by Deiri Di
"I want you to come with me to my home," he continued. "I can protect you there... and... I want you to be with me."
Leave her home behind? Go off on an adventure with a beautiful guy who wants to protect her and maybe even fall for her? Leave Cathy and her Dad behind, wondering where she went? Her Dad would have to call her mom, and wouldn't she be sorry!
Mari was excited about the thought; she relished the image of her mom crying over not seeing her one last time before she vanished into thin air. When she came home, her Dad would tell her she didn't have to listen to Cathy anymore; he would be so overjoyed to have her safe and alive.
Vladmir's expectant expression brought her delicious daydreams to a halt.
Mari looked at him. She didn't know him. As much as she wanted this to be a love at first sight story for herself, she couldn't bring herself to have faith in it. Running off with a stranger just because it happened in her books wasn't good enough for her. She was exhilarated and scared by the thought, and as silly as she was, she wasn't stupid. She didn't hate her parents, she didn't know what was going on, and she couldn't leave everything behind. She was almost done with high school! Having gone through eleven years of public school, not pushing through to the very end, would be excruciating. All that work and no diploma - no way.
"I don't know," she said, not sure how to say no. She still had a crush on him - she didn't want to make him unhappy.
Vladmir smiled.
"It's okay," he said, pulling a small bottle from the recesses of his outfit. He pushed it into her hands as he rose to his feet. "While you are thinking about it, why don't you drink that."
"What is it?" Mari asked, pulling the cork out of the bottle. It smelled foul!
"It is the languages of the fae," he said. "It will allow you to understand creatures such as the sprites and my people. If you don't come with me, you will need it. If you are attacked again, you could send a fairy to come to get me."
Mari resisted the urge to laugh at that thought. As if a fairy would do what she asked!
"Please, this is important to me," Vladmir pleaded. "I need to be able to protect you somehow."
After all that had happened, a language in a bottle didn't sound so strange. As a rule, Mari didn't accept funny drinks from strangers, but he did save her life, and she didn't want to hurt his feelings. If he said it was going to help him protect her, she believed him. Mari put it to her lips and gulped it down, wincing at the taste.
It burned.
Her eyes started watering. Mari blinked furiously, wiping the tears away.
Vladmir murmured something, one hand tracing an intricate pattern through the air.
There was a buzzing in her spine, a shadow of the sensations she had felt earlier, sensations she'd only felt since meeting Vladmir.
"You are a stupid one," a tiny voice piped from the windowsill behind Vladmir. It was the tiny purple-headed fairy from the coffee house. "You are going to die," it said.
Vladmir whispered a few more words, the fingers on his hand, tracing a new shape.
"What are you doing?" Mari gasped. The potion was molten in her stomach.
There was a second tickle in her spine, more like an itch.
Her heart felt like it was breaking. She put her hands to her head, overwhelmed by a surge of emotion.
Mari cried out.
Vladmir wrapped his arms around her, brushing her hair with his fingers. "It's alright," he said. "Everything is alright. I'm here."
She wanted to press her face into his chest, to run her hands through his hair and press into him, never letting go. She wanted to bite him.
Vladmir pulled away. The absence left behind was horrible; she couldn't stand it. Mari stood, ready to follow him anywhere just so she could touch him. He put his hands on her shoulders and held her back.
He slid something over her head.
It was a silver chain. On the chain was a circle that looked as if it was made out of mother of pearl, smooth and white with a hint of a rainbow in the mixture. She stared at it, overwhelmed by the beauty of his gift.
"It seals your love for me," he said, stroking her cheek and sending shivers running laps in her belly. "Don't ever take it off."
Mari clutched the necklace and tucked it under her pajama top, pressing it against her skin.
"We must go," he said. "You are coming with me, aren't you?"
"You are so beautiful," Mari said, studying the details of his face. It was flawless - like a work of art. If she could paint, she would break all her brushes rather than try to duplicate it.
Vladmir released her and moved over to the window, pushing it open.
"Why don't we go down the stairs?" she said, admiring the fluid movement of his body. He frowned at her, and she wanted to die.
"You must have woken your parents with your scream," he said. "They will hear us leaving."
Mari giggled. "I have the most horrible nightmares; they're used to me screaming." He was so cute. Not wanting to wake her parents! They couldn't stop this; the thought of being separated from him was unthinkable.
Vladmir opened the door, peaking around it. He grabbed her hand, pulling her after him as he tiptoed down the stairs and out the front door. She shivered when she stepped into the summer night's air, clad still in just her pajamas. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered, but Vladmir.
He led her down the street to the ring of mushrooms settled in the lonely patch of grass. He stepped into it, pulling her after him.
"Close your eyes," Vladmir said. "This will be disorienting."
She obeyed and felt him step forward into the circle.
It felt like the world dropped out from under her.
Seconds passed, and she could feel nothing but the sensation of falling. There was no sense of her own body, air, space, or existing at all.
Then without any fanfare, her stomach returned to its rightful place.
Vladmir took a few steps forward, pulling her with him.
She opened her eyes.
They were standing in the clearing of a forest, the leaves of the trees illuminated by the moon. A few yards in front of them was a white stallion, its fur gleaming with reflected midnight. Its tack was a matching shade of white, outlined with blue.
