“He’s not your biggest fan right now.”
“Good. I don’t particularly like him either.”
He chuckled but winced afterwards, his hand moving to his stomach. I moved back a little.
“You should be lying down.”
“I’ll lie down if you lie with me.”
I tucked myself in beside him, resting my head under his chin. He held me close with one arm, the other resting gingerly on his bandages.
“I don’t know how I’m going to cope not working.”
“You could always come with me to Avaria.”
He took a moment to reply.
“I thought you wanted to clear your head.”
“I did but after the last twelve hours… Maybe we both could use a little perspective.”
He traced a circle on my shoulder lazily.
“You could see your mother,” I offered.
“That’s true,” he said, heaving a sigh. “But when she finds out I’m injured she’ll smother me. I don’t know if I’d last a week in the house with her like that.”
“You could always stay at the castle,” I shrugged. “We have enough suites.”
He snorted.
“I can’t imagine staying at the castle.”
“It’s not so bad,” I said indifferently. “At least, the suites aren’t.”
He moved his head back to look down at me. I peeked up at him through my lashes.
“Do you actually want me to come?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
I gave him a pointed look.
“Okay.”
I smiled and he leaned his lips to my forehead, kissing it gently.
The door opened and voices greeted us. We both looked up.
“Looks like we’re disturbing the happy couple,” Harry said, grinning at us. A few others from Blaine’s unit were in the doorway too, including Fred.
As much as I wanted to stay with Blaine, I knew his friends wanted to see him too so I sat up and looked back at Blaine.
“I’ll leave you to it,” I told him.
“Go home and get some proper sleep,” he said, dropping his hand. “I’ll call you later.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to go all the way back to Surrey but now I knew he was okay, I didn’t have to worry. I gave him a small nod and stood up.
His unit parted for me as I walked out the door. As I passed Fred I gave him a small smile which he returned.
When I was waiting by the lift, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I looked up at Fred.
“Hi,” I said unsurely.
“How are you doing?”
“I’m okay now I know he is. Thanks for calling me. If you hadn’t… I’d have been in Avaria.”
“I didn’t know who else to call and I figured you’d want to know what had happened.”
“I’m glad you did. I never would’ve forgiven myself if I hadn’t been here.”
He scratched his head absently, glancing at the lift.
“You should know that there are a lot of reporters outside. Security is keeping them out but they’ll swarm you when you leave.”
I pulled a face.
“Fantastic. I can’t even visit my fiancé in hospital without them pointing their cameras at me. Is it in the news yet?”
“Nothing in the papers but I haven’t checked online. If it’s not yet, it will be.”
I sighed and rubbed my temple.
“Can I ask you something?”
“What?”
“Do you actually want to marry him?”
I lowered my hand, paling a little at his question.
“It’s complicated.”
“I know that it’s an arranged marriage but I also know that there’s more to what’s going on than he’s telling me.”
“And what has he told you?”
“Nothing. He won’t talk about it.”
“Then I’ll respect that,” I said shortly. I wasn’t about to start gossiping with his best friend.
“I just don’t want him to get hurt. He’s not as tough as he likes to pretend.”
I lowered my gaze to the floor.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” I admitted. “But I don’t want to hurt him either. If he wants to walk away, he can. I won’t hold it against him.”
“But do you want him to walk away?”
I didn’t know what to say to that. I met his questioning gaze.
“You’re a good friend,” I finally said. “I have no intentions of hurting him though.”
He nodded and took a step back.
“I’d better get back to his room,” he said. “Good luck with the reporters.”
“Thanks,” I muttered as he walked away.
Chapter 21
Seeing Blaine standing on the doorstep of my Surrey home was strange. He had a bag hanging on one shoulder and was looking around curiously.
“Hi,” I said when he finally looked at me.
“Nice place,” he stated. “Very… Victorian-Avarian.”
I smirked and stood back so he could walk inside. I could still hear dad’s voice from his office as he finished up his phone call. I led Blaine into the lounge where my bag was waiting.
“How are you feeling?” I asked. It had been three days since he’d been injured and he was finally released. Most of the bruises had faded from his face and the cut had healed well, though it looked like it would leave a scar.
“Not too bad,” he replied, looking around the room in interest.
We were going to Avaria this afternoon. I had been expecting him to change his mind but when he’d rang me to ask when I planned on going, I’d just told him to meet me here and we’d take the family portal together.
“The doctors said it was okay, right?”
“They were too busy ogling at how fast I was healing,” he shrugged. “You’d think they’d be used to seeing Fae heal quickly by now.”
“Well, you were on death’s doorstep three days ago.”
“I suppose.”
Dad came out of his office and paused in the doorway.
“Blaine,” he said, offering him his hand. “It’s good to see that you’re doing alright.”
“Thank you, sir,” Blaine said, shaking his hand. There was an awkward pause.
“We should really go,” I said as they both stood there like statues.
