Vael's POV
I woke up from the fresh smell of roses that was in the air. Whatever I was lying on felt softer than silk and the pillow under my head was as fluffy as a cloud on a beautiful summers day.
If it wasn't for the slight pain in my wrist I would have thought that I actually ascended to heaven.
Rubbing my eyes carefully, I sat up in what seemed like a circle shaped bed and its sides were covered in bluely shimering roses.
I couldn't say whether this was a room or an indoor garden but when looking out the window, a lot of things suddenly made sense.
This room was somewhere high up in a giant castle made of diamond-like shimering stones. Every tower in my view was partly covered in flowers or other plants and giant green leafed maple trees were lurking out here and there from the court yards. From where I stood I could see directly to the large plaza in front of the inner gate where merchants, manufacturers and food vendors were selling their products to the public.
However, these people weren't human... not a single one of them.
The creatures down there came in all forms, sizes and colors. From the tiny pixies to dull faced trolls with their big noses I could spot everything.
The guards that were keeping an eye on the crowd were partly forest elfs and partly ice elfs with their blueish pale skin and diamond colored eyes.
It was a mesmerizing view... in a way it felt much like a fairy tale and not at all like encountering a creature of the hidden realm in the human world. These people were pieceful and their city here was beautiful.
If I wasn't wrong then this building was the Fairy Queen's palace and the room I was staying at had to be Dorian's. At first I wasn't sure but the portrait of the prince that hung above his bed spoke for itself.
He had to be much younger on that picture... in human age he seemed nothing older than 10 even though his expression was as cold as his icy magic.
"Ah-" Another sting of pain went through my wrist when I distanced myself from the window. Finally, I spotted the leaf shaped tattoo on the inside of my wrist. The edges were reddened and its pain pulsated from my wrist to my whole body for a moment.
"Was this the doing of the fairy promise?" I wondered when remebering how I must have lost consciousness that evening.
But for how long had I been staying here? Where was Dorian? And where the hell was Sam? Out of reflex I searched my pockets for my phone but it wasn't there.
Suddenly, I flinched and instinctively hid behind the bed immediately when I heard foot steps and a woman yelling. I couldn't identify her but judging the tone of her voice she sounded quite old.
"Your Highness! You were supposed to be back 2 weeks ago already and your mother was worried sick after not having received a single message! How dare you show your face here without properly greeting and apologizing to the Queen!" She threw a tantrum and I already suspected she would come inside expecting the prince to be here when I heard him answering in a unbothered and joking manner.
"General, it wasn't my intention to stay away for this long without prior notice but I had to investigate something of utter importance because-" he was cut off by the woman.
"Does that have anything to do with Lady Ilayda bringing a female human here two days ago?! This is against the rules, your Highness! If the Queen hears of this you will surely recieve punishment!" She threatend but tried to lower the volume of her voice when yelling at him.
To be allowed to speak to the fairy prince in that tone this lady must be of high status...
"I know you love me too much to snitch. So would you please step aside now? I got a kid to feed." He kindly asked.
Kid? Who the hell did he call a kid?! He might be a few hundred years old but from looks alone there wasn't much age difference between us.
"Your Highness..." The General sighed and I nervously gulped. It almost sounded as if she had lost her will to yell at him and was simply disappointed by now.
"Who is it this time?" She breathed out in exhaust before Dorian began to chuckle a little.
"You'll like him, Ma'am. He's young and has special eyes. A strong and intelligent personality but a bit naive. He's very innocent." He chirped happily and I cringed.
What was the general referring to by 'who is it this time?' Did Dorian bring people here to train them often?
But what was this description? Young, naive, innocent... if that was how he viewed me, I would have to teach this idiot a lesson.
"He is probably still sleeping" Suddenly, the door opened and with the unexpected view of Dorian I fell back from the hiding spot behind the bed and hit my head on some random fancy carved drawer.
"Damn" I whisper yelled and held the back of my head in pain when Dorian had already put down the small basked he had been carrying before to head over with an expression on his face that came close to worry.
"Oh no, did you hurt yourself, darling?" He put his hand on my head when I had already slapped it away.
In the process, I finally spotted the woman that had entered behind Dorian.
She was tall, almost as tall as him and just like Dorian and Ilayda her looks came close to a human. Her ears had the shape of a fish's fin and on the sides of her neck there seemed to be gills but apart from that, her blue eyes and black hair with grey strands in it were no different to humans.
Different from Dorian she was wearing a uniform with armory pieces attached to it at her chest, upper arms, and thighs.
Her eyes widened in disbelief when she stared at the both of us.
Dorian noticed the sudden awkward silence and his eyes switched from me to the woman before he grabbed my hand and pulled me up to him so I was basically in his arms.
"Play along, I'll explain everything after she's gone." He whispered close to my ear so a strand of his hair fell into my face.
I hadn't noticed it before but it smelled a lot like roses... was it because he slept on this bed? I wondered how he managed to smell that nice for a second before I was pulled back into reality when Dorian shoved me forward a little.
