Author's Note

So Chapter 3 is up.
Decided to leave the SURPRISE character for the next chapter.

I do not own the rights to the Merry Gentry Series. (ONLY LAURELL K HAMILTON DOES) XD

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Chapter 3

Ivi walked ahead of me and Hawthorne made up the rear. They had been silent ever since we had left the throne room and that was certainly not like them.

Ivi was tall, but he was slender as a reed and as graceful as a bed of reeds when the wind makes them dance. His hair fell straight and fine to his ankles. The hair was his most unique feature, medium to dark green, with a pattern of white veins running throughout. It was only when you got closer that you realized that his hair bore the mark of leaves.

Hawthorne was about the same height as Ivi, but had broad shoulders that made Ivi look taller, willowy. His black hair fell in thick waves past his knees. Whenever he turned his head, the light would gleam a rich green from those black waves.

They were my main guards and went wherever I went, unless my fathers decided on other guards. When we reached my door, Ivi went inside to check if everything was all right. He came out a second later.

"All clear," he said.

I sighted and brushed past him into the room. There was a king sized bed against the far wall and a rather uncomfortable chair and that was it. There were no closets or dressers in here because Aunt Andais's personal tailor made my clothes each day. She said it all depended on what colors my eyes were that day.

The door to the bathroom was to my left, which made me think of taking a nice hot bubble bath. My pajamas for this night were laid across my bed, a red spaghetti strapped shirt and making silk panties. I walked toward the door, but hesitated. Ivi was behind me in a matter of seconds, his hands resting lightly on my hips.

"Hawthorne is guarding the doors," he said quietly.

I lay against his body, my head resting against his chest.

"Unlace my dress?" I asked, my voice echoing.

His hands slid up my sides slowly to the top of the laces at my back. My eyes closed as he quickly, but gently unlaced me. When he had finished he rested his hands on the skin of my lower back. I did not say thank you because to a sidhe his age it was meant as an insult and the last thing I wanted to do right now was anger him.

"Shall I draw your bath, Princess?"

I shook my head slowing. "Call me, Maeve, Ivi," I said turning to look up at him.

Ivi smiled and went into the bathroom to get my bath ready. Taking off the dreadfully tight dress was a tad easier once it was unlaced, but still held a challenge. I left the dress on my bed and grabbed my black silk rode from the chair against the wall. When Ivi came back into the room I had just finished tying the sash. He smiled again; his eyes flashing a polite heat that made my skin crawl.

"I have never seen such a thing, an Unseelie sidhe Princess that is so dreadfully modest," He joked.

I smiled and padded barefoot into the bathroom and giggled when I smelled my favorite soap, jasmine and lily. Quickly I undid the sash, letting the robe fall to the floor at my feet and stepped into the warm water. Ivi watched from the door, a dark hunger in his eyes.

"I will now join Hawthorne," he said.

A frown formed on my lips. "All right then," I replied looking into the water around me.

I badly wanted to ask him to join me, but it would go no where. Ivi was still my mother's guard and he could only be with her or go back to Andais, which he would not do willingly. I watched Ivi walk out and felt my heart jump into my throat. Suddenly the far wall opened to the size of a small door and a fey walked out. She was covered in a chocolate colored fur and had no nose and lips. Matilda was a brownie. To the other sidhe, brownies were the very ground under the sidhe's feet, but I treated her so much better than that. She was my friend.

"Hello, Matilda."

She smiled and walked over to the bathtub.

"Hello darlin', want me to wash yer hair?"

I nodded and stood still as she took many pins out if my hair. When she was finished it fanned around my like the tentacles of an octopus. Matilda was the only fey I let wash my hair because I felt so calm and at home when I was with her.

"What's troublin' ya, Maeve?" She asked.

I sighed heavily and looked up at the ceiling.

"I'm that easy to read," I whispered.

Matilda gathered my hair from the water and began to wash it. The smell of jasmine and lilies filled the air around me. Her question was very direct and said that I was so easy to read. My court etiquette was a little rusty. I did not have to answer her question and I would not. That was something I wanted to keep to myself for now.

"Can you fetch Ivi for me?"

Matilda finished washing my hair and handed my robe to me, but I waved it away.

"He's guarding the doors with Hawthorne," I added.

She placed my robe on the side of the tub, nodded slowly and was gone through the darkness. The warm water felt so good against my tense muscles, making me close my eyes to enjoy the relaxed state I was in. There was a hard knock n the door forcing my eyes open.

"Come in."

Ivi walked in with a blank expression on his handsome face.

"You called for me."

I nodded. "Yes."

His eyes stared into the soapy water around me. I knew he wanted to join me, but we both were too afraid to ask.

"Why is it that Roane takes it upon him to order me around?" I asked.

Ivi looked at me, staring intensely into my eyes. My question had been completely off topic with the mood around us, but I wanted someone's honest opinion and Ivi would give me what I craved.

"Your brother just wants you to behave properly at court, nothing more or less. He loves you dearly, Maeve."

I sighed, the tension beginning to creep its way back into me. Everything was to blame on being at court. My anger, my brother's sudden parental instincts and my parents pulling away.

"I want to go home," I whispered.

Ivi walked forward and kneeled against the side of the tub.

"We are home, Maeve," he replied softly.

I sighed and lowered myself deeper into the warm water. Of course Ivi would say something like this. He just didn't understand that the Unseelie court was not my home.

"L.A is my home, Ivi," I said out loud.

His expression went blank once again, his mask. He didn't want to reveal his true emotions and that was fine with me. My face went into its own mask, a bored expression. Ivi's face softened and he held his arms out, reaching for me, but he hesitated and pulled back. What I wanted right now was for Ivi to pull me into his strong arms, reassure me that everything would be okay, but instead I could do nothing.

"Go back with Hawthorne," I said angry at myself for thinking such nonsense.

Ivi's eyes widened with shock. He hadn't expected me to send him away so quickly. Anger and power leaked out of my skin, turning it into a white shining thing. I knew my eyes were a swirling of grays, like storm clouds in the night sky. Ivi nodded and stood up.

"As you wish, Princess," he said before turning around and leaving the room.

When the door shut, I mentally kicked myself. Ivi did nothing to deserve my anger, but I felt I had to let it out some way. My temper was always twisting me into horrible messes, whether it was with the Queen, my brother or my guards. It had to end.

I stood up and let the warm water drip down my body. It wasn't too late to call him back. My mouth opened, but nothing came out. A coward was the Unseelie sidhe Princess. With a heavy sigh, I grabbed my robe and put it on, while getting out of the tub to walk over to the door. A modest sidhe I was. Queen Andais was one of the many sidhe who participated in the court's casual nudity. She was the one who decreed it a necessity. I did not fancy parading around in my birthday suit so I wore robes and clothes. Just the though of one of the male sidhe ogling my precious parts was the least of my nightmares. I tied both sashes tight, inside and out, didn't want anything peeking out. Another sigh escaped my lips before opening the door to walk into my room. Quickly putting on my pajamas, I decided to say goodnight to my parents once again. Before I could even take one step, there was a sturdy knock on the door.

Woooo! SURPRISE character is making an appearance soon.
Who do you think it is?

So Chapter 4 is still in the writing process. Can't wait until it's up!

HELP! Where should the first LEMON reside?
I need suggestions.

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