Mari swallowed a laugh. Matching his horse to his outfit was silly. Mari's head swam, and she put her palm to her forehead. Her head cleared, and she smiled, overwhelmed with affection.
Matching his horse to his outfit was so romantic.
Vladmir whispered something behind her, and she felt a tickle on her spine for the briefest of moments. She turned around just in time to see the mushroom circle they just stepped out of sinking back into the ground, into oblivion.
There was no going back.
Vladmir planted his foot in one of the stallion's stirrups and swung up into the saddle. The horse inched closer to her, and he held out his hand to her.
Vladmir yanked her up into the saddle in front of him, slinging her so she landed sitting across his lap, both her legs on one side of the horse. His rough handling of her hurt her shoulder. When he kicked the horse, it grunted from the impact and lurched forward into a gallop. Mari was forced to cling to Vladmir as she bounced on the saddle, and the forest sped by in an uncomfortable blur. She buried her head in Vladmir's chest and closed her eyes, hoping this ride would be over soon.
#
When the sound of the hoof beats changed from the dull thud of hoof on dirt to the loud clatter of hoof on cobblestone, Mari looked up. They were charging through a town. She could see figures leaping out of the way of their equestrian progress.
Mari knew she must be in horrible danger if Vladmir was willing to almost run over people to get her to his home.
They raced through two giant gates into the courtyard in front of a monumental building, a palace. The palace sparkled in the moonlight, its sides glittering like glass. She had only a few seconds to stare at it before she was swept off of the stallion, up the steps, and through th
e intimidating silver doors.
Once inside, they were surrounded by a flurry of people. A few elves, all dressed in outfits made out of one or two colors. She saw a solid purple dress fringed with yellow, red with brown, mauve with black. Despite the simplicity in the colors, the outfits themselves were intricate, fabric flowing together, rustling with an invisible wind that never seemed to disturb hair.
Those elves stood further away from them along the edges of the circular room, whispering among themselves as they stared at her. They draped themselves against furniture, uncomfortable but attractive wooden pieces that were pushed against the walls of the room so that foot traffic could pass through.
The main group of the people who surrounded her were short little woman, barely reaching her waist. They had thick, flat noses that stretched out across their faces, slowly melding into their cheekbones like putty, round solid brown eyes and brown hair that was pulled back and slicked down so tight that it pulled their scalps. Every shade on the women's bodies was the same tint of brown. Brown hair matched in with the brown skin and the brown dresses. It was a sea of short duplicates, like a swarm of bees, only brownies instead.
One elf was at the edge of the room, who stood apart, leaning against one of the glittering stone walls. He was younger than the rest, younger than Vladmir for certain. She thought Vladmir was near her age, but this elf made her question her assumption by the comparison between them. He had the awkward shape of adolescence but the muscle and bearing of a fighter. He was dressed in plain clothing, thick pants, and basic leather boots, separating him from the ornate elves more than anything else could. He carried a sword at his waist. His face was not as exotically beautiful as Vladmir's. Among the elves, he was nothing special in terms of beauty, but he would attract second glances among humans. His jawline was strong, his hair black and his eyes a blue that matched Vladmir's. All of this was disfigured by the nasty scowl that seemed embedded in his pretty features.
Vladmir was speaking to the brown women.
"Take the lovely Mari and treat her with the greatest consideration. She is my special guest here. Understand?"
The surrounding group of brown women chirped a response.
"Yes, Prince," they said in unison.
Prince?
"She is to be cleaned, fitted with clothing that is more..." Vladmir glanced down at Mari, standing there with cold feet and kitty cat pajamas. "Flattering."
Vladmir turned and began to walk towards the hallway that connected to the other end of the room.
"Ah..." Mari said. She didn't know what to say. Her love was running off and leaving her to the mercy of identical servants that chirped like the fat men and fairies, her tormentors from back home. That wasn't how it was supposed to go. Affection shouldn't be given and then abandoned so easily.
Mari's vision spun, a dull ache behind her eyes.
She was horrible to think of such things!
She groaned and pressed the heels of her hands to her eye sockets.
Vladmir spun back around.
"I'm sorry, my love," he said, his voice low and soft. "I have things I must attend to. Do not worry, I will see you soon. You will be safe. I promise. Chase is your bodyguard, and he will not leave your side for a second."
He called her my love!
Mari wanted to rip her heart out of her chest with her bare hands just to show him how much she loved him. The mental image disturbed her, but that brief emotion was buried under a deluge of adoration. She could weather any absence knowing that he loved her.
Vladmir looked over at the plainly dressed young man, his voice taking on a harsh tone. "You know what to do, Chase. Do not fail me."
With that, he turned and strode off into the castle, leaving Mari behind.
The brown women began plucking at her pajama pants and making chirping sounds that sounded disapproving.
Chase sighed and put his hand to his forehead, rubbing it in irritation.
Mari bit her lip and took a deep breath.
She'd traded a magnificent Prince for a grumpy bodyguard.
She moved through the brownie women, being careful not to step on any feet, not knowing if they would react like the fairies.