"This is Vael, he's just recently discovered that he has magic blood flowing through his veins but nevertheless he has caught my eye the moment I met him. Please treat him with respect, General Hawk." He grinned so widely it almost scared me. Was this the same prince that had threatened to kill me just days ago?
"Ah-" he ellbowed me and pushed my head down shortly so I was bowing to the general.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, General Hawk. Please forgive my impudence for I have yet to learn about the hidden realm." I voiced out what came to my mind so it'd fit with what Dorian had told her but when I wanted to raise my head again he persistently kept it down.
This annoying idiot... I hadn't been told that this would happen once I arrived here.
"I see... I already wondered why he is dressed that way." General Hawk didn't try to hide her disappointment and when Dorian finally let go of my neck, I was able to look at her properly.
"His face also doesn't seem that pretty to me. I wonder what you see in this child, Your Highness." She sighed and even though I'd usually feel offended by her words, I couldn't deny that she was much prettier than me.
"Not that pretty? General, look at this strong built of his!" Dorian spoke up and grabbed me by my shoulders.
"His angel-like locks!" He ruffled through my hair and I had to clench my teeth to not punch him across the face for that.
"His eyes full of emotion." He turned me around so I was looking at him closely face to face. One of his hands was placed on my lower back while he held my chin.
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe... I couldn't push him away now because I was supposed to play along. But if I didn't do that, how could I handle this situation?
"And of course... his delicate lips." Dorian's voice was nothing more than a whisper when his thumb brushed over my lower lip before he suddenly pulled me even closer.
My eyes widened in shock when our lips were only centimeters apart. Every breath of him tingled my skin and suddenly I was reminded of the kiss we had shared.
"D- Dorian...?" I whispered to sign him that he shouldn't take his act in front of the general any further. I wouldn't be able to play along anymore... I'd crumble in his arms.
In fact, it was my face and now my whole body that started feeling increasingly hot all of a sudden.
Dorian, who was still hovering near my face, seemed to have noticed it when his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
He let go of me from one moment to the other.
"So, now that you've met him, everything should be fine as long as you don't tell anyone of my late arrival here. I trust you, General." He put a sweet smile on his face again while gently pushing her out of the room. The woman herself crossed her arms with a sigh and averted her eyes to look at me one last time. We held eye contact for a few seconds before she shook her head a little.
"Speak to her magisty by yourself today or I'll report the human woman that you brought here myself." She warned him one last time before she stepped out of the room with a sort of grace that only knights would have.
As soon as the door closed, I went up to Dorian. It was only now that I noticed how different he looked.
His hair was braided down and decorated with pearls and small corals while instead of a blue blouse he was now wearing a green colored vest, decorated with silver and the same pearls that were on his hair.
I reached back to give him a slight slap to the shoulder when he had already grabbed my wrist and swung me around with ease so I was lying in his arm like we were doing a dance.
"I see your body heats up whenever your emotions are fired up. Am I making you nervous when I hold you this close, Vael? Even after we kissed?" He chirped happily and I didn't find an answer immediately. Instead, I overplayed it by coming back to the original reason I was nervous here.
"Cut that crap and let go of me. What's going on here?" I demanded in a serious tone, making Dorian sigh in disapproval before he gently released me so I sat on the rose covered bed.
"As you might have noticed, this is my bedroom... I brought you here yesterday evening so you could recover from the spell. It did quite a number on you, but gladly, I managed to sneak you around the guards and treat you properly here." He explained when looking around his own room.
"What about Sam? General Hawk said that your guard Ilayda brought her here before we arrived. I want to know exactly where I am and what you plan on doing here. The way I understood it, you are in trouble, right?" I questioned him but instead of answering right away, he let himself sink down next to me on the bed and smiled weirdly... he definitely was in trouble.
"Ilayda was supposed to keep her away for as long as I'd need to kidnap you but when the situation turned out to be like this, I just ordered her to keep Sam safe... I didn't know she'd bring her here but stay assured that it is our top priority to keep her safe and get her back to the human city she lives in." He folded his hands and seemed to think for a moment before he continued.
"You see... after taking care of that professor, I was supposed to be back here and participate in the queen's birthday parade. Now that I've not returned for a longer while, the queen will be a little angry..." he explained, keeping that same strange smile that slowly started to scare me.
I needed a moment to get that he was speaking about my professor that he murdered. It was really confusing how I had thought of him as a heartless killer and now we shared a promise.
After all that happened, I actually didn't know much about Prince Dorian. What of all this was an act? And what was his actual self?
"So what?" I urged him to continue.
"We'll be dealing with that first since it's also your fault and-"
"My fault?!" I interrupted him with narrowed eyes and crossed arms.
I didn't choose to be attacked by demons and have my life almost taken from me...
Thinking about it like this, my mother suddenly came to my mind... sequences played in front of my eyes... how she tried to fight off the creature that grabbed her mercilessly and how her screams disappeared in the dark sky.
