A/N: oooo, my longest chapter yet (i think,,,) *squeal* anyway, read and review pls!!! :P
Chapter Twenty-Two
"We must act quickly, he is getting close," Akakios growled in frustration. "The bitch is getting closer and closer to his heart, even if she herself doesn't know it." Akakios glowered, arms crossed, walking back and forth in his study.
"Your excellency... If I may ask a question?" As if only remembering that he was, in fact, not alone in the room, Akakios glared at the scrawny looking fairy in front of him, fidgeting uncomfortably.
"What is it this time?" His voice did not lose its scathing tone.
Therapon was steadily looking at the floor now, his eyes flicking from the floor, to Akakios' face, then back to the floor again. "Well, I was just wondering, your eminence, why you have not given up on marrying my niece?"
Then, emboldened by Akakios' silence, Therapon babbled on, "I mean, there are many other fairies in this kingdom who are far more beautiful and less difficult compared to my niece, God knows she didn't get those genes from her father's side. She must've gotten it from that whore that she called mother, offering herself to Gennadius just to get his money..." Therapon prattled on about his good looks and how his niece has none.
Akakios growled. Therapon, once more looking like a trapped animal, stopped talking at once and looked at the floor. The fool. He did not know what he was talking about. He would only marry the best. Akakios was amazed that he did not already know about the ring that Aglaia had, after all, he was part of the family, and it was bound to come up.
"We must do something. I cannot have them marrying, that would make the spell completely useless. I must cast another spell." Akakios muttered.
Therapon raised his head, eyes widening. "Another spell?," Therapon blurted out. Then, realizing what he just did, he clamped his hand over his mouth and closed his eyes for the punishment for his insolence. When nothing happened, Therapon slowly opened his eyes and looked at Akakios.
"If I may speak, your highness," Therapon whispered meekly, looking at the floor once again. Akakios waved his arm in a lazy gesture, giving Therapon consent.
"The fairies—what if they find out about the spells?" Therapon was looking at the ground again. Akakios resisted the urge to backhand the scrawny fairy. Therapon had a point. He had already broken a rule in the Kanonas apo Neraida, the Rule of Fairies, twice. But technically, he didn't break the rules, he only found loopholes in them.
No fairy could curse a creature without the power to defend itself, unless it is a source of chaos. That filthy prince probably couldn't defend himself from him, but he definitely was a source of chaos. He stole Aglaia from him and was the reason she ran away. Aglaia's case, on the other hand... There was no loophole. He simply got carried away, didn't think it through. But he wasn't about to let the scrawny nitwit in front of him know that.
He must act soon.
~~~
Aglaia strolled slowly beside Leo in the gardens, frowning slightly. When Leo asked her two nights ago if she was a fairy, she was taken aback. How did he know? Of course, she denied it, hoping that he would just accept it, but he knew she was lying and insisted her tell him the truth. After they had sorted it out and Aglaia finally admitted to her being a fairy, Leo had started acting strange and distant.
Leo still saw her every afternoon, but he was always quiet and thinking about something. Aglaia looked at Leo from the corner of her eye, trying to gauge his mood.
"I'm okay." A slight smile tugged the corner of Leo's mouth, knowing that he caught her trying to watch him without him noticing.
"I'm ready to...talk. I have some questions I wanted to ask. It may seem random, but I really need to know." Leo had stopped walking and was now facing her, his blue eyes pleading. Aglaia nodded silently.
Leo took a deep breath, as if bracing himself for what he was about to ask. "I... Do you have, as silly as this sounds, sort of...another face?"
Aglaia gasped inwardly. How did he know about the ring? What should she tell him? Aglaia knew this was a silly question to ask herself, for she already knew the answer. She couldn't lie to that face. Leo had become her...friend. It was as if she had known him before.
"My mother gave me a ring before she died. She was suspicious of men, because her father was hard on her when she was young, and all the men she encountered before my father confirmed her suspicions. She told me to wear the ring always, to protect myself from men. It was her dying wish." Aglaia's voice was shaking as she thought of her poor mother. Before she met Gennadius, Thalia had been raped and abused by men who lusted after her beauty. Finally, when she couldn't take any more suffering, she made a ring that hid her beauty to the world so that she would finally have the normal life she had dreamed of. She didn't want to see that happening to her daughter as well and gave her the ring.
Leo had stepped closer to her and leaned against her leg, as if to give her strength to go on. "The ring makes the wearer look plain whenever he... or she wears it, but had no effect when the wearer doesn't have the ring on."
Fully understanding what she was saying, Leo stiffened and took a step back, looking at Aglaia. When he spoke, his voice cracked. "Can—Can you wear the ring for me? I just have to know... if it is you."
Aglaia frowned slightly, still not understanding what Leo meant. Deciding that it would do no one harm if she wore the ring, Aglaia took out the chain that was tucked underneath her dress. She lifted it over her head and looked at Leo hesitantly. He was looking up at her anxiously—hope and longing in his eyes.
