The Bad Fairy (girlxgirlxgirl)

20. A storm on the blue river

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"Dieq, can I ask you a question?"

The blue river is especially beautiful at night. The stars shine down on it, reflecting off the surface and creating an identical sky. The trees hang nicely over the river and their leaves dip right below its surface. The night casts long shadows over the forest path next to the river, sometimes creating scary illusions from the weirdly shaped trees or rocks. Branches get in their faces and roots stick up from the ground. But their horses move calmly under the moonlight.

"What?"

They are all tired, but none of them dare say it out loud. Out of the three of them, Eang is the most composed one. He's a soldier, after all. The best of the best. His head is held high as he rides first down the forest path, face stone cold and eyes just as open as they were during the day. They haven't eaten properly in the last day they've been travelling from the market town down to this river, nor have they slept, but that doesn't seem to bother him much.

Dieq and Nayan also try to look unbothered. They are both military men, after all, as all royal children have to undergo a military education. Dieq is doing a better job at it than Nayan is, though. His eyes are still wide open and he hasn't yawned once. Nayan can't help it. He yawned when the sun set. Fairies have strict schedules, with early bedtimes. It's a part of their schedule. Nayan isn't used to staying up so many nights in a row. But as prince, he's going to have to act like he is.

So, to help pass the time, he has finally gathered the courage to ask the crown prince a question. The question, in fact. The question that has been on his mind for quite some time now.

"What happened that day Chepi came to you? You know, like... five years ago?"

Eang turns around to look at them, but quickly looks away. Dieq glances at Nayan. He doesn't know what to say. It's been a long time since then, it almost feels like forever. When Chepi came it had only been a short while since the king fell ill. Dieq loves being in power. He doesn't want to remember what it was like before that, so Chepi has been in his life for as long as he wants to remember. But that must mean that she has been gone from Nayan's life for the same amount of time.

Dieq doesn't recognise himself from the past. He doesn't recognise the way he first looked at Chepi, the way he first talked to her. Things have changed so drastically since then.

Nayan sighs at the lack of answer. "How was she? What did she say to you? What did you say to her? Can't you at least tell me something about it?"

Dieq looks at him.

"I don't remember much of it"

"We found her by the city gates, your highness"

She looks strange. Laying on the stone floors of the underground goblin palace, since she was thrown there, barely having the energy to get back up. The two guards who did throw her to the ground stand above her, both drenched from standing under the rain by the city gates. But the fairy on the floor is much more drenched, her pink hair shiny from being so wet, her eyelashes sticking to each other, water running down her face, and her clothes sticking to her body.

"Has she said anything?"

Since he isn't the king, he can't sit on the throne and receive visitors officially. Instead he meets people here, in his own large meeting room, where he chooses a random chair and the guards bring in whoever needs to see him.