Sad music is very good when writing.


Ijori and I sat in a comfortable silence, each of us composing our letters. At least, he was. I could hear his quill scratching against the paper. I stared at my blank piece of parchment, trying to come up with how to start the letter. I smiled wanly as I remembered the last time I had had this problem- my circumstances had been so different then! Beginning with 'Char' sounded too informal, and I didn't want to start it with 'Dearest Char', or 'My Love'. 'Dear Char' and 'Prince Charmont' were to formal. I bit my lip, trying to decide what to write.

Dear Char,

What came next?

If you are reading this letter, chances are that you are still chasing after me.

I grimaced. I was making it sound like he was some desperate beau, that I had long ago rejected.

Areida told me (actually, it had been my fairy book) that you've been here before. Do you remember? You were on your way home to Kyrria, and I assume you had received the letter about my 'marriage' by the way you bit out my name, and that I was married. I'm so sorry that I lied to you. Yes, if you haven't discovered my deception yet, I wrote that letter, of my own free will, the letter written in my hand and the one in Hattie's.

Even though it had nearly killed me to write it.

Please, please forgive me. I had to give you a reason to push me away, to forget about me, and being married off and pretending that I had been toying with your emotions seemed the best way. I am so, so sorry.

Now came the hardest part.

I know I owe you an explanation. You don't deserve all this deception. You are good and kind, and I know you will make a wonderful ruler of Kyrria. I, however, am a danger. If I become too close to you and your family, I could be the cause of your death, or the reason Kyrria falls into enemy hands. I can't ever put you at that risk- put Kyrria at that risk. I can't explain why, but please, trust me. If I can't protect you from myself, then I can't be near you. I'm trying to find a way to solve this problem, but if I can't, I will never return to Kyrria. And I want you to go home. Go home, forget about me, and maybe, one day, we'll see each other again. And I hope if we meet again, we can be friends.

Love,

Ella

P.S. I don't think I'm quite old enough to marry yet.

I set down the quill and sighed. It would do. Ijori stayed hunched over his own composition for a moment longer, before straightening. He smiled at me. "Done?" I nodded.

"Yes." I folded up my letter, and wrote 'Prince Charmont' on it. "Now what?"

"Why don't we give them to Areida for safekeeping, and then sleep?" I grinned, then stretched.

"That sounds marvelous. I haven't slept in a bed for weeks."

Char POV

"We're close." I peered at the tiny pixie in front of me. Eisolene was perched between my horse's ears, her wings shimmering under the moonlight.

"You're sure?" She turned, and gave me a scathing look.

"No, I was just informing you that we've almost reached the moon." I sighed, exhausted.

"Steven!" I called. Said knight slowed his horse until it was next to mine. "Are there any towns nearby?"

"Yes Sire. There's a small town that we stayed at the last time we passed through Ayortha, when we were returning to Kyrria after your time here. There was a quaint inn that we stayed at...what was it called?" He scratched at his head for a moment. "Ah yes, the Featherbed! Quite a nice little place, if I recall correctly they had wonderful ostumo and hart with firepeppers. Have I told you…" I drowned him out. If I remembered correctly, the Featherbed was where Ella's friend Areida lived. Perhaps she could aide us in our hunt. I turned to see Eisolene swaying slightly.

"Are you alright?" I exclaimed, alarmed. She nodded.

"Just...a side effect...from using so much magik. I'm...not used to using...this much for...this long." She tilted her head so she was looking up at me. "When we reach the inn...could you please...get me something cold? Preferably ice?" I nodded.

"Alright men, we're going to sleep in beds tonight!" I called, and the knights cheered. "Sir Stephen, do you mind leading?"

"Not at all," he said with a cheerful smile. He winked at Eisolene. "Keep up the good work, little miss!" She huffed, and crossed her arms. I watched as he rode to the front, before turning back to Eisolene.

"So why ice?" She stared at me disapprovingly, then shook her head and sighed.

"I suppose it cannot be helped. You kind knows almost nothing of my people. I am an Ice pixie. This means Ice is my element. It heals and strengthens me. There are also Fire pixies, Water pixies, Light pixies, Life pixies, Air pixies, and Earth pixies."

"What are the differences between Light and Fire pixies?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Light and heat are different, no? The Lights are sunlight, moonlight, candlelight- brightness. The Fire are warmth; fires, sparks, and the heat generated by blankets and such."

"Do the pixies have a ruler?" She smiled, the first I'd seen in my three weeks with her.

