I looked at Darragh closely and she was right, although he did look extremely tired, he no longer seemed ill and weak.
“He must be resting,” I noted.
“Yes, and so should you,” Gabriella mentioned, “Come, the druid’s made arrangements.”
“Should we not, perhaps, greet her or something?”
“She asked to not be disturbed until she’d fully healed Darragh,” the fae explained and held her hand out. I took it hesitantly, and she led me away from the clearing to another just a few minutes away down a well-made cobblestone path. This one was much bigger than the clearing before, and it looked like there was a colony of pixies who had homes there. I hated to intrude.
A few flew out of their small hanging nests of leaves and fluttered around me. There were…dew drop suspended in the air, glowing with blue and purple light. I was absolutely mesmerised, and even more so with the pixie’s bodies with tattoos that glowed as they moved. A few took me by the arms and led me to a root similarly gnarled like the one Darragh was on, but the bedding was much nicer. The leaves were large, wrapped and stitched around the bedding underneath to create a mattress. It was placed snugly in the cot-like enclosure and even had a pillow.
Gabriella shed her velvet cloak off her back and rolled it up, placing it in my arms.
“It’s been a hell of a night for you,” she said softly, “Please rest well. We plan on taking you to the town you spent most of your life in when the morning comes.”
“What about Sylius?” I whispered, “Won’t he come after us?”
“The borders of the human world are well protected at the moment, trust me,” she said reassuringly. I could only sigh.
“Could I get a knife for a bit?”
Gabriella gave me an odd look, but reached into her pocket and handed me a dagger. I put her cloak on the bed and looked down at my dress, once beautiful and now dusty and ruined. I would have to ruin it more, sadly. I tried to remind myself that pretty dresses were no longer a priority. Especially if they were from Sylius.
I pulled the dress down and tore it at the knees, holding the cut-off cloth in my mouth as I gave the dress slits down both the sides from my hips. I then pulled off the awfully constricting corset from right under the neckline of my dress, pulling out its laces and cutting the bodies halfway down the cleavage to let my breasts breath. There was an ache in my chests as the constricted blood flow finally got its freedom.
“M-Martha…” Gabriella coughed, “Whatever are you doing?”
“I can’t breathe in this dress,” I huffed as I punctured holes down each side of the slit and tearing out thin long strips from previously cut off cloth to weave into the holes loosely. I finally had more leg room. I weaved the other side, but only halfway down my thigh. Using the laces from the corset, I loosely weave it between the slit at my cleavage to hold my chest from spilling out indecently. Using the remaining lace, I threaded it through the punctured holes the neckline above my breasts, pulling it behind my neck like in a halter.
I returned Gabriella her dagger with a small thank you. She looked at me, impressed. I had to admit, even I was taken back by how naturally it all came to me. Like muscle memory…
And then it hit me.
“Gabriella,” I said softly and looked at her, “I know my mind doesn’t remember much but…my body does. There are a lot of things it just does on instinct, like it knows. Could that be of any help?”
Gabriella looked surprised, but pleased, “I’m not sure but it’s a great place to start. We can discuss it in the morning though, you really need your rest.”
I yawned and covered my wide mouth with the back of my hand. She was right. I was exhausted and I needed sleep more than anything. A few pixie flew in holding a bowl of berry juice. It smelled pure and I took a sip. It tasted sweet of strawberries and mulberries.
Thanking the pixies, I finally climbed into the makeshift bed and dozed off faster and better than I could have in Sylius’s palace.
Chapter Twelve
Lady of pleasure
My shoulder stung, but the worst of it was over. It was embarrassing being dragged in the way I was, pale and nauseous. I’d stumbled to the edge of the cliff and thrown up dark, semi-liquid matter that only confirmed the arrow I was shot with was tipped with strong poison. There was also dark magic in my blood stream, but the druid’s healing helped my body reject it.
