《Elfaeria》


 Chapter 1

    Pookas deep and pookas wide


    Pookas come where you reside


    Where you sleep and deep inside


    Pookas live where you will die


    One will come and one will try


    Hope in one and help their fight


    One was Gold and one was green


    Light and Dark, opposites they seem


    Out of Love and lies and pain


    Comes one who shows them that they are all the same


    Elfaeria came, Elfaeria went, Elfaeria will return again.


    ¡°The king is dead¡±


    For the past two moons, Melina had made it a habit to remind herself of this when she woke up. It seemed prudent to get the gut punch out of the way first thing in the morning and take her daily dose of despair when she was in control instead of when she least expected it. She had realized that reminding herself of her father¡¯s death in this manner prevented her from doubling over in tears in the middle of a conversation or at other inopportune times upon realizing that he was gone. Instead, she carried the burden of his loss wherever she went only to find relief at night when she saw him in her dreams. In her dreams, he was happy and dancing thefleura with her mother. In her dreams he was always there, ready to protect her, loving her and strengthening her, but when she awoke he was gone and Melina was alone, weak, and exposed.


    ¡°The King is Dead¡±, she said again as she stood by her balcony watching the sunrise. With this truth firmly established in her mind and heart, she could focus on the kingdom and being the leader that Aureus needed. Just then, she heard the creak of her door as it opened slowly. Her maid Gloriana was always loud and sunny when she entered Melina¡¯s room in the mornings so this could not be her. Panicking, Melina extended her wings and then wrapped them around herself, cloaking herself so that the intruder could not see her. Where were her guards? Had the assassin come back to finish the job? Would he detect her presence even though she was invisible? She pictured herself lying next to her father in the graveyard, an arrow in her heart like the arrow that had struck his on that fateful day.


    The door opened a little wider and Gloriana tip-toed in. Relieved Melina uncloaked herself behind the drapery in her room so that Gloriana would not see. Only Melina¡¯s Father and Mother had known about her gifts. So it would not be wise to let her maid see her materializing out of thin air. After she uncloaked herself and retracted her wings into her back she came around the door and tapped Gloriana¡¯s shoulder. Gloriana who clearly did not expect to see Melina awake screamed in terror and blindly hurled balls of pixie dust into Melina¡¯s face. Melina, trying her best to fend off the pixie dust attacks finally braved the onslaught and instead grabbedGloriana¡¯s, shoulders.


    ¡°Glo! It¡¯s me, it¡¯s me. What are you trying to do? Blind Me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, your Royal Highness! You scared me half to death! Forgive me, Ma¡¯am. I thought you were asleep¡±, Gloriana exclaimed with a hurried curtsy.


    ¡°Well,youscaredme! You are never that quiet in the morning. I thought you were the assassin! Since when do you care about me getting a good night¡¯s sleep?¡±


    ¡°Well, I just thought you would need as much energy as possible for today...¡±


    ¡°Today?¡±


    All at once, she remembered, and her heart sank. Today was Melina¡¯s coronation. She was to be crowned Queen. This would forever be one of the darkest days of her life. Today was the day she would take her father¡¯s place.


    ¡°Mother?¡± she asked.


    Gloriana only looked at her, her blue eyes full of sympathy.


    Melina looked away. She could not bear to see the pity, to see her childhood friend and confidante look at her that way.


    Her mother was no doubt in a drunken stupor. It was not hard to imagine that she had been drunk since the king¡¯s death two moons ago. Her mother would not leave her chamber. She had not left her chamber to grieve with Melina, she had not left her chamber for the funeral, she had not left her chamber to help Melina unite the kingdom and stabilize the nation after her father¡¯s death. Melina felt like kicking herself for having tolerated the slightest bit of hope that her mother would leave her chamber for the coronation.


    ¡°It is no matter. I have you, my dear friend¡±.


    ¡°And you always will, my queen¡±, she said with a curtsy.


    ¡°That sounds so strange.¡±


    ¡°Well you are going to have to get used to it, your majesty¡±, she replied with a smile.


