The Wings of the Beautifully Fallen

Chapter 6: Reginald

Chapter 6: Reginald

The fear that she had shown was uncanny, like something that I had never seen before. I could tell that it originated from her father, but I could not tell why. What had he done to her and her siblings to obtain such fear from them?

I sighed slightly as I walked forward, careful to keep my hands to myself as I stopped in front of her. There was nothing that I could do to change the fear towards her father, but perhaps there was something I could do to make her less afraid of me. Something that, normally, I would never consider doing. But, in this instance, it is something that I have no choice with. I have to gain her trust and guarantee her protection.

"I will make you a deal, Princess, Illiana." I told her and she stared at me with curiosity and fear. It was so common, so natural, and, yet, so wrong. "I will keep out previous meeting between the two of us if you will talk to me. No fear, no hiding, just straight up talking, fair?"

Illiana stared at me in surprise, fear and confusion dancing in her eyes and then I saw it. Something else. Something bright. Hope.

That was what I was hoping for. For her to learn to trust me and then, only then, will there be a chance for the two of us to get to know each other. She nodded after a moment and I knew that was all I could ask from her, but I had to try for more. I had to get her to break down that wall, to accept that maybe not all of us were horrible human beings.

"Good, now, what do you do to pass time around here? Fly?" I questioned, remembering the enjoyment and amusement my sister had when she was flying.

"I cannot fly." She whispered and I stared down at her in surprise and confusion. How could she not know how to fly? Not know the basic thing of being a fairy?

I took a deep breath as I regained my composure. At this point, asking her questions would be pointless, useless. She would not answer. At least, not honestly.

"So what do you do for fun?" I questioned and her arms wrapped around her, tightening around her waist as she stared down at the ground.

"Sometimes I will go to the library to find a book to read. Others I will go walk in the garden." She told me, her voice soft and offering little other than the answers that I had asked for. Illiana was so terrified and, yet, I could see there was something else. Something inside of her that would not come out.

"Well, it is a nice day so a walk would be good for the both of us, correct?" She nodded in response and I bit back a sigh. How thick is this wall that she had built? And why did she build it? I stepped forward, smiling down at her and offering her my arm. "Shall we leave together?"

"Very well." She whispered, her hand slid into the crook of my arm, a sense of familiarity to the action. I glanced down at her, questions biting at my tongue as I stared down at her. What had happened here? To her? And what was she really like when she was not ruled with fear? These questions plagued me, controlled me, possessed me. I needed to know what had happened before I could even attempt to try to help.

We slipped out the front doors to the gentle warmth of the world outside. The haunting view of the workers did not seem to surprise Princess Illiana, but I could see the pain in her eyes as she glanced over them.

There was something wrong here. Something with the king, but what? What could he have done to each of them, to make them all suffer, to make Princess Illiana terrified.

"Tell me, Princess, are there any flower gardens around here?" I questioned and she nodded, a gentleness dancing in her eyes.

"There is one, Prince Reginald. In the back." She told me and I smiled, giving her a small smile as we walked past the workers in the garden. I wondered if she wanted to do something for these people, to make life better for all of them, or if she did not think she could.