“Okay,” dad said, turning to me. “If I can get away, I’ll come and see you. Stay safe.”
“I will.”
He kissed the top of my head and gave Blaine a small nod. I picked my bag up and led the way outside.
The grounds of our manor were beautiful and well kept. I regretted not spending much time in them over the last few months. Back in Avaria, my garden had been my favourite place to be. I had learned from my mother how to grow a variety of plants and herbs to use in potions and salves.
We approached the pergola at the end of the garden. It was a pretty building, mimicking the one in the grounds of my castle in Avaria. With its wooden beams and ivy, it looked like a harmless structure.
“How does this thing work?” he asked.
“We have a portal stone,” I explained. “It doesn’t hold the portal open indefinitely like the main portals in the country but it allows access for a short period of time.”
“Handy.”
“Uh-huh.”
I approached the stone bench at the back of the pergola. My mother’s name was engraved onto it. I pressed my finger against the R in Romar and winced as a tiny spike pierced my skin.
The top of the bench shifted open, revealing the portal stone. I picked it up. It was cold and heavy, with pale pink veins running through the dark stone. I turned back to Blaine, who was looking at my hand.
“I thought it would be bigger,” he shrugged. I rolled my eyes and gestured for him to move aside. When he was out of the way, I pointed the stone at the empty space in the middle of the pergola.
The air shifted, mist forming. I
always found portals creepy, the way they opened up a doorway but didn’t show what was on the other side. It was like staring into a cloud.
“Where does this portal lead?” Blaine asked.
“The castle grounds.”
“I didn’t know there was one in the grounds.”
“That’s the point.”
Little tendrils of lightning-like magic shot through the portal as it expanded in front of us. It glowed gently and the air around it felt colder. I dropped the portal stone back into the bench and watched as it disappeared.
“Ready?”
“Let’s go.”
I stepped into the portal first. The air went thick around me, like I’d stepped into a pool of syrup. All I could see was mist. I pushed forwards until the mist thinned and the air warmed and I was standing in a different pergola.
Blaine stepped out of the portal moments after me. I glanced over my shoulder and watched as the portal faded behind us.
We were stood in the pergola at the back of the castle. If It weren’t for the different smells in the air and the vibrant colours of Avaria, I wouldn’t have known we were in a different realm.
“Wow,” Blaine muttered as he stepped onto the grass. Even though we were hidden by trees, the castle was visible through the leaves. I joined Blaine and looked up at it too.
Through the canopy of leaves the castle stood tall, both daunting and beautiful. Its grey walls were covered in ivy with towers poking out from all angles. The river ran straight past it, adding sound to the incredible scene in front of us.
“I never understood how you royals can live in that monstrosity,” Blaine muttered.
“It’s home,” I shrugged.
“There must be a thousand people in there at any one time,” he said.
“Maybe. I’ve never counted.”
“How is that a home?”
“Why don’t you find out?”
He raised an eyebrow at me. I smirked and started walking towards the castle.
The eastern grounds were mostly woodland, with an orchard to the north and meadows to the south. Further east, the woodland turned to rocks and hills before mountains. As we walked past a particularly large rock formation, Blaine stopped.
“What’s that?” he asked, looking at a large sheet of rock. There were engravings on the stone.
“A decoy.”
“A decoy for what?”
“You think nobody has noticed that we come this way to use the portal?” I asked with a smile. “Most people think we keep the portal stone in there.”
“Sneaky.”
When we reached the edge of the treeline, the grass turned into cobblestone as it merged into the path. This part of the grounds was mostly lawn, with a few oak trees and flower beds. I took a deep breath, taking in all the smells of Avaria. Everything here was vibrant and sweet, as if all our senses had been enhanced. We had so many different plants and fruits in Avaria than what Earth had, though they had stuff we didn’t. Laws prevented us from bringing any foreign plants into the human realm, though they were missing out.
There were lots of Fae in the gardens, taking care of the plants and the lawn. A few of them spotted me and waved and others whispered behind their hands as we passed. Blaine cleared his throat.
“I wonder what’s being going round the news here,” he muttered.
“Probably similar stuff,” I said indifferently. With no TV’s in Avaria, the only way to hear the news was by newspaper, radio or word of mouth. The Council had tried to bring Avaria forward in terms of technology but there had been protests, claiming that the Council was trying to force human ways onto the realm. The Council finally gave in.
We approached the gates that led into the castle’s stable-yard. Seeing noses poking out of stalls brought a smile to my face. Fae were busy in the yard, cleaning stables and leading horses around. The smell of hay and horse hair filled my nose and I inhaled like it was a drug.
When I turned to look at Blaine, he had disappeared. It took me a moment to spot him standing by one of the stables at the back, stroking a black horse.
“This is Caz,” he said when I joined him. “He was my partner in training.”
Caz rubbed his nose on Blaine’s arm. All of the castle’s horses were used by the various guards and armies in Avaria, bar a few. Blaine gently ruffled Caz’s mane.
