by Aya Ling
“I’m sorry to summon you like this,” I begin tentatively. “In the letter, Lady Gregory—your mother? She mentioned that if Kat had any problems, she could seek help.”
She nods, her gaze on the ground. “It’s thanks to Kat that my parents could be reunited. They’ve never been happier since. Wait...are you saying that Kat has a problem? Why did you call me instead of her?”
I take a deep breath. “It is a long story, but hear me out.”
And I tell her the entire story between Kat and I. Her eyes grow so large that it looks alarming on her face, and she shakes her head so many times that it’s a miracle she isn’t dizzy.
“Oh my God! Oh my God! Are you telling me that Kat is from another world? Are you saying that Krev is responsible for bringing her into Athelia?”
I nod. “You fairies also have magic. Can you not find a solution to allow Kat survive in Athelia? I love her.” My voice is hoarse, and it is not because I have exerted myself talking. “I cannot do without her.”
“But we haven’t heard of any humans existing in another world.”
“Please,” I interrupt her. “I beg you. I do not care, whatever it costs, but I need Kat here with me. I know she wants to return. If your mother left word that Kat could come to you when she needs help, this is it. Please bring her back to me. Please.”
Meg is shaking her head. “I’ll see what I can do, prince of Athelia. But I can’t promise anything.”
“I will be forever in your debt if you succeed.”
She nods, and the glow disappears from the mirror. In a second, it looks like any ordinary mirror, and I find myself staring at my own face.
I have done what I can. I pound a fist on the table and sink into my armchair, weary and disappointed. Yet I remind myself that the fairy did not refuse my request. There is hope. I will keep on trying, anything I can think of, and one day, I will have Kat return to my side. One day.
9
Kat
We return to Canada in a few days. I spend every day looking up stuff on the Internet, on what I might find about Athelia. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t find any information. Professor Bartlett has been working on this for twenty-five years, but still, it’s disheartening that my efforts yield to nothing.
I also research the possibilities of surviving without oxygen. I find oxygen masks, diving equipment, other kinds of expensive gadgets that could allow me to survive for days, but it isn’t enough. I need to use oxygen for a lifetime. Besides, even if I could bring one of those self-contained breathing machines with me to Athelia, how are people going to perceive me, carrying those around?
Witch, Bianca’s voice hisses in my head.
Even if I can shut myself away in the palace, the gadget might break down one day, and I’ll be dead in no time. Maybe I can make frequent trips back to my own world to have the machines polished and updated and maintained, but that’s highly impractical. Too many things could happen. And Edward would always be worried about me.
Maybe I can rip up the book again and go back to Athelia in the body of Katriona Bradshaw? But that would be repeating the same thing again. I’ll still have to return after marrying Edward. No way am I going to subject Edward and myself to a devastating separation for a third time. If I am going to go back to Athelia, I’ve got to make sure that this time I’m staying there for good.
“Hey Kat.” Paige knocks on my door. “Want to come shopping with me?”
I look up from my laptop, where I’m looking up information on survival. “I’ll pass.”
She comes in and sits on the bed. “Kat, you’ve been locked inside this house for days. You need to get out.”
I glance at her. At eighteen, Paige looks almost like Mom when she married Dad. She’s gorgeous, with Mom’s black-diamond eyes, full lips, and olive complexion. Usually when people compare us and compliment her, I’d laugh and shrug in a good-natured way, but there’s this tiny jab of jealousy and frustration that she got to inherit my mother’s good looks. But since I came back from Athelia, strangely, I've discovered I don’t mind anymore. I have Edward, who loves me for who I am, and isn’t attracted to someone like Bianca. It's lovely to be recognized for being yourself.
“Where’s Mom?”
“Ryan is on the phone.” Paige shrugs. “He’s discussing with Mom about taking us on a cruise. Like, to Alaska or the Caribbean. He says you deserve something relaxing after what happened to you.”
