Chapter Five

Rolling over onto her side, Melissa blinked sleepily at the morning light that streamed through the balcony doors.

Abruptly, she sat upright, peering around in alarm at the unfamiliar surroundings and clutching the blanket of purple silk tightly against her chest.

Just as quickly though, she relaxed; remembering where she was and why she was there.

Dinner the previous night had been wonderful. Zakk had arranged for the three of them to be served by themselves in the arboretum, a beautiful place off the other side of the great hall, a large greenhouse with a ceiling made out of crystal just like the ceiling of the chapel.

Like any greenhouse on Earth, it was filled with exotic-looking flowers and other plants, providing a barrage of rainbow-colored blooms and blossoms. There was a small marble table with a crystal top and a set of chairs set up to one side, positioned so that it provided an excellent view of the plants, and of the clear pool of water that stood in the center of the room, surrounded by flowers.

The day had already ended by the time they had made their way to the arboretum, and the strange glowing lights of the chandelier assisted the candles and crystal lanterns that she noticed in other places in lighting the manor.

She had sat across from Zakk, Aiden beside them both. At first she had been a little uncertain as to what they would serve, but as the cheerful Fae woman that was Shimmercliff's cook set down delicate crystal dishes in front of them, she relaxed.

Apparently, she noted with interest, the High Fae were a race of vegetarians, and indeed, when she asked her companions about it, they admitted that their race did not kill animals for either their meat or their fur; they found such practices to be barbaric and distasteful, much in the same manner that they did not cut down trees to make their houses.

Instead, Fae born with the ability used their magic and shaped dwellings out of living trees and stone.

The meal had consisted of a salad made from sweet, tangy greens, roasted potatoes and carrots, loaves of hot bread served with honey-flavored butter, and a dish of chilled fruit for dessert.
They drank an alcoholic beverage that Zakk called fruit ale. Melissa was a little hesitant at first about trying it, but he assured her that it was perfectly all right. She had taken a small sip, only to discover that it was very similar in flavor to common fruit punch, only a bit sweeter, with none of the bad after-taste that she had always associated with alcoholic drinks.

After they had finished the meal she had received a shock when she had looked up at the transparent crystal ceiling, and had seen the night-time Avaelonian sky for the first time.

The sky was black as the night sky on Earth of course, and it lacked both stars and moon just as the daytime sky lacked a sun. But, rippling across the velvet canopy of darkness, were vibrant streamers of ghostly light; some silver, some pale blue, others violet and gold, forming rivers of iridescent color that flowed across the horizon in ever-changing patterns.

Hearing her startled gasp, the two young Fae had followed her gaze, and Aiden had been quick to reassure her.

"Don't be scared, that's normal, it happens every night." the red-headed man had explained, "You see, as you've probably noticed, Avaelon doesn't have a sun, moon, or stars, so the sky itself provides light, both in the day and at night."

She'd nodded, inwardly marveling at the view high above her. It looked somewhat like the northern lights, only it was far more spectacular, with more than a dozen delicate colors gliding over the night-time sky.

Suddenly, her reverie was shattered by a brisk, tapping knock on her bedroom door. Startled, she turned her head towards the direction of the sound, and when the knock was repeated a few moments later, she took a deep breath before responding.

"Um, come in." she called out hesitantly, clutching the blanket against her as the door swung open, admitting a plump, middle-aged Fae woman with shoulder-length, golden-brown hair and pale gray wings who closed the door behind her as soon as she entered.

"Good morning my lady." she said cheerfully, "My name is Gennahanah, I'm the head of the household staff here at Shimmercliff.

"Pleased to meet you." Melissa stammered, "Did Zakk send you for me?"

The woman smiled a bit at her question, though Melissa didn't understand what was amusing about it, "No, Lord Zakkaerion is getting ready in his own room. I've come to help you bathe and change into some new clothes; you'll want to freshen up before your journey to the capitol I imagine."

Instantly she flushed, "That's all right." she protested quickly, "I can clean and get dressed just fine by myself! If you'll just show me where the bathroom is."

For a moment Gennahanah stared at her in obvious surprise, a bewildered expression on her pleasant face, then she smiled, "Oh I see," she said, almost triumphantly, as if she had discovered a valuable secret, "You're one of those young noblewomen who insist on going against tradition, aren't you?"

Fearful of exposing her secret, Melissa shook her head, "No, I don't mean to be difficult-" she began, but laughing, the woman cut her off.

"Oh, don't worry dear! I'm not as rigid as the rest of the country, I think its fine that you young ones are trying to be different! And believe me, bathing and dressing yourself isn't nearly as extreme as some of the things that other girls your age are doing now-a-days! In fact, there's a nearby Lord who has a daughter that from what I've heard is a mortal terror! Dressing like a boy, refusing to act how a proper Fae girl is supposed to! Poor man, it's a wonder he hasn't had a heart attack by now because of her! He'll never marry that one off, not unless he finds a way to whip her back into shape!"

