Deidre's Faerie Tale

"Trilla, you've gotta tell me what to do!" I exclaimed walking past her and into her house.

The surprise of seeing me at her front door barely registered on her face. I had actually climbed out of the window, down a tree, and sprinted across the immense garden. I made the short walk to Trilla's in the dead of night. In all my years as a petulant teenager, I'd never snuck out of my mother's house, but I felt had to do it. I just needed someone's ear; I was beyond stressed about banishing Lyrik and possibly Lady Ilyn. They'd have to start all over with nothing...no title, no history, and no alliances. Lyrik deserved that and worse, but her mother was innocent.

In fact, Lady Ilyn had been so distraught over the whole messy situation, she'd stayed in her quarters crying for over a week. She hadn't been to see Lyrik and decided to holiday in France while her daughter's fate was decided.

I wondered how it was that Trilla wasn't the least bit puffy or bleary-eyed, even though it was almost one in the morning. She wore sage-green satin pajama pants and a black tank top. There wasn't a hair out of place, her pajamas weren't even wrinkled. Meanwhile, even without the aid of a mirror I knew I had bed head and pillow creases across my face. Add that to the ever-growing list of reasons to hate Trilla.

She followed me to the couch and settled beside me.

"You know I can't help you."

I frowned. "That's what everyone keeps saying! The Seer refuses to get anywhere near me. Lady Ilyn has taken a month-long respite in Paris and Parliament won't convene again until I've reached my decision."

Trilla nodded but didn't respond.

I sighed. "Can't someone else do this? I'm not quite sure how I feel about sentencing my step-sister. I mean, on one hand, she's a total psycho-bitch and deserves the worst."

Trilla nodded again.

"On the other hand," I continued, "Lady Ilyn will be broken up no matter what, she's half there already. I don't want to hurt her any more than Lyrik has already."

Trilla's brilliant green eyes softened.

"Parliament insists I come back with the decision to banish her...but wouldn't her mother go with her? I could barely stand being away from my Ella for a month, bow can I sentence a mother to never see her daughter again?"

"Lady Ilyn's possible decisions should not influence yours," Trilla offered.

I shrugged. "Why can't y'all just have the death penalty? You know eye-for-an-eye and all that."

Trilla cringed visibly.

"Your highness, our laws dictate..."

"Save it," I snapped putting up a hand. "I've heard it all from Parliament. The importance of life...not upsetting the balance..blah, blah, blah."

"If you don't agree with our laws..."

"It's not that!" I interjected. "It's just that...I'm used to swift justice—a person does a crime, they do time, and in certain states...they get a one way ticket to hell."

Trilla actually winced.

I studied my pajama pants as we sat in silence.

"I wish the Seer would just give me a hint."

Trilla shook her head. "She can't do that. She already knows your decision and with your...gift...the slightest contact, you could see the future you have not yet decided."

"That's exactly what I meant by a hint!"

Trilla rolled her eyes.

"Well, you're about as helpful as a lop-sided step stool."

Trilla laughed aloud. "We should get you home."

I shook my head. "Nah. You get back to bed. I can walk back."

Trilla sniffed haughtily. "Tolem would never forgive me if I let you return on your own."

"I got here on my own."

Trilla smiled. "I had no control over that."

***

"Have you spoken with your mother?" Trilla asked five minutes into our walk.

"Yes," I sighed. "She's doing very well and almost agreed to come for a visit."

"Almost?" repeated Trilla.

"Yeah, then she came up with some doctor's appointment excuse. What a surprise."

"Do you think she'll ever come?"

I laughed. "I don't think so, but that doesn't mean I'll stop asking."

"Do you miss her terribly?"

"Trilla, you're way too smart to ask such a dumb question."

Trilla shrugged. The blanket of black hair cascading over her shoulders shone blue in places where it caught the moonlight. "Of course you're right. It's just that..."

"Well, go on then," I sighed. "You know all my business, don't try and get shy on me."