Maybe it really was my fault... if I had just minded my own business that day and left Dorian alone, my power wouldn't have awakened at that time... if I had returned home earlier, mom would be fine right now...
In that moment, my heart began to feel heavy...
Just a week ago, I had been writing my last exams and eating dinner with her as always. She had smiled at me every day even though she must have suffered under the knowledge about my identity.
And now... what was I even doing now? With powers that I had apparently inherited from my father that was somewhere out there not even giving a shit about his family.
Meanwhile, I was here... in the palace of the Fairy Queen, the most dangerous creature among them all... staying with her son that wanted nothing more than to use my powers for himself.
I thought I had a clear goal up ahead, but to be honest, I felt more lost than ever before.
I was weak...
I had no clue where my mother or father could be, and Gigrin, the only creature that knew something, was still nowhere to be found...
And worst of all, I was now attached to this mysterious prince although I knew it'd only drive me into disappointment and betrayal...
Suddenly, something snapped.
Or rather someone snapped their fingers in front of my face.
With a sudden shiver I was finally pulled away from these thoughts when a silverly shimming butterfly appeared from the tip of Dorian's finger. It fluttered up in the air for a few seconds before it sat down on my knee and disappeared into nothing.
"Did I... upset you?" The prince slowly lowered his hand and when I turned to my side his expression was unreadable. I wouldn't say he was sad but his words were neither understanding nor angry... just... curious.
"I- no, I was just thinking about my mother..." I mumbled and shook my head a little. Why was I even telling this to him?
"So it's true what I heard... humans have a deep connection to their parents. Since you grew up among them, you must be the same." Dorian concluded but it sounded distant to me. Did that mean that fairy creatures thought differently of their parents?
"Wouldn't you... miss your mother if she suddenly disappeared with no guarantee that she was still alive?" I wondered and gulped away the urge to cry. Not now, Vael. Not until you achieved something.
"I don't know. If you're asking whether I love my mother, the answer is no." He answered as a matter of cruel fact but he didn't give of the impression that this was abnormal to him.
However, I couldn't help but feel sad for him.
"But..." Dorian hesitated for a moment to rethink his words before he looked me straight in the eye.
"I guess if you suddenly disappeared, I'd miss you." he stated but there was no sarcasm in his voice.
When I tried to complain, no sound came out of my mouth. Instead, we just held eye contact continuously.
"I guess you're the only one then" I answered but it was nothing more than a faint whisper. From the icey glow in his eyes to the way he was fixing the end of his braided hair... everything about this person was simply unreadable.
"Vael... you are crying..."
What? I needed a moment to understand what Dorian was referring to before I brought my hand up to my face where a single tear had escaped my eye.
"There's nothing. Don't be ridiculous." My voice broke down a little when saying that but I just couldn't look him in the face like this.
It had always been that way because I never cried in front of others... it made me feel pathetic and I never knew what to do but to hide it away.
Especially right now when I didn't even know what was wrong with me.
Quickly, I turned away and stood up but Dorian grabbed my arm and made me fall back on the bed again.
"Let go of me" I wanted to pull away but somehow my body didn't bring up the strength to do so.
"They say humans cry when they are sad... why are you sad, Vael?" Dorian curiously wondered and kept my wrist in his grip even though I was still pulling at it.
"I'm not sad, I-"
Again he pulled my arm but this time a little stronger so I landed right on top of him, my legs on each side of his hip and my ellbows pushing me up so I didn't fall down on his chest.
That way, I was forced to look at him... even though tears were now continuously rolling down my face, I had to endure being stared at by him.
Slowly, he tilted his head and brought his hand to my cheek to wipe away a tear.
It was so soft and gentle, a kind of gesture that I had missed since my mother was gone.
In that moment, the leaf shaped tattoo on his wrist began to glow in a warm gold that was mirrored in his eyes.
A moment later his curious expression fell to sadness.
"You... what is this feeling? It truly feels horrible." He voiced out as if he had just now felt the same.
But upon hearing his words it had become too much for me. Giving up my last bit of pride I let myself sink down on his chest and burried my head near his neck. Like a little child, I suddenly began to cry out sufficated noises like I had never done before.
The awkward feeling and shame that came over me made things even worse but now that I had already revealed this vulnerable side of me it was too late... it'd only be a matter of time until he'd push me away.
But Dorian didn't push me... in fact, he didn't move at all for a moment. His heart just continued to beat in the same rhythm as mine and his breathing was steady and calm.
Unsurely, he lifted his right hand and brought it to my back. For a moment he hesitated but then the sensation of his hand carefully caressing my back made the uncontrolled shivering of my body calm down a little.
Dorian was comforting me... the ice prince of the fairy kingdom, a dangerous and unpredictable creature was taking care of a pathetic crying guy like me.
"... it's fine. As long as you stay with me everything is going to be okay." He silently promised and waited patiently.
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