by T. R. Reilly
"Is this what you meant?" She asked, showing Ash the pretty amulet. As she held it aloft, it began to glow with an unearthly light. "Hm, it didn't do that before," she mused. Ash's eyes grew wider as he reached out to touch the amulet with one hand. Then picking it up, he held it for a second then moved around behind her saying, "You must put it on and always keep it with you now. Don't remove it once we are back home, but try to keep it out of view for now. When Ash stepped back in front of her, Leanna noticed the gold leaf hanging at his neck had also begun to glow intensely.
"Why can't I take it off?"
"Because it's linked to your aura and is YOUR amulet. It means you are the only person that can wear it. If anyone else tries to wear it, the stone will blacken and the life force of the wearer will diminish."
"Okay,so..." she checked that the stone was still glowing green and laughed, "guess I'm okay then?" Looking at Ash's glowing leaf pendant and then to his face, she asked, "why has your pendant started glowing as well?"
Ash smiled, "We all wear special amulets in our realm, not just in Burana...but the entire Fae realm. Mine begun to glow because I am a special kind of knight, it is acknowledging that I have found you, the Fae I am born to protect." Ash began to look uncomfortable, "did you pack everything you need?" he nodded to the small knapsack she carried.
"Well you told me to pack light, so I have. I think I have a few of the most important things. This all feels so strange,to be leaving the only place I have ever called home." Leanna frowned and looked around the room. "I have always been an outdoor girl, so I don't really have any strong attachment to things. I tried to grab items that would help me remember my mom and dad, I hope that's okay?"
"Of course it is. I'm sorry it has to be this way, but I think you will be happy in Burana. I know that I will be happy to have you there with me...us" Ash smiled and moved toward the door.
"Wait...you said I could ask you a few questions," Leanna stayed where she was and stared at Ash. She imagined what it would be like to run her fingers through his nearly shoulder length blond hair, wishing she could have just a few more minutes with this dream man, in private. Ash smiled and wiped at his mouth with his hand, while Leanna suddenly felt embarrassed.
"What did you want to ask me?" he dropped his hand to his side.
"Do I have family in Burana? Are there people there that will want to see me?"
"Yes, you have family...an uncle. There are many others who know of you and will be happy you're there as well"
"I have an uncle?" her face lit up.
"But he isn't that great, I will warn you now."
"Oh?"
"Is there anything else you want to know?" Ash's face showed some impatience and Leanna could feel it radiating off of him.
"No, it's okay. I guess it can wait" Leanna looked disappointed, but feared she might scare him off with too many questions. "Well, if you are ready Milady... Er, Leanna, we should get going, it's night in our realm and we must arrive back there under cover of darkness." He smiled and bowed his head slightly. Leanna nodded and took one last look around the house. There wasn't anyone she could call, or any pets to worry about. There weren't even any plants that needed to be watered, since she mostly spent her time working, or being outside. Her life here was finally done and she could move along knowing she wasn't leaving anyone behind. Letting out a long breath that she didn't realize she was holding, she turned to Ash, who opened the door and escorted her out.
Once they made their way back down the path into the woods, they both stood in front of the faerie circle, silent.
Turning to Ash, "So this is how we get to Burana? Through the faerie circle?" she asked.
"Yes, but it might be a bit unsettling for you, since you've never jumped realms before as an adult. You were carried here when you arrived originally." He reached out his hand to Leanna and she took it. Ash gave her hand a gentle squeeze as they both turned to face the circle. Leanna took a couple of steps inside the circle alongside Ash, still holding his hand, when she suddenly felt a little lightheaded. The ground began to move under her feet and she saw the forest outside the circle begin to change. Looking over at Ash she smiled weakly, wondering what would happen next. He looked back at her, smiling reassuringly. Stepping further into the circle, she began to feel nauseated as the trees and forest began to move more quickly, spinning round outside the circle, causing her to feel off balance. As a heavy desire to sleep came over her, Leanna felt herself being lifted into Ash's arms, as her world faded to black.
