Lark (15 page)

I push past him and head up the stairs, but he is right behind me the whole way to my room.

I stop outside my bedroom door and turn to face him.

             
“Mia, please. Let me properly explain myself.”

             
“I think you’ve made yourself perfectly clear thank you very much, and I really don’t think I can stand to hear any more so please. Just go.”

             
“Mia! I was just looking for you,” a lovely sounding voice chimes as Isobel appears at the top of the stairs.

             
“Isobel,” Grey greets her formally but I can see the tenseness in his eyes. He isn’t happy about the interruption.  “Mia, we will continue training tomorrow morning, if you are feeling up for it.”

             
I don’t respond, so he nods curtly before he leaves. 

             
“Lover’s quarrel?” Isobel whispers with a smile.

             
“No, definitely not.”

             
The knowing look in her eyes lets me know that she doesn’t buy it.

             
“So what’s up?” I ask to try to distract her from Grey and me.

             
“I was hoping we could get acquainted. Would you care to join me for a cup of tea?”

             
“Um, sure. Of course. I’d like that.”  I actually hate tea but considering I just had a fight with my only sorta-friend here, I’m thinking it might be kind of nice to make a new one.

             
“Come along,” she says as she links her arm through mine and steers me down the stairs.

             
In the large central room a group of elves stop to stare at Isobel and me. I look at my feet uncomfortably. Isobel must’ve noticed.

             
“Don’t worry about them,” she whispers. “They just don’t know what to think of you yet. Give them time. They’ll warm up to you.”

             
“Do you think so?”

             
“I’m certain of it,” she assures me.

 
              I really hope so. I hate all the staring and whispering. It makes me self-conscious. I already have a hard enough time walking around in these stupid dresses and heels as it is without feeling like everyone is watching me.

Isobel leads me to a secluded part of the castle grounds near a crystal clear lake. A little table draped in simple white cloth has been set for a tea party for two with antique-looking pale robin’s egg blue china. A gorgeous assortment of cookies looks almost too pretty to eat, and even though my stomach is a bundle of nerves, I can’t resist the temptation. I choose one and savor its crisp sweetness. Isobel sits and pours us both a cup of tea.

“Are you excited for the ball?” she asks as she scoops a lump of sugar into her tea and begins stirring.

“Not really. I’m more anxious to get home than anything.”

“What do you mean, ‘get home’? Surely you are safer here?” Her green eyes widen in surprise and she seems genuinely concerned for my well-being.

“I can’t really just stay here. I’m only seventeen, so I can’t really drop out of high school. And anyway my mom would freak out if I never came home.
Albercio said it’s okay as long as I check in regularly, and he will be sending at least one other elf to help Grey watch over me. I’ll be back over spring break and then I’ll also spend my summer here.”

“That seems like a fair compromise. Not that I expected anything less from
Alberico.” She took a sip of her tea. “But you do like it here, don’t you Mia?”

I take a sip of my tea and think about it for a minute.

“Álfheimr is amazing. It’s beautiful and has the most delicious food I’ve ever tasted. But it’s not my home.”

After tea with Isobel, I return to my room to change for dinner. During the day, I can get away with wearing some of the less formal dresses, but
Alberico likes dinner to be a formal affair. Which means the heels cannot be avoided.

I open my bedroom door and find Grey standing by the balcony. He turns when he hears me come in.

“What are you doing in here?”

             
“I told you we needed to talk.”

             
“And I told you I didn’t want to hear what you had to say. Don’t you think I’m embarrassed enough as it is? I don’t need you to tell me all the reasons why you don’t want to be with me. It’ll just make it worse, okay?”

             
He looks at me with what I can only assume is pity.

             
“You shouldn’t be embarrassed. This,” he gestures between the two of us, “is all my fault.”

             
I can tell by the look on his face that he actually believes that.

             
“Actually I’m pretty sure I’m the one who tried putting the moves on you if you remember. So I should be the one apologizing. You’ve always said that we can only be friends. I just seem to keep forgetting that fact.”

             
“I just wish things were simpler.”

             
“Me too. Can we just pretend that it never happened?” I ask hopefully.

“Is that what you want?”

“Yes, I just want to forget the whole thing.” As impossible as that may seem.

“As you wish.”

“Thanks,” I sigh. “I gotta go get ready for dinner. So I guess I’ll see you later?”

             
“Of course, I’ll see you at dinner.”

“Okay, see
ya.”

“Mia,” he pauses at the door. “I just want you to know one thing before I leave.”

              “What?”

             
“It isn’t a matter of not wanting, but rather knowing that it can never happen. Good night, Mia.”

              He shuts the door quietly behind him.

What does that mean? Why must he always speak in riddles? It would be so much simpler if people would just say what they mean.

Chapter 10

              I decide to spend the entire day barricaded in my room with every intention of losing myself in my favorite book before having to face what will surely lead to my demise: the ball. I shudder at the thought. I’m more than a little nervous about meeting so many elves. All the stares and whispers I have been enduring all week are quite enough. I feel like I have a sign above my head flashing: “Look! It's Alberico's illegitimate daughter!”

             
Tonight is only going to be that much worse.

