Etherea: The Lost Daughter

5

Dusk and Dawn passed without so much as a stir from Nia. Still unused to her magic, she had wiped out all her energy against the Abhartach. It was Rian who finally decided she had rested enough, as he jumped on her bed. Nia grumbled awake; no grace of the Fae could make one a morning person. "Why?" She asked as she sat up, hair askew. Laughter from the doorway had her scrambling to pull the soft duvet over her face "does privacy not exist in this damned land?" She groaned as she hurtled the book from her nightstand at Torrin, who carried a bejewelled tray of food that she had not noticed.

He sidestepped the book, barely, as it slapped against the wall where his head had just been "by the Fates girl, stop trying to maim me" Torrin grumbled as he set the tray down on her bedside table "well, aren't you going to give it to her?" Rian questioned, to the disdain of his brother "I was going to" Torrin murmured as Uaine entered the room "he was in fact, not" Uaine confirmed as he sat in the lounge chair "well what is it?" Nia asked with frustration, she truly did not enjoy surprises; no matter how much the world liked to throw them at her.

Torrin begrudgingly took an envelope from his pocket, crumpled but unopened. As if he had instantly thrown it away before deciding against it. He dropped the letter on Nias lap with distaste. She could have guessed who it was from without the glistening silver 'Lorcan' illustrated across the envelope. His handwriting was magnificent. "Stop examining the lettering and see what he wants" Uaine huffed, which caused Nia to send him a glowering stare. "For having a lifespan of thousands of years, you Fae have no patience" she tsked as she opened the letter. A delicate bracelet of silver leaves fell as she opened the pages.

It was so dainty, so delicate as she held it up to the sun to admire, she voiced her thoughts as it shone. Torrin scoffed once again "probably made by the children of slaves" a reverberating slap sounded within the room as the bracelet had been volleyed against the wall. "Excuse me?" She balked; letter abandoned. She had forgotten, in the haze of her tiredness. Nia's blood boiled. Her mind flashed to the white shackles which adorned the Fae men's feet as they had carried a trove of gifts into the ballroom. The human world had that disgusting practice, she still could not believe the Fae held the same ideals. By some miracle, the jewellery had not shattered into a thousand pieces. "Most in allegiance to Ciar still carry out the practice, they see them as low-born Fae determined only worthy to serve the High Fae" disgust ran through her "that is the most horrid thing I have ever heard" Nia told them with honesty. She held true to her belief that no one man had been made better than any other. The bracelet forgotten; Nia returned her attention to the letter with curiosity. She knew even if she did not reply, her curious mind would not rest until she had read what he wrote.

Dearest Elvinia,

Though I did not have the pleasure of enjoying your company for long, I cannot contest the ache that you have planted in my heart; I must see you again. I know my brothers have sent gifts already, but I do hope you will accept a gift of my own, I am painfully aware it pales in comparison to your beauty, and I do not blame Torrin for hiding you away. You would do me a great honour if we could meet again, on neutral grounds of course; perhaps Avenere? I shall wait for you there.

x Prince Lorcan

"He wants to meet, on neutral ground, he calls it Avenere" Nia relayed as she finished reading, she decided it better to be honest than listen to his words and lie. This would work finely if she were to attempt to seduce him. "Absolutely not" Uaine answered first, Nia saw the gleam in Rian's eye as if to say, 'we will go no matter what'. With that in her arsenal she let her shoulders fall with false defeat. "Fine, but if you must control who I see then I must demand privacy if this is to be my room" the trio left her at that and in the silence, she let loose a breath of relief. The triumphant look on Torrin's face made her chuckle. Since he had gotten over the shock of what she was, he had looked at her like no other man had; it gave her butterflies and sent a blush across her face whenever she thought of his caring eyes.