With nothing else but her bag of clothes, Freya took off. The faster she got to the royal castle and got her business taken care of, the faster she could get out of this realm, somehow. She left the sleeping tree, taking an already carved path in the direction she was pointed. She had no idea what kept Adrian back but he would surely know she was headed to the castle when he eventually got here and she could not afford to wait. As she walked, she couldn’t help but admire the realm. So different from home where magic and wonders barely existed anymore but it was also different from the realm Adrian portaled her to before. Faerie land embodied the fanciful aspect of magic, with grass so green it looked like it was stained that colour, the green mountains sloped gently in the horizon, eliciting the childish urge to go running over them and down the other side. Colourful butterflies cascaded from flower to flower, gently stirring her hair, resting on her shoulders and tiny creatures wit
“Why would you draw your blade on me?” Adrian asked, looking confused and Freya faltered. Was the realm already fucking with her mind? She must have gone crazy...“It’s this place, it’s trying to turn us against each other but we’ll overcome it. Come, I found somewhere safe we can stay for a while.” Adrian said and extended his hand to her. She trusted him. Her legs moved to go to him but she glanced back at the path. “They told me not to wander from the path.” She said. And here was Adrian thinking of going even farther away. “We don’t need rest, let’s head back and finish the journey.”She turned to leave. “No.” Adrian’s adamant refusal startled her. “The ones that instructed you to follow the path; they are masters of mischief. That path leads nowhere, you must come with me now.”She glanced between the path she was supposed to take and the man she loved and her eyes narrowed on Adrian. “Where are our bags?” She asked him and he frowned. “What bags?”Her hackles rose and she w
“You try anything funny and I’ll kill you.” She growled and the merman laughed. “If I died every time someone made a threat on my life, I wouldn’t have any life left to live. Give me your hand.”She did, and he held it up and grinned up at her. “The Fae do not deal well with trespassers. Your life shall be mine to do with as I please, should I taste your blood and find you an impostor.”Her brow cocked curiously. No wonder the man was practically frothing at the mouth, he was already anticipating tearing into her flesh. Well, not if she killed him first. His claw opened her wrist and his tongue lashed out and lapped a drop of the blood. “Hmmm.” He hummed and closed his eyes.Her blood would only reveal her werewolf heritage and Adrian already informed her that her kind were not wanted in the realm. Her hand tightened on her dagger as his eyes flashed wide open but the attack she anticipated never came. The merman stared at her and the veins in his wide eyes thickened, started to g
The Fae noble turned to leave and the magic ties around her hand jerked her forward to follow him. “Wait!” She gasped out, chasing after him but he never stopped. “I said wait! This is a mistake!”“Keep your mouth shut or I will shut it for you.” He drawled. “I don’t know these people! I was kidnapped for the Goddess’s sake! You must believe me, I was sleeping against a tree and when I woke up, I was down here and I had to fight for my life.”He suddenly stopped walking and she crashed into his back. She staggered back with a hiss and he spun around, his brows lowering into a frown as he advanced. “Did you say the grunts successfully deceived you?” He asked her. “I have no idea who the ‘grunts’ are but yes! That’s what I’ve been trying to say, I never met these people before today. I’m not one of them so release me.” She held her bound wrists up to him and he took a threatening step towards her. She wanted to stand her ground, to close the distance between them, to touch his sk
Her mate motioned for her to get into the carriage and she did. He got into the seat opposite her and placidly watched the scenery speed away outside while she watched him. He looked so unbothered, she might as well not exist to him and she hated the feeling. She cleared her throat pointedly. “What’s your name?” She asked him and those kaleidoscope eyes came to rest on her. Immediately it felt like she’d been electrified. She got the feeling that not much slipped past the male’s notice, could he see her real intentions when he looked at her? That she was up to no good?“Why should you know my name?” He asked and she rolled her eyes. “I must know what to call you by. I cannot continue calling you as I have been doing.” She pointed out. “Do as you please, it matters naught to me.”“Okayy I have a few good names. Asshole for one, meathead... no, demon eyes or-““You can call me Zeldaurus.” He cut her off. “Zeldaurus...” the name rolled off her tongue smoothly. “I’m Freya.”He scof
“Are you not?” Her partner twirled her. “Are you from the Winter court then?”“I’m from none of the courts.” She told him and his eyes glittered, interested. “Are you a changeling? But surely you must know what court your birth parents belong to.” Her lips curved with amusement and she wondered why they all took a look at her and assumed she was fae. She didn’t have any of their features, not the pointed ears nor their otherworldly radiance. “I’m no changeling, whatever that is.” She replied. “You know, switched at birth-“There was about a score of people blocking her from Zeldaurus’ view now. She squeezed her partner’s arm. “What if I didn’t want to be seen?” She cut him off. “This dance is making my head spin and I cannot have the host see me so weary.”Her dance partner was watching her curiously. “I could shield us from view.” He said and snapped his fingers.Her brows went up as he suddenly vanished from her site. A hand grabbed her arm and she swallowed her scream when she
