Chapter 197: Fae Revelry
Valerie was nervous.
She was hardly ever nervous but the thought of meeting the fae gods and goddesses was making her nervous.
The three of them flew higher towards the second last island and Valerie couldn't help but feel an unease settling into her heart as she gazed at the dark clouds.
Marianne gazed at her, engaged in a conversation with Cara, and raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Are you okay, Lia?" She asked, interrupting whatever Cara was saying.
Valerie eagerly nodded her head. "Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be?" She said smiling at them.
Cara and Marianne smiled, returning to their conversation and Valerie tuned herself out of it.
She couldn't help but feel that something was coming her way. Something that would uproot her life.
Only moments ago, she had been excited and eager about the thought of seeing the Fae lands. However, now, she suddenly felt the urge to return to Escalara.
She pushed those thoughts away, shaking her head as she squared her shoulders to ease herself a little before she saw dark clouds surrounding them in an instant and she had to squint her eyes to keep her gaze focused on her mother.
"Don't worry, girl, it'll clear up in a bit." She heard Cara's melodious voice and she nodded.
The dark clouds cleared up soon enough and Valerie's eyes widened when she stared at what laid in front of her in a shocked expression.
The palace was built in the lap of three rock mountains with black soil, much similar to her mother's island.
The towers of the palace went high up, disappearing into black clouds and the gold veins ran along the black marble walls of the palace.
There were two black marble staircases curving up to the front door and a black river ran through the front of the palace with a curved bridge made out of black marble on top of it.
The entire island seemed to be straight out of an intense goth royalty movie and Valerie had never seen anything more stunning in her life.
The darkness of the place was fitting for the God of darkness, Nyx, whose sword was still hanging around Valerie's neck in its miniature form.
The three women landed on the marble bridge. Her mother and Cara with more grace than herself.
"His parties are always so extravagant." Cara mumbled, already shaking her head because of the music that could be heard from inside the palace. Valerie realized that the song that she had heard when she was on the ground had been coming from here, since it was much louder now that she was actually here.
Marianne shook her head and interlocked her arm with Valerie's. "Come on, darling, let's see what the band of misfits is up to."
Cara snickered while Valerie gaped at the use of her mother's words before Marianne— or Selene, began to drag her inside with the Goddess of dreams following close behind.
Upon reaching the door, Valerie saw that they were made out of black glass, with intricate carvings of the crescent moon in it.
With her heart thundering in her chest, she waited patiently as her mother and Cara stepped inside first and then she followed them into the foyer.
Like outside, the entire place was built out of black marble with thick gold veins and in front of them was a round table with a crystal vase full of red roses, and behind the table was a giant staircase which divided into two directions after about fifteen steps. On the platform above those stairs, was a window. There were arched doorways on both their sides as Valerie listened closely and realized that the music was coming from the passageway to her right.
Marianne and Cara began walking towards it and Valerie silently followed, while she looked around with awe.
Everything in this place looked like it had been looked after for centuries and nothing seemed out of place.
As they passed another high doorway, Valerie's eyes widened when they stepped under a dome with a large skylight in the middle of the ceiling and a glowing orb burning under it. It was similar to the ballroom in her Escalara palace.
And when Valerie lowered her gaze, that was when she saw two couples dancing, while a table of people laughed and chattered during a game of cards and in one corner of the room, there was an extravagant bar with colourful drinks that Valerie had never seen before.
Lesser fae with transparent wings like those of a dragonfly, flew in and out of the room with food and refreshments, looking like they were all enjoying being of assistance.
"Most of them are already drunk." Cara mumbled with an amused grin on her face as Valerie roamed her eyes through the people and to her eyes it was easy to differentiate the gods from the other faes.