The sound of birds outside the open window and the fragrance of jasmine flowers filled Leanna's senses and roused her from her slumber. She expected to wake in her own bed, but when she opened her eyes and saw a room she'd never seen before, she jolted upright. Slowly, she remembered the night before and the journey through the circle. She'd almost immediately fallen asleep in Ash's arms, as though she was under a spell of some kind. She remembered hearing a female voice speaking with Ash at some point, as she drifted in and out of consciousness. She could not recall any of the conversation she'd heard, or what had happened when they arrived. Rubbing her eyes to wake herself up, she pushed the covers back and looked down at her body. She was wearing a light cotton night gown with delicate lace around the scooped neck and arms, I don't remember changing my clothes, she thought to herself and then felt herself blush, wondering if Ash had put the nightgown on her. She swung her legs around and dangled them off the side of the bed, taking in it's magnificence. The bed was a large comfy four poster type, with images of vines and flowers carved into the headboard and the vertical columns, that rose up off the four corners of it. The wall on the left side of the bed had a large open window with organza type curtains, that moved gently in the warm breeze. The walls of the room were a pale gray stone. The smooth stone floors had a dark green colored rug covering the floor next to the bed. Across from where Leanna sat, was a large armchair covered in green satin fabric. The furnishings were sparse, with a small dresser, a wardrobe and an arched wooden door. Which she assumed would lead out of the room. She stood then and began to take a step toward the door when it opened. Ash peered in, keeping his eyes slightly averted to the ground. "Glad to see you are up, Can I get you some food?"
"Ash!" Leanna fought the urge to run into his arms. "I'm sorry I've slept so long. What happened? The last thing I remember is stepping into the circle and getting dizzy..."
Ash stepped in to the room and closed the door quietly. Smiling, he approached Leanna, "I thought you were going to pass out and I knew you might have a hard time keeping your balance going through the portal, so I picked you up, do you remember that?"
"Yes...sort of" Leanna's cheeks went pink, "why did I fall asleep for so long?"
"I wanted you to have an easy journey, it can be a little jarring when you're not used to it. So...I helped you sleep"
"You mean like a spell?" she asked, fascinated with the idea that he could do that.
"Yes. I only meant for it to help you though. I would never..." his voice trailed off and he looked in to Leanna's eyes.
She felt his sincerity and quickly put a hand on his muscular forearm. "It's okay, I'm glad you did. I felt pretty awful when we first entered the circle and activated the portal. I'm not worried that you will hurt me, Ash" she looked away, a little surprised that she had been so forward. Looking back, she noticed he was still gazing at her and she added, "I thought maybe I was dreaming but, clearly I'm really here...in..." she paused, forgetting the name.
"Burana, Milady"
"Right, Burana... and why do you keep calling me that? my name is Leanna!" she giggled and rubbed his arm, before returning to sit back down on the side of the bed again.
"I'm sorry...Leanna" he bowed his head again as he said her name. She couldn't help but notice how lovingly he spoke her name. It made her feel like he actually cared about her, cared what happened to her. Her eyes suddenly went wide when she heard in her mind, Ash's voice say, "I do care"
"What?"
she blurted.
"You heard that?" Ash said out loud, looking a little surprised.
"Yes, was I hearing your thoughts just then?"
Ash nodded and glanced away over Leanna's shoulder. After an awkward silence, Leanna spoke,"Everything feels so different Ash. My senses and feelings, they feel stronger"
"You will feel more here, this is your true home, where you are meant to be. Soon you will learn why, but first, you must be hungry?"
Leanna touched her stomach, suddenly realizing she was feeling quite hungry. Her eyes moved down to her growling tummy, falling across her chest, when she noticed that the night gown she was wearing was very 'transparent'. Blushing, she grabbed her nightgown with both hands and pulled it away from her body holding it out and looking down at it. She wasn't wearing any undergarments and suddenly felt a little self conscious. "Who changed my clothing?" she asked. Ash moved his gaze back toward Leanna briefly and then to the floor. "My mother dressed you when we arrived last night. Your clothing from the human realm isn't going to be safe to wear here. You don't want to draw attention right now. There are clothes in one of the drawers for you," he pointed to the dresser at the end of the bed. "I will fill you in if you promise to eat something?" He gave her a playful, pleading look. As she sat on the bed and folded her arms over her breasts, she said, "Uh-um, yes I could eat. Do you have toast?"
