I'm a writer. Short stories, full length novels, and very rare poetry. Feel free to look around! Frequently Asked Questions! Longer Stories/WIP Just finished writing Please Fix the Story!
Hello everyone! Probably too late to do an intro, given that I've been writing on this blog since 2017, but since I've returned after a few years away from writing, I wanted the opportunity to talk about my blog and projects completed and my upcoming plans!
I go by Avaleon everywhere else on the internet, but respond to pretty much anything, including Screaming, hey you, etc! Started this blog in my mid 20s, and aged normally into the early 30s from there. I love writing, have always loved it, but between work and life, it's definitely something that I mostly do late at night and on weekends. I love hearing from people, but I usually answer asks in bunches, and typically right before I post writing. Love hearing about other people's projects as well!
I write short stories, novellas, and occasional full length novels. I am not published, but actively working on self-publishing some of my full length works. Everything I write is posted online, I enjoy sharing my work. The main reason to self publish for me is to have physical copies for myself or anyone who might want one!
My short stories can be found under the #writing tag on my blog. As for the long completed stories, I'll post them below the cut!
Love you Tumblr, happy to be back!
A. Full Length Novels (100,000+ words)
Please Fix the Story!
Description:
I don’t know who I am. I don’t know why I’m trapped in this never ending cycle of rebirth. All I know is that I wake up inside the worlds of unfinished stories, with a mission to accomplish the author’s wishes and stabilize the worlds now headed for destruction. I do my best, hoping, praying that maybe if I complete enough missions, I’ll be able to remember my past and return to my home.
It’s just fixing stories, it should be simple enough.
So can someone explain who this random villain is who keeps following me to each world?
Masterpost linked here
2. I Can’t Eat Love
Description:
Lenora did not have a wonderful life. After her engagement to Prince Ronan is broken, she loses everything… her reputation, her home and her family. Starving on the streets, she dies angry and bitter at how her life unfolded… only to wake up in her old bed, fifteen again, five years before her death.
Now she must struggle to change her fate, and the fate of the around her. This time she won’t trust in something as flimsy or changeable as love. No, this time she’ll have the power and the money she needs to protect herself.
Lenora has already lost everything once. She’s not going to lose again.
No matter the cost.
Masterpost Linked Here
B. Novellas
I Refuse to be a Named Character
Description:
I woke up inside the world of one of the best selling fantasy book series “Deadly Crown.” Intrigue, handsome heroes, adventure… sounds great, right? Just one problem: all the named characters except the main hero and villain die, are replaced and their replacements die. Being important in this story is a death sentence, so I plan to move to the middle of nowhere, and avoid the plot!
It should be a fool proof plan, so why do the main characters keep dragging me into the story?
Masterpost Linked Here
2. Living in a Rewrite of my Own Book World
Description:
This is the story about an author who gets hit by a car right before she can finish her bestselling book series. Trapped in the role of a terrible side character antagonist, she must find a way to change the story’s ending. Not just for her own survival, but for the characters that seem just a little too real to be fiction. (30K words)
Masterpost Linked Here
3.Baby’s First Revenge!
Description:
When Charlotte is betrayed and killed by the friend she sacrificed everything for, she thought it was the end. Instead, she found herself reborn as a baby, with her killer still enjoying the fame of stealing her work. Now, she's coming after him, and plans to make him pay... But first, nap time.
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7
4. The Supervillain’s Daughter
The story of Erica, a girl who finds out that her brother is the kidnapped child of superheroes, and that her parents are villains. Years later she is the best agent in the Villain Suppression Unit, and hates everything to do with superheroes. So of course she isn’t pleased when she is paired with the strongest man alive, especially because she knows him. But with even darker parts of her past surfacing again, she will have no choice but to join forces and save the world.
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4
Other smaller works and the incomplete ones can be found on this page
Jordan looked over, her face expressionless, staring at the person she had almost died trying desperately to find a few years ago. He stood in the doorway, so different from her memory, but achingly familiar at the same time. His appearance hadn’t changed from the night he had left her, there were no traces of how he had spent the last three years… at least at first glance. The only thing that had changed about him were his eyes.
His eyes that had once looked at her with love. With fear, sadness, and an underlying hope. Sometimes timid, sometimes withdrawn, always caring.
Hunter’s eyes carried nothing but a weary calculation now.
The song of the ocean murmured in the back of her mind, always present, urging her to tear her captors to pieces. But beyond the usual call to fight, to kill, there was a new element. Something directed towards Hunter’s presence.
Aversion. Disgust.
Enemy. Jordan’s instincts cried out to her, the song carrying a tone of warning. It rolled underneath her skin, a defensive cover, as if expecting an attack. Not safe.
Jordan almost laughed, even as she took a deep breath, struggling to control the magic within her. I don’t need to be reminded not to trust Hunter. He had been the one to teach her not to trust anyone.
“I was hoping you would agree to come, Jordan. It’s been a long time.”
Glit groaned from his position on the floor. “Agree to come? How come the way I remember it is that you knocked us out and dragged us in here!” He groaned, rubbing his head against his tied hands. “Elves have a funny way of hospitality, don’t they? Us dwarves typically at least offer a nice cold ale before trying to bash guest’s skulls in… and we do it your face, rather than this sneaking behind people business.”
Hunter ignored the tied-up dwarf on the floor, but a young female elf who had entered the room behind him couldn’t hold back.
“Shut up you filthy dwarf!”
With a vicious glare she kicked Glit in the stomach, forcing the air out of him with a small groan.
Glit shook his head.
“That was a terrible attack, friend, I hardly felt it.” He paused and then added reassuringly “But don’t worry, my Ma always said, no matter how weak you start up, you can always get stronger if you work hard enough.”
“You little…!” The female elf stepped closer to attack again, but Hunter raised his hand, stopping her in place. His bright green eyes stayed on Jordan, never wavering from their careful study of her face.
“I missed you, Jordan.”
His expression showed a deep sadness, and Jordan had an almost instinctive desire to comfort him.
For almost eighteen years they had been by each other’s side. In a broken world that hated them, they had always only had each other to rely on. 3 years ago, had Hunter shown that expression, she would not have hesitated to hug him, to tell him that she missed him too.
But it wasn’t three years ago. That night, the decision he made, had shattered the trust between them, leaving only the ruined traces behind. He had changed. And so had Jordan.
“Where are the mermaids?” She asked quietly, her gaze cold.
“Is that really the question you want to ask?” Hunter raised an eyebrow. “You don’t want to know where I’ve been, what’s happened to me? How I escaped captivity? Why I asked you to come?” His voice took on urgency as he spoke, until he was almost tripping over his words, trying to force them out quickly while studying her expression, looking for something.
“Where. Are. The. Mermaids?”
“Look, I know you’re angry, but you have to understand…” He knelt down, holding her hands in his own. Jordan shook at the contact, the song of the ocean welling up with rage at his touch. Enemy. Beware. She forced the magic back, trying to pull her hands out of his grasp, but he tightened his hold, refusing to let go. “I had no choice! I had to make sure you were safe.”
And so you made sure I had no choice as well. Jordan kept her expression neutral and firmly repeated her words. “Where are the mermaids?”
SLAP!
The force of the blow snapped Jordan’s head back. She took a deep breath, licking her bottom lip, and tasting blood from where it had split. The song was raging within her now, a righteous angry chorus. Calling for revenge, for torn sinew, split blood and splintered bone. Her vision was a hazy blue, and as she turned her head, she saw the female elf from earlier, her hand still up in the air from hitting her.
“KNEEL.”
Before Jordan could react, a voice imbued with magic spoke. The air was filled with a sudden weight, the pressure and enormity of the magic called forth making it difficult to breathe. The rage of the song within her faded, replaced by wariness and defense, allowing Jordan to regain back control of herself. She blinked, taking a moment to register two things: first, that the voice had been directed at the female elf who had slapped her, who was now kneeling on the floor, pale and shivering. Second, that the voice had come from Hunter, who seemed to tower in the room over everyone else. His magic surrounding him like a cloak, his eyes burning with rage and power.
“Your Highness, I merely…” The female elf stammered, clutching her chest as she forced out the words.
“Elaina. I warned you.” Hunter’s voice was cold. “Do. Not. Touch her.” He turned to Jordan, his gaze softening. “Are you okay…?” He reached out a hand towards her face, but she turned her head avoiding his touch. Pausing for a long moment, Hunter sighed.
“Everyone out!” He spoke quietly now, but the power behind his words had not faded. Elaina ran out first, glaring desperately at Jordan before leaving the room. Two other elves dragged Glit out of the room, his shouts echoing in the hall
“Hey, Let go of me, ya’ unnecessarily tall bastards! If you dare release even one of my limbs, I’ll take you all on! Jordan, I’ll be back once I figure my way out of these ropes, and have a few fights!”
Despite their current desperate situation, Jordan almost laughed at his words. He’s definitely optimistic. The faintest hint of a smile crossed her face, before fading away as Hunter dragged a chair over and sat down in front of her, his knees brushing against her own.
“There’s still a lot I can’t explain. But I can tell you a few things.” He took a deep breath. “The Darkness. It’s different from what they told us in school. They told us it was an Elven plot, magic gone wrong, but it’s not! It was actually a human conspiracy to destroy magic, to even the playing field between them and the other races.”
“…” Jordan silently stared at the floor, her face unchanging.
“Don’t you understand? This changes everything! All the abuse elves have taken over the years, the blame we carry… it’s all lies!”
“…”
Hunter reached out and grabbed Jordan’s chin, forcing her to look at him. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Jordan raised an eyebrow. “Where did you hear this truth?”
“I found it among the Elven records.”
“So… from the elves… I believe that as much as I believe the humans who say the Darkness had nothing to do with them, either.” She sighed quietly. “Everyone is telling themselves that it was another race’s fault, and definitely nothing to do with their own actions.”
“You don’t understand!” His voice was raised, tinged with magic, making her skin crawl at the sound. “I grew up thinking it was my people’s fault that the world was broken. But it’s not… it’s those filthy, purity obsessed, short lived humans. They tried to destroy the other races, but accidentally hurt themselves in the process.”
“What did the elves lose?” Jordan spoke up, her gaze locked on Hunter’s green eyes.
“…What?”
“We all lost something to the Darkness. Humans lost their future. Dwarves lost their connection to the earth. Fairies lost their wings. What did you lose, Hunter?”
“…” He was silent for so long that Jordan thought he wouldn’t respond. But eventually he spoke up, his expression bitter. “We lost everything.”
Standing up, he paced around the room. “Elves were once the strongest, the natural rulers of this world. Magical power beyond imagining, physical strength that outrivaled the dwarves, longevity… even more beautiful than the mermaids.” He smiled at Jordan as he said the last point. She didn’t return it, until it finally faded and he looked away. “But when the Darkness took hold… we became shorter lived. We lost our connection with magic. We became weaker, in every sense of the world. And so the humans quickly took over, capturing and enslaving us.”
Everyone lost something. Jordan sighed quietly. I didn’t expect the elves to fall so far.
What did the mermaids lose? What did I lose?
“But it doesn’t matter, because I’m going to change things. Fix this world, return it to how it should be. Put elves back at the top.” Hunter took a deep breath. “But to do that, I’m going to need your help, Jordan.”
Jordan’s face remained unchanged, but she couldn’t avoid a stab of pain in her heart at his words. The only reason he looked for me was because I was useful. I knew better than to hope, but I still find myself disappointed.
“I wasn’t lying when I said that humans were holding mermaids captive in the city. I just don’t know where they are.” He sat back down facing her directly. “Mermaids are one of the keys to unraveling this. There’s a reason that mermaid blood allowed humans to avoid complete annihilation from the Darkness. They taught us that mermaids were used because they were the best choice, but they were wrong. They are the only choice. They are at the center of this. I need to find the mermaid queen. Only she can help me fix things.”
The mermaid queen? The song of the ocean rose at the words, its melody becoming triumphant and bloody, carrying the faint memory of long won battles. Jordan ignored it. “So why do you need me?”
“Elven records show that all mermaids carry the song of the ocean within them. It carries their magic, their instinct, and connects all of them to each other, and directly to the queen.” He grabbed her wrists, ignoring her attempts to pull away. “You are a full-blooded mermaid. Your song, plus my magic, can help us find her.” His grip on her arms tightened. “Please, Jordan. Help us.”
“…” Jordan pulled back again, and this time he released her. “That’s all you need my help for?”
“Yes.” He didn’t hesitate.
“Then I just have one question before I agree.” She studied him closely. “What do you need from the mermaid queen?”
He tried to control his expression, but despite the three years apart, Jordan could still see it. The tightening around the corners of his eyes, the downcast gaze, the slightest angling on his lips.
Whatever the answer to her question was, it made him extremely angry.
“I can’t explain it right now.” He finally responded, his voice low. “But I promise it won’t hurt you.”
“Don’t promise me anything, Hunter.” Jordan smiled at him for the first time since she had woken up in this room. “You can’t keep it, and even if you could I would never trust you anyways. It’s a waste of time for everyone.”
