Crown of Faeries

22 | Extol

I stood in the middle of my room with my mouth slightly parted. The large windows showed the view of the front lawn of all its fountains and flowers and statues. The king sized bed was pressed against the wall and a lovely plush rug escaped from underneath in a vibrant tone of shimmering gold. A small coffee table was set before a small couch that faced a fire place.

I spun around where I stood to look back at Weston. "Are everyone's room like this?" I asked him and he nodded his head.

"Yes," Weston confirmed. "I'd requested that you all at least get a nice room where you'd get a good nights sleep."

"How generous." I whispered and looked away from him.

Weston stepped deeper into the room and closed the bed room door softly behind him. "Caelia--"

"No." I snapped. I spun around on my heels to face him. My finger dug into his chest as I glared up at him. "You can't just come in here acting like a hero. I don't need some prince." My own words hit so close to home that Déjà vu consumes me and I could hear my mother's words in my own.

Weston's jaw feathered, showing those high cheekbones and strong jaw in all their glory. "I'm just here to help." He said through his clenched teeth.

I huffed and let my finger drag across his leather vest. The ties in the front were loosely tangled and allowed that small peppering of shimmering blonde chest hair to be visible. Feeling my own gaze upon his hard chest, I ducked my head away and dropped my hands to my sides. "I don't need your help." I spoke in a soft tone. My lips began to dry in haste and I ran my tongue over them quickly.

Weston stepped closer and I felt his legs brush against mine before he settled back. "Have you told them who you are?"

I looked up at Weston then, not understanding his words. "I--I don't even know who or what I am. How will I be able to tell them?"

Weston's eyes drooped a hair as he looked at me softly. A smile stretched across his face as he looked down at me. "You're part of the Seelie Court. A court that has much more dignity and backbone than the Crown." He spat out the ending with so much vigor.

"So you support the Seelie?" I asked in half shock.

And to my surprise, he nodded his head. "I have been for some time. I've been searching for a man, in particular. He can help me end my father's ways and start the world back to how it once was."

"I don't understand. You seemed to hate the idea of me being part faerie and then when you came to think of me being part of the Seelie Court, you hated me even more."

Weston placed a finger tenderly under my chin and lifted my head up lightly. "I couldn't hate something I love."

Love.

The word seemed to sting more than it did coat my already wounded heart.

I glanced away from Weston, not wanting him to see the doubt in my eyes. "You can't love me."

Weston's finger drifted up from my chin to trace my jaw. I felt all the tingles and fireworks where his touch laid upon my skin as he came to brushing his palm against my neck. "I've gotten tired of people telling me what I can and can not feel, Caelia. I have never loved anyone before--"

"So how do you know if this is love?" I cut him off sternly with a gaze that could slice wood.

He almost seemed baffled by my question as he peered down at me. "I've never felt like this with anyone, only ever with you. I can't help that--"

The door to my bedroom swung open and I slid away from him just in time as Freya strutted in. Good God the girl had perfect timing.

Freya stopped in her tracks as she finally looked up to see Weston glaring at her. "Did I interrupt something?" She waved a finger between the two of us in the air as her lavender eyes widened.