an idiot, I don’t know. The girls are too busy with snooping that they don’t even hear me slip away, if they did, I’m sure they would’ve stopped me.
I open the front door and slip out. I meet the deep brown eyes of Blahyne and my gut drops. His hair is even darker than his eyes and blows lightly in the slight wind. When I come out of the house he stares at me and smiles appreciatively. Wait, I’m supposed to be dead…maybe coming outside wasn’t such a good idea. Duh, Laytah, you idiot.
I never thought that it was possible for someone to be as gorgeous as Damon but I think Damon met his match in the field.
“Queen,” he says softly with a slight bow.
“Princess. She doesn’t remember being married to me.” Damon corrects and turns, his back no longer facing me and scowls at me. “Get back into the house.” He demands.
“No.” I says sternly.
“Ah…She hasn’t her memories does she? Now you know how it feels for someone to be in love with you but not remember. Or wait, was she ever in love with you?” The black-haired man mocks rudely.
“She doesn’t even know who you are. She’s not just going to walk away from me and walk into the forest with a stranger.” Damon says through clenched teeth.
“Oh, Damon…” He laughs.
Damon’s sword is quickly drawn and Blahyne follows his lead removing his as well.
“Touch her and die.” Damon scowls.
“Laytah dear, I brought this for you.” Blahyne says softly and throws me a small velvet bag. I catch it instinctively.
“Don’t open it!” Damon cries furiously. “It could be poisoned.”
“It’s not. You have my word, princess.” He promises.
I debate whether or not I should open it. If Lenaya hadn’t told me that I’d possibly once loved this Blahyne, there’s no way that I’d have opened it, but she did. Desperate for answers about my old life and curious as to what could possibly be in this bag, I slide the object from the pouch. It’s a…Opal? I stare at it blankly. He’s brought me a gift? Then my head explodes with pain and I crumple to the ground clutching it. The pain fills my vision and I’m suddenly no longer in Lenaya’s front yard. I am in a room with…Blahyne? He’s cooking me…eggs? The smell is overwhelming, I’m starving. But that doesn’t make sense because I just ate, didn’t I? It takes me a minute to realize that this a memory. I am inside of a memory. The man soon sets a plate on the table in front of me and kisses my cheek softly.
“I didn’t know you could cook.” I state with a genuine smile.
He smirks. “I have servants to cook for the Kingdom. I do not cook often.” He’s silent as he traces the lines of my free palm with his finger. “The arrangements are all finally made. Our wedding is tomorrow at dawn.”
A wicked smile takes over my face and I lean in and kiss him on the lips.
“Excited?” He asks and brings my hand to his lips to lay a kiss on it.
“Of course. Trudee, the one who will marry us tomorrow, is coming this afternoon to end my marriage with King Damon. Then we will be free to move forward tomorrow.” I say excitedly and I feel the love I have for him. I’m nearly knocked over by it.
He grins. “I’m happy to hear that.”
The memory then disappears and I find myself standing at the end of a wedding isle with Blahyne across from me. We marry.
Then this memory fades as well and I stand in front of a small pond in my wedding dress staring into it at myself. A short man walks up behind me and grabs my hand murmuring something that I don’t understand. And then, I’m no longer in a dress but in a light night gown and I’m running for my life towards the Sapphire Kingdom. Not from the small man, but from my captor. I don’t remember how I ended up in the Opal Court. I run for my life.
Suddenly, I’m back in the yard belonging to Lenaya, clutching my head and screaming. Damon stares at me, eyes wide. Blahyne stares at me, his eyes filled with what I now recognize as…love? Is it possible that both of these men love me?
I’ve seen the love Damon has for me in his stares, haven’t I? And I’ve now seen the love that Blahyne holds for me too in his own stares. That is, if you can see love. I’ve never been in love, at least not in this life so can I possibly know that either of these men love me just from a mere look each has given me? No. I am not that naive. Believing that would make me a fool. Just because they’ve said they me, does not mean that either does.
Blahyne quickly masks his expression as Damon turns to him sneering. “What was that?” He demands.
“It’s some of the memories of me that you stole from her.” Blahyne answers grimly. “She now knows that she is no longer married to you. The night you sent to have someone take her memories, we wed. She is not married to you no longer, but to me, dear friend.” Blahyne scowls, enraged. “And for all these years, I’ve thought she ran away from me because she second guessed our love. Then I found these, and many more I might mention, when I stormed King David Barthelow’s home. You stole them, you and that Emerald King.” He says to Damon skeptic ally with disgust.
“I never stole a single memory from her mind. She came running back to me in the middle of the night without memory of where she’d been the last year.” Damon shouts. “You kidnapped my wife!” He launches into fight with Blahyne.
“Stop!” I cry angrily.
They don’t listen. “I never stole her. You know that! You were there that day that she chose me over you
.”
Damon looks back at me for a moment, just long enough for Blahyne to pin him to the ground and throw his sword over his throat.
“Stop!” I cry again.
“I will not kill him, though I should. You would’ve if you’d had the chance back then. When you found out that he’d been helping your uncle kill your family all along.” Blahyne laughs without humor.
I don’t know what to say as shock fills my veins. What? Could that be true? No. Not Damon, the man who’s been nothing but kind to me the last few days. That’s just it though isn’t it? I’ve only know him for mere days. How can I possibly trust him as much I feel I should after only knowing him days. Come on, Laytah, you idiot, you shouldn’t trust either of these men. For all you know, that Opal was some sort of magical scam full of fake memories. Both of these men could be lying through their teeth.
“Come with me, my queen, and I will return the rest of your memories. The memory of this murderer killing your family in cold blood. The memory of you holding them down while Jadorn stabbed them with the sword? I bet it’s not in this necklace you have here in your pocket full of memories you plan on giving her. You know why? Because I found them with all of the memories of me, the memories that you didn’t want her to ever have again, the memories I found in David Barthelow’s house. It was with all the ones you chose not to give her back. To be blatantly bold, you Damon, are a complete asshole.” He laughs an angry laugh and pulls the sapphire that Damon had shown me the first day I met him out from his pocket and smashes it against a rock. Then he presses his sword tightly against Damon’s throat making him groan.
“You stole my wife from me before we’d even been married a day!” Blahyne shouts at Damon.
Damon groans. “You stole her, my wife, from me.”
“She left you willingly, Damon. You killed her family. You even killed her multiple times!” Blahyne argues. “You’ve been on this insane power trip for too long. It’s gone too far. Have you not realized as much? The love of your life left you. I, your best friend, hate you. Everyone besides Jadorn hates you. But you don’t care, do you? All you care about is the power.” Blahyne scorns.