Aglaia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She felt the ridges and curves of the ring soothe her and slowly slipped it on her finger. When she felt the transformation finish Aglaia opened her eyes. Leo had taken a few more steps back and was shaking his head, as if trying to get the image of her out of his mind. He was muttering something under his breath, while keeping his eyes on her, searching her face frantically.
"It can't be...," Leo was mumbling. He squinted and hesitantly moved towards her, looking at her face, her eyes for reassurance.
"Don't you remember me?" Leo searched her eyes for his answer.
"I..." Aglaia started taking steps away from Leo, feeling very much like the first time they met when Leo was insisting that she knew him.
Leo's eyes lit up and he looked at Aglaia eagerly. "It must be a spell! Someone must've cast a spell on you, that's why you don't remember me."
Aglaia shook her head, thinking of who could've cast a spell on her. Then, remembering Akakios and how he knew about Leo, she collapsed on a marble chair behind her. "Akakios," she whispered.
When she told him about Akakios thinking she was his fiancee, Leo narrowed his eyes. He started describing an exact likeness of the fairy. "How did you—was he the one who... who cursed you?," Aglaia whispered.
When Leo didn't answer but only looked away, Aglaia knew that it was Akakios. Leo was right. Akakios must've cursed her to forget about Leo. That would explain the empty feeling, like someone tore off a piece of her heart. Now it was Aglaia's turn to look away. She must've loved him.
Before they could say another word to each other, a sparrow landed on Aglaia's shoulder.
I've been looking for you.
"How—How did you get here? There were no other birds here." Aglaia whispered to the bird, eliciting a confused frown from Leo.
We felt the aura of an evil curse. Look, there is no time to lose, your human friend is sick. The last time I saw her was when in the forest trying to look for you. Some robins told me that her mother found her and was taking care of her, but you can never trust robins. Too chatty for their own good.
Aglaia frowned, not clear how Alessia—because that was who she assumed the sparrow was talking about, was sick. The sparrow, seeing her confused look, huffed and looked at her as if she should know better.
She stepped on a trap. A trap that a fairy helped build.
Aglaia's eyes widened. Fairy-made traps looked exactly like normal human-made traps except for one thing: It released a spell on the creature that quickened its death and lessened the pain. If Alessia was found, they would think that she was recovering because she would feel no pain.
"Thank you," Aglaia whispered to the sparrow. She turned to Leo and quickly explained Alessia's situation.
"I need to go and see her, to say the spell to heal her," Aglaia said urgently. Leo looked away with a pained expression and looked at the ground. "Then go."
"Thank you," Aglaia whispered, meaning it. "I promise I will return soon." She murmured a few words and her wings sprouted from her back, then flew away as fast as she could to the cottage.
Chapter Twenty-Two
"We must act quickly, he is getting close," Akakios growled in frustration. "The bitch is getting closer and closer to his heart, even if she herself doesn't know it." Akakios glowered, arms crossed, walking back and forth in his study.
"Your excellency... If I may ask a question?" As if only remembering that he was, in fact, not alone in the room, Akakios glared at the scrawny looking fairy in front of him, fidgeting uncomfortably.
"What is it this time?" His voice did not lose its scathing tone.
Therapon was steadily looking at the floor now, his eyes flicking from the floor, to Akakios' face, then back to the floor again. "Well, I was just wondering, your eminence, why you have not given up on marrying my niece?"
Then, emboldened by Akakios' silence, Therapon babbled on, "I mean, there are many other fairies in this kingdom who are far more beautiful and less difficult compared to my niece, God knows she didn't get those genes from her father's side. She must've gotten it from that whore that she called mother, offering herself to Gennadius just to get his money..." Therapon prattled on about his good looks and how his niece has none.
Akakios growled. Therapon, once more looking like a trapped animal, stopped talking at once and looked at the floor. The fool. He did not know what he was talking about. He would only marry the best. Akakios was amazed that he did not already know about the ring that Aglaia had, after all, he was part of the family, and it was bound to come up.
"We must do something. I cannot have them marrying, that would make the spell completely useless. I must cast another spell." Akakios muttered.
Therapon raised his head, eyes widening. "Another spell?," Therapon blurted out. Then, realizing what he just did, he clamped his hand over his mouth and closed his eyes for the punishment for his insolence. When nothing happened, Therapon slowly opened his eyes and looked at Akakios.
"If I may speak, your highness," Therapon whispered meekly, looking at the floor once again. Akakios waved his arm in a lazy gesture, giving Therapon consent.
"The fairies—what if they find out about the spells?" Therapon was looking at the ground again. Akakios resisted the urge to backhand the scrawny fairy. Therapon had a point. He had already broken a rule in the Kanonas apo Neraida, the Rule of Fairies, twice. But technically, he didn't break the rules, he only found loopholes in them.
No fairy could curse a creature without the power to defend itself, unless it is a source of chaos. That filthy prince probably couldn't defend himself from him, but he definitely was a source of chaos. He stole Aglaia from him and was the reason she ran away. Aglaia's case, on the other hand... There was no loophole. He simply got carried away, didn't think it through. But he wasn't about to let the scrawny nitwit in front of him know that.
He must act soon.
