Chapter Nineteen - Ellyll's Aid

The last thing I could recall was feeling my heart slow as the ice froze me, kneeling in an unknown territory, as I failed my mates. My body remained chilled and numb as I listened to the panicked voices of strangers. I felt a hand in my own and tears soaking through my clothes as Fred's quiet voice sobbed and pleaded for the dittany and warming potions to work. I attempted to squeeze Fred's hand, to speak, to make a sound, to do something to let Fred and everyone else know I was there. Nothing. To the outside world, I must still be frozen. I did not know the Auror's name that was responsible for this, but they were going to pay when I thawed and returned to normal.

xXx

I knew time had passed since the spell hit me. From the conversations I could hear: I understood we were brought into the guarded boundary of the Lost Nymphs. I had undergone the physical changes that marked the second stage of my transformation. My mates took turns leaving to eat and freshen up, but never left my side otherwise. Harry and Ginny refused to leave the room I was kept in. Blaise and Thomas kept a vigilant guard outside of my door. Fred never let go of my hand and would have to be pried away to eat. Draco had the best magical physicians working with the Lost Nymphs to attend to my malady. Kingsley had declared my death in the papers and awarded Auror Gawain Robards, he had a name now, with the Order of Merlin First Class for defeating the "dark creature" that allegedly broke into the Ministry of Magic during the signing of my birthright and took my life. I recognised the name, he was the Head of the Auror Office, as Kingsley reinstated him after the Battle of Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall had returned to Hogwarts once we were safely inside the boundary. Archibald accompanied anyone that I did not know into the room and would introduce them. He spoke to me as if I could respond. I found myself grateful that his interactions with me allowed my mates to continue hoping.

Fred's hand slipped from mine after another row with Charlie, the latter forcing him to leave to use the washroom and eat. His hand was replaced with a smaller, softer hand. I heard Ginny's voice pleading with every god and goddess she could think of to allow me to recover.

A soft female voice I recognised from her continuous checks on my wellbeing spoke from a distance, "We have one last spell we can try, after we administer another round of potions. If this spell does not work, there is no hope remaining." Ginny's grip on my hand tightened and threatened to shatter it. I could not die. My mates needed me as much as this world needed someone who cared for it and not for power.

xXx

Fred's hand was in mine, once again. The voice from earlier was close enough that I struggled to hear Fred's soft voice attempting to reassure me. They had administered the potions, and each time they did, my body warmed and I could feel the ice thawing, but not fast enough. Several spells had been cast to speed up the process, but I knew that if they did not warm me correctly or if they failed to warm me up swiftly, I would not survive much longer. I focused on Fred, on George, Charlie, and Draco, who were all touching a part of my body. Each one recanting the spell softly, imbuing with all of the affection they could muster. It took three attempts for them to speak wholly in unison. I felt it before they did. Deep inside, my heart and blood were thawed entirely. I felt my organs thawing and mentally screamed in pain. My vocal chords were still frozen. When the warmth spread to the rest of my body, I did scream before fainting from the pain.

I awoke several hours later. My body was warm, my heart beat was normal, and I could feel each of my mates' hands as they held onto me. I knew from my soggy shirt, at least one spent time crying. I was unready to open my eyes, but I squeezed their hands within my own. "Get Ellyll!" Fred cried out before I felt a fresh wave of tears soak through my shirt where his head now rested.

I heard two pairs of feet running and Ginny's distinct voice screaming for Ellyll. Ellyll, who I realised had been the nymph behind my recovery and the source of the female voice, entered and began telling everyone to give her space to work. With the exception of Fred, everyone else stepped back. Fred lifted his head, but his hand remained steadfast in mine. I could hear George trying to persuade Fred to "get cleaned up" whilst Ellyll performed her examination and treated anything that she could. Fred remained silent as his hand never wavered in mine.

"Asteriae, can you hear me?" Ellyll asked as I felt a wave of magic envelope my body. I nodded, well, attempted to. My muscles were sore and I could not move my neck as freely. I attempted to speak, a groan came from my throat without words to accompany them. "Amazing! Can you open your eyes?" I offered a different groan in my attempt to refuse.

"What's wrong?" I heard Draco's desperation in his voice.

"Oh, nothing a few tonics cannot resolve. She was in a state of rigor for days. Her body needs to recover. Imagine keeping a muscle perfectly still for days, unable to adjust, move, nor even relax it. Her entire body was under that level of stress. She will remain here overnight and I will administer her tonics. All of you will need to remain elsewhere. As she recovers, she may feel pain in spite of the tonics. None of you need to be here as she goes through it. It will slow me down and in turn slow her recovery down." There were groans and complaints regarding the directions given by Ellyll. It was Blaise that offered a compromise.

