Blood Marriage

Five: In Which Alice Meets a Prince

Sleeping next to Xavier was a little like sleeping next to a statue.

It wasn't just the cold. It was also that his entire body seemed to be made of rock-hard muscle. Even the parts where a normal person should have had fat deposits of some kind were just... solid. It was a little unnatural, the polar opposite of everything that Alice knew about human and animal forms alike.

She thought for a moment that she should ask Ellie if this was an Other trait that went across the board. Ellie would at least know from her own experiences.

... And then she wondered if she'd ever see Ellie again.

Alice didn't sleep much that night, and not just because she was in an unfamiliar place sleeping next to someone who felt rather stiff. Xavier tried once more to entice her into sex after their return to their room, but Alice felt... almost a little nauseated thinking about it. She couldn't figure out exactly what was wrong or why she felt so uneasy around a man who was clearly affectionate towards her, but...

Stay alert, the bird had said. Alice didn't know the fae, but she knew animals. Birds didn't like to lie.

It might be best to do a little more investigating before she lost herself in married life... no matter how badly she wanted to embrace the idea of a royal marriage.

At least she wasn't entirely alone. Xavier was cold, but Missy's warm, furry little form stayed firmly tucked next to her all night. Possums were largely nocturnal creatures, but Missy hadn't moved, staying by Alice's side while she slept. It was possible that the little animal had decided to adjust her schedule to match a more human one, but she had yet to confirm it.

"Does that animal really need to accompany you everywhere?"

"Like I said, Missy goes where I go," Alice said, shrugging. The possum let out a huff of agreement from where she sat on Alice's bare shoulder.

She was wearing fae style clothing again, this time with shoes that matched. Instead of her old, short, leather boots, she wore knee-height, soft-soled shoes of smooth suede. They laced up her leg and fit like a glove, leaving her feeling like she was almost walking barefoot through the gardens.

Her dress was blue today, long and flowing, designed with a halter neckline and an open back that made her feel incredibly exposed. The fabric was beautiful and soft, and the sun was warm on her back, but she thought it might still take a while to get used to the looser style of fae clothing. As she walked through the gardens, Alice jumped every time leaves brushed the freckled skin of her upper arms, used to looking for poison ivy, spider webs, or other hanging hazards in the woods.

The place gardens could hardly be described as hazardous, though. Rather than familiar pine and birch trees, the walled space just outside the palace had a few large oaks and crepe myrtle trees, bushes growing six feet tall and laden with out of season flowers, and green ivy vines snaking up the outer walls, the coverage so thick that Alice couldn't see the stone at some places. There were even fruit-bearing plants dotted here and there, though Alice didn't recognize the fruits. They looked a little like mountain blackberries, but perhaps the magic around them has changed them.

It was a beautiful space, but... she couldn't help but notice that the few animals in sight seemed to veer away from them. Just when she'd catch sight of a bird or a squirrel, it seemed to look at her, look at Xavier, and immediately bolt in the opposite direction. A garden so laden with fruit and flowers would normally be an incredible attraction for animals. Instead, they seemed to be giving Alice and Xavier a wide berth.

"You are welcome to enjoy the gardens a little longer, if you'd like, but do not leave the walls," Xavier said as they rounded a corner taking them back towards the place. "I shall see you for our midday meal."