~~~
Aglaia strolled slowly beside Leo in the gardens, frowning slightly. When Leo asked her two nights ago if she was a fairy, she was taken aback. How did he know? Of course, she denied it, hoping that he would just accept it, but he knew she was lying and insisted her tell him the truth. After they had sorted it out and Aglaia finally admitted to her being a fairy, Leo had started acting strange and distant.
Leo still saw her every afternoon, but he was always quiet and thinking about something. Aglaia looked at Leo from the corner of her eye, trying to gauge his mood.
"I'm okay." A slight smile tugged the corner of Leo's mouth, knowing that he caught her trying to watch him without him noticing.
"I'm ready to...talk. I have some questions I wanted to ask. It may seem random, but I really need to know." Leo had stopped walking and was now facing her, his blue eyes pleading. Aglaia nodded silently.
Leo took a deep breath, as if bracing himself for what he was about to ask. "I... Do you have, as silly as this sounds, sort of...another face?"
Aglaia gasped inwardly. How did he know about the ring? What should she tell him? Aglaia knew this was a silly question to ask herself, for she already knew the answer. She couldn't lie to that face. Leo had become her...friend. It was as if she had known him before.
"My mother gave me a ring before she died. She was suspicious of men, because her father was hard on her when she was young, and all the men she encountered before my father confirmed her suspicions. She told me to wear the ring always, to protect myself from men. It was her dying wish." Aglaia's voice was shaking as she thought of her poor mother. Before she met Gennadius, Thalia had been raped and abused by men who lusted after her beauty. Finally, when she couldn't take any more suffering, she made a ring that hid her beauty to the world so that she would finally have the normal life she had dreamed of. She didn't want to see that happening to her daughter as well and gave her the ring.
Leo had stepped closer to her and leaned against her leg, as if to give her strength to go on. "The ring makes the wearer look plain whenever he... or she wears it, but had no effect when the wearer doesn't have the ring on."
Fully understanding what she was saying, Leo stiffened and took a step back, looking at Aglaia. When he spoke, his voice cracked. "Can—Can you wear the ring for me? I just have to know... if it is you."
Aglaia frowned slightly, still not understanding what Leo meant. Deciding that it would do no one harm if she wore the ring, Aglaia took out the chain that was tucked underneath her dress. She lifted it over her head and looked at Leo hesitantly. He was looking up at her anxiously—hope and longing in his eyes.
Aglaia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She felt the ridges and curves of the ring soothe her and slowly slipped it on her finger. When she felt the transformation finish Aglaia opened her eyes. Leo had taken a few more steps back and was shaking his head, as if trying to get the image of her out of his mind. He was muttering something under his breath, while keeping his eyes on her, searching her face frantically.
"It can't be...," Leo was mumbling. He squinted and hesitantly moved towards her, looking at her face, her eyes for reassurance.
"Don't you remember me?" Leo searched her eyes for his answer.
"I..." Aglaia started taking steps away from Leo, feeling very much like the first time they met when Leo was insisting that she knew him.
Leo's eyes lit up and he looked at Aglaia eagerly. "It must be a spell! Someone must've cast a spell on you, that's why you don't remember me."
Aglaia shook her head, thinking of who could've cast a spell on her. Then, remembering Akakios and how he knew about Leo, she collapsed on a marble chair behind her. "Akakios," she whispered.
When she told him about Akakios thinking she was his fiancee, Leo narrowed his eyes. He started describing an exact likeness of the fairy. "How did you—was he the one who... who cursed you?," Aglaia whispered.
When Leo didn't answer but only looked away, Aglaia knew that it was Akakios. Leo was right. Akakios must've cursed her to forget about Leo. That would explain the empty feeling, like someone tore off a piece of her heart. Now it was Aglaia's turn to look away. She must've loved him.
Before they could say another word to each other, a sparrow landed on Aglaia's shoulder.
I've been looking for you.
"How—How did you get here? There were no other birds here." Aglaia whispered to the bird, eliciting a confused frown from Leo.
We felt the aura of an evil curse. Look, there is no time to lose, your human friend is sick. The last time I saw her was when in the forest trying to look for you. Some robins told me that her mother found her and was taking care of her, but you can never trust robins. Too chatty for their own good.
Aglaia frowned, not clear how Alessia—because that was who she assumed the sparrow was talking about, was sick. The sparrow, seeing her confused look, huffed and looked at her as if she should know better.
She stepped on a trap. A trap that a fairy helped build.
Aglaia's eyes widened. Fairy-made traps looked exactly like normal human-made traps except for one thing: It released a spell on the creature that quickened its death and lessened the pain. If Alessia was found, they would think that she was recovering because she would feel no pain.
"Thank you," Aglaia whispered to the sparrow. She turned to Leo and quickly explained Alessia's situation.
"I need to go and see her, to say the spell to heal her," Aglaia said urgently. Leo looked away with a pained expression and looked at the ground. "Then go."
"Thank you," Aglaia whispered, meaning it. "I promise I will return soon." She murmured a few words and her wings sprouted from her back, then flew away as fast as she could to the cottage.