Hi guys! Here's chapter ten! Hope you enjoy!
"Mother?" A cool alto voice echoed through the library, breaking Kendra and the Queen from their reverie.
"My eldest daughter." The Queen assured her, before standing up. Kendra hastened to her feet as well, trying her hardest to keep her back straight and her head up. She felt distinctly uncomfortable, meeting someone new without Bracken by her side. Mizelle rounded the corner, and the first thing that struck Kendra was her magnificent red hair that flowed down her back in a high ponytail. She was dressed more modernly than all the others she had met, wearing dark green leather pants and a brown structured shirt, flaring out the back into almost a skirt, tight-fitting and high necked. Her boots were tall and brown, laced up the side and her stance was confident and powerful, practically screaming that she was all business.
"Kendra, this is Mizelle, my eldest daughter, and leader of the fairy warriors. Mizelle, this is Kendra, my handmaiden." The woman surveyed her with intense, piercing brown eyes and Kendra felt the little confidence she had begin to ebb away.
"Hello. It's nice to meet you." Kendra extended her hand, which Mizelle captured in a firm handshake, still not replying. Kendra had to concentrate hard on keeping her walls up, as to avoid a similarly embarrassing situation from earlier with Rayne and Brea.
"You're new to all of this." It wasn't a question, but Kendra still felt compelled to respond.
"Yes, I am." Mizelle released her hand, though her gaze remained focused on Kendra.
"I can tell." The tall woman looked Kendra up and down, and she felt distinctly like a bug, captured under a microscope, scrambling to escape. But as she reminded herself of who was watching Kendra forced herself to smile politely.
"You can?"
"You shook my hand. A very human thing for you to do." She said the word "human" as if it put a bad taste in her mouth.
Kendra gave a thin smile, "I suppose I`ll have to learn then, what the proper greeting is here. Perhaps you could show me." They were daring, pointed words, ones that made Mizelle`s eyes flare, just the tiniest bit.
Then, so quickly it almost didn't happen, the corners of Mizelle`s lips turned up and her eyes lightened, before she turned to her mother, acting as if Kendra had never been there at all. "Mother, the preparations for tonight are in place. Is there anything else you need?" Mizelle asked, speaking to her mother in another fairy language. Though Kendra translated all fairy languages effortlessly, she could tell when there had been a shift in dialect, and though she couldn't place it, she was sure she could speak it if she wanted to. Kendra suspected it was a purposeful move meant to throw her off.
"No, thank you. I believe that will be everything." The Queen gave her daughter a warm smile before turning to Kendra. "Now, I believe that Bracken has informed you of the dryad dance tonight?"
Kendra nodded and summoned her courage, responding to the Queen in the new language that Mizelle had introduced. "Yes, your majesty. He did, but I don't believe I have anything suitable to wear."
The Queen chuckled fondly, a knowing look in her eyes. "Don`t worry about that. Ophelia has that more than taken care of."
Kendra smiled and nodded. "Thank you. I'm looking forward to it."
"I can escort her Mother." Surprisingly, Mizelle volunteered. She turned to Kendra, a slight smirk rising on her face. "Would you be alright with that?" Her question was spoken in English, heavily accented but grammatically perfect and formal.
"Yes. Thank you." The Queen stepped forward and hugged Kendra warmly, telling her that she would see her later, patted her daughter on the cheek, and motioned them towards the door. Mizelle opened the library door for Kendra and let her go first. Kendra thanked her, stepping out into the same magnificent hall of doors that looked incredibly intimidating. But not as intimidating as the woman behind her.
"I'll take you to your room, and Bracken will meet us there." Mizelle spoke carefully, offering the words as if they were an olive branch extended towards her.
"Thanks." Kendra replied, unable to sound completely comfortable. Her room? She has a room here?
They two walked for a little while down a hall that she had not been before. This one opened up into an elaborate foyer, with a huge glass ceiling shaped in a dome. Vines and flowers threaded through the room, covering the windows, hanging down, some thick and long enough it seemed like they could support a person. Human-sized fairies flitted through the dome, passing from one side to another or out some of the open windows. On the outer edges of the room, about a dozen spiral staircases, differently colored and glittering wound upwards, to doors placed high on the walls, the same colors as the staircases. About six of the staircases were covered in vines and flowers, some delicate and light, others thick and sturdy.
"This is the north wing of the castle, where the royal family is housed. This is where your room will be as well." Mizelle spoke up, coming around on her left side. Kendra felt herself smile as she stared up at the room. It was stunning, something out of her very own wonderland.
"Which one?" The wonder in her voice must have been apparent because when Mizelle spoke next, pride and delight mixed with her calm, stoic tone of voice.
