Never Let You Fall (The Prophecy of Tyalbrook) (21 page)

After surveying the clothing, I decided that the plain beige linen dress must be like a slip. I pulled it on and laughed at the enormous sleeves. The ends of the sleeves hung down in the shape of a bell that reached my knees. There were strings, like a drawstring, that ran the length of each sleeve. I played with them, cinching the fabric up, and noticed that with it tied up, the fabric no longer covered the tops of my hands.

The second dress was definitely fancier. The scoop neck and short sleeves had floral embroidery that trimmed the edges. The long skirt pointed into a V at my waist, and then fell to the floor with a simple pleat. The long sleeves of the under-dress flowed out from under the shorter sleeves. It was the first time since all this had begun that I actually felt like a Princess.

I tightly cinched up the laces of the corset within the bodice of the dress and tied it, then stepped out of the bedroom to check on what Xander and Selene were doing.

“I feel like I should be going trick or treating!” I laughed, as I walked out and tripped over the long dress.

I looked up in time to see Xander staring at me. His face was full of admiration, and I felt my cheeks flush as I recalled his lips on mine the night before.

“You look beautiful,” he said sincerely.

“Thank you,” I responded.

Turning towards Selene, whose ever-watchful eyes took in the scene, I asked her what I could do to help get ready. Xander said he was going to take a shower, and I watched him as he walked into the bedroom and shut the door.

“You need to be careful with him.”

“Hmmm? You mean Xander? What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, confused.

“Skye, I see the way he looks at you, and the way you look at him. You know that it’s impossible, right?”

“What’s impossible?”

“A relationship between the two of you. It is strictly forbidden. Guardians are not allowed to have feelings for the royal family.”

I felt a wave a disappointment sweep over me, but I kept my features as neutral as possible and tried to shrug off her comment. It occurred to me that she would be able to provide a lot of insight into where we were heading, but this was one situation I didn’t want her input on.

“No worries, Selene. There’s nothing between us. He is more like a brother to me,” I lied, diverting my eyes from hers. “He’s protective of me for sure, but there’s nothing romantic going on.”

“Skye, you do realize that in order for you to bring peace to our world, you’ll have to marry and take your place as Queen, right?”

I placed my hands on the kitchen counter top and sighed. I decided right then that being honest with Selene was probably my best bet.

“I know that’s what you think,” I began. “I guess that’s what everyone thinks. But I’m hoping that just by going back I can do something. I don’t want to think about marriage right now. I’m not even eighteen yet!”

“Many girls marry in their sixteenth year in Tyalbrook, so you are of age there. There are many things that are going to seem very different to you once we’re there. What exactly have Xander and Rioden told you about Tyalbrook?”

“Not much. They told me that it’s a magical land, and that the way of life is more primitive, like medieval movies I’ve seen. Horses for transportation, torches for lighting, no internet or cell phones.” I added the last two for laughs, but apparently Selene didn’t think it was funny.

“When I first came here, you would assume that I’d be ecstatic, right?” Selene confessed. “TV, computers, cars, fast food. This is truly an amazing place, full of all kinds of modern conveniences…but I’ve hated it. It’s too overwhelming! I never wanted any of this. I was happy with my simple life.”

She had been packing some sandwiches and fruit into a satchel as we talked. Opening a second satchel, she filled it with water bottles. I laughed a little in my head as she talked about how much she hated my world while taking our food products home to hers.

“I guess I’m just trying to warn you Skye, that your life is going to change completely. All the things you take for granted will be gone. Say goodbye to indoor plumbing!” She grimaced at that last comment, and we shared a little laugh.

I heard the shower turn off and my stomach flipped. As soon as he got ready, we would be leaving for Tyalbrook. I still had no idea where the portal was that would take us there, but I figured it would be best if I just waited until I saw it so I didn’t freak out in advance.

I asked Selene to tell me more about Tyalbrook, and she complied by filling me in on the weather…which was pretty much the same as in this dimension. The magic was dangerous and not to be played with, and the creatures – it was the thought of its creatures that caused the longest pause.

Selene continued, “There are magical creatures. It is a land filled with magic, but for the most part, anything you come across should be safe. However, there are things like the Semvon, who are more like demons. Those were brought about by a very old, very dark type of black magic.

Many people think that all of the magical creatures were originally created by sorcerers long ago, so that’s why many fear those with magic. The Kingdom of Tyalbrook is ruled by man, but there are other areas - areas where we won’t be heading - that are ruled by other creatures, like faeries or elves.”

“Faeries and elves?” I blurted out, not able to control myself. Holy magical crap! ‘Are there unicorns and talking bears too?’ I thought to myself.

“Selene, I’ve been having a hard enough time getting used to being a Princess, hanging out with a sorceress and having demons chase me. Are you now telling me that I’m going to be running into Tinkerbell, too?!”

The soft laughter that escaped Selene had such a musical quality to it. I was sure that my comment must have sounded ridiculous to her, but come on…elves and faeries??

“No, Skye, no Tinkerbell,” she choked out between laughs.

“What’s going on?”

Xander stepped out of the bedroom wearing his own medieval clothing. His wet hair was an artful mess atop his head, and his blue eyes smiled at me as he glanced between Selene and me.

