Thorned Shadow [+18]

The books had been useless. She had read the diary entry first, had tried to focus her mind onto reading the words and joining each letter. And when she had read a few lines, she knew it was just a fantasy story about a witch who could shift into a dragon and who had burned the kingdom to find her lover who was a prisoner under the castle.

She hadn’t slept all night again though and she had dressed this morning in a flowing gown that was loose around her body and was a dark blue colour with silver beading embroidered into the bodice of the gown. Nyota had braided her hair and Cerelia had chosen not to wear a tiara.

Nyota had told her she looked beautiful with dark red lips and she looked like a normal person. She liked that.

Holding the book in her hands, Cerelia smiled at Cadmus who waved at her as she walked down the stairs, following Nyota to have breakfast. “I heard what happened yesterday.” Nyota told her, walking side by side with the queen as other maids and guards bowed their heads to her. “Emrys knows about it as well.”

“I honestly do not mind.”

“You might not care, but the Fae do. They can scent another female on him.” She said disgustingly. “If I was you, I would grab him by the ear and make him kneel in apology.”

Nyota reminded her of Aideen yet she was so different. “Is Aideen your witch friend?” Cerelia questioned quietly.

Nyota whirled her head, her eyes wide as she stumbled in her step. “Can you scent her on me? I only ate her out this morning when she came to the castle because its her first time here and she just looked absolutely delightful-”

“Is Aideen here?” Cerelia questioned as the two guards pushed open the door to the dining room. Nyota didn’t answer her and didn’t need to as Cerelia walked inside, the book held tightly in her hands as she saw Agatha, two robed females and Aideen sat around the table with Emrys, Erix and Katara.

Her seat from yesterday was free, waiting for her to claim it.

“Oh thank the Gods.” Aideen said, pushing her chair back and walking towards her in a formal dark green dress. “You’re alive.” Aideen stood in front of her.

“Was she supposed to be dead?” Erix questioned coolly.

Aideen did not respond to him as she looked Cerelia up and down. “Sasha and Asha were dying to meet you.” She chuckled as if sensing Cerelia was okay and moving back to her seat. “Come and sit. Apparently we have to wait for all the Royals to be seated before we can eat.”

Cerelia smiled at Aideen’s head before she nodded once at the High Witch who was staring at her as if she saw a completely new person. The High witch was seated beside her own chair which Cerelia sat on, feeling Erix’s gaze once again.

Katara and Erix did not hold hands for whatever strange reason but if she sniffed the air, she would smell his scent wrapped around Katara’s body.

Cerelia placed the book on the table, pulling her chair closer to it as Erix’s gaze shifted from her face to the book. He chuckled. “I thought I lost it.” He picked up the book from where she had placed it in between them, just as maids came through another door, which she assumed led to a kitchen, and placed food beside them all.

“You left it with my books.” Cerelia said. “I didn’t read it though. I wanted you to read it first, see if there was anything interesting for you to pass onto me.” She smiled a little.

“I’ll finish it by tonight, I promise.” He laid the book back down on the table as she nodded.

“Good morning, Emrys.” Cerelia turned her gaze to the male who was smiling at them slightly. His smile widened at her greeting, returning one to her as well. “What should I be doing today?” She questioned.

“I think another walk through the city would be good. Erix could show you and your friend-” He glanced at Aideen who tightened her hand around the spoon she was holding. “He could show you both around the kingdom, let others see that witches are welcome to our lands.” Emrys smiled.

“Katara can come with us.” Erix said and Katara grinned at Erix.

Emrys did not say a word as he faced Agatha. “Will that be alright with you? Letting your witches roam the city of the fae?” He was taunting her.

“Are you just going to throw us to a kingdom full of fae so they can kill us without raising a finger?” Aideen turned to look at him. “Kill the High Witch and that’s it?”

“Agatha will not be going with them.” Emrys said but Cerelia lifted her gaze to see Erix putting toasted bread with eggs onto her plate. He mouthed to her. Eat.

She lifted her knife and fork as Emrys continued talking. “Agatha will help me set a date for the royal engagement.” He said before taking a bite out of a sweet bun.

“I think tomorrow should be fine.” Agatha spoke for the first time.

“Tomorrow?” Katara raised an eyebrow.

Agatha looked at her. “I will ignore the scent around you, girl.” Agatha dismissed her with a look before turning to look at Emrys. “I hope this playful behaviour of your king comes to a stop soon before the engagement.”

Again she had no problem with it.

“What I do with my time is none of your concern, witch.” Erix said before taking a bite out of his toasted bread.

Cerelia lifted the bread on her fork, before closing her mouth around it after scrapping all the eggs off it. It made her feel sick. She hoped for the chair to melt into the ground so she could melt with it and disappear as Erix and Agatha stared at one another with what Cerelia could assume was hate.

“Understand this, Erix.” Agatha spoke, his name familiar on her tongue. “Our queen is in your kingdom. If something were to happen to her, you know by law of the Kavan Gods, your land becomes ours. I would be careful of how you spend your time.”

“Is that a threat?” Erix snarled.

Emrys sighed deeply as Agatha spoke again. “It is a reminder. In case you didn’t remember the laws.”

Erix kept his mouth shut as Cerelia and the others ate in silence. The tensed air did not disappear even as Erix stood up, turning to look at Cerelia, Aideen, and Katara, his gaze lingering on neither of them. “When you finish with your breakfast, ladies, I shall meet you outside.”

Without another word, he stormed out of the room, Katara following him. Emrys excused himself, leaving Cerelia alone with the witches. The doors closed and without a second thought, Aideen was standing up, stalking towards Nyota who stood near the pillars. Cerelia blinked as Aideen dipped Nyota back, claiming her lips.