Melissa chuckled, it sounded like her when she had been young.

"But anyway," Gennahanah continued, "Let me show you to the bathing room." Obediently Melissa stood and followed the maid to the mysterious door that she had noticed the day before. Opening it, a large bathroom was revealed, in the center of which was a large pool of steaming water.

True to her request, the Fae matron showed her where the multitude of sweet-smelling soaps, lotions, and shampoos were, and the white wooden cabinet that contained large, soft towels, before she left Melissa alone to take a bath by herself.

Always loving a long bath, Melissa took her time, scrubbing her thick hair with rose-scented shampoo and soaping her pale skin until it glistened cleanly. Then she stepped out of the hot water and toweled herself dry, just bothering to wring out the excess water out of her black hair before going back into her room.

She gave a small cry of surprise when she stepped through the bathroom door only to see Gennahanah standing there, waiting patiently.

"I'm sorry if I startled you, my lady." the woman apologized sincerely, "But I was waiting to show you your wardrobe before I left you."

Melissa blinked, "My wardrobe?" she asked in bewilderment.

"Yes," Gennahanah replied cheerfully, walking over to the silver wardrobe by the bathroom door and opening it, "I'm sure you'll want a fresh outfit to wear on your journey, and something nice for when you're presented to the King."

Melissa blinked again, this time in shock. Presented to the king? The king of the High Fae… She had thought that she was only going to accompany Zakk, not be with him during his actual audience with the Fae monarch!

Gennahanah noticed the expression on her face and spoke up, "Is something wrong, my lady?" she asked politely.

"Oh no." Melissa answered hastily, "It's just that I didn't know I was going to actually see the king, I thought I was just going to go with Zakk and Aiden to the capitol."

Gennahanah seemed surprised, "You didn't? That's odd. Lord Zakkaerion sent a message to the palace personally requesting permission for you to be present during his conference with the king. You two must be very close for him to want you there with him so badly." she added, gazing intently at her as if to gauge her reaction to the comment.

Absently, Melissa nodded, "Yes, we are. Zakk's my best friend."

Gennahanah smiled, "I see." she paused for a moment, as if storing the information away for a later time, before she continued, "Well, I wouldn't worry about it, my lady. Meeting the king is a very great honor that very few Fae are granted. You should feel very fortunate that Lord Zakkaerion thinks so highly of you to give you such an opportunity."

Melissa nodded, "I do." she replied, though inwardly she cringed, her stomach fluttering with apprehension, "Thank you for all of your help, Gennahanah."

The woman smiled again and gave her a polite curtsy, "It was my pleasure and my duty, my lady. I hope the selection of dresses is to your liking."

"I'm sure they will be." Melissa answered, before asking, "Before you go, Did Zakk say anything about when we're supposed to leave? Should I wait for him here, or should I meet him somewhere?"

The woman paused before she reached the door, turning around slightly, "No, he didn't say anything to me. Why don't you get dressed and go downstairs and wait in the great hall, I'll tell Lord Zakkaerion and Aidenezra where you are, and the two of them can meet you there."

Melissa thanked her again and Gennahanah briskly left, closing the door behind her. When she was gone, Melissa walked over to the open wardrobe, peering inside.

For a moment, she didn't move, seemingly frozen into place as she stared at the brilliant garments that hung inside the tall silver cabinet; a virtual rainbow of beautiful fabrics and skirts, from linen and cotton to the softest silk. But, awed as she was by the magnificent clothes, Melissa hesitated.
Despite their reassurances, neither Zara nor Aiden had mentioned if the glamour would still work if she changed clothes. Touching her blue jeans and looking at her green button-up shirt and white tennis shoes, Melissa wondered if it would safe to put on one of the lovely dresses in front of her.

But, after considering for a moment, she selected a simple gray dress made out of soft linen with a pair of black sandals she found at the bottom of the wardrobe along with several other pairs of shoes. She could wear that during the trip, she decided, if it was safe to change.

But for meeting the king… she paused again, looking over the vast selection with a critical eye, before choosing a long, sweeping gown of snowy white, the same color of Zakk's hair, with diamond-shaped silver sequins along the neckline and wrists, with a pair of glittering silver slippers to go with it.

I won't change into my travel dress now, she decided, I'll wait and ask Aiden if it'll be safe first. Tucking her clothes under her arm, she left her room, going down the long marble hall and making her way down the flight of stairs to the great hall.

The enormous room was empty of occupants save for herself, and she leaned against the bottom railing of the staircase, content to stand and wait for her two friends.

