The True Queen- Book Two

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Rayana

Rayana wakes slowly, her eyes fluttering open and closed quickly as light fills her visions. Her fingers thread through what feels like grass. It has Ray frowning. It is so soft, like feathers. She sits up and rubs her eyes as they adjust. When she can finally see, her jaw drops and her heart seems to miss a beat. The sky is a soft, light pink with pink fluffy clouds. Coming from the sky, surrounded by more puffy clouds, a huge wall of water. It falls so slowly and shimmers in the light like diamonds. It twists off into different directions, swirling in the air and cascading in its slow elegant pace into floating glass orbs. From these orbs, the water gently falls into small pools and streams that cut between little islands that consist of the strange soft grass and are centred with blossom trees full of delicate pink flowers.

The main body of water falls straight to the ground though and into a huge, wide river that weaves through these islands and connects to all the small streams. It passes the island Ray is on and she moves closer to the bank. Gulping, she leans down and looks at the strange, slow-moving water closely. Like in the pools beneath the castle, she can see the stories playing out in the waters.

She moves away and spins around, looking in another direction. There are mountains, grey and spectacular with snow on their peaks and trees twisting up the sides. These trees have leaves of deep red and orange that seem to burn from the pinkish light.

Rayana gulps and a soft breeze flutters past her. The breeze sounds like music, like twinkling chimes and it has a soft scent of blossom and roses. It ruffles her hair and soothes her skin, instantly making her relax. Her heart slows, her tense shoulders drop and she lets out a long breath. Closing her eyes, she feels the twinkling breeze kiss her skin and she smiles.

Opening her eyes again, she walks back to the water. For a second, the water is still and she can see her reflection. She lets out a squeal and fumbles back, her breathing speeding up again.

Her eyes were glowing.

Her usual, honey brown eyes were replaced by glowing golden orbs. She reaches up and touches her face, seeing if it felt normal.

A deep chuckle behind her has her jumping and she turns. The man before her is the most beautiful man she has ever seen.

He stands over a foot taller than her. His body, which is well built but not hugely thick with muscle like a Lupine's, is covered in layers of elegant and pristine white and silver silks. They cover his whole body, from his wrists to his neck to draping all the way down to the ground. The patterns embroidered into the shining material seem to be silver, but when Ray changes the angle from which she is seeing them, they glisten all sorts of different delicate colours.

His face is long and every feature is perfect. His nose is smooth, his pink lips faultless, his cheekbones sharp and his eyes. His eyes are large and surrounded by thick, dark lashes. His iris' are the same iridescent silver as the water and the embroidery on his clothes. They seem to shimmer almost like diamonds and move like the waters. They are bright against his inhumanly smooth dark skin which seems to have a strange silvery glow to it. Above his eyes, his brows are dark silver and are perfect and sharp. Rayana is drawn mostly to his hair. Pale and silver, it shines as it descends all the way to his hips completely straight and without a strand out of place. It is secured from his face by an elegant twisting headdress of silver that has little, light pink sparkling gems intertwined within it.

Rayana's mouth dries upon seeing him, she forgets how to even speak. When he smiles, even though it seems kind and gentle, she can't help but cower away and make herself as small as possible.

"Do not be afraid," he says, his voice deep and his words spoken so musically that Rayana can't help but relax slightly. He moves toward her. He holds himself proudly and as he moves, his steps are strong yet strangely elegant. It is a way Rayana would imagine a dancer would move but even the most accomplished and beautiful dancer could never get close to achieving the way this man holds himself.  She finds herself cowering again. He raises his perfectly groomed eyebrow and then holds out his hand.