"I will remain here, guarding her. Archibald will guard outside. If anything changes, Archibald can alert you lot. This ensures she is treated well and none of you interfere unintentionally with it. Is that a compromise everyone is willing to make?" More muttering of disagreement from my mates before Ellyll stated the affirmative and I felt my hand grow cold at the sudden loss of Fred's hand. Harry, Ginny, and Thomas were pushing my mates away from me. I let out a low, guttural whinge and felt Blaise place his hand on my arm. "Don't. Don't make it harder for everyone." Tears slipped from my eyes, trailing past my ears and onto the pillow beneath my head. I felt Blaise wipe my tears and sit beside me, his arm resting against my own.

xXx

It had been a long night, restless night spent in agony as Ellyll brought each of my nerves, tissues, bones, atoms back to life. She had completed her task in the early hours of the morning. I felt Sleeping Draught slip down my throat after I opened my eyes and could answer her questions to confirm my cognition was where she believed it should be. Seeing Ellyll for the first time, she was smaller than I imagined. She was no taller than a house-elf, but had long locks of icy white hair, dark blue nearing black eyes, and her body was oddly proportionate to itself. As I awoke from the potion's effects, I whimpered at the bright light filling the room, covering my face with my forearm. I heard "nox" be uttered and attempted to open my eyes, again. Standing around me were my mates, guardians, and Ellyll.

"Welcome back!" I heard everyone, except Ellyll, cry out loudly. Ellyll had the foresight to cast a quieting spell on my ears, muffling out their loud cries of joy. Once they settled down, the spell was lifted and I was slowly lifted into a seated position by Ellyll.

"You have a lot of questions, and I will answer to the best of my ability. For now, spend time with these four. I will return shortly with Gaen and we can discuss everything," Ellyll dismissed herself.

Everyone began attempting to speak to me at once and I covered my ears, silencing everyone with the gesture. "I can't. Too much." I got out in a raspy voice.

"Here," Charlie handed me a shell transfigured into a cup. I took it and sipped on the contents. It felt and tasted like water, but the scent was sweet and earthy.

"Thank you," I offered before turning to look at everyone. Fred's face was gaunt and his dark circles around his eyes reminded me of a raccoon. George was dishevelled and had puffy eyes without the redness. Charlie's face showed no signs of distraught and instead had the familiar gleam of Gryffindor bravery etched in deep. Draco's blonde hair was covering his eyes, which I could see were similar to Fred's in their hollowness and dark circles. Harry and Ginny, stood behind Charlie and George, both had lost sleep. Blaise stood with his hand clasped on Draco's shoulder and his smile didn't betray his emotions. Thomas and Archibald were standing in the entry, with their wands at the ready by their sides. I raised an eyebrow towards Thomas and he chanced a side glance towards the corridor. Something, or someone, may be a threat inside of the one place I was promised refuge.

xXx

It was lunchtime before we knew it. Everyone took turns adding more information to the conversation about what had happened since Fred and I landed with our portkey. Ellyll and Gaen waited for my arrival before stepping into the clearing. As soon as I landed, chaos broke. Fred became inconsolable and no one allowed my body to be taken without them. Professor McGonagall refused to enter, citing my safety could be at risk if she knew where we were and was captured. She threatened Gaen with a few curses before she took her leave to Hogwarts. Ellyll convinced Fred to allow her to take me to the room I currently occupied. Archibald and Gaen had argued on the way, leaving my mates and guardians looking for answers. I had been under the spell's effects for two days before I started having consciousness. They were told that with the second stage of transformations having been completed and the third beginning, the night of the new moon on that second day, my magic would be stronger as it began altering my fertility cycle, which should assist in breaking the spell.

George and Charlie noted the physical changes that had occurred. My eyes were similar in shade to Ellyll's, however there was a red tint to mine that hers did not hold. My mane remained the same, however the beautiful chestnut brown was now an onyx abyss. Nothing else had altered noticeably enough. Ginny had made the comment that my shirt was, however, tighter than before, "particularly in the bosom region". This brought every male's attention to my chest, causing me to cover myself with the sheet. I chastised her for making that comment, and blushed as Fred mentioned he still found me "bloody delicious looking". Once I knew most of what happened, I let them know what I had heard and felt. Fred cried when he heard I felt his hand and tears. George patted him on the back.

Just as I went to ask if I could stand and walk to the mirror, Archibald cleared his throat, bringing our attention to Ellyll and her companion, Gaen. Gaen was extraordinarily tall, and could easily pass for a human with pale auburn hair that was kept at his shoulders and his black eyes.

