Chapter 19: Chapter Nineteen

Iris:

“If I had known that you were coming daughter, the fanfare would be much, after all it is not every day Folks gets to see their next in line royalty for the first time ever.” King Elros, my dad boomed as he walked briskly towards me and pulled me into a hug which I reciprocated just as tightly as he held me.

“Father.” My voice was soft as I rubbed my cheek against his chest, I had missed him something fierce.

He placed his hands on my shoulders and pushed me back slightly with his hold so he could look at my face. Whatever he saw in my eyes made him frown. “Are you okay my dear?”

I pasted a smile on my face hoping to reassure him and when he shook his head to me, telling me without words that I cannot deceive him, my smile died. “I am okay father; you don’t have to worry about me.” He stated.

“You just called me by my title, I am your father, it is always going to be my job to worry about you as long as I live.” He responded as he led us deeper into the palace, a place that I would soon get familiar with, I just needed to complete my schooling and then I start my duties as heir to the throne of the Folks, beings that were different from the fae with their ability to tell lies and subcategories under them, categories which if it was in Fae would be ascribed to a type of Fae. To Faes, the group defines you, but in Folks, your power defines your group. My father was an Entrancing, categorized by good looks, charismatic and spells strong enough to force his will on others. My mother was light Fae which according to the name she is supposed to be all light and sparkly, but she is not. When I mentioned this to my father while he taught me about the different types of races that exist in Faery, he told me that compare to other types of Faeries that my mother was a saint.

“I miss not seeing you every day.” I confessed to him and in his usual typical father self, he became angry.

“If that boy hurt you…”

“No.” I rushed out, typical of my father to assume that someone hurt me and wanting to deal with it. “You are always so quick to jump to conclusions. I am fine and Cirdan is nothing other than perfect when it comes to me, he is trying to make sure I am completely okay even though the circumstances. That is more than I could hope for.”

“Try to hope for more than that, you deserve it as my daughter.” My father chimed in, but I shook my head at him.

“Funny and in as much as I would love to discuss the finer details of why I deserve more because I am simply existing not just because of the fact that I come from you, I will refrain from doing that as I came to have a talk with you about something that is bothering me.”

“That just shows that he is not doing his job well if something is bothering you.” My father stated and when I turned, he stopped me. “Okay, okay. I am sorry Iris that I am taking shots at your mate, but you cannot blame me, riling you has never been this easy!”

“I haven’t told him what is on my mind but maybe you are right.” I glared at my father. “It is his job to listen to any issues that I might have.”

“Well, you are already here, honey. It would be better if you tell me what’s going on. Let’s not waste your trip here for nothing,” he responded as he led me into his office where we sat beside each other on the futon, choosing to forego the formality of the space.

“What’s wrong honey?” He asked.

“Is it possible that one can be haunted here?” I blurted out and his eyebrow jerked at my words.

“Haunted?” He asked.

“Yes, like you keep feeling a presence that has no physical shape, I would even go as far as to say that it feels like it is coming from me, and it has a very dark energy.” I tried to explain the presence, but my father laughed.

“Honey, there is only two option to what you are describing. One, you are a shifter and trust me when I say that your mother and my family tree has been studied and picked apart enough by people, but you are a result of our race mixing with another race since the beginning of time, it has never been done before.

“Two, someone is filling your head with legends and fantastical stories, stories which are making you concerned.” He mumbled under his breathe. “Apparently everybody likes learning the message, don’t mess with my daughter through means which are not favorable to them.”

Technically, father was telling me the same words I already knew and heard from both the library and Finn although he almost repeated Finn verbatim.

“And you are saying that there is no other way?” I asked but he shook his head. I sighed.

I never wanted to disturb my mate with this but that is what I will do because I had no other option, I was not ready to let go of this issue because the feeling was still there, and it scares me. “Thank you father…”

“You are welcome, darling daughter. Now in accordance with our earlier topic of discussion, I still believe being the daughter of a king warrants you more when it comes to life.”

I sighed as I rested on this seat, this will be another long period before I could return to my mate.

****************************

“Hello, you are back, lovely,” Cirdan stated, and when I grimaced at the name, he nodded. “Lovely is out of running then.” He had made it his mission to find me a pet name that I will love and answer to unconsciously when he saw how easy I was with Finn, he was jealous he needs some time to calm down. This I know but he still hasn’t calmed down even days later.

“I have something that you can sue when you want to refer to me, it is unique and I am the only one bearing it, it is called my name.” I placed my bag and coat by the door and moved to where he was laying down on the bed and gave him a kiss after lying on his body, of course he refused to let me back up despite my protests.

“Stop wiggling Iris, I was cool not seeing you for five hours, I think I deserve some cuddle time and beside, everybody calls you Iris, I need to find my special nickname for you. This I have explained over and over again.”

“Suit your self Cirdan, I give up.” I gestured with my hands that I was letting go of the issue and then and laid on his chest.

“Did you seek the answer of what you were looking for?” He asked and I snorted.

“Please, he also did not take me seriously.”

“Then tell me what it is you are trying to figure out and I will help you with it and based on the fact that you are my mate, I would always take you seriously.”

“Okay.” I said as I tried to sit up and he allowed me. “I have been feeling a presence in me, like an additional voice has been throwing suggestions at me, I feel the presence sometimes and it keeps giving me creeps. I have even started to think that I might be possessed?”

Cirdan sat up as he sighed. “Are you sure you want me to take you seriously?” he asked and when I nodded he continued. “History has it that at a certain time when Faery was young, the portals to other worlds existed and this became a problem as they would hitch a ride in the mind of an inhabitant and then when the time for them to leave come, they refused to. This led to a lot of issues until the heads of the five races made a very costly law. Anybody who hitch another ride, both the outsider and the person who gave the ride, both as exterminated and the portal were shut to that realm and extreme vigilance started. Now, if you think that you might be possessed, let me know so I make the right plans.”

I forced out a laugh. “Not necessary, I was just curious.” I quickly replied.

“Have I satisfied your curiosity?” Cirdan asked and when I nodded, he smiled.

“Good, now I can have me time.” He breathed as he hooked his hand around my ankle which I was sitting on and used it to draw me to him.

As I opened my mouth to complain at his rough treatment, he covered his mouth with mine, and I lost my train of thought. The only thing that mattered then was him and me.