Ash nodded with a smile and a wink, then left the room, closing the door behind him.
Leanna took this time to search the dresser drawer for something else to wear. "Jackpot!" she said to herself as she found something that resembled shorts or underwear. Then next to that, folded neatly was a beautiful blue and white fabric. She pulled it from the drawer and opened it up to reveal a pretty dress. "Not bad" she said to herself as she quickly pulled on the shorts under her nightgown. Then glancing quickly toward the door to make sure it was safe, she pulled off the nightgown and just as quickly pulled the long dress over her head. It fell delicately over her small milky shoulders and landed around her feet. The embroidered neckline and sleeves were beautifully hand done and she could tell that the fabric was unlike anything she had felt or seen before. It appeared to offer her the coverage she wanted, rather than the very revealing night gown. She looked to the corner of the room, where she now noticed a full length floor mirror. Moving to stand in front of it she noticed how messy her hair was. She tried her best to straighten it up using her fingers, then remembered she'd brought a few toiletries with her. Finding her brush, she pulled her hair up into a pony tail, tying it with a hair tie that she had also brought with her. "No point in hiding my ears anymore," she thought. She wanted to make a good impression on Ash, seeing that he looked like perfection itself. She smiled as she thought of his full lips that sat in a slight pout when he wasn't smiling. She loved the sexy cleft in his chin and his strong jawline, that shifted slightly when he looked at her without speaking. She always had a pretty good sense about people, watching them more than interacting with them. However, she'd never before interacted with such a handsome young man as Ash, and she was pretty sure he had noticed her as well. Though it was just an intuitive feeling right now, she intended to find out if the feeling was mutual. She moved back toward the bed when there was a light knock at the door. "Come in" she said as she sat down, feeling more comfortable than she had a few minutes earlier. Ash came in carrying a small tray, with what looked like toasted home made bread and a tiny dish with fruit in it. He placed it on the bed next to Leanna and smiled while motioning with his hands for her to help herself. She picked up the plate with the toasted bread and took a big bite. She looked very satisfied with the toast as she said with her mouth slightly full, "Oh, this is delicious!" and continued eating.
Ash returned the smile and taking a step toward the chair across from the bed, he sat down and put his hands on his thighs. Leanna began to feel slightly self-conscious as Ash watched her eating. Swallowing the first mouthful, she asked "So when do I find out what the big secret is about why I'm here?"
Clearing his throat he began to speak, "Well I thought that today we would start with telling you about our history." He paused and Leanna nodded. "Burana is the land of the Nature Fae. You are a nature Fairy. I am as well, but I am also your personal knight." Leanna laughed, "I feel like I'm in a storybook. Is every girl this lucky? This place feels like the sort of world I always dreamed of being in." She continued eating so Ash could continue his story. He let out a long sigh and settled back into the chair, moving his gaze off of Leanna. As if lost in thought, he began to speak again, "Long ago, these lands were safe and everyone lived more or less, peacefully. Here in our realm the royal families honor a female ruler and their female offspring are heirs to the thrones in the different regions. Men are never meant to be the rulers here, they only advise their wives but have no authority over them. It has been like this for thousands of years." He looked back to Leanna, he felt her studying his face. She sensed a feeling he was sad though his face did not show it.
"This kingdom once had a Fairy queen so beautiful and wise...and she was loved by all. When her parents died..."
"Wait...you mean we aren't immortal?" Leanna interrupted, wiping bread crumbs off her chin and putting her plate down.
Ash let out a small laugh and raised one hand to suggest that he be allowed to continue, "No, we aren't immortal. We are just long lived. We can die at the hands of a sword or we can die from advanced age. We live many thousands of years, so long as we take care of ourselves and don't abuse our abilities."
