The Dark Enchantress

Chapter 13 - Princess or Enchantress

The waterfall residence was quieter than Aemond had known it to be since his arrival. Besides the water rushing over the many falls surrounding the residence, the only sounds were the birds singing high in the trees and the distant thunder from the approaching storm. Occasionally, the Prince of Daro would see one of those in residence with him, normally Damian as he wandered around or Andromeda as she went about her daily routine.

Neleys, on the other hand, seemed to avoid him and had been since she'd revealed herself at the ruins of her mother's castle. Since their return, only Finnick has been able to regain the Erisedian Princess's trust. The knight had enticed her from her quarters a few times, although neither journey from her rooms had lasted longer than a few moments. Aemond often hoped to see Neleys when walking the almost familiar halls of the hidden residence, if only to reassure her that he had no intention of sharing her secret or forcing her to return home. All he'd ever wanted was to see her again and know she was safe. Both of which had been fulfilled.

"Do not worry, my lord," came a soft voice from the stone archway leading to the courtyard garden where Aemond had found peace. The silver-haired prince had turned quick enough to give himself whiplash upon hearing the gentle voice of Andromeda. The ink and parchment he'd previously held were forgotten alongside the leatherbound book he'd taken with him to read. "Our princess will eventually get through what bothers her. But you must trust she can fight this battle alone," added the handmaiden. A comforting smile painted her lips before she held out a neatly folded piece of parchment intended for the prince before her.

Aemond could only nod, acknowledging the words spoken to him, even if he struggled with the notion of being unable to help. Without a word, he took the folded parchment held out to him. Offering another small nod of thanks. The silver-haired prince recognized the handwriting as Thomas's. Seeing it only brought more questions to Aemond's loud thoughts. How did Thomas know where he was? Who else knew of his location? What else didn't he know? Were they safe there?

"Aleister, King Valentine's hand. He was the only one Neleys trusted enough. She informed him you were here just after you arrived," stated Andromeda, lifting the shadow of doubt and impending doom that had settled over Aemond in the seconds since receiving the letter. "Once every two weeks, he sends all the letters and any updates around the kingdoms," added the gentlewoman, answering the questions before the Daroian prince had a chance to word them.

"What happened?" voiced Aemond, his voice quiet, no louder than a whisper. As if he dreaded the answer he'd receive. "To force Neleys to run away, to become so scared of everything around her?" he asked as he remembered the past. His childhood days were spent playing with his brother and the Iseult siblings. How Neleys would disregard the people who told her she couldn't do something just because she was a girl. Even how, she'd confidently grab his hand and pull him to follow her to the latest secret passage or room she'd discovered around Erised Castle.

"When she was a child, her mother bound her magic and erased everyone's knowledge of it except for her father's. She was unprepared for it when it returned, stronger than it had been before and far more powerful than Helena's. When she found out her father knew and had told both Helena and Revan but not her, she closed herself off," began Andromeda, stepping closer to the stone bench near the blooming roses—a newfound sadness about her. "The week before she left, one of the lords scared her; she brought the building down on both of them. After that, Neleys believed she was a danger to those around her; she didn't feel as if she could trust her family, so she left. She made a promise the night we left that she wouldn't return to Erised again," explained the handmaiden, recalling Finnick had been the first to volunteer to accompany her. Others followed until the small group that was called the waterfall residence home was formed, and together, they created their own small family.