The druid was a strange woman. It took a while for me to come around, and the sun was dim through the trees and she was still stirring whatever she was concocting whatever potion in her large bowl of rock. It was not the best sleep I’d gotten, but it was one of the better ones in what felt like decades.
With a grunt, I shook my head lightly to rid myself of a weird buzz under my skull. The dreams I was having were extremely weird. I kept seeing myself back in the cave where I fought Sylius so long ago after he’d killed his mermaid lover. And then I would be killed, and resurrected into the Unseelie Court, watching Polius’s face as he conversed with a demon that I never got a chance to look upon because it had its back turned to me. It seemed like a memory even though I was not even there to see it. I wondered if it was from the portal.
And then I would wake up again into the memory of Martha charging at me when I was fighting with the guards, and her jumping over me with grace in shimmering deep purple and gold glory, skin glinting under the moonlight like silver as she exuded power unlike anything I’d ever felt or seen in my entire life. The Martha with eyes glowing like gemstones on fire and hair like liquid ruby. She was absolutely…magnificent.
I shook the memory out of my head because it was so beautiful that it simply made no sense. I’d never seen Martha in such a powerful state before. Although I was still trying to come to terms with the fact that Martha was Princess Selene, it was still a lot to wrap my head around because I thought I would’ve been able to tell by her energies if she really was the heir to the Unseelie Court. Was it possible for such power to lay dormant in her body for so long? And was her body really capable of containing it? Seeing a how she’s not even a full fae, but a changeling.
“Darragh,” Gabriella called to me softly from behind a tree, “are you awake?”
I nodded, keeping my eyes on the beams of light streaming from between the leaves. I wanted to see the sun. I’d missed it. It felt like forever since I’d last watched a quiet, peaceful sunrise.
I heaved a breath and tried to sit up, but groaned softly as a sharp pain travelled down my arm and chest. Suddenly, the druid spun around on her knee and I saw her clearly for the first time. Her skin was tinged purple with an undertone of red that showed up more on her knees, elbows, and around her eyes. Deep pink spots of various sizes graced her sharp facial features, and the pointed tip of her ears curled slightly at the ends, edged with translucent skin that moved, as if to pick up vibrations in the air. Her hair was short, deep blue, and wafted around her face like a mermaid’s would in water. Her movement was sharp, calculated, with no energy to waste. She grabbed the wooden bowl a pixie handed her and flicked her fingers. The soup from the rock bowl she was stirring rose and filled itself into the wooden cutlery, and she walked towards me. I noticed her eyes were an amber yellow that gleamed clear like marbles, yet held so much wisdom and age in them. It was unsettling.
She stood up straight, and we gasped. She was slim and tall. Very tall, even taller than I was. I’d never seen a druid quite like her before. She donned a sleeveless deep blue tunic with a straight neckline and red stripes down the sides, making her look like a rectangle if it wasn’t for her breasts and hips to give away her figure. The slit in her dress allowed a peek of her legs, her calves lined with the same translucent skin jutting out like the fins of a fish, bioluminescent and moving languidly.
I was unsure if she was really a druid. She was such a beautiful creature, and I knew that Gabriella was just as mesmerised.
“How can we thank you,” I breathed as she crouched down and handed me the bowl. Her ener
gy and essence was so…so motherly. I felt touched, and tears were dangerously threatening to pool into my eyes. The druids face was devoid of expressions, staring at me blankly, but her energies were so calming.
Invisible runes around her throat lit up as the air between us vibrated.
“My existence’s purpose is unconditional servitude towards the pure hearted,” she spoke. Her lips did not move, and there was no sound in the air, nor in my head. But I could still tell she had a voice. I could not understand how she was talking, but I knew whatever it was that I heard was hers, “Please drink. It will return you to your best state you’ve physically achieved in this lifetime.”
