"Lady Anna, why do you cover your face like that?" Ariele asks at breakfast the next morning.
An awkward silence descends and Ariele looks from Anna to Grey. Grey shakes his head and Ariele realizes that she's stepped into a taboo topic. "I'm sorry. Forget it, some things you don't want to remember."
Lady Anna puts down the piece of toasted bread she was eating. "No, it's only fair since we have and will be picking your life apart. Grey tells me that you told him a good deal of your story last night. No, he won't tell me anything if you don't want him to, he's a safe confidante, I should know since he's been mine for years."
"How long has it been Grey?" Anna asks with a far off look, but the memories weren't good ones.
"Since my father killed yours? Oh it's been what two centuries now or thereabouts." Grey replies from his seat across the room. He likes watching the fountain in the courtyard and prefers the window seat to the table. He doesn't even notice Ariele's reaction.
Neither does Anna lost in the past. "It's not possible." Ariele whispers in a voice just above the wind. Now truly upset, Ariele jumps up from her seat. "You can't be that old." She backs away from them until she hits the wall.
She now has their undivided attention. Grey frowns and comes over to her. "What's impossible Ariele?"
The care he gives her would thrill Anna if she hadn't noticed how white Ariele's skin has become.
"She's going to faint. Get her over to the couch." Anna instructs, but Ariele won't let Grey touch her now.
Terror fills her eyes as she looks at Grey. "You can't be that old."
Grey looks over at Anna in confusion. Anna steps up and tries to take Ariele's hand to lead her to the couch. Even as Ariele snatches her hand away her world turns black.
"I don't know Anna. She was fine last night and this morning more than fine I'd say." Ariele hears Grey say angrily but in a low voice.
"Bullshit Anna. I didn't do anything to her. You saw her yourself when we came in here that she was fine. It wasn't until I said that it's been centuries that she had any problems so don't blame this one on me. I'm guilty of many things but not this. I won't hurt her."
"Yes, you will Grey. I told you that yesterday." Ariele says groggily. "But you haven't done anything to me yet." Her head is pounding and she feels like she's going to lose the lovely breakfast that she'd just eaten.
She takes the cup that Anna gives her and drinks expecting water. She just about spews the liquid out. She manages to swallow that and refuses to drink anymore. "Don't ever give me that whatever it is again. That's nasty."
"It may be nasty but it has even more healing in it than the water. Which makes sense since it is made with the water." Ariele looks at Anna like she's crazy and even Grey looks at her odd.
"Are you okay Anna?" Grey ask his concern turned from Ariele to Anna.
"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Grey takes the forgotten cup from Anna and has her drink what's left.
She makes a face but dutifully swallows. "Thanks Grey, I think. Now Ariele, what set you off like that?"
Ariele pinkens at her actions. "In my world people don't speak casually of living for centuries and look like they are merely a handful of years my senior. Only the Aelven do that."
At her words silence fills the apartment. The only sound is that of the birds greeting the day and each other.
Finally Anna breaks the silence, "I see. So you think that we are Aelven?" At Ariele's nod Anna continues. "But there are no Aelven here. We are human," she holds up her hand to forestall Ariele, "But we are also magic users. The magic sustains and prolongs our lives. All here are magic users. Even yourself I believe. You're rough and untaught but you see through illusions that have become fact for the rest of us. That is a rare ability indeed. You see truth where lies and shadows of lies hide the truth and I think that this might just be what my enemy fears most. For he hides in shadows and lies maintain him. Light destroys as it lets the world know the truth."
"Who is your enemy?" Ariele daringly asks.
"You asked about why I hide my face earlier. It's because my father did this to me." She removes the cowl from her head and shows her face to the rising sun.
But Ariele looks at her and asks again, "Why do you hide your face Anna? I've never seen such beauty in a human female before."
Anna is startled then laughs at herself. "I forgot. I just said it and I forgot. You see through illusions to the truth. My father one night became angry and cut my face up pretty badly. It was the only excuse my uncle needed to legally kill him and he did. To the rest of the world my face became scarred on this side." Anna gestures to her left side.
"I guess I started using it as a mask and if anyone got too close I showed them the scar. Very few people once they see the scar dare to continue to try to get close to me." She feels her smooth skin and smiles sadly. "I forget sometimes that the skin healed with no scarring."
"Yes, Grey, it healed perfectly. I'm sorry I didn't even tell you. But you see you loved me even when I was scarred and I loved you all the more for it. So please forgive me this, I didn't mean to lie to you." Anna goes to Grey and begs him for his forgiveness.
Ariele's eyes widen in shock and then in sadness. She watches the cousins as Anna pleads with Grey and Grey relents.
"His father killed mine nearly two hundred years ago. He was jealous and angry that I inherited the castle and not him. But he didn't understand, the castle has to go to a female of direct descent or it will die." Anna laughs at Ariele's disbelieving look.