    The Coronation was a long and tedious affair. The longest part was receiving blessings from the Queen¡¯s Council members. First was Esmerelda. She was to be Melina¡¯s advisor. She was blind and older than any fairy in the kingdom, but she had a mind as sharp as a sword. Next came Kelliara, the head guard and commander of the Aureus armed forces. After Kelliara, the Mystic and highest-ranking pixie in the kingdom, Rowena came and said some spells over Melina. Finally, Cloris came. Melina could not help but notice how handsome he looked. He was fully transfigured, his skin Golden and his wings spread in their full glory.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Melina,¡± he said as if her name was the answer to a question.


    ¡°I always knew you would make an extraordinary Queen. I just hoped it wouldn¡¯t be so soon¡±


    Melina returned his smile as genuinely as she could.


    ¡°We all did¡±, she replied. After saying his blessing he went to sit down and so the festivities continued. Melina could not help but hope that her mother would come but she did not even send a note. Finally, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Her mother would have to face her, one way or another.


    Melina approached her parents¡¯ chambers but the guards would not let her enter.


    ¡°The Queen has asked not to be disturbed¡±, one of the guards said.


    ¡°Iam your Queen¡±, Melina said narrowing her eyes. The guards, unsure about how to handle the situation let her in. His father¡¯s chambers were dark. All the draperies were drawn so that entering the chambers felt as though Melina was descending into a place where all light and happiness had been extinguished, never to return.


    When she saw her mother she lay snoring in her father¡¯s bed, the strong smell of wine emanating from her sheets.


    She shook her mother awake and the queen mother promptly cursed her for rousing her from her slumber.


    ¡°Mother, I am Queen now¡±, Melina said.


    Her mother looked beautiful, even now at her worst, un-transfigured and unkempt. When her eyes were closed one could barely distinguish between her dark lashes and her smooth skin. When she opened her eyes, the contrast between her dark honey brown pupils and her skin was striking.


    ¡°Is this why you shook me awake? You say you are Queen? Queen of what child?¡±


    ¡°Queen of Aureus. Mother, I need you. Aureus needs you. I can¡¯t do this on my own.¡±


    ¡°You are right about one thing. You can¡¯t do it on your own. Why was I cursed with a child as weak as you? Tell me. Have you found the assassin who murdered your father?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but we are making great progress-


    The queen mother stood abruptly ejecting her damaged wings which hung pitifully behind her.


    ¡°Youare no one. Queen of nothing. There is no Aureus without Nikoliad, There is no me without him. There isnothingwithout him!¡±


    Having spent all her energy, she fellback and closed her eyes as tears flowed down her cheeks.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I go instead of him?¡± the Queen Mother whispered to no one in particular. She opened her eyes once again and looked at Melina accusingly,


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you?¡± she asked.


    The words were like a sword through Melina¡¯s heart. Her mother had protected her from the arrows of the assassin by shielding her with her own wings. Her wings had been all but destroyed in the process. Melina since then had determined that this was evidence of her mother¡¯s love. She told herself that it was evidence of her mother¡¯s desire to help her, and evidence that they could be united and rule Aureus side by side. She chuckled bitterly. She had been na?ve. Her mother¡¯s sacrifice had been a momentary fluke, but here was the real queen mother, here was the Elisandre she had known for her eighteen years of life.


    Melina wished that she believed it. She wanted to truly believe that her mother didn¡¯t love her and never would. It would have saved her so much heartache, but she could not control her feelings and she could not tame her heart. She knew she would always have an ember of hope glowing in the darkness of her heart, waiting for the wind of her mother¡¯s attention to ignite into a forest fire. Without another word, Melina opened one of the windows and flew out into the night.


    As she soared through the air she realized that three guards were tailing her. She stopped and turned around to face them.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ your majesty, we are coming with you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because we are your royal guard, your majesty, sworn to protect the ruler of Aureus¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you for your protection. I will not be needing your services tonight¡±


    ¡°But your majesty, we are responsible for-¡°


    ¡°I am queen, I am quite tired of reminding people of that, but here I am, doing it again. I am the queen and I command you to leave me alone.¡±


    The guards were taken aback and appeared uncertain.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I do not mean to be difficult. I simply need time to myself and I am telling you to please, leave me be.¡±


    She did not wait for their reply and instead flew to the edge of her kingdom as quickly as she could. She paused only for a moment at the border to make sure that no one was following her then headed into the forest. She had never left the kingdom alone, and never at night but her grief gave her a reckless courage. It seemed as though her mother didn¡¯t quite care what happened to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t quite care what happens to me too,¡± Melina whispered.


