Falsified (Tarnished Book 2)

38 Fair Maiden

"Artemis, so all this time you were one of the maidens?" Eulis eyed her uncertain of her intentions the same as me.

Artemis glanced in my direction. She transformed like her brother only she sparkled like the sunshine. Her crown made of woven reed around her golden hair. Dressed in a pale dandelion gown with her straps off her shoulders cupping the joints of her lean arms, she smiled at me for once. "Jaiden, I,"

I walked over to her and ignored the fact Ravela existed. This was the first time I had seen her as she really is. She always put up a front as I would, but she was beautiful beyond that of her sister the winter maiden. Her dress hugged close to her hourglass frame effortlessly catching my attention. She was much like a shining topaz even though there was not a single jewel to adorn her. "Now, why would a maiden be looking out for me?"

Artemis's smile faded as soon as it left my lips. She scowled. "Don't let it go to your head, I just happened to dislike the burdens we placed on you."

"Someone sure sounds an awful lot like her brother."

She stiffened at the mention of Mesmer and stared wide-eyed at me. "How would?" She stopped short.

"He did happen to mention the maidens don't like getting involved, so what was your reason for helping me like this?" I eyed her and she finally shook off her stunned expression as if I dazed her.

"Unlike my sisters, I happen to be kinder than I look. This cycle needs to stop, we are getting nowhere while watching from the sidelines that's why." She narrowed her eyes at Ravela and then locked eyes with me. "My brother chose to interfere, but he's not the only one who wants this finished for good. This battle has played out many times before and it ends the same, but you are different from the others."

"So, your shifting act was an act was it?" I smirked and scoffed at her a little. "Have to say, you had me fooled from the moment I met you. Here, I thought you disliked me, Artemis?"

Artemis sighed while trying to ignore the fact she was making a fist at her side. "Just speak without talking down to me, you idiot. I could show you how mistaken you are about your attitude, your highness." She glared at me. "Don't get ahead of yourself, I only wanted to ease the burden a bit."

"Thank you." I saw her expression soften for the first time after I upset her so openly. I smiled lightly and kneeled on one knee with a hand over my heart and head bowed. "I meant those words and the ones I spoke before you shifted before me into a lady who I thought was nothing more than a crow." When I glanced up, she started to laugh cutting her giggle short.

"Still ever the idiot," She smirked at me. "What's next you going to propose for my hand in marriage in this position?" She burst out laughing as she tried hard to stop herself.

I got up from the ground and stared unable to take my eyes from the frame of her face. "I never heard you laugh before."

"Uh, little brother, did you forget that the enemy is here?"

I waved him off and returned my attention to Ravela. Still trapped in thorns, he looked like the chained prisoner I was hours ago. "Right, payback time is in order." I sauntered up to the crooked fool. I glowered at him. I struck him across the jaw so hard his bottom lip split. "Don't think for second I forgot about you because you and I are nowhere near done."

He grinned and sniggered. "Well, I was starting to think you went soft on me little prince." His aura expanded around the thorns as it loosened the thorns off his limbs. He clutched my shirt pulling me to him. I gripped a hand around his throat. "Go right ahead, you love spilling blood. Show those naïve fools, how splendid your other side is."