"No, it's true. The healing waters will no longer heal and with that our one and only money maker dies. The castle will essentially die. A female must rule.
"Anyway, my father married my mother to gain this wealth. I still suspect that he had something to do with her death at so young an age. But when he found out that I would inherit he became livid. Grey's father heard the commotion and killed my father before he could kill me.
"But my father has a brother as well and he feels that he should inherit the castle. So he's attacking me to gain the castle. But should he win he will gain nothing and we will die for no reason."
"You could leave should it look like you'll fail." Ariele says innocently after all that's what the Aelven did.
Grey turns away from them both and returns to his window seat. Ariele can see that she's made him angry but doesn't know how.
"No. My duty is here to the bitter end. If the castle falls so to will I." Anna looks sad. "But that is still an undecided fate that is weeks away hopefully."
"No, with this weather he'll be here in less than a week." Grey's voice lacks all emotion.
"This castle will not fall. That is not your fate." Ariele knows these words are true just as she knows that she will die shortly after the fate of the castle is determined.
Anna is startled. "Your words have weight like none I've ever heard before. How is this?"
Ariele is uncomfortable with the intense look Anna gives her and she looks up and around and finds herself caught in Grey's eyes. She can't evade the question, "I just know. Truth and lies whether by body or word."
"But the future hasn't happened yet. Things can change." Grey says angrily.
"I'm sorry Grey, but the truth is the truth. The castle doesn't fall but I do and by your hand, or sword rather." Ariele says softly but with tears in her eyes.
Anna draws in her breath. She had heard the reference earlier but hadn't paid it much attention. "Grey kills you?"
"In a literal way yes. But I'm already dying. He will just finish the job." Ariele is suddenly tired and wishes she'd never said anything.
Grey in anger throws his cup at the wall. "I have never hurt anyone in my care. Never. I sure as hell am not going to kill you." He gets up and leaves slamming the door behind him.
"Well Ariele. Other than him killing you how are things going?" Anna says shakily.
Ariele laughs but it soon turns into tears. Anna holds her close and lets her sob herself out. "I thought as much."
Once she can get herself back under control Ariele gives a bitter laugh. "You love him."
"Oh yes, I love him. I've loved him for as long as I can remember. When my father scarred my face he held me while they tried desperately to save my eye. It was he that had the brilliant idea to wash my face and eye in the fountain. I owe him for that.
"And when the fevers swept over all the lands and he and his father both fell ill I was worried sick that I'd lose them both. Not even our water and our potions always worked on these fevers. I lost half my people that year. Losing my uncle was a devastating blow. Luckily for me Grey survived."
"But there is more isn't there?" Ari can see it.
"Yes. He was out of his mind with fever. He never remembered it and I, well I couldn't tell him." Ari knows that the lack of remembering hurt Anna far more than anything else. "He was my one and only lover. No one else has gotten past the face."
Anna doesn't realize just how telling her words and more importantly her tone of voice are to Ariele.
"He doesn't love you. He does but.."
"I know what you mean and no he doesn't. He's gone through the court like a wildfire. The women adore him, the men wish to be like him and he doesn't see me as more than his cousin and boss." The pain is still there but she has accepted it and moved on with her life. He is never going to see her as anything other than that.
Ariele isn't allowed to leave until Grey comes back for her so she and Anna talk a great deal and Ariele tells Anna much of what happened the night before. Anna is sickened by the treatment the Aelven had done to her and is secretly delighted at the innocent seduction that Ariele had done. No female has ever successfully managed even as much under his care.
Anna suddenly changes the subject. "Now tell me about your death and Grey's part in it."
Ari gets quiet. "I don't know everything. I don't see the future, I just know when the words are correct. Sometimes, like with Grey the words are forced out of me. What I do know is that I'm dying. I'm being pulled back to my world and my world is gone now. I'm dead or if not yet, I will be soon, even if by some miracle I managed to not destroy my world.
"Even if they somehow found a way to neutralize the poison, the humans will demand my blood for all the blood the Aelven spilled." Ariele stops but can't stop a tear from falling.
"You aren't responsible. You're not even full Aelven." Anna says trying to stay calm but getting upset at the injustice of the other world.
Ari gives her a quick half smile. "The world doesn't see that. They will see an Aelven, not a human and not a victim, and they will see that I am the only one. They will demand my blood no matter what evidence can be shown to prove my innocence if there is even such evidence. Shortly I'll be dead."
"My death is called for in most of the realities one way or another and it is rare indeed for me to find a way to live with the one that I love. Which in this case doesn't exist. I've heard that love can be magical." Ariele's voice becomes wistful.
"When both love the other equally yes, it can be. But when only one loves than it can be heartbreaking and hellish." They both sit quietly and think things over.
