by Deiri Di
"Don't be absurd," Vladmir said. "How could you say such a thing! Mari captured my heart with her very nature, not with some spell."
Chase's chest heaved and a twinge of fear mixed in with the frustration in his face. He glanced between Vladmir and Mari.
Vladmir wrapped his arm around Mari's shoulder. "You don't believe that nonsense, do you, Mari?"
Mari felt fear, not for herself, for Chase. He just blurted out something that could get him in more trouble than anything else. It was something she didn't want to believe, but when she looked at him, she only saw the truth in his eyes.
Something was going on that she didn't understand, and Chase would pay for trying to protect her from it.
"Did you know he tried to kiss me?" Mari said. "Here I am trying to protect him for being an idiot, and he goes and accuses me of bewitching you!"
Mari couldn't look at Chase's face, so instead, she stared at Vladmir's smiling one.
"I'll have him whipped for that!" Vladmir said, beaming at her.
"Oh no! Don't do that!" Mari said. She forced a smile back on his face. "He is just young, doesn't know his place. You should have him continue to be my bodyguard so he can learn from this and understand how he is supposed to behave around the love of his brother's life." She tried to put a little smirk on her face. "Besides, don't you think having to spend every moment with me until I'm with you to be a more fitting punishment?"
Vladmir laughed a real sound that crinkled the corners of his eyes.
"You are delightful!" he said. "You hear that, brother? My lovely Mari isn't going to believe a word you say."
Mari kept her eyes fixed on Vladmir. She couldn't look at him. She just couldn't.
"Now, let's get you back to your room," Vladmir said, pulling her towards the cell door. "Chase, you heard Mari. Go get cleaned up and resume your duties."
Mari looked straight ahead, trying to ignore Chase's uneven breathing behind her.
[ 12 ]
Mari waited for a moment to speak to Chase, to explain, but none came. The Gina'lathi never left her side for a moment. Though Chase was in the same room with her, sometimes several feet away, Mari couldn't say or do anything to remove the ice from his face. The Gina'lathi was Vladmir's creature.
After spending hours on end in silence, thinking about how she could slip him a note or distract the shapeshifter, the creature finally spoke up.
"Let us go," the Gina'lathi said.
"Gina'la..." Mari said, stumbling over the creature's name. She stared at the lithe elven woman whose green hair and willowy form hid something else altogether, trying not to let her eyes slip to the side and focus on someone else entirely.
"Call me Gin," the creature said. "Any human that can escape me deserves to call me by a more familiar term."
"Gin," Mari said. "Where are we going?" She could see Chase holding the door to her room open, his head bent, and his hair falling forward to hide his eyes.
"Somewhere you are supposed to be," Gin said.
"Can't bother to tell me?" Mari said, planting her hands on her hips. She'd swum with carnivorous monsters and rescued a prisoner from the bowels of a palace. She wasn't going to start making things any easier. "I managed to escape you once. Treat me like an idiot, and I'll make you a fool again!"
The shapeshifter fixed her unblinking elven eyes on Mari, a smile twitching into the corner of her mouth.
"You have a date with the prince," she said. "If you would rather stand him up..."
Mari would rather, but that isn't what love struck Mari would want to do.
"Oh, no!" Mari said. "Let's go! I can't make my...." She did not want to say, love. The thought of describing him with that word made her stomach turn. Mari picked a less nauseating one. "Princypoo, wait!"
Chase hunched his shoulders, a flinch that made Mari bite the inside of her mouth not to react to it.
The 'date' turned out to be Vladmir waiting in the garden, a blanket on the grass, and a basket full of food at his feet. He waited as they walked up to him, a broad smile on his face, a hand concealed in a pocket. Before he could say anything, Chase stepped forward.
"My presence here is redundant with both you and the Gina'lathi to protect... el...," Chase said, his mouth twisting. "To protect her." He performed a stiff bow. His hands clenched into fists at his side. "I would request that I be given leave for the duration of your..." He twisted his mouth again like he had bitten into something sour. "Of your outing."
