She's The Enemy (GxG)

Chapter 14- False Assumptions

The room Adrien led me too was about half of the size of the entrance hall, so still enormous. The bed is so soft, and the duvet made of silk and cotton. I wonder how they get all these materials. My bed back home is mostly made of hay stuffed into a thin cotton sheet and the duvet is usually made of rough sheepskin or cheap leather. This is pure bliss compared to what I'm used to. As Adrien leaves, he narrows his eyes curiously at me and I instantly lay back onto the bed. I obviously don't realise how tired I am until my head hits the pillow because, within seconds, I'm caught in a deep sleep.

***

The cold air wraps around the small cottage, like a blanket over a small mouse; a warm insulated cover over a minuscule beating heart. Somewhere amidst the fog of the winters night, the soft cries of a baby boy echo through the forest. A mother hears this small cry and rushes to the poor child. I listen. I listen to the whispers on the street. Something is coming... I can hear the footsteps coming closer and closer, like the call of an owl in the night. Louder and louder as they fly closer and closer. Closer and closer until they perch on a small branch right outside your window. I scream. I yell for them to leave- to cower- to run. Anything. But I can't speak. And they can't hear. All I'm doing is yelling, my voice turning dry and painful. Yelling and yelling. Yelling because the boy is going to die. The boy and his mother sentenced to the same cruel fate as so many...

I'm too late. I can hear their cries, smell the brassy tinge of the blood painting the steel rods. And the silhouette of their killer towers across the horizon. The same pointed ears that I saw the second before the death of my own mother. The Fae. Here they are. Here they always are. Haunting my dreams and thriving in my nightmares. Always. 

***

I jolt awake to the sun shining through the massive window to the right of the bed; I forgot to shut the curtains last night. But in a way, it's kind of peaceful waking up to a sunrise- especially after a reoccurring dream like that. I slip out bed, irradicating all thoughts of the night from my head and check out the bathroom. There's a shower. The only thing even resembling a shower I've ever had was a bucket of ice-cold water thrown over me and a towel to get myself dry. I don't hesitate and jump straight in, feeling the hot water snake down my back. It's the best feeling ever, the warmth as it hits my skin and the comfort as it washes all the dirt away. I stay in there until I notice my fingers turning weirdly crinkly and I get out quickly before any more harm can be done. I hope they will turn back to normal again.

Despite the frigid air biting at my skin, I feel oddly rejuvenated as I dry myself and slip on some clothes I found in the wardrobe. It was mostly full of dresses, but I managed to find a pair of tight fitted, warm cotton trousers and a white vest. I put them on and chucked my leather jacket on top walking out to try and find some breakfast. When I had woken up, there had been a map on my dresser, according to it, the dining quarters were through the door to the right of the main door. I check the map once again and I feel two hands on top of my own. They flip the map around showing me that the dining room is actually on the opposite side of the hall. Her breath brushes against my neck sending shivers down my spine.

"I think you'll find that this is easier to navigate..." The Queen whispers to me and I turn around to face her. I open my mouth to speak but she stops me,

"Come... we will discuss over breakfast..." It's odd, she seems like a whole different person when she's in her kingdom. Less carefree, more held back.

"Of course, your highness," I say and if it were before our argument, she would have laughed at the formality but instead she responds simply,

"Isla..."

We walk in silence to the dining room and I feel her eyes trained on my every step. I enter to see a buffet laid out on the table. There are all sorts of food- croissants, pastry, pancakes, fruit, anything you can think of, it's probably laid in front of me. I stand in shock as Isla sits down.

"Come... sit," she says, and I reluctantly sit in the chair beside her. She starts taking food and only minutes after Adrien joins with a small girl by his side. She has long flowing dark blue hair and the most innocent, sparkling golden eyes, sits down excitedly, and I still haven't taken a single piece. People are starving back home. Children dying. The girl is watching me like I'm some kind of circus clown and I glance from her to Adrien recognising the similarities between them. She's probably his sister.

"Ophelia... put one of those back you know you aren't going to eat it, sweetie..." He says softly pointing to the three blueberry pancakes she has stacked on her plate. She frowns, looks at them for a minute and passes one to Adrien. He smiles and it's the first time I've seen pure happiness fill his face instead of some smug grin.

"Emelie, eat..." Isla says I notice she doesn't use her nickname for me. Not that it's a nickname- it was just something only she called me, and I liked that. I glance at the food and then back up at the door as it opens for the third time this morning.

"Baby Brother..." Isla addresses the boy who just walked in, she turns to the girl by his side, "Viviane, Good Morning." It's the same boy I had seen in the throne room yesterday. He eyes me with interest and sits to the other side of Isla.

"I hate it when you call me that," he moans and she kisses the top of his head,

"That's why I do it." They both smile and I see a hint of the girl I once knew within it.

"Emelie, you may as well eat, today is going to be a busy one," Archer, Isla's brother, says. He has the same beautiful blonde hair that tumbles down Isla's shoulders. I begin to speak but the door opening again interrupts me.

"Sup moody Fae bastards?! I heard there's a human in the castle, why wasn't I called?!" A voice yells and a girl with dark hair and purple highlights bursts into the room a smaller boy trailing behind her.

"Shut up Naidia!" He yells after her pointing towards me sat in shock on the table.

"Well isn't it just dull in here? And you reek! Wow, what's your name human?" She says looking over at me over-enthusiastically. I go to answer but Isla does it for me,

"Her name is Emelia, now sit down Naidia!" She snaps at her and I breathe out angrily.

"Oh damn, someone is pissed at you..." she says rhythmically, drumming her fingers on the table.

"Naidia... my sisters here. Keep the cursing to a minimum please," Adrien says politely, and she walks over, ruffling his hair aggressively,

"Sorry, dude!" She says smiling at him. He grins up at her like this is a normal occurrence then glances to the boy behind her,

"Casper... sit down..." The boy smiles at him and takes the seat he indicated.

"Oh, big bro... you are so whipped!" Naidia says smiling wickedly. And Isla looks over at me,

"Are you okay? Is this too much, these lot are all a little crazy..." I roll my eyes.

"Your friends are fine Isla," I snap unexpectedly even for myself, "I have to go." And with that, I get out of my seat and head up to my room, behind me, I hear the last sentence,

"You screwed up big time with this one Isla."

A/N

Hope you enjoyed, have a lovely day!