    In the unclaimed woodlands that lay between Aureus and Elveria was a region where the trees in the forest were tightly packed making it impossible for anyone on foot or anyone who didn¡¯t know exactly where they are going to access the clearing in the middle of the thicket. Beneath the canopy of trees was a waterfall that had eaten into the rock beneath it to create a deep pool over the centuries. This was where Melina landed on the night of her coronation.


    The pool was different at night. It had an ethereal quality to it and the moonlight gave the surrounding forest a mysterious glow. She pictured the pool in the daylight. The dappled light streaming through the canopy dotting the dark waters. The rocks surrounding the pool were the perfect place to dry off after a good swim on a warm summer day. As she looked into the moonlit waters, she saw her father teaching her to swim. She saw him comforting her after another fight with her mother. She saw his golden skin glowing where the sunlight touched his skin. She remembered his laugh, his embrace, and his scent.


    Alone, in this place, which held so many of her cherished memories, Melina felt safe, safe enough to be weak. Finally, the floodgates opened and unleashed gut-wrenching sobs from the deepest parts of her soul. Before long she was wailing into the night. Who would have known that grief had the power to reveal a person¡¯s most primal, truest self? Who knew that it could turn you into an animal, howling in the night? Her mother had implied that she wished that Melina had died instead of her father. Well¡­that made two of them.


    At that moment she heard a twig snap behind her. She was not alone.


    Instinctively she extended her wings and cloaked herself. She had been stupid. The assassin had found her. She would have to fight. She would have to -


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you,¡± a soft voice said from the trees. ¡°I just want to know if you are alright.¡±


    Slowly she moved backward, hoping to escape before she was caught by an arrow or worse.


    ¡°I already know you are there,¡± the voice said. ¡°Here, I will come out into the open so that you can see that I mean no harm.¡±


    An elf stepped into the clearing, his pale luminous skin shimmering in the moonlight.

 Chapter 2

    Dilwyn had done many stupid things in his life, but this here was likely the most foolish thing he had ever done. Despite the fae girl''s fragile appearance, Dilwyn knew that she could have powers that would lead to his destruction. But when he had heard her gut-wrenching sobs, and felt her great ocean of sadness, threatening to envelop her in its darkness something in him, a warm, fierce, and protective instinct had forced him to step out of the shadows and into the open.


    Whether it was from shock, or because he had just told her that he had seen her, she let down her wings and broke whatever cloaking spell she was using. The first thing he noticed about her was that she was beautiful, and nothing at all like the tales all the elf children were told in Elverira about the evil golden fairies who captured naughty children and threw them into a lake of molten gold. There was a vulnerability to her, now, with her mouth open in shock and her defenses down. He wondered if she had ever seen an elf before, he certainly had never seen a golden fairy, except in books. He was sure she was wondering what kind of elf would speak to a fairy, let alone ask after her well-being. Just as well, because He was wondering what kind of fairy, could turn herself invisible on a whim, furthermore, he was wondering what kind of fairy would be in an old elvish enclosure late at night, by herself.


    They stood there for an eternity, looking at one another. At least it felt that way to Dilwyn. To Melina, it was only a few seconds as she tried to digest the fact that an elf had spoken to her, an elf was on secret fairy property and an elf could look the way this elf looked... She quickly regained her composure and like a snail retreating into its shell, her true feelings were slowly concealed behind the mask of a steely exterior. She spread her wings, fully transfiguring into her golden form. Her eyes glowed, as though a fire were lit in the deep recesses of her soul. She was terrifying to behold, terrifying and ravishing. One could almost believe she was a golden statue floating a few inches above the ground made to look as life-like as possible. She was still looking at him, as though he was a worm or a spider, scurrying beneath her feet. This display of her bewitching transfigured form in the dark was likely meant to frighten Dilwyn, and he would have been absolutely petrified if he had not felt her fear beneath the hard exterior. It was, no doubt a dangerous fear, like that of a cornered animal, but it was fear all the same.


    "I just wanted to know if you were okay," he said.


    "And what does my welfare have to do with you, Elf?"


    The way she said elf was with such disdain, she might as well have spit it out.


    "Good point," he said, "Your welfare, doesn''t really have anything to do with me, but you see when I see someone hurting. I want to help. That''s just who I am. I''ve never seen a fae girl at the moon pool, or in general to be completely honest with you so I thought-"


    "I am no ''fae'' girl. I am the Golden Fairy Queen."