“Don’t be like this. You don’t understand what I’ve been through. What this world is really like. We thought we saw the worst of it, growing up in this hateful city, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. The reality is so much worse.” His eyes were red, and Jordan was shocked to see unshed tears within them. He reached within his pocket, pulling out the silver badge she had carved for him, the one he had sent her that led her here.
He must have taken it off of me while I was asleep.
He stared down at it fondly but sadly. “I just have to finish my mission, and then we can go away, regain what we had. The trust, the deep bond. It’s such a rarity in this world, Jordan, such a precious thing. More than anything, I want to get it back. I need to have it back. ”
“And yet…” Jordan shook her head. “It was you that broke that trust, that bond, with your own hands.”
“I didn’t have a choice!”
“Neither did I, thanks to you.”
“The cops were breaking down the door! It’s not like I had time…”
“And who called them?” At her question, Hunter fell silent. “Exactly. You gave yourself no time, because you were afraid of what could happen if you and I had the proper time to talk it through. You were worried that you would change your mind, and you had already decided for both of us that I couldn’t be a part of your mission.”
“… Will you help us?” After a long pause, he asked quietly.
“Perhaps. But whether I do or not, it doesn’t change anything between us.” She looked at him solemnly. “I promised you that night, that if you left me behind I would never forgive you.”
“Jordan…”
“And unlike you, I keep my promises.”
“…”
“…”
After a long silence between them, Hunter sighed and stood up. “I’ll give you some time. Why don’t you get a good rest in here, and we will talk later. I’ll have someone bring you food.” He hesitated again, and then placed the silver badge back into her hands. “Jordan, I really did miss you.”
Jordan closed her eyes, refusing to answer. She didn’t open them until after she heard the door open and close, and when she did, the room was empty. She was alone.
It hurt. Because a small part of her, the ghost of the young woman she had once been, wanted to believe him. To take his hand, to agree to help, and take on the world together. But she couldn’t afford to listen to that part. Because despite all his inspiring words, his tear-filled eyes and emotional glances, Hunter had missed something: She knew him too well.
She knew he was lying.
Not about everything. He did miss her. He did wish he could get her trust back. But everything else was coated in half-truths and lies. He needed her help for his mission, and that was still his number one goal. He wasn’t going to risk her refusal, so he had approached it by appealing to their previous relationship. But he couldn’t hide the calculation in his eyes.
She thought about his words, that the song would connect her with other mermaids and the mermaid queen. There had never been any sense of connection before, only the instinct to fight, to kill. But to be fair, she had never tried to connect to anyone through it before.
She took a shaky breath, the fear of what she was about to attempt overwhelming her. She had spent her time since inheriting her blood right avoiding the song, Jordan just wasn’t sure what would happen if she listened to it. It always dragged her to violence, to madness. It was all too possible she could lose herself within it.
A terrible place to experiment with this. She thought grimly, looking around the empty room. But I need to try. If it doesn’t work, then I may need to at least temporarily cooperate with Hunter. He said his magic could help. But first… I should try on my own.
And with that, Jordan closed her eyes, and listened to the song.
Released from her holds on it, the song soared within her. A cold blue invaded her mind, inviting her to dive in, to join with it.
It sang of a world of water, of freedom and light. It sang of wars and blood, of victory and glory. It sang of betrayal, a desire for vengeance. It called for its people, a swelling chorus.
There. A cold sweat breaking out on her forehead, Jordan focused on the last part, trying to feel a connection. With her focus, the song seemed to stutter to a brief halt, only to return and raise to a triumphant sound.
THE QUEEN CALLS! THE QUEEN CALLS! RISE! RISE! RISE! The song soared in her mind, and she felt it split into multiple pieces, each strand connecting her to another song.
Jordan held her breath in shock. Is this the mermaid queen that I can hear? I can feel hundreds of connections… but which one is the right one? She felt the pull of the songs, leading her westward. A large group was gathered in one place. They were together, waiting. She felt their shock and joy at her connection. Their desire for her to find them.
I know where to go. Feeling triumph at her success, she attempted to pull away from the song...
Only to discover, it wouldn’t let her go.
From the happy sounds before, it now turned dark and twisted, clinging to her like a tar coating her skin. It sang of blood and death. Hundreds upon thousands of deaths. Corpses piling up in the ocean, their bodies rotting in the sea. It sang of blood and pain, urged her to kill, rend and destroy. The harder she tried to pull away, the tighter it stuck to her, trying to pull her under its black tide. Her hands clutched the silver badge in her grasp, the cold metal cutting into her skin, the pain barely keeping her sane.
Outside of herself, her eyes tightly closed, she could sense the presence of an enemy. Hear their breath, feel the blood running through their veins, the smell of wood and light circling around them.
Elf. Female. It was the one who struck her before, Elaina. Jordan struggled against the song, feeling her nails grow, knowing her eyes were glowing a bright blue beneath her closed lids. The song called for the elf’s death, begged for her blood to spill on the ground at her feet.
“How dare you make our prince sad?” Elaina snarled. The voice excited the song within Jordan even more, she was sweating with the effort to control it. “You’re a No Blood, which just means to me that you are a pure human. A piece of trash, the worst of this world. How dare you even breathe the same air as His Highness?”
Even as she drowned in her blood lust, Jordan felt a small amount of surprise. Hunter didn’t tell them I was a pure mermaid? She wasn’t sure to be grateful, or suspicious that he had his own purpose in concealing the fact.
“You are nothing but a distraction to him. Even if he is angry for a while, your death is necessary to protect our prince, protect our people. I have to do it. I have no choice.” She seemed to be talking herself up to the attack, her hesitation irritating Jordan and the Song.
“What nonsense.” Jordan whispered, her voice filled with brine and blood. “You reek of fear and jealousy, trembling with a knife in your hand, pretending to be a righteous warrior.”
“SHUT UP!” The elf screamed.
Jordan’s eyes snapped open, her vision filled with blue. Her mouth opened to sing, to welcome her enemy to death.
“Wha..” The female elf froze, a long knife in one hand paused in the air at the sight of her eyes.
But before Jordan could sing…
BAM
The elf crumpled to the floor in a heap, bleeding from a blow to the back of her head. Jordan blinked in shock, the Song retreating back into her mind with a grumble, her vision returning to normal. Slowly she raised her eyes, only to see an overly thin and pale human woman, clutching a large metal mop bucket in her hands.
She seemed more shocked than Jordan to see the elf she had knocked out. She stammered. “I’m… I’m sorry. I just… I heard her talking about wanting to kill you so I followed her and…”
Jordan smiled, and patted the woman’s shoulder. “Thank you. You saved me.” Technically she saved the elf’s life, but it’s the thought that counts.
“You should take this chance and escape from here.” The woman looked down and whispered. “I heard you are a No Blood... like me.”
Raising an eyebrow at the woman’s words, Jordan reached out with the song… and felt no connection. Disappointed, she pulled it back. A real no blood, not a mermaid.
“Isn’t this the Resistance? I thought they welcomed No Bloods.”
The woman’s face darkened at the question. “It used to be. But a year or two ago, the Elves took over. Their ‘Prince’ was declared the leader of the Resistance. At first everyone was happy. He seemed like a strong leader who hated this city more than everyone. But then… more and more elves joined, taking on all the leadership positions. Slowly anyone with any human blood was pushed to the side, and then trampled on. And the worst of it was No Bloods like us. They call us ‘pure humans’. ” She showed an arm, the imprints from chains still visible on her wrist. “They mostly keep us locked up, and let us out to help with chores. It’s gotten so bad that most of us… haven’t made it.”
Jordan felt the song within her murmur with rage at the woman’s words. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s just…” The woman choked back tears. “I thought I had finally found a place that I could be accepted, but now this place is even worse than the city. They are enemy groups! Why are we hated by both?”
Jordan found some rope in a nearby cabinet and tied the female elf up, pulling the ropes viciously tight. “It just means we can’t afford to trust anyone. Our safety, our fate, has to be in our own hands.” She paused, pulling the badge Hunter had given her out of her pocket and stared at it briefly. The carving of the ivy and the wave seemed to mock her, a sign of her young hopes and dreams, her naivety. She shook her head, and tossed it in a nearby trash can.
The woman watched her actions with increasing anxiety. “You need to escape before they chain you up too. This place… you’re a woman, especially… you can’t stay here. Please run.”
“What about you?” Jordan asked quietly.
“I’m not strong enough.”
“Don’t worry.” Jordan grabbed her arm. “I’m strong enough for both of us. Come with us.” I won’t trust anyone, but this is repayment for someone who risked herself to save me. Besides, if she stays, having attacked an elf, it won’t end well for her.
“You don’t mind my dead weight?” The woman asked sadly.
“Just keep that vase handy.” Jordan held out her hand. “I’m Jordan.”
The woman took it with a small smile. “Rebecca.”
“Nice to meet you, Rebecca. Now let’s escape.” The two ran out, looking carefully down the hallway before closing the room door behind them.
“The exit is that way.” Rebecca pointed down the hall to their left.
“Wait one moment, I need to pick someone up.”
“What?” Rebecca’s eyes widened. “Who? How are we going to find them?”
“Shhh. One second.” Jordan held up her finger, listening carefully.
CRASH!
Jordan smiled. “Found him.”
They followed the sound, forcing open a door and rushing into the room.
“Glit!” Jordan started to say. “We’re here to rescue…” She trailed off.
Glit sat on a pile of unconscious bloody elves, wiping what appeared to be a broken chair leg with a rag. Seeing them run in, he paused and waved cheerfully.
“Hi friends! Great timing! I just finished warming up!” With a leap he jumped off the groaning elves and landed on his feet. He then turned, searching one of them until he found what he was looking for, his folded up axe. Clutching his new prize, he walking forward, stopping in front of them. He smiled brightly at Jordan. “So glad to see you in one piece!”
Jordan smiled back. “Was there any doubt?”
“Strong as you are? Not a chance!” He looked over at Rebecca. “Who’s this?”
“Rebecca. A new friend.” For now.
“Nice to meet ya, Becca. I’m Glitenaere ni Tolk Vhelarite, firstborn of Marleiun ge Nerturin. Friends call me Glit!” He looked her up and down. “I guess you aren’t one for fighting, though.”
“Don’t count her out just yet. She knocked an elf out with that vase.”
“Really? That’s great!” He looked at her with more interest. “Want to fight?”
“Not the time, Glit.”
“Good point. Let’s escape first, fight later.”
They ran.
As they rounded a corner, they found an exit, with a group of elven guards between them and escape. Before the guards could shout, Jordan opened her mouth, letting the song of the ocean flow through her softly. In the next moment, they all fell to the ground, unconscious. Jordan paused, shocked. My song has never been able to take on this many people at once. Was it connecting with other mermaids that allowed me better control?
There was no time to think about it, however, as they rushed out, onto the streets, the dark sky above them indicating that multiple hours had passed since they were captured. They kept running, ducking down a few random streets and alleys until the building was far behind them. Skidding to a halt, they paused to catch their breath.
“Whew, well, that was fun. We should go fight those guys again soon!” Glit grinned, even as he leaned against the wall, exhausted.
“I’m sure you’ll get a chance, someday.” Jordan shook her head, the memory of Hunter’s desperate plea for help still haunting her. “Did you find anything about the dwarves?”
Rebecca started. “Wait, you’re a dwarf?” She looked at Glit closely. “Where’s your beard?”
Glit shrugged. “Lost it in a bad bet.”
“I see.”
“Nah, I’m just kiddin’. It’s an effect of the Darkness. But don’t worry, I can fight with the best of them!”
“So did you hear about the other dwarves…?” Rebecca trailed off uncomfortably. Glit nodded, his face turning uncharacteristically grim.
“I heard them talking about it. They were going to throw be down in the mines to be with my kin. So sounds like they are being held captive there.” He chuckled. “Jokes on them, we like being in mines. But I guess I’ll need a few more fighters than just me and Jordan if we’re gonna bust them out.”
He turned to Jordan. “Did you find the mermaids?”
“Yes, they aren’t here. The lead was wrong, they aren’t being held captive in the city. They are gathered in a large group to the West.” Hunter thought the humans were holding them captive, but there are no living mermaids within the entire city radius… except for me. Something is different. I feel like I’m still missing a large piece of the puzzle. What the Darkness is and who really was the cause. Why does Hunter need the mermaid queen? How do I stop the violence of the song, prevent myself from being a mindless killer?
First, she needed to find the mermaids.
Glit spoke up, interrupting her thoughts. “Great, so let’s head West! The Dwarven home is on the way, we can stop by and see my Ma and say hi! She’s been wanting to fight a mermaid for years!”
“Wait, on the way?” Jordan shook her head. “Are you coming too?”
“Of course! My friend is on her way to find her family. The very least I can do is help her out!”
I must be crazy to not tell him to go away. But when she looked into his eyes, and all she saw was genuine concern and friendship. No calculations. No intrigue or half-truths. Just him.
“Okay.” The word felt heavy as she said it. “You can come.”
