Chapter Ten
Morning came too early, though I had managed to sleep. There were no birds to wake me. Instead, there was only a cold breeze that blew from the cracked balcony doors. My braided hair had fallen out, and the black strands fell over my face. My blankets barely covered my legs, as I had clearly tossed and turned throughout the night. Damien stood in the doorway, where bright hallway lamps glowed until the sun rose fully. I sat up but didn’t look him in the eyes yet, instead, I padded quietly over to the balcony doors and closed them. My nightgown didn’t cover enough of my skin to keep me warm, but my dress for the coronation wasn’t in my room yet. Groaning, I looked at Damien. “I’m cold,” I whispered.
He only smiled and opened his arms, before I ran and crashed into him. Damien’s arms felt so safe at this moment, that I feared that I wouldn’t want to leave them. I could hear other Fae running about the castle, preparing the final touches, but inside, I was already ready. I was scared, yes, but I was scared of the uncertain future. “Are you ready?” He asked. I nodded, then shook my head. “You’ll be fine, I promise,” he whispered in my ear, and brushed the hair out of my face as I looked up at him.
“Okay.”
We kissed briefly, before he broke from me and smiled. “I’m supposed to take you to a small breakfast,” his voice was amused, but then he pulled me towards the chest and handed me a random dress. I slipped it on without a care and ran with him to a smaller room than the great hall. Clearly, everything there was set up for the events. The food, though, was also far more extravagant. I ate what I could, then nodded to Damien for us to leave. Before I could, though, Aloriel ran up.
“Mira,” her voice was sad, but her eyes were honest as she took my hands. “Thank you, for helping Galen. He wouldn’t have made it back, if it weren’t for you. There were so many of them,” her words caught, and she looked like she was about to cry. “He hasn’t said much since he returned with you, but I know what happened. Thank you.” I looked at her with such sympathy that I felt my own eyes burn a little. “I did what I had to, don’t thank me for doing what anyone should do.”
Aloriel hugged me, and I held her tight before Damien decided that it was time to go. I kissed Aloriel on her forehead before walking away quietly with Damien once more. “Princess, you know why that’s so special, right?” He asked, when we’d returned to my chambers.
I sighed, and walked over to my bed. “Yes,” my voice was unshaken as I looked at him with an amount of confidence I hadn’t felt in a long time. “My brother hid for too long behind these castle walls, using pawns that became one with the victims that they wished to protect.”
“I won’t be like him.”
I only grabbed two plates, and heaped them full of fruits and vegetables before deciding to return to my rooms. My dress had made it onto my bed by now, but the tiara sat carefully on a standing chest. On a stool sat folded attire for Damien: a bright white shirt with red ties towards it’s collar, and dark red pants. Atop the others was a thick black sash to go around his middle, and a ornamented belt to hold his sword. “I’ll change now,” he said quietly into my ear as I walked to my bed and placed the plates down. “If you’ll allow me, princess.”
I gave him a small smile and then nodded my approval. He took his items and walked to my bathing chambers. Guards on the balcony stood resolute as I walked out from between them. Fire fae, like Damien, their wings were glittering red in the light of the early morning sun. As a breeze blew by, I felt my own wings absorb the sunlight - and it was a comforting sensation.
I sunned myself there for a few minutes, my light dress blowing in the breeze, until Damien appeared to my side, dressed and looking every bit the head of the Royal Guard. His hair blew in the breeze, and his amber eyes first took in the sky, before looking at me. “They’re waiting for you outside your door, princess.”
“Who?” I asked, padding into my room. “A few of your closest servants,” he replied. I sighed with a little regret. I should have eaten instead, even if the changed morning air was relaxing. My nerves returned, the anxiety of my situation returning as quickly as it had left, and I buried my face in Damien’s shoulder. Even with this small form all of the kingdom was trapped in, Damien stood taller than me. He patted my head, allowing what was left of my nighttime braid to come loose. My dark hair fell in sheets and before I could try to fix it, Aloriel and the other fae decided to let themselves in and to work.
Bearing small flowers, tended to by the greenhouse workers nearby were set delicately beside the dress. The colors of the blossoms represented the Fae altogether. Fire, Earth, Water, all of them sat peaceably together. One girl who’d come in with Aloriel took even finer and delicate flowers and started weaving them carefully into the metal areas of my mother’s tiara. From the scent that came from all of them, the greenhouse workers had used a minor potion to ensure that the flowers wouldn’t wilt for at least a day to come. They didn’t smell bad, but they no longer smelled like their natural states.
Aloriel smiled at me, and Damien stepped back to allow the various girls to come forward. Not leaving the room, he went to sit over on a chair by the door. Retreating within myself, I stood idly and waited for the girls to do their work.