    "Oh...wow... uh hello your... majesty. I suddenly feel a lot more unsafe," Dilwyn said, chuckling nervously.


    "I could have you executed," she said.


    "I realize that, but that won''t be necessary-"


    "For trespassing,"


    "Now hold on a second, this is the Royal Elvish Moon Pool"


    "This pool has been passed down in my family, from ruler to heir, for generations, elf; I think I know what I am talking about"


    "You know what? I really don''t like the way you say ''elf'' and I have never ever seen a golden fairy here at night",


    "Well, we are not supposed to come here at night".


    "And we cannot enter this place during the day." Dilwyn countered


    "You said this is the Royal Elvish Moon pool, are you a member of the elvish royal family?"


    The elf''s clothes were of excellent quality, but simple. Melina would have never thought him a prince.


    "No I am a royal guard", he replied.


    "If this, as you say, is a Royal Elvish Pool, then what are you doing here?"


    "Life was getting a little boring, I thought I''d risk my life; see what all the fuss is about. Swim in the royal pool, subsequently get executed. I feel pretty ready to die."


    She started at him dumbly.


    "Obviously, your majesty I''m doing what a royal guard does, royally guarding", he said with a smirk, leaning against a tree with his dark hair tucked behind a pale pointy ear.


    His stance was entirely too casual for Melina''s comfort.


    "Do not lean against the tree elf."


    "My name is Dilwyn, your Majesty."


    "I do not need to know your name, elf. This is not a conversation. This is not even an interaction."If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "You could have fooled me, with all those questions," he retorted.


    Melina at that moment decided that she would no longer tolerate the impertinent elf.


    "If I see you here again, I will have your head", she said as she took off.


    "As long as you come during the day, you won''t have to!" he called after her.


    .....


    Kelliara was fuming. As the head of the royal guard, it was her job to make sure that the queen was protected at all times. It was one thing for her majesty to fly around the kingdom unaccompanied, but to leave the kingdom''s boundaries and have the entire guard looking for her all night in every nook and cranny was something entirely different. So when Kelliara entered the new Queen''s first council meeting, she had a bone to pick with her majesty.


    "You cannot just leave your majesty!" Kelliara said after the usual pleasantries had been exchanged and the minor issues on the agenda had been addressed.


    "I''m sorry, Kelliara, I understand your frustration but, with Father dying and the coronation-"


    "I don''t think you understand anything, your majesty, because if you did, there wouldn''t be a ''but'' in your sentence."


    "May we remember that we are speaking to the Queen, and speak with all due respect", Rowena''s soft voice interjected.


    "Shut up, Rowena," Kelliara retorted sharply. "You are a pixie; your high ground can easily be pulled out from under you"


    Melina touched Kelliara''s arm, hoping to restrain her.


    "Kelliara, you must not speak to Rowena that way", but Kelliara only shook off Melina''s hand.


    "I am sure that if we all quiet down, we can find a way forward that leaves everyone satisfied," Cloris interjected.


    Jonasi, Kelliara''s second in command seemed taken aback by the mayhem. Esmerelda, sitting next to him almost as though she could see the look on his face gave him a pat on the back, and smiled at him serenely.


    "Don''t worry, young Jonasi, this is always how it is when there is a transition of power", she said in her reedy, shaky voice which betrayed her old age.


    Suddenly, Melina stood up.


    "Stop!" Melina yelled, silencing everyone with her outburst.


    "Kelliara, I don''t care how you believe a Queen should or shouldn''t behave, this-" she said gesturing to herself "-is the Queen you get. I will tell you how much protection I need, when and where. You will follow my command".


    "Is that so?" Kelliara countered under her breath.


    "What was that?" Melina asked


    "I said ''if you say so'', your majesty."


    The title sounded sarcastic and mocking coming from Kelliara.


    "This meeting is adjourned, Please give my sister and I the room. I would like to speak with her...alone"


    After the council members left, Melina sat down, exhausted, and looked at Kelliara, who sat sullenly with one leg crossed over the other and her hands folded over her chest.


    "Kelli, you cannot speak to me like that, especially not in public. I''m not simply your sister anymore, I''m more than that. You know that."


