The Fae Princess

 After Madeline made me change into a purple gown with a purple lace skirt over the skirt and laced sleeves, I found myself in the library. My shoulders and the top part of my chest were exposed. I wore a simple, purple ribbon around my neck. The gown was so long that it dragged on the floor. I sat on the floor under the jellyfish painting, drawing absentmindedly as I thought. I would most likely see my family again. Did they even know that I was gone yet? Did they care? 

 "Nimre!" Madeline called. I blinked, seeing what I drew for the first time. In the middle that I worked on was Nymbus's face. Around it were sketches of mushrooms and butterflies. "Nimre! It's time for dinner!" She was somewhere in the library. I set my pencil and sketchbook down and stood. I left them behind as I went down the steps to find Madeline. 

 "There you are! Come on." She smiled. She was excited to show her father that I wore a dress, but I was nervous. I followed her out of the library, through the halls, and to the dining room. Nymbus had been out all day, so we hadn't crossed paths. On the side that no one sat at the night before sat a faerie with blue hair. It was the bluest I had ever seen. He spoke quietly with Nymbus as we entered the room. Nymbus and the fae stopped talking to look at me as I approached the end of the table. I had placed the red-orange flower in front of his door kind of like how he placed the pastel pink flowers in my hair that I still had. I blushed when I saw the same flower pinned to his tunic. 

 "Lyren, say hi." Madeline tilted her head slightly.

 "Miss." The blue-haired faerie bowed his head.

 "Nimre, this is father's emissary. You'll see them together a lot." Madeline told me. My eyes moved from Lyren to Nymbus.

 "It's nice to meet you," I said politely. Nymbus was staring at me like he was seeing something amazing and didn't want his expression to give him away. 

 "So, you're from the human realm?" Lyren questioned. My eyes found his blue ones as I sat down.

 "Yes."

 "Do you have no desire to get back? To your family?" He asked. My hand trailed up to the scar that went from my shoulder to my collarbone. My family hadn't caused it, but I believed that if I went back to that life, I would get many more scars. My eyes fluttered while my fingers danced across the scar. "Were they bad to you?"

 "No," I answered, my voice quieter than I meant it to be. "Others were…, but not my family." My gaze fixed on Nymbus.

 "I don't intend on that happening again," I stated. He gave a small nod that was barely visible, acknowledging what I was saying. 

 "Let's eat. I'm starving." Lyren began serving himself. A small amount of food appeared on my plate, steaming and juicy. I waited for everyone to start eating before I did. I pondered why Nymbus always served my plate. Why did he place the flower in my hair? How could he fancy someone he didn't know? I could be a horrible person.

~~~

I lived with Lyren, Nymbus, and Madeline for a month and a half, learning what it meant to be a faerie. I learned about faerie history and about the Great War 600 years ago. Nymbus and Lyren spent a lot of time away, tending to the land's borders. I had been warned several times that it is dangerous to go off alone so I made sure to bring my weapons when I wandered the woods. I was in the library, looking for my sketchbook. I tended to forget it under the jellyfish painting and there had been several times where it had gone missing. The next day it would suddenly reappear under the painting. I had been drawing Nymbus a lot and I believed it was because there was one night when I wandered the halls at night and I saw him. His tunic was ripped, exposing his muscular chest. Ever since, I've been drawing him over and over. His face, his body, everything. Maybe you like him, Nimre. No. I can't. I sighed, staring at the spot I normally sat. There was a pillow that I sat on and next to it were my pencil and sharpener. I knew that it had been taken, but by who? Madeline would've just looked at the pictures here. Lyren showed no interest in my art. So it had to be Nymbus. That means he's seen the pictures of him that I drew. Heat prickled across my face and down my neck. There were a few clothless or barely dressed pictures. Granted, I never drew any private parts, but it was still intimate. Swallowing hard, I grabbed the book that I had been reading from the small table next to the railing. I sat under the painted jellyfish, at the end of a shelf between the shelf and the railing. I began reading since I couldn't draw.

~~~

After about an hour, I heard someone enter the library. They walked slowly, unconcerned as they came up the steps. They stopped at the top of the steps, obviously staring at me. I closed my book, looking at the person. Nymbus. He wore a brown tunic, the shape of his muscles visible through the fabric. My eyes dragged down to his hands. In one was my sketchbook. I was right.

 "Oh, look. My thief." I stood, smoothing out my simple sunset colored gown. I placed my book on the little table before facing him. "Have you any words of defense?" He didn't say anything. He seemed to accept that he got caught. 

 "Did you enjoy the pictures that I drew?" I reached towards him. He approached me, giving me the sketchbook. 

 "I did, but I did not take it." He told me. I felt my face scrunch up. "Madeline has been showing me these pictures." I tsked, quietly hissing her name. 

 "You do well with your art. Very life-like." He informed me. I quickly flipped through the pages to make sure that nothing was missing. "I would like to take you somewhere." I looked up at him.

 "It's safe." He smiled. I exhaled deeply, placing my sketchbook on the little table. 

 "Okay." Seeming content, he turned around and headed towards the stairs. I followed, studying him from behind. The muscles that corded its way across his back and down to his ass. I would draw it later. 

We had been walking through the woods for a while, my legs growing tired. I tripped on a stick and hands grabbed me, steadying me. I looked up at Nymbus, his golden eyes sparkling in the darker lighting. The treetops blocked out a lot of sunlight, making the land under it a deep green color. I had tripped several times and each time, Nymbus caught me. I straightened, combing my hair behind my ear with my fingers. 

 "We're almost there." He informed me. We walked for a few more minutes before the sound of running water entered my ears. After another two minutes, we came to a creak. The water was so blue and clear and it looked more like overflowing springs than anything. The trees parted just enough for rays of sunlight to touch the blue water. I watched the water run past me, little fish and water creatures swimming around. I could see the aquatic plants through the water, and fish using it to hide. 

 "It's beautiful." My voice was soft. 

 "Have you ever seen anything like it?"

 "No…. Not like this." I had seen creeks before, but not in this intense color. Not with this beauty.

 "Would you like to go in it?"

 "What?" I hugged myself, one hand grabbing my shoulder. "N-no. I couldn't." I shook my head. The water was pretty deep and I would have to take my gown off. Expose my body to him? I could never. There was a moment of silence.

 "There's more." He turned and walked upstream.