Eve Enchanted

Disruptions

Eve left her front door and began to make her way to Azure's favourite place to chat, the waterfall. She had told Eve she wanted to talk with her so she was currently strolling leisurely through the forest, into the deeper parts of the hollow, where more of the fairies lived.

"Azure, great to see you. What did you want to talk about?" Eve asked with some caution while taking a seat by the water, as the look on Azure's face was unusually stern. "Eve, listen. I know you seem to have taken a liking to Atlas. But I really must warn you, he's trouble. He does nothing but cheat and lie, his father and I... well it's just really not a good idea to be so smitten with him, trust me, I know he's a charmer but it's all fake. He's trying to fool you Eve, you're in danger with him, you really must believe me." Eve simply looked into the water, watching it ripple slowly, "I don't understand how he could be this monster you speak of, Azure, he's so calm and gentle, there's just something about him. He's different, I know it."

Azure watched as Eve's eyes flashed a red colour, then back to their usual light pink. She instantly knew what had happened, the only explanation for why she was so enthralled with Atlas, and she also knew she could not do anything about it. She could not reverse the spell, only he could do that and she knew there was no way he'd ever do it for her. "Eve, just try to feel your strength when you're with him, please. Remember that you are your own person, don't let him have this power over you, I'm always here if you need. You may go, and take this with you to read, it may help." Azure sighed deeply while handing Eve a book of basic spells, taking it and thanking her, although a little confused she bowed to the queen, and headed to her own little spot.

Eve lay swinging in a hammock, hung from a willow tree, it had to be the biggest tree she'd ever seen. Beside it a calm lake resided, lily pads resting on top of the clear water as it sparkled and reflected the sunlight. Birds were chirping and singing in the trees around the forest, including the tree she lay under. The wildlife was active, frogs and crickets, grasshoppers and butterflies all bustling about. Eve was reading the book Azure had given her, simply relaxing while taking the time to learn while she did.

"Well, isn't this just sickeningly peaceful?" an all too familiar voice sounded behind her, one that she had oddly grown to crave in the previous weeks, wanting the mysterious elf to appear behind her seemingly out of nowhere. Eve felt flutters in her stomach once again, being much too happy to see him looming over her once serine tree hammock. "Well it was. Until someone showed up to ruin it, as usual." She replied chuckling slightly, at which Atlas wasn't very amused, tipping the hammock and sending her spilling onto the soft grass beneath, replacing Eves body with his own, getting comfortable. "Atlas! I hate you sometimes" she huffed getting up and shooting him a grin before tapping his leg, indicating him to move over and let her sit next to him. "So blue has got you on the books I see, very exciting. You must be simply overwhelmed with joy, what a wonderful thing to be doing on a day like this, in a place made for relaxing, studying." "Atlas, she has a name. And you have got to stop with all this, look I know you two don't like each other, and while I can't for the life of me imagine why, you can't have that many reasons to hate her, she has done nothing but be good to me while I've been here, so don't be so ridiculous and get over it already."

Atlas tensed at Eve's words, sending his mind into a spiral of cloudiness. "We have a lot of history together, it's horribly complicated." He replied glumly, looking down at the floor beneath him, "you could tell me why" Eve pressed, wishing to know the details on their feud. "I wish to move on from the subject, tell me how your studies are going" he moved further into her, draping an arm around her, making her blush and get off track. This always seemed to happen when he would make physical contact with her, she wasn't sure why. "Um... they're going fine I guess, my control is a lot better now. Étoile thinks I'm almost ready to learn the advanced stuff." She had begun to subconsciously lean into him, watching as his fingers gently caressed her arm, giving her strange sensations. "Well, that is certainly progress little one, you should show me sometime" Atlas' voice echoed in her ears, leaving her hanging on, waiting for him to speak again, craving the sound of his voice.

The wind had picked up suddenly, causing the hammock to swing more. Eve pulled her arms close to her, shivering. "Wow, I didn't realise it was turning this cold" she breathed out, realising she should really learn to prepare for odd weather changes around the hollow. "For heavens sake Eve, you've forgotten a coat again?" he sounded playfully annoyed, nudging her side slightly sending shock waves through her heart. "Yeah, getting pretty good at that aren't I" she laughed back, suddenly Atlas rearranged himself back into a laying position, pulling Eve with him, hinting that he wanted her to huddle into him on the hammock. She stared at him briefly, nerves building in her stomach again. "Well, you could always stay there and shiver. Your choice" he said raising a brow before sighing contently, leaning a hand behind his head, and leaving the other outstretched for eve to curl into. She suddenly found herself unable to resist his pull, and indeed curled up beside him allowing her head to lay on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as it calmed her.

Atlas said his goodbyes much to Eve's dismay, promising to return and see her soon. Azure hummed lightly as she strung some lights around some tree branches, creating a path to light a way into and out of the main part of the hollow. Once they were in place and were no longer levitating around her, she placed her wand down beside her, sitting on a stump to read a book, when she immediately dropped it feeling that presence again. "This is becoming a regular occurrence, your father would have a fit." As if on que, Atlas immerged from behind a tree, leaning against it with an eye roll. "I happen to be a grown man, and if I wish to visit this wretched place, along with it's insufferable queen, I can." This time her turn to roll her eyes, she bluntly snapped, "get to the point, Atlas" as he drew nearer, he spoke lowly, "I assume you know by now?" he spoke with cockiness. "A love spell, Atlas? Have you really stooped so low? Have you regressed into being a 12 year old? Why don't you release the poor girl, surely you have better ways of doing this, you have the most power in your kingdom. Just stop your foolishness already. This is a new low even for you."

He simply looked at her, smiling widely. He gave a small chuckle, before simply dissipating before her eyes, deeply disturbing and worrying the queen.