Essentia (12 page)

    "We do not know My lady, but Aiden has his men searching for a Haruspex, to see if they can help," Enre says to me.

    "What is a Haruspex?" I ask. Aiden answers my question this time.

    "It is a person with abilities like an oracle, umm... what your realm would call a witch or seer". Well, why not. They are from a different realm, why can't there be witches. I almost laugh, but I hold it in. Hoping no, one noticed.

    "Oh ok. Do you think they will help make the dreams stop?" I ask. I mean the medicine did a good job of making me not dream. I would just hate to have to drink that nasty stuff much more.

    "We are hoping so My lady, or at least hoping they can tell us what's going on and maybe a reason that it is happening," Enre answered. "So for now, we just sit and wait." Sit and wait, I am terrified of sleeping. I hope they find one soon.

    Thegan says "My Lady, for the moment we are safe. Hopefully, Aiden’s men can track one down soon. So we can get some answers. Are you alright with staying here with us?" Hmmm. Good looking men that tend to my every need. Good food and interesting conversation. What girl wouldn't want to stay? So I decide to play with Thegan a little.

    I say to him "Hmmm. As long as you keep feeding me that fantastic food and stop calling me My Lady." We all bust out laughing. Do not get me wrong, I like the sound of it. But it is, way too formal.

    "Of course My Lady." Thegan replies with a haughty laugh. We all carry on like that for quite a while. The guys were talking to each other about strategy or something, and I find myself thinking back to the kiss that Enre and I shared earlier. His lips were soft and tender. The look in his eyes could only be described as hunger and longing. He was so gentle, but I could tell it took everything in him to hold his self back. It shocks me that he is so sweet and kind, but I know there are more sides to him. And honestly, I can't wait to see them. To see them all.

     I guess while I sit here doing nothing, I could work on getting their book fixed. Being I can't get up anyways. So I ask Enre "Enre do you mind going and getting my book repair tools and the white box for me, I am going to finish your family book while I sit here if you guys don't mind."

    He says with a concerned look "Alright, are you sure you feel well enough to be working?"

    "Yes, I will be fine, plus I really want to finish it while I have a chance," I tell him. He gets up and goes to get the things I asked him for. When he returns he scoots a coffee table close to the sofa and sets my tools on it for me, 'He is so thoughtful' I think to myself. "Thank you," I say and smile at him.

    "My pleasure Princess," He says with a wry smile. He then goes and sits back down and starts to talk to the others. I notice that he glances over at me often while I am working.

    Once I get the spine fixed and finish the cover, I ask them "What would you like written on the cover?"

    Thegan and Enre both look at each other than Thegan says "Essentia at the top and our last name at the bottom if that is alright. And if you can, can you put a symbol in the middle?" They must have already been thinking about it.    

    "Yes, I can do that. All I need to know is whether you want silver, or gold lettering and what symbol do you want?". They both say 'silver' at the same time, and I giggle at them.

    Enre describes to me what symbol they want "It is a crescent moon with the four main elements inside of it. I will draw it out for you while you do the lettering, alright."

    I smile at him and say "That will work." I reach out for my white box, it just being out of reach. Thegan sees this, grabs it and hands it to me, I smile at him and tell him "Thank you." He nods at me with a smile. My white box is where I keep my silver and gold leaf as well as some other colors, so it doesn't get damaged. I lay out the lettering in a wax pencil that can be removed then I start applying the lettering in silver. I notice that they are all watching me, it is kinda making me nervous. I take a breath and finish up the lettering. Doing this so many times, I could just about do it in my sleep. But this is the first time that I have had an audience. "There you go, how does that look?" I turn the book around and show them. The silver really does look good on the red leather; it makes the letters pop off the cover.

    "You are really good at that, it looks great," Thegan says to me. Enre has a big smile on his face, he looks proud. Is he proud of me? Nonsense, it's just a book cover.

    I ask him "Do you have the symbol drawn, for me to do?"  He hands me a piece of paper with a crescent moon on it with four symbols on the inside of the moons circle. "I can do this," I say to them and smile. I put the symbol on the book. Then I put silver leaf on the moon, I think of something and ask them if I can change the color of the symbols. "What would you think if I did the symbols in color, red foil for fire, green for earth, blue for water and white for wind. If you don't like the idea I can do it in silver."

    They talk for a second and then Enre says "That would be perfect." I nod to him and proceed with finishing up the cover. After it is done I look it over, and I am, quite impressed with my work. This looks better than I ever thought it would.

    I hand it out to them, and Thegan takes it and looks it over passing it along to Enre, He then looks at me and says "You did an excellent job, Princess, it is perfect, thank you" Then he takes out some money, trying to hand it to me. But I wave him off and say "No, put that away, there is no charge, I am just glad that you like it."

    "Are you sure my lady?  We don't mind paying," Thegan says.

    I look at him and say "Consider it a thank you, for taking care of me" Smiling at him.

    "This is beautiful work my lady" Enre then says while he is staring at the book. Rubbing his hand down the spine.

    "Thank you," I say shyly. "Can I ask you guys a question?" I say to them. I am curious about Aelmere and want to know what it is like.

     Chapter Fourteen

            Enr
e
 

    'She really is talented' I say to myself, as I look over our finished book. The relief I feel knowing, that she is not upset with me for not being able to protect her from injury, is heartwarming. I would do anything for her, anything she asks me. I would lay down my life if need be, to make sure she doesn't get hurt again. She speaks and it draws me out of my thoughts "What is Aelmere like?" She asks. I figured she would request that eventually, So I tell her all about our realm.

