Ch.22
First thing you did this morning after feeding all your animals was head to the castle. So many of your animals were going wild this morning. You're not sure if Youngjo riled them up or something. The ducks were following you nonstop as you went around throwing bird feed on the ground. There were some pieces of cut up fruit as well for the bigger animals. It was funny seeing a few squirrels rush down from their trees to get the fruit. They had to get there faster than the birds who were trying to snatch it up into the sky. Though it wasn't as bad as you eating an apple and Youngjo having the audacity to peck at it straight from your hand.
There was a lot you wanted to say to Youngjo. Based off the conversation that happened the other day at the castle, you were more than ready to lecture your bird. He got lucky though since he flew away to go travel wherever he wanted. Not without leaving you a broken silver spoon he found who knows where. His version of gifts was...appreciated. Into the box it went. The next time you see him though, you'll have a strong word with him. Youngjo can't escape you!
Other than that, you got on Malakai and went to the castle. Today might as well be the day you learn something new from Jimin. You don't have the other skills mastered yet, but you figured it would be better to have all the skills achieved at least. You can focus on putting them into action later and improving your grip on them. Malakai stopped in front of the castle steps for you to get off. You climbed down, patting Malakai for being a good horse. He soon trotted off while you went inside the castle. As soon as you got in, you met no one.
Where was Jimin? Walking down the long hallway, you looked around and noticed how much cleaner the castle was. There weren't as many cobwebs in the corners of rooms anymore. Dust wasn't piling on picture frames or stuck in nooks and crannies. It managed to put a smile on your face to see the effort all the creatures have been putting into taking care of the castle. The castle was becoming a home again. You were getting so absorbed in examining the house that you almost forgot what you came here for. It wasn't until you made it to the end of the hall where the large windows allowed the light to come in.
"You're here!" Taehyung grinned, causing you to face him. He stood in his human height and looked handsome with the sun's glow on his blue skin.
"Oh! Taehyung, it's nice to see you. I see you guys have been cleaning the castle." You pointed out to get an enthusiastic nod from him.
"Yeah, Hoseok and I have been working hard to get the castle looking nice again! The others try to help too, but I don't think they enjoy it as much as us." Taehyung chuckled with a shrug. "Jimin has mainly been helping with the nature as you can see." He gestured out the window to the garden outside. You took a look to see Jimin using his magic to heal a majority of the plants that were out there. The overgrown plants were being trimmed and weeds were taken out. "We have a strong connection to nature, fairies specifically."
"It's looking beautiful." You admired Jimin's work. "I'm actually going to go talk to him right now. I want to see if I can learn my skill from him today."
"Really? That's big! Go on ahead!" Taehyung stepped out of the way. He held his arm out for you to continue walking to the right of the hall to meet Jimin. Returning Taehyung's smile, you thanked him and began walking only to pause in your tracks. You turned to grab Taehyung's hands, squeezing them.
"Oh, right. Taehyung, I wanted to tell you that the soup you created was so delicious. I think you really have a knack for cooking. You'll be better than me in no time!" You told him. You weren't positive if you had told him this yesterday, but you wanted him to know. "I can't wait to cook with you again!" You waved goodbye to him.
You didn't stay much longer to start another conversation. The plan was to find Jimin and start early on your plan anyway. Getting distracted happened by accident. You just wanted him to know, but you didn't get to see the way it made Taehyung's eyes sparkle. He was finding his purpose here and it made him feel fuzzy inside. Your approval was different from Namjoon's though. The pixie couldn't help himself from looking down at his hands that you had held. He closed his hands, not realizing that his cheeks were getting dusted with a darker shade of blue.
"Why must my heart beat like this?"
Humming to yourself, you went down the stairs and opened the doors to the outside courtyard. The first thing you noticed were the fountains. Hoseok was so quick to clean them that it still impressed you. Today Seokjin wasn't taking a swim. You felt bad he had to swim in such limited space. It was only for the time being. You hopped down the stone steps to approach Jimin who was in his larger form as always. He seemed to prefer it despite it making him lose the ability to fly with his wings. They were purely decorations in this form.
"Jimin!" You called out to the fairy. You could see his blonde roots while he was knelt down on the ground tending to the plants. He lifted his head, allowing you to see the rest of his blue hair and his charming smile.
"You're here!" Jimin dusted his hands off quickly. He stood up, happily opening up his arms to embrace you. "That excited to see me?"
"Sure." Your playful attitude earned you a light shaking from Jimin. Being wrapped in his arms was now a punishment. You just giggled before he loosed his grip around you, chuckling at your reaction. "Okay, I am excited to see you!" You tried not to stumble to the side. Jimin almost made you dizzy and lose your footing.
