"So have you found out yet?" Taylor asked Olivia who was busy subjecting Taylor's honey coloured hair to a 1000 brush strokes
"I asked around but no one seems to know what is really going on Sam. But the hall is being cleaned and quite busy with preparations for the first time in a while. Yet Its not time for the Prince's Coronation" Olivia explained then finally dropped the antique comb.
Taylor's reflection stare back at her from behind the vanity mirror. Her face was getting paler from lack of sunrays. The normal weather in Ardelean seemed to be perpetually gloomy and cold....fit for vampires but not for her. Taylor had nagging premonition of wasting away if she stayed any longer than she had. She continued to inspect herself for any obvious changes from being stuck in another world;
Her hair which still had the blond highlight's from aunty Sandy saloon, fell in cascading waves down her shoulder.
Coupled with the frilly nightgown and washed out face, Taylor felt like a proper old fashioned ghost. She let out a heavy sigh. Wouldn't it be great to be a disappearing ghost rather than the forgotten wife of a vampire?
"What is wrong Sam?" Olivia asked gently from behind her.
"I want to go far far away from here" Was the yearning reply. When Olivia didn't reply, Taylor turned on the chair and clasped the girl's hand in between hers.
"Help me. Help me escape, Olivia. We can run away together" Taylor beseeched
"But that's impossible! There is no escape from Ardelean" Olivia exclaimed in a hushed whisper, trying to release her imprisoned hands. Taylor only held tighter.
"There has to be away. I remember Anghel visited I and my sister each year. If he can do it, I can too" Taylor's eyes pleaded desperately at her.
"The gates of Ardelean are only opened by the royals and the order. They can never be used by any other person except.... Uh" she trailed like someone caught speaking of a taboo.
"Except?" Taylor pressed on.
Olivia shook her head and bent her head. Taylor squeezed her hands again
"Please, tell me"
"It's a dangerous idea. I wouldn't suggest you try it Sam" Olivia advised, shaking her head
"If there is a slight chance of me escaping this place, I want to know. I don't care about the dangers as long as I succeed"
"Well. Escaping from Ardelean is a serious matter Sam. If you are caught your fate will be 10 times worse than it ever will be. Are you sure you want to go along with it?" Olivia asked with a pinched, worried face.
"Yes. 100%, Olivia" Taylor replied earnestly.
"There is one way. The blossom key. It is said that the blossom key emerged from the soil the binding spell of Ardelean was first made; One to make all, one to end all. It is a powerful flower that only blossoms once every solstice eve.
The flower in full blossom is believed to be the only power that can weaken the protection spell and open the gates of Ardelean .
And it is safely hidden in the royal vault and heavily protected by the Scarlett guards. Getting even a feet near the vault is seen as treason and equal to
Immediate death without trial. So you see, apart from asking the royals themselves to open the gates, getting the blossom key is the only way yet it's equal to a suicide mission"
"When is the next solstice eve?" Was Taylor's reply after a brief pause.
"On the 25th. That's 10 days from now"
"Ah. look at that coincidence. Even fates don't want me here for long" Taylor said with a grin
"But didn't you listen. Going near the vault is seen as treason" Olivia pressed.
"Not if the permission is given" was Taylor's vague reply
"What are you thinking Sam?"
"A great plan. Get ready Olivia, we are leaving this dreadful place come Solstice eve"
Taylor slept peacefully for the first time that night. That pressing feeling that burned at the back of her chest like someone who needed something but didn't know what exactly, had completely reduced.
The previous day she had worried herself sick about the Mirea story, Anghel and the hoax cream that was meant to make her wounds fester. Now it all didn't matter anymore, in 10 days it all would be a bad dream.
As she wandered happily in dreamland, the diamond shaped necklace around her neck emitted its nightly glow; to protect or to harm was a matter still largely unknown.
**************
The next morning, Olivia rushed into the room with a breakfast tray and startled Taylor who was just getting dressed. One look at the girl's grinning face made Taylor anxious for good news. God knew it was long due.
"Well, spit it out, I know you're dying to" Taylor teased as she carefully slipped into the green muslin gown, carefully not to upset her healing wounds.
"Oh Sam! There is going to be a ball tonight! That was what all the activities of yesterday was all about." Olivia was all but bouncing in her toes from excitement
Taylor could only smile at the girl's contagious enthusiasm. Balls were a foreign concept to Taylor, a dressed up affair she only read about between book pages. But at least there would be a genuine reason to leave the room without getting into any trouble and maybe implementing her plan.
"Oh Sam, a ball! I have only witnessed it once in my home town. But it wasn't anything fancy. And it's especially rare in Ardelean. The last ball in Ardelean, I heard, was once, during the late queen's birthday. I wonder why there is a grand ball happening just out of the blue."
