𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫 || 𝐀𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐑 𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐂 ||

20. Verlaris p.t ii

Meira:

The dress was beautiful. Stunning. The softest, silkiest material that had ever touched my skin.

It was love at first sight.

I did a little twirl on the podium, admiring the floor length skirt that was layers and layers of tulle and silk of the lightest blue.

It reminded me of the sky.

Azriel watched me with a small smile on his normally masked face, light in his eyes as he watched me dance playfully around the room before I roped him in, and he spun me around the room, and soon we were doing a full on waltz around the fitting room.

We fitted perfectly against each other, his cheek resting against his chest as he slowly dances around, until he tucks a lock of hair behind my ear, his  lips brush my ear and he whispers, "You look breathtaking."

He sends tremors down my spine. I look up at him and ever so slowly, the room starts to fade out. I realise just how close his face is, millimetres from mine, and as our faces lean towards each other, his arm around my waist, lips close to mine-

"What do you think about the dress, Miss?"

The old lady looks at me through her half moon spectacles, with a small smile on her face. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No," I whisper at the same time Azriel says "Yes."

I go bright red and I can feel Az stiffen next to me, so I gently take is hand in mine and slowly brush my fingertips against his knuckles, drawing moons across his palm.

He instantly relaxes.

"Well, after you mentioned you liked the riding corset I gave you last time you came her, I made a few other samples up, this time with bigger pockets, and another dagger sheath built into the front."

I freeze.

Az stops breathing beside me.

"How long ago was that?" I ask hoarsely.

"Oh," The old lady looks taken aback. "We're talking a couple of centuries ago, but I never forget a loyal customer. Especially such a brave warrior."

I swallow. "And who am I?"

The lady looks like over grown 3 heads.
"Why you're Lady Merianna. Rider of The Moon."

I shake my head, tears clogging my eyes as they drip down my cheek. "I don't remember," I whisper.

The lady looks at me with pity as she shakes her head. "Oh you poor thing! The past High Lord did mention all your memories would be gone when he commissioned the dresses for you for the mortal realm. It was the safest place he could stash you, of course."

"What are you saying?" Azriel steps forward, arm securely around my waist, protectively.

"Let me show you," And before either one of us can stop her, she throws a crescent knife at my head.

_*_*_*_*_*_*

Azriel:

I watched, in horror, and slow motion, as that bitch through a dagger at my girl's head.

With a cry, I rush at the old woman, Meira ricochets out of my arms and onto the floor, light all around her as the shadows and light combine and surround her, and the knife starts to glow.

Somehow out of all of this, she manages to yank it out, and slowly starts to rise.

There's not a spec of blood on her. No, instead there's a metal circlet on her head, embedded with amethysts and sapphires and obsidian, but most importantly, there's a crescent moon resting in the middle, on her forehead, eclipsed by a full moon outline.

"Rider of The Moon." She whispers, and starts to sway. I run over to her and catch her before she falls, just as some of the circlet starts to disappear, leaving no trace but a simple, plain circlet around her head.

And the cresent moon on the middle.

I press a soft kiss to her forehead as she leans into me, and I pull her into my lap as she finally blacks out.

_*_*_*_*_*

Meira:

"I said I'm fine," I say for the hundredth time, Azrie worrying over me is cute, but a little bit suffocating, just a little.

"Look," I take his scarred hand in mine, that seems to help calm him down as his gaze looks out our hands and reach to mine, "I'm fine. But let's not let this ruin our day, alright? I know you had a great day planned out. This is my first, official time seeing the city, that I remember" I add as he starts to differ, "So let's go see the rest of it, hmm? And if I feel weird or different, I'll tell you, alright?"

He nods, and he helps me up off the chaise and we walk back to the desk at the front.

"I'll take the dresses I liked. And the tops and bottoms. And also," I say to the old woman, "I'll take whatever my last order was."

The old wall nods, a small smile creeping onto her face. "It was nice seeing you again, Lady Rider." Her eyes crinkle, and small tears start Runnings own her cheeks. "You saved my son and daughter's lives. They live on with kids and grandkids and great grandkids all because of you. Here," She passes me the crescent knife. I start to interject, but she shakes her head. "It's immune to your curse."

For the first time in over many centuries, I pick up a blade.

Willingly.

————

Part iii coming tmrw!!!