"Hello, Asteriae. I am Gaencánach, but you can call me Gaen. I am the leader and protector of the Lost Nymphs. Welcome to our lands. You have met Archibald, Ellyll, and heard from Ceto, our primary strategist and seer. You have many questions, and we have many answers. First, I want you to freshen up and meet us in the dining hall tonight. We can discuss anything you wish to, outside of your medical treatment, then. Ellyll will discuss your treatment and your condition, in just a moment. Your mates," I noticed the grimace and the disgust in his tone as he used the term, "will accompany you to the small set of chambers we set aside for your arrival. There are new outfits for each of you in your respective chambers. I expect each of you in the dining hall for supper at promptly 17:00." He left no room for interjection, nor for commentary before he spun around and left. Gaen, or Gaencánach, was much like his namesake, Geancánach, in his ability to charm. He was attractive, much more than Professor Lockhart had been all those years ago.

"I do apologise for his brashness. He is a busy man and is not fond of celestials. They have a history of being problematic when we offer assistance, typically relating to their mates' jealousy. Gaen, as you can assume, is an Irish nymph. His particular magic is related to charm and seduction, often mistaken as a succubus. He is drawn to powerful nymphs and mates become wary of his presence, even if he is harmless," Ellyll explained gently. "Unless you are Asteriae, out!" she shooed everyone out of the room before turning to me.

"Tonight is going to be a trial of sorts. You need to keep your wits about you. If you do not know an answer, or if you do not have one, reword the question and aim it towards one of the council members. Do not aim it towards Gaen. He will see it as a weakness and will automatically fail your entry. He is looking for any reason he can to force the council to deny your entry…" Ellyll began the process of examination through her magic. "And if Ceto raises her hand, heed her warning to stop offering information. We all answer to Gaen, but the true master of our lands is Ceto. She has a direct connection to the Fates, as you would know them.

Aurorae is the celestial on the council. She is troublesome, and the reason Gaen despises celestials. Do not favour her in seeking answers. It will ire Gaen and she will use that against him. Annwn is Gaen's favourite on the council. Annwn is my father and his cruelty is what Gaen favours most. Finn is Gaen's sister. She holds the chair for her ability to handle the finances, no other reason. Be wary of her, however. Everything has a price, even an answer to Gaen's questions will have a price and she will ask for payment after, never before." Ellyll completed her examination.

"Archibald and I are on the council, as well. The last person on our council may surprise you, but his name is Mimir and is but a head. He has a connection to the great tree, Yggdrasil, similar to the Fates. However, unlike Ceto, Mimir can offer wisdom and strategies that Ceto can only dream of. But where Ceto excels is her ability to alter the future before it happens by carefully constructing the threads with the Fates. Not everything can be prevented and many evils must exist and happen." Her last sentence sounded as though she was mimicking a previously heard sentence, most likely Ceto's.

"Mimir offers wisdom without a cost. I see nothing withholding you from tonight," Ellyll tapped her chin before assisting me into a standing position with my arm supporting my weight on the wall. "You were frozen with a glacial spell, it is a nymph spell but was cast incorrectly. Be grateful, as the proper incantation would have turned you to ice before you landed and you would have shattered on impact." I grimaced as she continued. "You will need more warming tonics for the next few days. I will provide you with several to get you through. I had Archibald creating copies of every text we have available here that you may need. Something Ceto said, "Asteriae will leave the evening she awakens, without the assistance we offered. She will refuse it once Gaen informs her of the cost his assistance will require." To ensure you are offered as much assistance as we can before you deny Gaen his cost, Ceto, Mimir, and I ensured we had a list of texts you may need. Archibald shrunk them," she offered me a bag similar in size to my beaded one. I took the bag and cast the charm to remove all of the contents. I wanted to trust this community, but Ellyll just admitted that I would refuse their assistance in a few short hours. With attempts on my life, I was paranoid. Every book was spelled to enlarge, remove curses and hexes, and empty its contents of any item not belonging between the pages of the texts. A paper fluttered to the ground from the second to final text, a journal with Ceto's name on it. Ellyll picked up the piece of paper and handed it to me, as I completed the final text's examination. I felt my magic nearing depletion, as it often did these days. I shrunk the texts and transferred them to my own beaded bag before reading the piece of paper.

Asteriae,

You will need to travel to Greece in secrecy. In Greece, there is the original Asteriae's home. There, the answer you seek most desperately awaits. The location is with your father. Seek his assistance. He has visited it twice and is the current Secret-Keeper.

Ceto

P.S. We apologise for Gaen. The council did approve of your stay with us and you will be welcomed back when you return. Gaen will not be an issue next time we see you.

