Faerie's Champion

by M. H. Johnson

  Jess grimaced. “I am really starting to get a headache, Twilight. As if all my hidden fears, safely kept behind doors long shut, are now cracking upon, revealing horrors I cannot bear, and there you all are, smiling back at me, knowing my darkest secrets better than I know myself!”

  Twilight’s silky fur did much to soothe Jess’s anxious fingers, as his gentle rumble soothed her racing heart. “Focus on the crepes, my master. Delicious crepes with perfectly ripened lingonberries. You know how much you love lingonberries.”

  Jess nodded. That much was true. If all else went topsy-turvy in the universe, few things served to sooth jangled nerves like lingonberry crepes and cold milk, Jess had always found. "I don't know why I even fret. Like as not, I'll forget all this as soon as I awaken within my own realm, I'm sure."

  Jess wondered why her brave attempt at a chuckle was fraught with tears, then memories of Talvi came crashing upon her once more. As if a floodgate had opened, she was awash with sobs, such that even the gentle ministrations of the queen holding her closely could only soothe Jess once the storm had passed. "I am sorry, dearest Aurelia. It's just that I had loved him so fiercely, so tenderly, and to think that even the memory of our love will be robbed from me upon awakening once more, it is almost crueler than his memory haunting me for the rest of my days."

  “’It is okay, my dear Jessica,” the queen gently assured. “For yours is a heavier burden than most. There is no shame in letting go of the weight of memory when it becomes too much for your soul to bear. And I have no doubt, my dear Jess, that in that magical place between dream and waking, memories of my Talvi will comfort you still.” Aurelia gently stroked Jess’s brow with her fingertips. “May you find comfort in the summer you shared in each other’s arms, and be at peace with his passing away. For in embracing life’s seasons, in accepting the winter of his own passing, he has helped to assure the renewal of our land once more.”

  And with the queen’s gentle touch, Jess felt all her burdens ease away. She smiled happily, drifting off in Aurelia's arms. A reassuring nod from her beloved Twilight was her last glimpse of Faerie before sweet, blissful slumber claimed her, and she knew no more.

  Epilogue

  It was a night of rapturous wonder, or so went the awed whispers of those girls with the courage to remember both the beauty and the horror of what they hand endured in Faerie, shaking with reverence as they caught sight of regal Queen Aurelia returning to her audience chamber once more. And not a single girl missed sight of the figure floating in gentle repose upon a billowing cloud of gossamer and silk, a giant feline the color of starry night and a magnificent winged unicorn by her side.

  Yet what stuck most prominently in those girl's minds was the queen’s solemn pronouncement of the Accords between Faerie and Dawn being forged, opening a path to this world that at this very moment no girl could deny would be a source of joy and wonder for many, past horrors aside, gazing about as they all did in equal parts awe and disbelief at the fantastic display of wealth and artistry that was the Faerie Queen's tower, even as scores of faerie lords approached once more with golden plates filled with the most delectable of treats, the lightest of pastries, the sweetest of wines. And with each sip of wine, each nibble of delightful pastry, the girls beheld eyes pleading for forgiveness for the dread compulsions that had overtaken lord and student alike. And even as those awestruck girls found themselves supping upon delights that would assure their vitality for all their days, sweet winter wine promising to wash away all unwanted memories as if it had all been a dream, not a one would forget the object of Queen Aurelia's adoration.

  For all that Jess had seemed an awkward fish out of water at their academy, loathed by her teachers, mocked by her peers, here it no longer mattered. Here, lying still in mithril armaments that sparkled like the priceless treasures they were, paid tribute by the Faerie Queen herself, Jess truly did seem a figure out of legend, belonging to the story books far more than she ever had the Royal Ladies Academy. Whatever else happened this night, no matter should any girl choose to relegate it all to dream, the sight of their absurd classmate looking like the noblest of heroes lost to eternal slumber was one that would haunt them all their days.

  Yet Jess at that moment was oblivious to it all, unaware even her friend’s flood of tears, Rulia gently stroking a still Jess’s cheek, even as the Faerie Queen silently squeezed a sobbing Rulia's shoulder, captivating Rulia with her regal gaze.

  Rulia trembled with wonder and exhaustion, only recently coming to, after having lost herself in a spiraling dance of perfection as beautiful as it had been horrible, too shaken to do more than sob for her friend, until the graceful Queen of Faerie gazed deeply into her eyes, quietly asking for Jess’s loyal and loving companion to name her heart's desire.

  Pushing all tears and regrets aside, Rulia forced herself to do just that, and was amazed to see such a smile of understanding grace the Faerie Queen’s lips, her hands now holding ancient relics of legend pulled from dreams unfathomable, Rulia shaking in wonder as she beheld the key to saving her kingdom from annihilation.