When I was a kid, I used to dream going on a luxury cruise. In any time I would have jumped at the opportunity, but now nothing sounds appealing, unless it’s a trip to Athelia.
Paige launches off the bed and grabs my arm. “Up with you now. Your prince over there would want you to stay healthy, right?”
“All right, all right.” I hop up and grab my coat. “Let’s go.”
* * *
Later that night, I lie in bed, unable to sleep. Paige tried to get me a new sweater—it was weird to be looking over ready-made, mass-manufactured clothes instead of having tailors and seamstresses custom-produce my outfits. We went to a cozy little coffee store and even chatted with some cute guys. Surprisingly, not all of them have their eyes glued on Paige. There was one guy who sat next to me and offered to buy me a cup of coffee. I did my best to smile and make small talk, and in the end I even allowed myself a brief idea of moving on. That’s what Edward would have wanted; he always puts my happiness above his own.
But when I get back to our apartment and shut myself in my bedroom, the tears start to fall. That new guy simply pales in comparison to Edward. Then I feel guilty. I shouldn’t be comparing other men with Edward, just like I hate others comparing me with Paige.
Just stop it, Kat. If you don’t want to meet new guys, if you are determined to stay single in memory of Edward, then stop letting yourself being pushed in that direction. I wipe the tears from my face, and vow I won’t even think of finding love again. I won’t shut myself indoors, but on the other hand, I will continue my quest to return to Athelia. If it’s going to take me a lifetime, then so be it.
* * *
As I drift off to sleep, there is a popping noise. Probably a bottle cap that fell to the ground. But then it happens again, and someone speaks.
“Girlie, wake up!”
A familiar high-pitched voice. My eyes fly open; there’s a semi-transparent being in the air, with pointed ears, a sharp chin and wings flapping in its back. “Krev?”
He flies in front of me and huffs. “Geez, girlie, do you know how long I had to search for you? First you moved out of that city of your boyfriend’s, then you weren’t at your house in Oakleigh, and you didn’t even leave a clue where you went.”
“Because we didn’t want reporters hammering on the door.” Excitement runs through my mind and I sit up. “Oh my God. Are you here to take me back? Have you found a solution to the oxygen problem?”
He starts to shake his head, but then pauses. “Can’t give you a definite answer on that, girlie. But you can try if you want.”
I don’t get what he’s saying. “Try what?”
“Remember that annoying little half-fairy kid called Meg? Well, her father worked out a spell that could transform a mere mortal into a fairy, ‘cause he wanted to bring her human mother back. Meg got her to the fairy world, and they performed this spell on her. She’s now a fairy and can live forever, like her husband. Then she sent you a letter of thanks, Eddie got it, and he begged the fairies to help you.”
My heart leaps when he mentions Edward.
“Anyway, Meg contacted me and told me that her father could do something similar. He could perform the spell, it might change your body to the same body of an Athelian, and you’ll be able to live in Athelia. The thing is, they aren’t certain of success. So, are you willing to go back?”
“Of course.” It feels like I have died and am offered a chance to live again. “Of course I want to get back. When can we go?”
“But there’s a problem: you won’t be able to b
reathe in the fairy world, either. We have to wait until they can bring you a spell that allows you to survive a few days, so they can perform the transformation spell on you.”
As long as I can return to Edward, I’m willing to do anything. “You mentioned the fairies aren’t sure whether this spell will work. Are there going to be any side effects? Like, will I be turned into a half fairy or something?” I hope I won’t look the same as Lysander, but I’ll take it if that’s the consequences.
“No idea,” Krev says. “Girlie, are you sure you want to risk this? If you can’t be transformed into an Athelian, they don’t know what might happen to you. There could be fatal consequences.” He looks concerned—something that’s rare for him. Krev normally loves it when I get into trouble.
Memories of the days I spent with Edward flash through my mind. “I want to try. Even if I die trying.”
