The Fae Princess' Hidden Fate

19.

Bright light flooded my vision even before I opened my eyes. The warmth of the sun slithered into the room, and I felt the heat seeping into my bones, waking me up from the inside out.

I sat up slowly, surprised by how easily any trace of sleep had disappeared from my eyes. I felt fully awake, and perhaps that had something to do with the fact that I hadn't been woken up as early as I used to be. By all indications, I was at least three hours late from my usual waking hour, and I found that strangely satisfying.

Abigail fluttered into the room moments later, a flurry of energy about her as she looked at me critically. She was carrying a few scrolls, which held the royal seal as she stopped at the foot of my bed.

"Good morning," she said with a smile. "You seem cheerful today."

"Why wasn't I woken up earlier?" I asked.

"Queen's orders," she replied. "She thought it best to let you sleep longer, for some reason which she chose not to disclose with us. But that's not the most surprising part of this morning."

"Then what is?"

"She asked Sebastian to see her in her chambers," Abigail said with a slight giggle. She was practically jumping on her heels, and she looked like a little girl who has just taken too much sugar in her coffee.

I furrowed my brows in confusion. Mother asked to see Sebastian? In her chambers, nonetheless? But she had said she wouldn't do that until we returned from Cornia. Was that the reason why she chose to let me sleep? So I wouldn't wake up and find out what she was doing?

What did she even talk to him about? What was going through her mind when she summoned him? Was it to chastise him? To insult or humiliate him? Surely she wouldn't hurt him, otherwise I would have known already.

A million thoughts ran through my head, each one as inconceivable as the last. Of all the things they could possibly be talking about, none of them made any sense to me. Was I to believe that she had called him to apologise for her behaviour towards him? Was she trying to show him that she was remorseful for the way she had acted in his presence, for my sake?

Most likely not; mother would never stoop so low. Her ego was greater than anything I had ever been forced to witness, and I just couldn't imagine the sight of her apologising to Sebastian. Could it merely be a formality? A means of showing that he was no longer just the human prisoner living in this castle? Could this be a sign that she was regarding him as an integral part of my life, the way he had become already?

Whatever they were discussing, I would surely find out once he returned. He would not keep any secrets from me, would he?

"Aren't you going to ask me what these are for?" Abigail asked, dangling the scrolls in front of me. "Or is your mind so preoccupied with thoughts of your dear Sebastian that you can't even think about anything else?"

"Don't you dare," I snapped at her. "You of all people should know better than to insinuate something like that."

"My apologies," she said with a half-giggle. "But you haven't paid any attention to me since I mentioned him this morning. It's like as soon as you hear his name, everything else ceases to matter. Even you can't deny the fact that it's the truth."

"I'm just curious why mother would want to see him," I said. "I was of the impression that she couldn't even stand him. And now they're having private meetings in her chambers? Something is amiss here."

"You can worry about that later," she replied. "Anyway, these scrolls were given to me by your father. He asked me to give them to you, so you can go over them at your leisure."

"What are they about?" I asked, reaching for one.

"They contain every bit of information you will need to know about Cornia," she explained. "Some of them were brought by the royal procession, to better prepare you for your journey."

My brows furrowed immediately as I looked at her, before shifting my gaze to the scroll in my hand. I unfolded it slowly, and was surprised to find a description of the farming system of Cornia.

Why in Danu's name would I need to know about their farming systems? Was I being sent there to become a helping hand on one of the farms? Why else would this be included?

"You can ignore that," she said. "I've gone through them all, and I think the only one you should concern yourself with are these three. They're the ones detailing the royal life, and the dashing prince who has your hand pledged to him already. There is a lot of information there which I'm sure you will find interesting. She handed me the scroll, but at that exact moment a knock came on the door.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"It's Sebastian," came the guard's reply. "He was wondering if he could have a word with the Princess privately."

Shit!

I was still in my nightgown, and I couldn't have him see me like this. Why did he have to come here so abruptly? I had no idea what he wanted to talk about, but I had a sense that it was somewhat important if he had to come all the way here to my bedroom.

"What do I do?" I whispered to Abigail, who was looking just as perplexed as I was. She shrugged nonchalantly, as if to say this wasn't her problem at all. She couldn't hold back the grin which was slowly spreading across her entire face, and I felt a prickling irritation spread throughout me.

"Have him wait for me in my study," I said. "I'll be with him shortly."

Only after I heard his retreating footsteps was I able to calm down. I shot Abigail a nasty glare, but all she did was shrug in response.

"You are the worst," I said to her with my eyes narrowed.

"What was I supposed to do?" she asked. "It's not my fault you haven't taken your bath yet. Besides, how was I to know that he would be coming here right now?"