I glanced at the date. It was dated for tomorrow, as though Ceto had intended for me to blindly accept the series of texts. I read through it a second time before placing the paper into my bag and asking Ellyll to accompany me to my chambers. En route, we discussed how I was to find the dining hall, and why my guardians were not to accompany us to the table, but would be expected to sit at the table with the nymph warriors. Ellyll stopped midway through the corridor and pointed at the entry to our left, informing me that my guardians and guests were assigned to that chamber. To our right was the chamber my mates' were assigned to. As if summoned, the door flung open, revealing Draco, who still looked like a feral blonde raccoon. His concern for my wellbeing was evident and I reached my hand towards his.

Draco's fingers intertwined into my own as he stepped beside me. I saw Fred asleep on one of the beds with George sitting in the chair beside him, watching the interaction. Charlie found his way to the door and he offered a smile. "You are looking much better, 'Mione," he offered before correcting himself, "I mean, Asteriae." I blushed, lost for words.

"Asteriae, your chambers are right here," Ellyll stepped forward until we were at the end of the corridor, where two more entries stood across from one another and an entry directly at the end of the corridor a few more metres ahead. She turned the knob to the door on the right, and I saw the grandeur of the gold and soft creme tones, something I did not notice in the limited view I had of my mates' accommodations. Draco sucked in his breath through his teeth and his hand tensed in mine. I knew something felt wrong about this situation.

"Ellyll, who do the other two belong to?" I nodded at the other doors.

"This one," she pointed at the closed door across from my accommodations, "belongs to the four members of Gaen's personal guard."

Before she could inform us of the other door's owner, I knew whom it belonged to. "That means Gaen's chambers are this one." I pointed as disgust filled my expression.
"Yes, those would be Gaen's chambers. It is peculiar that you were placed in the mates' chambers. Typically, the nymph that leads us keeps their mates or spouses in the chambers closest to their own. I do wonder what Gaen is planning. Between Ceto's letter and warning…" Ellyll's train of thought wandered as I glanced at Charlie, silently begging him to gather everyone. This felt wrong and I felt an odd sensation prickle at my spine.

"Ellyll," Gaen's voice reverberated through the corridor. "Asteriae!" He was at the furthest end. His strides were longer than I anticipated. I went to grasp my wand when my guardians threw open their door and exited, wands at the ready.

"Asteriae, do not wear his chosen attire tonight. I think he charmed them," Ellyll whispered before waving towards Gaen. "Gaen! I was just showing Asteriae her accommodations. Such an honour bestowed upon her!" Ellyll's voice took on a falsetto tone, putting all of us on edge, with the exception of Gaen.

Gaen slowed as he neared my guardians, his expression void of any emotion. "Is this necessary?" his tone was neutral, but I spotted the annoyance in the crinkle of his nose.

"Wands down," I instructed my guardians, with my own falsetto tone. "There is no need to be wary of our host." Draco's hand left mine as he went towards Charlie and George, who snuck into the corridor. "Gaen was just headed to his chambers, am I correct?" I inquired as I glanced at the door, now behind me. My mates and guardians understood immediately. Wands were lowered, the Weasley brothers went to wake Fred, and Ellyll patted my forearm in a comforting manner.

"Er. Yes, I was planning on going to my chambers, however I was looking for Ellyll to receive an update on your wellbeing," Gaen replied, caught off guard.

"Fantastic! Once Fred is brought out, I will update everyone," Ellyll offered as I slipped slowly towards my group and Gaen continued towards his chambers, stopping in front of Ellyll. Fred appeared and Ellyll offered a false report. She failed to mention the warming tonics I would need to take. Her warning was clear, Gaen was not to be trusted. She had warned us that he is attracted to power earlier when apologising for his behaviour.

"I am as right as rain. Thank you for the chambers, they are beautiful beyond words," I offered, acknowledging the warning from Ellyll. "Before we meet you in the dining hall this evening, I would like to speak with Ceto, please."

"That is not something I will accommodate until you are permitted by the council to remain," Gaen's demeanour became suddenly aggressive as he placed his right foot slightly further back and placed his left hand next to his wand.

"That is quite all right, I will meet her in the dining hall, then!" I cheerfully placate him before dismissing myself and my group, "We must get ready. We will see you soon."

"Archibald will accompany you to the dining hall, and join us," Ellyll called out as she turned and took Gaen's wrist, leading him towards his own chambers and entering with him. Draco snuck to my accommodations, softly closing the door before sneaking back over to us. We entered the chambers intended for my mates' and I explained everything that had happened. From the conversations, to the real report on my health, to the warnings, to the texts, to the note from Ceto. We spent the remainder of the afternoon attempting to sort through the cryptic warnings and instructions. By time we needed to freshen up and prepare for the supper that awaited us, we only understood that Gaen was not trustworthy, and we needed to leave as soon as I reject Gaen's terms for assistance.


Author's Note:

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