Chapter 11
Going through the fairy palace and walking alongside Zhier made me feel like I was in some kind of fairy tale. Everything, that is, except for the fact that every other fairy I encounter gives me the death stare. I paid as much attention as I could to Zhier's warnings about what to watch out for and how to avoid them.
"Aside from the food, when you are in the palace and in an unfamiliar room, you should never stay in a single spot. The walls will sing a song in your head, and you will be trapped and become its servant."
"Sounds like I am in a horror movie than a castle." I commented.
"What's a horror and what's a movie?"
"Nothing. Please continue." It's a pain to explain technology to him, so I decided that it would be safe to keep my mouth shut through the rest of his lecture.
"If you hear a whistle, don't look if you don't want to disappear. Don't ask me where you will be going because no one who has ever disappeared made it back, so I have no clue if you die or get trapped somewhere."
I bit my lower lip to keep them from shivering. Okay, maybe these are the worst parts and I might hear some less...spooky warnings?
Wrong. Things just got worse from here.
"Just because fairies cannot lie, doesn't mean that you should trust them carelessly."
"Never keep your eyes away from the end of a hallway at night if you are walking. Your eyes will play tricks on you that will make you turn crazy."
"If you hear someone whisper a name in your ear, don't say it out loud. You might summon something that you don't want to."
"If you see a mirror, never look through it or you will be taken."
"Singing or humming is prohibited unless there is a special occasion."
All in all, I would just like to state my conclusion in all of this - make sure that I have Zhier with me or at least Serafina at all times. Aside from that, I should just stay in my room and behave.
Honestly. Isn't the human realm safer compared to living in a place with so much rules!?
As for the mirror part, I learned that fae only use water to see their reflection. It would seem like they all view the mirrors in our world as cursed.
"There are a lot of rules, Zhier. I don't think that I can memorize them all." Right now, I am even having a bit of trouble recalling the rest of the rules.
"Memorizing them is a must for you since you are a human. Speaking of which, you should not display your mark like it is a trophy. Not everyone in the seelie court knows that you, a human, bear Prince Klovis' mark." I feel his shaded eyes looking down at my hand, which I am trying hard to cover with my other one to cover the mark.
Zhier stops talking all of a sudden, and I have to do the same. As soon as we enter the garden, he reaches out to me with his free hand and plucks a flower. "Give it to me for a bit."
He's still staring at my hand, and I finally realize what he's trying to convey. The meek part of me gives him permission to hold my hand. When I feel his cold touch, I almost flinch. Zhier places the flower he's holding onto my palm. It's a miniature blue flower that looks a lot like a sunflower but is actually quite distinct as it is blue in color.
When Zhier places it on top of the mark, I see brown vines sprouting from the flower and moving so that they can tie my middle, thumb, pinky, and wrist like a bracelet.
"Tell me if it is uncomfortable to move."
I try flexing my hands to see if I feel any discomfort. The vines were surprisingly thin and smooth, and I don't think that I would mind it at all.
"It's fine. Thanks, but how do I remove it?"
"You're not going to remove it."
"What? But what if I damage it or my hands will smell if I cannot wash my hands properly?!"
Zhier rolls his eyes at me, a gesture that he seems to be doing a lot these days. "Humans. There's just not enough to please your kind, huh?" He sighs and points at the flower. "Just press on the center of the flower and the vines will retract. Press it again to attach it back. Keep it hydrated every five hours or it will die."
"Fairy magic. It just has to be this trivial, doesn't it?" I did not appreciate his earlier racial remark that I just felt I had to be sarcastic so he would know that I wasn't happy about it.
Did Zhier care, though? No. Of course not. He is a PRINCE.
He picks out an ear cuff and chain that he's wearing and shows it to me. "You'll have to wear this as well."
"What's that?"
"Protection."
"But isn't that yours? What about your protection?"
"It's a different kind of protection. One that you will need if I am not around. I know that Klovis is protecting you with the mark, but earlier, I felt like his powers were weakened. I think that it will be a while before it recharges." He reaches out his hand and starts to place that cuff and chain on my ears. "Wear a pin or something in your hair and make sure that people see this accessory. Now, come. We shall head to the library and search the royal archives."
I want to ask him just what kind of protection it offers, but Zhier is already on the move before I can ask him about it.
The royal archives that Zhier is talking about are in the garden, where we were headed to all this time. The sly bastard hadn't even said anything about it until we arrived. He claims he wants to find something related to the mark on my hand because it is so unique that not even he can explain it.
Plus, he wants to keep it a secret so that fewer people target me.
The library is an outdoor type, which means that anyone can enter and go as they wish. It appears to be a hollow tree that supports numerous platforms in different levels. According to Zhier, it's an eldren tree and it keeps and protects everything that is inside it's circle.
Massive butterflies would fly in and out to carry books to and from the wooden bookshelves. The moment we entered, I could already feel the stray gazes of the others in the library with us. Surprisingly enough, there are a lot of faes in the palace library.
"They're scholastic apprentices. Pay them no mind." Zhier continues to lead me through the busy path until we reach the center of the library, where faeries seem to be riding some stone winged creatures to head off somewhere. What do they look like? Well, I cannot disclose just one because there are a lot of them. There's a giant moth, a falcon, a butterfly, and other winged creatures that you can think of.