"Yes. The ruler is the Breynigur. They rule over all the pixies, and their...consort, I guess, is called the FthwaSin. Males and females can hold either position. The Breynigur is a special type of pixie, called the Fae. Your kind, when our types were closer, took Fae and made it a new name for pixies and fairies. We found this very offensive, and a divide formed between us. The fairies, however, were pleased and felt honored to be grouped with us, and that is how the first friends of fairies came to be. Fae are born when the last Breynigur is ready to die. The new Fae is born, from one of the groups of pixies, Fire, Water, etc, and the last Breynigur bestows their magic upon the newborn. The old Breynigur then dies, and the Ice fairies raise the new Breynigur."

"That's fascinating. You have a whole history and culture that we don't even know of." Eisolene looked smug.

"Yes. There are many creatures that the humans are unaware of. It's amazing how little you see."

"I have a question. Why do the Ice pixies raise the Bray-neigur?"

"Breynigur," she corrected. "The Ice are Alayd. In your language, I think the word is noble? The Ice are the descendants of the Breynigur. For when a Breynigur has a child, the child is neither Fae, or in line to become a Breynigur. The child is Ice, the closet magik to Fae. That is why we wear a purple sash- we are of the closest blood to the Breynigur, and if the Breynigur were to die without there being a new one, the Goddess would bestow the Fae upon one of the Ice."

"I see. Do you mind telling me more about your people?" She smiled at me, and nodded a bit.

"Yes. I may have misjudged you at first, human prince. I thought you would be like all the other humans, but you are the first to ask me about my people." We talked, and I even got her to laugh on the way to the inn. By the time we reached it, the moon was high overhead.

"I'll go in and ask if they have any open rooms," Aubrey said, and he walked in. He came out a few minutes later and told us they had room enough. I offered my hand to Eisolene. She carefully stepped off of my horse, and onto my palm. As I lifted it, she clutched to my thumb for support. I held my hand by my shoulder, and she stepped delicately off. She settled next to my neck, and held onto my collar. As I walked into the inn, I felt her stiffen, and she yanked on my collar.

"Are you alright?" When she didn't reply, I gently picked her up, and placed her on a table next to me. "Eisolene, are you alright?"

"Is that the Kyrrian Prince?" I heard the innkeeper ask one of my knights. I noticed that my worry and Eisolene's current state had not gone unoticed by my knights. They moved restlessly, and watched her over my shoulder. She was trembling, and I could see a faint sheen of magik in her eyes.

"She's here." And with that, she fainted. I stared at her limp body blankly. After a moment, my mind slowly began to process what she had said.

"She's here," I said softly. She was here. Ella was here. Ella was here! "She's here!" I repeated louder. I turned around. "Is there a young maiden named Ella here? Tell me!" I demanded in Ayorthan. The innkeeper looked frightened.

"Y-yes, I believe so…oh! Prince Charmont!" He scurried behind the counter. "You are Prince Charmont, correct?"

"Yes, and what of it?" I snapped impatiently. I knew I was being the epitemy of a royal brat, but for all I knew, Ella, was escaping out a window. The innkeeper winced.

"The young lady wrote this letter for you." I seized it, and read it. It confused me, to say the least. However, I didn't give a damn about how dangerous she seemed to think she was. Living with her and and possibly being killed by her hand was better than my parents making a match for me that would leave me miserable for the rest of my life.

"Find her! Search this entire inn!"

Ella POV

"Ella. Ella!"

"What," I groaned groggily. Someone was shaking me. I cracked open my eyes to see Ijori. He smiled grimly.

"Your prince is here." I was up in a flash, grabbing my things. Ijori went to the window, and pried it open. "Noirin is getting the horses ready," he continued. He flashed a smile in my direction. "I hope you don't mind, but I'll be joining you."

"Wonderful." I closed my bag, and ran to the window. He raised a brow as he studied me.

"You wear your riding clothes to bed?" I shrugged.

"I didn't bring much with me when I ran." I tossed my bag out first, and began to clamber out when the door banged open. I turned, wide-eyed, to see a knight in the doorway.

"I found her!"

"Go, go!" Urged Ijori. HeI slid out the window, with him right behind. He let out a whistle, and Oochoo came barreling towards us from nowhere. I heard the knight calling,

"She's running! Head for the horses!" I sprinted towards the stables, and almost crashed into Noirin. There was a strange glint of glee in his eyes as he handed me Lafaria.

Char POV

"She's running! Head for the horses!" The cry echoed through the inn. I tore through the hall, pausing to take Eisolene from the knight watching her and place her in my shirt pocket. I sprinted out of the inn to see three figures galloping away. I grit my teeth and grabbed my horse. I swung myself up and galloped after them, pushing my horse- he was still warm, and eager to go despite all of the hard riding we had done. I was not going to let her slip away again.


And I think this is all that I'm going to be able to update today. Also, I know I said that I wouldn't be responding to reviews, but I have to applaud SmellofRoses for getting a review in within 10 minutes of the chapter going up!