“Me too?” Rebecca spoke up, clutching her bloody vase. “I can’t stay in the city, and I can’t go back to the Resistance. So, please, let me come! I can be helpful too!”
“How?” Jordan asked, amused.
“I can cook!”
Glit’s eyes lit up. He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “I can’t cook at all.”
Jordan whispered back. “Me neither.”
“We have to take her with us!”
“Fine. You can both come.” Jordan smiled, the song of the ocean rising happily in her thoughts, pulling her westward. “Let’s go find the mermaids.”
Decided to continue it, wanted to see where Jordan's story ends up.
You can read pt 1 here.
Enjoy!
___________________________
“Well, well, well! Never thought I’d see the mermaid herself swimming over to my fetid swamp here in the slums!”
A slim young man with bright purple hair grinned, flipping a silver coin into the air over and over without looking at it. “Thought you said you were never coming back? What, did your last book not sell as well now that you're peddling comforting little lies about your species?”
Jordan leaned against the doorframe of the dilapidated shop, wondering for the thousandth time if this was a bad idea. She knew the answer, deep down, but chose to ignore it. “Tock, cut the crap.”
“Oh sweetie, you haven’t changed. “ Tock laughed. “ I can cut the crap, but not sure what use it would be… crap is notoriously difficult to cut, tends to mush up, you know… and whose crap should be cut? Mine?” He shrugged. “ Sorry to say this body doesn’t make physical waste. What about yours?”
Jordan rubbed her forehead. “I should have known better than to do anything other than speak as literally as possible… I hate fairies.”
“You only know one fairy, darling.” Tock’s eyes blinked, the irises turning green, than orange, than staying at a robin’s egg blue. “Unfair of you to judge the whole species just because you don’t like me. Especially because I have been nothing but fair and helpful to you.”
“You tried to trick me into giving you my skin.”
“TRIED. Tried is the key word there. Plus you didn’t fall for it, so what’s the problem?”
Jordan sighed, knowing that there was never any point with arguing with Tock.
She had run into the fairy over two years ago. At that time she was frantic, trying to find Hunter’s location, and her desperation had led her to the darker corners of the city. She had spent every last coin she had, unable to eat or sleep, and at her darkest moment, she stumbled into Tock’s shop. Later Jordan had realized that it was likely that despair that had allowed her to find his place. There were magic wards to keep all but the most vulnerable out.
When they met, Tock had seen her madness, her obsession, and was ecstatic. He tried to get her to agree to many terrible deals in exchange for tracking down Hunter and after adding a small addendum she had agreed, feeling that whatever price she had to pay was worth it.
In the end, the addendum she had insisted on saved her skin, quite literally. She had added on a time limit that he had to track Hunter down and arrange a meeting. And to Tock’s shock and dismay, whatever elven magic was hiding Hunter’s identity; it was beyond the fairy’s ability to dismantle.
Tock had failed to find Hunter, and the contract expired. Jordan left, at the time feeling a strange mix of disappointment at the failure and gratitude to be still in one piece. As they parted ways, she swore never to come back to his broken place of deals with the devil.
Until today.
“So what brings you here, my lovely little fish?” Tock flipped his coin again, and it sizzled as it disappeared into thin air. “Still trying to find that stubborn elf boyfriend of yours?”
“He was just a friend, and no. I gave up on him years ago.”
Tock frowned, blinking as his eyes turned a bronze color. “Pity. Your skin has only gotten prettier since the last time I saw it… would love to find your price to part with it.”
“…” The memory of Hunter cheerfully making plans to run away with her still hung in her mind. What was it that he had said? “We might lose our clothes and money, but at least we’d have a fun story to tell”? We had no idea what real fairies were like. The ocean’s song in Jordan’s ears was rising, she kept her lips closed to hold back the seductive call of the magic. The fairy noticed her struggle, backing away slightly.
“Fine, fine, no more talk about your skin. Why are you mermaids so sensitive about losing organs?” He paused for a moment, thinking. “Mermaids regenerate, right? Or was that trolls?”
“Tock….” The name was forced out between clenched teeth.
The fairy rolled his eyes, changing them to a pure silver color. “So what deal DO you want to make today, my angry mermaid friend?”
She dug through her pocket handing over a silver badge with a handkerchief. Her touch shouldn’t affect his abilities, but Jordan still didn’t want to touch it. It represented something she had tried to move beyond in the last few years, a part of the past that caused her to wake up sobbing some nights, and to stay up drinking others.
Hunter had been her only friend, the only person in this world she thought she could trust. She had learned the hard way how foolish that trust had been. But once she had finally made peace with that fact, he had sent someone to intrude in her life once more. After forcing her to stay out of his battle, he was inviting her to join him, dangling the one thing he knew she couldn’t resist to get her to agree: the existence of other full blood mermaids.
She wasn’t going to play by his rules. If he was expecting her to run back to his side after forcing her away years ago, he would be sorely disappointed. And if she was going to use the clue he had given her, it was for her reasons and no one else’s. Because for everything he had gotten wrong, Hunter had gotten one thing very right:
She did want to find the mermaids in the city.
Not out of any sense of loyalty or need to find others like her, however. She was simply desperate. The instincts to fight and kill, to use her magic to trap and destroy, grew stronger by the day. Soon she was afraid she’d start killing innocent people. She needed to find a way to control it.
Jordan was hoping that other mermaids would know how.
Maybe other mermaids don’t have this problem. She thought at her darkest moments. Maybe I’m just a killer, a monster.
She tried not to think about that to often.
Tock gingerly picked up the badge, his eyes widening with surprise and turning a glowing violet.
“You always have the best things! Let’s see… silver… It was made several years ago… it had other forms years ago… but the owners of those items died quite violently…” He paused, glancing at her curiously. “Your handiwork, I would guess?”
“No comment.”
“Such an unfriendly fish… good thing you have such pretty skin, otherwise I wouldn’t pay you any attention.” He turned back towards the badge in his hand. “It was made with care and love… quite a pure emotion of care… along with a large amount of hope, all mixed in with the silver as it was reformed… it was part of a set?”
“Yes.” She swallowed uncomfortably, pushing back the memories of a young naïve girl, who thought herself hardened and bitter, carefully making a birthday present for her best friend.
“Can I see the other one?”
She thought of the location of the badge she had once treasured. “No.”
Tock pouted. “Fine. It contains quite a few auras, but the strongest one… is quite familiar.” His eyes turned a bright angry red. “Elf!”
“Yeah, it was Hunter’s.”
“That BASTARD! His blasted elf magic forced me to lose my contract with you!” He tossed the badge to the counter with a disgusted grimace. “You’ll never be that perfect combination of desperate and vulnerable again!” He looked back at me. “You are STILL trying to find that elf who dumped you three years ago? And I thought you had standards.”
The ocean song roared in her ears as it sensed her anger, pushing at her control, leaking from her lips. She could feel it swelling beneath her skin, threatening to force itself out. Tock rolled his eyes at the sight.
“Don’t try your battle magic here. You may be quite terrifying to meet in a dark alleyway, but I have some great wards in place.” He sneered as she kept her lips closed tightly. “Just a word of advice: Don’t face off a fairy in his own home.”
Jordan forced her magic down with great struggle, every instinct wanting to lash out. “I don’t want you to find Hunter. I want to know most frequent locations this amulet has been over the past six months.”
“And that’s not the same thing because…”
“Because it’s not him I’m wanting to find.” If he's found mermaids, then the locations he's been, the people he's spoken to... they'll be clues to track them down.
Tock raised an eyebrow. “Then what ARE you trying to find?”
“None of your business. I just need the locations this object has been most frequently.”
“Very well.” His smile became sly, his eyes shifting away from the angry red to a dark blue. “What deal shall we make for me to do this? How about your skin…”
The last word trailed off as Jordan held up a golden coin.
“…”
_________________________________
The silence in the room stretched on, as Tock’s gaze was locked on the object in her hand. His eye color was shifting rapidly, brown, grey, orange, green, before the whole eye filled with color finally turning a solid, glowing silver. His shoulders twitched, and his teeth grew longer in his mouth, the sharp points pressing into his still human appearing lips.
“Where did you get that?” His whisper had lost all of his previous joking tone. There was a small amount of magic woven into his words, a minor compelling spell to force her to speak, and speak truthfully. It buried itself in her ear, making her thoughts foggy. Jordan smiled, shaking her head as the ocean song within her rose in volume, drowning out the fairy magic easily, keeping her mind clear.
“I’ve picked up a lot of things these past few years.”
“ANSWER. THE. QUESTION.”
“No.” Jordan flipped the coin, mimicking the fairy’s earlier actions. “Don’t try your magic on me, fairy. I’ve had too many years of practice ignoring magical compulsions.”
“Fine.” He sighed loudly. “Do you know what it is you have there? Do you know if there’s any more?”
“I’ve heard stories… tales only whispered in dark alleys and in crumbling basements. Do you know in schools here they teach that the humans are the only ones affected by the Darkness? That losing the ability to have children was the be all and end all of the curse?”
“…” Tock kept silent, staring at her. Shrugging, she continued with a mocking smile.
“What a limited view, right? Turns out that everyone lost something to the Darkness. Every single one. It took whatever that species valued most. For humans, such a short-lived, social people, it was taking away the ability to make new generations. But fairies… you are born of magic and air, part of nature and outside of time. Procreation means nothing to you.” She flipped the coin up, letting it spin in the air before catching it and holding it firmly in her hand. “The Darkness took something much more important to you fairies.”
Tock was trembling at her words, unclear if it was with fear or anger. “What do you think the Darkness took from us?”
Jordan glanced at his empty back. “Your wings.”
“…” The fairy’s hands were gripping the counter in front of him. His fingers sank into the wood as easily as if it was made of clay.
“If it were just something to help you fly, I bet you would have simply made do without them. But they represent something much more important, don’t they?” She leaned closer, ignoring his threatening aura. “That’s where fairies store their magic. So now you have the live with the scraps of magic you absorb from the earth and enchanted items, unable to store it within yourself. That’s why you work here, in this pitiful little shop, unable to do more than hide behind these wards and peddle minor magic tricks for favors.”
“Be careful, mermaid…”
“Oh I’m careful enough, Tock.” She opened her hand and stared at the coin in her palm. “No wonder you wanted my skin… how much magic should be stored within it, I wonder. Enough to last you a few years I would think. Which is why this little coin is so important to you.”
“…”
“Fairy gold.” She held it up again. “Quite pretty, actually, looks like the real thing even on close inspection. But if I were to try to spend it… it would expel all the magic stored inside, turning to wood and taking away my lifetime’s luck. An inconvenience for me… but for you?” She grinned. “It stores enough magic for you to live comfortably for quite some time. You could leave this shop, set up protective wards wherever you ended up. Magic enough to stabilize your appearance so your eyes and ears don’t change; let you blend in if you wanted to leave your house for a change. “
“…”
“So what do you say, Tock.” Jordan flipped the coin one last time. “Do we have a deal?”
After a long pause, the fairy spoke up. “… I …”
“TOCK ARE YOU HERE?!!”
The shop door slammed open and a short redheaded young man burst in. As he rushed to the counter, Jordan got a closer look. He was a few inches shorter than her, his leaner frame still obviously muscular. His facial features were handsome, with bright green eyes that glowed with excitement and fiery red hair that was cropped short. He wore regular clothing, a grey t shirt and jeans, and would have seemed very average except for the massive axe strapped to his back.
Who the heck is this?
“Glit, this isn’t the time.” Tock warned, his tone still angry and tense.
“No, Tock, I’ve been thinking about it… maybe I SHOULD be willing to compromise… exactly how much skin would you need to help me find the dwarves?”
The fairy’s eyes glowed an excited gold, his teeth retracting once more as he stabilized his appearance. “Well now…”
“Add his bill to mine.” Jordan interrupted, glaring at Tock. “No skin.”
“But… that’s unfair! We already had a deal!”
“You didn’t accept it in time, so now the deal has changed. “ She shrugged “The price I’m offering is more than enough to cover us both. I would suggest you take the deal before it changes again.”
Tock glared. “FINE! FINE, I ACCEPT!”
The young man turned to her, shocked. She met his gaze, holding back the urge to sigh. Jordan wasn’t much one for random acts of kindness to strangers, but he reminded her of herself a few years ago. Lost, desperate… the only kind of people who can slip past Tock’s wards. She just wasn’t sure what his reaction would be to her interference… annoyance? Gratitude?’
He grinned at her. “You look really strong! Wanna fight?!”
… Well that certainly hadn’t been the reaction she was expecting.
“Maybe later…”
His shoulders slumped. “Dangit. I was losing hope of meeting a strong person in this awful city… no offense if you like it here.”
“None taken, I don’t.”
“I finally meet someone worthy of a good fight, and I make a terrible first impression.” He sighed. “My Ma always did say I needed to work on my introductions.”
“…And you are?”
