Faetal: A New Adult Fantasy Dark Prince Romance

by Deiri Di

  "You've made me a pariah!" Chase said on the other side of the door, loud enough in his anger to make every syllable stand out.

  The other person replied, speaking in tones soft and quiet, only a few words audible in the stream of murmured words.

  "......you know......only......can trust......if you......be consequences......"

  Mari was wide awake at this point, straining to hear the full conversation. She wanted to tiptoe over to the door and press her ear to it, but she didn't want to risk alerting them.

  "Don't feed me those lines. You can't manipulate me that easily." Chase said, his voice still loud.

  "Quiet! You................"

  "The human sleeps like a Gina'lathi! She was snoring......she isn't......wake up now," Chase replied, lowering his voice.

  They fell silent.

  Mari snorted air through her nose, trying to mimic a snore, all the while fuming. She did not snore! She repeated her performance a few more times.

  Soft chuckles echoed through the door.

  ".......to worry......but............any choice......or......your life......without......will not be so nice. Besides you know..........so bad."

  "You're not the one babysitting a human," Chase said, his disgust filling the word.

  Mari couldn't understand a single word of the next thing the other person said but could tell it was short and derisive from the tone.

  "If she lasts that long," Chase replied. "This human didn't even know a poisonous reptile when one was about to bite her!"

  Both people laughed.

  Anger burned Mari, steady like a stream of gas-fed flame in a modern fireplace. Chase was rude to her then begged her not to expose his near failure as a bodyguard, then after she kept his secret, insulted her intelligence and was sarcastic and mean when she tried to understand why he was so unhappy being around her. Now he was making fun of her! She should have told Vladmir everything instead of protecting someone who was just going to turn around and give her cruelty in exchange for kindness.

  The door opened, the light in the hallway extinguished.

  Mari forced herself to breathe in a rhythmic, slow manner, wadding up her anger inside of her. Like in many situations, she didn't know what to do. Confronting someone she didn't know very well, who was supposed to be protecting her life, was not something she knew how to do - or even wanted to do. Instead, she just sat on her emotions like she always did. At school, when someone picked on her, she didn't respond; she just walled it up inside of her and tried to focus on happier things.

  She listened to Chase settling down on his mat at the foot of her bed, taking a deeper pleasure than before in the fact that he had to sleep on a thin mat on the floor while she had a feather bed. He was such a jerk. Maybe she would pour water on his bedding when he wasn't looking. Better yet, while he was asleep!

  He tossed and turned, keeping her awake even when her eyelids felt like even gravity was too much for them. Every so often, he sighed, a deep sound of a troubled mind that will not let go.

  Despite her anger, desire for revenge, and his restlessness, Mari found her way back to sleep.

  #

  Mari woke a second time to the smell of steam and rosemary. She opened her eyes and could see the source of the scent, creeping out under the closed door to the washroom. She lay there, watching the steam play with the dim light, creating delicate patterns before fading away. She wondered when she would see Vladmir. Being around him was like a drug; the thin moments she spent with him only made her want to be around him more. She was also worried. The Prince's own brother had made comments that made her wonder how humans were seen to the elves. If the public opinion was like Chase's, then the Prince might be second-guessing his affection for her. So far, he'd kept her away from everyone, and she wondered if that might be more for him than to keep her safe. What if he couldn't get past the barrier of their races? She wanted to be near him, talk to him, reassure him that it didn't matter what others thought.

  The washroom door swung open, and the pent up steam fell into the bedroom like a ghost wave.

  Chase stood there, his hand holding a towel secure around his waist.

  He looked good.

  Mari didn't know what she was expecting to be hiding under his bland clothing, but it wasn't that. She should have expected it. He wielded a sword, and as the son of a Queen must practice using it. The effect of the physical activity on his body made him look like he belonged, posing for a smutty magazine.

