Hi, my name is Bella. I'm the daughter of King Oberon and Queen Titania so that makes me the Summer Princess. Oberon and Titania had me when they were still in love and Titania wasn't just hungry for power. I live in the Seelie court, Arcadia, but I rarely stay for very long.
My Father doesn't approve of it, but I love going out into the Wyldwood with Puck and hunting. Sometimes I even go without Puck. I love the thrill of it all.
If you're wondering about my love-life, well sorry to disappoint you, but Oberon doesn't let me associate with the male population very much, other than Puck, and that's because Puck works for him. It's not that I can't talk to guys, but if I start to hang around a guy more than Oberon is comfortable with, the guy starts to act weird. A few have even disappeared before. He's probably planning some arranged thing. We don't really have marriages in the Faery world like the humans do.
Anyways, read on. J
Chapter 1
The golden stag stood right at the edge of the water. I dared not move, lest I scare it off. I had been hunting this stag for 3 weeks now. I was determined to kill it today.
I pulled back my bow and aimed, waiting for the right moment to release the arrow. The arrow would have shot right through the heart of the beautiful animal, but all of a sudden, I felt a searing pain in my side causing me to fall over onto the leaf covered ground of the forest and scare away my game. My bow lay next to me, but I could hardly see anything because my eyes were soon filled with stinging tears of pain. I was trying to scream, but it hurt so bad that nothing came out and I just lay there with my mouth open; my face twisted in agony.
A figure came rushing towards me from a few feet away, but thankfully I had regained some of my strength and I tried to scramble away from them.
"No! It's ok! I'm here to help you!" The voice said. "Stop thrashing! You're only going to make it worse!"
I still couldn't see who it was, but I stopped thrashing and sat still while they approached me. I looked down at my side that I was holding and saw that my hands were covered in thick, red, ooze. A throwing knife lay a few feet away, stained by my blood.
'Why are you helping me?" I spat between gritted teeth. My eyes had cleared away the tears and I just sat there glaring at my suitor.
"I didn't mean to hurt you. I thought you were-" He started.
"You did this to me!?" I screeched.
The guy moved closer and bent down so that I could see his face clearly.
"Ash?" I asked in disbelief. The man kneeling on the ground next to me had dark black hair, dangerous, ice blue eyes, pale skin, and a strong jaw. The Unseelie ice prince was staring back at me. Ash and I didn't quite get along. Since we were little, we were raised to hate each other, but when Puck and Ash had started hanging out, I tagged along. I still didn't particularly like him though.
"Wait, Bella?" He asked back. Than his face grew paler than it already was and he started to reach for me.
I started to thrash again, away from his reach.
"What are you doing!?" I yelled at him. "Stop! I don't need your help!" I tried to stand up, but fell as I tried.
"Bella!" He yelled.
We both stopped, staring at each other. The tension was so thick, you couldn't have sliced through it with a knife. You could see my breath coming out of my mouth into the chilly air.
"Let me help you." He started slowly. "I know a cabin not far back loaded with supplies. Just let me help you."
When I didn't answer, he made his way closer, slowly. Once he reached me, he slid his hand underneath my legs and behind my back and stood up. I grimaced in pain and looked down to see that it had gotten worse. We started moving and I looked up to see Ash staring down at me.
"What?" I mumbled hostilely.
"Are you ok?" He asked.
"What do you think ice boy." I said using the amusing nickname Puck had given to him. "Why are you helping me anyways?"
"Well, personally, I would not like to have The Summer King and Queen out for my head because I accidently wounded their daughter." He stated while ducking under a branch and coming dangerously close to my face.
He twisted to avoid us hitting a thorny bush that looked like it was reaching out to grab us and my side immediately burst into a fiery pain. I let out a squeal and almost threw up from the nausea that overpowered me.
"We're almost there." He said.
"Why does it hurt so badly?" I whispered; my voice hoarse. I leaned my head back and squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back the tears that were brought to my eyes.
"Because my knife was covered in wyvern poison." He stated.
"What!" I started to freak out. Wyvern poison is one of the most deadly poisons there are.
