‘What happened’?
‘Cherry … don’t forget me … I love you.’
She felt him get weaker and it felt as if he was moving away from her. Panic seized her. She did not want him to go. She did not want to stay alone here in the dark.
‘Merlon? Merlon? Where are you? I can’t feel you any more. Merlon?’
Someone was holding her arm tightly. She heard a female voice.
“Help me. She’s coming round. Shemustn’t move. I have to sedate her. She can sense it. She mustn’t know that he …”
Cherry felt other hands holding her legs, and yet more hands holding her upper body. Then she felt a needle in her upper arm and she felt quite peculiar.
“Hold onto her for a minute until she’s calm. You may only take the prince once she’s asleep.”
‘Merlon? Merlon! Noooooo!’
She fought against the lead weight that held her. She had to stay awake. They must not take him away from her. What was wrong with him? Why could she no longer sense his presence?
‘No! No … Please … no … Mer…
***
When Cherry woke up, everything hurt. She could not even keep her eyes open because the light hurt them so much. Groaning, she turned onto her side. A warm hand was put on her shoulder.
“Are you awake, girl?” asked a woman’s voice.
Cherry groaned again. The woman turned her onto her back and she was subjected again to the bright light. It even hurt her through her closed lids.
“Too bright,” she groaned quietly.
“I’ll close the curtain. Wait a moment.”
The woman moved away and a little later there was a comfortable darkness in the room. Tentatively Cherry opened her eyes and looked at the woman standing in front of the bed. She did not look human. She had light, slightly bluish skin and pointed ears. Her red hair was braided in a long plait and she was wearing a silver headband and wide silver armbands. Her clothing consisted of a long cream-coloured dress with a green apron made of silk-like material.
“Who are you? Where am I?”
“I’m Awate, the healer. You’re in His Majesty’s palace.” Cherry grasped her aching head and tried to clear the fog that had settled on her thoughts. “What’s wrong with me?”
“You were poisoned. With a dart. Prince Merlon brought you to me.”
‘Merlon!’
Now it was coming back to her. The memories were pouring into her so violently that she closed her eyes, groaning – until the memory of Merlon in her head – she had sensed him – his feelings. And then he had suddenly drifted away from her. What had happened?
“Where is he?” she cried, suddenly seized by panic. “Where is Merlon?”
Awate put a warm hand on her arm to calm her.
“Please be calm. You must recover first.”
Cherry threw open her eyes and looked into the healer’s face. She looked concerned. What was she hiding from her? What had happened to Merlon?
“I want to go to him immediately,” said Cherry angrily, and she sat up jerkily.
“No! You can’t get up yet. Please lie down again,” Awate tried to stop her. “Guards!”
Immediately two warriors charged into the room. They looked in alarm at Cherry and then at the healer.
“Help me sedate her. She mustn’t get up yet.”
“No!” yelled Cherry, but she had no chance against the two guards. They grabbed her and forced her back onto the bed. Awate came with a syringe and stuck the needle into her arm. Cherry fought desperately against the effect of the injection, but it did not take long and she was in a strange state between being awake and asleep. She could not move and yet she could take in everything that was going on around her. She just could not move her eyes. The calm that filled her felt strange. Not right.
Awate sat down next to her on the bed and seemed to be waiting for something. After a while Cherry heard footsteps and the door opened. In came an absolutely beautiful woman with a small golden crown on her chestnut brown locks. She looked to be in her early forties but she was possibly a great deal older. This must be the queen. Merlon’s mother.
The beautiful woman went up to the bed. Awate had stood up and moved a few steps away to make space for the queen.
“I’m Molwina. Merlon’s mother,” the queen introduced herself and sat down on the bed next to Cherry. “I know that you can hear me. First of all I’d like to say to you that I am very sorry about what has happened to you. We will take you back to your home. But first of all you must be completely well. If you promise me that you will not get worked up any more and will abide by Awate’s instructions, then you will be given no more sedation. Awate did not like doing that, but it was for your protection. You could over-exert yourself and die. Then everything that my son did for you would be in vain. If he means anything to you then honour his sacrifice by making sure that you get well.”
Cherry took in the queen’s words. She knew what they meant but the potion that Awate had injected her with had rendered her without emotion. She felt nothing. Only deep down inside, in a hidden corner of her consciousness, her soul uttered a silent cry.
Molwina stroked her cheek and smiled at her sadly.
“It was always my wish that Merlon should find a woman like you. I am unutterably sad that this had to happen. I would have gladly given you my crown. My son chose well. Farewell, daughter.”
A tear rolled over the queen’s cheek. Then she raised herself from the bed and turned away.
“Take good care of her,” she said to the healer, her voice choked with tears, then she disappeared.
Chapter 12
Cherry sat on the bed as if paralysed. Today she was to leave Amarantus forever. The queen had not visited her again during the week that Cherry had spent on her sick bed. Apart from Awate she had only seen guards or maids.
Footsteps could be heard in the corridor. That must be her escort. The door opened and a large elf warrior entered the room. He looked at Cherry from friendly eyes and nodded at her. Then he turned to the healer.
