Intertwining Destinies

Chapter 31

The trip to the Troll Market seemed as ominous as ever. In the dark tunnels echoing with strange sounds punctuated by the continuous drip of water, Emerald imagined monsters lurking around each turn. Carol walked blindfolded ahead of her, led by Mr. Wink at Nuada's order.

"We should go to Madam Perma's, afterwards. She has the most amazing fabrics at her shop. She has these expert were-spiders from China to do all the weaving, sewing and tailoring. I've heard that even Princess Nuala is a regular customer for her dresses! I always wanted to get a dress made but I'm never sure what would look good on me. Those dresses are really expensive and I don't wanna screw it. Do you want to get something done there? Like a dress or suit or something? We could do it together!" Carol chatted away, not in the least hindered by her blind fold.

"Uhhh, okay," replied Emerald, not paying much attention to her friend's excited rant over the Troll Market shops, as she anticipated what awaited her there.

Her anxiety did not go unnoticed by Nuada. It was quite unusual for him to be feeling anything other than anger and hatred. Hints of guilt had now begun to arise as he realised how effectively his inconsiderate and imprudent actions had made the poor faerie woman so fearful of her own kind. He moved closer to her in an attempt to assuage her unease, but it had the opposite effect and Emerald walked more stiffly than before. He sighed deeply. "You do not need to be so afraid, Emerald. As long as I am with you, you have nothing to fear."

"Yeah, and no one would dare come near us with Mr. Wink by our side. He's like the strongest troll here," put in Carol. She had no idea how nervous Emerald looked,and kept up her enthusiastic descriptions of her favourite shops.

Emerald stopped and looked directly up into Nuada's eyes. "You promise nothing bad will happen this time?" She spoke softly, unheard by the other two ahead.

"I had been waiting until later to give this to you," he said, bringing out a large medallion on a thin gold chain. "This bears the ancient seal of Bethmoora. It is enchanted and will glow any time you will it to. Most fae will spare you when they see it. This seal is bestowed upon the greatest and most important of Bethmooran royalty." He delicately slid his fingers around her neck and fastened the chain. The weight of the pendant resting between her breasts afforded a feeling of reassurance.

Brushing aside a lock of her hair, he gazed into her eyes. "I promise. I will cut down anyone who attempts to hurt you." His look was so intense that Emerald blushed in spite of herself. She tried to force her eyes away from his, but found herself mesmerised by their golden glow.

A loud voice then broke the spell as Mr. Wink bellowed from far ahead. Hastily covering up her embarrassment, she hurried to catch up. She chided herself for acting so foolishly. "Snap out of it!" But now, a little smile lifted the corners of her lips, and she began to pay more attention to Carol.

In the next fifteen minutes they emerged onto a well lit street which was immediately notable as part of a posh district, with shops consisting of wooden structures; some of which were over two storeys high. The street was not as swarming with beings as the ones that Emerald had seen before. The pedestrians looked sophisticated and made low bows to Nuada as they passed by. When their eyes fell on her, their faces betrayed shock. As expected, her gold medallion shining brightly against the black of her attire, immediately drew their attention. Nobody lingered around them after that, which calmed Emerald enough for her to take delight in the new market scene around her.

"Are we there?" asked Carol.

"Aye," Wink grunted, and removed her blindfold.

"This is Azalea Street," she announced. "It's like the 5th Avenue of the Troll Market. You get the best of everything here."