The Mirror Guardian

Chapter Twenty-Three: There Is No Escaping From Destiny.

Suddenly, a soft groan came from deep within Mailee's throat, throwing Soveliss out of his light sleep. He turned his gaze towards the young woman and saw a troubled look plastered upon her face. She instantly began to toss and turn, and he instantly knew that she was having a nightmare. But wasn't sure about what exactly.

Taking immediate action, Soveliss pulled himself up straighter and began curling his coils around the distressed woman, as she continued to toss and turn. Only when his tail had fully wrapped around her body did the girl open her eyes and barely manage to suppress a scream before she heaved a sigh of relief before she fell back unconscious. "Was it really that frightening?"

When Mailee woke up a few hours later, it was really warm and slightly soft. She snuggled deeper into her pillow.

"Wait a minute, pillows weren't scaly...Oh god." Groaning, Mailee lifted her head up and blinked her protesting eyes. Meeting Soveliss' piercing gaze, he smirked and greeted her.

"Good morning, are you finally fully conscious, Roisin (little rose)?"

Mailee yawned, before becoming painfully aware of the position she was in. Curled up in his tail, using part of it as a blanket and bed. Mailee was basically clinging to his coils, snuggled up against him.

With an embarrassed squeak Mailee scrambled off of him, stumbling slightly. The expression on his face was just the icing on the cake; smug and slightly amused.

"What happened?" Mailee asked, and marveled at her hand as she lifted it into the air. It was healed--completely healed. The only remnants of the wounds was a half-moon-shaped scar between her thumb and index finger and little bite marks from the Daalwal's lower teeth. She ran a finger over each of the chalk-white scars, tracing their curve, then wiggled her fingers to ensure no nerves had been severed. "How was this possible? It was magic... did he heal me?"

"That's what I have been waiting to ask you," said the male naga. He gestured at the dead Daalwal's body outside of the chamber. "If I hadn't done what I did to heal you, you would have died from that bite within a few minutes." Mailee's shoulders sagged. She hadn't think that he would have actually saved her. Mailee clenched and influenced her right hand, watching the scars stretch and contract. She knew she she'd come so close to dying. She flicked her eyes to him, then back to her hand.

"You mean when you bit me?" Mailee asked quietly, unable to meet his eyes and she put her left hand on her neck on the bite marks. Scalia's mouth parted slightly. Slowly, he shook his head.

"How do you remember that? You were very unconscious at the time." Mailee's eyes widened. Mailee's breathing became a bit difficult. He watched her lips tremble. "Forgive me for doing so. I didn't really have a chose in the matter. I have been watching you sleep for the past few hours or so." Soveliss told her with a slight guilty face. Mailee had wrapped her arms around herself.

"What have you done?" She couldn't breathe fast enough, not as the door inside her mind opened and closed, and images the Mailee had made herself forget flashed before her eyes. she knew what he had to do to save her, but she was not ready. She closed her eyes, wishing for darkness.

Soveliss remained silent. Nooroo whined. In the quiet, people, places, words echoed in her mind. Soveliss took Mailee's hand in his warm, dry one. Mailee opened her eyes, but stared at the wall across the room. Soveliss squeezed her hand in comfort as he brought her out of her trouble thoughts.

"Pease do not ever look at me in such distressed and horror again. Something is pulling me towards you that I can not explain this feeling I have towards you. Not do I know if you feel the same pull towards me." He lift her hand up to his lips, his lips pressing into Mailee's scared skin. "I have no doubt that you bare many names, and I shall name you as well. If you chose to accept such a monstrous beast as I. I will not force you into anything......Do you accept?" His dark eyes shone and looked at her in concealed anticipation.

"Names and looks are not important. It's what lies inside of you that matters. I'm not stupid on what you just did to save me. I know this pull that you're sleeping of. I know what my enemies will do to break me, and yet I have not allowed them to do so. All I ask is that you give me time to think this through before answering." Soveliss kissed Mailee's brow.

"I understand. However, if you do decide then I will give you this name to use with honor, to use when other names grow too heavy. I name you Lasair damhsa, 'Dancing Flames'." Mailee was held in place. She could feel the name fall upon her like a shimmering veil.

"Is this what they call unconditional love? Why was I so fortunate as to have found him? What would my father do once he finds out about this?" She seemed to be slightly unsettled, so Soveliss tried to change the subject,

"So.... What were you dreaming about?"

"Oh. It's.... just something that happened long ago. Nothing to be concerned with." She said with a small fake smile that didn't reach her eyes. He knew she was lying.

"You were whimpering and crying out in your sleep. Whatever happened to you must have been tragic."

"Well....don't worry about it." She finally stopped. He looked at her in concealed anticipation.

"This must be hard for her to express." His heart plummeted at the thoughts that she had to go through in her life. "I'm sure that I will find out eventuality in time."

"The weird thing is..." Mailee continued, "My mother once told me that in my time of need, someone would protect and watch over me. And I will know the one when I see them and will feel the pull inside me."

"Her time of need," he thought to himself. "Perhaps I could make some work of this." Just as tears began to trickle down her cheeks, Soveliss placed his clawed hand on her cheek and smiled softly.

"Hush Roisin ( little rose). There is no need to cry. If you so wish, I can be your protector. I have already stated that I will not force you to be my mate against your will." Soveliss said gently. Mailee wiped the tears from her eyes as they turned to gems and looked at him, then smiled a soft silent thanks and finally settled herself within the coils of his tail once more. "Your enemies will find the moment they hurt you is the moment I fear out their heart and shatter their bones. If they dare destroy you as they have threatened, then no one will find anything left of them. I swear to you on this day that I will stay By your side regardless of your choice to be my mate." He placed his hand on top of her head and stroked her head as he ran his fingers in her hair gently.

"Thank you. By the way..." She yawned as she was dosing off by his stroking, "My name..... is Mailee, first princess of Ashia."

"Hush, go to sleep. I will be here waiting and watching over you." He kissed a strand of her hair and let her go into the dream world. With that she slipped into darkness.