Disguised In Stardust ✔

Chapter Eighteen

I figured that would be the case.

It all added up; the heartbeats, matching symbols, and how I could interpret the emotions he was feeling. But what I still couldn't process was the fact that I was going to help rule over an Empire. As royalty.

I was just a normal guy. I had a relatively stable life. Just a few weeks ago, I was stressing over schoolwork. What were the chances that I’d be thrown into such an unbelievable situation? To top it off, this involved getting to another planet and becoming its ruler.

“...So that means..” I squeezed him firmly, to which he looked away with a flushed face, “I’ll become your husband?”

He avoided my question, but not before blushing furiously. “Your fate seems to be written out for you. It sounds amazing, but mine? I’m terrified. Right now, there’s a bounty on me. On us. Just because you rescued me. I...” he stopped himself, canting his head down to heave a burdened sigh.

“I don’t want to be a prince, let alone a Lord.”

I rubbed my hands along his stomach soothingly. He leaned his head back against my shoulder.

“Why can’t I just… stay with you?” he murmured. He quaked in my hold. I could feel a colorful pulse coming from him. Fast, green, and lightweight. I sensed his fear, and the realization that I could know what he felt at all times, made me uncomfortable. Instead of pulling away, I consoled him on instinct.

“It’s okay, you know, it's all right. We’ll get you home and you’ll be free to do whatever you want. I would love to see your homeland. Maybe you could show me around.” I suggested softly. My voice was vibrating against the skin of his neck. I felt his breath catch at the feel.

I held him closer, if that was even physically possible by now. We were flush against each other, as if we were trying to mold into one. I shushed in his ear, and nibbled on a ripple that made him jump and squirm. His fear slowly subsided, leaving with the shakes that wracked him.

Replacing the nasty fright, a heavy, pink aura oozed out of him like thick smoke. He looked at me through his lashes and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. The aura overpowered me. I could smell something familiar--like fresh grass and a warm spring breeze--an open field of wildflowers, tall grass and wheat. I didn't know why I was imagining such a thing, though it calmed me substantially.

At that moment, I wished I could stay there forever, holding Faelin close as our bodies molded.

But instead, we had to figure out how this potion was going to work. He was still tinkering with bottles and flasks, but slower from my clinging.

“When are you going to be done?” The brew looked done, but liquid was still dripping in even intervals into the bottle. He turned on his heel, gently looping his arms around my neck.

“Purta... Patience. It’ll be done in an hour. We have to let it sit.” A smirk pulled at his pretty lips.

The anticipation was killing me.

_

Now that I knew Faelin didn’t care for Lordship, I was oddly at ease. He just wanted to be an alchemist, someone normal. Even then, I wasn’t all that thrilled when Faelin split the potion into two bottles, one for me and one for him. He already said he didn’t want to rule, and he was returning to the place where he would be crowned.

Was this really okay?

Just before Faelin could bring the bottle to his lips, I grabbed his arm. He flinched, looking down his nose at me with his head tilted. He was ready to take a swig, but I wasn’t.

“...What are we gonna do once we get there?” My reluctance most likely washed off on him, because he set the bottle down and started to fiddle with his hands.

“We will have our coronation.” he answered slowly.

“You mean, I’ll be crowned too?”

He only nodded. I didn’t know how to feel about that. I didn’t think I was ready for something like that to happen so suddenly..

“Oh. Why didn't you tell me?” I asked genuinely. A look of guilt smothered his face.

"I... didn't want you to know. I didn't want to drag you into all of this. There's more, but even I don't know what that is." he took a breath, "Ever since I was born, people have treated me differently. Some were terrified to be near me, others looked at me as if I was a prize. They didn't tell me why, even when I pressed."

"Is it the special thing that Seth talked about?" I quizzed, and he nodded again.

"Yes. He said I was special.. I've heard that word so many times, yet I still can't understand why, or how I'm in any way, 'special.'"

He let himself drift off into silence, then retrieved the small potion bottle. He offered the other bottle to me with his free hand. I plucked it from his fingers and curiously peered inside. The liquid was grape-colored, speckled with luminescence. Small bubbles popped at the surface.

Gathering up my courage, I raised it to my lips, watching Faelin mirror me. He outstretched his hand and gripped mine tightly, tipping his head back and taking the solution in one try. His image began to flicker, and I hurriedly drank mine after him.

The effects were immediate; a churning so strong welled up in my head, to the point where I nearly toppled over. I caught myself by leaning against the table with a groan. I felt my body weight plummet to nothing heavier than thin air. I watched the world around me dissipate and surge before me.

Faelin’s hand slowly slipped from mine.

I just closed my eyes and hoped for the best, but instead I drifted off into a void of ink.

_

I whimpered the moment I came back to awareness. The air around me was thin and light, and I felt like I was breathing so well that I couldn’t breathe at all. The feeling was overwhelming.

When I opened my eyes, I was nothing less than absolutely astonished. I was immediately met by such a vibrant, tranquil world. Calm, warm and gentle. The ground was a mix of lush grass and choppy rock, trees thin and nimble with a sea of pink leaves above. A strange energy thrummed in the air that made the hairs on my arms rise.

The cliff I landed on was high and towering, so I could see the vast border between the Faeries and the Austere Dwarves. The Dwarven land appeared dreary and lonesome, contrasting with the friendly fusha of Faelin’s home.

A single tree sat in the far corner of my cliff space, jumbles of small rocks gathering around it. Glowing mushrooms lined the thick branches, the smaller branches shuddering in the singing wind.

Dusty clouds hung low in the sky of crystal ice. I looked down to find winding pathways through a modern city, one that vaguely resembled the traditional Japanese homesteads, the ones with curving roofs and multiple floors. They stacked high, while roads of white stone and trees of magenta weaved through the cities.

I saw a flash in the peripheral of my vision. I quickly turned to find Faelin stumbling on the ground of my cliff, wings fluttering easily now. It was as if they had no weight at all.

This was going to be interesting.

__