The Changeling

Chapter XXII- The Lunar City

Sophie:

    A familiar smell filled my nostrils as I inhaled deeply. I felt my body weight shift as I rolled over on a soft surface, sliding my hands down the silky material surrounding me. I was barely conscious in my sleep deprived state.

    Wait, where am I? The thought crossed my mind, and I fought the urge to keep my heavy eyelids closed. I blinked them open as I propped myself up on my elbows.

    Looking up, I saw an entrancing chart of golden constellations covering the ceiling as far as I could see in both directions. For a moment, I stayed there, my mouth agape and my eyes wandering and gliding over the perfect stars, too many to ever memorize.

    This just lasted a moment before questions and confusion filled my mind, and I remember the darkness that had clouded my vision.

    "Good, you're up," a gruff voice echoed around the room. I pushed myself up into a seated position, my eyes darting around the room, searching for the owner of that voice. I saw him, emerging from the shadows of one corner of the room, padding over towards me. Ciardha.

    I pulled the covers protectively towards me, and I maintained eye contact with him as he walked towards me. I didn't have time to notice anything but him. He seemed a little worse for wear compared to how I normally saw him. His hair was mussed up, his eyes weary, and a stubble was beginning to show itself against his smooth skin.

    I refused to say anything to him. It's not that I wouldn't, rather, I couldn't. I watched him as he watched me, shifting his body and crossing his arms over his chest, drawing himself up to the full size he has the ability to be.

    As we seemed to awkwardly size each other up, he clenched his jaw and looked away from me.

Am I really that disgusting to look at- to be with?

"Get dressed, I have left something for you to wear, and I will accompany you to get breakfast," he said, still refusing to look me in the eye, and almost stormed out of the room.

What the hell was his problem? I shrugged to myself and I looked around the room. It was huge and dark, black marble covering the floor and making itself present in forms of columns around the room. Golden designs and trimming gave the room a bit of lightness, but it still remained dark and ornate. The room had a bit of a French style to it, ornate but not to the extremities often popular in baroque looking buildings.

I looked down at myself and the bed I laid in. I was no longer dressed in the skin tight black clothing, but a white shift instead. I felt heat crawl all along my body at the thought of someone changing me, and oddly, something deep inside of me leapt at the idea that possibly it was Ciardha. I shook the thought off and  crawled out of the large and plush bed, and glanced around the room until my eyes fell onto the lighter spot of color. A soft light grey gown was hung over a chair. I padded over to it and began to change as quickly as I could, uncomfortable in this new environment.

I pulled the soft lightweight down down over my head and adjusted it to it. It was quite simple but beautiful and ethereal in it's elegance. It fell gently off my shoulders, and the entire dress was made from a sheer organza like material.

I will never get tired of these beautiful dresses, I thought as I excitedly twirled around in it. I ran my fingers through my undoubtedly knotted and wild hair, and slipped out of the room.

I saw Ciardha, and my breath seemed to stop and I saw him in the soft candlelight of the hallway. I noticed his gaze slide over my body and dress before he nodded approvingly to himself.

"Shall we?" He said softly, and offered his arm to me. I nodded and took it, heat filling my core as the sparks floated down my body.

I watched as we wandered down dark corridors, all elegant and regal, but the same dark colors and black marble filled the halls. The gold trim was made into shapes of leaves and I was mesmerized by it's beauty as we walked passed. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me that should have occurred minutes before.

"Where am I?" I asked, half to Cairdha and half to myself. My voice was but a soft whisper, and I saw him glance down at me with a frown on his face.

"I apologize for not telling you earlier, welcome to the Lunar City, the capital of the Kingdom of darkness," he said matter of factly.

The thought of that made my head spin, and from what whispers I had heard at the winter and summer courts, I was in the dead center of hell.

"how- I just remember being at the neutral ground with the fates and-"

"You fainted, you hadn't eaten in so long-" pain filled his voice, and he paused, breathing heavily as if sooth his temper, "why? Are you trying to starve yourself? I don't understand."

"A girl at Étains told me not to eat food offered by the fae or I'd be stuck here forever," I mumbled. It was the truth- except the part that starving myself wasn't out of the question.

"Well- normally speaking that would be true for a human, but, because you are in fact inevitably tired to this place forever, it won't have the same effect on you, even in your human body," Ciardha spoke, his voice remaining calm and collected as he threw me sideways glances.

We made our way to a pair of double doors which were opened as if by magic, and we walked inside to a long table in a room filed with that same gold and black aesthetic, giving the room a professional air to it.

I walked to the end of the table were Ciardha directed me to sit next to him by the head of the table. I looked longingly at the piles of fruit and pastries on the table.

"Please eat," he breathed, watching my every movement.

A shaking hand reached out from my lap and grabbed a pomegranate from the table and basket of fruit. I bite into it slowly, savoring each and every bite or sweetness that appeared and I felt on my lips.

Suddenly, my hunger overtook me and I became ravenous , and devoured the fruit offered to me. It was better and sweeter, went the flavors were more vivid and vibrate than anything I'd experienced on earth. I loved it.

"Tell me about yourself," that same voice purred from next to me.

Hi! did you miss me (it's been like 5 days but thats super long for me!) I made a lot of plans about where I wanted to go with this book, and where I was planning on making it go! I love y'alls comments btw and I read them all the time to see what you like and what I can change... I really wanna finish my other book (which has been getting a lot of attention recently) so I can focus on a lot of parts of this book.... it'll be great! I'm excited.