"My mother died when I was eight," Trilla said after a heavy sigh. "The only thing I can remember about her now is that she did funny voices when she read to me and always smelled like laundry powder. She was the laundress."

"I'm sorry."

Trilla shrugged again. "I don't miss her anymore, is all. I guess I just wonder what its like to still be a mother's daughter as an adult."

"Its just the same a daughter when you're a child. She knows too much and thinks you know nothing, then makes you feel guilty on the rare occasions you do know something she doesn't."

Trilla's laugh was weak.

"I'll bet your mama loved you enough in those eight years to last you a lifetime. It's okay not to miss her. She's always with you anyway."

Trilla turned her head toward me. "Do you know that for sure...because of your—uh—gift?"

"Nah," I said with a shrug. "It's just what I've decided to believe."

We walked in silence for a few minutes and I realized that I was getting winded. "For heavens sake, Trilla, slow down. Not everyone's legs are a mile long!"

"Maybe next time you sneak out of the castle, you should wear shoes."

I looked down at my bare feet. "I have no problems walking barefoot, did it all my life...I just can't jog barefoot."

Trilla slowed and I linked my arm through hers. Her usually stiff stance eased as we started up the hill toward my new home. I don't know exactly when it happened but somewhere between being irritated by Trilla's seeming perfection and being glad that I could count on her help and knowledge, she'd become my best friend. I'd never actually had one before, not even Ella's father.

"Oh, no," I heard Trilla mutter after a few minutes.

It took a second for me to realize why she'd said that. All the lights were on in the castle...at least on the first floor. That wasn't good. It was one-thirty in the morning. All those lights meant one thing, someone realized I was missing...not good.

***

"Where in the hell have you been?" Tolem snapped as soon as I walked into the front door...not much sense in climbing back into the window when the place was already lit up like a Christmas tree.

"I walked to Trilla's house," I said, trying to sound nonchalant.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Trilla take a large step to the right, putting about three feet between us.

I glared at her. "Get back over here!" I whispered.

She shook her head and I noticed her eyes widen, just slightly.

By the time I turned back to Tolem, he was less than a foot away. In what seemed like a split second, he'd come from the bottom of the staircase to right in front of my face. I understood why Trilla had stepped away from me. Tolem was beyond scary at the moment. His blonde hair was loose and spilling over his shoulders, his eyes were open so wide; I could see entire blue irises. His nostrils seemed permanently flared as he loomed over me.

"Alone?!" he choked out, "You went into town alone?!"

"Yes," I said quietly.

"Barefoot?!" he growled.

I nodded because I couldn't speak around the lump in my throat. I didn't know whether to scream, run, or cry. Honestly, I wanted to do all three, in no certain order.

"Everything is okay, Tolem," Trilla said. "I walked her home and she's perfectly fine."

He seemed to finally realize that there was another person in the room. His nostrils went back to normal when he turned to look at Trilla. The redness in his face began to ebb and I let out a relieved breath.

"Yeah," I said. "Everything is fine."

He glared at me. "You stay right here, right on this spot. Don't even think of moving. I have to turn off all these blasted lights."

I nodded.

His eyes never left mine when he grumbled, "Goodnight, Trilla."

"I'll see you in the morning," she responded as he turned and headed in the direction of the dining room.

Trilla moved toward the door. I reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Take me with you," I hissed through clenched teeth.

"Sorry, your highness, you're on your own now. I got you home safely; it's up to him whether or not you stay that way." She twisted her wrist out of my grip.

"Just when I was starting to like you!" I said as she slipped out of the door.

Tolem returned moments later. Now that we were alone in the foyer, I was pretty scared.

"Do you have any idea?" he snapped.

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Tolem grabbed my upper arm and walked me toward the staircase. "I awoke for my evening rounds and your bed was empty!"

"You come into my room while I'm sleeping?" I asked.