It was Freya’s very first time being so high up and she marvelled from atop Pegasus’ back as she stared down below. She was awed. “They are all so... tiny!” She exclaimed. The people at the festival were far below her and she could see some of them pointing towards her as she flew away. They were like ants, these creatures that were so tall and so proud on the ground. She laughed, realising suddenly that the air was one point of combat she never considered before now. She could just imagine if somebody controlled the air in a war. The war might be over before it even started!Leaning down, she stroked her fingers over Pegasus’s strong neck. “Fly baby, higher.”Pegasus obeyed. Freya laughed in delight when she found herself in between the clouds.“Amazing.” She gushed, swirling her fingers into the air and they came away damp. “This is all so terribly amazing.” She gushed, her heart in her throat. “If only I could take you back home with me.” She gushed. As if her pretty dress had re
A few hours later, she strode out of the room after regaining her senses. The living room was even more luxurious than than the room she had been in and there he was, sitting cross legged and talking with a female Fae. Freya felt a flare of annoyance in her chest as she folded her arms and watched them. The female noticed her and stood, dropping into a curtsy to him before leaving while completely ignoring her. Freya finally kicked off the doorway and approached him. “I bet you feel very pleased with yourself after thwarting my escape plan.” She said, dropping into the seat opposite him. “Where were you escaping to?” He asked her. “Hmm, that’s my secret.”“Your course was south, directly towards the queen. I thought that would be the last place you would be headed.” He said and she smiled. “Silly me. I guess I’m just so terrible with directions afterall.” She replied sweetly and he scoffed.“Don’t bother with such pointless activities again. You cannot escape me.”Her heart skip
“Your mother was the most beautiful female I ever came across, both inside and out. When I heard she died, I was thrown off balance for a while and my court suffered for it. She didn’t deserve to leave so soon.”“No, she didn’t.” Freya agreed. “Prince Zeldaurus mentioned in your letter that you don’t wish to stay in Faerie, probably because he knew I would try to convince you to stay in the Summer court.” He said and she scoffed. “If I wanted to stay anywhere at all, this would be the place. Believe it or not, I don’t exactly have a great relationship with my aunt.” She said and he laughed.“Who does? The Winter Queen is a perfectly complicated creature but she is not without her charms.”“What was their relationship like?” She asked and the king hummed.“It was an interesting dynamics. Your mother and the queen used to be close, much like ying and yang.”“No way...” She said and his eyes crinkled with laughter. “They were. Tiana adored her and worshipped the ground she walked on w
It wasn’t until after they had portaled into the Summer court that Freya could finally draw a breath and admit that they had finally escaped the wicked witch of the north afterall. The Summer court was just as beautiful as the winter court and she thought, maybe even more so. There was none of the harsh beauty of the winter court, everything here was natural and sublime. The sun cast a rosy glow on the horizon and butterflies flitted from flower to flower. It was a lot like where Adrian’s portal had taken her before but this close to the castle, the air was different. The castle stood huge and grand, ornately designed as if it had stood strong through several centuries. Flowers draped the sides of the castle aesthetically and all the Fae were dressed in brilliant and dazzling dresses, looking as light and carefree as the breeze that swayed their dresses. “Come.” Zeldaurus offered his hand she slipped her hand into his, unable to contain her smile. She liked this side of him. This fa
Freya had tried everything she could think of to break out of her room. The door didn’t give way no matter how much she pounded on it. Her claws left no dent on the surface and her claws didn’t graze the walls either. She stared into the white roof, looked at the white walls, the white floors and she thought that the colour white had the power to drive someone mad.When the door opened once again, she leaped into a sitting position but her excitement died down when she found that it was just the Princess. “Were you expecting someone else?” Princess Kastilla asked, a smirk on her lips. “Where is Zeldaurus? He is not still being punished is he?” She asked. “Perhaps, perhaps not.”Freya growled and Princess Kastilla raised her hands. “Easy, Wolfie.”“I never told you I’m a werewolf.” She replied and Princess Kastilla laughed. “Do you have to tell me it’s day?” She countered. “About your questions, the Queen has a soft spot for him. She will let him off the hook soon if she has not
