Betrayals of Spring (Forever Fae #2)(7)
I let out an audible breath.
“People change, Elissa. I’m one of the Four which means my life is going to be in jeopardy while the dark sorcerer plots to take me. If Calista hadn’t trained, she probably wouldn’t have made it out alive. I have to be strong. I was a weak and timid little girl before, and I didn’t know how to protect myself. You may not understand, but being the cold-hearted bitch may just save my life one day.”
She nods her head and looks down at the floor.
“I know, Mel. I just wish things didn’t have to be like this,” she sighs. Her sadness makes my chest tighten with guilt and I feel bad for snapping at her. I give her a loving embrace and she hugs me back fiercely. I love her so much, and I wish that she understood the way my life is now. She sniffles and wipes away her tears. I smile at her, but I know it doesn’t come close to looking authentic.
“I’m going to go fetch my things and I’ll meet you downstairs, OK?” she says, trying to sound cheerful. I smile at her again before her retreating form leaves me to a room full of silence. Finally, I get a chance to have some peace and quiet before making this journey to the dreaded Winter Court. I look down at my packed clothes and for this trip I have traded my usual Summer clothes and replaced them with pants, long-sleeved shirts, and jackets. My gown for the ball, however, is not long-sleeved, so I’m sure I’ll be freezing the whole time. I’m going for a daring look this year. I unzip the garment bag to take a look at the one thing that is going to set me apart from the others. The ball is supposed to be a black and white affair, but there is nothing white or black in my bag. My parents are going to be none too pleased to see what I have in store for the ball.
My dress is a bright, fire red with an empire waist. The top is formed in a halter top style that wraps around the back of my neck. Red rubies are fastened across the top half of the dress with gold threading. They stop mid-stomach where the dress then flows gracefully down to the floor. The top fits a little snug and pushes my breasts together showing off the cleavage I now have. This is definitely going to get everyone talking, and I can’t wait to see their faces when I show up. Not even the people close to me know that I have this dress. With a big smile on my face, I begin zipping my dress back up in the garment bag when in walks Ashur, my Guardian.
He stops mid-step and stares at me wide-eyed.
“What do you think you are doing?” he exclaims in my mind.
I burst out laughing hearing his exasperation in my mind. I’m in my warrior leathers with my gold armor breastplate and greaves. I have my brown leather vambraces tightly secured around my forearms, and my thick, auburn hair is pulled into a tight braid that hangs down my back. My bow and arrows are strapped and secure on my back as well. Not only does Ashur carry our special Guardian dagger, but I also carry some special weapons of my own. My arrows have been fortified with both mine and Ashur’s blood making them just as lethal as the dagger. I have planned to ride to the Winter Court on horseback instead of riding in a carriage. I have no intentions of letting anyone stop me from doing this, not even my guardian.
“What do you think?” I ask sarcastically.
“I think you need to change, Meliantha. You are a princess and you should act like one.”
“Oh, by being the helpless pretty girl that relies on everyone to take care of her? No, thanks. I plan on changing into a gown before the ball, so get the sword out of your ass and calm down,” I tease.
He lets out an annoyed breath and speaks aloud, “I do not have a sword up my ass, but it’s my job to make sure you’re protected, and by the way you’re dressed, I’m assuming you plan on riding with the warriors?”
“That’s the plan, and I promise to stay right by your side…Achilles,” I laugh.
I give him a huge smile and he shakes his head and rolls his eyes. He hates it when I call him that, but he does look like the actor who played Achilles in the movie Troy. Calista and I had watched that movie in the mortal realm a while back. Ashur is very tall with his six-foot four frame and warrior body. His dark blond hair touches down below his shoulders and his eyes are the greenest I have ever seen, they’re almost as bright as Calista’s. He’s a very good-looking man and I mean it as a compliment when I tell him he looks like Achilles. He happens to be over two centuries old, but his body only looks to be in his late twenties. That’s one of the advantages to being a faerie. Thankfully, he has no romantic feelings for me, but I have seen in his mind how he feels about my friend, Elissa. Needless to say, I have seen my friend unclothed in his mind one too many times.
“You know I hate it when you call me Achilles,” he groans.
“And I will keep calling you that until you give in to me. Either way, this is how I’m going to the Winter Court, end of discussion,” I argue.
He throws his hands up in the air and relents, “Fine, Princess, but when the king decides to scold me I’ll happily point him in your direction. Are we clear?”
I give Ashur a huge smile and say, “Thank you, and don’t you worry, I can handle my father.”
Ashur looks around at my bags and begins to pick them up. I help him with the remaining bags and we head down to the foyer of the palace where everyone will be waiting. On the way down, Ashur speaks silently, “Are you going to be OK going to the Winter Court, Princess?”
This stops me cold, and he must notice because he shifts around hesitantly before meeting my eyes. He continues, “I only ask because I’ve felt the torment inside of you all these years, but I’ve never said anything about it. I just want to know what Kalen did to you that made you close your heart. I know you’re with Finn now, but you still keep your heart guarded.”