“Is she ready for teleportation?”
Awate nodded.
“Yes, she’s strong enough now.”
“Good.”
The healer went up to the bed and put his hand on Cherry’s shoulder.
“Cherry. This is Vigor. He’ll take you back to your world.”
Cherry simply nodded.
“Are you ready?” asked Vigor.
Cherry got up and passively allowed Awate to embrace her.
“Farewell,” said the healer.
“Thank you,” whispered Cherry and tried in vain to suppress the rising tears.
Then Cherry turned to the elf warrior and was guided out of the room.
“We must first go outside. Teleportation is not allowed inside the palace.”
“OK.”
Vigor led her through numerous corridors and halls that Cherry hardly registered. She did not want to see any of the splendour. It was her fault that Merlon had lost all this. He had given his life to save her. She would never be able to forgive herself for that. The thought that he would probably still be alive if she had only not been so silly ate into her. She wanted to put all of this behind her as quickly as possible.
When they were outside she breathed a sigh of relief. Vigor led her onto a terrace.
“Ready?”
“Yes.”
“Hold on tightly to me.”
Cherry allowed the warrior to put his strong arms around her and she put her arms around his neck. Then she instinctively closed her eyes. A strange feeling overcame her – as if she were hovering. Then it was over.
“We’re here,” sounded the elf’s gentle voice.
Cherry opened her eyes and they really were standing in her room. It was clearly the middle of the night because it was dark and only a little light from the street lamps lit the room.
“Thank you.”
“No problem. Take care of yourself,” said the elf, then he was gone
.
Cherry slowly sank down onto the bed and suddenly all the emotions that she had suppressed during the last few days exploded. Hot tears ran over her cheeks and very soon her nose was blocked and her eyes were burning from a lot of rubbing. She had thought that she could live without Merlon – and now that she had finally realised that she could not, and, in addition, knew that he had actually loved her – it had to end this way. How could she ever forgive herself for the fact that the love of her life had had to give up his life because of her hesitation?
The door opened and someone uttered a cry of disbelief.
“Cherry? Oh my God!”
Mina rushed into the room.
“I knew I’d heard something. How did you get here? Where have you been?” She sat down on the bed and stared at Cherry, wide-eyed. “Oh my god! What’s happened to you? Have you been raped? Can you describe the person who did it? Or was it more than one?”
Ellie and Molly came into the room in the midst of a heated discussion.
“What is it?” they called as one.
“Oh my God!” whispered Molly in shock and put her hand to her mouth.
“Shit!” gasped Tina. “What’s happened to her?”
The two women came closer.
“I don’t know what’s happened,” said Mina in despair. “She’s not speaking. Someone put the light on. I can’t see if she’s injured.”
“No!” Cherry uttered, sobbing. “I’m not …”
“Cherry, love. Whatever has happened? Should we call the police?” asked Ellie, concerned.
“No.”
“Don’t you want to tell us what happened?” asked Mina gently.
“You wouldn’t believe me,” sobbed Cherry.
“I’ll believe you. Whatever it is,” said Ellie.
“We’ll all believe you,” agreed Mina. “We know that you wouldn’t lie to us.”
“Not that I’d lie. But you’d think I was crazy.”
“I don’t know anyone who’s less crazy than you,” said Molly. “Come on! Out with it! Shared suffering means half the suffering. In this case a quarter of the suffering, because there are, after all, four of us.”
“I’ve been in another world,” began Cherry with hesitation, and she watched her friends sceptically for signs of disbelief or rejection, but all three just looked at her expectantly and so she continued. “The world is called Amarantus and it’s the world of the elves. I don’t mean the sort of elves that are in children’s books. They are as big as us and look the same as us except that their skin is a little bluish and they have long ears. I … I was abducted by an elf prince.” She stopped again. She was certain that from this point on, at the latest, her friends would declare her crazy.
“Carry on,” Ellie urged her, and the other two friends nodded.
“You believe me?” Cherry asked in disbelief.
“You’re not the sort to take drugs. I am finding your story fantastical, but hey! Why shouldn’t there be such a thing? Tell us about this prince. He’s certain to be outrageously sexy with a long sword, if you know what I mean.” She giggled.
“His name is … was … Merlon, and yes, he was the most attractive man that I had ever met.” She told the story from the beginning; how she had found him injured; how they had made love and everything that had happened in Amarantus; right to the sad end and her return. Her friends hung on her every word to the very end, without interrupting her. By the end of the story, first Ellie, then Molly and Mina, began to cry. “Vigor teleported me here and disappeared. Then you came in.”
“Oh my God!” sobbed Molly. “That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard. Oh, Cherry!” She threw her arms round Cherry and hugged her. “I’m so very sorry for you.”
“Were you not allowed to see him again?” asked Ellie.
“No,” whispered Cherry sadly. “They didn’t let me and by the end I didn’t even want to any more. I didn’t want to see him like … that!”
“I can understand that,” said Mina. “I think I’d have wanted to keep him in my memory the way he looked when I last saw him, too.”
“I’m getting us something to drink,” said Ellie hoarsely. “We can all do with a drink now. It is the weekend. No one has to get up early tomorrow.”
