Jé Kinah was awake early. She didn’t need as much sleep as humans and the fresh, cool air of the alps called to her. Her bed wasn’t very comfortable either, having chosen to sleep on one of the lounges. Evander had insisted she take the bed but she had barely sat down upon it before recoiling from the vivid imagery the humans before them had left behind. The whole chateau was saturated with memories and it was difficult for her to sift through them. And so it was, in the early hours of the morning when only the most diligent were awake, she opened the doors that led onto the balcony, turned around and began to climb up the outside of the chateau.
It was relatively easy for her to scramble up past the final layer of the chateau which was almost undoubtedly the extensive attic and stood on the three foot wide path where the sloping roofs joined. A brisk breeze blew through her hair, whipping her pale gold strands about, speaking to her of new dawns and new days ahead. She could feel her shoulders aching, a result of the poor sleeping position, and her hands reached back automatically to rub her shoulder blades. Her fingers dug in deep through the soft fabric of her brand new merino sweater, searching for tell tale lumps or scarred flesh.
But there was nothing. No remnant of the dragon was left behind.
It was strange. She had become so used to the fear and the guilt that without it…she didn’t know quite how to be. Meredith was right. She wasn’t the only one who had committed atrocities and who needed to be judged. Jé Kinah had played her part too. Yet there was no one who remembered it. There were no wanted posters or humans throwing stones…there was nothing except an open horizon.
How could that be?
What could she be without the threat of death looming over her?
What could this new world hold?
She walked along the path, feeling the change between the old architecture and the new, most likely as a result of the fire. She could almost feel the heat and it caused her to flinch away. She knew the flames could not hurt her but she recoiled nonetheless. When she walked out on the middle path, directly behind the empty bell tower, she felt such searing sadness she doubled over, the pain so intense she could feel her heart breaking. She could almost taste the death, the angry, frightened death. Staggering away she nearly lost her footing, trying to put some distance between herself and the tragedy that had occurred there.
Perhaps someone had taken their own life.
Perhaps it was De St Croix when Giselle died…
Jé Kinah closed her eyes and swallowed…and then…as she reached the absolute end of the path on top of the roof, she felt unbelievable joy, over the moon, surging, hopeful joy. Her lungs suddenly filled with laughter and her eyes filled with sparkling tears. The contrast was astonishing and the love it left her with, a wonderful warm, refreshing love, made her believe that anything was possible even for someone like her.
The sun had risen and the chateau came alive with people. The noisy things called cars began to increase in number and volume and the hum of the chateau itself rose in pitch with the awakening guests. There was a great deal of preparation happening in the gardens of the chateau. From the looks of the endless staff that littered the cool grounds Jé Kinah guessed that the ball was going to be held outside. She sat on the lip of the roof, unmoving so as not to attract attention. She doubted anyone would look up. They were all preoccupied with their duties. The fountain was to be particularly lovely as the stone carving of three water nymphs at its centre, was being added to with ice sculptures. The cool weather would keep the beautiful carvings pristine for days and to add to the effect, large blocks of ice were being laid in the fountain water.
In the midst of the noise that had increased slowly since the break of dawn, Jé Kinah heard someone calling her name. She twisted onto her stomach and looked over the edge of the chateau. Almost directly below her was the balcony attached to their apartment. Evander had walked out and was looking for her in the grounds. Jé Kinah rested her cheek on her hand, studying the man she had fallen in love with.
When she first met him, he had been very young, possibly not even eighteen. Though he was a prince and had been trained early on in the art of warfare and had the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders, he could not escape the youthfulness in his features, the perfection of his complexion and the slenderness of his body despite its manly frame. She smiled at the memory of his adoring eyes, his silky soft blond hair and his naïve eagerness. He had such hope then. He was full of noble ambition and could not be told that good could fall and that evil could triumph. In his mind, anything and everything was possible.
His joy had been a beacon of light to her tormented soul. Yes she had berated him for being so careless with his life, for travelling deep into a dangerous forest that was rife with highway robbers…but that was because, deep down, she hadn’t ever wanted the light in his eyes to go out.
He was pure. She was not.
She couldn’t stay with him nor allow him to follow her. She had to put distance between them and so she did, for several years…
…and then she’d come across him again.
He’d changed in that short amount of time. He had grown into the frame of his manly body, his chest filling out a little and his face had lost its puppy fat. His eyes were still adoring and his hands had still been soft when they’d taken hers to dance wildly at the street party. In his mind there was nothing and no one that could hold him back and stop him from being all that he could be.
Even that Evander was a far cry from the man who searched for her down below. He was almost ten years older than the Evander she had danced with. He was solid now, not heavy set but certainly muscular. Before he had fired an arrow through the dragon’s breast into her heart, she had studied his body. He was scarred. There were marks all over his once oiled and robust skin and while they may have marred his flesh, they only added to his handsome ruggedness. His hair, which had once been light and almost fluffy, was thicker and had only just regained some of its original lustre because of something called ‘shampoo’. His eyes were still adoring but now they were stained with guilt and there was hesitation in all he did. He had lost his absolute faith in the power of good and begun to doubt everything…even his true love.
Jé Kinah wanted to climb down and be held in his arms. She didn’t care that his hands were calloused or that he wasn’t the youth he might think he should or could be. She had seen Evander in all his adult states and she had loved every single one of them.
Could they move past the one indiscretion that had caused her to keep him at arm’s length?
She swallowed, her voice catching in her throat, refusing to call out his name. Yet she heard it, clear as day, calling him regardless.
Evander turned and looked back inside the apartment. Onto the balcony flounced Meredith. Jé Kinah felt the corners of her mouth turn down and her brow furrowed automatically at the sight of her ‘other half’. She wore a gown of purple and white, her shoulders once again scandalously bare, her skin pale and perfect. Her hair was never worn up, preferring the wash of darkest brown curls to caress her neck, shoulders and upper back. Meredith ran to Evander and grasped his arm. He asked if she had seen Jé Kinah. Meredith replied that she had not. She pointed to the mountains and said that Jé Kinah had probably gone for a run through the cold forest and would be back later. She then begged Evander to come with her and go shopping. Evander was reluctant, looking around for Jé Kinah once more.
“Up,” she whispered, “just look up.”
But he didn’t. Instead he turned and went inside.