I watched her in awe and simply nodded. She put her hands forward and held mine gently, raising the bowl to my lips. I drank slowly, its sweetness and warmth pouring down my throat smoothly and spreading across my chest and into my limbs. It instantly made me feel so much better that I had a hard time believing it was really happening.
“The sun is almost up,” she explained, eyes still blank, “and when I disappear, you shall only know me in memory. And with time, only in dreams.”
“Don’t leave,” I whispered. Her presence was the most comfort I had had in ages.
“I am always around you,” came a hushed assurance. Her face…she was smiling softly. And when all of the day’s sun-rays had come peeking through the branches, she disappeared into the light.
Gabriella and I watched, stunned and silent.
“What the hell just happened?” she breathed
“I have not a single clue,” I sighed, “That didn’t exactly seem like a druid to you, did it? She looked so small when she was sitting.”
“Was she a goddess?” Gabriella gasped.
“Heavens…” I looked at her with wide eyes, “Possibly.”
There was more silence as we stared at the spot the entity was once sat at when stirring her potion. I immediately stood up with a jerk, feeling more energetic than ever.
“Where’s Martha?”
“I was about to check on her,” she said and we walked towards the cobblestone path and followed it into another clearing that I had not previously seen before. I trained my eyes on the place, unable to help the suspicion that was dawning onto me. The pixies were flying around calmly, serene and careless about the world outside. I was wondering where we had ended up because I looked around and found Martha nowhere.
I looked at Gabriella whose eyes were wide with panic, “She was supposed to be asleep. Where did she go?”
I almost panic as well until a pixie flutters over to us quickly and grabs Gabriella’s finger, tugging at it. We follow quickly and into the thick trees, jumping over the overgrown roots and dodging branches until we finally break out of the woods and back on the cliff we’d fallen into.
Martha sat at the edge, knees up to her chin and arms wrapped around herself. I could feel she was not too happy. I looked at Gabriella unsurely, nudging my head to gesture she should go and talk to Martha. She shook her head and narrowed her eyes at me. I pointed at myself with a raised brow, unsure if it was a good idea. She glared.
“You two are quite loud even when arguing with just your eyes,” Martha sighed. I coughed, a little embarrassed.
“Sorry,” I said and neared her slowly, “we didn’t wish to disturb you, my Queen.”
Martha looked over her shoulder and shot me a glare, then looked away over at the horizon with a huff. Gabriella and I exchanged a look of uncertainty, but I knew this was my problem to fix.
“I’ll try looking for food and figure out where we really are,” she said and disappeared. I gulped nervously. This was new, being nervous around Martha. It was as if we were meeting all over again, but it was under worse circumstances this time and Martha was clearly untrusting and upset with me.
I had to win her over and…I had no idea how I was supposed to do that. I’d never had to woo anyone before in my life. I was used to women simply throwing themselves at me. I could just take my fill and leave, no strings attached whatsoever. And if there was ever a mishap of something more budding between us, I would be quick to shoot it down and they knew they could not say anything because I was the King but…Martha was the only one I was ever willing to work this out for.
What if Gabriella had been right about our fate? It seems like something always tries to keep us apart one way or the other. Was it not fate’s job to try and make happen the things that were meant to be? Or was it all a hoax of hope and I was to put in all the effort that I possibly could, even if it resulted in distasteful outcomes?
Slowly, I approached her and lowered myself to the ground, feet in a crisscross. I was still dressed in the fancy attire from last night, now somewhat blood stained, and absent of a coat. It felt awkward sitting next to her and not feeling the energies automatically draw us to each other.
“Why did you lie to me?” she started straight off the bat.
“It was a disguise,” I admitted, “If Sylius had known it was me, King of the Seelie Court, I would’ve been good as dead. Him and I have had a long-standing feud that has resulted in a devastating, long-lasting war.”
“How did I end up in his palace?”
The air caught in my throat as the guilt pressed on my chest. I did not know how to explain it to her because I knew it would only make her angrier.