"See, was that so hard to admit?" Jimin crossed his arms. He wouldn't accept anything that wasn't a compliment. Full of himself as usual it seems. "Are you finally ready to learn from me?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." You nodded. "So what do we do first? Talk? Work on the garden?"
"We can do both," Jimin stated. "Helping out with the garden is my specialty. I have a unique connection with nature as a fairy, you know?"
"Taehyung was just telling me."
"He was? Yeah, there's a lot us fairies can do. We're not just delicate little creatures." Jimin crouched down to get closed to a flower bud. The stem was drooping and the petals looked a bit dry. Jimin rubbed his fingers over it, sprinkling small pieces of light over it. Your mouth opened in awe to see the flower bud growing healthy thanks to Jimin. "To be fair, all creatures have a unique strong connection with nature. It's almost the same as animals. It's far deeper than what a human has and I guess that's why you're learning from us."
"Jungkook said my magic opens a bridge and learning from you guys will help me reach the other side," You said as Jimin hummed in response.
"He has a good point there. And that is the only thing I choose to agree with him on." Jimin looked at you with a frown. He wanted to make his disliking for the angel known. Jungkook may be an angel, but that didn't automatically mean he was perfect. He had his own flaws too and they were mainly centered around his prejudice against dark creatures. Even Jimin could understand it to a degree, but his friend hasn't done anything wrong the entire time Jungkook has known Taehyung. When would he realize not all dark creatures were conniving beings? "I'll teach you more than that guy ever could."
"You really don't like him?" You asked in a cautious tone. It was enough to fire up Jimin, but he took a brief moment to pause. It was easy for his own temper to get the best of him and act impulsively. It was something Taehyung wanted him working on though. Only because of the pixie did Jimin take a breath and think out his next words.
"He doesn't respect Taehyung. I get where Jungkook is coming from, it's what we're all taught, but he's not helping anyone by keeping that idea alive. He's only hurting himself too." Jimin sighed heavily, allowing his shoulders to sink. He lightly ran his fingers through the plants nearby as a distraction. "Taehyung is the kindest person I've ever met. Not creature. Person. And I'm just so sick and tired of people assuming the worst of him when he's a hundred times better than they will ever be."
"It's really admirable how much you care for Taehyung. He's really lucky to have a friend like you." You patted Jimin's back, mindful of his wings. "You helped him escape a toxic environment without fear and that's huge."
"He told you?" Jimin raised a brow as he glanced at you.
"Just a little." You shrugged.
"...can I tell you more?"
"Of course."
A small smile found itself on Jimin's face. He was glad you were willing to listen to him vent, but the things he had to say weren't anything joyful. The memories only brought back frustration and pain. Jimin and Taehyung have warned you before of the fae. Jimin wanted to tell you his side of the story though. Since you've heard Taehyung's side, you knew how unfair his life has been all because he was a pixie. Living as a creature of darkness was not easy. It was the main reason why Jimin felt more generous in giving Yoongi a chance. Even if Yoongi tends to fall under a few accurate stereotypes.
Being a fairy or a creature of light was different. They weren't well received by humans regardless, but they definitely weren't as feared. Fairies were written to be beautiful creatures. They were always drawn as small divine creatures with mesmerizing wings. As gorgeous as they were, it was best to be wary of what they could bring. They did not have as many warnings attached to them as a pixie. Although it was easy to confuse the two, they were entirely different. Seeing Taehyung and Jimin stand next to each other made it clear.
Taehyung possessed more hypnotizing features. His appearance was closer tied to nature and he didn't look as human. The longer ears and blue skin made him stand out. Jimin had to admit that Taehyung had a very tame appearance for a pixie. Others looked more like the fae but were mesmerizing in a good way. Jimin made sure to emphasize that part. Fae were not beautiful in the slightest. The scrunch of his nose told you more than enough. It almost made you laugh despite this being a serious discussion. You pulled yourself together as Jimin continued.
"There's this one pixie that we both knew back in the fae realm. His name is Elbert and his features were more like fae. He has long white as snow hair and bright orange skin—it's almost red. He has freckles like Taehyung, but they're white. He makes me think of a strawberry—anyway! Have you noticed how moss grows on Taehyung's wings? Well, Elbert has moss growing as his eyebrows. They also come in small patches on his skin, but not quite similar to body hair. Do you follow? He also has mushrooms growing on the sides of his face and neck. They're small shelf mushrooms that are just clumped together and overlapping." Jimin was doing his best to describe this friend of his.
"Fae have plants growing on them?" You tilted your head.