Logic dictated that she shouldn’t be angry at him for not realising that she was on the roof. Or for going with Meredith into the apartment…or the village…or anywhere. But the beast that uncurled itself within her chest was not the demon dragon that had once hibernated there. This was a horrible sensation, one Jé Kinah was very new to and did not like one bit.
It was jealousy.
She stood up and walked to the other side of the chateau so that she could see the drive full of the brightly coloured cars pulling in and away. She waited for Evander and Meredith to appear, angry when they did and astonished at the force of the emotion. Why should she resent him anything? He had done more than any one person could for someone that they loved, surely. But it had been months for him. Months in the company of someone else. Someone who was lively and bright and beautiful and coy and more than willing.
Jé Kinah put her hand to her throat to check if it was actually on fire it burned so badly. Had she swallowed poison that made her insides twist and eyes sting at the thought of Evander being with someone else? She was an elf for heaven’s sake! She shouldn’t be controlled by this base, animalistic, human emotion. She should accept the inevitable and move on. If it was over two hundred years in the past, maybe she would have been brave enough. She could disappear quite easily and no one, not even Prince Evander, would have been able to find her.
But this world was different. The currency was different. The clothing had her baffled. There were humans everywhere and countless leagues of hard ground had been layered over once green meadows. She didn’t understand it and Jé Kinah had discovered the edge of her courage. Fear kept her close to the chateau, to the people she knew…even if it tore her up inside to see them.
Her keen eyes spied Penny Kirk also leaving the chateau, her clothing and manner suggesting that she was going for a walk. Jé Kinah didn’t have need for a great deal of company. She preferred a solitary life but there were times when even she couldn’t out argue the voices in her head. Penny had proven herself to be more open to Jé Kinah, Evander and Meredith’s bizarre circumstances than two of her other colleagues.
Jé Kinah slid down the roof, grabbed the edge, twisted and half fell, half clambered down at a rapid pace to the balcony below. The only staff member who saw her descent had barely enough time to realise what she was doing before she disappeared inside the apartment. He looked around, saw no one else had seen what he had seen and then, because he had a great deal more to do before the Masque that evening, shook it off and kept going.
Penny Kirk wrapped her scarf around her neck and pulled her gloves up firmly. She had a bright purple slouch beanie on her head that sloped its way over her pigtails that didn’t have their usual bounce this morning. She gave a small sniff, lifted her chin and set out to enjoy as much of the French Alps as possible. Maybe the rolling hills of the quaint village of Bertrand would make a happy mark in her mind…and blot out any unhappy ones.
The tension in her and her friend’s room was almost unbearable that morning. Lila had walked out early on, clad in her running gear and without a word to anyone. Chaz, who had always run from conflict, had buried his head in the internet while Mak had…
She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn’t seen or heard Jé Kinah coming. The sudden presence of the fair-haired, possible time traveller, made Penny jump out of her skin.
“Greetings Penny Kirk.” Jé Kinah said, an accent coming through as she spoke English.
“Jé Kinah! Where did you spring from?” Penny gasped and then laughed. “And it’s just Penny. You don’t have to say the Kirk part every time.”
Jé Kinah frowned. “But Mak calls you…”
“Mak has always called me Penny Kirk.” Penny sighed. Well…he had until this morning.
“Good morning Penny. Breakfast compliments of the Countess?”
Penny saw Jé Kinah studying her and gave a poor attempt at a reassuring smile. “So…out for a stroll?”
“I believe so…”
“Feel free to join me. I wanted to see as much of this tiny part of France that I could before heading back.” Penny continued to walk and Jé Kinah fell into step beside her.
“I am surprised you are strolling by yourself.” Penny suppressed a grin at Jé Kinah’s sometimes oddly phrased English. But seeing as she hadn’t spoken it a week ago, Penny felt it was only kind to ignore any minor errors she made. “Did you not wish for company? Am I intrusion?”
“No, not at all.” Penny sighed. “Lila would have said yes to a walk…maybe…but with her I feel it is a forced march. She prefers a faster pace. And Chaz climbed Mount Olympus under sufferance. As for Mak…”
“He was not happy the last time I saw him.”
“No. He wasn’t.”
“He does not believe our story.”
“Nope,” Penny tilted her head, feeling the tension tight in her neck, “not even when the truth is right there in front of him.”
Jé Kinah was quiet for a moment and they walked in companionable silence down an idyllic laneway in the French countryside. Penny had so many questions that she didn’t know where to begin…or if she was being just plain rude or nosy by asking.
“Please forgive myself and my companions for spreading unhappiness through your friends.” Penny looked over at her in surprise. Jé Kinah held her gaze. “After all you have done for us, it is a poor return.”
Penny shook her head. “It isn’t your fault. I mean, it’s because of you but you can’t help being who you are and when you are from.” She made a frustrated noise which she had been told before was unladylike. “It’s just…even when the truth is right there in front of them…”
“But you believe?”
Penny shrugged. “I guess so.”
“Why?”
“That’s a funny question. Is there any reason why I shouldn’t believe?”
“It is simply that, with all the wisdom you now possess, from what I knew you to have, perhaps belief is irrelevant.”
“First of all, there’s a difference between wisdom and knowledge.” Penny said firmly. “The smartest people in the world have done the dumbest things at times. Second, humans like to explain everything away so that there’s no mystery anymore. We don’t like to depend on anything we can’t control or explain.”
“But not you?”
“Oh I do like to know things and explain things,” Penny said honestly and they turned a corner, the countryside becoming prettier and prettier with every new laneway, “but if I destroy something by reasoning it away until it loses all its wonder,” she spun around and walked backwards in front of Jé Kinah, “like unicorns! I would love to know if they really existed or if it was all a hoax created hundreds of years ago. And dragons and dwarves and if fairy tales are true…oh and elves!” She smiled and her face lit up. “What I would do to know if elves were real! Where they came from, where they went…oh gosh everything!” Her face became firm. “But…if knowing all that meant destroying them…I would be content to believe and believe only.”
Penny’s face flushed bright when she saw Jé Kinah’s gaze and fell back into step beside her. She had blabbed again. She was terrible for it. Always blurting out whatever was in her heart to people. She’d even been guilty of doing it to perfect strangers. Whatever would a cool headed person like Jé Kinah think of her now? They walked for a bit in silence, heading down the curve in the hill towards the heart of the village. Penny hoped if she bribed Jé Kinah with a coffee, she wouldn’t say anything about what she just said.