“Horses are much better company than cars,” he muttered. “I miss that.”
“When the Impius attacks are over, you can come back here,” I said, offering my hand out to Caz. He wiped his lip over my fingers, checking for food.
“If the attacks are ever over,” Blaine sighed. I didn’t know what to say to that so I gave him a nudge and gestured to the path that led up into the castle.
More whispers followed us up the stone steps to the castle. The Eastern Wing housed the kitchens, servant quarters, armoury and infirmary. There were hundreds of staff in the castle and I recognised many of them, though their names often escaped me. My mother had always encouraged me to learn their names and though I knew a lot of the staff, there just wasn’t enough room in my brain to remember them all.
“So how many times have you been to the castle?” I asked as we followed the hall past the kitchens. This part of the castle always smelt delicious. We might not have Starbucks or Greggs here, but Avarian food was incomparable.
“A fair few,” Blaine replied. “I did a few patrol shifts when I graduated training. I also had my armour fittings done here.”
“Have you ever been here for a reason other than work?”
“Does my father’s work count?”
As we moved into the main castle, the halls became wider and the stone floors were covered with long, green rugs. Wooden beams lined the ceiling and old paintings decorated the walls. Castle staff were hurrying around, chatting quietly as they carried out their duties. When a familiar redhead backed out of a conference room, I couldn’t help but tap her on the shoulder as I walked past. She looked up then spun around.
“Ashley!” she gasped. “You’re back!”
“Miss me?”
“You have no idea!” She wrapped me in a rib-crushing hug before drawing back with a big smile. Her eyes slid to Blaine and her freckled cheeks turned red. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”
“I’m here for a week. I’m sure we can find the time.”
“Tonight? The usual?”
“Sounds… perfect.”
“I’ll make sure to get out on time.”
She gave Blaine a nervous smile before strolling away with her basket of linens. I looked back at Blaine who was staring at me.
“Who was that?”
“That was Sash.”
“Sash? She’s staff.”
“I know the humans do it differently but I have many friends who work in the castle.”
We turned towards the stairs that led up to the South Wing.
“How do you not get lost here?”
“It’s easy, really,” I shrugged as we climbed. “Each Wing has a purpose. Each room has a name.”
“And where are we headed?”
“The South Wing. The eighth floor is where the royal suites are.”
“The royal suites?”
“You didn’t think I’d put you in the Council suites did you?”
“I hadn’t really thought about it. Isn’t the whole point of the royal suites to keep the riff raff out?”
“You make a good point. Maybe it’s not too late to swap you out.”
When we finally reached the top floor, I paused as I took in the hall before me. Though it was similar to the other halls, something about this one felt different, like we’d left the castle and were now somewhere else.
“Why are there so many rooms?” Blaine asked.
“Family, close friends. Wouldn’t be much of a floor if there were only a few rooms.”
“So most of them just sit empty?”
“Sometimes.”
“What a waste of space.”
“They’re not all suites. There’s a communal living room, a library, offices, a nursery…”
“A nursery?”
“Is that so surprising?”
“No. I guess not.”
I glanced at the big oak doors that led into my parents’ suite. I wondered how long it had been since my father had been back here.
“Do you want to see your suite for the next week?” I asked.
“I’m actually more curious about yours.”
I looked up at him, trying to hide the shock in my face. He grinned down at me.
“Relax, Princess. I just want to see why you think of this place as home.”
Chapter 22
My room was at the end of the hall, up a few quaint steps. I turned the handle and pushed it open.
Warmth rushed through me at the sight of my suite. I hadn’t realised how much this space meant to me until that moment. My life had been spent growing up in these rooms. Things had changed over the years, but it was still very much the same.
The space was generous and I often felt too small in this huge room. The canopy bed was sat on its own platform beside the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the grounds. The rest of the room was taken up by bookshelves, sofas and tables. Even in my absence, the staff had taken care of the room, making sure all the plants thrived and the surfaces were dust-free. There was even a fresh bowl of fruit on the table.
“Wow,” Blaine muttered as he walked slowly through the room, taking it all in. He looked at the fireplace, which was huge and lit, with dried herbs hanging down in front of it. “Is that a TV? You can’t even use it.”
“I can play DVD’s,” I said with a weak smile. I gestured to one of the shelves beside the fireplace which was filled with DVD’s.
“Cute,” he snorted. He peeked through one of the doors that led off the main room. “Shit. Now that’s a bathtub.”
The bath was built into the stone floor. It was deep and circular, filled with water already. Avaria had adapted plumbing to its buildings not long after the humans did but a lot of ours was more… elaborate. Silver pipes hung down from the ceiling in swirls.
While he looked around, I went over to my bed and dropped my bag on it before crossing to the window. The views from my room were unbelievable.
The Avarian Chronicles: A Tear In The Veil Page 13
