Beyond the Veil of Yonder (Book 1)

33. The Quiet Before the Storm

Edward paced back and forth in the parlour of his fairy house. Niamh watched him, a gnawing dread filling her heart, one she couldn't shake. Her luminous eyes, usually sparkling with joy and mischief, now reflected her profound worry. "Why does it have to be you? Why can't William shoulder this burden? He always seems to enjoy being in the heat of battles."

Edward turned to his fairy wife, his eyes filled with turmoil that matched hers. "William didn't just save my life. He gave me a new one. My brother dragged me, unconscious and bleeding. He led me to you."

Niamh flinched, the painful memory making her instinctively lay her hands on the spot where she'd once bandaged Edward's wound. She remembered the terror that had seized her, the desperation as she'd used her fairy magic to mend him.

"But I've helped you both!" she protested. "You're my husband now. We have a home with our children. Can't you see the precipice you're teetering on? I fear... I may lose you."

Edward stepped closer, taking her hands in his. His touch was soothing. "Niamh, I would never willingly leave you or our children. But I owe William a debt, one that goes beyond duty." His eyes locked onto hers, firm with resolve. "When I become king, I'll take you all to Aradon, and we'll make a new home there."

"But I'm not human, Edward!" Her fear turned to desperation. "What about your people? They won't accept a fairy as their queen!"

Edward's face hardened at her words. "I won't allow anyone to disrespect my queen. You're my wife, Niamh. And my love for you... that's what truly matters."

Niamh looked into his eyes, saw the determination there, and felt her resistance fade. "I will follow you, Edward... but I will never understand William. He could have chosen a path of peace."

Edward enveloped her in his arms, softly murmuring words of love. In that moment, they were not a fairy and a human, not a princess and a king-to-be, but simply a husband and wife, clinging to each other amidst the gathering storm.

Elizabeth, an unintentional witness to their conversation, sat by the window in the same room. The nagging feeling of being responsible for disrupting their peace wouldn't leave her. William wouldn't have come here if not for her and Dan. A sense of foreboding stirred within her—she sensed the perils that awaited the two brothers.

The darkness thickened outside, and the unease crept into her heart. The vibrant days she had spent in Iorlainn seemed to approach an abrupt end, and she knew life would never be the same.

Meanwhile, Edward and Niamh began to lose themselves in each other. Niamh's gaze softened as Edward gently kissed her lips, their words becoming intimate whispers.

Edward took his wife by the hand and led her upstairs. "There's little time we have left. I want to spend this night with you." The couple was so engrossed in each other that they completely forgot about their guest. The only sounds left were their lips meeting and their gentle breathing.

When they disappeared into the shadows, Elizabeth stayed for a while, unsure of what to do. But, realising they needed to be alone, she quickly left, her footsteps light so as not to interrupt their farewell.

The following day, Elizabeth found Niamh in the garden. Sorrow clouded the fairy's eyes, and a turmoil within her dimmed her usual radiance. Elizabeth took a deep breath before speaking. "I heard your conversation with Edward yesterday. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but... I'm so sorry, Niamh."

The fairy cut her off with a wave of her hand. "You're not to blame, Elizabeth. This is all William's doing. He chose a life of danger, and now he's dragging Edward into peril."

Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably, guilt gnawing at her. "I do feel responsible. William brought me here because my life was in danger, and now your family is being torn apart..."

Niamh shook her head with a bitter smile. "William is a wanderer, Elizabeth. He can't find peace within himself, no matter where he is. He has never had a family, never had children of his own. He doesn't understand what he's asking of Edward."

"It's a lonely life, isn't it? I can't help but pity William."

"Pity him?" Niamh's face hardened. "Pity is a luxury William doesn't afford others!"

Elizabeth's eyes dulled at Niamh's bitterness. "But everyone deserves happiness... Perhaps William just needs to find someone who can love him, someone who can bring him peace..."

The princess gave a hollow laugh. "The woman who dares to love William will be left heartbroken. He seeks death wherever he goes, and one day, he will find it, I assure you. His tumultuous spirit will be his downfall!"

Despite the harshness of Niamh's words, Elizabeth could see the fear beneath her anger—the fear of losing her family, her husband. She reached out, taking Niamh's hand to comfort the fairy. They sat in silence on a garden bench, united in their shared worry for the men they cared about.

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