“Nothing,” I grumbled, hoping that Selene wouldn’t fill him in on my silly comment.

“Surely
something
funny happened. I could hear Selene laughing all the way in the bedroom! What’s up?”

“I was just explaining to Skye about the other magical creatures that inhabit Tyalbrook. She had some um, interesting ideas about them. Nothing important,” Selene artfully explained, and I was grateful for the cover up.

Xander looked at us both. His face clearly said he didn’t believe us, but he let it go.

“Are we about ready to go?”

“Yes. We’ve packed some food, and I put together some travel packs for us. I’m ready when you two are.”

Xander looked at me for an okay and I couldn’t help but hesitate. Clearing my throat, I looked around the cabin and glanced out the windows and across the forest. My mind made up, I stepped towards the front door and called over my shoulder.

“I need a moment.”

Xander called after me, his voice full of questions and concern, but I rushed out of the cabin.

The gravel crunched under my feet as I stepped around the side of the cabin and took in the landscape before me. Trying to get some distance from the cabin, I started to slide down the hillside in front of me. The trees in this area had lost most of their fall foliage already. The ground was covered with red, orange and yellow leaves.

I slid on the wet leaves as I made my way down the hill. Once I came to a flat area I stopped and leaned up against a tree. The rough bark bit into my shoulder as I stood there taking in the sights around me.

A cool breeze carried the scent of the woods. All around me, birds chirped and squirrels ran around looking for their winter supply of nuts. The sky was clear blue, like a perfect summer afternoon.

My heart pounded as I stood there, and the sound of my blood rushing into my ears almost drowned out all other sounds. I leaned down and picked up a bright leaf; twirling it in my fingers as I let my thoughts wander.

Is this the right thing to do? If I can help Xander and Selene go home and fix their kingdom, isn’t it worth it? What will my life be like there? What it I just ran?
I actually felt my hand twitch and grasped at the hem of my dress as if it were ready for me to flee.

“Skye?” Xander called from the top of the hill above me.

Sinking down to the wet ground, I crossed my legs, scooped up a pile of leaves and dumped them on my lap. I could hear Xander scrambling down the incline to where I sat, but I chose not to answer him as he called out for me.

“Hey, are you alright?” he finally asked, as he hit the flat ground and slid into position next to me.

I continued to play with the wet leaves on the ground as I tried to answer him. “I just needed a moment to sort things through, you know?”

Xander’s knee bumped mine as he settled himself on the ground by me. He picked a red leaf off of my thigh and twirled it between his fingers. I watched as his gaze strayed up into the sky and then back to the leaf. It was as if he were trying to avoid looking at me as he spoke.

“I’m scared too, Skye. You know that, right?”

“You are? Why?”

“Well, I left there as a four year old. I don’t have any tangible memories of Tyalbrook, and I have no family there. At least none that I know of. Rioden trained me and drilled history and geography of the kingdom into my head, but it’s still all book knowledge. What if I screw up?”

He lifted his eyes from the leaf and settled them on my face. He smelled so manly. This wonderful mix of woods, spice and testosterone wafted off of him as a light breeze skimmed over us.

“You won’t screw up, Xander.”

The funny thing about that conversation with Xander, was that I was pretty sure he knew he wouldn’t screw up. I’m pretty sure that he was faking his fear to make me feel better. Less alone. It was one of the things that earned him my trust.

Xander had a way of saying things that just put me at ease, and for that I was so very grateful.

“If I leave here now, will I ever be back?” I finally voiced my fear. I whispered it quietly, but in the dead of the woods with only the slight sounds of nature, you could hear the words as if I had yelled them from a rooftop.

“Honestly? I don’t know,” he told me truthfully. “Do you want to come back?”

“Honestly?” I half-teased him as I echoed his earlier answer. “I don’t know.” Brushing the pile of leaves from my lap, I scrambled from my sitting position and took a few steps forward. “I haven’t really had a reason to want to live here, and yet it’s all I’ve ever known. I want to know about my parents, I want to go to their home - my birth home - and see my past. I want to avenge their loss or their deaths…whatever happened to them.”

“We will,” Xander breathed in my ear. He’d moved so stealthily, I hadn’t even known that he had risen. I turned to face him and saw the determination on his face as he lifted his hands and gripped my shoulders. He made no further move, though.

We stood there face to face and I added, “I want to avenge your parents’ deaths. I don’t remember them, but they were the only parents I ever really had. They never should have had to die for me…” I trailed off so that I wouldn’t begin to cry.

“We will,” Xander spoke again, and this time pulled me to his chest and hugged me tightly as he spoke the words I needed to hear.

“You and me, Skye. You and me. That’s all it’s going to take. We’re going to find your answers and we are going to take back your Castle. If you want to come back here when we’re done, then so be it. We’ll come back.”

I started to ask him about what Selene said about a relationship between us being impossible and forbidden, but as his hand rubbed my lower back and he pressed a kiss onto my forehead, I couldn’t make myself do it. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear the answer he would give.

Right now, all I needed was the strength that his love for me brought.

Right now I needed to hang onto the thought that someday
we
might come back together.

SEVENTEEN - GOING HOME

Xander

I could tell that something was bothering Skye as I held her, but I didn’t press her for answers. The conversation that Selene and I had while Skye was in the shower still weighed heavily on my mind.