"Fae basically are plants. They're tall creatures with no souls. Imagine a mushroom or a tree that's moving around as if it's human. Yet their eyes are pure black holes and they have no conscience. They hardly speak. I don't think you'd want them to as they speak in tongues. Their teeth can be razor sharp and they are more than willing to be violent to get their way." Jimin scoffed just thinking about them. "The realm of the fae is far more complex than any human can imagine. Much more than any other creature's society."
"I'm guessing you would never go back," You said. A heavy sigh left Jimin at that moment. He brought his head down, gently playing with the leaves of a plant.
"I'm not certain...there are some things I miss. But that world isn't for Taehyung and that's why I stay here." Jimin looked at you over his shoulder. His smile was weak, but there was so much strength to his words.
Jimin may be a reckless person at times and a huge overconfident flirt. His personality could be overwhelming to someone like you. While that was the case, it was moments like these were you felt like you saw the true Jimin. He was an incredibly thoughtful and selfless person. Especially for those he cared for. He'd throw themselves into fire for them. Again, reckless, yet you admired him endlessly. Jimin eventually began coughing awkwardly with the silence growing longer. You were only taking the time to appreciate this conversation with him. That instantly had Jimin on his feet, quick to get the day moving along.
"Let's go on a walk! We won't get any progress done if we just sit here and talk!" Jimin started. He wasted no time rushing you onto your own feet.
The walk with Jimin was nice though. He took you around the garden, pointing out each individual plant to you. He told you things you didn't know and displayed his own magical skills. A lot them having the ability to make plants healthy and grow. Jimin was the entire reason the old, dead plants were leaving the castle. He was replacing each of them to bring life to this place again. The castle was too beautiful to be abandoned and rot. It was his new home and Jimin also knew how much it meant to Namjoon. Although he had the occasional bone to pick with the prince, he respected him a lot. You could say the same for you.
At some point, the conversation became less about Jimin's life and more about the castle. Slowly, that developed to Jimin making jokes. He was doing everything he could to make you laugh and also expertly slid in the occasional flirt. Of course, you shook your head and told him to focus. There were times were you got close to telling Jimin that you were taken. It would be the easiest way to shut it down, however, you weren't ready for the interrogation all the creatures would put you through. Jungkook and Namjoon would give you the hardest time about it, no doubt.
So that's how you spent the day. It was essentially the same way as with Hoseok. The two of you were only talking anyway. The afternoon passed with no progress on your powers. The past times have taken more than just talking to achieve them so maybe next time. You just weren't looking forward to potentially risking your life yet again. At least you got some time to get to know Jimin on a more personal level. Confidence and flirting aside, his vulnerability was deeply appreciated. Overall, today was a peaceful day. It felt like those were hard to come by these days.
When you made it home, you chose to relax by sewing the project you've been working on in your spare time. It would take some time to finish, but you weren't doing anything besides training. Florian and you haven't set up another date. Maybe you should. Just thinking about it made your face heat up. You'll meet with him tomorrow! Right now, you weren't going to meet with him so no blushing over nothing. Today you planned to be meeting Verona with a surprise gift.
Although Verona told you it wasn't necessary, you went on ahead with creating a dress for her to wear. One that wouldn't make her look like an old lady even as her belly grows. Pregnancy was a beautiful thing and you wanted Verona to feel that way about herself. Everyone else tries to beat her down so she doesn't respect herself either just because of her early unplanned pregnancy. Yet Elias was walking around with no repercussions. It was frustrating, but you would do your best to be there for Verona. Any help she needed then you would be there. That was the best thing you could do for her.
And while you were at it, you made an outfit for her baby. The fabric was a soft yellow that would keep the baby warm. It was a little big for a newborn baby so they would have to grow into it. Still, you were content with how it came out. The dress you put together for Verona was the same shade of yellow. The idea of matching was cute and you were glad you followed through with it. By the time you finished, you folded them and put them in a basket. It was time to head into the village and visit Verona!
She had no idea you would be visiting her. She should be at home. If not, she would be at the bakery while Aletta worked. These days Verona doesn't go out as much as she used to. You hoped this dress would give her some of her confidence back. You were trying to imagine her reaction as you walked past multiple cottages. Her home should be by the end of this street where...you came to a halt. Furrowing your brows, you tried to make sense of the scene in front of you. Verona was standing outside of her home with her arms crossed. Her head was down as she glared at the cobblestone due to the person speaking to her. Elias.
"What does he want?" You frowned, quietly walking up to them. It wasn't hard to pick up on what Elias was saying when he was shouting at your friend. He gave Verona such a disgusting look, almost as if he believed she was trash. It only angered you the longer you took in the situation.