10
Edward
I dream of Kat that night. Perhaps it’s because I gained a tiny flame of hope from Meg. Or perhaps it’s because I still miss her terribly. She is standing next to my bed in her pearly white nightgown, her auburn hair spilling down her front. The curtains of our bed are pulled to one side, and from what I can see in the windows of our bedroom, it is not yet dawn.
“Edward,” she says my name in the exasperated tone I would never tire of hearing. “Time to get out of bed. You have a meeting this morning with the Prime Minister.”
I yawn. “It’s too early, love. Come back to bed with me.”
She shakes her head slightly, making the curls across her chest bounce. I let my gaze wander down her body, at those tantalizing curves concealed under that flimsy nightgown, and the primitive side in me takes over.
“Edward? You should be getting up…” Her voice dies away when I grab her arm, making her fall into bed with me. She lets out a gasp of surprise, but I muffle it by covering her mouth with mine. She is stiff and unresponsive, no matter how I kiss and caress her. My Kat isn’t usually like this. Even when she is exasperated at me, she would not behave like a wooden mannequin.
This isn’t Kat. My eyes fly open, and instantly I realize I’ve made a terrible mistake. Katriona Bradshaw stares at me, her eyes round and wide, her hands pressed against my chest, her body rigid and paralyzed with shock.
I back away and get off the bed. “When did you come in?” My voice comes out harsh and intimidating. Like I’m interrogating her. She probably doesn’t deserve this, but I cannot bring myself to be gentle with her.
Slowly she sits up, and I make myself look away. She looks remarkably like Kat, and having just dreamed of my wife, it takes every ounce of my discipline to force myself realize that I must not confuse her with Kat.
“Because… it is time for you to be awake, and the maids are either afraid or unwilling to wake you,” she says in a small voice. Thankfully, she is fully dressed. “As… as your wife, I had to come.”
Since I grew taller than Father and female servants started blushing when I was around, Mother had cautioned me of consequences, should I show favor to any maid. I had issued a strict order that they could only enter my bedroom when I was away.
I cross my arms, but not before snatching up a robe and wrapping it around me. “Next time, ask Bertram to knock on my door. Never come into my room again.”
She looks up at me, and there is hurt in her eyes. I realize I have been sharp with her, but I cannot spare her any sympathy. “I apologize for the improper way I behaved. That was ungentlemanly, and I am sorry for the discomfort it must have caused you.”
“No.” She has a finger on her lips. “No, Edward. I was shocked, but it does not mean what you did was unpleasant. I’m your wife, after all, and this is to be expected. Just give me some time, and I could move in…”
“Never.” I point at the door. “Perhaps I should take this chance to be blunt with you, Katriona Bradshaw. It is only by extraordinary circumstances that I allowed you in my suite. However, it is time for a separation. I plan to abdicate. Your marriage to me is not as attractive as you might think. My heart belongs to no one but Kat.”
“It doesn’t matter. If only you had known, what life was for me before…”
“However pitiful your life was before, it does not entitle you to the role of my wife. Please, I ask you to be reasonable. I have no desire to be married to you, nor will I seek another woman. You will be better off released from this prison. Find another man whose heart is unattached.”
She doesn’t seem to hear me. She hugs her shoulders, her spine bent, and when she speaks her voice is unsteady. “When my sister told me she would be queen one day, I had pictured a future as your sister-in-law, because I know that is the most I could hope for. But now, I have achieved the pinnacle of my dreams.” She takes a step towards me, and I narrow my eyes. “Take pity on me. You don’t know how much I suffered when I came back from Moryn. Consider it my reward for surviving. I have admired you since I was a child, and you don’t understand how much it means to me to become princess. You, who has every privilege that a man could dream of, can you not understand what it means for an unwanted girl like me to suddenly gain everything she wants?”
I am done trying to argue with her. All I know is that I must seek a better way to get rid of her. Maybe introduce a few more rules in the divorce law—there has to be more than just adultery for the grounds for divorce. More than ever, I wish that Kat was by my side.