  “Your Majesty,” Rulia's voice trembled with the intensity of her emotions, “there is no way I can repay you for the boon you offer me this day. I am eternally in your debt.”

  The queen, however, just smiled and shook her head. "There is no debt between you and me, brave and noble adventurer, loyal companion of our land's champion, risking so much to save your own home from peril."

  Rulia lowered her head in sudden shame. “Your Majesty, if only you understood.”

  Smiling, the queen gently touched Rulia’s lips with her finger, and Rulia instantly lost all desire to speak, her heart suddenly at peace. “Rest easy and enjoy tonight’s celebration, loyal companion. And fret not. I know you mean your lover no harm, no matter the machinations of those around you, and I have no doubt that all will work itself out, in the end.”

  With a gentle wink and kiss on her forehead, a dazed Rulia found herself dancing once more with her far more human seeming paramour, and she chose in that moment to forgive Kevat those last few nights she had felt a prisoner in her own body, even as the months before she had relished their every waking moment together, finding bliss in Kevat and Jess's arms in equal measure, entranced as she had been with the both of them, before the terrible magics had clamped upon her will in full.

  Rulia understood at that moment that her beautiful Kevat had been as captive to mad Talvi’s schemes as she herself had been. She allowed herself to savor simply dancing in her lover's arms, answering his regretful smile with a gentle kiss, deciding that, all in all, her journey had been far more sweet than bitter, as happy as she now was to be in full control of her senses once more.

  Inhumanly beautiful eyes locked upon her own. She felt her heart start to race, remembering how deeply she had fallen for him the very first day they had met, entranced by his smile and gentle observations both humorous and profound, making her laugh even as he savored her many treasures, her Kevat a nurturing rain as Jess embraced the storm.

  “I am sorry, my love,” Kevat whispered.

  Rulia smiled her forgiveness. “Your sweetness redeems you, we both captives of another.”

  He sighed, gazing at her tenderly. “I savored every moment we were together, before I was lost to my prince's dream.”

  Her fingers gently brushed soft lips of their own accord, haunted by so many beautiful memories of their time together, savoring the absolute heights of erotic bliss, ecstasy so sweet it was a torment, riding waves so fiercely high she would be left senseless and shuddering when she would collapse once more into his arms, and she knew even then how much he treasured her, holding her so tenderly, sharing laughter and kisses in the dark. “I regret nothing, my Kevat. A few days lost do not compare to the months I found happiness in your arms.”

  Kevat’s beautiful eyes widened, his relieved smile like the morning sun, and Rulia flushed to see what for all the world appeared a hopeful young man with his heart upon his
sleeve. “Our dream doesn't have to end, my Rulia.” Gently, he kissed the back of her palm, drawing her close. “Stay with me, my heart. You don't have to leave. I would cherish you for all your days. I would love you as only a husband could.”

  It was to be a night of wonder and regret, Rulia thought, smiling through sudden tears, bittersweet love and turmoil filling her in equal measure, leaving her speechless, save for the fierce kiss she gave him. And perhaps he understood, sighing even as he kissed her back, his gentle lips hungering for what love they could share before fate tore them apart once more.

  Rulia bit back tears, nodding at his tender squeeze, allowing him to lead her down quiet corridors for what would no doubt be their last night in each other's arms, secure in the knowledge that the direction she had chosen was the correct one, and that no matter what the Fates put in her path, she would never cross blades with her dear Jessica in anything but friendship and love.

  Even as scores of girls found sweetest bliss and comfort to replace the horror that had claimed them for so long, so too did the lowest of their number find beautiful redemption, a weeping guardian of warped mirrors and lost dreams at last shaking free of her hideous form, emerging from her cave of regret on human legs once more, having found the courage to face the secret shames that had locked her soul within a shape twisted with bitterness and hate, putting them forever behind her.

  With a brave smile, Angelica stumbled forth from Crabapple Cave, tearful laughter marking her own promise to herself to be a person worthy of her own redemption. No longer would she be the bitter plaything of scheming lords or loveless parents. No longer would she allow sullen spite to fester within her, causing herself and others around her such misery. She, who had found such comfort and relief in the love and forgiveness of another, understood at last the simple joy in giving solace to others, and feeling worthy of that comfort in turn. More than anything else, Angelica was determined to be a girl who could look upon any mirror and know that her reflection would gaze back at her with love and pride.

  She gave a cry of relief as she stumbled through the forest, catching clear sight at last of the full moon off in the distance. No longer certain if she was asleep or awake, Angelica imagined that she saw a beautiful woman basking in the silvery moonlight with wings of ebony and ivory, ready to greet her with the gentlest of smiles the moment she approached. For some reason, the vision reminded Angelica of that most absurd of all heroes, and she promised herself then and there that she would strive to become a figure others could look up to, if a tad more fashionably dressed than her own savior had been.

  Thank You

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  The adventure continues in Witch Hunt, available now.

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