Shadowfall

Awakening

You two, what are you doing? I didn’t call you, and I wasn’t being attacked! This is Prince Caleth and he’s exactly who wasn’t supposed to see any of us, so you need to stop and relax!

Guess the cat’s out of the bag, Eos growl-chuckled at his own joke.

You’re an idiot, retorted Nyx scathingly, I’m sorry Leia but we heard you cry out and he tore off after you before I could stop him. He was sure that this shady man was attacking you.

“I wasn’t attacking anyone!” an indignant voice cut through the silence. All three of them whirled to stare at Caleth, who was still struggling to pull himself away from the hedge and looking annoyed.

“What..did you say?” Leia quavered. Caleth glared at her.

“I said, I wasn’t attacking you, you ran into me! And why was I not supposed to see you?” Grunting in frustration, he struggled against his invisible bonds. “Call off your beasts, would you? And you still haven’t told me exactly what they are!”

Leia just continued to gape at him. “What?” he snapped grumpily.

“You can hear them?”

 “Well unless I’m going mad, or you have the uncanny ability to throw your voice, then yes, I can hear them. Did I miss something?” he added, glancing between Leia, who had yet to stop staring at him, and the cats, who somehow also gave off an impression of confusion and wariness.

“It’s just...well, we weren’t talking out loud.”

Caleth looked at her, puzzled.

“I suppose I knew that, since your lips weren’t moving. But I could hear all of your voices filling up my head, as if you were anyway.”

Leia moved around Eos and took a step towards Caleth. She looked back at the white cat, who rolled his eyes and stepped back. Immediately, Caleth was released and he stumbled forwards, surprised. Leia took another step towards him and peered intently into his face. “Caleth, nobody has ever been able to hear Nyx and Eos except for me. Nobody.” Caleth’s glance shifted from her face onto her cats. He studied them for a moment before shifting his gaze back to Leia.

“Those are Phantasii, aren’t they?”

Leia started to protest, but he looked at her levelly and unflinchingly, and she knew he wouldn’t believe anything else. She sighed in defeat.

“Yes.”

“My god.”

“I know.”

“How did you find them? They’re incredible,” he marvelled, reaching out his hand for Eos to consider. The snowy leopard studied it before giving Caleth a not unfriendly growl and bumping his shaggy head into the outstretched palm, clearly pleased by the compliment. Nyx remained standing nearby, watchful and dignified as always, but she had a softer glint in her eye. Leia smiled.

“They found me. They’ve never told me where they were from, but they’ve been with me ever since, and until you, I’m the only one they’ve had this bond with.” She took yet another step towards Caleth, who held her gaze, but shifted his body almost nervously. She was so close now that she could touch him, which she did. She reached up slowly and touched his cheek lightly. Her fingers started to tingle where they connected with him, and the twitch in his jaw made her think that he felt it too. She looked at her fingers, transfixed in the sensation. When she flicked her gaze back to him, she saw that he was still watching her intently, an unreadable expression shadowing his eyes. He slowly reached out and slid his finger along a piece of her moonlight hair.

“You left.” He said simply.

“I know.” She replied for the second time, unable to look away or remove her hand.

“Why?” He asked, moving a little closer.

As she opened her mouth to reply, a nearby voice startled them.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty, where are you?” Leia broke out of her reverie and quickly pulled her fingers from Caleth’s cheek. What was she thinking? He was never supposed to see her or her cats, and now he had startled her into telling him too much.

Caleth swore under his breath. “I suppose I’ve been discovered. We’d better go before Ethain causes a scene. Can you get us out of here?” He strode forward in the direction that Leia had come, but she reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him back.

“Caleth, you can’t tell anyone about the Phantasii. Can you imagine what would happen if people found out about them? The army would probably march out here and try to take them as weapons. You especially cannot tell the council, or even your parents. Please,” she added as he opened his mouth to protest, “please don’t throw us to the wolves.” She looked pleadingly at him, and for extra effect, she pushed a wave of protective emotion towards him in a way that was now becoming familiar.

He straightened up over her. “That’s Prince Caleth,” he smirked, “and yes, I promise I won’t tell anyone. But only if you stop doing that.”

“Stop doing what?” She asked innocently.

“Stop messing with my emotions.” He turned towards the exit, pulling her along with him through their still connected hands. Glancing back at her with a mischievously raised eyebrow, he added, “You have a lot of explaining to do.”

So he knew, she thought to herself, wondering how on earth that was possible. She would have to be careful until she figured him out, and in the meantime, perhaps somehow she would find out exactly what he was doing there. He stepped aside and let her brush past him to lead them out, her mind working furiously as they headed back towards her waiting family.