He ignored me. "I assumed you'd gone to check on Ella, but she was alone in her room. I thought perhaps you'd gone to the kitchen for a snack or a drink, wrong again." We were headed up the stairs now, at a faster clip than I was comfortable with but with my arm in his vice grip, I wouldn't be able to fall on my face. "I checked every room downstairs including the closets and you were nowhere to be found. I was about to rouse the entire castle and sound the alarm and you come waltzing into the door as if it's the most common thing in the world to be about town barefoot in your pajamas!"

"I'm sorry," I mumbled.

"Sorry?" Tolem repeated. "Sorry? My only job is to ensure your safety and all you have to say after sneaking away is that you're sorry? Could you, for once, make my job simple? No more sneaking downstairs to traipse around town in the dark!"

"Actually, I climbed out the window."

That didn't really help my case any. Tolem grunted and began walking even faster down the hallway. I'd changed rooms. I was no longer close to the staircase. My bedroom was now down a series of corridors, tucked away. I regretted bitching about the pace Trilla had kept; I was practically running to keep up with Tolem's long, angry strides.

Once in my room, with the door shut, he released my arm, but grabbed my shoulders. "Never again," he whispered.

Tears were burning at the backs of my eyes.

"Never do that to me again!"

"I said I'm sorry," I said trying to turn away from his intense gaze. "Don't you think you're overreacting a li'l bit?"

"Bed empty, window open, I thought you'd been kidnapped!"

I laughed. "I'm a queen, not The Queen. No one would want to kidnap me!"

"You don't understand. Your life is more precious than you realize. You're in danger here."

I stopped laughing. "Danger? What kind of danger?"

"You still have no idea," Tolem muttered. He turned away from me and sank onto the settee in the sitting area. My new room was more of a suite than a bedroom. Once inside the door, there was a sitting furnished with antique furniture. I'd had the vases of flowers removed, in consideration of my allergies and replaced with decorative candles.

"No idea about what?" I screeched.

He glowered at me. "Be mindful of the volume of your voice; the princess is asleep."

"I know that! Tell me something I don't know...like why I'm in so much danger!"

Tolem scrubbed his hands over his face and groaned. "You still have no idea why your father had to return."

"No, no. I know all about that. There was some sorta coup, his father and brother were killed, and King Dominic had to come back to help fight."

Tolem lifted a blonde brow, obviously impressed. "That much you know, but did you know that almost all the insurgents that were defeated refused abolishment and fled? The rest surrendered, renounced their cause, and were punished. They remain in our kingdom, but at any moment they could return to their treachery. In fact, I'm quite sure some are still in contact with those in hiding."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The elves that had tried to take the kingdom from my grandfather were still hanging around?

The shock I was feeling must have been all over my face because Tolem's voice grew softer. "I know you think I take myself too seriously, but I can't let anything happen to you."

"Okay," I said sniffling. "Okay, I won't sneak out again."

I was crying when Tolem gathered me into his laps. His lips brushed my cheeks, smearing the tracks of my tears. I dropped my head onto his shoulder and sighed.

"I can see why you didn't tell me about my life being in danger before I took the crown, but someone might have mentioned these lingering insurgents."

"The elves that linger are no longer insurgents. You just need to learn how to let someone take care of you."

I smiled and let my eyes flutter shut, enraptured by the feel of Tolem's large hand stoking my hair.

"My mama took care of me," I said on a sigh.

"She did a wonderful job," Tolem mumbled into my hair. His large warm body and deep, rumbling voice was bringing sleep around in a hurry. "She got you to me in one amazing piece."

I laughed and then tried to stifle a yawn.

I was almost asleep when I felt Tolem's soft lips on my own. The kiss was gentle, nothing sexual at all, just a simple peck.

"One day," Tolem whispered as sleep began to take me. "One day things will be as they should."

"Promises, promises," I muttered just before I got the weightless feeling that meant Tolem was carrying me to bed.