“I was told…stories…when I was a young girl…about elves.” Jé Kinah said quietly. Penny looked at her out of the corner of her eye. Jé Kinah wasn’t mocking her. In fact, there was a seriousness to her expression as she spoke. “Would you care to hear them?”
“I’d love to.”
“Way back when the world began, angels came to the earth, forsaking heaven. They were not humans but they were no longer angelic beings. It was said that they were the first elves.” Jé Kinah looked up at the pale blue sky above dotted with white clouds. “It is also why an elf has no soul.”
“They don’t?” Penny asked in shock.
Jé Kinah shook her head. “Unless they are killed or die from overwhelming emotions, elves would live forever for they are eternal creatures. But when they die…they become dust.”
Penny wondered if she was as pale as she felt. “That’s so sad. But I suppose living forever isn’t too bad…is it?”
“When there were less humans, yes. But humans multiply at an extraordinary rate.” Jé Kinah explained. “Their ways were difficult for the elves to understand and their emotions caused great unrest in the hearts of the elves. The more the humans spread, the more the elves retreated…until they retreated right out of the world…”
Penny sighed deeply. “So…they are gone. That’s a shame. I mean, I’m glad they’re safe but it means I’ll never get to see one. Still…there are worse things.” She smiled, feeling her eyes crease up as she did so. “Want a coffee?”
They walked into the village, turning a sharp corner and as they did so, the roar of an engine deafened everything around them. Penny only saw a flash of red, grazing up the curb at a ridiculous speed and coming straight at her. She barely had time to register the deadly situation before she was flung out of the way, landing hard in a doorway. Her heart going from zero to sixty in two seconds flat made her dizzy and she spun around, looking for Jé Kinah. The red Porsche bellowed away, the driver unaware of how close it came to killing two people. Jé Kinah stared after it, half crouched in the middle of the road as if she had just landed …exactly where the car would have come through.
“Jé Kinah!” Penny gasped and sprinted to her, grasping her arms. “Are you alright?”
“I am well,” Jé Kinah said, her face cold and hard, “and I have the identification plate specific to that car committed to memory.”
Penny looked down the road, the car long gone. “I doubt that will do anything. No witnesses other than you and I. But the fool could have killed someone.”
“The corner is a dangerous one.” Jé Kinah pointed back to where they had been standing when the Porsche had nearly run them down. “Someone has died there before.”
Penny looked back. “How do you know?”
Jé Kinah’s eyes became sad and she looked at Penny, a shiver going down her spine. “I just know.”
Penny insisted on buying Jé Kinah a chai tea. It was the least she could do seeing as the fast thinking woman from the past had just saved her from a fatal collision. They found a pleasant café which was as cliché French as the best of them. It was even playing ‘la vien a rose’ and the music washed over them as they sat at an outside table, the café just starting to fill up with its late breakfast/early lunch customers.
Tall glasses were set in front of them with tan coloured liquid inside. Penny noted how Jé Kinah sniffed at it first before trusting herself to sip it. “I won’t poison you, I promise.” She chuckled.
“No, it is just…I…” Jé Kinah gave a slight smile and put it down. “I am not fond of coffee, no matter the flavour it proclaims to be. This is pleasant.”
“Ah…” Penny watched her curiously. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s going on with you and Prince Evander?” She thought she might have seriously erred as Jé Kinah looked up sharply, her eyes becoming guarded. “Only because…you know…never mind.”
“What is ‘going on’?”
Penny shook her head. “No, it’s none of my business. I only thought I’d ask…but I shouldn’t have. For all I know you, he and Meredith are in a threesome relationship.”
Jé Kinah’s eyes widened and she shook her head violently. “That is…I…no…I do not…no…”
“Oh okay!” Penny bit her bottom lip and looked down at the table. “You just seemed sad, that’s all. I thought you could use someone to talk to. But you probably don’t need anyone really. You’re so independent and brave and stuff…”
“I do not know what is ‘going on’ with Evander and I.” Jé Kinah said suddenly, like the words had been building up pressure in her mouth and had abruptly shot past her gritted teeth like a bullet out of the barrel of a gun. “I thought I did. But I do not.”
Penny saw a twinge of embarrassment cross Jé Kinah’s fine features and felt a pang of guilt. “You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to.”
Jé Kinah sighed with a frown on her face. “No, it is good that I talk. I have not confided in anyone in some time…” She looked up. “Evander and I met when he was young…both were young…” She cleared her throat, the words she knew she had to say struggling to form sentences. “But I was…proud and…was not sure he would understand me…or my past…” She swallowed and saw Penny’s open, soft face. “But he was persistent and I told him that I loved him.”
“Did you mean it?” Jé Kinah felt her heart twist so all she could do was nod.
“But I had to go away, to prison and he and Meredith…” She couldn’t believe how hard it was to say these things. “I should be happy for him. And Meredith…she is…charming and bright and lively…”
“Yes. She’s very captivating,” Penny chuckled quietly, “but he doesn’t look at her the same way he looks at you.”
“When he looks at me all I see is guilt,” Jé Kinah confessed, “and I do not think I can push past it. Perhaps it is simply not meant to be. Perhaps a human and an…another human…cannot make it work…sometimes…”
Penny breathed out heavily. “I wish I had some kind of deep wisdom to offer you Jé Kinah. But I find myself in the same place as you.”
Jé Kinah looked up. “You and Mak?”
“There was never a ‘me and Mak’ really.” Penny explained. “I met him three years ago when I transferred schools. I think he was nervous about speaking to me and accidentally called me Penny Kirk. It kind of stuck and I liked it. I didn’t think much of it or him at the time, adapting to a new school, different expectations and all that,” she felt her mouth curl up in a gentle smile, “but in the last six months…I dunno. He’s been…and I’ve been…” She waved her hands. “Not that anything has happened. He certainly never told me he loves me. We haven’t even gone on a date or held hands. And after last night…” Tears prickled her eyes and she blinked them away and laughed. “Here I am listening to your story and all I do is offer up my own lame misery.”
She drank deep of her tea and set it down, licking her lips.
“What would your advice to me be Penny Kirk?”
Penny grinned at the use of her name. “If I knew nothing else about you and Evander except that you care deeply for him, I’d say fight for him. Take a chance. You never know right?”
Jé Kinah gave a faint smile. “Then perhaps may I offer the same advice to you?”
Penny sighed. “Why is it always easier to give advice than take it?”