  She gawked at him for a moment before she noticed the small marks on his skin, delicate lines that trailed intermittently along his body as if someone had dipped a feather in chalk and then had their fun tickling him. She would have said they were scars, but they looked deliberate, almost artistic.

  Mari couldn't help herself; she did what she always did when she felt nervous or was put in a situation she didn't know how to deal with. It was an unnatural reaction and one that had gotten her into trouble in the past.

  Mari laughed a quick uncontrollable burst that was only stopped by her own hand, slapping down under her mouth.

  Chase's ears went bright red. He walked stiffly over to the armchairs, grabbed the clean folded clothing that was waiting for him, and almost ran back to the washroom, slamming the door behind him.

  Mari felt bad, but not that bad. It wasn't like he had been incredibly pleasant himself.

  Mari took that moment to get up and get dressed. A new dress had been set out for her, and Mari despaired. The dresses made her look nice, at least in her opinion, but a pair of jeans would have made her feel more comfortable.

  Chase came out of the washroom, fully dressed this time. The tips of his ears were a bit pinker than usual. He didn't look at Mari for a second. Instead, he walked over to the armchairs, sat down, and began reading a book that had been lying on the table.

  Also on the table was a tray filled with an assortment of food. When she sat down in the other chair and began trying her options, Chase turned away in his chair, putting his side and his shoulder to her as he continued to read.

  On the tray, under a wispy piece of bread shaped like a swan, was a note. It was from Vladmir. The message told her that he couldn't wait to see her - at the ball, she would be attending that evening. Mari felt both upset and deliriously happy. She would have to spend an entire day in his home without seeing him, but at the same time, he was the kind of man who left little notes with breakfast. It was a sweet gesture.

  "Vladmir left me a note," she said to Chase, holding out the small slip of paper, treating him to the glee she would put on display for anyone of her friends at school.

  He didn't look up from his book, but the expression on his face soured.

  Mari gave up on the attempt at a conversation and went back to her breakfast. She shouldn't bother. He was a jerk.

  When she finished all she wanted to eat of the breakfast, she looked around the room. There was nothing for her to do in there. The thought of doing nothing while Chase sat there and read a book annoyed her. Wasn't he supposed to make sure she was entertained? It looked like Mari would have to find things to do herself until she next got to see Vladmir.

  She stood and went through the door to the hallway. It only led in one direction, so she began walking. It was time to get to know the Palace.

  "Where are you going?" Chase asked as he caught up to her. She had hoped that her inexperienced bodyguard would be so absorbed in his book he wouldn't notice her leaving, but it looked as if she was stuck with him.

  She didn't bother answering. She didn't know where she was going.

  "I was instructed to take you to see the gardens if you desired. That is, until your dancing lessons."

  Mari stopped walking. "Dancing lessons?" she asked. That didn't sound good.

  "They're to keep you from looking like a complete idiot at the ball," he replied.

  Mari glared at him. "The gardens will be just fine," she said.

  The gardens ended up being more than just fi
ne. The plants sprung up like a rain forest without the rain, humidity, or the smell of decaying vegetation. Instead, the glass-roofed room was a comfortable, average temperature and the air smelled of flowers and greenery. A pathway snaked through the temperate greenhouse, paved in lush grass instead of with stones or cement. Occasionally a grass arm would split off, leading to hidden clearings which housed benches around their circular edges, the perfect place for a secluded picnic.

  In one of the little alcoves was a wooden gate. It was carved with dancing figures, and she moved closer, trying to see them. It was covered in naked elves writing along the edges. Some were pierced with spears and were in pain. Others were involved in other acts. Mari didn't look at those ones. The thought of her disagreeable bodyguard, catching her staring at them, heated her cheeks, and she turned to look at the carvings in the center of the gate. There was a group of dressed elves, all standing upright in a circle. They held knives. In the center was a lone woman dressed in a simple white dress, barefoot and on her knees. Her hands were clasped over her heart like she was in agony. It looked like there was a dagger sticking out of her back. Next to her was an elf and a crystal on a pedestal that was split through the middle, broken.

