“Forgive me , Princess.”
I nodded. “I’m going to Faerie. I don’t want to see you this weekend,” I said as I turned away, ready to cry.
“As you wish, Princess.”
I turned back toward him, but he was gone. I sighed and sank down on my bed. A few tears slipped down my cheeks and it was enough to open the floodgates. I could hear rain pelting against my windowpane in a soft comforting patter. I fell asleep curled up on my bed hugging my bag of books and toiletries to my chest.
Sometime during the night Mom must have come in and put a blanket over me, because when I woke my bag was across the room on my desk and I was underneath a warm fuzzy blanket that was normally kept in the linen closet for guests. My head hurt from my night of tears, so I took a quick shower and went downstairs to find some aspirin.
“Good morning, sweetheart. I made you some French toast and bacon,” Mom said as I entered the room and sat down at the table.
“Thanks , Mom.”
“You want to talk about it?” s he asked sitting across from me.
“Not really. There isn’t anything to talk about.”
“Did that boy do something that upset you?”
“Who? Michael? No, it’s not him,” I replied with a small smile. “He’s coming over Sunday afternoon to work on an English assignment.”
“Well if it’s not Michael and nothing happened last night, why were you crying?”
“It’s nothing , Mom. Really, I’m over it,” I said avoiding her eyes. “I’d better go. I’m supposed to work with Tatiana today.”
“All right, H oney. But remember I am here if you need to talk.”
“Thanks , Mom.”
I ran back upstairs, grabbed my bag and flashed myself to the entrance of Faerie. Thane was once again on the door. “Morning , Thane.”
“Good morning , Princess,” Thane said opening the door for me.
“Auberon still has you on guard duty?”
Thane smiled. “You could say that. Have a nice day, Princess.”
I went to my chamber, tossed my bag on my bed and went in search of Tatiana. I found her in her rooms mixing oils into a small black pot. “Good morning , Tatiana.” I very rarely called her Great Grandmother, she didn’t really care for it.
“Good morning, my dear, you’re early.”
“Not really.”
“How was your date?”
“Fine,” I said hoping to avoid the rest of that conversation. “What are you working on?”
“Well, I thought today we might work on your beauty magic…” Tatiana said with a smile. “You know, as Queen of the Light, it will be your job to make sure the flowers and other plants bloom as beautiful as possible.”
“I know,” I replied touching a rosebud and watching it spring to life.
“And you still haven’t created the bloom that will be your calling card. You will need to do that when you make your come-out.”
I frowned. I’d fo rgotten all about that. My come-out as Tatiana called it was a large party with all of the Nobles, where Auberon and Tatiana introduce me as heir to the throne. Currently my brother was the heir, but it was only temporary until I could take over. He had his hands full with being King of the Felidae clan and didn’t want the throne of Light and Illusion. “How long do I have?” I asked frowning.
“Your come-out ball is to be on Yuletide, December twenty second. It shall be a masked ball. I do so love masked balls, don’t you?”
“I’ve never been to one.”
“Oh I’d forgotten this will be your first ever ball with the Nobles,” Tatiana said with a smile. “You shall love it. As the ball will be in your honor, you will get to choose the leader of the Wild Hunt and ride with them as they go after the oath breakers. It’s so exciting.”
“The Wild Hunt? You still do that?”
“Yes dear, every year. Your brother has been the Huntsman for the last fifteen years . I am surprised he never mentioned it.”
“Max keeps things pretty much to himself. And since I am never here for the balls, I suppose
I nodded. “I’m going to Faerie. I don’t want to see you this weekend,” I said as I turned away, ready to cry.
“As you wish, Princess.”
I turned back toward him, but he was gone. I sighed and sank down on my bed. A few tears slipped down my cheeks and it was enough to open the floodgates. I could hear rain pelting against my windowpane in a soft comforting patter. I fell asleep curled up on my bed hugging my bag of books and toiletries to my chest.
Sometime during the night Mom must have come in and put a blanket over me, because when I woke my bag was across the room on my desk and I was underneath a warm fuzzy blanket that was normally kept in the linen closet for guests. My head hurt from my night of tears, so I took a quick shower and went downstairs to find some aspirin.
“Good morning, sweetheart. I made you some French toast and bacon,” Mom said as I entered the room and sat down at the table.
“Thanks , Mom.”
“You want to talk about it?” s he asked sitting across from me.
“Not really. There isn’t anything to talk about.”
“Did that boy do something that upset you?”
“Who? Michael? No, it’s not him,” I replied with a small smile. “He’s coming over Sunday afternoon to work on an English assignment.”
“Well if it’s not Michael and nothing happened last night, why were you crying?”
“It’s nothing , Mom. Really, I’m over it,” I said avoiding her eyes. “I’d better go. I’m supposed to work with Tatiana today.”
“All right, H oney. But remember I am here if you need to talk.”
“Thanks , Mom.”
I ran back upstairs, grabbed my bag and flashed myself to the entrance of Faerie. Thane was once again on the door. “Morning , Thane.”
“Good morning , Princess,” Thane said opening the door for me.
“Auberon still has you on guard duty?”
Thane smiled. “You could say that. Have a nice day, Princess.”
I went to my chamber, tossed my bag on my bed and went in search of Tatiana. I found her in her rooms mixing oils into a small black pot. “Good morning , Tatiana.” I very rarely called her Great Grandmother, she didn’t really care for it.
“Good morning, my dear, you’re early.”
“Not really.”
“How was your date?”
“Fine,” I said hoping to avoid the rest of that conversation. “What are you working on?”
“Well, I thought today we might work on your beauty magic…” Tatiana said with a smile. “You know, as Queen of the Light, it will be your job to make sure the flowers and other plants bloom as beautiful as possible.”
“I know,” I replied touching a rosebud and watching it spring to life.
“And you still haven’t created the bloom that will be your calling card. You will need to do that when you make your come-out.”
I frowned. I’d fo rgotten all about that. My come-out as Tatiana called it was a large party with all of the Nobles, where Auberon and Tatiana introduce me as heir to the throne. Currently my brother was the heir, but it was only temporary until I could take over. He had his hands full with being King of the Felidae clan and didn’t want the throne of Light and Illusion. “How long do I have?” I asked frowning.
“Your come-out ball is to be on Yuletide, December twenty second. It shall be a masked ball. I do so love masked balls, don’t you?”
“I’ve never been to one.”
“Oh I’d forgotten this will be your first ever ball with the Nobles,” Tatiana said with a smile. “You shall love it. As the ball will be in your honor, you will get to choose the leader of the Wild Hunt and ride with them as they go after the oath breakers. It’s so exciting.”
“The Wild Hunt? You still do that?”
“Yes dear, every year. Your brother has been the Huntsman for the last fifteen years . I am surprised he never mentioned it.”
“Max keeps things pretty much to himself. And since I am never here for the balls, I suppose
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