For a second, even Freya was afraid of her power and what it would do. She just knew that she wanted this torture to end and so her power exploded from her fist to do her bidding. There was a flash and when it cleared, the Queen had a shield of ice up, pushing back against her thick tentacles of darkness. The two warriors behind shouted and ran for her and the whipper faltered, gaping with shock. Zeldaurus was up before she could blink, his bloody tattered body lunging between her and the other warriors. “Get out of the way, Zeldaurus.” One of them gritted out, his body shaking with the effort of restraining himself from ripping into her. “No.” Zeldaurus gritted out. In front of her, she saw his huge body ripple and shudder and she knew he was also fighting the urge to snap her neck. “She is not a threat to the queen.” He snarled. “Think! What can a clueless untrained female do to the Winter Queen?”They paused, looking between them and oh, Zeldaurus had never been more wrong. Her
“I did.” Zeldaurus replied. “While in the town, I found a female who seems to have lost her way. She is not registered; belonging to neither the Winter or the Summer court. I have brought her to you so you may chose her court.” He replied. “The woman?” The queen glanced at her again and she felt the heat of being under her withering stare. “Come closer so I may see you.” She ordered. Freya walked up the flight of stairs until she was at the foot of the dais. “On your knees.” Zeldaurus unexpected voice in her mind startled her and she obeyed. How did he do that? Amongst everything else, she had forgotten to ask about that. “Come closer, female. I want to look at you.” She cooed and Freya attempted to stand. “On your knees.” She added sharply and before she could stop herself, she raised her face with a dark glare. “Lower your eyes!” Zeldaurus commanded in her head and she did, but not before she saw the surprise and interest in the queen’s eyes at the action. Biting her tongue
The touch of his lips to hers rocked her like an explosion at her feet. Her hands fisted in his lapels and she pulled him closer. He was still for a moment and then as if she had opened a dam, he flipped their positions and pressed her into the mirror. He kissed her the same way he approached life, thoroughly, profusely, meticulously. She felt it all the way to her toes which curled and she felt her hands shift into claws which gripped him tighter.She wasn’t the only one that felt this, of that she was sure as he finally slowed down and released her. Her chest was rising and falling fast and her lips tingled from his kiss and she thought the perhaps she might finally find peace after this but it was like pouring fuel onto a burning fuse. Her body craved his touch back on her skin, his lips back on hers and she took an instinctive step forward. She finally got the sense knocked back into her when he took a corresponding step backward. She watched as his eyes shuttered entirely but not
Zeldaurus was below with their host, getting ready for their departure and Freya headed for the roof. She took in Faerie around her, a realm so terribly beautiful and perfect. Magic was definitely in perfect sync here. It was mind boggling that the same realm had birthed the terrible barren landscape that she had been stuck in for so long. Footsteps behind her came closer until their host came to stand beside her. “I heard you were in there for years.” Syrelia said.“Yes.” She replied and Syrelia shook her head. “The time contrast still amazes me till date. Prince Zeldaurus wanted to come to you immediately but there was a delay before the portaler could get here. I nearly had to restrain him from coming for you because if he had tried you both would have missed each other.”She scoffed. “Well I’m here now and he’s doing a pretty good job of ignoring me.““The truth is... I’ve known Prince Zeldaurus for a while now and I’ve not seen him interact with any female the way he interacts
After a long and refreshing bath, Freya finally felt human again. Being here now was reminding her of the reason she even came to Faerie in the first place, the reason why she held out for so long even when her trials nearly took her life. She was even more determined now to see it done. For the most part, Faerie had not been a gracious host to her, she had seen horrors here and been stuck in Vienna’s body for years. She couldn’t let all of that be in vain, she didn’t want to. Now more than ever, she wanted to finish what she started and she couldn’t wait to say goodbye to the damn realm. She went below stairs to find Zeldaurus but was met with guards that told her he was in an important meeting and had ordered not to be disturbed. “Snap their necks.” A voice said in her head, sounding nearly mad. She shook her head to clear it of the weird whispers and turned away. “Well I’m sure you can pass a message across to him then. Tell him to find me.”Their shocked faces said that obviou
Whatever this realm was, it was the most wretched place Freya ever came across. Every single day was a battle to remain alive, to stay on top of the numerous dangers that sought to ensnare her. She padded out of the home she had claimed for herself in the three decades that she had spent in the realm she called ‘Bare bones’. In Vienna’s form, she leaped to the ground and took off, flying over the terrain with a freedom she never had before. Not once in the thirty years that she had spent in here had she shifted back to her human form and she had no complaints. Her wolf was exactly what she needed here. Vienna kept the both of them alive and even though she longed day after day for her mates, Vienna understood that there was nothing she could do about that. Freya would not understand and they didn’t need Freya’s human emotions getting in the way. Her tongue lolled out as she hunted and several creatures watched her, none daring to approach. It had been a rough and tedious journey w