"You keep avoiding me but waste no time to talk about me behind my back! You think I wouldn't hear what you say? You're calling me all kinds of things! Lazy, pathetic, and–" Elias listed off.
"I'm not wrong! You're the one who doesn't want to help me–!" Verona yelled back.
"I told you to get rid of it and you don't f*cking listen! You're so stupid. If you just listened to what I said then maybe you wouldn't have to be spreading lies about me. You'd be happier and we could still be together!" Elias tried grabbing Verona's arm only for her to step back. Her eyes were brimming with tears, yet the fire in her eyes let you know she wasn't about to crumble. "Oh, so I can't even touch you anymore?"
"No. You can't. You don't deserve to talk to me in the first place. I told you I want nothing to do with you if you don't want to be a good father. I'm keeping the baby and that's my choice!" Verona stood her ground. It boiled Elias's blood, causing him to raise his hand to strike her. Verona was already flinching and wrapping her arms around her body to protect the baby. Without thinking, you swung the basket at Elias's head with all the strength you had. It managed to make him stumble to the side and surprise Verona. A grateful smile came onto her face once she saw you. She wasted no time hiding behind you while you did your best to act tough. He's not going to lay a hand on Verona. Over your dead body.
"Little wench...protecting a whore!!" Elias erupted in anger. His deadly gaze was now locked on you, but you could take it. "What? You suddenly have the guts to act like that towards me?"
"You're making it sound like you own Verona. You don't! You've never loved her–" You started. He rolled his eyes at you, a vein appearing on the side of his forehead.
"I do love her! You don't know anything about us. This doesn't concern you to begin with. You think you can attack me and butt your way into something personal?" Elias snarled. He marched up to you, making your throat feel dry. He was intimidating when he towered over you and when he raised his voice. But you refused to let him hurt Verona and you weren't going to let him hurt you either. You've dealt with scarier creatures than this guy. "Move out of the way."
"No." You stood your ground.
"(F/n), what's gotten into you?" Verona whispered. She tried grabbing your arm, not wanting you to stand in front of Elias any longer. She knew what her ex was capable of. "You don't have to do this. I can talk to him."
"Exactly. Let us talk, (F/n)." Elias gave you a fake smile. He was pretending to deescalate the situation, but you weren't buying it. Even Verona knew it was just an act. You weren't going to leave Verona alone until you knew for certain that she was safe.
"There's nothing to talk about. Not with how you're acting–" You shook your head only to get forcefully shoved onto the ground. You yelped in surprise, not expecting to hit the floor so quickly. The basket fell out of your grip and laid on its side a foot away from you. It wasn't that shocking that Elias behaved like this. Verona didn't hesitate to come by your side, glaring at her ex viciously.
"I'm not going to talk to you if you act like this! You can't just hurt my friends!" Verona yelled.
"Your friend? Since when? Don't make me laugh. I know you, Verona. You're nothing, but an attention seeker." Elias stared at her in disgust.
You balled your hands in fists, noticing the way Verona was trying hard to keep the fury in her glare. Letting his words not get the best of her was proving to be difficult. Clearly, this wasn't the first time he's been cruel to her. Just thinking about that fueled something in you that you didn't know you had. You hit your hand on the ground to see it almost ripple like water. It hurriedly went towards Elias, throwing him up in the air before he collapsed on the ground. Verona blinked her eyes repeatedly, confused on what she had witnessed while Elias cussed endlessly. Suddenly, the anger you had inside of you disappeared in an instant. It was replaced with fear as you stiffened up.
"What was that!?" Elias growled. His eyes narrowed on you, quick to point a finger. "That was you! Wasn't it? I know it was! I should hang you myself–!!"
"It was an earthquake, you idiot!" Verona stood up with a shaky voice. He gritted his teeth at her and brought his arms up to protect himself when Verona flung her shoe at him. "Go away!"
Threats left Elias's mouth, but Verona didn't care to listen to them. She threw her other shoe and screamed at him with all her might until he left. Thankfully, he did. Elias wasn't going to deal with Verona's temper as he called her all kinds of names. She was crazy in his eyes and claimed she was a possible witch too. She had tears building up from how frustrated she was. To think she ever loved him. Her heart was pounding, furious how it was so easy for Elias to say he would have the village burn the both of you at the stake. Saying things like that was no joke around here.
Verona's legs felt weak now that Elias was completely out of sight. She allowed herself to give in to the feeling and sink down to the floor with you. She took deep breaths to calm herself down, but you knew her emotions were getting the best of her. You watched Verona's tough act crack as a tear rolled down her cheek. Honestly, you were feeling the same way. You hadn't realized how badly you were trembling thanks to Elias. You were scared, but you had to help Verona. Pursing your lips, you let out a shaky breath as your own tears fell.