Ellie came back after a short while with a bottle of brandy and four glasses. Cherry took a glass and Ellie filled it. Then she took a long sip. She had to cough, but that did not stop her emptying her glass in record time and having her glass filled again. She wanted to drown her sorrow. What else could she do?
Chapter 13
“That film was really great. I cried my eyes out,” said Ellie with a sigh.
Cherry drank the last of her coke and put the empty cardboard cup into the likewise empty popcorn carton. They waited in their seats until the other people had left the cinema to avoid the crush. Once most of the people had reached the exit Ellie got up and Cherry did the same.
“I’m glad you came with me,” said Ellie. “You’ve spent the last two weeks hidden away in your room. I know it’s hard, but life goes on.”
“I know,” said Cherry.
They stepped into the isle that led to the exit. Suddenly Cherry had a feeling that someone was watching her. She turned round and saw a man looking in her direction. He had shoulder-length, blond hair. His face was half-hidden in the dark but somehow his large stature was familiar to her. Could it be?
“I think Vigor’s here,” she whispered to her friend.
“Who? The elf? The one that brought you home?” asked Ellie, excited.
“Yes. I’m not sure. I only know his elf form. As people they always look a bit different. But the facial features and the blond hair. And the huge build. And he’s looking this way,” Cherry whispered back.
Ellie looked round discretely.
“Shoulder-length hair and a body that’s screaming ‘baby I’m going to make you lose your mind!’?”
“That’s him.”
“If your elf looked half as good, I now understand everything.”
“I’m just wondering what he’s doing here? He seems to have followed us. Why?”
“Unfortunately you can’t ask him now. He’s gone. He took the exit on the far left. By the time we get out of here he’ll be long gone.”
“Damn it!”
They pushed their way further along the queue until they at last stepped out into the open. As Ellie had predicted, there was no trace of the man who had looked like Vigor.
Cherry sighed.
“Shall we go for a pizza?” asked Ellie.
“Why not,” agreed Cherry. She could not stop wondering whether this man had really been Vigor and if so, why he was following them.
“My goodness! I’m full!” groaned Ellie, pushing the plate away.
“Me, too,” said Cherry, suppressing a burp.
“I can’t stop thinking about that man in the cinema. What he wanted? Or whether it was a coincidence? Maybe he’s not an elf but just looks like this Vigor,” babbled Ellie.
“I’ve been wondering that, too. But it was strange the way he looked at me. I mean, the cinema was full of people and the guy was looking at me from half way across the cinema. I don’t think that it was a coincidence that he was looking at me. He was watching me. I felt his gaze before I even saw him. That’s why I turned round in the first place. Because I was aware that someone was staring at me. That’s unreal!”
Ellie put her hand to her mouth to suppress a small cry. Her eyes widened and Cherry thought the mysterious man must be somewhere in the restaurant and Ellie had spotted him, but Ellie was not looking past her but directly at her.
“What is it?” she asked nervously as Ellie shook her head in confusion.
“You … you told us that someone wanted to kill you. Can it be that it was Vigor who shot the dart at you?”
For a moment Cherry felt sick, but then she shook her head decisively.
“No! That doesn’t make any sense. He could have killed me instead of bringi
ng me back here. I was at his mercy. And anyway, he seemed really nice.”
“Perhaps he just didn’t want to kill you right then because then suspicion would have fallen on him immediately. But if he were to see to it now, two weeks later, that something happens to you here, then none of his people in Amarantus would find out.”
“I can’t imagine what reason he would have.”
“Someone wanted to kill you. So someone must have a reason. How can you know that he hasn’t got a motive? Just because you don’t know the reason doesn’t mean there isn’t one.”
“I hope you’re wrong,” said Cherry with an uncomfortable feeling in her belly. “If Vigor has it in for me I don’t stand a chance. No human could protect me from him. Elves are much stronger and harder to kill than humans.”
“Wow!” said Ellie, full of admiration. “Real Superman types, huh?”
“If only Merlon were still alive,” whispered Cherry.
Ellie reached over the table to press her hand gently.
“Sorry! I’m coming out with too much stupid stuff. Just don’t listen to me, OK? Next time I start talking such rubbish just say: ‘Ellie, shut up!’” Ellie gushed forth.
“Ellie! – Shut up!” said Cherry in a strict voice and suddenly began to laugh.
Ellie joined in with her laughter until the other customers started to look at them.
“Come on! Let’s go home,” suggested Ellie.
Cherry nodded and got up. They paid for their meal at the cash desk and left the restaurant.
During the next few days Cherry felt as if she was being followed everywhere. She did not know whether it was a good or a bad thing, but she was certain that Vigor was watching her. She did not actually see him again after the cinema visit but she could feel his presence. She woke up twice in the night with the feeling that someone was in her room. She had listened out in the darkness with a pounding heart, expecting him to declare himself, but nothing happened.
“You look exhausted,” declared Molly, and Cherry looked up from her untouched breakfast to meet her friend’s concerned gaze.
Tamed by the Prince (Elven Lover) Page 10
