Cardan and Jude

The Revel (And Meeting Again)

I splutter and roll onto rough forest ground. The bag is still over my head and I rip it off before the lavender can consume me again. 

I'm in a cage. 

The revel still goes on, but I can't see it. I can only hear the music and laughter carried on the breeze. Faint rays of moonlight catch the tops of the trees around me and I know I'm running out of time to return Thomas to his mother. The bars of the cage are made of iron - this is meant for a faerie. I stick my hands through the gaps and wrestle with the heavy duty lock, pulling a pin from my hair to stick in the keyhole. As soon I push the pin in however, a wave of pain travels through my hand down my arm and I'm pushed backwards by an invisible force. My lockpick is twisted beyond redemption and I sigh, defeated. 

'Having trouble?' 

The time has come. 

I keep my back turned to the visitor, spinning away from his face. 

'Just fine actually.' 

'Jude, look at me.' 

I point my chin up and stay turned. 

'Jude.' His voice is much closer. It hums through me, boiling my blood until I see red. The voice I've thought of for so many days, metres away from me. And I'm frozen.

He comes in front of me and I don't move, staring him down. 

'How I've missed you...' He whispers. He reaches a hand out to me, and gently cups my cheek. The iron bars burn an angry mark into the pale skin of his wrist but he doesn't even flinch, too busy gazing at my face. I don't break the eye contact, holding steadfastly, my heart beating a million times a minute. My eyes betray me and a single tear drips from my lower lashes onto his knuckles. His lips turn upwards slightly and I snap, pushing his hand from me.

'Don't touch me.' I snarl, backing away into the far corner of the cage. He looks hurt for less than a second and quickly his calm demeanour returns. 

'I haven't felt the same since you left. I'm sorry my love-'

'Don't you dare call me that.' I spit. 'Not after forcing me to leave my home. Not after marrying me. Not after- not after loving me.'

'After loving you? You don't think I still do? You don't think I tried to stop? For your sake and for mine? Jude, I spent days in pain, lying in my bed after I said those awful words. Darling Jude-'

'Stop! If you truly never meant to banish me then you would never have uttered such things, Cardan. I would've stayed beside you as your queen. And those letters-'

'So you did receive them! Why would you never come to the border? The nights I suffered-'

'Quit moaning about how much you've suffered and lamented for me! I'm the person who lived in the human world for months on end, working to keep my brother and sister safe. Not once could I rest and be assured that no harm would come to them! Because of you Cardan! I thought you had betrayed me and would come knocking any second to take everything I've ever loved - to end every chance Oak had to become High King and reinstall peace in Faerie!'

'You never payed attention to my words.' 

'Cardan now is not the time to hassle me-'

'Jude. I said only a royal could pardon you.' 

'And? When was I ever going to see you?'

'Jude how dense are you?!'

I think and come to the conclusion, waiting impatiently for my frustratingly slow head to realise.