Their quiet conversation was rudely interrupted by a powerful engine and the ruby red Porsche that had nearly run them down earlier pulled up in front of the shop next to the café. Penny glared daggers at the driver who launched himself out of the car without a care in the world. He swaggered into the café and Penny shook her head.
“Idiot.” She muttered.
“Is that person finished with their meal?” Jé Kinah asked unexpectedly. Penny frowned and looked at the table next to them.
“I guess. Not really my call.”
“Is there perhaps a bathroom in this establishment?”
“If there is it’ll be inside.”
Jé Kinah got up and went inside. A waitress came out and began clearing the plates away. “Excuse me?” Penny called and she came over. “Parlez…”
“I speak English.” She said with a smile.
“Oh good. The corner around there, where the hill road runs into the village, are there many accidents there?”
“Oui, it is a dangerous road. But no matter what we say, no one is in trouble for it,” she sighed, “not even when a local man was killed two years ago zere.”
Penny felt a quiver run up and down her spine. “Someone died on that corner?”
The waitress nodded. “It was so sad.”
She went inside just as Jé Kinah was coming out. Penny eyed her cautiously as she sat down.
“Are you well?”
Penny opened her mouth then clamped it up again. “Fine. Everything is fine.”
The driver came out of the café with his latte in hand, brandishing his keys. He leapt into the Porsche, turned on the engine and went to drive off. The tires fell to pieces from the car, shredded and completely useless and the wheels screeched loudly across the ground until the car came to a quick stop. The driver got out, furious and red faced from the laughter, swearing at the top of lungs at the state of his car.
Penny stared in astonishment.
“Shall we go?” Jé Kinah asked.
“Sure…” Penny dashed after her. “Jé Kinah…you didn’t do that…did you?”
“You did not see me do it, did you?”
“Well…no…”
Jé Kinah nodded. “Good.”
Penny scampered after her, wondering if, on her way into the café, Jé Kinah had stolen a steak knife from the other table and exacted some of her own justice.
Evander opened the door to the apartment and looked in hopefully. When he realised it was empty his shoulders sagged and he sighed, bringing in several bags. Meredith followed him, bristling with energy and excitement. She laid her collection of bags down and turned to Evander.
“Shall we have something to eat?”
Evander looked at her bright face and couldn’t help but feel a twinge of happiness. Her optimism was contagious. “Does shopping always make you hungry?”
“I don’t know. It’s only my second day at it.” Meredith giggled and picked up the thing called a phone. Evander was amazed anew at how she seemed to adapt to her surroundings as she spoke to the tiny person inside the phone and ordered them lunch. “They said it will be half an hour.” She sat down in a heap of purple and white organza, the embroidered bodice cupping her torso perfectly. With a child like enthusiasm she pulled the bags towards herself and began hauling things out, delighted once again at what she had already seen when she put them in the bags. “This is so much fun. I love this place.”
“I do wonder if we are taking advantage of the Countess’ generosity.” Evander admitted, still not sitting as he peered into the bedroom.
“I saw the way she looked at you.” Meredith said coyly. “You are her childhood fantasy Evan, her knight in shining armour. She would do anything for you.” She tilted her head and studied him. “That does not appeal to you even the slightest bit?”
Evander shook off the question. “Jé Kinah still isn’t back yet.”
Meredith was unperturbed. “She’s probably up running through the alps.” She said airily, pulling out a white dress with pearlescent sequins sewn all over it.
“You really think so? She has been gone for quite some time…”
“She used to do it all the time.”
Evander looked at Meredith curiously and sat down. “Really?”
Meredith nodded. “Any time there was any kind of disagreement between mother and father, she would run for hours. Or when the children from the village threw stones and called names, she would run beyond their reach. That’s what she does. When there’s a problem, she runs.”
Evander frowned. “When I met her, Jé Kinah ran into the battle, not away from it.”
“She ran into other people’s troubles like an avenging angel,” Meredith looked up and raised her eyebrows, “but she never addressed the war inside.”
It was strange to hear Meredith speak about her childhood with Jé Kinah. Evander still struggled to imagine them as one person. They were so different that putting them in one body was…unbelievable.
“What was it like?” He asked quietly, sitting down.
“What was what like?” Meredith pulled out a pair of pink shoes and squealed with delight.
“Being one with Jé Kinah…as one person…” He ran his hands through his hair, feeling the lack of dirt and grease. “I can’t even…comprehend it…”
“We weren’t like we are now.” Meredith said then gave a little laugh at the statement. “Well, I suppose that is obvious. But when I talk about she and me, it wasn’t that there were two of us in there. There were simply two sides to every conversation, every debate…every argument.”
“Like…second guessing?”
“Yes! Exactly!” Meredith exclaimed. “Constantly wondering if we should or shouldn’t, could or couldn’t…an internal debate that lasted for sixteen years. We have the same arguments now. It’s just that now other people can hear them.”
The door to the apartment opened and to Evander’s overwhelming relief Jé Kinah walked in. He stood up automatically, as he had been taught to do, when a lady entered the room. He could see that, upon surveying who was in the room, she became guarded and distant. It was as if she had folded her arms and taken a step back.
“Jé Kinah,” he breathed out, “I was starting to become worried.”
“I was not in any danger.” She said firmly then paused, remembering something. “Not in any great danger…although the people who drive those ferocious beasts called cars could do with a stern word or two…or a beating.” She moved around them, giving the shopping bag chaos a wide berth. “I see you have been shopping again Merry.”
“Shoes and dresses and more pretty frilly undergarments…” Evander felt Jé Kinah sharp gaze on him. He wasn’t quite sure what it was he had done seeing as he hadn’t said a word. “Oh stop frowning Jé. I didn’t model the undergarments for Evan,” Merry laughed, “no matter how much I teased him.”
Evander’s collar grew hot and he swallowed, realising the implication a little too late to defend himself.
“I am surprised there are still things to be bought.” Jé Kinah remarked.
“I doubt we have even scratched the surface.” Merry declared.
“That’s true enough.” Evander added. “There are many stores, some larger than the one we went to yesterday. And when I remarked upon it I heard that there are even buildings as large as cities filled with stores.”
Jé Kinah’s fair skin became a shade paler. “Surely not. What would be the purpose of it all?”
“To have the thrill of opening bags when you get home!” Meredith stood up, her gown swishing around her as she picked up three bags and held them out. “And we did not forget about you, did we Evan?”