His eyes widened. “I haven’t told you that yet?” His hand slapped his forehead. “Sorry, must have been distracted by the whole ‘trading my skin’ thing. I’m Glitenaere ni Tolk Vhelarite, firstborn of Marleiun ge Nerturin, the greatest Dwarven warrior alive… but you can call me Glit!”
She looked over the short young man. “You are the greatest warrior?”
“Nope. My Ma.”
“You’re a dwarf?”
“Since I was born.”
Jordan felt curious, having only ever read about dwarves from human textbooks, which said they were a reclusive, unfriendly race.
The reportedly unfriendly, reclusive dwarf was reaching out to shake her hand. “Thanks for the saving my skin, friend!”
She didn’t take his hand. “Shouldn’t you have a beard?”
Tock burst out into laughter, his eyes turning a humorous magenta. “Wow, way to go straight for the gut.”
“Aww, shut up fairy, she didn’t mean anything by it. Can’t blame her for not knowing in a city like this.” Glit leaned against the counter, rubbing his chin with an idle hand. “I’m a darkling, a child born infected by the Darkness.”
“Every race lost something.” Jordan whispered.
“Not everyone was infected, but those who were never grew beards.” He looked sad for a brief moment. “It’s a symbol of strength, of connection to the Earth… everything in our culture revolves around it.”
“What about the women?”
“Oh they grow them too. You should see my Ma. Her beard makes all the boys cry with jealousy.” Glit laughed. “They all thought with her being the strongest and all, her child would be too… but…”
“…Sorry.”
“Oh don’t worry, friend. I’m not weak. I may not have a connection with the earth and a powerful beard, but I’m a force to be reckoned with when I have an axe in my hand!”
Tock looked up, his eyes turning bright white. “You may have to test that out sooner rather than later. We have company.”
BANG! Something slammed into the closed door behind them.
_________________________________
Jordan took a defensive stance, while Glit drew his axe. “Who’s coming?”
“Probably one of those damn purity obsessed groups. They constantly sweep the slums, looking for low bloods and part elves. Usually the wards keep them away, but today, I got a little… distracted. “
“Great. Not really in the mood to deal with these guys, Tock.”
“They bad guys?” Glit spoke up.
“Yep.” Jordan answered softly. “They do horrible things to those who can’t defend themselves.”
“Fair enough. Today they picked on the wrong type of people, though.” Glit grinned. “Let’s kill them!”
His easy acceptance of the violence they would face ahead gave her a little pause. Before she could examine it too closely, the door crashed open, and a large group of men wearing black cloths around the lower halves of their faces rushed in. In their hands were standard pistols, the dull metal glinting off the many lamps of Tock’s shop.
“Looks like we got a haul, boys!” One of them spotted Glit and Jordan, his eyes widening with shock. “That short one definitely can’t be high purity… he’s either a low blood or a dirty elf mix blood! And the other…” He glanced and Jordan and laughed. “A No Blood? Thought they were all gone!”
Glit twirled the massive axe in his hand with ease, looking confused. “Do I look like an elf?”
Jordan thought of the tall quiet young man who had always followed behind her, always trying to avoid violence. “Not even a little.”
“Ah.” He tossed the axe lightly, catching it with the other hand. “Hey fellas, despite your insults and poor eyesight, I’m gonna be nice. Here’s your one chance to run away, before my strong friend and I start slicing you to pieces.”
Even with the majority of his face covered, the disdain on the attacker’s face was evident. “Shut up, dirty elf! Even with your axe, you really think you can face a group with guns?" He snorted, "Now we’re gonna have fun killing you.”
Glit just laughed at the threat. “I was hoping you guys would say that!”
As the group of attackers spread out around the room, he turned to face one side, leaving his back open to Jordan.
Jordan hesitated briefly at Glit’s open back, startled at the gesture of trust, before slowly turning to cover him. She glanced around to see that Tock had disappeared before closing her eyes, calling up the song within her and setting it free.
From her mouth a song of battle rang out. Several of the attackers stopped in their tracks, caught in her illusion, but the rest were only mildly affected, just barely losing their grips on their weapons.
Jordan cursed silently, still singing. Her magic was very effective against small groups of enemies, but the more people it was spread out against, the less useful it would be.
As the song of death spilled constantly from her lips, she felt her nails grow out into claws and moved forward, striking the attackers that were not incapacitated first. From the side she heard Glit run forward, spinning his axe, blood and tissue flying through the air as he cut through enemies.
Blood dripped from her fingers. She heard someone behind her, preparing to strike and turned, grabbing his neck. She felt the water within his heart, and used her magic to stop it in place. His face turned pale, and clutching his chest, he fell to the ground.
Jordan was feeling the drain of her magic. Her vision was turning a bright blue, the song growing in her mind, calling for her to give in completely.
BANG! A shot rang out past her ear, and sensing the danger, the song surged louder in her soul.
Can’t give up all control to my instincts. She thought grimly, slicing the shooter’s face. I might just lose myself completely.
It was hard, fighting against physical enemies while resisting the magical bind of her own blood, but Jordan forced herself forward, grateful for the help of the dwarf beside her. If she had faced all these enemies by herself, she might have lost to the bloodlust within her.
The air was filled with blood and screams.
And then… there was silence.
__________________________________
Jordan’s vision cleared as she forced the song of the ocean down, keeping it tightly controlled within herself. Her nails retracted and she stood in place, staring down at the blood on her hands.
Hunter always said he didn’t want me to be a killer. She closed her eyes briefly with pain. She felt dirty, worthless. Maybe if I wasn’t one he wouldn’t have left me behind.
Lost in her thoughts, she only came out of it as she felt a warm touch on her hands. Shocked, her eyes flew open, only to see Glit pushing a large wet cloth into her grasp.
“Here, friend, you can clean your hands with this.”
She paused, unused to the kindness, but took it anyways. “Thanks.”
“No problem! You’re amazing! That battle song… had magic in it right? Are you not human?”
“Mermaid.” The word came out before she could stop it, and Jordan pressed her lips together, annoyed. He’s a stranger. No need to tell him anything more. She tucked the dirty rag in her pocket, not wanting to give Tock a free sample of her blood.
“Really? I thought they had all disappeared!” Glit’s face lit up. “My Ma always said that the mermaids were the only warriors she wouldn’t want to face up against! That’s awesome!”
She glanced at the dismembered bodies on his side of the room. “You’re not such a bad fighter yourself.”
His smile brightened. “Really? Thanks! Those guys back home thought I was pretty useless, being a Darkling and all, but if a mermaid warrior says so, I’ll trust your opinion!”
“This is all very touching… but what am I supposed to do about the mess you made?” Tock’s annoyed tone caught their attention.
“We fought off your attackers while you hid in the back, fairy.” Jordan raised an eyebrow. “You can worry about the mess. You’re lucky we don’t charge you for the service.”
“Yeah, what she said!” Glit crossed his arms, standing at her shoulder, and smiled at Tock, the still bloody axe in his hand making the gesture threatening.
Tock rolled his now yellow eyes. “Fine. While you two were gleefully tearing those idiots to pieces, I finished the tasks you gave me.” He spread a map on the counter, ignoring as the far corner was stained with blood. Jordan recognized it as a map of the city. With a golden pen the fairy circled a few buildings. “Here’s where the amulet has spent the most time in the last six months, in order of most time spent.”
She glanced over at Glit beside her. “And the dwarves?”
“Tougher, since he doesn’t have a possession from the dwarves in question, but…” He picked up a silver marker, and circled one place. “There is a high concentration of earth magic here.”
Glit and Jordan stared at the spot, where silver and gold overlapped.
“Looks like me might be looking for the same place.” She whispered.
“Really? That’s great, friend!” He paused. “By the way, what’s your name?”
“Jordan. But I don’t think we’re friends. I don’t trust anyone.” Not anymore.
“Jordan!” He grinned. “Don’t worry, we can still be friends. You don’t have to trust me. I’ll trust you enough for the both of us.”
Tock groaned. “You’re so naïve… why couldn’t you have shown up when the mermaid wasn’t around?! I could have extorted you for so much skin!”
Jordan grabbed the map silently, unsure of how to respond to the dwarf’s enthusiasm.
“If you’re going there, can we go together? I’m looking for a large group of dwarves that disappeared, we think they might be being held captive in the city.”
“…You really shouldn’t trust people so easily.” Her words came out as a pained whisper.
Glit’s face became solemn for the first time since they met. “It’s okay. I’ve grown up in a world that hates me. It’s not been easy, but over the years, I’ve developed a good sense of those around me, and what kind of people they are.”
“And kind of person do you think I am?” She was genuinely curious what the cheerful dwarf thought of her.
“You? Well, you’re someone who cares too much and wishes you wouldn’t. My guess is that you’ve been hurt very badly by someone you trusted… and now you would never wish that same pain on another person.” He shrugged. “So that’s why I trust you. You might kill me if you have to, but you’ll do it facing me. You won’t stab me in the back. You couldn’t bear to do that to someone after what you’ve been through.”
“Interesting opinion.” Jordan felt a strange mixture of despair and relief at his words. “Not put off by me killing men while they’re stunned by magic? That wasn’t just a fight…I’m a killer.”
“Hmm… well, I just chopped up six guys with an axe, and the only reason they didn’t shoot a bunch of holes in me is because of your magic, so I’m pretty sure I can’t judge.” Glit patted her on the back. “Are you looking for mermaids, like I’m looking for dwarves?”
She nodded silently, although silently she thought their reasons for looking were quite different.
“Then let’s go find our people together! You don’t have to trust your back to me, but don’t worry! I’ll defend it anyways.”
“Can you two leave?" Tock rubbed his face tiredly, his eyes flickering between purple and pink. "This touchy feely stuff is bad for my business. What if some desperate fool walks in and is inspired by all your motivational speaking?”
Jordan tossed him the fairy gold, taking back the silver badge she had given him, and turned and left the shop. “Never coming back, Tock.”
“Keep telling yourself that, my fishy friend!” He called back. “You’ll come back. They always do.”
“Okay then! See you later, Tock!” Glit called out as he walked behind her.
“…Actually, I would prefer it if YOU don’t come back. You give me a headache.”
Jordan and Glit left the carnage filled shop behind them
_________________________________
“So mermaids and dwarves being held in the center of the city.” Glit thought out loud. “Some sort of human conspiracy?”
Jordan thought of growing up in the orphanage, the city’s emphasis on having higher purity of mermaid blood rather than human, the complete lack of information on other races. She thought of Hunter and the underground Resistance. Of the Darkness that spread everywhere, touching every species.
Everyone lost something to the darkness, right?
So what did mermaids lose?
... What did I lose?
“There’s something broken about this world, more going on here then we realize.” Jordan answered softly. “But we’re going to figure it out.”
“Together?”
“For now.”
“Awesome!” He pumped a fist in the air. “Wait until I tell my Ma I went on a quest with a mermaid warrior. She’s gonna be so impressed!” He paused. “You two would get along, I think. Strong warrior types and all.”
Jordan sighed, rubbing her forehead.
“Why does everyone keep sighing around me?”
“… Let’s go. “
_________________________________
They moved quietly towards the place marked on the map. Glit, surprisingly, activated a hidden mechanism on his axe, folding it into thirds and hiding it in a backpack, and pinned on a “34” badge. He saw her glance at the silver ornament and shrugged. “Snatched this off some guy who tried to mug me when I arrived in town. Most people think I’m just a low purity level student when I’m dressed like this .”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-three.”
“…” Older than me? Jordan adjusted her mental view of him silently.
“Don’t worry if you thought I was younger.” He raised his hands helplessly. “No beard and the dwarven height tends to confuse people.”
“Sorry.”
“No worries, as long as you don’t think I’m weak and helpless just because I’m shorter than you.”
She thought of him cutting through enemies with his axe. “No chance of that.”
They made they way to the abandoned factory that Tock had marked for them. As they neared the area, Glit pulled out a machine from his bag waving it through the air.
“What’s that?”
“Dwarven machine, it detects the presence of magic.” He frowned. “We need to be careful. This whole place is covered with spells.”
“If this was a human holding place…”
“It shouldn’t have magic.” He finished her thought. “Maybe go up to the roof and enter from there instead?”
They scaled the wall silently, cutting a small hole in the roof with yet another tool from Glit’s bag. As she peered into the building, she felt the ocean’s song start welling up within her.
“There’s danger here. We should go back and regroup.”
“Jordan, look out!” Glit pushed her to the side, wincing as the blow from behind her struck his head instead.
Jordan opened her mouth to release her magic, but before a sound could escape, a hand grasped her arm and magic flooded her body.
“Sleep.” The voice was familiar, but her mind was already falling into darkness.
Jordan woke up on a couch in a dark room. Groaning, she rubbed her head, feeling angry. She knew this feeling, this hung over dizzy sensation. Remembered it too clearly even though she wished she could forget.
“Elven magic.”
Glit groaned from his sprawled position in the corner of the room, his arms and legs tied tightly. The ropes dug into his skin, but he ignored it as he flipped his body into a sitting position on the floor, looking up at her with a sad expression. “Sorry I missed them behind us.”