Thank goodness there are no flying cockroaches. I might have screamed my head off if I had seen a stone giant version of it flying.
Zhier and I walk past the line of faes, trying to get a ride on the creatures. When it's our turn, Zhier chose to pick the falcon.
"Take us to the royal archives." He tells the stone falcon. I can't tell how a stone statue can fly, but after Zhier gives it a command, it begins to soar in the air as if it were weightless.
Flying without anything to hold on to except the fairy prince itself is not an experience that I would like to share. Plus, it isn't a pleasant one as it is embarrassing. When we finally reached the highest platform the eldren tree could support, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
Somehow, this part of their outdoor library feels a little guarded and secluded. There aren't any fae folks around here, save for a few fae sentinels that guard the entrance. According to Zhier, this floor is private only to the royal family or those who have been given access to enter. Aside from that, this floor is strictly prohibited.
I keep on following Zhier through the mountains of books, only stopping in front of one of the book butterflies that I described earlier.
"Bring all the books relating to fae marks or imprinting." He whispers to one of the butterflies on the ground. As soon as it takes off, Zhier turns to me. "Your mark. Can you tell me how you got it again?"
"I told you before. I don't remember it."
"Not even a little bit?"
"No."
"Hmm." He ponders, placing a hand on his chin in concentration before calling for another book butterfly. "Memories and spells. Fetch me a book about it."
Zhier and I head over to one of the tables while we await for the butterflies to deliver the books that Zhier has asked them to.
"Let's start with this." He starts to open a book, and immediately I feel intimidated because it is in a language that I cannot understand.
"I don't think that I can help." I gulp, waiting for his response, but he seems too occupied with the book to even notice that I was talking to him.
Maybe I should not disturb him when he's busy studying.
Since I had nothing better to do, I merely busied myself by receiving the books that the butterflies deliver. I would stack them into piles so they would not clutter. I memorized the color of the butterflies that would deliver the books. The pink one brings books related to fairy markings, while the yellow one has something to do with bringing books related to memories. The pile was getting too high that I even had to use a chair to reach the top at this point.
"Livia!" I almost screamed and knocked down the piles of books that I managed to stack. I turn back and manage to see that Zhier is looking at me intently with his gaze. I was afraid that he might scold me for my behaviour, so I climbed down from the chair.
"Wh-What is it? Did you find anything?"
Zhier and I hold each other's gaze for a few seconds before he snaps the book shut with a loud sigh. "No. I haven't. As expected of me, I still don't like books. I thought that I would at least do some reading, but I just hate it. We have to figure out something else." He crosses his arms and leans back in his chair.
HUH!?
What is he saying?! FOR WHAT REASON WERE WE HERE FOR IF HE DOESN'T LIKE BOOKS!?
I smile robotically at Zhier before moving so I can be closer to his side. "I beg your pardon, Prince Zhier, but do you have a split personality or something?" I politely ask while trying to keep my temper in check.
Zhier just looks at me. "What do you mean, human?"
"Don't you human me!" I slammed a hand on the table, making the fairy prince flinch in surprise. "Where the HECK did all your cool prince persona go!? Aren't you supposed to portray a perfect and smart example to your peers!?"
"Huh!? Human, just what kind of perfect species are you talking about?!" He sounds pissed and offended at the same time.
"Being a prince!" I can't help but raise my voice by now since I just feel a little frustrated. "Shouldn't you be smart, studious, and like books!? Princes are supposed to be perfect! You got the good at fighting part and the good looks!"
"You flatter me with your words, but studying is just not in my forte. That's why we have scholars and advisers. It's not like we can deal with them all on our own." He pouts and turns the other way.
"You sounded so smart and knowledgeable when you were teaching me how to survive in this realm!"
"Those are common rules. Every fairy has something that they are good at and something that they are bad at. No worries. We'll try looking for something that can help us use your mark to search for the unseelie prince."
Is this guy serious!?
"Hah, then that means that you guys are just like humans! You guys are imperfect, like us!" I cross my arms and can't help but snort. I'm not really angry at Zhier for ruining my image of being a prince, but for wasting our time in the library and acting smart when he does not even want to study. If that's the case, then why did he bring me here in the first place!?
"HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT OUR RACE! UNLIKE HUMANS, WE DO NOT DESTROY THE ONES THAT GIVES US LIFE!" I hear a loud creak from the table when Zhier slams his hands. The books that I was piling up began to shake and start to fall towards me.
I remember one of the books hitting my head before the rest of them fell over me.
"Livia!" I hear Zhier screaming before I fall with the rest of the books.
The books probably didn't hit me that hard to knock me out, but I feel like I'm being lulled to sleep
.
.
.
.
.
"..."
"Liv..."
"Livia..."
"Livia, are you finally awake, you sleepyhead?" The second I open my eyes, I see that I am in my dreams again, lying my head on Steve's lap. Steve smiles and chuckles. "Finally. I have been waiting for you, Liv. It took you a while."
*~*~*~*~*~*~END OF CHAPTER~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*