Ash's Place

Chapter 5

Ash's POV

There are twelve days until I am to be married.

My hands are sweating as I stand in front of the doors to the library. Xander requested us to have breakfast here and even though Finn is beside me, I can't help the nerves zinging through my entire body. What if Xander only wanted to see me so he could tell me he hates me and never wants to see me again? What will happen when the King finds out that I screwed up my engagement?

Finn places a bandaged hand over mine in silent encouragement and I offer him a smile. The healers were able to fix his hand and other than being severely bruised, he no longer has broken bones. Thankfully, it should continue to heal with time, and he should regain full movement back.

"Breathe, Lady Locklynn. After introductions, I will be right outside the doors the whole time. All you have to do is call for me and I will immediately come to your side."

I take a deep breath and wipe my hands on my navy-blue gown, trying to rid my hands of their seemingly never-ending sweating habits. My silver hair has been tied up into a bun, but some pieces refuse to stay in place and fall in waves down the sides of my powdered face. Dahlia insisted I wear an outrageous amount of makeup today, claiming the dark circles and puffiness under my eyes are "off-putting" and "sad looking." While the makeup does look lovely and really isn't that much, my skin still feels caged.

Taking another deep breath, I square my shoulders and push open the doors. Finn follows in behind me. Xander immediately stands up from where he was seated and just as he did last night, he dips into a low bow. His hair has been left undone and it falls into his face as he stays bowed. He is wearing a blue suit today and once again; it highlights his muscled physique. Specks of gold have been woven into the blue fabric and I realize he is displaying his family's colors.

The Canmore's wear blue to represent the sea that their land borders and gold to represent their family's wealth. They are practically dripping in gold, making them the wealthiest noble family, other than my own, in Terraga. From what I know, the Canmore's are kind rulers whose people wholeheartedly adore them. And while they are wealthy, they are not selfish and routinely offer their wealth to the other noble families across the kingdom. Scholarships are frequently given to their students looking to study trades or attend knight school, and the families under the Canmore's rule know that if they ask for help, they will not be laughed out of the throne room.

Finn nudges me with his shoulder and my eyes widen with horrified shock when I realize Xander is still bowing. I quickly click my tongue and Xander raises his head, a playful smile on his face. Finn takes his leave and posts himself outside the library doors.

"How are you feeling this morning, Ashlee?"

"Much better. I am terribly sorry for last night. I don't know what came over me and I apologize for ruining your night. I will do better next time. I promise I will be better."

My words come out pleading and desperate and I hate it.

"Ashlee..." his voice is soft and caring as he says my name, "You have nothing to apologize for. I am sorry about last night, if only because you were upset. You don't need to be better."

"But I can be better. I can be the wife you want. It won't happen again, I promise."

"I wasn't planning on telling them, if that is what you are worried about, dear."

"Wha..why?"

He extends his hand out to me, and I hesitantly take it.

"Because you should be allowed to have emotions without the fear of punishment if you show them. I will admit, it was scary to see you so upset, and I hope you never have to feel that way again. And the way you broke Sir West's hand with just your magic was equally impressive and sobering."

At the mention of Finn's hand, I stiffen with guilt. I didn't mean to hurt him. I was scared and just trying to protect myself.

"And I will try to avoid bringing them up again. It is obvious that you would prefer to not discuss them, and I would prefer to keep all my bones intact."

I half-smile at his attempt at a joke but other than that I don't respond as he leads me through the library, the only sounds are the echoes of our footsteps.

"Can I ask you a question, Ashlee?"

"Yes," I softly reply, and he gently squeezes my hand.

"I have never met someone with your abilities before. Watching the lights turn red from your anger was hauntingly beautiful. Are your powers always connected to your emotions like that?"

"No. I have both emotionally charged powers and physically charged powers. My magic often reflects my emotions by changing color or shapes during a demonstration, but I can also do the physical ones like levitation and teleportation. Although, I am still working on the latter. What about you?"

"I only have physical ones. Teleportation is as easy as breathing for me, but I am not very good at flickering yet."

I laugh, "I gave up flickering. It is too hard for me to figure out. I can make myself disappear, but I can't reappear unless I teleport somewhere."

Xander chuckles, "At least you can disappear completely! My hands and feet always remain visible!"

I grin and shake my head at the mental picture of floating hands and feet attached to an invisible body.

We continue to wind between elegant wooden bookcases full of thousands of books. The dark stained wood contrasts starkly with the white marble floor. Large floor to ceiling windows floods the library with natural light, securing this place as my favorite location inside the castle. Additionally, since the library is on the third floor, the tops of trees are visible, and I think this is the closest I will be able to get to understanding the world like a bird does. Oh, to be able to dip and soar over the trees, feeling the wind under your wings. How lovely would that be?

Xander squeezes my hand and I look up at him, "What?"

"You are just so beautiful; I can hardly believe I am the lucky one who gets to marry you."

"Hmm, and you get to inherit an entire kingdom, so I doubt that marrying me is really the reason you feel lucky."

I wince as the words tumble out of my mouth faster than I can keep them in. I half expected Xander to scold me, but he didn't; he just remained calm and collected.

"Trust me, dear, the kingdom is only a bonus."

A kaleidoscope of butterflies erupts in my stomach at his words, and I feel my cheeks start to warm. Now, I am feeling nervous for an entirely different reason. My perfidious magic explodes from my free hand, shooting straight into the air before physical butterflies take shape. Fragile wings of pastels attach themselves to pale bodies and the butterflies soon start to fly themselves around the room.

I drop Xander's hand, taking a few steps forward before reaching both my hands up to gently catch a butterfly. Lowering my hands, I slowly peek inside to find a sky-blue winged butterfly sitting in my palm. Now that I am looking at it so closely, I can view the intricate details of its wings. Small swirls of silver glisten along its body and curl up into the wings, making them look almost iridescent. The small creature gently flutters its wings against my skin, and I can't help but marvel at the beauty that my magic can create, even if it often happens against my will.

I gently toss my hand up, spreading my fingers with the motion and the butterfly takes flight again. Restoring my attention to Xander, I turn around and as soon as I see him, I am unable to stop myself from smiling. He is covered in my magical butterflies. They cling to his hair, his clothes and his hands. He is studying one so intently that he doesn't even realize I am looking at him until I start laughing.

The sound springs out of my mouth and catches him by surprise. A faint blush tinges his cheeks as he gently shakes his body, causing some of the butterflies to release their fierce claim on him.

"I think they like you, Lord Canmore," I grin.

"Well, I think I like them too," he smiles back and once again reaches for my hand. I step closer to him and allow him to grasp my hand in his. He brings my hand up to his lips and places a soft kiss over my knuckles. His next words are as soft as his lips as he breathes them over my skin, "but I think I like you more."