Selvina stared up at her bed's canopy, her arms and legs spread wide, and her mind a jumble of thoughts, doubts, and worries.
The day was nearing its end and her thoughts were no clearer than when she was told she would have to actually kill The Writer. She barely knew him. He was apparently a terrible being that could not be allowed to live but the same was said about the empress.
Could everyone be wrong about The Writer too? What if he didn't need to be killed? Perhaps he could be reasoned with somehow. He was apparently out to control the world and rid it completely of free will but Selvina had seen none of that yet.
Eventually, her thoughts bounced about into the direction of the Black Knight. It was suspected that he had been sent by The Writer. If it was true then there was no doubt that he was dangerous. The Black Knight's mission was to kill Selvina and word was already spreading that there was a price on her head for all the damage the Black Knight had caused in her hunt.
It was safer for her to remain in Corbeau. The empress, as far as Selvina knew, would protect her from any assassins or bounty hunters. King Arthur, Merlin, and everyone in New Avalon would do the same but unlike Empress Rhiannon they didn't have a vast city and massive fortress to protect them. The entirety of Maron, keep included, could fit inside Caer Gobiyth several times over. Include the fact that the dragon empress herself resided within the fortress and any foolish assassin would be hard pressed to attempt anything. Even if they succeeded, they'd never leave alive.
Yet, for all of the empress's generosity and kindness, Selvina didn't consider her a friend. She was on another level, one that Selvina felt she'd never climb to. Her life experiences were simply too numerous and Selvina never felt more like a child than when she talked to her. She hated that feeling. Rhiannon had seen and most likely done it all. How could Selvina, a young and spoiled wannabe actress, relate to her in any sense?
Selvina sighed deeply and rose. She slid the window aside and stepped onto the balcony, resting her arms on the stone balustrade, and looked down at the sprawling city of Corbeau. Hundreds of feet below were thousands upon thousands of people going about their daily business. Selvina could probably relate to several, if not many, of them in a way. She might even make good friends of a few.
But she already had friends. Good ones. Amazing ones. Beloved ones.
Selvina rested her elbows on the balustrade, pressed her palms into her eye sockets, and groaned. She missed them so much. She was surrounded by innumerable lives and yet she felt completely alone. Rhiannon was still too intimidating to get close to and Accolon, though he seemed nice, was too embroiled in his work as a legatus, whatever that was. Selvina guessed it was some sort of general, seeing how militarily minded Accolon seemed and how all the soldiers around him had acted upon their morning meeting.
Lowering her arms and blinking rapidly, Selvina gazed at the horizon. Hills, forests, and fields rolled off into distance. The world seemed at peace and comfortable. One couldn't even tell it was at war.
Selvina sighed once more and straightened herself to head back into her room. Maybe she could find a book to read or something. She needed something to take her mind off of her loneliness. Perhaps, with a bit of wishful thinking, the dwarves had invented television somewhere. Selvina made a note to ask the empress whenever she'd see her again.
Mid-turn, Selvina stopped and furrowed her brows. Far below, bouncing from rooftop to rooftop, was a tiny blinking light. It would fly over rooftops, pause on some of them, and then hover over the streets. The tiny light appeared to be flying in a wide pattern, as if searching for something.
A wonderful pulsating feeling burst out of Selvina's heart and spread throughout her body. She knew that light! A great smile stretched across her face as she watched it more closely, just in case she was wrong. No, she wasn't. She couldn't be. That wasn't just a light.
That was Tinkerbelle!
"TINK!" she cried out with all her might. "TINKERBELLE!!! UP HERE!!"
The light was flying over a street at the moment and then, a second later, it stopped moving.
"TINKERBELLE!" Selvina shouted, leaning over the balustrade and yelling louder than she ever had before. "IT'S SELVINA!! UP HERE!!"
Hundreds of feet below, the light spun in a quick circle and shot upward toward the girl on the balcony.
Selvina's smile was to her ears and she danced on her feet as she watched the fairy with utter delight. Finally, a familiar face! Finally, someone who she could talk to!
