The Fifth Daughter {Fantasy-Romance}

THREE

Blood orange

·・✩₊˚.⋆☾ ⋆⁺₊✧・·

AS MAERWYNN STEPPED INTO THE mansion, its exterior charm melted seamlessly into a captivating interior. Beyond the sun-kissed facade lay a mysterious labyrinth of stony corridors and cavernous chambers adorned with glistening chandeliers.

Her eyes trailed Calia's graceful figure as she navigated the grand halls with effortless poise, blending seamlessly into the grandeur. Yet, despite the lavish surroundings, an eerie emptiness pervaded the air, accentuated by the absence of any attending staff. Their footfalls reverberated through the silence, amplifying the sense of solitude.

According to Calia, he's in his study, Mae reminded herself, her mind grappling with the surreal reality of sharing space with the Dark Lord-the very figure of dread from her childhood nightmares. Curiosity gnawed at her, wondering about the face behind the legend. Would he resemble the monstrous tales, or would he defy expectations, appearing as deceptively human as Rhaenan?

Breaking the silence like a shard of light through shadow, Calia's voice pierced the quiet, drawing Mae's attention back to the present. "So, you're a daughter of Talerion?" she inquired, her words resonating with a subtle tension.

"Well, my father's name is Ingred, so..."

In a flash, Calia whirled around to face her, a frown creasing her pretty bony face. "Don't play clever with me, human. You know exactly what I mean. You hail from a lineage of thieves."

Mae raised an eyebrow. "It was just one stone."

Calia scoffed in disbelief, her hands flitting from her waist to her head in frustration. "Just a stone? You have no idea of the havoc you've wreaked. You're clueless about the magnitude of your actions, yet you speak as if ignorance is a virtue."

Her words struck a chord, stirring a long-dormant feeling of guilt within Mae. But she pushed it aside, straightening her shoulders defiantly. She had nothing to feel guilty about. "I didn't steal the stone, so don't unleash your anger on me. Why didn't you take it up with Talerion himself?"

"Oh, I tried," Calia replied, a wicked grin spreading across her lips.

As the weight of Calia's revelation settled upon Mae, a whirlwind of disbelief swept through her mind. Hundreds of years ago? Could she truly have lived through such a span of time? "You tried?"

Calia nodded, her gaze distant. "Indeed. But before I could descend upon the village, Talerion, that treacherous serpent, offered up his own daughter as tribute."

Mae's eyes widened in astonishment. "But that was centuries ago...how could you..."

"Faeries and elves are immortal, you ignorant human," Calia interrupted, flicking her silver hair disdainfully in Mae's direction before striding away, her pointed ears and green skin marking her unmistakably as an elf.

As they reached the end of the hallway, a tall glass window caught Mae's eye, offering a breathtaking view of the mountainous terrain below. Her stomach churned at the dizzying height, realizing they must be on the top floor of the mansion. Calia pointed towards a door at the far end.

"That's your prison. And don't even think about attempting to escape through the windows; you'd be dashed to pieces long before reaching the ground."

Calia was right. The mansion perched precariously on the edge of a cliff, offering no hope of escape. Besides, even if Mae could flee, they would only retaliate against her village, perhaps even taking her sister, Edina, as retribution.