“Get out.” I squeeze the words through my teeth. “We have wasted too much time here. My parents will be wondering why I am not down for breakfast.”
She looks frightened, but when she goes to the door, she pauses. “I’m sorry, but I cannot do what you ask. I will never agree to a divorce.”
* * *
I am in a terrible mood for the rest of the day. Katriona’s reluctance for a divorce is to be expected, but she is more unwilling than I thought. It is going to take time and effort to convince her to leave me alone. I wonder if it’s possible to take her to some parties and balls, introduce her to some dashing young men, and maybe find someone willing to take her as a wife. There are some impoverished young lords looking for an heiress to replenish their fortunes. If one of them can seduce Katriona Bradshaw, kiss her in public or something, then I would have the grounds for divorce.
I am not the perfect prince that many people think I am. If that is what it takes to get rid of Katriona, I would do it. Even though it is unethical, undesirable, and underhanded. The people won’t approve of a divorce, but my private life ought not be of their concern. Once the fairies figure out how to bring Kat back to me, then nothing else will matter.
If they find a way. But I won’t allow myself to lose hope.
As I prepare to return to my room, my father calls me. “Edward. A word, if you please.”
I follow him to his receiving chamber, along with Mother. Katriona Bradshaw hovers by the door, but my father holds up his hand. “You may return to your room.”
I experience a tiny bit of pleasure that she is excluded from our conversation. Good. I hope that Father has a valuable suggestion. He knows Katriona Bradshaw is not Kat. Maybe he has found a way to let me divorce her.
Mother casts me a look of sympathy as we sit down. My heart sinks.
“Son.” Father settles in his favorite armchair. “Dare I hope that the relationship between you two has improved?”
So he remains hopeful that I will settle for a lifetime with Katriona. The thought makes my heart harden, and my words blunt. “I told her this morning I wanted a divorce.”
Father steeples his fingers together and looks at me sternly. “Do be reasonable, Edward. Even the most profligate of our ancestors had not dared to ask for a divorce, much less this early into marriage.”
“I cannot comprehend what can be more reasonable than a divorce.”
Father hands me an elaborately printed card. It is from Augustin, the Moryn Emperor. He and Simone will be wedded next month.
“We have been invited to attend their
wedding. However, it is my wish that you and the princess attend. I am almost sixty, Edward, and you know how I abhor traveling by water. It is time you take over for me. Therefore, I ask that you heed your duties, and forget this nonsense about divorce.”
He has dumped me in a bucket of ice cold water. Traveling to Moryn with Katriona Bradshaw is utterly undesirable. From what I know of Moryn, it is almost impossible I could be separated from her. She would be required to stay with me most of the time. At the palace, I could find places to ignore her, such as staying in my office or in my room. But traveling with her, it is expected that we would share the same room on the ship, and the same room in Moryn Castle. If I take her for Kat again while I am in my dreams, if I’m not careful, the worst situation is that she could get herself with child. If that happens, any hope I have for a divorce would disappear.
“Do you not even have any inclination to attend, Father? It has been a long time since you’ve been to Moryn.”
“Last time when we received the emperor, it has been enough for me. I want you to represent the crown.”
There is a finality in his voice that I recognize in my own. My father may be less autocratic compared to our ancestors, but he is nevertheless used to getting his way. I look towards Mother, but she remains silent. As crown prince, there is little hope I could refuse an invitation to Moryn. And considering I had told Augustin last year that Kat and I would be pleased to attend his wedding (also a ploy to convince Kat to stay), I would have to go. With Katriona Bradshaw posing as my wife.
I force myself not to clench my fists or let my emotions show. If I had my way, I would rip up that invitation and toss it in the waste paper basket. I would slam a fist on the table, and announce I have no intention of bringing Katriona Bradshaw and parading her in front of the Moryns. I do not want to take her hand and tell everyone that this is the girl I had selected from thousands of others at the ball.
