A/N: Hello, my lovely readers. This chapter took me longer to write. It was difficult getting it down; I had a clear image of what every looked like and I wanted you all to be able to see what I see. So without further delay, here is the next chapie. Read and enjoy.

Chapter III

Elena stared up at Myrran, a dumbstruck look on her face. Again, her brain seemed to be processing the information he had given her slowly, and even as she tried to form a coherent response, Elena found it nearly impossible.

"Wait," She finally managed to spit out, "I'm gonna be his what?"

"I know the thought is a little eccentric," Myrran replied.

"A little?" Elena scoffed, mirthlessly. "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! And I'm a teenager! Ridiculous is the norm for me! That's it…this has to be a dream. Yes, any moment now I'm gonna wake up back in my bed, and this all will have been a psychotic dream."

"Elena," Myrran said, putting his hands firmly on her shoulders, "I keep telling you this is not a dream. This is real, I swear."

Once more, Elena remained silent. Her eyes searched Myrran's for any sign that he was lying, but she couldn't find one trace of dishonesty. Then for the first time, she let it all sink in. She really wasn't dreaming; this whole thing…Myrran, the other world, the palace, the moon god…it was all true. Her Gamma's story wasn't fiction; it was reality. Suddenly, with all this new and disconcerting information, Elena began to feel very light-headed.

"I need to sit down." She murmured quietly to Myrran.

He led her over to a large, crimson-colored chaise, which she sat down on in a daze. Myrran kneeled before her to where his face was level with hers and took both of her hands in his.

"I know this is a lot to take in short period of time. You must be feeling greatly overwhelmed, but I promise you, you will be very happy here." Myrran assured her, gently. "We will do everything within our power to make you comfortable here."

"I just have to know," Elena interrupted him, "why me? Out of all the people on Earth, why did he pick me?"

At this, Myrran smiled.

"Only he can answer that question. I do not pretend to know what is in my brother's heart. He will tell you in time."

Elena nodded though she still didn't completely understand. Myrran saw this, but knew there was not much else he could do to ease her consternation. Rising to his feet, he smoothed her long, dark hair comfortingly as he said, "I will take my leave from you know. Your ladies should be here shortly to prepare you for the banquet. I will come for you soon."

Just as he said this, the doors to the room opened and in walked four, slender and very beautiful women. They were all dressed in elegant, white, Grecian dresses and had their hair all styled in similar, intricate braids. Their ears were tapered at the ends, which indicated that they were not human. They all bowed respectfully to Myrran and Elena, but didn't say one word. Myrran held out his hand to Elena, which she took silently and got to her feet.

"I will leave you in their capable hands, my lady." Myrran told her, bring her hand to his lip and kissing her knuckles lightly.

With that, he turned to leave. Though just as he reached the door, Elena called out, "Myrran…"

He turned only to see Elena give him a small, shy smile.

"Thank you." She said, softly.

Myrran returned her smile and gave a slight bow of his head before letting the door close behind him. Elena turned her attention back to the ladies, who had already busied themselves with setting out her clothes for the banquet. Two came up to her and motioned for her to follow them into the bathing room. The bathing room was made of beautiful, mosaic tiles of green, turquoise, and white. There were images of water lilies and herons along the walls. Moonlight poured in through the skylights of the ceilings. Incense and candles had been lit, and one of the ladies had drawn a bath for her in the square pool in the middle of the room. Before she could react, the other two ladies had begun to undress her. Elena stood awkwardly still as they disrobed her, unsure of whether she should let them continue or tell them that she could do it herself.

After they had gotten her completely naked, they ushered her into the pool, which was pleasantly warm. Elena leaned back against the side as her body began to relax. The ladies then, started to wash her long hair with oils and perfumes. The feeling of their fingers massaging her scalp was very soothing, and Elena let her eyes close contently. Before long, they had finished rinsing her hair and they helped her out of the pool, rubbing her down with towels and smoothing lotions into her skin. Though being pampered like this was all new to Elena and a little uncomfortable, it wasn't all-together a bad experience. Once she was mostly dry, the ladies escorted her back into the room where they had her gown laid out on her bed.

It was in the same Grecian style as their own dresses only this one was a vibrant, aqua blue with silver and purple beading on the skirt and cape. The ladies helped her put it on, and Elena felt as if she was wearing hardly anything; the gossamer fabric was so light. Her shoulders were left bare, and the neckline swept in a deep curve above her breasts. They put beaded, silver slippers on her feet and then, took Elena over to her vanity where they set about dressing her hair. She winced a couple times when they pulled too hard, but otherwise they worked fairly smoothly. Time flew by as they finished preparing her for the banquet and by the time they were done, Elena was mentally exhausted.

