The Enchanted Queen

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Veralyn's POV
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There was something about Ren that made my heart soar. When he told me that everything was going to be okay, I believed him. I think he truly wants to keep us safe. And I hope that one day we will be able to go back home, but right now I'm going to have to get used to this strange new place. And Asya is going to have to get used to being a part of a species that she previously didn't even believe in.

I look over at Asya. She is sleeping peacefully in a chair that looks soft, but is made with a questionable looking fur. I opted to lay in bed with Ren, who is also sleeping peacefully at the very end of the bed. I think he is afraid to lay close to me, for whatever reason. All I can think about is that kiss. I never wanted it to end. I want to kiss him again and again. He is so gentle and kind. And sadly, I know that he has to go back to the castle at some point. I know he has to face his horrible brother, who has single handedly ruined the lives of both me and Asya.

I wish that we could just live in this tree forever. Me, Ren, and Asya. I wish we didn't have to worry about scary creatures and murderous brothers and the fact that home is a place we will never be able to return to. Everyone has responsibilities and we all have to face the truth at some point: Asya and I do not belong here. And something has to be done about it. I felt Ren move at the edge of the bed, and I watched as he peaked up to look at me.

He smiled. "Good. You didn't run away." He said sleepily.

"No, but I could use a bath and some toothpaste." I joked.

"Alright." He said, hopping up.

"Faeries use toothpaste?" I asked.

"We aren't medieval barbarians. We are just a different species." He laughed. I followed him into a room that sort of resembled a bathroom. But everything looked strange. The bathtub seemed to be filled with water from the lake. It radiated the same blue, shimmery hue. And the toothpaste he handed me was in a jar, rather than a tube. The toothbrush itself was normal looking, thankfully.

"Faeries use the cleansing water of the lake to bathe. I keep some in this bathtub because the lake is often occupied. Just scoop some of this toothpaste out and put it on the brush. There is no need to rinse it out. It's fine to swallow." I gave him a strange look.

"I'm not going to die if I swallow the toothpaste, right?" I asked. Ren laughed.

"No, it's made from herbs in the forest. It's good for you."

"What about this bathtub. Haven't you bathed in it before? That thing is probably swarming with bacteria."

"We don't get sick. There are no such bacteria here. Would you rather bathe in the lake with the other creatures?" He inquired.

"No this is fine. Thank you." I smiled and ushered him from the room.

I miss my shower.

I stripped from my clothes, which were disgusting by now, and stared over the edge of the bath. Do I really want to do this? Cautiously, i dipped my toe in. This is so fucking weird. Surprisingly the water was warm, and as I settled into the tub, a tingling sensation erupted over my skin. It felt just like my bath salts. I submerged myself into the water, scrubbing the dirt and sweat from my hair. I felt clean. Like actually clean.

I stepped out of the bath and wrapped a towel around me. I took the toothbrush and scooped some toothpaste out of the jar with a tiny spoon. The toothpaste tasted like mint, and I scrubbed my teeth and swallowed. Okay, not as unpleasant as I imagined, but still weird.

I peaked my head out of the door and before I could ask for clothes, I saw some lying on the floor outside of the bathroom. I couldn't help but smile as I changed into Ren's large t shirt and boxers.

I wrapped my head in the towel and stepped out of the bathroom. Ren was perched on the bed again. He smiled when he saw me wearing his clothes.

"Why do you have human clothes here?" I asked.

"I bought some things at the festival. No biggie. I just like the way human clothes look. When I'm at the castle, I have to wear my battle suit. I don't like my battle suit. Very stiff, very uncomfortable." I laughed and hopped on the bed.

"You look good in that." He said. His eyes were blazing with some kind of intense emotion. I smiled and covered myself with the blanket. He crawled towards me and gently unwrapped my hair from the towel.

"Can I brush your hair?" He asked.

I shrugged. "If you want to." He grabbed a hairbrush from the dresser and gently combed through my long blonde hair. I closed my eyes, loving the feeling of his fingers running through my hair.

"All done." He said. I turned around and smiled at him.

"How do I look?"

"Beautiful." He smiled and leaned in closer to me. Our lips barely touched when we were interrupted by a scream. I turned to look at Asya. She was awake, and she was freaking out.

"Who the hell is that?" She roared. "And where the hell are we?"

"Asya calm down." I said gently.

"I will NOT calm down. I'm just chilling in my bed asleep one minute, and then some CREEP BITES ME ON THE NECK AND DRAGS ME INTO THE WOODS!" I couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Asya we are not in the woods. We are in the Enchanted Forest. All of the stories of our town are true." Asya laughed, but it wasn't a humorous laugh. I think she is quite literally losing her shit.

"So you expect me to believe that I am a werewolf now? And he is a faery? And we are all living in the fucking enchanted forest filled with god knows what kind of monsters?"

I nodded.

"FUCK!" She screamed.

"Asya we can't go back. The police think you are dead. They think that I killed you and my parents." I explained.

"Well let's get our shit and move to a different state! I don't care. I just want to be anywhere but here." She sighed and slowly sat back down.

"We don't belong in the human world anymore. You're a werewolf, Asya. And we tried to change you back, but we couldn't. So we have to stay here. It's too dangerous to go back."

"Well I can't just live in this tree. I want to go back to the wolves. I don't even know the first thing about being this species. They helped me with my transition. If I stay here, that is where I belong." I looked at Ren helplessly. I couldn't lose my best friend.

"Look Asya. I have a plan, but I need you to stay with us for just a little while. Then, you can go back to your pack." Asya rolled her eyes.

"What could you do that could possibly make any of this better?"

Ren smiled. "I'll tell you."