"Gosh, he's so annoying." Verona wiped her face with a sniffle. "I'm so sorry for him."
"Don't be sorry. He's the worst." You cried with her.
"I didn't m-mean to drag you into that...really. I should have handled it myself–"
"No, it's okay. I wanted to help." You shook your head even though Verona still felt conflicted. She played with the fabric of her skirt. Nothing left her lips now that her head was hanging down in shame. There was nothing for her to be ashamed about.
"...what made you come here anyway?" She asked in a soft whisper.
"I came here to give you a present." You wiped your face, managing to giggle when you saw her surprised expression. No more tears for you. The scary part was over and the both of you were safe right now.
Verona watched you as you reached over for the basket that had fallen. It was still in good shape and the items were still inside. That was a relief. So much happened just to give a present. The good thing was that it would definitely brighten the mood. Verona and you needed that. You handed it over to her, smiling as she stared back at you in disbelief. Eventually a smile appeared on Verona's face. She opened up the basket to pull out the yellow dress you had made for her. Instantly, she gasped and began to giggle. There were no more tears from Verona as she gave you a thankful expression.
"Thank you so much, (F/n). You didn't have to." Verona held it close to her chest.
"There's one more thing inside." You pointed back at the basket. Her brows jumped at this before looking back down into the basket. She left the dress on her lap to pull out the remaining gift. Right away, her eyes were welling up with tears again to see the little yellow outfit for her future baby. "I hope you like it."
"I love it!" Verona brought it close to her chest, this time sobbing out of joy. She clutched onto the baby clothes for comfort and for hope. It meant more to her than she could ever put into words. She was going to make you cry all over again at this rate. But you managed to keep your emotions together as you hugged her, the both of you still sitting on the ground together. You let Verona have her happy moment and did your best to have it be your distraction
You were willing to do anything possible not to think about what had happened earlier with Elias. This time you weren't with a creature yet magic occurred without a spell. It came out of you simply from strong emotions. There was power in you that you weren't completely in control of and that scared you. However, not as much as Elias bringing it up to the council. If Miss Arla hears about this...it was near impossible to ignore the way your heart was racing. You're so scared...
*~*
There was so much hatred inside of Elias. He was roaming this earth with his own heavy aura. For a human, it was impressive to see this. Creatures would naturally be able to pick him out from a crowd. Humans couldn't see the black energy that lingered around Elias, but it didn't belong to a demon. No. It was purely him and it pulsed with life as he marched back to his home. Elias was unsuccessful in speaking to Verona. Things would have only gone the same way as they had in the past. They fight, break up, then get back together again. He was ready to repeat the cycle except Verona had changed.
She didn't fall for his pleads or any sweet words he would use. She had officially dropped him. Elias grinded his teeth together, furious that Verona would act that way with him. She's pregnant at a young age and unmarried at that. How dare she treat him like this? No man will ever want her. Verona should be grateful he's giving her attention at all. Elias didn't care for the baby and wanted it gone. Yet Verona was a stubborn one who needed to be taught how to listen again. But that also wasn't the only problem for Elias.
What happened back there? Verona claimed it to be an earthquake, but Elias found that hard to believe. That couldn't have been it. It had to be magic. He knew he wasn't crazy to jump to such an idea. One could never be certain which neighbor was a witch. Considering how you lived in solitude, Elias didn't find it too hard to believe. He could easily ruin your life by warning everyone in the village. He just needs another witness. More accurately, someone who is willing to go along with what he says even if it involves making up lies. Elias wanted his smile to be the last thing you see before they chopped off your head.
"How no demon has taken advantage of you is beyond me..." Jungkook eyed the human. His eyes were narrowed on Elias who was closer to approaching his house. From afar, he had watched your interaction with Elias. He hadn't stepped in because he wanted to see how you would handle it. Magic was not what he had hoped for. A dangerous move on your part and he could see the gears turning in Elias's head.
"Worthless little wench. I'll make her wish those wolves got her too," Elias grumbled to himself. The human had not a clue that a creature was watching him. Jungkook stayed behind Elias, astounded by how much hatred the human could create. If it was enough to cause dark energy, then this human was bound to cause trouble. Demon or no demon. It was dizzying for Jungkook to get any closer, so he made sure to keep a distance for his own wellbeing. How could a human create such energy? Elias huffed and stomped his feet in frustration. The endless anger made Jungkook shake his head and click his tongue. Humans could be such foolish little creatures. This one better not get in the way.