Peering around the chamber, she caught sight of a crystal case sitting on the long marble table that highlighted the great hall. Curious, she walked over to it, looking down in order to examine the strange object it contained.

It was made out of silver, with sparkling flakes of blue, white, and purple gems, about the length of her finger, with a delicately sharp crystal point on the narrow end.

"Weird." she muttered softly, "What is this thing?"

"It is the Dreamthorn of Silver. Aiden put it back last night." a gentle voice came from behind her, and she whirled around in surprise, only to see Zakk standing a short distance away, a soft smile on his handsome face.

"The Dreamthorn?" Melissa asked, "You mean the thing Aiden used on me so that I could see you again?"

Zakk nodded, "Yes, it has been in the custody of my family for generations. It is one of only three Dreamthorns known to remain in Avaelon. The great High Fae sage Gaspar created six of them in all centuries ago. Two were lost somewhere in Avaelon itself, the other was said to have been lost on Terra more than three hundred years ago under mysterious circumstances."

Interested, Melissa asked, "What about the other two, where are they?"

"One is kept by Alluenyah, the wise woman of the Frozen Mountains. The other is in Crystalstar Castle, in the custody of the king himself."

"Where we're going." she stated.

Zakk nodded, "Yes."

For the fist time, she noticed that Zakk had changed clothes. His tunic was royal blue with an intricate pattern of silver threads decorating the front; it matched the black silk leggings and fine black boots he wore perfectly. The earring he wore in his left ear was the same, but he now had a silver dagger strapped to the black belt at his waist.

He noticed it when her gaze traveled to the dagger, "It is only for protection, during the journey." he explained.

"Ah, don't be silly, you don't need a dagger as long as you have me around!" A cheerful voice chimed brightly from the stairs.

In unison, Melissa and Zakk turned around to see Aiden strolling towards them, a broad smile on his handsome face.

Aiden too, had changed clothes. A forest green tunic and leggings combination that complimented the black vest and boots that accompanied them; the mild colors causing his hair to shine even more brightly when compared to them, and, like Zakk, Aiden had not bothered to remove his earring either.

Zakk smiled slightly, "Yes, I imagine you shall be very useful if we meet any dangers along the way, if you are not too busy chasing after any young, innocent maiden we may encounter along the way that is."

Aiden smirked, " That's cruel, Zakkaerion. You know perfectly well I've never had to chase after any maiden in my life. I assure you, they're the ones that do the chasing!"

Zakk rolled his violet eyes, though it was clear from his expression that this little scene had been played between them quite often, "You do not seem to have a problem with low self-image, do you, Aiden?"

The red-haired Fae laughed, the rich sound seeming to warm the very air around them, "Can I help it if I'm irresistible?"

Melissa laughed and Zakk snorted, the young Fae lord looking highly amused before he grew serious, "Enough joking for now, we have a long journey ahead of us, and we should get started."
…

They stopped by the kitchen just long enough to collect the knapsack that the cook had filled with food that would last them until they reached the King's castle. They left Shimmercliff's land and paused for a few minutes while Melissa asked about the effects, if any, that changing clothes would have on her glamour.

When Aiden reassured her that the glamour would stay in place no matter what she wore, she ducked behind a tree and changed into the gray travel dress and black sandals, and at her request,

Aiden took a moment and teleported back to her house to drop off the clothes she had been wearing, deciding that she didn't want to risk having her clothes reverting to normal and alerting any Fae that might see them to her true nature.

They traveled on foot down a clean stone path, chatting back and forth about mundane things for several hours.

Every now and then Melissa would look up at the sky, marveling at the strange beauty it possessed.
They stopped for lunch at the edge of a small clearing of trees. Zakk had said that they would reach the village of Windwhisper shortly, and that they could spend the night there.

"Well," Aiden said lazily, leaning back against the thick trunk of a towering tree after they had finished their simple meal of bread and cheese, sharing a large water skin filled with sweet, tangy fruit juice, "So far, this little trip has turned out to be quite pleasant. Nothing bad has happened to us at least."

No sooner had he spoken than a loud shriek rang out from above him, and he looked up, only to give a muffled groan of surprise when a large figure fell from the branches, landing directly on top of him.
Zakk and Melissa jumped to their feet, ready to help their friend as he thrashed desperately under the weight of the person who was sprawled on top of him.

And indeed, it was a person. Moments after knocking the red-headed Fae to the ground, his `attacker' quickly jumped to their feet, brushing the dirt off of their rich brown leggings and hunter green tunic.

Sputtering in indignation, Aiden too regained his footing and stood, glaring at the Fae who had fallen from the tree, "What do you think you’re doing, boy? You could've killed me!"

"What!" the Fae demanded in a light, outraged voice, "Boy!? In case you happen to be completely stupid or blind, I'll have you know that I'm a girl!"