"Pick one."
Kendra glanced at the princess in surprise. "What?"
"You can pick which one you want. Well, any of the ones that have no vines on the staircases. Those already belong to one of us."
"Which one is yours?" It was an intrusive question, she knew, but she had to know. And it was funny because Kendra didn't even know why she wanted to know so badly.
"The red staircase leads to mine and my husband's room. The green one is Ophelia's. Rayne has the black one, Brea the purple. Bracken's is yellow." Husband? But Mizelle continued, pointing each out. "My mother and father's is the white staircase. Each of the rooms are interconnected with hallways. You'll see it when you go into the rooms. This is more for show than anything else."
"This is amazing." Kendra murmured, wandering over to some of the empty ones. It was more of an instinct rather than a conscious choice that led her over to the blush pink staircase, between the green and yellow ones. Her hand lifted and touched the railing. As soon as her hand made contact with it, a blinding light began to glow around the point of contact.
"Mizelle?" Kendra asked, trying to control the alarm in her voice.
"Don't be afraid. It's just the magic of the castle reacting to you. It will be over in a moment. Just hold on." And sure enough, a few seconds later, the glow left her hand and spread up the railing, jumping over to the other staircase as well. Delicate gold vines with pink flowers were left behind in the wake of the glow.
"Go on and see your room." Mizelle invited, gesturing towards the door on the wall. Kendra complied, wondering since when Mizelle had become a source of comfort for her. The woman followed as Kendra made her way up the door. Though thin and delicate, the staircase was completely solid beneath their feet as they climbed. There was a nameplate on the door, showing delicate gold writing that formed her name. And then she opened the door.
When she saw it, the only response she could manage was a gasp.
The room was stunning, huge, light and airy, expertly styled, exactly to her own liking. Nice and simple. Nothing too loud. It was perfect.
The walls were a blush pink color, extending to a high ceiling made completely of stained glass that formed pale yellow sunflowers. On the far side of the room, a few steps led to three doors. The one in the middle was a set of glass doors, opening to a brilliant terrace. On either side of the terrace were closed doors, pale gold. The floor was made of solid white marble, though intermixed were tiny pastel flowers sealed into the floor itself. Kendra walked along the side of the wall, brushing her hand across the delicate vanity that supported a large mirror and then to the bed, leaning against the wall opposite the terrace. She sat on the edge of it, glancing at the simple glass bedside tables, the mattress perfectly firm, yet soft. Gauzy white and gold drapes hung from the frame of the bed. A pastel blue bench sat at the end of the bed, several other matching chairs dotted around the room, one beside the gold door on the left, and three huddled in a circle near the stairs.
"This is mine?" Kendra couldn't keep the breathiness out of her voice. It seemed that everywhere she looked, she saw something new.
"It's all yours. Specially tailored to your tastes." Mizelle replied, a gentle smile on her face. "The castle is imbued with magic, and it reacts to the person that claims the room. Everything in here was created to fit your comfort." Kendra nodded, standing walking over to the terrace, walking up the steps, brushing her hand along the desk that sat next to the glass doors and out to the terrace. The view was breathtaking, overlooking a small garden, and beyond it, the city and land to the west, and in the distance, Kendra could glimpse the field that connected Fablehaven to the fairy realm. Looking up, she was able to glimpse two other terraces, but no one was on them. Down below, was the city, the now tiny people scurrying about and Kendra felt the wind drift across her face and she smiled. Mizelle walked out beside her, placing her hands on the railing, her posture firm and erect, but something had softened about her countenance.
Kendra glanced over at her, this woman who had seemed so cold to her in the library, and wondered why. Why was she so different now? Was it her mother that made Mizelle so tense? Or was it Kendra herself?
"Thank you for showing me this. I appreciate it greatly." Mizelle's lips turned up slightly.
"It's my pleasure." There was something to those words, some sort of depth to them that made her distrust them. It wasn't a lie, at least Kendra didn't think so. It was more of a sadness that Kendra didn't really understand.
"I know it's strange to have me here. Bracken mentioned I was the first mortal to ever visit the realm."
"Yes, it is." Mizelle turned to her, and Kendra tried to hide her shock at her blunt delivery. There was nothing deceitful or hidden about Mizelle`s intentions, or her words, nothing that Kendra was used to. She had learned how to decode mysterious people, but these unicorns completely subverted what she knew. "I was surprised when Mother invited you here, even in light of our current circumstances."
Kendra tried not to feel offended by that. "Because I'm mortal?"
"Yes, in a way." Kendra`s hands clenched on the railing, something cold and heavy settling in her stomach. "But I suppose, it is more because of her trust in you."