"Would you take it, if there was a chance to save your life?" Anna asks slowly. An idea is in the back of her mind but it is stubbornly refusing to come forward.
Ari laughs and not happily. "I have lived over ten years of hell. I don't need any more. I'm tired Anna. Far more tired than a person my age should be. Far more tired than you or Grey." She has to stop for the tears. She continues on through the tears. "All I've ever wanted was to be loved. I would die happily even willingly could I be loved fully and completely before my time runs out next week. But this is no fairy tale and there aren't always happy ever afters. To truly love someone takes time. And time is the one thing I don't have."
"Sometimes, not often but sometimes, love deep and true strikes as fast as lightning." Anna presses.
"Like I said this isn't a fairy tale." Ari cries out. "It would take a miracle and I no longer believe in miracles. I leave that for those that still believe in a just god." Ari's voice is filled with tears that she is holding back and the bitterness that she isn't.
Anna goes to speak when Grey comes back in. His face is still as dark as storm clouds and doesn't lighten any when he sees the distress that Ariele is in.
"Just what the hell did you say to her Anna? Ariele are you ready to go?" Ariele nods and Grey helps her up and he wraps a protective arm around her.
Before they reach the door Anna says something that stops Grey in his tracks. "I'm sending your mistress to you tonight Grey."
Grey lets Ariele go as he turns and faces his cousin, "The hell you will. I never sleep with a woman while I'm on guard duty and I'm not about to start now."
Although Anna is dismayed at just how angry Grey is with her she crosses her fingers that this is the right thing to do. "The hell I will. Look at you Grey. You are so wound up that even though you aren't angry with her Ariele is shivering in fear. You need to let some of that out. Either tonight or earlier if you wish but I want you to spend some time with her."
Grey is furious. He can't disobey a direct order and he knows one when he hears it. But he doesn't wish to be with his mistress either. He gives his cousin a look of near hatred. He gently guides Ariele out of the room.
He becomes even more angry as he feels Ariele shivering and knows that his cousin is right, she's afraid of him. "I'm not going to hurt you Ari. And don't bring up that about me killing you again."
They soon reach their door and Grey opens it and after making a cursory look through allows her to enter. The two guards position themselves but wish that they could hear the rest of the conversation.
"I know that you don't want to Grey. But sometimes when people are angry they hurt those around them without meaning to. And Grey you are more than angry you're furious. I know that you don't like your cousin's suggestion but, I think you should. I think I've figured out how to shield myself from sound. If you like I can take the trundle and you and she can have my bed." Ariele is miserable. The last thing she wants is for Grey to be with someone else but he doesn't belong to her and he needs to find some way to release some of his anger.
"You too Ari? What the hell is going on here?" Grey doesn't know what to do he feels like he's trapped in a no win situation.
Ariele starts crying. She tries hard to hide it but Grey is so angry that he really is scaring her even though that anger isn't directed at her. She does a good job at hiding it but Grey still hears her sobs and that takes away a great deal of his anger. "I have become a bear haven't I?" Without his anger to sustain him he becomes tired. "Fine, you and my cousin win. Sheila will be here tonight. But I'm not going to trust in a shield of your make. I'll shield you from sound at least." Grey says even as he holds Ariele in his arms.
How is he supposed to have sex with one woman when the one he wants is in his arms now? He shudders at the thought of having Ariele watch him be with Sheila. He determines to make sure that Ariele is sound asleep as well. Anything else and the thought sickens him to the point where he wants to throw up.
He is glad to see the fear leave her eyes but the happiness of his decision doesn't enter. If anything she seems to become even sadder and that makes him want to be with Sheila even less. "I won't be with her if you don't want me to."
"What I want has had no meaning at all during my life Grey. What I do want isn't something you're prepared to give. Be with your mistress. At least this is a life that she chose and one which she has some control over."
"Dammit. I won't have her in here." Grey is angry again.
"Tell me Grey. Just why are you so angry about all this? You slept with your mistress all the time before I got here. I've only been here a little over twenty-four hours. How could things have changed for you so rapidly?" Ari asks tiredly even as she sits at the table not feeling so good.
"I don't know or even understand it myself." Grey says a little lost and a lot confused.
Laughing at herself silently Ariele lies her head on the table and closes her eyes. She falls asleep far more quickly than she'd thought possible. She partially wakes up as she feels herself being lifted up but recognizing Grey's arms she snuggles into the safety they offer.
"Why couldn't it be you my cousin orders me to be with? I wouldn't like the order but I wouldn't mind a night with you." He sets her down on the bed. "Sleep well my lady." He says with a kiss.
He means for it to be just a goodnight kiss but Ariele finding her dream a reality holds onto him and deepens the kiss. He manages to extricate himself but she won't let him leave. So he gently moves her over and sits next to her while she sleeps.