“We did see some things we thought you’d find interesting.” Evander admitted, although he was starting to wonder if it would work in his favour…or against it. “Here.”
She eyed the bags with suspicion but took one. Evander watched anxiously as she reached in and pulled out a golden yellow hardcover book and peered at the writing. “The Lion King…” She looked up. “I do not understand…”
“You pulled out a bad one to begin with.” Evander took the bag, dug through it and pulled out a different one. “Look.”
Jé Kinah took this book, which was red with a woman twirling on the front cover. “Snow White?” She looked up. “This is…”
“I know.” Evander wanted to take her hand and draw her down to sit but he was wary of doing so. Every time he had held her hands lately she had pulled away. Instead he patted the lounge and she sat in a daze. “There was an entire wall of these stories.”
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“Her story was told. I knew it.” Jé Kinah opened the cover. “I knew there was something everlasting about…” Her eyes grazed over the words as she turned the pages. Evander watched her with such yearning in his heart he thought he might cry. There was no mark of the beast upon her anymore. She was free…and yet they were still apart. He was so captivated by her beauty that he nearly missed the frown on her face.
“What is it?” He asked, moving to sit beside her and looked at the pages.
“She is kissed by the handsome prince…and wakes up.” Jé Kinah looked up.
Evander flinched and took the book. “But…that is not what happened.”
“Look, it is right there.” She pointed. “There is Snow White in the coffin, there is the prince…”
“Wait,” Evander grabbed the book and stared at it, “are those the dwarves?”
“Apparently so.”
Evander looked at Jé Kinah in shock. “They look nothing like them. Which one is Majellan?”
“I do not think…perhaps him?” Jé Kinah pointed to an illustration of a dwarf with a scowl on his face. “There is no telling of the corset or the comb Snow White tried on and nearly died from either.”
“How could they get it so wrong?”
They were so deep in contemplation they missed the light rap on the door. Meredith leapt up. “Food!” She declared brightly and swung open the door. “You’re not food.”
“Pardon ze intrusion.” The messenger said, offering a clear plastic wrapped outfit hanging from a triangular hook. “For Prince Evander for ze masquerade ball tonight from ze Countess De St Croix.”
Evander stood up and accepted the clothing in its wrapping carefully. He could immediately tell that the fabric and make were of exceptional quality. “Please convey my deepest thanks to the Countess for her exceptional generosity and thoughtfulness.”
“I also ‘ave a message from ze Countess. She says she is feeling…sprightly,” the messenger seemed to half trip over the word as if there was a laugh behind it that he was suppressing, “and will attend ze ball zis evening. She ‘opes she might be so bold as to dance with ‘er prince.”
It was obvious to Evander now that the messenger thought it was all a bit of a joke and he felt immediately protective of the Countess. He drew himself up to full height and squared his shoulders. “Please inform the Countess that nothing would give me greater pleasure and that I look forward to dancing with her.” Evander shut the door after him and turned around. Meredith was gazing at him, her eyes sparkling.
“You looked every bit a prince when you said that.” She said warmly.
Evander laid the clothing over a chair. “I did not like that he was secretly laughing at the Countess.”
“The little mermaid is strange too.” Jé Kinah said quietly, engrossed in her own thoughts. “It has some things correct and others…”
“Are you going to the ball Jé Kinah?” She looked up into his eyes and he gave, what he hoped was, a winning smile. Jé Kinah’s eyes showed hesitation and she opened her mouth.
“Oh I bet Jé Kinah won’t go to the ball.” Meredith remarked. “Too many people. Too much noise and light and laughter.”
Jé Kinah’s expression was unreadable as she handed Meredith a book. “I found the book about the Snow Queen.”
Meredith snatched it eagerly and immediately looked confused. “That isn’t me.” She flicked it open and began to read quickly. Evander’s eyes darted between Meredith, who was becoming more and more agitated with every passing second, and Jé Kinah, who picked up Cinderella. He felt conflicted in his heart, wanting both women to be happy and yet his gift for Jé Kinah was causing her to become quieter and introspective while Meredith was extremely upset.
“This cannot be right!” She declared. “Where is the story about the boy? The boy I kidnapped? What about my war?” She tore pages out with vehemence, littering the ground with brightly coloured pages. “What is this snowman? Who are these people?” Meredith glared at a torn page. “There are two women here at least and they are sisters…”
“We are not sisters…” Jé Kinah said firmly but was heartily ignored.
“And I suppose the man looks a little like Evan.” She thrust the book towards Evander, the page depicting a woman with pale blond hair shooting bursts of ice from her slender hands. “But does this even look like me?”
“All the stories have changed.” Jé Kinah sighed and put Cinderella down, taking up Beauty and the Beast. “It is what happens over time.”
“Well…that simply isn’t good enough.” Meredith grasped a discarded page and stood up. “We shall see if I am remembered or not.” She scooped up several bags in one arm and stormed out of the apartment.
Evander looked out of the doorway, watching where she went. “What did she mean by that?”
“Who knows.” Jé Kinah shook her head and held up a book to Evander. “Does that look like Giselle De St Croix to you? She is lovely but she is not the woman I met.”
Evander sank onto the armchair next to where Jé Kinah sat. “I am sorry. This was meant to be a happy surprise. It hasn’t turned out like it should have.” He felt utterly deflated. “I should have known the stories would not be accurate when I saw the cover for Aladdin.”
“I do not know that story.” Jé Kinah picked up the book.
“It is not even based in the right country.” Evander explained.
“It is just another retelling.” Jé Kinah said and laid the book down, gazing around at the colourful spread of books before them. “Humans feel the need to recreate things, stories, in their own image. They all have their own interpretation. Everyone has something to add or to take away.” She looked up and a ghost of a smile passed over her face. “At least there is nothing about me in there. I am as I ever hoped to be…invisible.”
Evander’s fingers itched to take hers. “I see you.” She looked at him and he couldn’t resist leaning forward and grasping her hands. “I have always seen you. I never wanted to see anyone else.” Her fingers were stiff in his hands and she swallowed, staring down at them.