    "We are the same age, born on the same day. We are both our father''s daughters, but you expect me to grovel-"


    "Yes! Groveling is not exactly what I had in mind, but you know what? If it helps you get it through your thick skull that I outrank you now and always will then maybe you should grovel"


    "I am five minutes older than you. I should be queen."


    "But I am Queen."


    "I should be queen."


    "Well, I don''t know what to tell you, Kelli! You can take that up with Father, he chose me."


    "Mother says it should have been me, she knows that I am much stronger than you are"


    Melina was speechless and hurt that Kelliara would bring up what she knew was a sore spot. But this was her twin sister, and Melina knew exactly how to hit Kelliara where it hurt too.


    "Maybe father knew that you would never amount to anything more than a soldier," she retorted.


    Kelliara looked at Melina as though she had just struck her. Melina looked back at her stubbornly, unwilling to give in to the guilt that threatened to engulf her when she saw Kelliara''s wounded look. After all, she was the one who had brought up mother.


    "You are not the only one who is hurting you know?" Kelliara whispered, "Father may have loved you more, but I loved him the most."


    A long silence followed, and then Melina stood up.


    "Do as I say or you will be reporting to Jonasi soon."


    It was only midday, but Melina already felt like she needed a break from everyone. She hadn''t even been able to tell Kelliara about the elf at the pool. The pool had been a place that only Melina and her father shared, but Melina had been ready to tell Kelli about it so that they could defend it against the intruder. She realized now that if she told her sister, she would just be proving Kelliara''s point that she was putting herself in harm''s way. She sighed. Ten minutes, she just needed ten minutes at her balcony, alone. To her immense exasperation, she found Cloris waiting for her near her chambers. He was untransfigured, but still, his light brown skin seemed to glow from within.


    "Cloris, you can''t just come in here, who let you in?" she asked.


    "I can be persuasive," he said as a slow smile crept across his face.


    She knew he had likely used the secret passageways she had shown him, once upon a time.


    "I''m very busy Cloris," she said wearily, "Don''t you have some foreign diplomatic business to attend to?"


    "I''m still in love with you Mel", he said with that smile that could melt the heart of any girl in the golden kingdom. Melina looked into his amber eyes. They were soft and alluring. She was tempted to believe him, to forgive all his transgressions but she was unwilling to fall for his tricks anymore.


    "It''s too late", Melina said, trying to ignore her racing heart.


    He took her hand and held it to his chest.


    "I love you, Mel, I always will".


    How she had wanted to hear him say those words, even once, but he had needed time. She saw it all flashing before her eyes, his unfaithfulness. The words that he had said to her, as sharp as daggers that she felt were still embedded in her heart. She remembered how he had called her cold, emotionless, and unfeeling. How he had blamed her for his own mistakes. At that moment she felt everything he had put her through, and a deep hot anger filled her veins.


    "It''s too late!" she yelled as she pushed him with all her might. He flew backwards and quickly spread his wings to steady himself in the air.


    He cocked his head to the side and looked at her curiously.


    "Kelliara is wrong about you. You are strong, but only when you are experiencing strong emotions."


    "Oh you and Kelliara have been talking about me, have you?" she said, as she felt the rage build up to greater heights than she could have ever imagined.


    "No, I-"


    Just then, Kelliara burst into the hallway.


    "We captured him, we captured the assassin. It''s an elf."


    Melina could feel the rage coursing through her veins and decided to redirect all of it towards the wretched creature that had made the misguided mistake of believing he could kill the King of Aureus and get away with it. Whatever that elf thought would be his punishment, was nothing compared to what was to come.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    ¡°Remember, be gentle. Skate over the mind but do not penetrate it. We don¡¯t want to mind-lock the poor animal,¡± King Nikoliad said to his daughter, Melina. She was sitting cross-legged in the grass with her eyes closed.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be careful Father,¡± she said.


    your majesty you cannot be here.¡±


    ¡°The entire royal family, here just to see poor old me. I¡¯ve never felt so special,¡± a low husky voice said from the dark cell.


    ¡°What does he mean ¡®the whole family? Is mother here?¡± Melina asked but she already knew the answer.