"Abilities? Like what kind of abilities? Like my hearing what you were thinking earlier?" Leanna asked excitedly, pretending not to notice the frustration building in Ash with her constant interruptions.
Ash shook his head and looked serious. "All in good time my princess, all in good time...now may I finish my story?"
She nodded, sitting a little bit straighter, she loved that he had called her princess.
He continued, "The queen's parents died and when they did, her brother began a rebellion, he said she was not the rightful queen. He wanted to replace her on the throne himself and change the laws. These laws are sacred to our people. He was able to find some men who agreed with him. They sought to supplant her and place her brother in charge. He did everything he could to discredit and destroy her during this rebellion."
"He doesn't sound like a Fae. Aren't you all suppose to be nice?" Leanna asked playfully.
Ash shook his head, "No, We aren't all nice, please princess, let me finish the story," he winked at her and watched her face turn bright pink as she looked down at her hands. "Her husband, the king, went off to fight for the kingdom and the right for her to remain queen, only to be cut down on the field of battle. The queen was devastated and remained reclusive for months after his death. When she returned to the throne once more, they all noticed that her only child, a baby girl was gone, never to be seen again." Ash's gaze became serious as it shifted toward the window. Leanna watched his face cloud over with sadness. She shifted uncomfortably on the bed, unsure of what to say to him. For a few minutes, there was only silence, as Leanna began to piece the story together before she spoke. "It was me? I was the child, wasn't I?" she pushed the tray of food further onto the bed and watched as Ash turned his face to Leanna, looking into her eyes. His straight blond hair fell nearly to his shoulders and his pointy ear tips just barely showed now, jutting out from his head underneath his hair. His mouth pursed as she waited for him to answer, she felt a twinge of nervousness again.
"Yes, you are the queens daughter."
"Oh my God! I was kidding, well I wasn't sure...I..." she put a hand to her lips, suddenly feeling a little afraid.
"Your uncle has searched many lands for you and has no idea that you were not even in our realm all these years. Brendon was a Guardian of the portal we came through. He was selected by your mother to care for you, to raise you as human until you were ready." Leanna felt a pang of pain in her heart when she heard Brendon's name. She was be
ginning to understand why he encouraged her love of nature and her belief in faeries. He had been preparing her while keeping her safe. She had a million questions and all wanting to be asked at once, when Ash interrupted her thoughts. "There is something else my princess." Ash paused and then stood. "You are in danger now that you are back. My job is to keep you safe and I will, but you must listen to me when I feel I know best. You do not yet understand our ways or customs here yet. So for a time, you will stay with my mother and I, and we will teach you. Then you will be ready to take your place in our world."
Looking distracted, Ash strode toward the bedroom door and opened it, just then a pretty blond woman with a delicate nose and bright blue eyes entered. "This is my mother, Freya," Ash motioned with his hand in a sweeping gesture as Freya approached the bed slowly.
"Hello, young lady. Nice to see you again"
"Again?" Leanna asked.
"Yes, it was I who delivered you to Brendon many years ago when you were an infant. You have turned out to be even more beautiful than I could have imagined." She bowed her head slightly and gazed at Leanna. A thought suddenly struck Leanna.
"Is my mother here? When can I meet her?" she suddenly blurted, standing up in front of the bed now and smoothing her dress. Freya's expression changed to concern and sadness. "I'm sorry my dear girl, has Ash not told you? Your mother is gone. She died not long after you left here." Freya put her hands out and Leanna took them into her own, squeezing briefly before releasing them and hugging Freya with tears in her eyes. "How did she die?" she spoke in to Freya's soft blond locks before standing back and looking at her. Freya's eyes were also moist with tears, "We think she was poisoned by her brother, your uncle, his name is Girvyn." Leanna turned to Ash, "Now I know why you didn't tell me more about my uncle before, when I asked." She frowned. Freya looked from Ash to Leanna, stepping in front of her again, she continued,