"What?" Kendra blurted out, turning to see Mizelle more clearly.
The woman nodded. "She has an incredible amount of faith in you. I can't remember the last time Mother placed so much trust in a mortal."
"What about Rosaline?" Kendra asked, remembering what the Queen had said about the last mortal fairykind.
Mizelle smiled thinly. "So Mother told you." She pursued her lips. "Rosaline was very important to all of us, but even she was not allowed to enter our realm. We used to have a palace in your world, for diplomatic occasions and such. That is where Rosaline found us, and where she became fairykind." Mizelle`s voice sobered. "She died before she could come to our realm."
"I`m sorry." Kendra almost pinched herself for that, the most cliché and unhelpful condolences possible.
Mizelle smiled sadly. "Thank you. But it was a long time ago."
"That's what Bracken always says when he talks about anything sad. The way I see it, it can still hurt, even if it was a long time ago." Kendra wasn't sure why she was sharing this with Mizelle, who probably just wanted to be rid of her.
But Mizelle sighed, her posture sagging a little. "You know, it's almost funny, I`ve known Bracken my entire life, and yet, you, who only met him a year ago, seem to know who he is now so much better than I do."
Kendra wasn't sure what to say in response to that. "People change. Especially considering what he went through. He spent a long time alone in those dungeons."
"He doesn't talk about it with us. Does he with you?" Kendra thought about the several nights where she and Bracken had sat in the kitchen at Fablehaven, sometimes joined by Seth, just talking. She thought about the little pieces of his story he had told them, only a little at a time until she took over, seeing he was overwhelmed. She knew that Bracken struggled with telling his family about his time imprisoned, not wanting to burden them with that knowledge. It was fair to say that she and even Seth probably knew more than Mizelle did.
"Sometimes." Kendra didn't elaborate, and Mizelle didn't ask her to.
"Kendra, I want you to know that I don't dislike you, really." Out of nowhere, Mizelle faced Kendra, her voice becoming even more serious. "I have lived a very long life, and I find it quite difficult to trust, even if my brother and mother vouch for you. I hope you can understand that." Mizelle`s eyes dropped from Kendra`s and she began to back away from the railing. She was suddenly reminded of herself, on the plane ride to Obsidian Waste, glancing over at Vincent, poor Vincent, who she distrusted greatly, but who gave his life for them.
"I do understand." Kendra turned, holding out her hand to Mizelle. The woman seemed taken aback. "Before, I was keeping you out of my mind because I was afraid to embarrass myself. But now, I give you permission to read my intentions and confirm that I never have or will intend to hurt you or your family."
"Why?" The unicorn`s eyes were once again piercing as if Kendra were a knot she was trying to unravel.
Kendra tried to smile, to at least try and combat the sadness she felt wash over her. "I knew someone once, who I trusted. And then he betrayed me and ever since…" Kendra trailed off. "Things haven't been the same." Mizelle finished.
"Yeah. So go ahead. I don't mind." Mizelle accepted her hand, and Kendra forced herself to relax, trying to calm the rampant thoughts that raced through her mind, her own demons of distrust. And then it was over, Mizelle letting go of her hand and stepping back.
"Thank you, Kendra. Truly." The moment was interrupted by a hard knock on the door, and a familiar voice calling out.
"Kendra? Are you here?" It was Bracken. Kendra looked to Mizelle who smiled and together, they headed inside. The knocking was coming from the golden door across from the one they had originally entered in, and Kendra pulled it open. Standing there was Bracken, and his eyes swept across the room and her, before settling on her face and smiling.
"Can I come in?" Kendra smiled, ushering him inside. "So you found your room?"
Kendra nodded. "Mizelle showed me-"She went to gesture to the woman, but she was gone, the door to the outer wing hanging just the slightest bit open.
Bracken grinned. "I heard. How was that?"
Kendra frowned, looking at the door. "Fine, I think." Doubt permeated her tone and Bracken smiled gently at her.
"It's alright. She does that a lot. It's nothing you did."
Kendra tried to smile. "Good, I guess? She was nice."
Bracken snorted. "Was she? Mizelle is probably the most standoffish of my sisters, and as you know that is most certainly saying something."
Kendra shook her head, shutting the door to the outer wing, and going to sit at the bench at the end of her bed. "It was a little… tense at the beginning, but I think she warmed up to me."
"Nice job." Bracken sat beside her, lounging back on the end of her bed. His relaxed posture and careless smile were so different from anyone else she had seen today, that it almost felt wrong. But this was the Bracken she knew, the one who would roll around on the grass with Seth and the satyrs, who scooped her up and jumped into the freezing cold pool. Kendra had a feeling that the Bracken she knew was quite different from the one that most of the realm and even his family saw. She remembered how sad Mizelle had been when speaking about Bracken`s refusal to talk about his imprisonment.