Vladmir reached out and put his hand on Mari's upper arm, sliding his fingers down until he caught her hand in his own. He lifted it to his lips and planted a perfunctory kiss.
Mari tensed her arm, resisting the urge to yank it back and wipe it on her skirt.
"Is that what you wish, my love?" Vladmir asked, raising an eyebrow.
Mari forced a smile onto her face. "Oh, I don't care," she lied. The thought of being left alone with Vladmir and his pet bodyguard tied her stomach into knots. She couldn't say that. She couldn't even hint that she wanted him to stay. She had to fool Vladmir, for Chase's sake.
"Ah, but I do," Vladmir said, still holding her hand. "I care very much." He pulled Mari towards him, wrapping his arms around her in a nice big hug. Mari turned her head to the side, making sure that he couldn't see her face. She forced her arms up and around him. She had to do it. She had to, Mari reminded herself. There wasn't any other way to keep Chase safe.
Vladmir brought his hand up and pressed the side of Mari's face against his chest. She could hear the rumble of his voice as he spoke but couldn't see anything but his arm, hand, and the garden to their side.
"I agree, Chase, you are redundant," Vladmir said. Mari could hear the amusement in his voice just as clearly as if she could see a smile on his face. "So while Mari is with me, Gin shall have a little respite from her duties. You will stay and do your job."
"I understand," Chase replied.
Vladmir released Mari and sat down on the blanket, patting a spot next to him as an invitation. Mari glanced over at Chase. He stood with his back to them, his hand clenched on the handle of his sword, knuckles white. Instead of sitting down next to Vladmir, she sat down across from him, where she could still see Chase.
Gin gave her a big smile, a thumbs-up, and left the gardens—strange creature.
"Now, my dear," Vladmir said. "I have not been paying enough attention to you."
"Oh no, that's totall-" Mari began to protest.
"No, it's inexcusable," Vladmir interrupted. "And I will...." His voice trailed off as his blue eyes locked onto her neck, forehead creasing. "Where is your necklace?" he asked, his voice dark, losing all signs of affection.
Chase whirled around and stared at her, his eyes wide. Mari willed herself to look anywhere but at him.
"My necklace?" Mari asked, putting her hand to her neck, her mind racing to find something to tell Vladmir.
"The necklace I gave you!" Vladmir said. "Where is it?"
Chase took a step towards them, his hand still wrapped around the hilt of his sword.
"I... I..." Mari stammered. What should she do? In her panic, Mari fell on the answer, her mind racing through what she had overheard through closed doors, putting the words together with what she knew now. The point of the love spell and the necklace wasn't just to force affection on her - the stone wouldn't show fake emotion. When she touched it at the ball, it didn't show the love that the love spell made her feel. It displayed what she felt, a little crush that was long gone now. Vladmir had been angry. He wanted her to fall in love with him for some reason. The spell had just been an aid to help him get there, to keep her thinking in the right frame of mind while he did the rest. The only problem was that he didn't know that she couldn't ever love someone like him.
"I lost it?" Mari wailed, pressing both hands against her neck as if someone was trying to choke her. "No! Oh no! How could I do such a thing!" Mari launched herself at Vladmir, kneeling as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed the side
of her face against his. "I'm so sorry!" she screeched in his ear in the most whiny and horrible voice she could manage.
Vladmir shoved her away, clamping a hand over his abused ear.
Mari collapsed on the picnic blanket, covered her face with her hands, and proceeded to pretend that her out of control laughter was sobbing. It helped that she laughed so hard she cried a little and was worried about accidentally peeing a little.
"It's... it's okay," Vladmir said, horrified. He patted her on the shoulder with a free hand. "Please, stop crying."
"No! It will never be okay!" Mari wailed. She was betting that she could ham it up as much as she wanted, just because she was human. Vladmir didn't like humans. He probably would expect ridiculous behavior. "I lost a precious and wonderful gift!"