When she drew closer to Chase, he crossed his arms and eyed her, a scowl still painted on his face.
She stuck out her hand.
"Hello," she said. "My name is Mari."
His arms remained crossed.
After a few moments, she dropped her arm back down to her side.
"Follow me," he said.
The brownies surged down the hallway, and Chase walked after them, leaving Mari to follow in their wake.
[ 5 ]
The halls of the Palace looked as if they were coated in obsidian and glass mosaics. The different colors were swirled together on the walls in patterns that mimicked the twining of vines and plants. It made the walls into a living thing, moving with Mari with every step she took on the cold stone floors. Sometimes the mosaics would come off the walls, creating actual vines connected into the floor, like the veins of the walls wouldn't be contained to their proper place and insisted on journeying outward.
Mari was led to a room that contained a massive bath set into the floor. It was so big that she could swim in it if she wanted to. Steam rose off the surface of the water, coating the surrounding marble with condensation. Oils and leaves floated in the water, an herbal mixture, with a scent that was oddly soothing and yet somehow familiar. They were going to soak her in a giant pot of tea.
"Undress," several of the brownies said in unison, gesturing towards the water.
"Ah..." Mari said, looking around at the little women surrounding her.
Her moment of hesitation was all it took for the brownies to make up her mind for her. Their small hands pulled her pajama top off and yanked down her pants. They ignored her protests, pushing her about as they dragged a measuring string across her hips, her chest, and other areas of her body, pulling her arms out and running their fingers through her hair.
Before Mari had a chance to squeal, the mob of little women had pushed her towards the edge of the bath and unceremoniously dumped her in.
She came up spluttering.
One brownie grabbed her by the hair and dunked her head back under.
Mari tried to knock the brownies away, but they just caught her flailing arms and began scrubbing her palms and fingers with rough brushes.
The one who had her by the hair began rubbing some noxious mixture into it.
Mari continued to protest.
"You smell like a human," the brownies said. "Foul, stinky. The Prince doesn't like the stench."
Mari stopped protesting and began worrying about her smell. Maybe the brownies could give her some perfumes to wear to disguise her natural scent; she didn't want the Prince to think she stunk.
Once she was rubbed raw, scrubbed, dunked, and washed, the brownies relented, letting her get out of the water to sit down. They brushed out her hair, and while it dried, she worked on her nails.
A gown was brought in. It was a smaller version of the fashion she'd seen the tall elvish women wearing, a solid cream accented by a light blue.
Mari giggled when she saw it. Wearing that would match her to Vladmir's horse! The thought was sobering. Did he think she was a possession to own, like a vase or a lapel pin?
Pressure filled her head. No, that wasn't the case; it was just a nice dress.
The fabric was layered, each layer see-through on its own, but together they made a flowing dress that would have been gorgeous on any of the delicate elves. Mari thought it made her look like a little kid playing dress-up.
As soon as she was dressed, Mari left the washroom and found a scowling Chase.
"Come on," he said.
She followed him along the twisting corridors of the Palace in total silence. Eventually, he brought her to a secluded room at the end of one of the hallways.
The windowless room had a large bed, decked in silver silks and
lush pillows, a small sitting area with armchairs clad in matching silver upholstery, and a small table. The room contained a full-length mirror with little sprites carved into the top. At the foot of the bed was a sleeping mat, plain and unadorned with nothing but a blanket and pillow. There was a screen set up in the corner for changing, and it depicted a forest scene, a small pond with deer and rabbits looking up in surprise. As she looked at the screen, she felt that now-familiar tingle down her spine, and the deer came to life, leaping away off the edges of the screen and out of sight.
Mari inspected the other door in the room and found that it led to a washroom, toilet, sink, and old fashioned tub with clawed feet. She hoped that this meant she wouldn't have to repeat the brownie assault every time she needed to wash.
"I'm guessing this is my room?" Mari asked.
Chase just grunted.
Mari walked over to the bed. It would have been nicer if the Prince had picked a nicer bodyguard. She smiled. Maybe he was grumpy because he had to just hang around while she got the rich and famous treatment. Hanging around all this glamor and not being a part of it was bound to make anyone grumpy.
As Mari turned to sit down on the bed to test it out, she heard a low hissing sound, like steam building up in a kettle. Before she could blink, Chase was across the room.
He grabbed her wrist, his fingers digging into her skin.
He used the weight of his body to haul her away from the bed, releasing her wrist in the process to send her sprawling across the room and into the table.
Mari grabbed the edges of the table to catch her balance and turned, angry at the sudden assault, and expecting to find him coming after her again. It would be just her luck to find her true love only to be attacked by the bodyguard who was supposed to be protecting her.
"What are you doing?" she shouted.
Chase turned away from the bed, dagger in hand. Impaled on the blade was a small lizard.
The tips of his pointed ears were bright red.
"I'm... sorry. I should have checked the room," he said, cleaning off his dagger. He went into a flurry, ripping the sheets off the bed, lifting the mattress, and lying on the floor to look under it. Mari stood out of the way as he pulled the pillows off of the cushions on the armchairs and ran his hands along the bottom of the table. He avoided looking at her the entire time.