Behind the Mask

2. Spell of Fate and Love

PAST 

Avalon

We went to the Multi-species bar for the first time. It was a good initiative to bring the species together and finally have peace. I was willing to cooperate and end this senseless war, but I was sure demons, vampires, and wolves thought otherwise. 

I came here with Mel, my main in command Galvin, my main general Linus, Amalia my second in command, and her recently-found mate. 

“Coming here is somehow making a statement. But those tiny fairy females look so sexy,” Galvin muttered just for me to hear after he moved his ogling eyes from the shape of a Fae lady. 

He was trying to be discreet since he still insisted on pursuing Blue Eyes. I was not in favour of it, but he made clear that he was in fact in love with her.

He hadn’t ever said so about any other female before, so I was giving him some credit.

“We are having a truce in the war now. It is only a statement about my willingness to honour it.”

“We don’t need to honour it. It would be the best moment to invade the wetlands near the border with the Fae Realm. The surprise element is always the best ...” Galvin uttered.

He knew that according to the terms of the truce, the turf of land that includes the wetlands was to become a neutral, Realm-less, neutral, area. Invading it would be breaking the truce in its very core.

“No, don’t even think about such a thing. I’m a male of my word. I made an oath and it shall be respected,” I answered seriously. 

“With all due respect, King Avalon, you are too attached to traditions, mates, oaths, words. Those things aren’t that important anymore in a modern world,” he retorted, making me exhale sharply. 

“Galvin, this kind of mindset might be your downfall one day. Those things that you call “traditions” won’t ever be out to date. Having some honour is essential in any kind of world. Especially in my Realm, do you understand? Are we clear?” I looked intently at him, my gaze was a command in itself. 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Galvin bowed down slightly and I nodded in acknowledgment.

Galvin was a good adviser, manager, and strategist. He was even a good companion. But his ethical standards could be disappointing, although he wouldn’t act on them. Not in my realm. We weren’t deceitful scum as the Demons, bloody treacherous as the Vampires, or irrational beasts as the werewolves.

We were better than that and I would make sure we would always remain so.

It had always been hard to rule and manage the Realm, my father, the late King Augustus, didn’t leave it in a good state, not regarding resources or relationships with the other realms. He created and fed unnecessary tensions, especially with the wolves, and Fae people with whom he fought mainly due to pettiness and scorn. That was not how a king should proceed.

“I think it’s quite interesting to have a multi-species bar. To see people that I’ve just read about in my books,” Mel, Blue Eyes, brought me back from my reverie. 

She was looking around with curiosity, fascination even. 

“Good that you finally came out with us, my dear nerd,” I said, making her laugh.

She had an uncanny interest in books, sometimes we shared the same interest in books, but lately, I couldn’t read often. There was a feeling of restlessness consuming me. I feared that it may be death and madness claiming my soul like a plague and the cure for such a curse wouldn’t ever come. I couldn’t seem to find her, my mate.

I was waiting for it even 300 years more than my father did, and his wait was already too long, 600 years. My father’s wait cursed him with madness. What would be of me without finding the female who held the other part of my soul? 

That cruel Goodness denied me even that!

“Do you want another drink, King Avalon?” Linus asked and I nodded in response.

~ * ~

Mel

“I don't even know why I came tonight, I don’t even know how to dance,” I sighed looking at the couples moving together around the dance floor. 

“Come on, it's the first time in your life that you came to a bar, Mel. Don’t be boring!” Galvin said.

“It’s the second time, and I am not boring!” I looked at him. He was a very unpleasant male. 

“Just drink some Fairy Wine, relax and enjoy,” Galvin replied, giving me a flute of white fairy wine.

“You were curious to see the first multi-species bar, cheer up! How are you liking it?” Linus asked me

“It’s great that we can have such a place in the Realms, a place where everyone could be together, where it doesn't matter who you are. It’s nice to see people from so many different species. All I have seen before were witches and wizards. Are all Fae people small?” I praised it again, the whole concept of this bar fascinated me.

Avalon laughed, “They tend to be smaller, shorter. But not all of them, their King is quite tall.”

“He owns the bar. We could also own a bar,” Linus suggested. He was funny and had such ideas sometimes, we haven't met many times. I was mostly only around Avalon and Galvin. Lady Amalia and Linus were with us just sometimes. 

“Where are lady Amalia and Klaus?” Galvin asked, looking around.

“They are always so lovey-dovey, and just talk between themselves,” Linus answered with a funny smile. 

Lady Amalia was so lucky to find her mate, truly blessed. I hoped to find such a wonder soon. The truth was, I was growing tired of staying alone with my books and I missed the feeling of having a family. Of having someone close to my heart. 

Since my father died when I was fourteen, I have been alone. Avalon tried to keep me company and cheer me up, he was very good to me but he was very busy with his kingdom. 

“As they always do,” Avalon said with a smile, but I could see a bit of sorrow shining in his now grey eyes. 

He couldn’t hide his emotions very well, the change of his eye color always betrayed him. 

I knew he also urged, craved for his mate. He had been waiting for her for too long. He was growing broken and sadder by the day. I guess waiting for 900 years for a mate would make anyone lose their hope and succumb to insanity. So many years of emptiness and solitude. I couldn’t wait that long, I’ve been waiting for 21 years and I was already a bit gloomy. 

“I don’t even know why we keep inviting them,” Galvin said 

I zoned out for a moment, sipping my wine and looking around this beautifully exotic place. However, all of the sudden, everything surrounding me faded away like it was made of clouds and time stopped for a moment as a scent invaded my lungs and possessed me with a sense of wonder. 

“I found my mate!” I exclaimed, as soon as I could breathe again and my vision steadied, reality rearranging itself before my dizzy eyes. 

“That’s wonderful, Blue Eyes. I’m glad for you!” I heard Avalon’s smiling voice, he placed his hands on my shoulders, attracting my gaze to him. 

I took another sip of wine, trying to ground myself and snap back to reality completely. His scent still had me lost, it reigned over me with a powerful spell. The spell of Fate and Love. 

I looked around for him, there were only a few wizards in this bar and none of them was my mate. How could it be? Was I mated to a lady? I really didn’t expect that, but love was love and I was willing to welcome whatever love the Goddess would bestow upon me. 

I looked at the two witches besides the bar and … nothing. No recognition. 

“I don’t understand. I can smell his scent, but I can’t find him,” I exhaled frustrated. My head was already spinning from looking around excessively, with a silly and desperate hope. 

“You need more Fairy Wine,” Galvin said with a creepy smile that made a cold shiver flutter down my spine.  

“No, she had enough,” Avalon replied, placing a protective hand over my shoulder. 

Galvin gave him a confused look.

“You know that she’s like a little sister to me,” Avalon added as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and gave me an affectionate look.

“Why can’t I seem to find him? Now his scent is lost? It faded away?” I asked Avalon.

“Maybe you were mistaken, Mel. You had too much wine,” Avalon replied, taking the flute of wine off my hand and giving me a glass of water.

It wasn’t the wine, it was him. I knew it. I felt it in my soul.