Agatha hissed at the public affection though it didn’t affect Aideen who did more than kiss Nyota. Agatha looked at Cerelia. “Where is your crown? Why are your eyes so dark? Are they not allowing you to sleep? Why are you eating so little? Are they starving you? Tell me girl, and I will bring every wrath possible onto them.”

Cerelia answered her. “What law were you speaking about?”

Agatha waved her hand, dismissing her confusion. “It’s an ancient law. It is why we sent you to the Fae Kingdom before the king could agree to come to the witches’ land.” She answered her. “How have you been in this castle?”

“I have been good.” She told her truthfully. “The people have been nothing but kind to me.”

“And the fae in the kingdom?”

“I am slowly learning about them.” Cadmus had told her to be a queen who listens so she was determined to be one. “I should really go. Emrys will be waiting.”

“You trust Emrys?” Agatha questioned as Cerelia stood up.

“Is he not to be trusted?” She asked confusingly. He had been nothing but kind but sometimes kindness was a disguise.

“No,” Agatha sighed. “He is trustworthy.” She told her before telling her to go and to take Aideen away before she did something inappropriate with the Fae.

Aideen just hissed at Agatha, kissed Nyota who kept blushing, before following Cerelia out of the dining room. “I have a dagger on my thigh, hence why the dress.” She said as if needing to explain why she looked prettier than she usually was.

Cerelia tried to keep the giggle from escaping her lips but could not. “Nyota did say you looked delightful. " Before Aideen could say another word, Cerelia ran. Aideen chuckled, telling her to keep her mouth shut as she chased Cerelia out of the halls, following to the front doors where Emrys waited.

Cerelia came to a staggering stop, a breath escaping her as Erix watched her, and Emrys smiled at her as did Katara. She combed her fingers through her hair, Aideen laughing at her as she slowly walked towards them.

She smiled at Emrys before doing a curtsy and he chuckled at her again, telling her to enjoy herself as she followed Erix, standing on his right side. “Katara can keep Aideen company.” Erix said and Katara moved back a few steps, instantly talking to Aideen about food.

Erix walked side by side with Cerelia who followed him out of the doors again. “Promise not to run out on me again?” He started the conversation off, as he glanced down at her.

“I will definitely try not to.” She smiled at him a little, looking around, at the people who moved towards them as they walked through the city.

He pointed to a couple of statues, saying they were of the first king and the first Fae Queen, before he walked past a children’s park where they played. “Emrys said if you interacted with children, the fae would see it as a peace offering.” Erix said to her. Katara and Aideen had disappeared, telling Cerelia and Erix that they were going to return to the castle. Aideen didn’t want to be in the kingdom so Katara was going to walk back with her.

Erix and Cerelia had walked for an hour after that until they stopped beside the park. Boys and girls swung in the swings, slid down the slides, played with the sand in the pit, but they all raised their heads, staring at the Fae King and The Witch Queen.

“How do I interact with children?” She barely could make a good conversation with males and females, let alone children.

Erix chuckled as he pushed past the small gate around the park and walked into it. Instantly the children came running towards him, as he kneeled on the ground, not caring that his pants would get dirty in the mud. He outstretched his hand and sweets wrapped in gold foil appeared on his hands immediately. The children giggled, laughing as they tried to take the sweets out of his large hand.

“Are you going to be our queen?” A young girl, the age of four, walked away from the sand pit she had dirtied herself in and towards Cerelia.

Cerelia knelt down on the ground, beside her. “Would you like me to be your queen?” She asked softly, wiping the sand gently away from the girl’s clothes. She had dark black hair but it was covered in sand.

“Yes!” The girl squealed. “You are going to be a pretty queen. My mama says Queen Maya was so beautiful-” The girl stretched her arms out widely. “But I think you are going to be more beautiful. This much more.” She groaned, stretching her arms out again.

“Thank you. I also think you are very beautiful as well. Just like a queen.” Cerelia smiled at her, and unable to help herself, she pulled the girl’s chubby cheeks. “I think you are more beautiful than me.”

The girl blushed, giggling as Cerelia lowered her hands. She saw a female staring at her. Slowly, Cerelia stood up, glancing at Erix who was crawling in the mud with the children who pretended to run away from the beast. She smiled to himself.

Erix would make a lovely father, and Katara would make a good mother.

“Do not touch my child ever again.” The woman spat, pulling the girl who bursted out crying away from Cerelia. Cerelia flinched as the female pointed right in her face. She scoffed. “You are not our queen. You are nothing but a disgusting whore who will do anything to get your hands on our kingdom.”

“I did nothing.”

The girl had been smiling and giggling with Cerelia, but now she was crying as she hid behind her mothers legs.

“Don’t speak. Don’t say a fucking word before I rip out your throat.” She snarled at her.

Cerelia kept her mouth shut, fear invading her body. The fae female huffed before bending down and lifting the crying child into her arms and walking out. Cerelia dug her nails into her skin, trying to think of something, to do something so her mind did not close down on her.

She turned to look at Erix, wondering if he had heard or seen the female speak so harshly with her. But he did not. He was chasing the children out of the park, as they ran away, leaving her alone in an empty cold park.

A shudder escaped her as she faced the kingdom again, feeling the glaring eyes on her body. “Erix?” She called out to him, fear tightening her chest. He needed to get back, to stand beside her so the fae males who wore black masks in broad daylight did not move any closer to her.

“Witch whore.”

“Killer.”

“You are better off dead.”

Cerelia spun around, running, her survival instinct disappearing out of her mind the moment a hawk flapped his wings and shifted from a bright light. She covered her eyes, and instantly felt hands around her body.

Cerelia screamed.