A/N: sorry guys, the story got kind of weird again, so I had to change a few facts... I changed some scenes in chapters: 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 16, mostly scenes with Leopold in it. Thanks! Don't forget to review!
A/N: To my readers and constant reviewers: Thank you for being so patient with me and my slow updates!!! Here's the next chapter, I'll try to work on the next ones a little faster :P
Chapter Sixteen
Phaedrus waited impatiently in the sofa for the queen mother's arrival. He had tried to talk to her in her room, but when he got there the guards told him that the queen mother would not receive visitors in her room and ushered him into the drawing room. He had wanted privacy and in here anyone could walk in or eavesdrop any moment. But this will have to do. Phaedrus' mind raced, thinking of an excuse in case Akakios of Thais saw him and the queen mother talking.
"You wished to talk to me?" Phaedrus turned and saw the queen mother by the door. He stood up and bowed immediately after seeing her. "No, no, no. You don't have to bow, Phaedrus. After fifty years of being friends with each other, there is no need for formalities." She chuckled quietly, walking into the room and sitting down on the sofa across him.
She was still as calm and regal as she was when she ruled the fairies. Her silvery blond hair cascaded down her back and she still carried herself elegantly. Even though there were many others who were older than her, him included, he still considered her far wiser than anyone else. She has proven it in her years of ruling the fairies, her decisions, the wars that she prevented, how she handled situations. Surely a fairy as wise as she would understand their dilemma, right?
"What is it then? What was it that you wished to speak to me about?" Inquisitive eyes looked at him and it felt like she could see his soul. Phaedrus looked away, feeling guilty for what he was about to ask of her. After all, Akakios, no matter how cruel, was still her son. What if she declines and tells Akakios? All of them would surely be killed.
Phaedrus shook his head. No, he will make no mention of the others until he was sure that the queen mother wouldn't betray them, even though he was sure that she wouldn't.
The queen mother touched Phaedrus' arm gently. "Phaedrus? Are you alright? You seem troubled." Should he tell her? Phaedrus took a deep breath, resolved. After all, she was a kind woman, she would surely support the fairies, wouldn't she?
~~~
Why didn't she eat her food? Leo wondered, padding silently behind his beautiful guest. He could see that she was hungry when she came, but when offered a feast, she only took a bun. She was exploring the castle, peering inside every door.
Spotting another door on her right, Beauty, for that was how he came to call her in his mind in the past two hours, opened it and peeked inside, gasping as she did so. Now curious as to what made her gasp, Leo moved to get a better angle. There were so many rooms in the castle that he didn't remember which rooms were which anymore. When he saw what the room was, he smiled. So she liked books too, he thought. The library was his favorite room in the castle as well.
Beauty stepped inside the room, looking around in awe. There were books everywhere, shelves were stacked so high that they seemed as if they were no smaller than her thumb. Staircases with ornate carvings on the banister led to the next floors, which held more shelves filled with books. There was a huge fireplace by the wall in front of her, and inviting sofas littered around it. Beauty walked around, exploring the library, letting her hand trail over the spines of the books as she walked slowly from shelf to shelf.
She took one from a shelf and settled down on a couch in front of the blazing fire. The book was old, yet still well-kept. There were intricate designs printed in gold on the cover of the book, weaving itself left and right to form a border. Beauty opened the thick cover and looked at the title on the first page of the book. Fairy Tales. She ran her hand over the first page, feeling the texture of the old book.
Beauty turned to the first story: Sleeping Beauty. She devoured page after page, her face taking on a faraway look. She shuddered, and Leo looked over to see what bothered her. He saw a drawing of the evil fairy in Sleeping Beauty, painted so magnificently that it seemed as if the fairy was real and glaring dangerously at the reader.
After finishing the story, Beauty yawned and stood up, stretching. She returned the book to the shelf and reluctantly walked out of the library, giving the warm fire and cozy couch a longing look.
~~~
Akakios walked swiftly towards the library, making sure no one was following him, and surreptitiously pulled the blue book out of the shelf. The shelf moved away and Akakios descended the dark staircase that was revealed. Reaching his secret chamber, he walked towards a corner of the room where a part of the ground was dug up to form a small pool. The water was dark and eerily still, without even the slightest ripple.
What was taking his men so long? There was no more time to lose. He didn't expect the search to take this long. Aglaia was better at hiding than he presumed. She would surely go to the castle to find her prince sometime soon. He must take immediate action.
He would go to the castle himself, but he was busy enough. Besides, taking another trip in a year to the human world would arouse the suspicions of the fairies. Considering his known feelings for humans, the fairies wouldn't expect him to go to the human world without it being an emergency. The spell that he had prepared should be enough to take care of things for awhile.
Walking over to his table in the middle of the room, Akakios retrieved a box from under the table where he placed some of Aglaia's belongings when she left in case he needed them. Akakios dug through the items in the box until he found what he needed. It was Aglaia's hairbrush. He carefully unwound a strand of hair from the bristles and walked back to the pool.
"Lismono", Akakios said as he dropped the strand of hair into the pool. The water vibrated at the weight of the hair, and slowly swallowed the strand until it was nowhere in sight.
