Snippet from ' the crown princess 2.0 ' ?
It was still difficult getting into the bathtub but it was getting better. She still preferred using the shower but the Lady of Autumn's manor had large baths who's depths resembled the ones she feared but nonetheless Nesta had become a frequent visitor of Autumn's Royal Family's manors and Dawn's cognitive therapists who had helped her immensely for the last 2 years after the King of Rask announced her inheritance.
Footsteps she knew very well stepped over the threshold of her quarters. A panting hound sat by the tub leaning it's head over for Nesta to caress.
Annie. She still chuckled at that nickname whenever she heard it. A shortened for of her full name Anestasia, so very similar to how friends in the human lands used to shorten it. A note of sadness filled her. Annie- a nickname that brough up two juxtaposing emotions that blended together so well. Odd.
She waved at the bottles of oils and shampoo next to her.
"Make yourself of use then, High Lord."
He chuckled pulling up a stool behind her as he massaged generous amounts of rose smelling liquid into her hair.
"Only you could make a High Lord wash your hair."
"Someone needs to keep you in check. And since I killed your daddy dearest, I seem to have taken that responsibility."
The room instantly heated, the fire in the hallway raged. Even the warmth in Nesta's body had been snatched. Sometimes she forgot that Eris too was a high lord. It seemed Rhysand's boasting had allowed her to think that just because her sister's mate was powerful others were not. She shuddered at her idiocy.
Warmth returned everywhere, "Apologies, cara."
Cara- another nickname he picked up from a local vendor in Rask who called his wife beloved in Raskian. The Raskian population assumed that Nesta and Eris were lovers so Eris being Eris decided to fan the flames and call her beloved all around town. It sort of stuck now.
As he continued, Nesta noted the heavy silence he carried with him.
"What's wrong, fire boy?"
His hands stilled for a second before resuming their work.
"You asked me to get your gown today and I got it but -eyes." Nesta followed his direction and closed her eyes as he took a pitcher of clean water and she felt it wash over her face.
"I got your gown but when I was there I saw things- furniture being moved from the West Wing."
Nesta scoffed, "Is your eyesight getting bad again? Do we need to go to a healer? The West Wing has not had any live there since the queen died."
"I know what I saw Nesta." She turned,
"And what did you see Eris?"
"A bed, Portraits, armour, crowns, regal clothing all of it was being moved. I wouldn't have even thought anything of it unless I saw the servants visibly hide a certain portrait for me."
Utter perplexation. The only emotion and all it's synonyms that coursed through Nesta right now. How was anything he was saying even plausible?
"I'm guessing you took that personally and investigated the portrait then."
He took a pink towel from the side and softly rubbed Nesta's head with it. For a second her vision went pink as the towel blinded her and when she saw him again he swallowed. Very few times did Nesta see the worry and fear in Eris' eyes as she did now.
He leaned forward, hands cupping Nesta's face, thumbs softly brushing away stary droplets of water as he pulled her halfway. Silver eyes met amber ones as their breaths mingled as his scent of sandalwood and cedar washed over her intertwining with her rose and dark chocolate scent.
Nesta's power thrummed around them as she concentrated on tapping into his life force, intrudinig into his mind.
"What's going on here?" The servants blanched at the sight of her- well Eris.
"Uh nothing my Lord." he hid the frame behind him, "Can we help you?"
Eris-we-I? Eris smiled, "The Royal Guard requires your assistance for a few minutes in the courtyard. All of you."
they believed, it the fools.
Eris walked over, pushing away the velvet material on the frame. A Male with a golden crown, bedazzled with diamonds similar to the one Nesta wore. His eyes twinkled like the King of Rask's, blonde hair coming up to the nape of his neck as he smiled, the female next to him practically melting into him as she laughed, golden brown hair splayed across his chest, silver eyes almost closed and uncomprehend able as they were laughing. The female looked familiar according to Eris so he turned the painting from where it was on it's side to get a better gauge of it.
He leaned towards the placard
"The late Crown Prince laughing with a Lesser fae."
Nesta reared her head back gasping from sheer shock at what Eris had just shown her. A Crown Prince? But the King of Rask said he never had any children? None of the Raskians had even mentioned a Crown Prince. And the female...Lesser fae? That woman may not have had pointed ears but that woman was not even fae let alone lesser fae. That woman was...
She looked at the red haired male in front of her.
"My Mother. That's my mother."