“Please release my hands.” She whispered. Evander did so and she drew back as if he had struck her. She must have sensed his confusion for she looked up and closed her eyes. “Humans leave…impressions…of memories in the world around them. Elves found it difficult to live near them because they were so sensitive to the emotions attached to places, objects…people…” She looked down at his hands. “There is an impression on your hands…”
Evander opened his mouth to ask what it was when the revelation hit him so hard, the air was sucked from his lungs. He felt blood drain out of his face, leaving his skin cold and brittle. “No…” He gasped. “Jé Kinah…no…”
She drew even further away from him as he automatically went to hold her then realised the foolishness of what he was doing. If he touched her…all she felt was the memory of him holding Meredith… He felt sick at the thought. No wonder she had kept away. Goodness knows what she would feel had he kissed her!
“But...but I kissed Snow White!” He blurted, his braining making a million connections all at once. “Why this? Why now?”
“There was no emotional connection.” Her measured tone cut straight through his heart. She displayed no emotion on her face, her ambivalent mask firmly in place.
He couldn’t deny it. He couldn’t say there wasn’t an emotional connection because, damn it, there was. “Please…” He stammered, not even sure what he was going to say. “Please tell me that such a feeling fades after a time. Please!” The uncertainty in her eyes tore at his heart.
“I do not know.”
Evander looked down at his hands, heart broken and conflicted. He felt her stand up and move past him. “Tell me what I should do.” He begged quietly. “How can I fix this?”
Her answer nearly killed him.
“Not all broken things in life can be fixed.”
Evander’s hands curled up into fists and he felt a roar of anger well up inside him. He stood up and whipped around to face her. “I will not accept that!” He declared passionately. “I will never accept that! What is done is done. But good memories, wonderful moments can surely blot out the past.” He watched as she turned and looked at him, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. “Come to the ball tonight.”
“Why?”
“Because Meredith was right about something. This new time is a second chance for us to live life differently. We can make good memories Jé Kinah, wonderful memories that will leave the past faint and dull. Let us not cling to the past. Let us move on.” Evander wanted to hold out his hand for her to take. Instead he let his eyes reach out to her, his body yearning to wrap itself around her and reassure her of his intentions. “Will you take this step with me? Will you take a chance?”
He thought she was going to run, to refuse, to argue…he wouldn’t have blamed her if she had done one or all three of those things.
Instead she raised her head and nodded. “I will take a chance Prince Evander. After all, you never know…right?”
Jé Kinah moved through the chateau, noting that it seemed to be holding its breath, no doubt in anticipation for the ball that was barely an hour away. There was a lull as everyone was in their rooms, preparing themselves as best they could.
The problem was… Jé Kinah didn’t have a clue as to how to prepare.
She had said yes to Evander because his words echoed Penny’s from earlier that day but the truth was, she didn’t know how to go about taking a chance. Perhaps if she had been prepared to swallow her pride she might have asked Meredith but her other half had been gone all afternoon so Jé Kinah was saved from that awkward moment. But she still wasn’t sure how to proceed. She had gone back to the store from yesterday and inquired, tersely, about a dress for the ball. The attendant hadn’t been wrong, the dress she had chosen for Jé Kinah was extremely lovely and suited her, albeit more daring than anything Jé Kinah had previously worn.
But what was she meant to do now? The dress was in a tinted wrap so long that one of the staff had seen it trailing on the ground behind her and leapt to carry the end for her. Yet Jé Kinah feared it would not be enough on its own. If she was going to prove that she could adapt to this world and make a fresh start, she intended on attempting it fully or else she might fail before she began.
So it was with a degree of hesitation that she knocked on a door and waited anxiously for it to open. When it did, Lila stood in the opening.
“Greetings Lila.” Jé Kinah said.
“Jé Kinah.” Lila’s tone was terse.
“I am looking for Penny Kirk.”
“It’s just Penny and she’s in the bathroom. Come in.” Lila walked away and Jé Kinah thanked the boy who helped her with her dress and closed the door behind her. The she-elf noted that Lila, though not as bright and outgoing as Penny, was not her usual welcoming self. Lila slumped onto the couch, put her feet up and went back to reading her magazine.
“You are not attending the ball?” Jé Kinah asked, aware that some sort of ‘small talk’ was required of her although she was not accustomed to doing it.
“No.” Lila replied. “Not really my thing. But I see you are.”
Jé Kinah felt oddly embarrassed and then found herself giving a shrug, which felt awkward. “It is not normally ‘my thing’.” She said, imitating Lila’s statement then paused. “You are unhappy with us.” Lila cleared her throat and glued her eyes onto the magazine although Jé Kinah could easily tell she was no longer reading it. “Is it because you do not believe us?”
“A bit.” Lila said tersely.
“I see.”
“I also don’t approve of taking advantage of the Countess like this.”
“Like this?”
“Showing up and pretending to be her long lost prince!” Lila exclaimed, her bottled up frustrations erupting out of her. “Playing on the old woman’s emotions? I mean, pretending to be from the past is one thing, although somehow you ended up manipulating all of us on our precious gap year journey…but convincing the Countess that you’re the embodiment of her childhood fairy tale…that really takes the cake!”
Jé Kinah had to concentrate in order to follow Lila’s rant. She wasn’t so fluent at English yet that she could understand everything that was said but the meaning was very clear in her tone.
“Then you should tell the Countess your convictions.” Jé Kinah said slowly.
“I doubt very much that she would believe me.” Lila stood up and walked around Jé Kinah, heading for the door. “She’s wrapped around your Prince Evander’s little finger. No amount of telling her the truth, even though she believes a lie, would do anything.” Lila opened the door.
“What if it is true?” Jé Kinah asked quietly and looked at Lila. “What if everything we have said is the truth?”
Lila gave a sad huff. “It can’t be true Jé Kinah. Fairy tales didn’t exist back then and certainly not now. It’s not possible and I won’t look like a fool, falling over myself, pretending that it could be true.”
She closed the door and Jé Kinah sighed. She had a feeling they had disrupted the four friend’s ‘gap year’ in ways they might never be able to repair.
“Jé Kinah?” Penny emerged from the bathroom, tying her hair back into its pigtails. “Did Lila let you in?”
“Yes. She did.” Jé Kinah held up the bag full of dress. Penny clapped her hands, understanding completely.
“You’re going to the ball!”
“Yes. I am taking the chance you spoke of,” Jé Kinah hesitated, “but I must trespass upon your good graces once more for I do not know how to…” She gestured to her face and hair. Penny’s eyes went wide and she lunged forward, took Jé Kinah’s hand in her warm one and beamed.