She got up from her stool and went to where a full-length, looking glass rested against a wall. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in her reflection. She could barely recognize herself. Her eyes had been painted to make them look smoky and seductive, and the color of her eyes seemed to be an even brighter shade of aqua than they were already. Her lips had been painted as well only they were a deep shade of crimson. There were jewels set among her dark lock and they gleamed brightly in the moonlight. A veil that was the same color and material as her dress had been pinned to the back of her head and flowed almost all the way down to the floor. Elena looked radiant and regal like a princess, someone worthy of being the bride of a god.

Then, the door to her sitting room opened, and in walked Myrran. He paused as he took in the sight of her before a large smile bloomed on his lips. He clapped his hands together and exclaimed, "Wonderful! Your beauty makes everything else around you pale in comparison."

Elena blushed deeply and murmured a small "thank you" in reply. He came up to her and offered his hand, which she took with a bit of hesitation. Noticing this, he said, warmly, "Do not be afraid. This is a joyous occasion. Smile…this is your night."

Elena nodded and forced a smile onto her face. Pleased at her attempt, Myrran returned the smile and led her from the room. Once again Elena became lost in the labyrinth of corridors and was thankful she had Myrran to guide her. Eventually, she began to hear the soft sound of music drifting through the air. Her heart beat wildly as the music got increasingly louder; her palms started to sweat. She was becoming so nervous that she was certain she had begun to shake. Myrran squeezed her hand reassuring as they came upon a set of great double doors. Two guards opened the doors for them and allowed them to enter the banquet area.

The feast was outside on some, grand terrace down below the set of stairs on which they stood. The terrace was already flooded with a multitude of people. As Elena looked around, she saw that these being, just like her ladies, were definitely not human. Some had vibrant skin colors; others had tails or even wings. A small quartet of musicians was off in a corner, playing rich, sensual music. The whole aura of the banquet was whimsical and thrilling, which only seemed to provoke Elena's nerves. She felt like turning the other way and bolting, but Myrran kept her rooted to where she stood. It wasn't long before the other guests noticed them at the top of the stairs, and a hush fell over the host. Elena glanced over them anxiously, wishing their attention was somewhere other than on her.

Slowly, Myrran began to lead her down the steps, and Elena gathered the skirts of her gown to ensure that she didn't trip over the thin material. They made their way through the throng of guest, who all parted to make a path for them. Many stared at her with curiosity, while other bowed and curtsied for her. The blush on Elena's face intensified. This was all for her, all because she was to be the moon god's bride. Elena could see that they were slowly bearing towards a long, head table that was raised up on a dais.

It was actually in three parts, two on the sides of the terrace and one between the two. All together it made three sides of a square. Noble-looking men and women sat at these tables, and their intense stare unnerved Elena even more. They were elegant and majestic, and she felt poor and lowly in their presence. Myrran escorted her to the head table in front of the seat of honor. It was then, Myrran bowed low to who seemed to be their host. After a moment of uncertainty, she followed with a deep curtsy. She kept her gaze to the ground, not even catching a glimpse to who she was bowing.

"Noble Kiran, Lord of the Moon," Myrran proclaimed, clearly, "I Myrran, God of the Sun and your brother, present to you the lady Elena, your future bride."

Silence filled the area. Elena shifted nervously as she held her curtsy. The atmosphere was tense, and with all her might she wished that someone would respond. It felt like an eternity before a low, smooth voice answered Myrran's decree.

"I thank you, my brother, for the great service of which you have done for me. You may both rise so that I may greet you formally."

Elena felt Myrran squeeze her hand, giving her the indication that she could stand properly now. As she did so, she raised her eyes and let them rest finally upon her future husband, the moon god. She had no idea how she had pictured him to be honest, but however it had been was far from anything she could ever imagine. To put it simply, he was perfection. Unlike his brother, the moon god was pale. An inner light seemed to shine from him as well, though even more vibrantly than Myrran's. His robes were dark shade of indigo trimmed with silver that shimmered like the stars. This only seemed to enhance his pallor. A circlet of silver rested on his brow. Lengths of black hair framed his face, and two dark eyes, indistinguishable in color, burned down into her. His expression was solemn, even stern. Just as her Gamma's story had said, he appeared very cold and lonely. It seemed to radiate from him.

