The cold water lapped delicately at Aerwyna's feet. The gentle breeze rustling her coal coloured hair, bringing a sharp scent of salt with it. Breathing deeply she prepared herself to go and meet her new sister. Coralia. Turning her back to the ocean Aerwyna caught a glimpse of the white stag, standing guard as always. He was her father's companion but being Avery and Rhiannon's first born meant Aerwyna had a lot of extra protection. She walked over to him, running her hand over his cotton soft fur and up to his fuzzy-peach antlers. With his head leaning slightly towards her she hopped quickly onto his broad back. The stag's hooves moved silently as they ran through the forest, Aerwyna reached up, feeling the air rushing through her fingers, she giggled as little sparks flew from the tips.
Before she knew it they were back at the entrance of the palace, hidden in plain sight at the bottom of an ancient oak that stretched to the sky. Without missing a beat the stag leapt through the air, to anyone watching it would look like he was about to collided with the giant tree, but at the last second he disappeared from view. On the other side he entered Elfame and came face to face with a pair of amber cat-like eyes. Aerwyna slid from the stag's back and landed gracefully, the marble as cold as ice beneath her slender toes, greeting her father. As she bowed low, she kept her head down, as was the expectation, rising only once Avery acknowledged her. His broad smile made his eyes appear even more feline in nature, he patted the stag's shoulder, who took it as his cue to leave. Avery took Aerwyna's hand and placed it lightly on his arm.
"Come, meet your sister and congratulate your mother."
A screech of a giggle told Aerwyna that they were in the nursery, pushing the black out curtain to the side she glided in to Coralia's room, the chubby child giggling as their mother stroked her hair. Tears sprung to her hot eyes. Over her 350 years Aerwyna had become used to being an only child, yes she knew her parents would have more children one day and that her duty would be to look after them until they reached a similar age. She also knew that the arrival of her sister, meant the departure of her freedom. Aerwyna loved nothing more than to spend hours in the library reading not only Fae history books but ones brought in from the human world too, she particularly loved reading about something called 'Gardening.'
She adored the smell in the library, a heady mixture of musky wood and jasmine. The stacks filled to the brim with volumes and volumes of texts were accessible via a ladder which stretched from the plush carpeted floor to the clouds above . If Aerwyna was particularly comfortable she would use her magic to summon the book she wanted to her, though she didn't do it often because she loved the clacking sound the ladder made as it rolled around the stacks. She really hoped that Coralia wouldn't like reading, it was bad enough she would have to give up her freedom but she really didn't want to share her space.
Aerwyna picked the child up, already the size of a human toddler, lifting her on to her hip. The pang of jealously stabbed Aerwyna's heart again when she glimpsed the golden silk-like locks flowing down over her arm. Rhiannon would be delighted. She had repeatedly told her first born how frustrated she was that Aerwyna had been born with a head of coal-black hair. Their father stood at their side, his pride literally beaming out, his silver aura coating the space around him. Coralia opened her amber, cat-like eyes, a sharp inhale from Aerwyna brought Rhiannon to her other side.
"Is she okay?" Rhiannon ran her hands over Coralia's hair, smoothing it down and causing Coralia's screech of a giggle to pierce everyone's ears.
"I think only bats can hear her!" Aerwyna passed her sister to their mother. This was a new emotion for her and she wasn't too sure what it was, she decided to investigate in her books.
"Congratulations mother, welcome sister!" Pressing a delicate kiss on Coralia's forehead, their golden and obsidian hair combining. Aerwyna sighed, the stabbing pain occupying her thoughts, and left the happy couple to their euphoria.
