Chapter Eighty-Five

Avery woke to the sound of birdsong filling the air. The room was still dark, lit by gradually dimming balls of magical light. His blinked his eyes slowly, unsure if he was ready to start the day or not. He was comfortable where he was, and more importantly, he didn’t want to disturb a peacefully sleeping Ellie. Her soft hair fell across her face like a curtain, hiding her closed eyes. She had shoved a pillow into the crook of Avery’s arm for her head, but her body was draped over his, leaving no space for the cool morning air to penetrate their embrace.

He shifted ever so slightly, moving to pull the blanket up over Ellie’s shoulder, but was forced to stop when her body responded to his movements by clinging tighter to him. He smiled to himself, then wrapped the arm he’d placed behind his head around her shoulder. Ellie cuddled into him, sighing happily in her sleep. He closed his eyes, deciding to give himself over to sleep, too comfortable to face the challenges he knew the day would bring.

Today was the start of the weeklong summer festival. His family – being the royal family of Willowvayne – would be responsible for the opening ceremony. From there they would be able to split from one another and join in the festivities. Avery would normally use the festival as a time to scope out his next potential bed partners, but this year, he found himself thoroughly uninterested in it. In fact, a sense of dread had settled into the pit of his stomach.

He wasn’t worried about all the women that he knew would be throwing themselves at him. He’d hoped that his engagement announcement at the opening ceremony would be enough to keep them from bothering him.

No, this was something more. Ellie had come up with a ridiculous plan to lure out the Master and Mistress, and since they’d been at a standstill with the investigation, he’d been forced to agree to it. It was an awful, terrible idea. In theory, it was foolproof. They would have eyes and ears on Ellie at all times so that when the Master made his move, they could swoop in before he could get near her. They’d gone over ever last detail numerous times throughout the past few days, and yet…

A soft knock at the door pulled Avery from his thoughts, and the door opened enough for Elvin to poke in his head.

“We need you. *Now*,” Elvin whispered stiffly. He closed the door with a soft snap and was gone before Avery could ask what was wrong.

“Sounds important. You should hurry and go,” Ellie said quietly from his side. Avery frowned and pushed her hair out of her face. She blinked sleepily up at him, her hazel eyes gazing up at him through her lashes.

“How long have you been awake?”

“Don’t worry, I just woke up. Even when he’s whispering, Elvin is loud.” She gave him a soft smile and kissed his chest. “Go. Xyla will be here soon anyway to help me get ready for the day.”

“I’ll be back as quickly as I can.” He kissed the top of her head as Ellie detached herself from his body. He slid out of bed and began pulling an outfit quickly out of the wardrobe.

“I’ll be fine, Avery. Take as long as you need.” She wrapped herself in the blanket and peered up at him from her spot on the bed.

He didn’t want to leave her. The feeling of dread that had been building in his stomach began to rise, suffocating him. If something were to happen to her…

“*Go*. I’m not leaving this room until you return. I’ll be fine.” She said the last sentence sternly and gave him a hard look.

“I’m going, I’m going.” He begrudgingly pulled up a pair of pants and tied them, his eyes watching her intently as she sat up in bed. “Stay here until I get back, Ellie.”

She responded with a wave of her hand as she began climbing out of the bed, ready to start the day as well. He watched her walk over to the pool and slowly drop the sheet she was wearing, giving him a clear view of her backside. He wasn’t sure if she was doing it intentionally or not, but the way her body moved as she stepped into the pool called to him, begging to be caressed.

“Temptress,” Avery muttered with a chuckle. Ellie laughed and walked into the pool, sighing contentedly as her body disappeared into the water. I suppose a few minutes with her wouldn’t hurt, he thought with a smirk. He started to walk toward her when another knock pulled him back to reality.

“Are you ready to start the day, Miss Ellie?” Xyla asked tentatively from the other side of the door.

“Sorry, love. You need to go,” Ellie laughed without turning around. He grunted, both irritated at the loss of their time together and amused that she knew what he was planning without seeing him. “Come on in, Xyla,” she called over her shoulder.

Xyla hurried in, walking quickly past a now sour-faced Avery.

“Good morning, Majesty!” Xyla greeted him brightly as she closed the door behind her. Avery nodded his head gruffly and grabbed a shirt from the wardrobe. He stepped aside to button it so that Xyla could get some towels and washcloths for Ellie. “Oh, I can’t wait for you to see the dress you’ll be wearing today,” she said excitedly.

She and Ellie began chatting animatedly together while Xyla settled next to pool to begin washing Ellie’s hair for her. It had been hard for her to get used to being cared for by other people, but with time, she’d let her reservations go. He knew she preferred it when he bathed her, but it couldn’t be helped today. Elvin was already back at the door, casting Avery an anxious glance. He heard Ellie laugh at something Xyla told her and smiled to himself before slipping outside.

“I’m sorry to bother you so early, but things are spiraling,” Elvin said wearily. His usually flawless skin seemed tight across his high cheekbones, and dark rings rested beneath his eyes.

“What’s going on?” Avery asked, concerned.

“Ha! What isn’t going on is the better question,” Elvin scoffed. “Your sister is causing absolute mayhem upstairs.”

“Rayanna? Is she having another spell?” Avery asked worriedly. Rayanna’s spells could last for days, and he hated the feeling of being unable to help his beloved little sister. The pair willed their wings and began flying quickly down the hall.

“Oh, no. Rayanna’s fine. She’s been doing better than she ever has, in fact. It’s Aurora. I’ve never seen her argue against Mama Faye and Pops like this.”

Avery gritted his teeth as they exited the hall. He could hear items being broken from one of the rooms above, and several maids were flying back and forth in a panic, unsure of what they should be doing.

“What is she going on about?”

“Well… She’s been fighting with your parents…”

“Yes… about what?” Avery asked, growing irritated.

“You announcing Ellie as your betrothed today,” Elvin muttered awkwardly. He rubbed the back of his neck and cast a tentative glance at his friend.

“…You can’t be serious. Aurora loves Ellie.” Elvin shrugged his shoulders as they flew down the hall reserved for the royal family.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into her lately. She’s been adamant that Ellie and you shouldn’t wed, let alone announce a betrothal.”

Avery didn’t know why Aurora would suddenly change her attitude toward Ellie. She’d all but given him her blessing to unite with her before they left for the Pale Seas. It just didn’t make sense. Why would she suddenly change her mind?

Elvin and Avery finally reached the room where all the commotion was coming from – their parents’ drawing room. They could hear Aurora speaking heatedly with someone, her voice shaking like she had been crying. Avery went to push the door open when he froze, caught completely off guard by what his sister said.

“You don’t understand, Father! Melinoe saw it in a vision before she fell into her coma!”

*Coma? What the hell happened?* Avery looked at Elvin for confirmation and realized that he was just as shocked as Avery.

“… And you’re certain this is what she saw?” their father asked wearily.

“I am. If Avery and Ellie wed – if he so much as announces their betrothal – Avery will die. Ellie will be the death of him.”

Hi! Sorry for the hiatus. I've been unwell, my mother has been unwell, and we lost someone very precious to us in January. It's been hard, and I had lost motivation for a while, but I'm in a better headspace and working behind the scenes to wrap things up. I'll see you all soon with the final chapters of FFTFP. Stay well and remember to reach out if you need help and remember that you are loved! <3