"It will be alright," Vladmir said. "I promise." He grabbed her hands and pressed a cup into it. "Drink this. It will make you feel better."
Mari made a big deal out of sniffling as she sat up. Behind Vladmir, Chase locked eyes with her and shook his head, ever so slightly. She glanced away and back down at the cup. It looked like a rich red wine. She continued to sniffle as she put her nose close to the cup, smelling it. It smelled like wine, but it had a bitter undertone, a smell that matched a taste she remembered.
Mari flung the cup to the side, spattering the blanket and basket with the drugged concoction.
Chase's eyes widened with horror, the emotion in sync with Vladmir tightening his hands into fists.
"Wh-" Vladmir started to shout.
"Do not comfort me!" Mari raised her voice to cut him off. "I betrayed you by losing that beautiful gift. I do not deserve such kindness! I will not rest until I find it."
Mari rose to her feet about to make a big show of storming off, anticipating the added bonus of being able to get away from Vladmir and finally get Chase alone.
Vladmir grabbed her hand, stopping her.
"Absolutely not," he said. "I will not let this ruin our time together, and if you love me, neither will you."
Mari turned back to face him.
"Besides," he said, spreading her hand, palm skyward. Vladmir placed his hand in hers, knuckles against her palm. "I have another present for you." He opened his hand, letting something hard and cold rest against her skin.
Mari looked at the present. It was a necklace, but not a delicate design like the first. This one was set with large garish gems making a veritable choker of glittering rock. The gems were surrounded, set in the necklace by the same mother of pearl-like substance that made up the amulet that he gave her before.
Mari ran her finger over the smooth material. The larger quantities present in the necklace started to remind her of the unicorn's horn she'd seen in the marketplace. She stopped looking at it, clenching her jaw at the thought. It would fit in with everything else she'd seen so far. Fairies for dresses, unicorns for jewelry, the elven court would probably feel fine about killing kittens for fur coats.
Vladmir took the necklace back from her and stood behind her, brushing his fingers against the back of her neck as he moved her hair away from her neck.
"Don't take this off," he said, latching it.
Mari felt a sharp stab in her spine, the electric shock in greater intensity.
A loud crack echoed through the garden sending sprites scurrying to hide under bushes.
No one spoke for several long moments.
A small smile twitched at the corners of Chase's mouth.
His eyes fixed on her neck.
Mari put her hand up, her fingers confirming her suspicions of the source of the sound. She reached behind her neck and undid the clasp, holding the necklace up where she could see it.
Each gem had a fracture running through it; their surfaces marred forever by a deep and destructive flaw.
"What?" Mari asked no one in particular, staring at the necklace.
Vladmir snatched the necklace out of her hands, stuffing it in a pocket out of sight.
"That isn't important," he said, grabbing her by the elbow and ushering her towards the castle. "Let's not let that ruin anything."
"Why did it..." Mari trailed off, understanding. The necklace had some sort of magic in it, something that attempted to affect her with strong and persistent magic. Instead of accomplishing its purpose, her natural ability repealed it, and it broke.
"I want to show you what will be expected from my future wife," Vladmir said, half dragging her through the hallways of the castle.
Mari kept her mouth shut. No need to remind him that she never agreed to marry him, especially since he didn't exactly say that wife would be her. She didn't know what game he was playing, but if he wasn't going to propose, she didn't have to say no, explain why, and put Chase in danger.
Vladmir brought her to the long room that Chase had snuck her into before in the guise of an elf. It was empty of all people, the thrones the only furniture in the room. Vladmir walked towards them, Mari trailing behind, reluctant to come any closer to the seats of power which held her very life in their owner's hands.
Vladmir sprawled across his mother's throne, a lazy smile on his face.
"My consort will assist me," he said, gesturing to his father's seat. "This is where we rule, where we make the decisions for the people that they need. If someone has a problem, we resolve it. Like your human Solomon, we cut the babies in half so that everyone has their equal share, and there is no doubt in justice."