    The Kingdom falling apart, King Nikoliad¡¯s funeral, Melina¡¯s coronation ¨C all this had not been enough to bring Queen Elisandre out of her chambers, but this prisoner had gotten the honor of the queen mother¡¯s presence. It should have come as no surprise to Melina that her mother¡¯s hatred was far more powerful and far greater than her love, but it did. Melina''s capacity for hope in the redemption of her mother¡¯s character never ceased to amaze her, but she felt something shift within her. Where she would have been hurt and broken-hearted in the past she only felt anger, nay not anger, rage, rushing through her veins like hot molten lava.


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    you try to get something out of him then? If you think it is so simple.¡±


    am the queen. Frankly, I am glad that you have been so uncooperative. I am happy that you just insulted my father to my face.¡± At this, she smiled.


    ¡°I am not afraid of you and I am prepared to die,¡± he said with determination.


    ¡°I am surprised that you still feel as though you have the freedom to speak in riddles.¡± She said her voice dangerously low.


    ¡°I would like to know what you, an elf has to do with a possible Golden Kingdom pixie insurrection,¡± Melina asked, cocking her head to the side inquisitively.


    Nikoliad, Nikoliad¡¯  she searched and in answer to her calls she saw flashes of images,


    ¡°What did you do to him?¡± Kelliara whispered, horrified.


    ¡°It gave me great pleasure to watch that elf writhe and scream and it gives me pleasure to know that he will suffer a little while longer. I think I remembered why I love you¡± Queen Elisandre said holding Melina¡¯s cheek for a moment.

 Chapter 4

    Melina should have been surprised to see the elf as she swooped down into the clearing, but somehow, she had known that he would be there. He had picked the wrong day to come to the fae pool. She approached him stealthily, unsure about how exactly she was going to do it, but one thing was for sure, she was going to take him down.


    He sat hunched over with his back to Melina. One of his feet was in the pool. He seemed relaxed, almost at ease. It irritated Melina. This time she would get rid of him for good. This time she was not afraid. Melina felt immensely powerful. She no longer felt the need to hide her power, and no one would ever make her again.


    ¡°I know you are there, your majesty¡±, the elf said.


    His voice was shaking, and she realised that he wasn¡¯t at ease at all, he was crying. Suddenly she felt unsure. She very well couldn¡¯t destroy someone who was crying.


    For Melina, this was uncharted territory. She had never seen anyone but her mother, and of course, herself crying. Even when she cried, she tried to avoid any mirrors in her vicinity. She did not want to see herself that way. In Elverira crying in public, or in the presence of another was frowned upon. It was akin to undressing in public. It was a sign of weakness. One might as well have signalled to the world ¡°Here I am! I am weak and vulnerable, easy prey! Come and get me!¡± and the predators of the court would swoop down and have a party at your expense.


    ¡°I sense your discomfort,¡± he said with a chuckle.


    He was right, she was very uncomfortable. How could he know?


    ¡°And now, you are confused,¡± he said.


    ¡°How do you-¡±


    ¡°Empath¡±, he stated cutting her off.


    He looked up at her with a shaky smile. His green eyes were glassy with tears.


    ¡°For all the good it does me,¡± He continued ¡°Out of all the elvish gifts I could have received at my birth, mind-reading would have been much more useful. I¡¯ve never once used being an empath for any good. Well, no, that¡¯s not right. I used it for good once.¡± He looked up at her ¡°After all that¡¯s how I knew, well, it¡¯s more like I made an educated guess that you wouldn¡¯t hurt me that first day we met¡±.


    The elf¡¯s voice was still shaking, and he looked small and weak somehow. Even though in reality, he was much large than her. Despite the negative associations she had when it came to vulnerability, the elf¡¯s brokenness, openness, and weakness pulled at her heartstrings. She sat next to him and lifting her dress she put both her feet into the water.


    ¡°I used to love coming here with my father. Sometimes we would just put our feet into the water, like this and talk.¡± She looked up at Dilwyn. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s uh-¡± he chuckled, and his chuckle turned into a sob. He covered his face and sobbed for a while.


    Melina was ill at ease, but she felt deep sympathy for the elf. Even though she did not know what had brought him such immense grief. She put a hand on his back and patted him awkwardly.


    ¡°There, there,¡± she said self-consciously.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Was that even a normal thing to say when someone was hurting? It was definitely the best she had. She remembered her Nanny saying the same thing to her whenever she hurt her wings as a child.