“It’s fine, thanks for taking that hit for me.” She glanced at the wound on his head, crusted with dried blood, and winced. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just a friendly tap. I’ve got a hard head.” He grinned, then looked around. “Real question is, who has us, and why?”
“I have an idea... but I really hope I’m not right.”
“You always did have good instincts, Jordan.”
The familiar voice spoke up from the doorway, Jordan forced herself to sit up on the couch, staring at their captor with a pained expression.
She knew him.
Of course she knew him.
He had set his trap, sent her his badge, knowing she would use it… and she had fallen for it.
The man who haunted her nightmares smiled sadly at her. “Not happy to see me?”
She blinked, shaking her head slowly. “Hello again, Hunter.”
A mermaid, sick of the misconceptions and being mistaken for beautiful sirens, decides to write a book about the truth of her kind in the hope of teaching misinformed humans. Ironically, the publishers mistake it for a work of fiction, and it becomes a bestseller…
“I really don’t know how you came up with this fun concept!”
Jordan leaned against the windowsill in the stairwell she was hiding in, and sighed at her publisher’s words. “For the last time, Marie, it’s not a ‘fun concept’. It’s reality.”
“Sure, sure, sweetie. I’m sure you feel that way.” She laughed, causing Jordan’s mild headache to worsen. “The important thing is, it’s a best seller! Which reminds me…”
“I won’t do a signing, or any in person event.” Jordan stared down at the book in her hands, the title “Blood and Water” staring back at her, the picture of the fragile mermaid on the cover a mockery of the work she had done. “So don’t even try.”
Marie’s groan was so loud it caused Jordan to wince in sympathy. “Why do you do this to me? Why can’t you just be like a normal author and help me advertise the book and make more money?”
“I didn’t write the book to become famous. I wrote it for a reason.”
“I get that.”
“Do you?”
“Yeah, you want to spread this fantastical idea that mermaids are actually powerful beings, an ancient warrior society.”
Jordan rubbed her head. “They are…”
“Mermaid blood just makes you prettier and more fertile, higher purity means weak and delicate, especially for women. That’s just common sense.” Marie chuckled, the sound grating on Jordan’s ears.
“You know, I use to wonder why you were so insistent on it… but then I looked up your blood purity level… oof.” The tone became sympathetic. “I didn’t even realize that low of a score was possible! It has to be tough to be you!
“…”
“I understand why you want to normalize the idea that mermaids are tough creatures, not just No-Bloods like yourself.”
“Marie…” At the warning sound of her name, the editor changed tactics.
“I’m just saying that I understand why you wrote this book, and it’s a good thing! After all it’s super popular. But what use is there hiding behind a pen name and not going to events? People are going to find out who you are eventually, and what your purity level is. Might as well be ahead of the storm, own up to it, you know?”
“No one will know if you don’t tell them.” Jordan felt exhausted, as she always did after talking with Marie. “So they better not find out.”
“Of course they won’t from ME!”
“Good. Then no more talk about in person meetings, okay?”
“…” Marie’s silence was angry. “ … fine.”
“Then call me if there’s any change with the current plan.” Jordan hung up, letting out the breath she had been holding and unclenching her fingers around the phone.
It’s not like I didn’t expect this reaction, but it’s still so infuriating. Everyone assumes that mermaids are just beautiful sirens, delicate flowers just meant to be there to look pretty and have children… they don’t have any clue what a full blood mermaid is like.
But that was the world she lived in, and she knew that a single book wouldn’t change people’s minds.
Wohoo you're back on my dash! Loved the fae coffee shop story. It's clever and funny and I would absolutely visit the coffee shop. Diana probably makes very good pumpkin spice latte. Kudos! :)
Happy to be back! Glad you liked it! Not sure if Diana really knows how to make normal human drinks, given that all her customers are not human, but she'd very likely give it a shot! (It may turn you invisible or make you fly for a bit though)
You run a mostly ordinary coffee shop, but it's frequented by members of the Fae court and other creatures of myth. Ordinarily, they'd try and take your soul or turn you, but they all just enjoy the drinks and atmosphere that there's an unofficial rule: You are off limits.
The door to the café was opened, the bright sunlight streaming in, illuminating the café. A small silver bell at the top of the door moved back and forth when it opened, without making a sound. Barely perceptible runes around the door frame glowed briefly as the new customer entered, before fading back into the woodwork.
Diana looked up, frowning for just a moment when she realized it was an unfamiliar face, before a professional smile was firmly put in place. Her hands never slowed, stirring a pale violet drink with one hand, adding a fine gold powder one grain at a time with the other. Once her mental count reached 777, she paused, giving the mixture one full clockwise and three quarters of a counterclockwise turn. The drink let off a light pink smoke, and Diana sighed with relief before placing it in a delicate cup.
“Order 138!” As she handed off the drink to a delicate looking pink haired customer, she took a moment to study the newcomer.
The customer looked like a man, at least at first glance. He was tall, although not nearly as tall as others in the room. His features were perfectly carved, so clearly even that it gave a sense of unease to the watcher, a feeling of unrealness. His eyes were a bright green, that seemed to glow with an inner light, and his hair fell in silver strands to frame his face, its movement not quite matching with his pace.
Not a great disguise, must be a newcomer to the realm. Diana forced herself not to roll her eyes. The new ones were the worst to break in. Hopefully this one is not too stubborn.
“What can I get for you?” She asked, her tone a practiced politeness without warmth.
The customer paused at the counter. “… I’m not sure. I heard this was the place to go for respite in this realm.” He looked around skeptically. “Would you have anything that would interest me for a deal?”
Diana looked around, following his gaze. The café was almost full, as it often was. Table of every height were scattered around the room, with a few floating near the ceiling. Each one boasted a strange combination of creatures. Some looked human, some less so, sporting wings, horns or extra appendages. The air smelled of coffee and incense, and a gentle stringed melody played in the background. A few cast glances over at the newcomer, shaking heads and exchanging bets.
Turning her attention back to her customer, she sighed quietly. “Before we talk further, read the rules.”
“The rules?”
Diana patted the sign on the wall behind her. On it, in magical gold ink that couldn’t be tampered with, were the rules.
No real names
No deals other than purchasing refreshments.
Payment must be made by credit card. No fairy gold.
No physical violence or offensive magic.
All rule-breakers will be dealt with by café staff
The customer laughed, raising an eyebrow as he read through them. “Fair enough. Do you have anything for Fae customers?”
She looked him up and down. “I’m assuming a light-based magic system given your disguise?”
“You assume correctly, Miss.”
“Then yes, I have something you should enjoy.” Turning away briefly, she grabbed a glowing golden bottle, pouring its contents into a porcelain cup with a practiced hand. She sifted a fine pale pink powder over the top, and exactly four drops from a vial from her pocket. Giving it a gentle shake, she started to hand it over.
“A tincture of a sunbloom, with pollen from the Western hills and a few drops of morning dew from the Elijju Fields. Enjoy.”
The customer paused, shock crossing his face as her words, before controlling his expression. “I feel like I should ask how… but I suppose that’s probably not wise.”
“Probably not.” Diana took the brand new credit card he handed her, processing it with relief to see it was properly activated and functioning before handing it back along with the drink. “Pleasure doing business with you.”
“Likewise.” He paused, then held out his hand. “You can call me Arthur.”
“Everyone calls me Dee.” She shook his hand, his skin cold against her palm. “New in town?”
“Just arrived actually.” Arthur grinned. “That obvious?”
“The disguise spell needs tweaking. You went too perfect. No one looks like this on the mortal realm. You need to add a few imperfections to make it look real.” Diana studied him up and down. “Just a few blemishes and a bit of asymmetry should help.”
“Good to know.” He took the feedback good-naturedly, asking “Anything else?”
“Don’t disguise the hair. Just cut or dye your real locks.” Diana laughed. “The spell always gets confused on how hair should move, and it ends up looking fake.” She wiped the counter in front of her, thinking. “I know someone who does fae hair if you are interested.”
“I’ll think about it.” He took a sip of his drink, sighing appreciatively. “That’s lovely.”
“It’s why I’m the best.”
“No arguments here.”
Definitely one of the more reasonable newcomers. Just as Diana had relaxed, however, the door slammed open, almost breaking with the violent movement.
“YOUR HIGHNESS!” A large bulky man strode in, a large sword in hand. He moved towards Arthur, his face sporting a vicious grin. “You shouldn’t have left the safety of your kingdom. All sorts of horrible things can happen in the mortal realm.” He laughed. “Don’t even think about returning safely.”
Arthur frowned, his hand reaching to his side, likely searching for a weapon that wasn’t there. He glanced over at the counter. “I’m sorry, it’s my fault he’s here.”
“Don’t worry. Just stick to the rules and you’ll be fine.”
“But…”
“This isn’t a simple place, Arthur. Follow. The Rules.”
He paused, then nodded solemnly. “Yes Ma’am.”
Diana patted his shoulder in approval, and then stepped around her counter. “Hello stranger. Are you trying to make trouble in my café? I should let you know that there are rules to this place.” She pointed at the sign on the wall.
The large newcomer laughed, horns sprouting from his dark hair, his eyes turning a bright red. “no physical violence, huh? I’m afraid I’m going to have to ignore that one, little human. It’s just too good of an opportunity to take down a prince of the fae.”
He rushed forward, sword raised and swinging down towards Arthur, only to be stopped suddenly. Confused he stared at Diana, who was still smiling, the blade of his enormous sword caught between her thumb and forefinger. The café was perfectly silent, the music stopped, every customer turned to watch the action with even more gold changing hands.
“Oh dear. You’ve made three mistakes, my new grumpy friend.” She flicked her hand, and the sword shattered into nothingness. “First. You assumed that the rules of this place are negotiable. They are not. They are a binding contract upon entering my place of business.” The runes along the doorframe glowed a bright red, and the horned attacker fell to his knees, pale and sweating.
“Second you assumed that you could do as you pleased without consequences, because you are powerful. You are not.” She reached behind the counter, pulling out an enormous club covered in bloody painted runes.
“What…” the intruder struggled to speak against the weight of the magic that filled the air around them. “… is that?”
“This?” She patted the club gently. “This is the Punisher. It’s an enchanted club specifically for beating magical creatures. It’s lucky you stopped by, actually, it has been bored for some time now. Everyone has been so well behaved since the last idiot stopped by.”
He struggled to stand, but glowing red strands grew up from the floor and bound him in place. Diana held the unreasonably large club forward, resting it gently against his shoulder and smiled brightly.
“But you wasted your energy asking the unimportant question. You SHOULD have asked what your third mistake was.” She patted his cheek. “No worries, I’ll help you out anyways. Your third mistake…” She leaned forward, and whispered in his ear. “You assumed I’m human.”
She then proceeded to beat him into the ground.
Once the violence had ceased, she wiped her club clean from the silver blood that stained it. With a wave of her hand, the red vines of magic threw what was left of the intruder out the door. The music resumed, the customers settled their bets for the day, and the atmosphere of the café returned to normal. Diana went back behind the desk, her face as calm as it was before the intruder had kicked the door open.
“Thank you for saving me.” Arthur spoke up with a smile.
“You’re my customer. It’s what I should do.”
“Still, I owe you.” He handed her a thin gold embossed business card. “Should you ever need a hand.”
Diana took the card, placing it in a drawer filled with business cards. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
Arthur finished his drink, and set it down gently on the counter. “I should handle the aftermath of the assassination attempt, I suppose. I’ll see you tomorrow, Dee.”
“You’re welcome any time.” Diana grabbed the cup and waved cheerfully as the fae prince left the café.
“You’re not going to tell him?” One of her regulars leaned against the counter with a grin.
“Tell him what?”
“What you are?” The customer chuckled. “He really offered you a favor? Even a prince of the fae can’t really hold his head up in front of a goddess. ”
“Half goddess.”
“Still.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Diana cleaned a glass, a faint smile on her face. “There’s always next time.
Actually....I have a bunch of questions (been reading your stories for years✨️❤️)...but I'll try to settle on one 😇. What is your life like and when do you write or...what gives you motivation to actually sit down and write? Because...I'm just an introvert who wants to find some sort of 'me time' where I can sit and write....just to escape from everything else, but I can't seem to find the motivation.... Idk if you'll see this or have the time to answer but still... any words for me? 🙃
Thanks for reading my work.
This question really made me think. It has changed a lot over the years. Back when I was still in school/training, I always wrote before bed, and definitely on the weekends. Over the last couple of years, life and family have gotten more complicated (in good and bad ways) and writing seems like the thing that always falls by the wayside. I always seem to be too tired or busy these days.
So, that being said, not sure if I'm the best person to give advice, but I will say this. Writing should be fun and there's a lot of different ways to do it. Sometimes I'll just jot story ideas or dialogue down on my phone when I'm not home and have ideas, and of course if the time is right and I have the space and energy, sitting down with epic music and a cup of tea is my ultimate set up for writing.
The last thing is posting my work online. Having people actually read my work, and hearing other people enjoy it or have thoughts or questions on it... it is the ultimate motivator for me.