“It was my fault…” I whispered, “You came to me, demanding your right to a license that would register you as an acknowledged part of the community and allow you to use magic without restriction and…I doubted you.”
She was silent, and confused and sifting through her memories for anything that could ring a bell.
“You were just trying to have a good life in the human world, but someone framed you,” I sighed, “and I made the mistake of questioning your undying loyalty and honesty to me. You were so desperate to prove yourself that you demanded to be a spy for me in the Unseelie Court. You did your best and were very brave until Sylius wiped your memories.”
“What could’ve made me so desperate to prove myself to you?” she scoffed, “Who framed me?”
“I can’t answer everything, my Queen.”
“Your queen?” she laughed menacingly and got up, “You allowed me to walk head first into the enemy grounds! Why do you act like you care so much when you couldn’t even be bothered to do so when I made an appearance in your court?”
“Martha, believe me, I was absolutely heartbroken by certain events that had transpired between us,” I begged, “I wasn’t thinking clearly and I admit that my ego got in the way.”
“What? Like we were lovers or something?” she said, snarky. I rubbed my face, unsure of how to explain it because it was not like we had made anything official. Martha with no inhibitions was quite the character, and very headstrong. As much as I admired it, it was not working in my favour.
“I…don’t know,” I breathed and looked away into the horizon, “I just know I regret everything that led up to you being in danger, and that I want to set things right. The Martha were then and the one you are now are two very different people.”
There was silence, but Martha was not moving. I do not think she planned on leaving anytime soon. She grunted and sat down again next to me, but at a slight distance this time.
“What was I like?” she grumbled.
“Your kindness was paramount,” I said, “and you could never turn away anyone that needed help. You were an exceptional herbalist, and your potions were the most effective in Farrington.”
“Farrington?” she perked up, “That sounds familiar. Did I come from there?”
“Yes,” I nodded, “You ran away from home at eighteen and worked there. You became a manager to…a brothel two years into in and were extremely intelligent with money. You made great drinks, too.”
Martha was silent and I looked over, hoping she had no reservations towards pleasure women as the current Martha. But she looked fine, if not a little surprised.
“So…” she said a litt
le awkwardly, “I was a pleasure woman?”
“Also a manager. You did both jobs really well with dignity.”
“And…that didn’t deter you?” she asked unsurely, “Me having been with countless other men?”
“You were not a woman who can be tied down or told what to do,” I reminded her, “I realised quickly that I could either have you as you are, a beautiful and independent woman with pride in her identity, or lose you and nurse my broken heart. You would have been fine either way had…had you not shown keen interest in me. It was mutual.”
“So, what went so wrong between us that you let me walk into the Unseelie Court unarmed?” she demanded. I shook my head. This was something that could never be explained, and not without Gabriella. I could not afford to have Martha distrust Gabriella at all for now.
“That’s too long a story, which will confuse you. I’m counting on your memory to bring it back because even I’m not aware of the full extent of the event.”
“What if I never remember?”
I gasped in shock and grabbed her hand, “No, my Queen. You will remember someday. It’s vital that you do and I’ll do everything in my power to make it happen.”
My heart felt bleak in my chest as I realised our energies were really not connecting. There were no sparks going up my arm, and nothing drawing us in closer. It was different when we were dancing last night, like we could fall into each other any moment regardless of where relationship stood then. What changed?
Martha turned to look at me in the eyes, distraught yet hopeful.
“Sylius would give me a potion every night,” she brought up, “Said it would help my memory but I’m not sure anymore. I think it only gets in the way more. Things have been so different since I drank it.”
“How long does it stay in effect?” I pondered aloud, hoping that things would feel like it used to once it wore off.
“Around twelve hours,” she said thoughtfully, “although I can’t be sure. I would estimate it’s been about eight hours so far since I last ingested it. I also brought up something else with Gabriella. I noticed how I just…know how to do certain things. The way I repurposed my dress.”
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