    ¡°It¡¯s sweet. That you are trying,¡± Dilwyn said, ¡°It¡¯s my brother. He¡¯s dead,¡±


    Melina¡¯s heart sank. She knew too well how deeply such a close loss could hurt.


    ¡°What happened?¡± She asked.


    ¡°We think it¡¯s pookas, you know. Out in the woods. There have been sightings recently. My brother, he uh, he loved exploring. He would ride to the very edges of the forests just to see what lay beyond.¡±


    ¡°Pookas? But those are creatures of myth¡­aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Oh, they are very much real. The elves know it. You fairies knew it once.¡±


    ¡°You say that you think it was pookas? haven¡¯t you seen his body? Can¡¯t you tell for sure?¡±


    ¡°No, we haven¡¯t seen his body¡±.


    ¡°So how do you know that he has died??¡±


    ¡°I feel it. He was my twin brother you see. As an empath, I have strong empathic bonds with the people closest to me,¡±


    She had hoped for his sake that there was still a chance that his brother was alive. She felt her heartbreak for him.


    ¡°I lost my father. An elf shot him with an arrow. He was my best friend. I am sorry, that you are in pain. I know the pain you feel most intimately.¡± S


    he took his hand and held it in both of hers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said with a small smile ¡°An elf killed your father? no wonder you hate elves¡± he continued.


    ¡°I thought you were supposed to be an empath. Do you feel like I hate you?¡±


    He paused for a moment. ¡°No, no you don¡¯t. You seem sympathetic, perplexed and a little... intrigued?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± she said, ¡°My point is, we do not hate the elves. The truth is we fear them. Although I did not live through the wars, I know they were not pleasant. I know you are dangerous.¡±


    ¡°We could say the same about you,¡± he said, ¡°Tell me, your majesty. What intrigues you about me?¡± He asked bringing his face close to hers.


    She folded her hands and stood up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get familiar, elf¡±.


    ¡°And the walls are up, and I have to admit they are pretty high - but I can scale them, ¡°he said with a wink.


    ¡°What is wrong with you? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be grieving?.¡±


    His smile slowly fell away. ¡°Yes, I am. It was nice to forget that for even a second. Besides my good humor and grief are not mutually exclusive¡±


    He gave her his crooked smile again. ¡°And flirting helps me forget. Just for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Flirting? Flirting! I can¡¯t even - well, I never- You- You are an elf!¡± she spluttered.


    ¡°I am aware,¡± he said, his smile widening.


    She crossed her hands and fixed him with a very stern look. Then he winked at her! Melina couldn¡¯t believe it. What was happening here? He was an elvish guard! She was a fairy queen!


    She shook her head from side to side. Then, slowly, even though she was fighting it, she smiled, and once she allowed that small smile, she started to laugh. It was a full high-pitched laugh. Dilwyn started to laugh with her, which only made her laugh harder. She doubled over, tears flowing out of her eyes. Soon she was lying on the ground and Dilwyn was lying next to her.


    After a while, they quieted down. And for a while, they just lay next to each other looking at the sky through the gaps in the tree canopy.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t laughed like that in - I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever laughed like that¡± Melina said.


    ¡°That was the most beautiful sound I¡¯ve ever heard. It¡¯s a shame that more people don¡¯t get to hear it¡±.


    ¡°Stop! ¡°she said pushing him. ¡°You¡¯re such a charmer! How many women have you said that to?¡±


    ¡°I will admit that I am a charmer, but when I say these things to you. You have to know I mean them.¡±


    She looked at him. His face was completely serious. This was stupid. She was screaming at herself in her mind because she was about to say something that she could not take back. Something that would likely change things forever. But she had seen a glimpse of happiness and felt a moment¡¯s peace. She wasn¡¯t going to let that go.


    ¡°Dilwyn. I formally permit you to enter this clearing,¡± she said to him.


    He chuckled, then he stood and gave her a quick bow, ¡°What an honour. Thank you, your majesty.¡±


    She sat up. ¡°It¡¯s a bad idea, but I think I want us to be friends Dilwyn. I like your company¡±.


    ¡°It¡¯s that elvish charm,¡± he said with a wink.


    She giggled. What a strange sound it was to her ears.


    ¡°Yes. Maybe,¡± she said.


    She was glad he could only read hearts and not minds and afraid of what he would have thought of her if he knew that he was her first and only friend.