"Don't worry." He huffed. "I have an antidote at the cabin."
He started to get fuzzy around the edges, but I soon realized it was my vision and that everything was starting to blur. Involuntarily, my head fell against his solid chest and I closed my eyes wanting nothing else but rest.
"Bella?" A voice overhead called. "Bella, wake up."
I slowly opened my eyes, half expecting bright sunlight to be pouring through the canopy of leaves, but instead I saw the ceiling of a wooden cabin with small lanterns hanging around the walls. I looked to my right and found myself staring into the ice-y eyes of Ash.
"What." I moaned. My side still ached and I couldn't quite remember what had happened.
"You fell asleep for about 15 minutes, but you need to sit up so I can treat the cut." He replied.
I looked down at my side and all of the recent events flooded my head. I reluctantly sat up with the help of Ash and leaned against the wall that the small bed was up against. Ash was still staring at me, not making any obvious movements to do anything.
"What?" I demanded, slightly irked.
He let out a long sigh and looked away before answering. "You're going to have to move some of your garments out of the way. I can't really get to the wound with all of that bloody fabric in the way.
I huffed angrily. I was not about to take anything off, but I removed the first layer of my top and pulled up the second layer, tying it up in the back, to reveal a pretty nasty looking cut. I let out a cry of surprise and suppressed the urge to vomit.
Ash had gone over to a little cabinet on the opposite wall and was currently mashing up some sort of concoction. He knelt beside the bed and took some of the goop onto his fingers.
"This is going to sting at first." He told me before spreading it over the cut. I closed my eyes as the pain hit and concentrated on not paying attention to it. Eventually, the pain subsided until all I could feel was a dull throbbing and Ash's fingers sliding over my damaged skin.
"Sorry for this." He said quietly. "I thought that you were an Iron Fey."
"We're not supposed to kill them anyways. There's a treaty." I stated.
"Ya, well I was bored." He said, spreading more paste onto my skin.
"So you were willing to be put to death just because you were itching for a fight. You are so thick sometimes." I said, shaking my head in disapproval.
He smirked. "Well at least an Iron faery could have gotten up and actually fought me."
I looked at him, my mouth hanging open in shock. "How dare you! After you're done with this-" I said, motioning to my side, "-I will gladly kick your butt in a dual."
"You're not doing anything soon Princess." He said, standing up and admiring his handiwork. "Now, don't move while I get a cloth to cover that, and you a new shirt." He went back to the cabinet and started rummaging through it. I tried to stand up but my legs couldn't support me long enough for me to go anywhere, causing me to sink back down onto the bed.
While he was busy, I took a good look at the tiny room we were in. It was mostly bare aside from the bed, the cabinet, and a few chairs next to a fireplace. Everything was made of wood, except the lanterns which were made of faery steel.
Ash came back over to me holding a long piece of cloth, and what looked to be some bread.
"Are you hungry?" He asked.
I sort of nodded and he threw me a piece. I caught it and started eating it when I felt Ash put his arms around my middle, wrapping the cloth around my wound. I froze, uneasy, and I felt Ash hesitate for a moment before continuing to wrap the cloth. I slowly brought the bread up to my mouth and took an uneasy bite.
Thankfully, it only took a short amount of time, and before I knew it, he was done. He gave me a new shirt and he stepped outside allowing me to change. While he was out I tested my legs again. They were still a bit wobbly, but I was determined to get out of the cabin and continue my hunt. I looked out the window to see it was approaching dusk. I slipped on my lightweight boots, my belt with all of my throwing knives, daggers, and other knick-knacks, and I grabbed my quiver of arrows and bow that Ash must have brought in from a nearby chair. I grabbed the door handle and walked out past Ash who was leaning against the side of the little cabin. As soon as I walked out past him, he jumped up from his spot against the wall.
"Where are you going?" He called after me. I could hear him jogging up to me surprisingly, since I wasn't going all that fast. "You can't go yet! You're still hurt!"
"Watch me ice boy!" I yelled back, pursuing on. I felt a tug on my arm and I turned around shocked. "Let go of me." I said firmly, glaring at him.