             
I’m just about to lie down and get comfy when I notice a familiar book lying on my bedside table. I open it and a piece of paper floats to the ground. I pick it up and immediately recognize Grey's neat handwriting:

I thought you might find this more interesting now.

                                                                                                 
           --G             

             
I open the Cressey book he gave me months ago even though I am absolutely convinced that regardless of how relevant this book may be to my new life, the chances of me actually reading a history book for fun are still slim to none.  I’m flipping through the pages casually when Dugan’s name catches my eye. I stop. Now
this
might be kind of interesting. I turn back to the beginning of the chapter and start reading:

             
In the year 1690, King Eurico and his wife Queen Astrid were blessed with twin boys. They were named Alberico and Dugan, respectively. Given the longevity of elves, conception is a rare and wonderful gift. To be blessed with twin boys was a remarkable event.

             
It was decided that Alberico, being the eldest by less than one minute would be the rightful heir to the kingdom.

             
As the elves grew up, their differences in personality and beliefs became as obvious as their differences in appearance. Alberico, the fairer of the two, wanted to uphold the same policies his father had of maintaining a peaceful separation between humans and elves. Dugan, who had the darker features of his mother, felt otherwise. After learning about the suffering the humans inflicted upon the elves during the 15th century Witch Hunts, Dugan sought revenge.  He felt that elves, being the superior race, should take over the Earth and punish the Humans. Dugan began preaching his beliefs to other groups of elves and eventually persuaded many to agree with his philosophies. 

             
By the early 1800s, he and his followers left Álfheimr to form their own kingdom, Svartálfaheimr, where they not only kidnapped innocent humans and forced them into slavery, but also made a sport out of tormenting them with various forms of elfish magic. They became known as Dökkálfar, or Dark Elves.  King Eurico formed an opposition against Dugan and fought to keep the humans safe.

             
The Light Elves and the Dark Elves were at war.  Eurico's army was struggling. Dugan always seemed one step ahead of them and they were tiring of only acting defensively. Prince Alberico suggested they take the battle to Dugan, so for the first time since the beginning of the war, the Light Elves planned an offensive attack.

             
But it soon became clear that Dugan's spies had infiltrated Álfheimr. He learned of Alberico's plan and acted quickly. The Dökkálfar attempted an attack on Álfheimr in the middle of the night while the kingdom was sleeping.

             
Such a heinous and cowardly act brought the wrath of Sól upon the Dark Elves. She placed a curse upon them, forcing them to forever walk in the darkness, never again to see the light of day.   

              Before I can read any further, I hear a knock at my door. Using the note as a bookmark, I jump out of bed and rush to answer the door, assuming it will be Grey. So I am surprised, and slightly disappointed, to find Isobel, looking quite lovely in a gorgeous, ice blue dress, waiting patiently outside my door.

             
“Hi, I wasn't expecting you,” I say as I gesture her inside.

             
“Good evening, Mia. I hope I'm finding you well?” She truly is stunning with her waist length, wavy chocolate brown hair and large green eyes. She exudes such a warm, yet care-free vibe and it reminds me of my own mom. I was really starting to miss my mom. I haven't talked to her since I arrived here. She sent me a text letting me know she got my note and that she hoped I had a great time, but that was it.

             
“Yes, thank you. How are you?” I ask cordially. “Is the Duke with the King?”

             
“I believe they are, once again, going over the security measures to keep you safe while you are away from Álfheimr.” She gives me a warm smile, much like a mother would indulge upon a child.

             
“He is really that worried, huh?”

             
“Yes, he cares very deeply for you. Dugan's spies can be just as cruel as he is,” she says and I am startled to see tears in her eyes. 

             
“Isobel? Why are you crying?”

             
“I am so sorry. I shouldn't be acting like such a fool. It happened years ago, but it still breaks my heart whenever I think about it.” She wanders over to the balcony window overlooking the gardens.

             
“Think about what?” I don't mean to be nosy; I just want to be able to comfort her.

             
Okay, I am a little nosy.

             
“Years ago, my sister, Cordelia, was murdered by the Dark ones. She was a powerful elf, even more powerful than me. She left the kingdom to be with a human man. We hadn't spoken in years. Something I regret to this day.” She continues to stare blankly out onto the grounds almost as if she is mesmerized by their beauty, but I know she is actually absorbed in her mourning.

             
“I’m sorry Isobel.” I don't know what else to say, so I put my arm around her shoulders and give her a small squeeze.

             
“They murdered her husband, too. Their bodies were found in the middle of a dark forest. We aren't certain what brought them to such a place. Surely Cordelia would have known better than to go traipsing through a forest at night. We suspect some of Dugan's humans attacked them and brought them to the forest so the Dark Ones could...” She can't go on, but I don't have to hear the rest to know that a truly horrific thing happened to Isobel's sister and husband. I am more afraid now than I have been since first learning of the Dark Elves. 

I keep my arm wrapped around her until she calms down.

              “Thank you for being so kind to me. The attack on my sister and her husband had been the first in many years, so it was a little shocking. I am truly sorry for getting so emotional. It's been almost fifteen years now, but feels like it happened just yesterday.” She clears her throat and wipes her tears abruptly before continuing, “But that is neither here nor there. I actually came to see if you needed any help getting ready for the ball tonight?” she says as she wipes away her tears.