Then she turned and gave Taylor a critical look.
"You would soon be the Queen of Ardelean, you have to look spectacular to night and nothing in that closet would suit that purpose"
Taylor gave an unqueen-like scoff
"Some queen I am. I have the mind to appear in my underwear. It would show them. Ignoring me and locking me up here for days.."
Taylor had to stop and giggle at Olivia's completely scandalised look.
"Oh come on I was just joking. I have nothing to wear anyways, I might as well just sit it out" she said with a shrug, having second thoughts. How humiliating was it to attend a ball you weren't invited in a muslin dress?
"No you're not"
The foreign voice made them both jump.
In all the excitement, Olivia hadn't shut the door, which now contained the large frame of Anghel dressed in his favourite colour; black. He was holding what seamed like yards of filmy purple fabric in his arms.
Taylor stared at him, noting his hair had been trimmed shorter and his face clean shaven. His blue eyes seemed brighter as they watched her too. It took more than a second for Taylor to remember she was mad at him...should be mad at him. Neither talked though. Which made the silence increasingly awkward.
Anghel cleared his throat the exact moment she asked "what are you...?"
Silence again, as if both were waiting for the other to talk. Olivia quickly finished her task of laying the small breakfast table, she curtsied and hurried out the room with the giant pink elephant.
"I brought you a dress" Anghel said finally, letting himself in.
Taylor sat in front of her vanity mirror and pretended to be engrossed with combing her hair, her back to him.
"OK"
"It's for the ball tonight"
"Ok"
"--"
A movement behind her and a sneak peek showed him laying a voluminous gown on the bed.
"I hope you like purple. The seamstress was out of pink fabrics, I hear mortal girls like that a lot"
"OK"
Taylor waited expectedly for his footstep to indicate him leaving the room, which didn't come.
"You're mad at me"
"Give the genius a medal" was the sarcastic reply.
Anghel let out a sigh.
"I am sorry." Surprisingly, it sounded sincere, unplanned.
Taylor's hand stilled. She turned and fixed him her most ferocious looks.
"For what sin exactly. 'Cause heaven knows I've lost count and I haven't been here a week!"
"For threatening you the other day" if she didn't know better she would think he sounded like a scolded child.
"Oh is that all? What about the woman you killed in my front, what about locking me up in here without even a visit once? For being a total douchebag since i got here or about sending me a harmful cream for my wounds? What? Too small to apologize for?"
"What cream?"
Taylor raised her hands in exasperation
"Really? What cream? Is that all you have to say"
"There is nothing to apologize for except for the one I just did. The fate of that fae was decided the moment she broke boundary laws. The reason I didn't visit can't be discussed yet. I have no idea what a douche bag does. That's leaving the cream, which I know nothing of"
"Olivia got a cream she said came from you. The doctor said it had been hindering my healing process"
Taylor said crossing her arms, combat mode. Olivia wouldn't give her just any cream if it wasn't from him.
"Where is your maid. I'll have her interrogated, Someone might be trying to hurt you"
"You'll do no such thing to that girl" Taylor stated, dropping her arms.
"There you go again. Why are you so protective of someone you hardly know, someone that just might be trying to hurt you?"
"Just because I have no protector doesn't mean I can't protect somebody else"
Anghel opened his mouth then closed it at second thought.
"There is just no reasoning with mortals" was his exasperated reply
"Racist"
"What?"
"Its what we mortals call people with your train of thought"
"I know what....argh, just forget it. Emese said she would be by to get you ready for your ball and our consummation night. Ill leave you to whatever it is you are doing"
"Wait! What did you just say?"
The amused smirk on anghel's face showed he meant to upset her.
"Which part?"
"'Your ball' and the other part.." Taylor trailed, suddenly unable to meet his gaze
"Well, the king ordered the ball in your honour to thank you properly for saving his life. And also, tonight is when we become a real couple"
Taylor gasped as the comb she held clattered to the floor.
"Am not...we are not.." Taylor could feel her face heat up as she tried to form a coherent word
Anghel smirked fully now and stalked towards her. She watched him closed the gap in a daze, till he was directly in front of her and bent to whisper seductively in her ear;
"How long did you think you'd be able to hide hmm Taylor? Tonight, you will finally become mine. Not only in body, but soul, my dear, dear sweet wife"
A/N
I missed writing this.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I wrote it. Pls point out mistakes or typos. I wrote this high on caffeine at 3am. lol
So, what are your thoughts on Olivia? What about Taylor? I'd love to hear from you really.
Please, please, please don't forget to vote, comment, and share. Those three things make my day.
Starlily1♥♥♥