"No. I don't care if you are a princess. No." He stated, equally as firm. He bent down a little and picked me up bridle style as he had done before.
"Put me down!" I screamed, trying to get out of his iron grip.
"Ah, there you are Princess! I've been looking everywhere for you!" A voice said from behind us. Ash turned us around to reveal a tall, handsome redhead. "I was starting to think something had eaten you! Look what I got." He held up the golden stag by his side. My golden stag.
"Puck! That was mine! UGH!" I was so frustrated. "Put me down!" I screamed again. Ash set me down and I hobbled over to Puck, wrenching the stag out of his hand. Pulling a dagger from my belt, I plunged it into the hide of the already dead animal, wiped the blade off on Puck's shirt, and sheathed it.
"Hey!" Puck sniveled, trying to get the thick, red ooze off of himself.
"There." I said triumphantly. "Mine. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going home." I turned on my heal to leave, but Ash's voice filled my ears.
"No, Bella! You're still hurt!"
I spun around to a curious looking Puck.
"Who do we have here?" He said, taking a few steps towards Ash. "Ash, ice boy, your royal iciness. Whichever you prefer; I prefer Ice Boy, but you know..."
"Oh," I started, a smirk on my face. Ash looked away, annoyed. "I was just about to catch this thing," I pointed to the stag in my grip. "-when Ash over here, though I was someone else, threw his knife at me, which by the way was covered in wyvern poison and it slit open my side. He had to fix it so that he wouldn't have Oberon's wrath inflicted upon him when I got home." I accused. "I don't know if he was planning on drugging me or anything, but you won't have the chance-" I said to Ash, "-because I'm going home and you can't stop me!" I turned around again and started to walk only to trip over a tree root and fall on my face, leaving my side burning again.
I could hear Puck and Ash run towards me and someone picked me up. I soon found myself lying on the same bed that I was on not ten minutes ago. I could faintly hear Ash and Puck arguing in the background. I was starting to feel rather sleepy and it was becoming harder and harder to focus.
"She can't go back to Arcadia right now."
"For once I agree with you ice boy, but it's not because she needs the rest."
"What do you mean?"
"A group of Iron Fey have risen up under the power of some unknown source. They've taken over the Summer Kingdom and Oberon and Titania are helpless. They can't even contact the Winter Kingdom. I barely got out. It's definitely not safe for the Summer Princess in Arcadia."
I wanted to get up and start throwing a tantrum about how Puck had left the whole kingdom defenseless, but I couldn't even turn my body around to get Ash and Puck in my view.
"Who's ruling them? Why isn't the Iron Queen doing anything about this?!" Ash questioned frantically.
"We believe it's Virus; we're not positive though. We thought she was dead… I don't even think Meghan knows anything about it. Like I said, Oberon can't even get into contact with Queen Mab. There's more though."
"What…"
"The fey who are keeping the Summer Kingdom hostage is one I've never seen before. They seem to be a hybrid of the iron fey; more of oil and wires than metal. It's making us normal fey die slowly because of their presence."
There was silence for a few seconds before I heard Ash huskily whisper.
"Is there anything we can do?"
Puck sighed before answering. "We'll have to see…"
I didn't hear the rest of the conversation if there was any because my body slipped into a state of exhaustion, my eyes closed, and my mind welcomed sleep.
When I woke it was morning. I could see sunlight peaking in from underneath the door, and I could hear the soft chirping of birds. I sat up, surprisingly with ease, and took in my surroundings.
Ash was asleep on one of the wooden chairs, his dark hair covering one of his eyes. He seemed comfortable despite the hard surface he was resting on. One of his hands was behind his head while his other rested on his lap. His shirt was in a pile on the floor. His bare chest rose and fell steadily to the rhythm of his breathing.
Puck was sprawled out in the middle of the floor with a blanket half covering him, his hair sticking up in every direction. Soft snores were protruding from his slightly open mouth.
