Hey Everyone!! 😊
I don't know about you, but I'm starting to pine for a little sunshine. So, I thought it might be fun to start the weekend off with a little glimpse into the land of perpetual summer. Enjoy! 😊
Watching his Anamchara, Uaine could see her visibly relax as they walked through the town. He was charmed by her obvious fascination with the town's residents, and enjoyed her child-like enthusiasm when she saw something new.
Noticing that the temperature had increased quite a bit as they walked, he asked; “Are you too warm?”
“Hmmm…?” She said distractedly as she kept her eyes on the passing crowd. “Oh no, I love the heat. I’ve never been a fan of winter.”
Marveling again at how perfect this female was for him, Uaine just smiled and nodded.
“Are you feeling better?”
“A bit. The town feels like a happy place for some reason.”
“Trade is good today, my mother has managed to get a few goods from other kingdoms here, and the people are enjoying their bargain hunting. Their happiness is reflected in the energy of the town.”
“How can I possibly be affected by the local Faes’ happiness?”
“Magic is everywhere in Fairie, it saturates the air and the ground. Some magics, especially wild magics, are heavily influenced by mood. If the local populace were angry, the feel of the town would be very different. It’s even possible that a storm would form.”
“The weather is affected by peoples’ moods?”
“It can be.”
“So it’s sunny today because people are happy?”
“Maybe, but not necessarily. Wild magics are unpredictable. I don’t know how a different mood would manifest, I only know it would be different than it is now.”
Sighing, she shook her head and pulled her hand from the prince’s. “The more I learn about this place, the weirder it seems.”
Uaine walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. “But strange doesn’t necessarily mean bad.” He slid one hand down her right arm and reclaimed her hand. “Come with me, I’d like to show you something.”
Roni followed her Anamchara, and again wondered at how amazingly handsome he was. His hair glowed in the late-day sun, and it almost seemed as though light emanated from within him. He moved with the grace of a predator, and she knew from their nights together how strong, yet gentle, he was.
The thought of leaving made her heart ache, and she had to remind herself that it had been painful to leave her parents too, but she needed to protect herself. The day had been well spent. She had a much better grasp of how the town was laid out, and thought she would be able to navigate from one end to the other by herself.
It seemed her most likely chance of success would be to skirt around the edges as much as possible, and try to avoid people. Seeing no reason to delay, and knowing that if she did her courage might fail her and she might never be able to leave Uaine, Roni decided that she would make her escape the following day.
“Tomorrow I’m coming back here by myself. I know you’re busy, but I want to explore some more.”
Uaine considered her words. He would certainly prefer it if his mate did not wander around the town alone, the potential for harm was too great, but he knew that if he tried to prevent her she would become angry. She needed to relax, and if walking around the town would help her do that, he didn’t see a problem with it. Besides, she was his mate, not his child, and the future queen of the Summer Court, he couldn’t exactly forbid her from doing as she chose. A few guards following at a discrete distance would ensure that help would be on hand should she need it, and if she didn’t run into trouble then she need never know they were there.
Satisfied with his plan, Uaine nodded. “As you wish, my love, but please be careful.”
Roni just smiled at him, and then her breath caught in her throat as they reached the crest of the hill they had been climbing. The sun was starting to set, and the vantage point her mate had brought her to watch it from was spectacular.
From where they stood, it appeared that the sun was sinking into the forest. At first, it was a brilliant ball of orange, red, and yellow that appeared as though it would set the foliage ablaze. But as it sunk lower in the sky, the colors mellowed and when it reached the tops of the trees it had faded to a light yellow, like a lemon lollipop that was melting away in a sea of green.
The sky itself turned magenta, tangerine, and gold with the dying rays, and somehow Roni got the feeling that all of Fairie was holding its breath; just waiting for the sun to finish setting before carrying on. When it sunk below the horizon, and twilight set in, it seemed as if the whole world sighed.
Smiling up at the prince, Roni had tears in her eyes. It was all she could do to hold fast to her resolution. Even still, she decided, then and there, to make their last night together something she could hold onto for the rest of her days. “Thank you, Uaine, that was amazing.”
Raising his mate’s hand to his lips, Uaine placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. “You are very welcome, my love, there is much about Fairie that is beautiful.”
Hand-in-hand, they began walking slowly back up the road towards the castle. As they strolled, Roni marveled at the floating bits of light that began to appear.
“Those are will-o’-the-wisps, my love, and they are pretty but they can also be quite dangerous.”
“How can a little bit of light be dangerous?”
“Because they are not just little bits of light; they are tiny Fae who have the ability to emit light. They can be quite spiteful, and will do everything they can to trick someone into following them into a trap.”
“How do they do that?”
“By persuading their victim to follow their light. It usually only works when the person is disoriented and it is otherwise dark, but it often proves fatal for them.”
“So, they might lead someone over a cliff in the dark?”
“Yes, that would be something that would be typical of them.”
“Then why are they allowed to stay?”
“Because they are not evil, they are just a part of Fairie. It would not be right to punish them for being what they are. Much of Fairie is both beautiful and dangerous, with time you will learn how to appreciate the beauty while avoiding the danger.”“I guess I need to remember not to follow the lights, then.”
He smiled. “Definitely. Do not ever follow the lights.”
Want to find out how Roni and Uaine finish off such an evening? Grab your copy at the link below! 😉 Happy reading!
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