Her smile shrunk slightly as she noticed how long it was taking Tinkerbelle to reach her. She had seen that fairy circle the city of Maron in mere seconds. Selvina's balcony was several hundred feet up but it shouldn't be taking Tinkerbelle this long.
Is she hurt? Selvina wondered with a touch of worry.
Eventually, the fairy reached the balcony and Selvina immediately saw why she had been slower than usual. In Tinkerbelle's miniature hands was the leather necklace that carried the elf-arrow. The elf-arrow amulet was almost the same size as the fairy and Selvina was in awe at how she had managed to carry it all the way from Maron. It was even more remarkable for the fact that, since the elf-arrow spread an aura of magic negation, the fairy couldn't sprinkle some fairy dust on it to give it weightlessness.
Overjoyed to be reunited with a friend, Selvina spread her arms, as if to hug the fairy, and simply laughed. "I don't know what to do! I want to hug you so bad right now, Tink! You have no idea how happy I am to see you!"
After dropping the elf-arrow on the ground—gently—Tinkerbelle flew up and dove into Selvina's hair. Selvina giggled until the fairy yanked on it roughly, making her cry out in pain.
"Hey, what the hell, Tink?"
Flying to Selvina's ear, Tinkerbelle yelled, "How could you forget your elf-arrow?! After all we did to get it! You just leave it in your room! I'm amazed you didn't forget your head there too!"
Selvina frowned but didn't retort. Tinkerbelle was right. Though she hadn't been threatened in any way since arriving in Corbeau, Selvina had still been an utter fool for leaving behind such a powerfully protective tool as the elf-arrow.
"I'm sorry, Tink," Selvina said quietly. "I did a lot of stupid things that day..."
"You sure did!" cried the fairy. "I had to escape hungry hawks and owls, sneaking cats, stupid kids with nets, and almost died of exhaustion bringing it here to you. I kept flying day and night, you know! I was worried sick you'd be in danger!"
Selvina said nothing, pursing her lips and feeling like a scolded child.
Tinkerbelle sighed and shook her blonde head. "But I still love you, Selvina. Besides, it's still my responsibility to protect you, after all. I'm actually surprised you're still alive."
Selvina smiled lightly, grateful to have her friend back. She picked up the elf-arrow, hung it around her neck, left the balcony, and then went to her bed and lay down. Tinkerbelle flew over to her pillow and sprawled on her back, in much the same manner Selvina had been earlier.
"I've been treated rather nicely here, to be honest," Selvina said. "I was expecting the worse but I have this whole room to myself, the food is good, and if I wanted to I could just go out and explore the castle."
Tinkerbelle turned her tiny head, eyeing Selvina with a raised eyebrow. "You haven't been tortured or questioned or anything?"
"No, not at all. I know, it surprised me too, Tink. Rhiannon actually seems willing to help me with the Writer. I don't know what she's waiting for but she told me just to relax and enjoy myself in the meantime."
Tinkerbelle looked up at the canopy and furrowed her brows in deep thought. After a few moments, she said, "I don't know much about the empress but all that I knew was bad."
Selvina nodded rapidly. "Me too! Like, everyone says she's the worst person ever but like, being here and hanging around with her, I don't think she's all that bad. She still scares me a little but she seems nice enough."
"It could all be a trap to make you lower your guard."
"I thought that's what it was too but I dunno. I guess it could still be that but I'm not sure. I think people are just jealous of her power and make her out to be more evil than she actually is."
"Maybe. Whatever it is, I'm here to protect you now."
"Yes, you are, and I'm so grateful. I was getting so lonely, Tink. I can't stop thinking about Jack and Red and Cindy and even Belle. I miss everyone. I want to be back with them but I can't."
"So you're not even going to try to go back to New Avalon?"
"Rhiannon said she'd be fine if I wanted to go back but I'd just have to come here again anyway to get her help with the Writer. I might as well just stay, I guess."
"It does make sense, I can see. Do you want to, though?"
Selvina shrugged. "I was actually thinking of asking her to take me back to New Avalon today. I couldn't handle being so alone. Now that you're here, though, I think I'll be ok."
Tinkerbelle looked at Selvina with a smile on her tiny face and Selvina smiled back.
That night's sleep was the best Selvina had in weeks.