"Making the world a better place," Mari said, unable to resist the sarcasm of her statement. If a better place meant allowing murder, intrigue, and deceit, then the fae world would be a paradise under Vladmir's rule. "How does your mother feel about you ruling?" She tried to keep her tone innocent and light.
Vladmir shot up to his feet like someone stuck a hot poker against his flesh.
"It will be a long time before anyone has to worry about that," he said, a little too loud, glancing around as he spoke. "A long, long, long time."
That made Mari wonder. Normally a person would express regret and distress at the thought of their parent eventually passing from old age, but Vladmir wasn't acting like that was a possibility. How long did elves live? She thought Vladmir was close to her age until she met the more teenage looking Chase. How old were either of them?
Vladmir moved away from the throne, setting a brisk pace towards the door with his long legs. "There is one more thing I want to show you," he said as she jogged just to keep up with him.
Several corridors later, he stopped in front of a wooden door strapped with metal bars, sturdy and defensible. He opened it, and Mari entered a room she could only describe as lavish.
Thick armchairs and a lounger sprawled in the room, a coffee table taking center stage. A warm red rug covered most of the floor, leaving the chair next to the window, the only one left touching the cold stone. Aside from the furniture, the only other items in the room were an embroidery stand and an armoire. There were a few other items in the room, an embroidery stand, and an armoire. On each wall of the room was another door, and Mari could see through the window that the one in the back led to a private garden.
"My consort will live here," Vladmir said, moving deeper into the room.
"Or you, if you lose," Chase muttered under his breath behind her. "Then, the new heir to the throne will get your rooms."
Mari tried not to react, pretending that she didn't hear him. He wasn't talking to her.
Vladmir held the door on the right side of the room open, waiting for her, an expectant look on his face. He must not have heard Chase.
Mari joined him and walked into the room, lit only by the light from the sitting area.
What she saw stopped her in her tracks before she'd taken more than a few steps into it. In the center of the room was an overdone bed. Four poles shot up towards the ceiling with mountains of fabric draped down towards the bed, making it look more like a boudoir than a place to sleep.
"This is where my consort and I will spend the first night of the
rest of our lives together," Vladmir said, behind her.
Mari started to backpedal, horrified by the mental image that assaulted her with his words.
Her back pressed into Vladmir, who was blocking her way, and she jumped forward, turning to face him. He caught her arm and started to pull her towards him.
"Aren't you happy?" he asked, leaning his face closer to her and invading her personal space. Mari started wondering how she would react if she smashed her forehead into his nose hard... probably wasn't a good idea. "Or perhaps it's that you don't want to wait..." he winked at her and wrapped his hands around her waist. Mari put her palms on his chest, tensing her arms.
"I ah... no... I..." Mari stammered, panicking. Her mind raced. Was she supposed to be in love with him? If that were true, she would do anything for him... even this. To this degree, physical affection was not something that Mari was prepared to fake or even know how to. She started thinking of ways to get out of the situation. "I'm saving myself for marriage," she squeaked, lying yet again for the sake of her sanity.
Mari wasn't saving herself for anything except for the moment that she felt mature enough and ready, which wasn't then. She'd barely started kissing!
Vladmir gave her another smile, lifting his eyebrow as he tried to pull her closer and was stopped by her fingernails digging into his chest.
"There are other things we can do," he said, his voice dark. "I promise you'll enjoy it."
Vladmir kicked the door with his foot, sending it swinging towards closing. They were about to be left in darkness! He leaned in, trying to kiss her as she squirmed, trying to get away and look around the room for something she could hit him with.
The door stopped a few feet from closing.
Chase cleared his throat.
Vladmir turned, not releasing her.
"What are you doing? Leave!" he ordered.
"I can't do that," Chase said. "She might be attacked while you are... preoccupied."
"Well then stay and watch," Vladmir said, turning back to Mari.
"No!" she shrieked. At that point, she lost control, yanked her hand back, and sent it across Vladmir's face with the force of pent up anger and panic.