I hope you find time and motivation! I'm glad you like to read my work, and feel free to send any other questions my way. I may not be super timely about answering them, but your question was a huge motivator in itself for me to try to write something, so I really appreciate it!
I’ve reread it like 500 times and I’m not exaggerating when I say it is my favourite book in the entire world
Are you publishing it? I don’t usually buy books but I would DIE to have a physical copy of I Can’t Eat Love!!!!
Thank you so much for writing the best book in the world!!
PS I’ve also read Please Fix The Story! and also loved that!! Can’t wait to read your other books c: your writing just scratches an itch in my brain I swear no other books make me feel like that
💜💜💜💜💜💜
I'm glad you found me! I started on tumblr first so its always interesting to me when someone sees my work elsewhere and then finds me here. I haven't been writing as much these last couple of years, but I do tend to post here more than any other site, so glad you found me here too! I can't eat love is definitely one of my favorite works, and I'm always glad when someone has a good time with that story!
I absolutely love your stories, especially Please Fix the Story! and I Can't Eat Love!! I was wondering if it would be possible to buy a digital (or physical) copy of each? I'd love permanent access to some of my favorite comfort stories but definitely don't want to just copy them without compensation!
Glad you like them! Having a physical copy self published is one of my goals as a writer. If I am able to get it done, I will definitely let you know!
Princess Theodora turned around at the sound of her fiancé, Prince Corwin, who had entered the sitting area while she was distracted. He was a classically handsome young man. His light blue eyes focused solely on her, and his strong features were arranged in an affectionate grin. Theodora smiled back, and then looked down at her clothes.
She was wearing a blue gown, similar to the color of her fiance's eyes. It was one of her favorites, with intricate silver embellishments and folds in the skirts, highlighting the best aspects of her figure. She had always felt beautiful in this dress, and normally a compliment from Corwin would have just solidified an already good mood.
If she hadn’t seen Iris in a blue gown today as well.
When the other young woman had arrived for breakfast, Theodora had been stunned. She had seen the paintings of the former Queen, and always thought that she had to be the most gorgeous woman in this world. But her daughter… her real daughter… had surpassed her, leaving a terrible bitter feeling in Theodora’s heart at the sight.
She should be ugly. She thought to herself. Small, timid and worn from a cruel world. Instead, she’s confident, poised and mature, unfazed by wealth or etiquette.
Theodora gritted her teeth. It’s not enough that she’s identical to HER… does she have to have the same personality as well? She thought she was rid of the person she hated the most, but the more she saw Iris…
And she chose the name Iris… even though she said it was because she sold flowers, but…why... why did it have to be the name IRIS?
She brooded over the name.
“Theo!” Corwin’s bright voice broke her increasingly dark thoughts. “I got you something!”
He handed her a small glass figurine, a carefully carved flower. She noted that it was beautiful, but not worth any money, and suppressed her disappointment with a cheerful smile. “Thank you! It’s lovely!”
Despite her efforts, he must have sensed a difference in her tone, and asked with a look of concern. “What’s wrong? Is it that adopted child your father brought over?”
Theodora’s eyes looked down, her eyelashes hiding the dark light in her gaze, at his words. She has told Corwin that her father had chosen to adopt a poor child of a faithful servant. He had believed her without question. At the time she had been relieved, but now hearing his words…. She regretted it.
She turned away from him, keep her voice low and sad. “How could that be? I feel nothing but pity for the poor girl. She hasn’t adjusted yet, so I can’t take her words or actions personally.” Theo chose her words carefully, and her eyes flashed with satisfaction as he picked up on the implied meaning behind them.
“Wait! What do you mean 'words or actions'? What has she done?” He reached out and patted her head. “You are too kind for your own good, Theo. Just tell me if you are bullied, and I will take care of it for you. Don’t get your hands dirty.”
“She doesn’t mean it…”
“She should know her place.” He snorted, dismissing her persuading words. “A fake adopted princess trying to upstage the real thing? Trash will always be rotten, no matter how you try to dress it up, but true gold shines even in the worst situations.”
“…” How ironic that he's trying to comfort me with those words. Iris stayed silent, and Corwin must have taken it for discomfort with his speaking poorly of another person.
“I know you feel bad for her…” He patted her head, not knowing that every word he spoke was stabbing her like a knife. “But don’t worry. She could never take your place. You are a princess. The TRUE princess. And soon in the future, we will get married and you will be by my side as a queen.”
Theodora reached out and hugged Corwin, her voice tearful. “I can’t wait.” It's the only way for me to escape this closing trap.
He held her tightly, smiling. “It won’t be much longer, dear. Soon you will awaken your Royal Magic, and when the Flower of Peace blooms, our wedding can be held!”
Stepping back from his embrace, Theodora frowned. “The Flower of Peace? From the treaty? I know that its written there, but we can’t possibly be waiting for a silly flower…”
“It’s not a silly flower.” Corwin’s voice was uncharacteristically serious. “It’s a historical international symbol. A gift of peace between countries. For Estin and Komish, it is an essential of our cooperation. The seeds are native to the neighboring country of Akarnor, in fields that are just across the border, just south of the palace where I grew up.” He smiled slightly, as if remembering. “They are incredibly rare, and difficult to keep the sprouts alive. Only the royal family is allowed to care for them. One of my favorite childhood memories is learning to care for the seeds.”
“Corwin…”
“And of course, in the Estin Royal family, the women descendants are born with the power to grow plants, the only power strong enough to allow the flower of peace to bloom.” He hugged her gently. “Every generation we have come together to bloom the flower. It will last for 50 years and then die, requiring the next generation to take up the mantle. “
“But… I don’t…” Theodora started to protest, but Corwin gently shushed her.
“I know you haven’t awakened the power yet, but as the daughter to the king, you are the one who will awaken the Royal magic. You just turned eighteen so you should be starting to feel it fairly soon.” His smile widened. “And then, once you bloom the flower, the treaty allows us to marry! Generations of waiting for the right time will be fulfilled through us!"
Seeing Corwin’s excitement, Theodora felt a tightness in her chest. She opened her mouth several times, but in the end, closed it silently. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Corwin the truth: that she would never awaken the royal magic… she wasn’t a blood related member of the royal family. Part of her hoped that he wouldn’t care. That he would take the news calmly, and assure her that he loved her all the same.
But deep in her heart, the dark suspicions lingered. That Corwin liked PRINCESS Theodora and not just simply Theo. That once the truth was revealed, he would abandon her. And not just him… her brothers, her father… the rest of the nobility. She was standing on a precipice, needing only one wrong word in one wrong ear to push her over the edge into despair and obscurity.
“Theo?”
But that day is not today. She told herself firmly, turning to face her fiancé with a bright smile. She looked every inch the innocent girl who was trying to be brave despite difficulties. The exact kind of look that Corwin would eat right up. However, even though the outer shell she presented was flawless, the inside was rotten, disgusting.
She just had to keep it hidden.
______________________________
Iris was frustrated.
She stared at the flower in front of her, and she swore it was staring back defiantly. It was a rare breed of flower, a temperamental little weakling that seemed to want to die with even the slightest change in environment.
Iris had gotten the seedlings off of a sobbing merchant, who had failed to grow them multiple times, wasting hundreds of gold pieces with each bad attempt. He was so relieved to be rid of them, he hadn’t cared that she had paid a tiny fraction of what they were worth.
But even that little money was causing Iris some regret now.
The small, stumpy flower was the last living specimen from that deal… and it refused to grow. Iris swore under her breath, frustrated. It was being grown with magic! Was that still not good enough for this stupid flower? She reached out with her hand, making sure not to touch it (having learned the hard way that touching it in the growth period could cause instant death). Her power extended beyond her hand, gently enriching the soil and water the plant fed from. For a moment it seemed to perk up, giving Iris a sense of satisfaction… before wilting again, as if barely hanging on to life.
“Stupid plant. I should let you die.” She muttered, staring intensely at the wilted leaves.
“I’m curious, Princess. Do you think the flower can hear you?” An amused voice spoke up, causing her to turn, stunned. Iris felt she was fairly observant, a holdover from growing up in an unsafe environment. It was rare for someone to successfully sneak up on her. As she saw the culprit, she sighed quietly.
Mage Vicente smiled harmlessly, seemingly unperturbed by her unwelcoming expression. “Having struggles with this flower, Your Highness?”
“I wouldn’t call it a flower.” Iris replied, turning back towards the object in question.
“What would you call it then?”
“A soul sucking nightmare.”
The answer must have been unsuspected, as the mage burst into laughter. Shoulders shaking, he looked at the flower as well, his eyebrows raising at the sight of its pitiful state. “That bad, huh?”
“This is without a doubt the worst plant I’ve ever tried to care for. It needs something… but I just don’t know what.”
“Hmm.” He studied the flower more closely, a small sense of recognition flaring within in gaze, a strange helpless look crossing his face. “I think you are correct, Your Highness. This flower does seem to need some additional care.”
Iris shook her head at the flower, missing the expressions of the man next to her. “Too bad I don’t know what it needs.” So much for being a flower expert.
“… Would you mind if I tried to take care of it?” Mage Vicente, now completely calm, pointed and asked gently. “I’m happy to compensate you if I fail.”
Startled, Iris stood up and quickly gathered a wooden box to place the potted plant into it, along with a stack of papers which included her observations and prior failures. She moved quickly, almost worried that he might change his mind. “I don’t know what your plans are, but don’t worry about compensation. I’m out of ideas anyways.” She passed the box over to the mage, who reached out and took it, his hands cold to the touch as they made contact with her own over the transfer. She retracted her hands quickly, feeling a bit flushed.
Must be too warm here in the greenhouse.
“Thank you for your trust.” Vicente smiled, the look transforming his handsome face. “I’ll return it once it has been cared for.”
“…You’re welcome.” Iris straightened up, feeling stiff from maintaining her position so long as she had fussed over the stubborn plant. Hearing the chime of bells outside she sighed quietly. “That’s the noon bell. I need to change to be ready in time for the castle tea party.” Anthony had mentioned it several times already, hoping that she could get in touch with other young women of the nobility.
“You should make friends!” He had told her with a smile. “Even better to do it now before we announce your identity. You can feel more confident in their genuineness, instead of being nice to you because you are royalty.”
Iris had felt almost amused at his confident assumption that her identity would EVER be officially announced, but appreciated his care and concern either way. Unexcited about the prospect of another dress change, but knowing she couldn’t delay further, Iris turned and smiled politely at Mage Vicente.
“Thank you for your time… and good luck with the flower.”
Mage Vicente chuckled. “It was my pleasure, Princess Iris.” His smile stayed in place until she had left the greenhouse, leaving him alone with the temperamental flower. As the sound of her footsteps faded into silence, his face slowly drained of expression. Vicente stayed frozen in place, his eyes coldly watching the flower sitting in the box in his hands.
“How mysterious fate is.” He muttered, taking a deep breath. “I never thought to see you again, or to have your care placed once again in my hands.” His eyes looked past the flower, seeming lost in thought. “For that matter, I never thought I would volunteer…” Vicente’s voice trailed off, but he shook his head slowly, seeming to shake the gloomy atmosphere around him.
“Oh look, it’s Mage Vicente!” A delicate voice called out as the greenhouse door opened behind him. Three young ladies, dressed in complicated tea party attire, filed in, watching the handsome young mage with wide, eager eyes. Rose, the daughter of a duke, and the young lady who had spoken up initially, stepped closer, her two friends hanging behind, giggling.
Mage Vicente straightened up, his mysterious and cold atmosphere shrouding around him, his face stony and unreadable. Even the delicate flower sitting in the box did little to offset his unapproachable air. “Lady Gillad” His voice was bland and uninterested, but the lady in question still blushed a bright pink at his words.
“I’m so happy to run into you! I have a question about a magic formula, and I’ve been unable to figure it out.” She leaned forward, almost falling over when he stepped back to avoid being close to her. Catching herself, she blinked rapidly, small tears forming in her eyes as she looked up at the taller man, a pitiful and longing expression on her face. “Can I arrange to meet and discuss my question… privately?” The implication in her question was obvious, but the target of it was unmoved.
“If you have a question regarding magic, I am afraid that I am unworthy to attend to it. I would recommend bringing it to the Grand Mage’s attention.”
Irritation flashed in Rose’s eyes. “But you are the next in line to be the Grand Mage! Why can’t you do it?”
“I apologize, but I cannot.” His tone made it clear that whether or not he actually could, he had no interest. He bowed politely to the group. “Excuse me, I must go.” He left in the silence, not turning back despite the strong gaze that stayed on him until he was out of their sight.
Rose stood in place in the now quiet greenhouse, her fists clenched tightly beside her. Her two friends seemed unsure of how to comfort her, and stayed silent.
“A mere mage should be honored by my interest.” Rose muttered, her eyes still staring angrily at the empty space where the mage had been. “He will come to regret his decision, and beg me to reconsider him.”
“That’s right!”
“He’s crazy to not recognize his good fortune of having captured your eye!”