  "Come on," Chase said, startling her. "You can't go through there."

  She moved away from the gruesome gate, making a mental note to come back and check on it without her disagreeable bodyguard. There were weird creations of art in her world too. She wasn't one to judge, but she did want a more extended look.

  As Mari wandered through the expansive garden, smelling the various flowers or taking closer looks at plants that had no equivalent that she knew of in her human world, she saw small people, like the little fat man that liked to raid her kitchen. Barely reaching up to her ankles, the little men and women wore outfits made of leaves and various parts of the plants in the garden. She caught a few pulling weeds or slaying beetles with twig spears. As soon as they noticed her looking at them, they vanished into the undergrowth. There were fairies as well, but they were harder to spot. She only caught a glimpse of the sun on their wings as they hid.

  Mari came across a circular stream as she wandered along the planted path; a little grass bridge led across the water to an island in the middle.

  On the island, several elven women lounged, talking among themselves. Some were busy crafting items, like glass roses or delicate sculptures, out of what seemed to be thin air. They stroked their hands along the air, and slowly the objects formed. As Mari neared them, she felt a faint tingle in her spine.

  One of the women stuck out like a sore thumb. Instead of solid-colored dresses as the rest of the women were wearing, this woman was now wearing tight-fitting pants, which had spiral patterns running along the sides. A see-through skirt was layered over the pants, and attached to the thin layers of the skirt were pinned sprites, like the Queen had the night before.

  The woman looked up and spotted her. The group of elven women hushed to silence until Mari found herself the subject of scrutiny of every single one of them. The beautiful woman with the ghastly outfit of captured sprites leaned over and whispered to the lady next to her. Several women rose to their feet, their motions filled with the grace and fluidity only found in the best of human dancers. They swept past Mari, not bothering to glance at her, and surrounded Chase. Soon there was the light laughter of teasing and Chase's own bemused voice.

  The elven woman who was the center of command in the group beckoned her. Mari crossed the grassy bridge and walked up to her. Up close, the woman's skin practically radiated a soft glow, as if she was perpetually trapped in a beam of moonlight. It was ridiculous. No one should have the romantic lighting of an old fashioned movie star all the time.

  "Hello," Mari started. She hated introductions, but it was easier to just get it out of the way. "I'm Mari." She held out her hand.

  "Clearly," the woman said. Mari half expected diamonds to fall out of her mouth to accompany her voice. "You may address me as Lady Silvia."

  A burst of laughter came from the women that surrounded Chase across the water. Mari looked over at him. He had a stupid smile spread across his face and was entirely focused on the lovely elven noblewomen that were giving him their total attention. Mari marked down caddish lout as another descriptor for her bodyguard.

  "Tell me, what do you think of the Prince?" Lady Silvia said, staring at Mari with an intensity that made her uncomfortable.

  Mari shifted from foot to foot. "He's been so wonderful to me," she replied. When she thought of Vladmir, a fuzzy feeling took root her in belly, warming her up with an anxious desire to see him again. "It's like a dream. He is like a dream. I mean, how is it that an absolutely gorgeous Prince would ever-"

  "Enough," Lady Silvia interrupted her, stopping her gush before it got started. "I think I see where you are." The lady looked across the water at Chase and the women before leaning ever so slightly forward. "You are in danger, as you must know. You can't trust Vladmir. He is misleading you. He could never love a creature like you." Her voice changed; no longer gentle, it held the sharp edge of disgust and anger. "You are alone here, human. If you want to survive, you must go back to where you came from."

  Mari took a step backward. "I don't think-" she started, unsure of how to respond. Where did that come from?

  Lady Silvia rose off of her bench. She towered over Mari by at least a foot and stared down at her over the edge of her perfect nose. "There is a little gift for you in the water," she said before gliding off. As she passed Chase and the women surrounding him, they peeled away, trailing after her like the train of a dress. He stared after them.

