Daughter of the Night [A Twisted Wonderland Fanfic]

Chapter 14

Y/N leaned against Aloren, pale and weak. She was hardly able to move without the man's help, and constantly leaned on him whenever he escorted her anywhere. She had been so used to living as a fae, having all of her strength stripped away as little more than a shell of what she had once been. There was no magic that she could use that would heal her now.

"Y/N, are you okay?" 

Y/N looked up, shivering slightly as a draft drifted down her back. Aloren's mother was calling her. In her lap was a small album of pictures that they were thinking of drawing inspiration from for the wedding. 

Feeling as though she had no energy to lie, Y/N shook her head and shuffled closer to Aloren's warmth, her eyes falling shut as she soaked up his heat. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled the blanket closer to her, his face falling sad when he noticed just how pale and tired the girl was. He had become accustomed to seeing her in the stunning form of an enchanting fae, and seeing her as nothing more than a weak mortal drove a dagger through his heart. 

"Maybe you should go lie down, Y/N," he whispered. He leaned back on the chaise, pulling Y/N with him. 

Y/N shook her head. "No. We need to finish this." 

Aloren sighed, knowing that Y/N was right. Her mother had insisted that they be married within four days, three days after Malleus' wedding. Just this morning, Y/N's magic had been stripped away, and in four days, she would be married to him. Aloren hated how everything was moving so fast. He had wanted Y/N to at least enjoy the process of planning her own wedding, but now, he wasn't even sure if she would be able to walk down the aisle without help. 

"Darling, you should go and rest."

Y/N shook her head. "I'm okay."

"No. You're not, and so help me, woman, I will carry you to your bed and force you to sleep."

Y/N shook her head again. "I'm okay." She let out a small sneeze and rubbed her nose on the back of her hand. For once, she wasn't wearing an elegant gown of satin and silk and was wearing a sweater and a pair of sweatpants that Aloren had allowed her to borrow when he realised that she didn't have any with her. All of what she had brought were formal clothes, per her mother's orders.

"Mother. I am going to take Y/N to her chambers."

Y/N opened her mouth to protest, but as a wave of nausea and sleep fell over her, she succumbed to Aloren's wishes.

"Very well. I shall come and see her in a short while with some warm soup and tea. Why don't you stay with her for the time being, Aloren, and I shall send Lady Fayetta along as well."

Aloren nodded and scooped Y/N up into his arms, holding her close as he took her back to her chambers. The sight of her pale skin and ruby-red nose made him want to cry. He hated seeing her like this. So weak, so frail. It was the opposite of everything that Y/N had once been. If she didn't recover from this sickness, she would perish like any other mortal. The queen had known of this when she had stolen Y/N's magic. 

As Aloren was escorting Y/N back to her chambers, they came across her mother, who had been working on some plans for the wedding. Upon seeing her daughter, she frowned and approached the two.

"Lord Aloren, I must ask you to put my daughter down. She does not need you to carry her. She is strong enough to do that herself." The book in her hands was snapped shut, and Aloren noticed Y/N shiver at the sudden noise. No doubt she was thinking of what terrible things her mother would do to her if she didn't get out of Aloren's arms. But when she tried to squirm out, Aloren tightened his hold on her and glared at her mother.

"You do not control me," he hissed, all former kindness gone from his voice. He loathed this woman for what she had done to Y/N. He had seen the lashes on her hands, he had seen the fear in Y/N's eyes, he had seen the terror and shivers that wracked Y/N's body whenever her mother entered the room. And he was finished with it. 

"I control my daughter," the woman said, her eye twitching.

"No. No, you don't. Not in this house, and if you dare to lay a hand on her again, or say one thing out of line, I won't hesitate to have you thrown from the house." Aloren pushed past the woman and continued down the hall, ignoring her as she made a sound like a gasping fish. 

Aloren pushed open the door to Y/N's room and stepped inside, shutting it behind him. He brought Y/N over to her bed and gently lay her down, pulling the covers up around her body, and tucking them in around her neck. 

Pluto fluttered down from his perch and gently nibbled the tip of Y/N's nose, worried for his friend. Aloren smiled at the sight. He had been concerned when Y/N insisted on keeping the owl in her chambers, but after seeing the two of them together, all worry and doubt had been banished from his mind. Pluto cared for Y/N just as much as she cared for him, and that was all the surety that Aloren needed.

As Aloren was opening the window to let in some fresh air, there was a gentle knock on the door. He went to open it. Lady Fayetta was standing on the other side, a worried look on her face.

"How is she," she asked in a soft voice, glancing over at where Y/N was shifting beneath her duvet. 

"I don't know," Aloren whispered, allowing Lady Fayetta into the room. He shut the door behind her and the two padded over to the bed. Lady Fayetta had brought a cold compress with her, and she set it on Y/N's head, gently dabbing at the beads of sweat. Aloren took a seat on the edge of the bed and watched as Lady Fayetta tended to her friend. 

A sudden thought came to mind. 

"My lady?"

Lady Fayetta paused and turned to the man sitting next to her. "Yes? What is it?"

"You are half fae are you not?"

"Yes."

"Is it possible for you to cast a spell that would return some of her strength?"

Lady Fayetta's eyes widened and she looked down at her hands. She had hardly ever done magic, even though she knew that her fae blood would enhance her skills tenfold. It was nothing like the magic of the prince or even the woman currently lying motionless on the bed, save for the odd shiver, but it was worth a try. 

She pushed herself up from the edge of the bed and motioned for Aloren to back away. Aloren did as instructed. Lady Fayetta raised her hands in front of her and held them out, her palms facing Y/N. She shut her eyes in concentration as she tried to remember the spell that her father had taught her. A spell of healing. It would work for this, wouldn't it?

A few whispered words and a flash of light later, Aloren lowered his arm from his eyes and felt his heart swell when Y/N pushed herself up from the bed. Her eyes blinked owlishly for a moment. She flexed one hand and then the other, searching for any sign of aches and pains in her joints. There was no frigid internal cold in her bones, no tightness in her movements. 

Y/N turned to Fayetta, a wide smile on her face. "Thank you, Lady Fayetta."

Fayetta smiled and took Y/N's hands in hers. "It was nothing. I'm only glad that I could help you." She giggled as she sat on the edge of the mattress. "I was worried that it wouldn't work."

"I never doubted you for a second," Aloren said, taking a seat on the other side of Y/N's bed. He smiled at Lady Fayetta. "Thank you, my lady."