The spell should take place anytime soon.
A/N: To my readers and constant reviewers: Thank you for being so patient with me and my slow updates!!! Here's the next chapter, I'll try to work on the next ones a little faster :P
Chapter Sixteen
Phaedrus waited impatiently in the sofa for the queen mother's arrival. He had tried to talk to her in her room, but when he got there the guards told him that the queen mother would not receive visitors in her room and ushered him into the drawing room. He had wanted privacy and in here anyone could walk in or eavesdrop any moment. But this will have to do. Phaedrus' mind raced, thinking of an excuse in case Akakios of Thais saw him and the queen mother talking.
"You wished to talk to me?" Phaedrus turned and saw the queen mother by the door. He stood up and bowed immediately after seeing her. "No, no, no. You don't have to bow, Phaedrus. After fifty years of being friends with each other, there is no need for formalities." She chuckled quietly, walking into the room and sitting down on the sofa across him.
She was still as calm and regal as she was when she ruled the fairies. Her silvery blond hair cascaded down her back and she still carried herself elegantly. Even though there were many others who were older than her, him included, he still considered her far wiser than anyone else. She has proven it in her years of ruling the fairies, her decisions, the wars that she prevented, how she handled situations. Surely a fairy as wise as she would understand their dilemma, right?
"What is it then? What was it that you wished to speak to me about?" Inquisitive eyes looked at him and it felt like she could see his soul. Phaedrus looked away, feeling guilty for what he was about to ask of her. After all, Akakios, no matter how cruel, was still her son. What if she declines and tells Akakios? All of them would surely be killed.
Phaedrus shook his head. No, he will make no mention of the others until he was sure that the queen mother wouldn't betray them, even though he was sure that she wouldn't.
The queen mother touched Phaedrus' arm gently. "Phaedrus? Are you alright? You seem troubled." Should he tell her? Phaedrus took a deep breath, resolved. After all, she was a kind woman, she would surely support the fairies, wouldn't she?
~~~
Why didn't she eat her food? Leo wondered, padding silently behind his beautiful guest. He could see that she was hungry when she came, but when offered a feast, she only took a bun. She was exploring the castle, peering inside every door.
Spotting another door on her right, Beauty, for that was how he came to call her in his mind in the past two hours, opened it and peeked inside, gasping as she did so. Now curious as to what made her gasp, Leo moved to get a better angle. There were so many rooms in the castle that he didn't remember which rooms were which anymore. When he saw what the room was, he smiled. So she liked books too, he thought. The library was his favorite room in the castle as well.
Beauty stepped inside the room, looking around in awe. There were books everywhere, shelves were stacked so high that they seemed as if they were no smaller than her thumb. Staircases with ornate carvings on the banister led to the next floors, which held more shelves filled with books. There was a huge fireplace by the wall in front of her, and inviting sofas littered around it. Beauty walked around, exploring the library, letting her hand trail over the spines of the books as she walked slowly from shelf to shelf.
She took one from a shelf and settled down on a couch in front of the blazing fire. The book was old, yet still well-kept. There were intricate designs printed in gold on the cover of the book, weaving itself left and right to form a border. Beauty opened the thick cover and looked at the title on the first page of the book. Fairy Tales. She ran her hand over the first page, feeling the texture of the old book.
Beauty turned to the first story: Sleeping Beauty. She devoured page after page, her face taking on a faraway look. She shuddered, and Leo looked over to see what bothered her. He saw a drawing of the evil fairy in Sleeping Beauty, painted so magnificently that it seemed as if the fairy was real and glaring dangerously at the reader.
After finishing the story, Beauty yawned and stood up, stretching. She returned the book to the shelf and reluctantly walked out of the library, giving the warm fire and cozy couch a longing look.
~~~
Akakios walked swiftly towards the library, making sure no one was following him, and surreptitiously pulled the blue book out of the shelf. The shelf moved away and Akakios descended the dark staircase that was revealed. Reaching his secret chamber, he walked towards a corner of the room where a part of the ground was dug up to form a small pool. The water was dark and eerily still, without even the slightest ripple.
What was taking his men so long? There was no more time to lose. He didn't expect the search to take this long. Aglaia was better at hiding than he presumed. She would surely go to the castle to find her prince sometime soon. He must take immediate action.
He would go to the castle himself, but he was busy enough. Besides, taking another trip in a year to the human world would arouse the suspicions of the fairies. Considering his known feelings for humans, the fairies wouldn't expect him to go to the human world without it being an emergency. The spell that he had prepared should be enough to take care of things for awhile.
Walking over to his table in the middle of the room, Akakios retrieved a box from under the table where he placed some of Aglaia's belongings when she left in case he needed them. Akakios dug through the items in the box until he found what he needed. It was Aglaia's hairbrush. He carefully unwound a strand of hair from the bristles and walked back to the pool.
"Lismono", Akakios said as he dropped the strand of hair into the pool. The water vibrated at the weight of the hair, and slowly swallowed the strand until it was nowhere in sight.
The spell should take place anytime soon.