In My Possession

Chapter 16- The Engagement Gift

After dismissing Ethan and Caleb, I retreated to my room were I set up all the ingrediants for an awesome girls night. I had stripped my bed of al blankets and pillows and had made a giant nest on the floor in front of my tv. I stocked my fridge with soda and had two packages of oreos. I had some of the funniest movies in the world ordered on pay-per-view, and had warned all the staff to keep any boys away from my door. The only thing missing was Jean.

I had texted her to meet in my room fifteen minutes ago. It was very likely she had gotten lost, I was,however, unwilling to look for her since there was  possibility I could run into anybody else. I was in an anti-social mood and was sick of people demanding favors or trying to seduce me and so I was going to wait at least ten more minutes before searching for her. I absently flipped through a book that was lying on my bedstand. It had a picture of every painting in the castle. There were several landscapes of the grounds with colors so bright it looked surreal. There was also a portrait of every Queen since Emily.

Emily looked alarmed in her painting, as though something unexpected and unpleasant had happened to her. She was dressed in a white victorian dress, a poor choice since she was pale and it washed her out completely. I flipped to the next page, Her Majesty Queen Melissa. She had obviously seen the problem with the white dress and worn a dark green velvet one that complimented her eyes nicely. She also looked distraught, her eyes discreetly puled together with a hint of panic in her eyes. I turned the page again. Her Majesty Queen Sarah, Her Majesty Queen Jasmine, Her Majesty Queen Amanda. The names blurred together as I flipped thorugh pages of horrified faces. Whenever we saw paintings of the Queens they always looked so regal and calm. These were just girls my age who had been torn form their former lives.

"Good Evening Cinderella." I snapped the book closed and whipped my head around to see Walker standing in my doorway. I hastily stood up, pulling a sweatshirt over my head, painfully aware of my lack of clothing.

"Cinderella?"

"You've been chosen at the ball and have been made a princess; I thought it was an accurate nickname." He said lazily, his tone contradictory to his bright and frenzied eyes.

"If I'm Cinderella, where my fairy godmother?" I asked, wondering why the servants let him through after I'd told them not to let any boys near.

"I was under the impression my dad was your fairy godmother." He said with a wicked grin. "Don't tell him I said that though, I don't think he'd be happy being called it." I smiled with him, caught up in his charm I inched closer to the door, his eyes tracking my every move.

"Yes I guess he is. So may I ask why you have blessed me with your prescence?"  His eyes glinted in the moonlight.

"I wanted to take you for a walk,if you weren't doing anything." His eyes wandered over the giant heap of blankets and pillows and I flushed in embarrassment.

"I am doing something actually, so if you would excuse me." I gave him a meaningful look but he just smiled again.

"If you plans involve your friend Jean then I regret to infrom you she is otherwise occupied with one of the servants." He said mischieviously,a triumphmant look in his eyes. I mentally cursed Jaean and her flirtatious ways.

"Well then I guess I am free, if you would only give me a minute to change."

"Of course." He swept a dramtic bow and left to stand in the hallway, closing the door after him. I exhaled in relief and quickly went to change.

Five mintues later I was walking through the halls with walker, clothed in jeans and a sweatshirt that advertised for 'Joe's Stop and Go'. Luckily, Walker was also dressed casually in a pair of darkwash jeans and a plain cotton shirt. He led me through the halls and out into the gardens, all the while asking me about my life.

"Did you enjoy public school? I've always wanted to go but my father was rather reluctant for me to be with the 'common peole' as he said." His siad in disgust.

"That's a shame, becuase it's pretty cool. Lots of people and we have a ton of electives: choir, pottery, photography, computer design...." I trailed off as we passed by a stone fountain featuring a lifesizes mermaid pouring water down her back. The night air was crisp and felt good on my skin, the fresh smell of pine making me feel like we were in the mountains.

"And what elective did you take?" He asked staring at me with curiosity.

"I took one thats considered nerdy: Gardening. We have small flower and vegetable patch behind the school that we used to work on."  Jean always gave me grief for being in the 'hippie club' as she called it but I liked it.

"That's not surprising. Nature is the origin of magic, where we get our powers from. It's only natural that you should want to be near it." He explained as we approached a small pond, black in the nigth, surrounded my trees and wildflowers. He crouched down near the edge and beckoned me to do the same. I cautiously did as he wanted.

"This is why I brought you out here, I wanted to show you something." He whispered, his eyes gaining that manic look again. He glanced at his watch and then let out a soft but highpitched whistle. We watied a couple seconds and it was soon taken up, echoing all around us.

"What the-"

"Shh." He stopped me as I gazed in wonder.

Small lights were dancing across the pond, creating patterns and  pcitures of flowers as the lights moved with a grace and habit of something you've done a million times. As we watched the wildflowers began to glow: soft pinks, and cool teals, all the plants coming alive as the whistling changed into a melody. It sounded familiar and echanting. It spoke of magic and adventures and  romance. The ligths on the pond began to dance in frenzy as the tempo picked up, coming up from the surface of the water to create a giant swirl of lights and the plants pulsed to the music interchagngebly. With a final swell the music cut off to the single whistle that Walker had made earlier and the scene froze, all the lights freezing in midair long enough fot me to identify small humanoid shapes. And then the plant's light began to fade and the small glowing creautres drifted back into the pondl fading until the lights were gone and the only thing left was the whistle which lasted a mintue until it too, stopped.

I didn't sya anything, overcome with the beauty of the scene. I was surprised to find tears in my eyes and I hastily wiped them away.

"It's always overwhelming the first time you see the pond." Walker whispered to me, reminding me of his presence.

"Sorry, I don't ususally cry."  I said, moving my legs into a more comfortable postition. "What was that? It was amazing."  Walker leaned back onto his hands.

"It's the Pond of Peace, Benjamin created it for Emily long ago as an engagement gift. The magic to activate it as handed down my him all the way to me. It's my favorite place in the entire world. Even without the Fairies it's beautiful."

"Is that what they were?" I asked. "Fairies?" He nodded, turning to lookat me as the moon reflected onto the pond, bathing the scene in a new light.'

"There is so much magic in this world." He whispered. "So many things I want to show you." He gaze was intense and I looked away. Not wanting to see the hope and yearning in his eyes.

NOt a lot of comedy in this chapter, it's supposed to be more serious, but I wanted to have a special scene wiht Walker. Hope you enjoyed it-Kam