Startled, Melissa gazed at the Fae more closely. She was very tall, almost exactly Aiden's height, and slender, lacking the smooth muscle tone that the red-head possessed. Her hair was short, about the same length that Melissa's had been when she was a little girl, but it was straight, and a deep brown the same color as her leggings. Her skin was fair, though not as pale as Melissa's or Zakk's.
Her eyes were fierce and flashing with life; intense amber, and her wings were a tranquil blend of ocean blue and pine green.

Zakk, as a noble, was a born diplomat, and he moved to quickly sooth the tension that had built up around them, "I am sorry if my friend offended you." he said sincerely, "What is your name?"

The girl turned to regard him, her outraged expression slowly becoming mollified by his gentle tone, "Loquinakin." she responded after a few moments, "But you can call me Loquin."

Instantly Aiden's eyebrows raised, "Loquinakin? Lady Loquinakin? You mean the weird daughter of Lord Chanseiral, the one who doesn't know how to act like a girl?"

Loquin flushed, "I know how to act like a girl! I just don't like prancing around in stupid, clumsy dresses, sipping tea with a gaggle of silly women, and sitting there and smiling prettily while my father just picks the first convenient lord he can find that will marry me just so he can get me off of his hands! I want to have an exciting life, one that I make and choose for myself! In fact, that's why I'm out here; father betrothed me to this horrible landowner named Rathedan. I told him I wouldn't marry that bony old troll; he's ugly beyond belief and old enough to be my grandfather! But he ignored me and said that the wedding was going to go on anyway whether I liked it or not; so I left in the middle of the night a few days ago, and I haven't been back since."

Aiden snorted, "Oh, so you're weird and disobedient, what a lovely combination."

Loquin glared at him, amber eyes shining in anger, "Why don't you keep your opinions to yourself!" she demanded.

Melissa however, was sympathetic, imagining how it would be for a girl to be forced to marry someone that she obviously hated, and she liked Loquin already because she was clearly ahead of her time, "Please don't fight you two." she interrupted quickly, moving to stand between them, "Loquin, I think you had a good reason for running away, I know I wouldn't have stayed if I'd been in your place. Why don't you come with us? We're going to the capitol to see the king, I'm sure you'll be safe from your father there."

"What!?" Aiden exclaimed loudly, "Melissa! How can you even ask her that? She falls on my head and nearly crushes me, and you want her to come with us?"

Melissa turned to face him, a grin on her face that was mirrored on Zakk's, the young Fae lord clearly having no objections, "Yes," she replied sweetly, "I want her to come with us."

"She'll just be trouble!" Aiden protested, crossing his arms over his chest in a defiant posture, "Believe me, I've seen her kind before, girls who try to act like boys; acting tough and invincible, and at the first sign of real danger, they get all shrieky and run home crying to their mothers!"

"I'm not like that!" Loquin sputtered furiously, her wings quivering in anger, "I bet I can handle any situation just as well as you can!"

Aiden snorted, "Yeah, sure you can! Why don't you be a good girl, the key word being girl, mind you, and run along home? Maybe if you start doing what your father tells you to do, you'll catch a better-looking man for a husband, and people won't spread gossip about you."

"No, I'm coming with you!" Loquin snapped, "Your friend's right, I'll be safe from my father in the capitol, he won't bother going that far to look for me."

"No you're not!" Aiden retorted, "It's going to be hard enough getting the three of us to Kannalasta safely, I don't need to worry about keeping you out of trouble too!"

Loquin rolled her eyes, "Like I need you to protect me! I can take care of myself just fine! So stop trying to act all noble!"

Aiden turned his back on her and started to walk back to Zakk and Melissa, "You're not coming with us and that's final! So why don't you-"

Suddenly, Melissa gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in an expression of pure horror.

"Aiden, look out!" Zakk called out frantically, his hand reaching for his dagger as he saw the large four-legged reptile with a wedge-shaped head filled with a mouthful of sharp teeth run out of the grove of trees and dash for the red-headed Faerie with a rasping snarl.

Aiden whirled around, his hands extended out in front of him, preparing for the attack that never came.

One moment, the Dog-sized lizard was launching itself through the air in a killing leap, the next, it was laying on the ground only a foot or so away from the stunned Fae that it had been trying to attack; its body stiff and unmoving, and frozen solid by a thick casing of silver-blue ice.

Shocked, the three of them turned their heads and saw Loquin, a smug smile on her face as she stood there, hands on her hips, "You were saying?" she asked, her voice dripping charm.

Aiden took a deep breath and glowered, "All right," he half-growled, "You can come with us!" he snapped, clearly not happy about the situation.

Loquin chuckled, "That's what I thought you'd say."