"You could go out and stall him until I'm ready," I said. "I don't want him seeing me like this."

"You mean you don't want him seeing all of this, don't you?" she winked, gesturing to my cleavage which was spilling out of the nightgown. I glowered at her, and that seemed enough to send her running. She walked out of the room, and I was left alone with the scrolls scattered all over me. I had to get ready, and I had foolishly made the mistake of sending Abigail away without telling her to call the maids. I would have to do everything on my own.

About an hour later, I stepped into my study to find Abigail and Sebastian sitting at opposite ends of the room, with her glare fixated on him. He was sitting on the ottoman beside the window, and he rested his elbows on his knees while he looked at her curiously.

"Can you explain why it exists then?" he asked.

"How should I know?" Abigail retorted. "I wasn't the one who created life."

"But my point is that for something to be alive, then it must also possess the ability to die," he argued. "If you cannot die, then you're not really alive, are you?"

"So you're saying none of us are alive, are you?"

"What's going on here?" I asked, and only then did they notice my presence. Sebastian flew out of his seat and bowed, while Abigail rushed towards the door immediately.

"You owe me," she whispered before walking past me.

"Your Highness," he greeted, "forgive me, but I wasn't aware of your entrance."

"Why were you two arguing?" I asked.

"It's nothing serious, really," he said, straightening up. "We were merely having a discussion about life. She told me that all faes are immortal, and I argued that if that is the case, then you cannot be classified as living beings, can you?"

"Well that's very offensive of you," I said, walking over to my desk which sat in the middle of the room. I could feel his gaze on me, transfixed at the sight of my dress. It was nothing fancy, just a simple turquoise gown with the sleeves cuffed and a silver diadem which I had worn to keep my hair looking presentable. I hadn't brushed it at all, and my curls tumbled all over me as I sat down.

"I meant no disrespect," Sebastian said, taking a step towards me. "It was a mere conversation about philosophical notions."

"And you think insulting an entire race is nothing more than a philosophical notion?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What exactly was insulting about my statement?"

"You called us dead creatures," I growled, wincing a bit at how harsh my voice had sounded. "If that isn't an insult, then I don't know what is."

"I never said you were all dead," he replied. "I said the fact that you are immortals means you are not alive. And for you to be dead, you would have to have been alive in the first place."

I couldn't believe his nerve. He was still defending himself even after I told him he was wrong. How could he be so unbelievably stubborn?

"So all humans are mortals?" I asked.

"It's what we're known for," he replied. "I would argue that humans are the most famous mortal beings in all of existence."

"And how would you remember that?" I asked.

"That's actually the reason why I came to see you," he dropped his gaze to the carpeted floor before he continued. "I remembered some things about my past."

That piqued my interest immediately. "You did? What exactly did you remember?"

"A name," he sighed. "Braillia; I think it was the name of my village."

I never heard that name before, but I quickly noted it down. I could ask the guards to find out where it was. Once we learned where he came from, then we would be one step closer to uncovering the truth about his past.

"I shall see to it that an investigation will be carried out," I said. "Will that be all?"

He walked towards me again, stopping beside the table. The air was filled with his scent, and the way the light caught his tawny-brown hair had me absolutely mesmerised. His high cheekbones drew my attention, and I couldn't ignore the crackling of electricity between us as he tilted his head slightly to look at me.

"Your mother tells me that I am to protect you on the journey to Cornia, according to her, we are now one for the time being.” he grinned a bit. "She implored me to make sure that no harm comes to you."

"And will you be doing that?" I asked.

"I would lay down my life for you, Layla," he said. It was the first time he had addressed me with my name. He was always polite. "Surely you know that already."

I was transfixed, and utterly lost in his gaze. Something about it held just attention, and commanded me to continue looking at him. He was breathtaking, in a strange and almost arousing manner?

Arousing? That couldn't be right.

Except it was, and I could feel all these emotions surging through me. The heat was growing between us, and all I could think about was that heavy gaze of his, and dark eyes which seemed to peer into my soul.

As though in a trance, he reached out and touched my face. I was pulled towards his touch, like a snake being charmed by the tunes of an expert charmer. I swayed when he did, and as his fingers lightly brushed my cheek, I felt a jolt travel all the way to my toes, curling them in delight.

What the hell was happening to me?

"You look beautiful," he whispered. "Breathtaking, even."

I couldn't even speak. He was so close, and his presence so enticing that not a single thought could form in my head.

But then suddenly, as though he had touched something hot, he pulled his hand away and put several steps between us. I stared at him confusedly, but he refused to meet my gaze as he cleared his throat.

"I-I should prepare for the journey," he said.

And with that, he walked out of the study quickly, leaving me absolutely confused and slightly terrified.

What in Danu's name did I just witness?