“That’s ok! I do!” Jé Kinah was seated in a chair while Penny rummaged through a pink case and pulled out several foreign items. “You’ve got such a lovely complexion already, I’d hate to mess with it. I think we’ll go light with the makeup and put your hair in a French knot.” Penny winked. “We are in France, after all.”
Midway through Penny’s administrations Chaz walked into the room, stuffing his face with a long roll. He mumbled a hello through the bread and holey cheese before going into his room.
“Mak is not here?”
“He’s downstairs. Needed some privacy.” Penny leaned forward. “I think he rang to tell his parents he isn’t following the approved gap year schedule.”
“They would not approve?”
“I think they’re nice enough people but Mak is their first born son. He’s got a lot to live up to.”
“Sounds like the son of a king.” Jé Kinah remarked.
“How do you mean?”
“The first born son of a king was always the one to inherit the crown. He has a great deal of responsibility on his shoulders from a very early age.”
“How to act, what to wear…who to marry…” Penny got down in her face and brandished something called mascara at her. “I won’t use black. It’d be too eighties on your pale features. Was Evander a first born son?”
“He was.” Jé Kinah tried not to flinch as Penny stroked her eyelashes. When she went to rub at them Penny ordered her hands back down into her lap. Jé Kinah did so, trying not to fidget. “However his father disowned him.”
“Whoa, why?”
A muscle in Jé Kinah’s cheek twitched. “Because he did not marry according to his father’s wishes.”
“Because he was in love with someone else?” Jé Kinah nodded and Penny stepped back, surveying her work. “Because he was in love with you?” Jé Kinah nodded again. “That’s true love Jé Kinah. Not many people would give up royalty unless it was true love.”
“Not many people are royal compared to the rest of the population.” Jé Kinah pointed out as Penny began to comb her hair. Penny’s fingers expertly rolled the long, silky strands around into the French knot she said she could do. A glittering hairpiece was included with the dress, as well as a mask, and Penny concentrated on fixing it into place. “Would Mak’s parents approve of you?”
Penny sighed. “I doubt we’ll ever know.” She drew back some more hair and Jé Kinah felt her fingers stroke her ears. She immediately tensed, realising that her pointed ears had just been exposed. Penny had stopped breathing, her fingers resting on her skin. Finally she swallowed, drawing her hand away. “Oh…well…Maybe I should leave some long strands…to…cover…” Her hands were less sure now as they finished up the hairpiece and pushed some more pins into Jé Kinah’s hair. “There. I hope that’s ball worthy.”
Jé Kinah stood up and looked at her. “I am sure it is far better than anything I could accomplish.” She said. “The last ball I attended I was in a dress not made for me, bouncing in a carriage with a tiny mirror to go by.”
“Cinderella eat your heart out.” Penny joked. Jé Kinah smiled, not quite sure what she meant. “The ball will have started by now. You should dress.”
Half an hour later Jé Kinah was ready. And she had never felt more unready in her life. The slinky fabric rippled around her slender frame and her light as a feather train swished out behind her. In her long, black gloved hands she held a mask. Apart from the hairpiece she wore no jewellery.
“Is it enough?” Jé Kinah asked Penny who held the door open for her.
“It is more than enough.” Penny smiled at her. “Jé Kinah, you would grace any ball tonight. You are ready. Have fun.”
Jé Kinah moved past Penny and into the corridor. She heard her name called softly and turned back to Penny whose face was a mix of hope and fear.
“It’s true…isn’t it?” She asked. “Even though it’s impossible…it’s all true.”
Jé Kinah’s face creased into a rare, warm smile. “You know the answer already Penny.”
“So, if the impossible has become the possible…maybe there’s hope for Mak and me? That maybe we could have our own fairy tale?” She looked away, her fingers fidgeting. “I know, fairy tales are for children and true love is a myth to most but…”
“You still want to be rescued by a prince?”
“I’d settle for just falling in love with one.”
Jé Kinah nodded. “As long as you realise that happily ever afters require work to stay that way.”
“That’s what you’re doing…right?”
Jé Kinah looked down at the mask in her hand. “Right…” She said quietly.
The Masquerade Ball was in full swing, lights strung up all the way up and over the entire courtyard, sparkling against the night sky. The colour scheme was simply white upon white, the pearlescent nature of the decorations reflecting all the colours in a million different hues against the ice sculptures. The backdrop of the black shapes of the alps against the midnight blue sky gave great contrast to the outfits of the masque. And music and laughter filled the air as one of the most exclusive chateaus in the French Alps gave its wealthy clientele a ball they would not soon forget. There were over two hundred guests, all in rich, elaborate suits and gowns, wearing masks of every shape and colour as they enjoyed the spectacle they were presented with.
There were fire breathers, unicycle riders and jugglers that performed in and around the guests while a 32 piece orchestra played and a woman in a steel blue dress sang songs Evander had never heard before.
He had approached the ball and been announced as Prince Evander by a herald. As he descended the wide stairs into the open courtyard, he noticed he was receiving quite a few curious glances. He hadn’t attended a ball in years. He had been the guest of honour as Sir Janus at several feasts where there was dancing but this was the first time in a long time that it was an official ball. The last ball he had attended had been the one where Maria had been supposed to be at and the one which Niccolo had run from…the one where Jé Kinah…
Evander looked up at the stairs, still unable to see her. He felt a surge of panic and forced it down. She would come. She said she would come.
He hoped it had not been another attempt to ditch him so she could run.
“You appear tense Prince Evander.” A warm cultured tone spoke beside him. He turned and bowed to Countess De St Croix who was reclined in her wheelchair, dressed in a soft cream gown and wearing several strands of pearls. She offered him her hand and he took it and kissed it gallantly, her emerald green eyes sparkling as he did so. “Ze costume looks very well on you.”
Evander wore a dark blue waist coat with an emblem of silver across the front, in and around the buttons. It was over a white silk shirt with generous cuffs that peeked out of a coat he believed was called a justacorps which was black velvet with dark blue trim. A silver silk cravat was tied around his neck and a silver silk handkerchief peeked out of his top left pocket. Evander had conceded to wearing breeches but he refused the long white socks and dainty shoes, opting for a pair of brand new, soft and shiny knee high boots.
It was very reminiscent of something Dominique De St Croix would have worn. Evander nodded graciously. “Had you not provided, I would have had to attend in my sleeping attire.”