Relaxing at the fervent agreement of her companions, she smiled and left the space, the glass door slamming behind them.
______________________________
I knew this party was a mistake.
Iris stood in place at the entrance to the garden, feeling the strong gazes from all of the young women present. If she hadn’t had memories from her dreams standing strong under scrutiny from large groups of people, she felt she would have crumbled under the pressure already. Straightening her posture, Iris let out a small sigh, putting a professional smile on her face and she prepared to respond.
As for how she had gotten to this point….
When Iris had initially arrived, Iris immediately realized that she had been told the wrong time for the party’s start. Looking at the set ups on the various tables, the tea party should have started about 20-30 minutes prior. I should have known not to trust any information given to me. She sighed quietly. This was obviously planned for me to show up late. The only question is, what are they planning to do next? Surely it’s not just to cause me some mild inconvenience…
“Sister, you finally arrived!” Theodora stood up, her face lighting up with delight as she rushed towards her.
Ahh, there it is. Iris felt no joy in being proven right immediately.
Theodora came to a stop right next to her, reaching out to grab Iris’s hands in a tight grip as her fake smile widened. Iris’s skin crawled at the contact, and she gently freed her hands.
“Sister, are you still angry with me?” Theodora’s eyes filled with tears. She took out a handkerchief covered in frills and dabbed her face. Looking around at the shocked faces of the party guests, she continued, as if trying to explain. “It’s my fault, everyone. My sister was brought back to the castle recently, and she hasn’t adjusted yet. Having grown up in such a harsh environment on the streets, she is perfectly in her rights to hate me, who has had so much love and care.”
She spoke in a tone of speaking up for Iris, but her words said a great deal to the crowd. Iris had the title of sister to the princess, but had grown up on the streets. She could be an adopted child, but it made little sense for the king to make such a move with a fully grown young woman. The conclusion that many would come to was that Iris was a bastard, an illegitimate child of the king to someone besides the beloved former queen. Given the popularity of the queen, this would definitely spark some resentment towards Iris. No one would guess the actual truth, that it was Iris who was the true princess.
I wonder if my dear father knows of his precious daughter’s plans. Iris thought, amused. She’s implying that he cheated on my mother, which will ruin his reputation as a loving husband that he has always cultivated. She silently looked forward to the new rumors reaching the king’s ears.
But in the meantime, she had to deal with the mess her “sister” had just dropped into her lap.
Her professional smile firmly in place, Iris took the cloth from Theodora’s hands and gently wiped the other’s face. “Sweet Theodora, how could I EVER hate you? You are such a joy to be around, and I have nothing but appreciation for how welcoming you have been to me despite the… circumstances of our meeting.”
She could say outright now that they had been switched, that her real identity was princess Theodora and the current Theodora was a fake. Part of her wanted to say it, just to see the chaos, but she knew that it wasn’t the right time. No one would believe her, and it would be easier for her father and Dominic to cover things up as false rumors and lies.
So instead, Iris leaned into Theodora’s narrative. Speaking just vaguely enough to possibly confirm the worst of the rumors, while never telling an actual lie. As for those that knew the actual story… She looked over at Theodora, whose face was pale with fear.
She must be worried that I will reveal the truth. Iris thought, amused.
“N-No! I was so happy to finally meet you!” Theodora stammered, speaking quickly to stop Iris from speaking further. “I’m glad that you don’t hate me…”
“Hate you! Nothing could be further from the truth!” With a gentle smile, Iris reached out and hugged the stiff, uncomfortable princess, looking for all the world like an innocent young woman happy to see a friend. “I’m so grateful to finally be home with my family.”
Theodora was frozen. Iris kept her harmless look, but inwardly was rolling with laughter. That’s what you get for going head-to-head with an actress in fooling a crowd. She turned to the group of young women with a pleasantly surprised look.
“Hello everyone! I’m Princess Iris, Theodora’s sister! I’m so sorry I am late, I must have misheard the servant when she told me that the party would start at half past the noon bell!” She noticed the women giving each other side glances at that statement, obviously realizing she had been set up. “As my sister already said, I did not grow up in the castle here. So now that I am reunited with my family, I hope that you will forgive any small errors I may make in my adjustment to life here.”
There were more murmurs in the crowd. Iris’ smile widened, and she patted the still frozen Theodora on the shoulder. “My sister has told me how lovely you all are, so I look forward to becoming friends! Let’s resume the party!”
At her words, with a few more odd glances exchanged, the young women dispersed and sat back down at their tables. Iris looked around, and realized that her place was in the back of the garden, where there were fewer tables. As she walked closer, it became clear this was for the “lesser” noble ladies, their dresses less intricate, their jewelry made of silver rather than gold, the gems smaller and less ostentatious.
Another ploy by my dearest “sister.” To try to make me feel inferior. Humiliate and embarrass me. And of course preventing me from making any significant relationships with anyone in power.
Iris didn’t care about any of it. The mind games, the manipulations, the social maneuvers. None of it mattered. Because no matter how much Theodora schemed, how much she fought and lied and tried to trap her… She couldn’t change the simple truth:
Iris was the real princess.
That truth was the ticking time bomb that was sitting on top of the house of cards the king, Dominic and Theodora were desperately trying to hold up. In the story from Iris’ dream, she had forgotten that simple truth, and tried to play her games, tried to scheme and win by Theodora’s rules.
And that had caused her to lose.
Iris wasn’t about to repeat that mistake.
She sat down at her table with a bright smile and the ladies already seated. “Hello there!” Her eyes were calm, without a hint of embarrassment. “I’m Princess Iris.”
I really loved your immortal marriage story. I really hope there is a part two coming.
I currently plan to write more on the switched princess story and the immortal marriage story. I just have too many thoughts on those two as a married couple. Both absolutely convinced that any weird things that happen are just because "that's something mortals do"
Two immortals are slowly coming to terms with the fact that what they each thought would be a short 50-60 year marriage to a mortal is turning out to be a much longer commitment.
Phoenix glared with disbelief at the glowing order in her hand. Written on gossamer thin sheets of gold, the living words from the king of the gods shined with power and authority. Not that she cared about his authority…but no matter how hard she stared at the message, the offending words did not change.
“Timos must have finally gone insane.” Bushel, a large squirrel sat on Phoenix’s shoulder, reading a long with her. His tiny eyes were wide with shock as it took in the order. “There’s no way the gods will stand for this…”
“They won’t care.” She shook her head. “He made it just specific enough to not impact anyone important.”
“Except you.”
“Except me.” Phoenix let out a sigh of frustration, looking around her hut, where she stayed in the mortal realm. It was a simple shack, covered in living plants, with no space wasted on silly things like furniture. As a goddess, she did not need to sleep, or relax at all for that matter.
But she did need to grow plants.
The vegetables, flowers and grasses in her house sensed her mood, and shivered, wilting along their edges. Noticing their fear, Phoenix tried to reign in her emotions, studying the order in her hand once more.
__________________________________________
“By order of King Timos:
To preserve the future bloodlines, all second-generation gods and goddesses must be wed before the next harvest. Failure to comply with this order will lead to expulsion of the offending god’s entire clan.”
__________________________________________
Bushel read over her shoulder, pulling on her golden hair. “Only second-generation gods and goddesses… it’s an obvious set up, isn’t it?”
“He’s not being subtle.” There were ten original gods and goddesses, the first generation. They gave birth to the second generation, who bore the third generation and so forth. Phoenix, the daughter of the Goddess of Harvest and the Fire God, was one of two unmarried second generation… as for the other one…
“Zodar still hasn’t given up on you?” Bushel groaned. “Have all the rejections over the last few millennia taught him nothing?”
Phoenix rubbed his furry head. “He’s used to getting what he wants. And he hates being told no.”
“So that’s it then? His father, the king of gods sends out his little order and you HAVE to marry his son? Just because you are the only two second generations left who haven’t married?”
“Not necessarily.” A sly smile slowly formed across her face. “He insisted that all second generations needed to be married… he kept it vague to make it seem like he wasn’t forcing a goddess to marry his son. But because of how broad the terms are… he didn’t say WHO or WHAT I had to marry.”
“Phoenix!” Bushel’s head dipped nervously, as he stared up at her peerless features. “You can’t just marry some random godly being…”
“I’m not marrying a random god.”
“So you DO have someone you like?!”
“No.”
“But you said.”
“I’m not marrying a god at all.” Phoenix’s eyes glowed with excitement. “I’m marrying a mortal.”
THUD.
Bushel fell off of her shoulder, stiffened with shock, his puffy body hitting the cabin floor with a soft sound. Slowly, he got back on his hind paws, stretching up to stare at her face with a look of disbelief.
“A MORTAL?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!”
Phoenix shrugged. “Yes, but all gods are.”
“You can’t marry a mortal!”
“There’s no rule against it…” Phoenix began to argue, but Bushel scampered up her body to sit on her shoulder once more, interrupting her.
“…Because no one is dumb enough to try it!” He shouted. “A mortal will live only a moment. You will blink and he will be gone!”
“All the better. I will be a widow, and can’t be forced to wed again.” She sat down on the ground, the plants around her comforting her. “I don’t need much, just a handsome man who’s willing to live peacefully next to my garden.”
“Handsome, why handsome?” Bushel asked.
“If I have to stare at him for four or five decades, I want to at least look at someone nice looking so as not to hurt my eyes.”
“What if he won’t move next to your garden?”
“Then I will move my garden to his home.” She smiled. “Can’t be the goddess of gardens without a garden.”
“What if he wants children? Many mortal men desire children to carry on their name. You are physically incapable of bearing a mortal child. A third or fourth generation? Maybe they could. But your power is too strong, the child wouldn’t survive. “
Phoenix thought about that question for a moment before answering. “That’s fine, don’t human men take lovers or concubines? I’ll let him have as many as he wants!”
Bushel frowned in disapproval. “You would SHARE your lover with others?”
“Not a lover, Bushel. A husband in name only. Just a box to be checked.” She held up her hands helplessly. “After all, I’ve never been in love, and I do just fine.”
“Maybe if you were less obsessed with gardening…” The squirrel muttered.
“What did you say?”
“NOTHING!” Bushel quickly changed the subject. “Have you talked to your parents about this crazy idea? I bet they would have plenty to say about it.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” A wave of sadness crossed her eyes, dampening the golden glow her irises usually held. “They have little to no interest in me. I am not my brother, the god of forging, or my sister, the goddess of fertility. I never had large ambitions. Just me, my vegetables and flowers. They would sell me off to marry Zodar, if my father didn’t enjoy watching Timos squirm so much.”
“They care for you too.”
“It’s okay, Bushel.” She poked his nose, causing his small black eyes to blink. “I’ve had quite some time to get used to it. Now. I don’t have too long before the next harvest. So my next task needs to be finding a husband!”
The squirrel sighed. “And how do you plan to do that?”
“I’ll just go where all mortals go when they need to get something:” She waved her hand, changing her golden hair to a more natural blonde and her eyes to a muted blue. Her green silk robes changed into a modest dress made of cotton cloth. Admiring her reflection in a nearby pool of water, she smiled brightly at her animal friend.
“The market!”
__________________________________________
“Marriage?!”
Ryventh glared at his brother Brevar, his irritation causing his eyes to glow scarlet. Even as his attention was directed at his offending sibling, however, his hands never stopped sorting the small gold pieces on the table he sat at.
Brevar sighed. “It’s not my rule, Ry. It’s the Dragon Council.”
“It’s stupidity, that’s what it is! What does being married have to do with my ability to assume the throne?!” The clinking of coins continued, a steady background noise to his complaints. “I am the most powerful, AND I have the largest hoard. What more do those idiots want?!”
“They want stability.” Brevar started to sit down across from Ryventh, but paused at the other’s glare as he got too close to the treasure on the table between them. “It’s been almost a year, since our father has passed. You should have taken the throne long ago, but no matter how strong you are, or how rich you are… you don’t inspire the same confidence in the dragons that he did.”
“I still fail to see how they think that marriage would change that.” Grumbling, he stared intently at the treasure passing through his fingers.
Brevar lost his patience. “Could you stop counting your gold for a minute and focus on this!”
Ryventh stopped and stood. As the eldest son of dragon royal blood, his stature was much larger than his younger siblings, a fact which remained true even in their current human forms. Brevar leaned back slightly under his intimidating stare, but remained stubborn.
“This is exactly what I mean, Ry. They are confident in you because no one thinks that you care about anything other than your precious treasure!”
“And what if they’re right?” Ryventh asked quietly. “Why should I care about anything else. What do they care about me?”
“You don’t mean that.”
“…” After a long pause, Ryventh sat back down and resumed counting his gold. “Tell the council no.”
“It’s not that simple anymore.” Brevar pulled his poorly fitting robe’s sleeves over his wrists. “If you refuse this… they will appoint a different king.”
“They wouldn’t dare.”
“They would, and the other dragons would follow. You could try to fight it, but it would mean war, and no one is on your side.”