  Mari moved to the edge of the water that separated them. It was much more profound than she previously thought, not anything like a small stream, and the bottom was obscured by the vining plants that grew out of it. She saw a flash dancing among the plants. She leaned closer. A man twirled out of the plants, making his way up towards her. His skin was blue, and his belly melded into the aqua scales of a tail. He didn't have hair; instead, the scales of his tail ran up his back to cover the top of his head. As he swam closer to her, he reached his hand up, spreading webbed fingers in an inviting gesture, a smile creeping across his thin blue lips.

  Mari reached her hand towards him.

  "Don't-" Chase yelled.

  His cry was too late. Mari's fingers touched the water just as his yell made her look up into his panicked expression.

  The merman surged towards her with one twitch of his tail, his fingers breaking the surface of the water to seize her by the wrist. It felt as if his hand was made of ice. The merman twisted under the water, his muscular tail throwing his body back down towards the bottom. He took Mari with him.

  He dragged her down into the cool water before she could even gasp. The water rushed past her face, streaks of green smeared past her as the merman continued to pull her along. Mari tried to spread her body out, anything to slow their movement but could do nothing against the merman's expert pull. Now that she was under the water, she could see that it was not a stream. It was deeper and more significant than she could have imagined. The island itself was not connected to the bottom; instead, it floated along the top of the elf-made lake, creating a spacious haven.

  The merman twisted, bringing himself to a complete stop. Mari didn't stop, her momentum sending her directly into him.

  The merman wrapped his arms around her, pressing her into his body. It was like being hugged by a block of ice. Air escaped her mouth from the shock. Her chest was beginning to burn, a counterpoint to the icy pain that pressed against her, burning her skin through the nonexistent protection of her thin dress.

  She dug her fingers into his chest, trying to push herself free of him. He just squeezed her tighter, his tail caressing her legs as more air was forced out her body. The merman brushed her floating hair away from her face. His face was just a few inches away from hers, and she could see his thin-lipped smile spreading into a wide grin. Through the distortio
n of the water, she could see the pointed teeth, like the mouth of a shark.

  The pressure was incredible.

  She would have to inhale.

  There wasn't any other option.

  She couldn't get away, and she was fighting her body's natural desire to just breathe in. Spots floated in her sight.

  A flash of silver went through the water, brushing the merman's face. A green liquid burst out into the water from the merman's cut skin.

  Mari's body won, and she inhaled.

  Water rushed into her lungs, and the spots began to spread across her vision.

  Mari knew she was drowning.

  She felt herself being pulled through the water again, in short, jerky bursts instead of the merman's smooth, uninterrupted rush.

  The black took over.

  Mari found herself face down in the grass, coughing water.

  A warm hand rubbed her back, and she shivered, the chill of the merman's flesh still lingering on her skin.

  She sat up just in time to see the relief fade from Chase's face only to be replaced by anger.

  "What were you thinking?" he yelled, his hair dripping water as he shouted. "What kind of idiot accepts an invitation from a creature of the water? Every child knows not to do that! Does your stupidity know no bounds?"

  Mari reached the end of her rope. She followed her true love only to find herself alone in a palace attended by silent brownies and a rude bodyguard who hated being around her. She was sick of him, sick of his attitude, sick of his treatment of her, and sick of seeing his attractive elven face instead of Vladmir's.

  "I didn't grow up here!" she shouted back, her hand punching the grass for emphasis. "I'm not the one who knows anything about this place. I'm not the one who knows that certain lizards are poisonous or that if there is a freaking merman in the water, you shouldn't show any curiosity. I'm not the one who was assigned to protect someone who does not know anything in this place. If you want me to be able to protect myself and know what to look out for and how to react to things, then you have to take a few seconds of your precious time to damn well teach me instead of spending all your time ignoring me or calling me names!"