The moon god was of such ethereal magnificence that Elena thought at any moment, he would disappear, too perfect to exist amongst lesser beings. He rose to his feet and stood at his fully, towering height. Holding out a hand, he motioned for her to come to him. Elena gathered her skirts and carefully made her way towards him. Her hands had begun to shake again, her face was flushed with anxiety, and her stomach felt as if it was full of butterflies.

Again, she tried to avoid his probing gaze, finding it too overwhelming in its intensity in this situation. Elena came around the table and halted when she was right beside him. Shyly, she took his hand and only then, did she meet his eyes. Instantly, Elena felt something, a jolt of electricity surging through her body. The look in his dark eyes, the color of the deepest sapphire, gave her the feeling of burning. For someone so cold, his gaze was surprising heated.

The moon god raised her hand to his lips, never breaking the connection of their eyes, and kissing it softly. Her knees went weak, and her throat became too thick for her to swallow. Suddenly, the crowd began to applaud. It was soft, but their pleasure was expressed. Coolly, the moon god motioned for Elena to sit beside him on a large, embroidered pillow. She tucked her legs beneath her delicately as she sat. Everyone else took his indication and went back to their previous engagements. Serving girls, much like Elena's ladies, brought them platters laden with a wide variety of food. Elena picked little bits of fruit and meats to put on her plate, even though she knew that she was in no way hungry. After awhile, Myrran came and sat down on her other side. He offered her one of his charming smiles before laying some food on his plate as well.

Silently, Elena stared down at her food. She felt so awkward, so out of place. It just made her question the reason why she was there all over again. The moon god took a sip from the goblet set in front of him before he turned to Elena and said, smoothly, "I trust you journey here was an easy one."

"Yes…my lord," Elena replied, unsurely.

"And your rooms are to your liking?" He inquired, nonchalantly.

"Yes, my lord," She answered, softly, shifting her food about her plate listlessly.

"Hmm, good," He said, coolly, turning back to overlook the festivities.

Those were the only words he spoke to her for the rest of the evening. The moon god sat beside Elena silently, drinking and eating as he watching his subjects mingling below. He closed her off, and she didn't know how to respond. Elena wanted to ask him so many things, talk about why he wanted her here, but when she glanced over at his stony and cold expression, she couldn't bring herself to vocalize her questions. He seemed so unapproachable…how was this ever going to work?

Then, a tall, breath-taking woman approached them. Her complexion was snow white, and black layers of hair cascaded down her back almost to the ground. Intricate braids were entwined around the crown of her head. Bold, black tattoos wound their way from the right side of her face down her neck. She was clad in robes of crimson and black with strings of onyx hanging from her neck. Severe and beautiful, she was quite a sight. Fluidly, she went into an elegant curtsy before them.

"Lady Rajani, thank you for coming here tonight," The moon god welcomed her. "Your presence is greatly appreciated."

"Thank you, my lord." She replied, her head still bowed. "It is my pleasure to congratulate you on this joyous occasion."

The moon god inclined his head in gratitude and dismissed her with a wave of his hand. The lady Rajani remained in her curtsy, only her cold eyes lifting their gaze so as to look upon Kiran's face. Elena noticed how her gaze softened as she looked upon him, obsidian eyes filled with a desperate longing. Her tender look was wasted though for Kiran's eyes remained downcast upon his meal. Devastation briefly flickered across the sorceress' face before her cool mask over took it. Lady Rajani rose to her feet, and as she did so, her frigid stare met Elena's. A chill swept over her as she looked into Rajani's black gaze. The hostility of her stare froze Elena's breath in her throat, the rest of her body rendered immobilized. Finally, time seemed to restart itself, and Lady Rajani broke the gaze and continued on her way back down the stairs. Elena watched her go, feeling a strange sense of relief overcome her as she did so. Myrran followed her gaze and something sparked in his eyes. Leaning towards her, Myrran whispered to her, "That is the lady Rajani, high sorceress of our great mother Naimah. Rajani is the leader to all the sorceresses; they are warriors as well as keepers to our history."

"Is she immortal? Are all the sorceresses immortal?" Elena asked, quietly.

"Yes," Myrran answered with a smile, "everything that lives in our world will live forever. The only exception would be if the life was ended by another. You, for now, are the only one in this world who is mortal."

Elena nodded wordlessly to his answer before turning back to her food. Even in this bizarre, new world, she was the alien…she was the oddity. Inside, she felt cold and alone. No one could understand how she felt; no one would be able to sympathize with her.

What am I suppose to do?

A/N: Well, there you go. I hope you all liked it. I'll hurry up with the next update. Please, leave lots of lovely reviews. Lots of love, LOR