Morning came too early, though I had managed to sleep. There were no birds to wake me. Instead, there was only a cold breeze that blew from the cracked balcony doors. My braided hair had fallen out, and the black strands fell over my face. My blankets barely covered my legs, as I had clearly tossed and turned throughout the night. Damien stood in the doorway, where bright hallway lamps glowed until the sun rose fully. I sat up but didn’t look him in the eyes yet, instead, I padded quietly over to the balcony doors and closed them. My nightgown didn’t cover enough of my skin to keep me warm, but my dress for the coronation wasn’t in my room yet. Groaning, I looked at Damien. “I’m cold,” I whispered.
He only smiled and opened his arms, before I ran and crashed into him. Damien’s arms felt so safe at this moment, that I feared that I wouldn’t want to leave them. I could hear other Fae running about the castle, preparing the final touches, but inside, I was already ready. I was scared, yes, but I was scared of the uncertain future. “Are you ready?” He asked. I nodded, then shook my head. “You’ll be fine, I promise,” he whispered in my ear, and brushed the hair out of my face as I looked up at him.
“Okay.”
We kissed briefly, before he broke from me and smiled. “I’m supposed to take you to a small breakfast,” his voice was amused, but then he pulled me towards the chest and handed me a random dress. I slipped it on without a care and ran with him to a smaller room than the great hall. Clearly, everything there was set up for the events. The food, though, was also far more extravagant. I ate what I could, then nodded to Damien for us to leave. Before I could, though, Aloriel ran up.
“Mira,” her voice was sad, but her eyes were honest as she took my hands. “Thank you, for helping Galen. He wouldn’t have made it back, if it weren’t for you. There were so many of them,” her words caught, and she looked like she was about to cry. “He hasn’t said much since he returned with you, but I know what happened. Thank you.” I looked at her with such sympathy that I felt my own eyes burn a little. “I did what I had to, don’t thank me for doing what anyone should do.”
Aloriel hugged me, and I held her tight before Damien decided that it was time to go. I kissed Aloriel on her forehead before walking away quietly with Damien once more. “Princess, you know why that’s so special, right?” He asked, when we’d returned to my chambers.
I sighed, and walked over to my bed. “Yes,” my voice was unshaken as I looked at him with an amount of confidence I hadn’t felt in a long time. “My brother hid for too long behind these castle walls, using pawns that became one with the victims that they wished to protect.”
“I won’t be like him.”
I only grabbed two plates, and heaped them full of fruits and vegetables before deciding to return to my rooms. My dress had made it onto my bed by now, but the tiara sat carefully on a standing chest. On a stool sat folded attire for Damien: a bright white shirt with red ties towards it’s collar, and dark red pants. Atop the others was a thick black sash to go around his middle, and a ornamented belt to hold his sword. “I’ll change now,” he said quietly into my ear as I walked to my bed and placed the plates down. “If you’ll allow me, princess.”
I gave him a small smile and then nodded my approval. He took his items and walked to my bathing chambers. Guards on the balcony stood resolute as I walked out from between them. Fire fae, like Damien, their wings were glittering red in the light of the early morning sun. As a breeze blew by, I felt my own wings absorb the sunlight - and it was a comforting sensation.
I sunned myself there for a few minutes, my light dress blowing in the breeze, until Damien appeared to my side, dressed and looking every bit the head of the Royal Guard. His hair blew in the breeze, and his amber eyes first took in the sky, before looking at me. “They’re waiting for you outside your door, princess.”
“Who?” I asked, padding into my room. “A few of your closest servants,” he replied. I sighed with a little regret. I should have eaten instead, even if the changed morning air was relaxing. My nerves returned, the anxiety of my situation returning as quickly as it had left, and I buried my face in Damien’s shoulder. Even with this small form all of the kingdom was trapped in, Damien stood taller than me. He patted my head, allowing what was left of my nighttime braid to come loose. My dark hair fell in sheets and before I could try to fix it, Aloriel and the other fae decided to let themselves in and to work.
Bearing small flowers, tended to by the greenhouse workers nearby were set delicately beside the dress. The colors of the blossoms represented the Fae altogether. Fire, Earth, Water, all of them sat peaceably together. One girl who’d come in with Aloriel took even finer and delicate flowers and started weaving them carefully into the metal areas of my mother’s tiara. From the scent that came from all of them, the greenhouse workers had used a minor potion to ensure that the flowers wouldn’t wilt for at least a day to come. They didn’t smell bad, but they no longer smelled like their natural states.
Aloriel smiled at me, and Damien stepped back to allow the various girls to come forward. Not leaving the room, he went to sit over on a chair by the door. Retreating within myself, I stood idly and waited for the girls to do their work.
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