“…”
“There are dozens of young female dragons who have courted you for centuries! Just pick any one of them and marry them to satisfy the council! Or if you can’t stand them, the world is filled with immortals and gods, plenty of choices for the future dragon king.” Brevar looked at his brother’s stony expression, and closed his eyes. “Please?”
Ryventh thought it over. “… It’s not impossible for me to get married.”
“That’s great…!”
“But not to a dragon… not an immortal either.”
“What?” Brevar froze in confusion,.
“Do you know how much it costs to marry an immortal?” Ryventh rolled his eyes. “Not to mention the luxury that they would demand to maintain the lifestyle they are accustomed to.”
“You are the RICHEST DRAGON IN THE WORLD! Are you seriously worried about the cost of a wedding?”
“I’m not emptying my treasury for an empty gesture to satisfy the council. No. Instead… I’m going to marry a mortal.”
“…What?”
“Preferably a sturdy, rural, self-sufficient one. Who wouldn’t be too interested in my money or living lavishly.” Ryventh smiled as he plotted. “And I’ll let her have a few lovers should she want children…. Provided that those men will pay to raise the brats.”
“…What?”
“It’s a foolproof plan. I marry a mortal, appease the council, wait for her to die, and then ‘mourn’ her for as long as I want to prevent further requests like this in the future! And all without spending any of my gold!”
Brevar sat down heavily, ignoring Ryventh’s growl at his proximity to the gold this time. “Please tell me you are joking.”
“I’m very serious. In fact, there’s no time like the present!” Ryventh quickly collected the gold, storing it in a magic space in his belt. “Let’s go find me a wife.”
“Ry… wait, where are you going?! Ry?!”
“Where else?” Ryventh grinned. “A market!"
"A MARKET? Are you an idiot? You can't find a wife..."
The dragon ignored his cries and leapt off the cliff leading to his cave, his wings spreading out behind him. "Let’s go! If we don’t hurry all the thrifty wives will be taken!”
__________________________________________
The mortal market was bustling with activity. Hundreds of stalls, each with one to two sellers calling out to passing shoppers, highlighting their wares. The scent of food wafted through the air, enticing one to pause and eat. Performers juggled or played instruments, small bowls filled with coppers sitting in front of them. And through the jostling crowed, a young beautiful woman moved with purpose.
“Would you like to buy some eggs, Ma’am?” An elderly woman called out.
Phoenix smiled at her. “No thank you miss, I have to save my money for an important errand today.”
“And what is that, pretty young miss?”
“I’m looking for a husband!”
The older woman was startled. “At the market?” Shrugging, she added. “Well… you’re a bit odd, but you are pretty, and look fairly well off…”
“Thank you! I think I’m pretty too!”
“…Yes. Maybe you would consider my son?” The woman showed a professional smile, showing gaps of rotting teeth. “He’s handsome, hardworking, and young!”
Phoenix thought for a moment. “That’s a good start, but…”
The elderly lady thought she was losing interest, and frantically interrupted, adding… “And did I mention loyal? He plans to only have one wife his entire life, and not search for other women or concubines. A dream husband for any…”
“No thank you.” Phoenix turned away, disinterested. “Have a nice day.” Ignoring the woman’s call to turn back, she walked away, looking around a busy market with interest.
“Why did you say no?!” Bushel, tucked into the bag on her shoulder, whispered. “She said he was handsome!”
“And loyal.” She shuddered. “I need someone who will pretty much leave me alone.”
“I still don’t think that the market is the right place to find…”
“Why hello there, pretty lady.”
Phoenix was stopped by a large man with a leering grin.
“I heard you were looking for a man.” The surrounding crowds paused at his lewd words, but almost everyone turned away, minding their own business. This man very clearly had a reputation in this place, and not a pleasant one.
Phoenix looked him up and down, frowning as she took in his unattractive appearance. “I’m looking for a husband.” She paused. “A handsome husband.”
“Looks aren’t everything, lady.” His smile became more vulgar. “I’ve got what you need to be satisfied.” He thrusted his hips in her direction, as the men around him laughed. “You won’t be thinking about looks when the lights are off.”
“I doubt that.” Phoenix tried to push past him, but the man reached out, grabbing her arm.
“I didn’t let you leave, missy.”
Closing her eyes briefly to hide the glow of gold that appeared with her anger, she forced the illusion back in place and glared at the man. “Let go while you still have your hand.”
“OOH I’m scared!” The man leaned closer. “Leave your money, and MAYBE I’ll spare your person… Although you look like you could use a good…”
CLANG!
__________________________________________
“What about her?”
Ryventh pointed at a blond young woman who was currently arguing with a group of gangsters. “Her looks are nice, her clothes are not expensive but well cared for. She wears flowers instead of expensive jewelry… and she appears to be unmarried, at least judging by her hairstyle... didn't you say that's how unmarried mortals wear it?"
"That's right." Brevar raised an eyebrow. “I agree that she’s pretty, and not wearing expensive things... Should we go help your potential future wife? She looks to be in trouble.”
“Not yet. Remember, I want a self-sufficient bride.” He shrugged, “I can’t be running around to save her all the time. I have all of dragon kind to rule over.”
“Wow, you're such a romantic.” They both turned back to the woman. “Fortunately, it seems we are unnecessary.”
Ryventh winced slightly as the woman smiled, and calmly broke the gangster’s wrist. She then kicked him in the crotch, and proceeded to take out a forge hammer from her bag and beat the rest of the men around him senseless.
“Do you know how long I had to save for this gold!” She yelled, grinding her boot on the main offender’s face. “And you think you can just TAKE it?!”
“I’m sorry!” The man cried, blood, snot and tears pulling under his squished face. “I was blind and foolish to block you path, ma’am.”
The woman laughed. “Oh you are blind and foolish alright, to offend a god… I mean a powerful human like me! You're lucky I had my brother's hammer with me today, instead of my father's tools! ” She moved her foot. “You can go. But if you ever cross paths with me again… I’ll bury you in my garden to fertilize my plants!”
“Yes!” The group of men stumbled weakly to their feet, helping each other as they hurried away, cowering in fear. The crowds muttered and stared some, but similar to before, no one intervened.
Brevar chuckled a bit. “Wow, that was violent. Not exactly what you’re looking for…”
“She’s perfect!”
“…What?”
“Didn’t you see?” Ryventh explained excitedly. “She protects her gold fiercely, can take care of herself, and did you hear that last sentence?”
“Where she threatened to bury the man?”
“Under her garden! That’s great! She’s self-sufficient and grows a garden! Maybe she even sells the flowers or grows vegetables! I won’t have to pay for anything!”
“Um… Ry?” Brevar called out, but it was too late, Ryventh had already strode forward.
“Excuse me, Miss!” He spoke up, straightening himself up and smiling handsomely. “Please marry me!”
__________________________________________
Phoenix looked in surprise at the proposing man.
He had red curly hair framing face with regular features. His eyes were bright green and filled with a deep intelligence, studying her closely. He was tall and well built, towering over her with a slim but muscular frame.
Well, he’s definitely handsome! She thought optimistically, reaching out a hand. “Hello, I’m Phoeni… I mean, Phoebe.” Whew, almost gave a goddess name there! Good save!
He took it, his palm warm and gripped her hand with gentle force. “Ryv.. Rhyse.”
Very normal mortal name! Great!
“Well, Rhyse.” She tilted her head curiously. “How did you know I was looking for a husband?”
He smiled brightly at her question, surprised. “You’re looking for a husband! That’s great! I’m looking for a wife! We should marry!”
“This is weird.” Bushel whispered in quiet voice only she could hear. She patted his bag gently, urging him to shush.
Phoenix took back her hand, thinking for a moment. “Wait. Before I agree to anything, I have a few questions.”
“Of course.”
“Are you married or betrothed already?”
“No.”
“I have a garden that is very important to me. Would we be able to live in my house, or can I move my plants to your house?”
Rhyse shrugged, the gesture strangely elegant. “I have very little money to my name, and no property. We would have to life at your house, I’m afraid.” He looked cautiously at her. “Do you mind that I cannot financially support you?”
“I don’t mind at all. In fact, that’s great that you can just move in!” She paused again. “But there is one more thing… a very important thing.”
“Please say.”
“I cannot have children.” Pheonix took a deep breath. “I understand if you want to withdraw your proposal, or if this means you need to take on concubines…”
“That’s great!” His happy exclamation shocked her into silence.
“…pardon?”
“I can’t have children either!” He took her hands. “I’m simply looking for a lifelong companion. I will not bother you much or intervene in your life. I will keep my space clean. I have no parents, so there is no one to worry about impressing. What do you say, Phoebe?”
“…”
Handsome, clean, can’t have children and won’t intervene in my life?
Phoebe smiled at him with relief. “It sounds perfect!”
__________________________________________
Pretty, has a house and garden AND she won’t expect children?
Ryventh smiled back. “I agree! It’s perfect!” He turned to his brother, who was staring at the two of them open mouthed. “I told you the market was the place to go!”
“I…you…”
Ignoring his stuttering, he turned to his future bride. “He told me I was a fool for going to the market to get married.”
She shook her head. “Someone told me the same thing.”
They both laughed smugly. Feeling a great sense of relief, Ryventh turned the conversation towards planning.
“When should we get married?” Hopefully she won’t want a drawn out engagement…
“As soon as possible.” She answered firmly.
“Really?” Has she read my mind? This is great!
“I just have one request.”
Ryventh kept his smile, but internally he rolled his eyes. Here we go. Something that will probably cost me gold. “Of course, dear, anything for my future wife!”
She looked up at him a bit anxiously. “Would it be okay if we just had a small quiet ceremony?” Obviously worried he was offended, she rushed to explain. “It’s not that I don’t care about the wedding, but I can’t afford a big party and some of my relatives can be… unpleasant at times. I would really prefer just a few witnesses, and I can decorate with some flowers from my garden. Is it… is it alright?”
“…” Ryventh stared at his newly minted fiancé in shock.
“Rhys? If you don’t want to…”
“YOU ARE PERFECT!”
“…”
“…”
At his loud shout, there was an awkward silence. Finally, Ryventh coughed, trying to recover. “I mean, I think your plan sounds like a good one.”
“Great!” She looked relieved. “So would three days from now work?”
“I couldn’t ask for anything different.” He grinned with satisfaction at the deal that he struck.
She’s absolutely perfect, and best of all… She’s mortal. So even if things don’t work out… it won’t last forever.
__________________________________________
As Rhysy agreed, Phoenix let out a large sigh of relief. Looking through her bag, she pulled out a small map, marking a space by the lake.
“Here is where our new home is. In three days you can meet me here. If you will bring at least one witness and a priest, I’ll bring the other witness and decorate for the ceremony. And then, we’ll be married.”
“I cannot be happier with that plan.” He smiled at her, and she felt a brief flutter at the sight. They said their goodbyes, and Phoenix watched him and his companion walk away, giddy with her achievement.
Her plan had worked perfectly.
I was worried, but at least he is fine with a short timeline and small ceremony. Thank goodness he’s easy to please! She thought to herself with a smile as she headed back to her humble home and garden. But best of all is the fact that he’s mortal. So even if he’s not so great…
Any chance you will be finishing restricted magic?
Thanks for asking! It's been a while, but there's hope. I still have the outline and some rough draft. It was one of my first long form works on this site, so I hate to leave it unfinished forever. Fingers crossed for a bit more inspiration!
Hello! I just want to say, firstly-- I LOVE your writing! And secondly-- the story with the Flower-Seller turned Princess inspired me to re-read "I Can't Eat Love," and. I feel like "Original Script" Iris... might've been meant as a Villainess similar to Edith? "I was MEANT to grow up with money, a title, a Prince fiance, a cool family, and All The Things, but due to circumstances beyond both of our control, that OTHER GIRL has it INSTEAD! I shall now attempt Revenge and Taking Back What's MINE through schemes that escalate from mean comments & pranks, to treasonous murder-plots." And also, both suffer somewhat from NOT having the best Etiquette Instructors tutoring them since they could walk.
It was a fun "A-Ha!" moment, to realize THAT was the sort of Scheming Villainess the TV show was likely aiming for! It helped me SEE the angle from which the audience was meant to sympathize with the Raised-Royal Protagonist from the start!
Of course, an orphaned flower-seller has much less of a safety-net, compared to Count's daughter... Anyway! I love your writing, and it's fun to see similar character-dynamics/tropes poked at from different angles! Thank You for making things, and for sharing them with us!
Glad you like my writing! I love this take! The idea of someone being obsessed with a "stolen" identity, but then the turn around of her not valuing it as much because of her experiences... It's a lot of fun to play with. Part 3 is in the works, and plays more with the replacement princesses' view on this (and her view on iris!) so I'm looking forward to sharing that!
Hey there, I was feeling inspired so I wrote my take on Ronan the Ridiculous! It’s linked here.
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Thank you for the submission @ice-cream-in-space! This was so awesome! Sorry I didn’t see it sooner, I was on a long trip after my last post and I’ve just started getting back to normal life. I listened to this and it was honestly too cool!!!
I had come up with lyrics once too, in case you’re curious, but I love your version so much!
