DreamCrafter | ONC 2023 | DISCONTINUED

Chapter 5 ~ Be Prepared

My resolution has failed. Not even a full day in and Aventurine is seated next to me. They brought my lunch to me in the garden, where I await Lapis.

We're currently seated on a picnic blanket, basket of food between us. I have an apple in my hand, which has been there for the past few minutes. I'm not quite sure what I was going to do with the apple, but now I put it back in the basket and turn to my silent companion.

"How did you know I was going to be waiting here?" I ask, deciding to sate my curiosity about this first.

"The Heir told me you were waiting for him, and that you would miss lunch. The Princess organized the basket." Aventurine states. Their tone is unreadable, and their body language is giving nothing away.

"Oh, well, thank you," I say, trying to continue the conversation. Aventurine just sighs and looks toward the nearest tree.

The garden is buzzing with life, as gardens usually are. Today there are a few hummingbirds and brightly colored finches zooming around the tree tops. Bumblebees are moving from flower to flower, collecting pollen and drinking nectar.

"Why are you waiting for the Heir?" Aventurine asks, and I can hear a slight hint of something in their voice.

"Because he asked me to scout something out for him, so I did." I answer, trying to figure out what that something was in their voice. Aventurine relaxes a little and that's when it hits me.

"What did you think I was doing with the Heir?" I blurt out, no longer in control of my own vocal cords.

"I don't know, something that could get you killed. You have to be careful around him, the amount of females that he's almost had banished is far higher than you'd think." Aventurine turns to me, and the facade drops. Worry and jealousy fill up their eyes. I wonder why they are jealous. They only met me a few days ago, the only explanation is-

"Who is getting who killed?"

The oak doors swing shut behind Lapis, closing with a clunk. Dressed in a gold vest and loose black breeches, he looks every part the handsome prince. The sleeves of his white dress shirt are rolled up.

"Nothing, I best be leaving. Good day Your Grace," Aventurine scrambles to their feet, bows and runs.

Lapis carefully sits where Aventurine has just vacated.

"Alright, DreamCrafter, tell me about my betrothed." Lapis grabs the apple I never ate and takes a bite. The juice runs down his chin, and he wipes it with the back of his hand.

"She's sweet, caring and gorgeous," I start to talk. I'm not going to reveal her powers, that is her own special thing for Crystal to show.

"Crystal doesn't seem to like her father, though." I finish, watching Lapis throw the apple core into the bushes.

"That's probably because he killed her mother," Lapis suggests, dusting his hands off on his breeches. "On the day she was born, too."

"Why on the twin isles did he do that?" I ask, completely shocked. Tarragon doesn't seem the type to kill his wives. Although he did appear to have many, so losing one wouldn't have harmed him.

"She was Unseelie. A peace offering, I suppose. The day Crystal was born, a letter was delivered to Tarragon. It foretold that she would be taken by the Unseelie and married to their prince on her eighteenth birthday." Lapis speaks in a low voice, almost like he doesn't want anyone to hear.

"And then what? She's fifteen, so in three years will they take her?" I ask, fighting to ask more questions. The whole story intrigued me.

"Tarragon cut her mother's head off and sent it back to the Unseelie. Five years later, we heard that the Unseelie High Lord had drunk himself to his death."

I breathe in, not expecting that ending. Obviously, Crystal's mother had been of high rank in the Unseelie courts. I wonder what will happen to her on her eighteenth birthday. Before I can ask any more questions, Lapis stands and stretches.

"Enough of this sad stuff. I will arrange a reward for you, maybe that faerie you like so much can get reassigned to the Summer Court," Lapis offers me a hand and pulls me to my feet. Pink stains my cheeks, and I realize he can read me better than I can read myself.

I bend down to gather the uneaten lunch stuff, but Lapis stops me.

"I heard a certain princess is looking for you," he whispers in my ear. I look at him and he nods.

"Someone will take care of this, go find my sister."

Stella is seated on a bench at the front of the house, looking down at the market. The afternoon sun shines down on it from behind the house, casting a shadow down the hill. Stella's golden hair seems duller in the shade.

"Hey," I sit down next to her, careful to not accidentally touch her. "How's life treating you?"

"As life usually does," Stella answers. "And I handle it with the grace of the princess."

I notice slight tear stains on her cheeks, and her eyes are puffy. Her shoulders are slumped, and head bowed.

"What has happened?" Concern probably laces my face. I do truly care about what happened to her, and if I could've stopped it.

"Another Chimera escaped. The Unseelie caught it before it reached us though," Stella squeezes her eyes shut, like she's trying to stop tears from escaping again. Her whole body shakes with the effort.

"It's alright, the Chimera didn't make it to Spring," I try to console her, but my awkwardness kicks in. I gently rub her shoulder in another attempt to soothe her.

"But so many fae died trying to stop it. I saw what happened to them, I saw them being ripped apart."

"How did you see that? You weren't there," I ask, curiosity starting to override concern. If Stella had a vision, that means she would become so much more valuable to her father.

"I had a vision. Or at least I think I did."