"What did you and the Queen talk about?" Bracken seemed to sense the shift in her mood. Now that the wonder was beginning to wear off, the worry was starting to creep back in.
Kendra swallowed, knowing the next few things she said were going to hurt him. "She told me about Ronodin. How you grew up together, what he became." Bracken`s smile faded, his eyes becoming distant. He nodded.
"What else?"
"She told me these disappearances happened before, and about the last mortal fairykind, Rosaline." Bracken went stiff as soon as she said her name, and Kendra began to miss the carefree Bracken from only moments before.
"I haven't thought about her in a while. About either of them, really. I guess painful memories do begin to fade after a while." Kendra wasn't sure what to do, so she put a hand on his, squeezing. After a moment, he squeezed back.
"It was bad. We always thought it would build to something else, a final confrontation of sorts, I mean, after Rosaline, we thought it would be war, and then… nothing. He just went away." Bracken swallowed.
Kendra didn't want to add to his grief, but she had to ask. "Why didn't you tell me?" He didn't answer, so she shook his arm a little. "Bracken?"
Something very sad hovered behind his brilliant blue eyes when he looked at her. His hand slid up her arm, gripping her elbow. "You were so happy. So free. This was supposed to be a time for you to rest, to grow up, without all of this interfering." Bracken shook her head. "I`m sorry. I know I should have told you, and I`m not trying to make an excuse, but I just wanted you to be happy. And I suppose a part of me wanted to try and deny that this was happening again."
"Vanessa asked me if you had told me anything, right after they got back from their mission. Do you know why that could be?"
Bracken tilted his head, sitting up. "I don`t know." Suspicion entered his eyes. "Did she say anything about it?"
"No. She just seemed unsettled. It wasn't like her, to be so scared."
"I hate to say it, but do you think she could be… regretting some choices she made." Kendra knew instantly what he was talking about.
"No. Not like that. I trust Vanessa. You said it yourself, she's on our side." Kendra chastised him. "I thought you two had gotten over your differences." Vanessa and Bracken had been at odds for months, until finally, Warren had forced the two to sit down and talk out their issues with each other. It had resulted in lots of yelling, but things had been considerably less tense since then.
"I just think she hides things from us because she believes she has to."
"Not everyone's an open book, Bracken," Kendra replied dryly. "That's just who she is."
"I know." Still, there was suspicion in his tone, but Kendra gave up, flopping back onto her bed, rolling her eyes.
She felt Bracken stand up, wondering if she had pushed too far, that is, until, all of a sudden, Bracken`s face appeared above her, and then the rest of his body, about to fall onto her. She rolled sideways to avoid being crushed and fell off the bench. Luckily, a thick carpet cushioned her fall, but Bracken was roaring with laughter from her bed. Kendra rolled her eyes again, unable to keep the smile off her face. Bracken popped his head over the edge of her bed, a mischievous grin on his face.
"What are you doing on the floor?" He mocked. Kendra pouted, noticing how most of his body hung off the side of the bed. Before he could react, she lunged forward, grabbing his arms and shoulders, hauling him off the bed to join her on the floor.
"Hey, hey, HEY!" Bracken`s squeak of shock caused her to dissolve into laughter, and soon after, he joined in, laughing reluctantly.
Eventually, her laughter calmed and Bracken glanced over at her. "Now that we`re both even, do you forgive me for not telling you?"
Kendra sighed playfully, "Oh I don't know, I'll have to think about it." Laughing, Bracken tried to pout, scooting towards her. She shoved him away, trying to hold back her giggles. She stopped when her back hit her bed, trying to assume a serious look.
"I suppose I do. Just don't do it again." Bracken opened his mouth to say something, when his gaze settled on something behind Kendra, his face reddening slightly. He cleared his throat, and when Kendra went to look, she understood why he was blushing. It was Ophelia, the unicorn with green hair, staring down at them, a grin on her face, arms crossed.
"Hello again, Kendra."
I hope you guys enjoyed that! I can't believe we're ten chapters in already! I am starting school soon, so my posting will be a little spotty, but I'm going to do my best to post as much as I possibly can!
Thank you to IceSnowCream, JaylaLovesReading, NaoSa, and more for your support! I am also happy to report I finally read the fourth Dragonwatch book! If you have, tell me what you thought about it, but please keep it spoiler-free so those who haven't read don't get spoiled!
I'll see you guys as soon as possible! Bye!