I slowly stood up, careful not to fall over. I had definitely regained most of my strength over night, but I still had a massive headache. I walked over to the cabinet I had seen Ash rummage through the evening before searching for any food. As if on cue, my stomach let out a little gurgle.
I found some faery fruit and plopped one in my mouth. The sweet taste was pleasant in my mouth as it warmed my insides.
The boys still weren't awake so I quietly grabbed my bow and left the small cabin.
A few minutes later, I found myself planted in a tree waiting for game to come by. While I was waiting, I finished my other pieces of fruit.
My mind began to wander towards the conversation Ash and Puck had had last night. If puck was telling the truth, my whole Kingdom was in danger. I started to think: What could I do? Who could help me? Where would I go? I most certainly couldn't go back to Arcadia.
Then it hit me. I needed to go see the Iron Queen. She might be able to help. It was her subjects anyways, and besides, if I didn't do something soon, my parents and kingdom would be dead and Tir Na Nog would most likely be next!
I heard some movement in the brush about 200 feet away. I notched an arrow and waited. It was getting closer, and closer…
I released the arrow to hear a "THUNK!" I hit the ground… great. I probably scared away my game, again…
"Woah! Careful princess!" Pucks voice called from the bushes.
"Puck! What are you doing here!?" I screeched at him. Suddenly, Ash was beside him.
"She's awfully loud." He remarked.
"Shut up Ash!" I yelled. I hopped down from the tree and walked up to them, my boy slung over my back. "I'm fine now, so you two can leave me alone. I have to go take care of this 'problem' you were talking about. So if you'll excuse me." I tried to push my way past them, but they both grabbed my arms and started dragging me back to the cabin.
"LET GO OF ME, OR SO HELP ME-" I began to scream, that is until Ash put his free hand over my mouth. I tried to bite him, but he was wearing protective gloves as if he knew I would try something. I finally gave up and let them drag me back.
Once we were back to the cabin, Ash locked the door behind us. I ripped myself from their grip and turned around seething at them both. (If you haven't figured it out already, I have a REALLY bad temper.)
I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows.
"Puck." I aggravatingly smiled.
"Yes, princess." He replied with a smirk. Ugh, I'll wipe it right off his face…
"I need to go see the Iron Queen. I'm not able to do that because you two are in my way. So move, or I'll move you myself." I threatened, my fake smile turning into a snarl.
Ash scoffed and mumbled a 'doubt you could do that…' I just shot him a glare.
Puck's smirk was gone and he was just staring at me as if I was insane.
"You can't do that!" He challenged.
I leaned in, "Watch me."
"You can't go by yourself. In fact you just can't go! It's too dangerous! You wouldn't survive the journey!-" he rambled.
"Puck," I cut him off. "Do you have any other ideas?"
"Not really, but I can improvise! That's what I do!" He started to whine.
Ash looked at him with a face of disgust. "Man up!" He hit him in the chest.
Puck rubbed his chest and feigned hurt. "Ouch."
Ash looked at me, as if I was dumb. "What about those necklaces we used during the war, before the treaty. It makes you immune to the iron. We can go see the Iron Queen without killing ourselves." He said nonchalantly.
"That's genius Ash! But I just have one question. Why didn't you pipe up before!?" I asked, still irritated.
"We can get them in Tir Na Nog. They're forged in my kingdom. I can get us some." He explained, ignoring my outburst towards him.
I put my hands up in protest. "Wait, what do you mean us?" I asked skeptically.
"Bella, do you really expect us to let you walk into the Iron Kingdom by yourself?" He gestured to himself and Puck. "If we let you go by yourself and you got killed, Oberon would have both our heads. Besides, I've been bored. I need something to do." He smirked darkly.
"Well, if I were to get killed and fail, there probably wouldn't even be an Oberon to have your heads!"
I put my head in my hands mulling things over. I looked back to them. They were both staring at me expectantly.
"Fine!" I gave in. Puck let out a whoop, while a small smile formed on Ash's slightly pink lips. "Let's get going." I said, grabbing a sack that was lying on the floor and emptied the contents of the cupboard into it. I walked in between them and out the door. After a few seconds, they both were trailing behind.