    "Aelmere use to be a beautiful place, trees and flowers grew all over the kingdom, Beautiful birds, and flying creatures filled the sky, the lakes were crystal clear, and many fish and aquatic life could be found there, the fields grew abundantly with food and was populated by many grazing animals. The people were happy, and children played. Our town was full of vendors selling their wares. It was a sight to be seen. Our castle had a beautiful garden full of blue roses and statues, hedges and fountains. It was quiet and peaceful there. The mountains were full of creatures large and small, each unique in their own way. We use to have festivals to celebrate, well just about anything that could be celebrated. It was once a mighty kingdom, but now..."

    "It’s alright Enre, I will take it from here," Thegan says. I am glad he took over telling her. I don't know if I could have continued talking about it. Thegan then begins telling Terra the rest.

    "My lady, the rest of this story is full of pain and misery, are you sure you want to hear it?". She looks at all of us and then lowers her head for a moment. 

    "It is alright. You don't have to tell me more. I know it is painful. Can I ask you a question, though?" she asks. She wants to spare my feeling on the subject. How kind.

    "Indeed, you may," Thegan says.

    "Will Aelmere go back to the way it was before, if Ivar’s curse is broken?" she asks. she seems worried about a land she doesn't even know.

    "Yes eventually. It will be hard work, but the kingdom would recover." He says to her. 

    Then she smiled real wide and said something that I did not expect "Then I will help any way I can. I would like to see it one day."

    Thegan then says to her, "We will do everything in our power to make that happen My lady" and Aiden nodded at her with a smile. She is so strong willed, I'm sure she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to.

    I look at her and say, "If you come to our Kingdom My lady, I may never be able to let you leave." I wouldn't. I would do what I had, in my power to keep her by my side. Feeling a possessiveness, I did not know I had.

    She looks sidelong at me and says to me "That's just a chance I will have to take." Then she winked at me. My face turns hot, my brother and Aiden are snickering at me.

    Thegan then says with a laugh "She has got you Brother" If he only knew.

    "That she does brother, that she does" I say to him, leaning back in my chair to study this wondrous creature a little more.

    I was watching her as she chats with the others. I notice a few things that I hadn't noticed before. One is that she has a tiny curl of hair hanging down just behind her ear. Oh, how I would love to wrap my fingers around it and kiss its ends. Another is the color of her eyes when she turns the right way in the light, it looks as though the emerald green color is moving like leaves being blown in a tree. It's very odd but breathtaking. The last thing that I have noticed it what looks like a birthmark just above the hairline on her neck. Her hair is so dark you can barely see it. I know there is something there. I have to know, so I ask her about it. "Terra, do you have a birthmark? I thought I saw one on your neck?"

    Thegan and Aiden's eyes went wide, and they looked from me to her, waiting for an answer. She replies to me "Yes, I do have but it’s really hard to see." Hmmm... I wonder.

    "Do you mind if I look at it?" I ask her. Just to curb my curiosities.

    "Be my guest," she said with a giggle, leaning her head forward. I get up from my seat and walk over to her, she lifts her hair up, and I can see a tiny part of it.

    I say "May I move your hair around My lady?" She nodded and loosened her hold on her hair. I part the silk tresses, and I see what is hidden there. The birthmark is a circle with two small orbs with lines through them in the center. With a little half sun on the left side. I don't think I have ever seen a symbol like that. One thing is for sure, though, her parents were not from this realm. I tell Thegan "Come look at this Brother. Have you ever seen this symbol?"

    He comes over and looks carefully, "No, I cannot say that I have brother."

    "What is it?" Terra asks. Thegan looks at me and nods his head. I guess it is better for her to know about her parents.

    So I say to her "It seems My Lady that your parents were not from this realm, your birthmark has similarities to those of our realm." She is silent for a moment. I wonder what's going through her mind. I couldn't imagine how she is feeling, finding out her parents are not from here.

    When she does say something, we are all kinda shocked, "At least now I know something about them. Maybe knowing that, will help me find them." she says with a saddened smile.

    "All we can do is try My lady," Thegan says, patting her on the shoulder.

    "Are you tired My lady?" I ask her, seeing her yawn a couple of times. She is probably still weak from the blood loss.

    "Yes, a little," she says. Trying to hide another yawn.

    "I am taking My princess to bed Brother. She is tired" I say to Thegan. "Goodnight Brother, Aiden," I say to them. They nod to me and tell the princess to sleep well.

     I carry my lovely bundle to my bed and lay her down softly. When I go to step away she grabs my arm, "Please don't go" She says in a small shaky voice. She is scared, I can see it on her face.

    I turn to her and say "I am just going to lock the door, My Dear, I wouldn't leave you for the world." She releases my arm and smiles faintly at me. I close the door and head to the bathroom to change into some sleep pants. Then I walk over to the bed and climb in under the covers. I put my arm under her shoulders and pull her to my chest. She sighs and lays her head on me. "thank you Enre" she whispers to me.

    I reach under her chin and tilt her head up where she can look at me, and I tell her, "There is nothing I would not do for you, Terra." And there isn't, not one single thing.

    "You used my name," she says with a small smile. I guess I did.

    "And what a beautiful name it is," I say to her. Her face glowed with redness. Such an alluring color. I look from her eyes to her lips, her tongue moved over them so slightly as she wets them. Oh to taste those lips again. I think to myself.

    Just then she raises up and puts her lips on mine briefly, then she says "I'm sorry." The heat and hunger run through me like a wildfire. I can't hold myself back any longer. I pull her close, my hand behind her head and place my lips on hers. A tiny sound escaped her, and she leans into me deepening the fiery kiss. Our tongues tangle and dance like hot lava on ice. She runs her hand through my hair and stops at my neck, tracing tiny circles on my skin with her delicate finger. The sensation causes chills to go through my body. Never once had I been with a woman that cause my body to react this way. It's her, it's all because of her. She let out a little "Ow" it startled me, I ask her "Are you alright Terra?"