“Zat would ‘ave been interesting…” The Countess smiled, her eyes bright as she chuckled at his light blush. “Oh forgive me Prince Evander, for I am old and ‘ave learnt not to care what others zink of what I say and do. I am told ze older I become, ze more eccentric I be’ave.”
“And yet you are still lovely.” Evander laid on the charm as best he could. Had he been dressed as many other men were that night, in a black or dark grey suit, he would have been hard pressed to remember the courtly manners that had been drummed into him as a child which he’d forsaken. But being in the costume, at the ball, Evander had found that old habits were hard to forget completely and had fallen into character with relative ease.
“I do not see either of ze two young women ‘o were with you in ze apartment?” The Countess remarked. “Jé Kinah and Meredith, is it not?”
“Yes Countess.” Evander looked around anxiously. “I had hoped she would be here by now…”
“She?”
Evander sighed. “She…”
“In ‘er absence, may I be so bold?”
Evander shook off his melancholy mood and bowed deeply. “Countess, I would be honoured…but I fear tiring you.”
“I refuse to go to my grave,” the Countess wobbled to her feet, swatting away the concerned hand of her nurse, “without ‘aving danced with my very own prince charming when I ‘ad ze chance.”
Evander held out his hand, took her soft, wrinkled fingers in her palm and, with his other hand supporting her at the elbow, walked the elderly Countess out onto the dance floor. She was so light and delicate that Evander almost carried her through the slow dance. Her perfume smelt of lilies as she leaned against his chest. Evander felt no shame whatsoever at the intimate position he found himself in with the Countess, despite the mocking looks he knew they were being given by the two hundred odd guests at the ball. The way she held onto him, the way she was vulnerable with him…he yearned to be this way with Jé Kinah.
“Even if zis is not real,” he heard her say very quietly, a whispered confession of doubt into his cravat, “even if it is all a lie…”
His throat tightened when she did not finish the thought and he drew back so he could look her in her remarkable green eyes. “Countess, you only have my word that it is all true but it is the word of Prince Evander, son of King Olaris and heir to the throne of Genefeld.”
A sheen of unbroken tears glistened in the Countess’ eyes and she smiled then looked over his shoulder. “I fear I am a poor dance partner. But perhaps zere is one ‘o would grace your arms, my prince charming.”
Evander turned fast and looked at the remarkable beauty descending the stairs. Her curvy figure was almost coated in an icy blue dress that sparkled like it was sewn with diamonds. A sheer cloak and train flowed from her shoulders and wrists, attached with the tiniest sparkling circuits. Her leg appeared through the split in the dress, showing off a pair of glass slippers and her dark brown hair had been styled off her face in deliberate waves, a single thick plait laid over her shoulder. Her hair was dotted with even more crystals and her mask was a lacy, icy gleam against her porcelain skin.
Her rose lips smiled at the attention she was receiving, her eyes focusing on one man and one man alone. Evander felt the Countess pat his shoulder, laughing softly to herself as he couldn’t move. He was transfixed by the sight of Meredith moving towards him, the sway of her hips like the weave of a serpents head, mesmerising…and time slowed down…
Meredith savoured every wonderful second of Evander’s stare. She knew others were watching but for once, she didn’t care if they liked what they saw. She had snuck into the chateau’s enormous walk in freezers, found a corner with two of the dresses she had bought and set about creating the perfect outfit, one that would rival the snow queen’s gown on the page she had torn out. With sub zero temperatures at her disposal Meredith had been able to cut the dresses then sew them into one glorious gown. She had even created ice slippers and with every delicate clink they made on the paving of the courtyard, she knew she had triumphed because Evander couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Her heart had never beaten as fast as when she walked up to him, her lips moist and her gaze coy.
“Prince Evander.” She said, holding out her hand. He took it in a daze and kissed her cold skin. “You cut a very handsome figure in that outfit.”
“I…ah…” He cleared his throat. “The Countess…she gave it to me.”
Meredith turned and looked at the Countess who was smiling at them. She curtseyed deep and the Countess gave her a nod, as though approving of her presence.
“So, Prince Evander, shall we dance?”
Evander couldn’t think of any reply as Meredith took his left hand, scooped it around her small waist and put her right in his. As they moved among the couples who were also dancing Evander finally regained his voice. “I have been asked by two women to dance. I am sure it was meant to be the other way around.”
“We can’t always wait for you.” Meredith said pertly. “Ice would melt before some men opened their mouths. Come on Evan, dance with me with purpose. I know you know the steps. Show me that Prince Evander is still in there somewhere.”
Evander shook his head, an unwilling smile on his lips. “You always like to challenge.”
“Only because I believe you can succeed,” Meredith smiled, “or are you too old? Shall we find you a matching chair with wheels so you can sit beside the Countess?” She knew she had won when his eyes glinted at the accepted challenge, his right hand tightened on hers and his left pulled her daringly close so that her body was pressed against his in a daring embrace.
“Just try to keep up.” He said warmly and swept her into a classic ballroom number that had the rest of the crowd clearing the floor, guests stepping back so that they could watch a true exhibition of style and grace. Meredith moved with Evander, allowing him to lead, throwing her train and cloak out behind her in grand flourishes, her fingers gently stroking the only skin exposed on his neck. It was a glorious moment for her. Meredith didn’t even mind when she heard a father and a daughter talking.
“Look Amelie, it is Elsa from Frozen.”
“No Papa, Elsa has blonde hair.”
Not even the reminder of how her true form had been distorted in the retelling of her tale over time could dampen Meredith’s spirits. She was in Evander’s arms and at that moment, all was right with the world.
Until it came to a sudden stop as she spun away in a lunge, Evander’s hands slipping from her grasp. She looked at him in shock to see him staring at the stairs and the woman who descended. Her tall, slender body was wrapped in a dark blue/green dress that gave even her elven form curves. It was semi-strapless, cutting daringly above her dainty bust before curling over one shoulder, tiny peacock feathers sprouting from its delicate strand. The feathers followed the curve of the dress over her shoulder, down the low back and the lower they went, the fuller they became until her entire train was a soft, light weight peacock feather river. Her pale gold hair was gently scraped into a French knot and secured with a sparkling blue, green and clear crystal hairpiece that mimicked the peacock feather hues. Her feet were inside black slippers and she looked out at the hundreds of guests at the masquerade ball with her moss green eyes, hidden behind the crystal encrusted blue/green mask.
Meredith opened her mouth in shock. “I don’t believe it.” She gasped. “She came!”
Then she realised that Evander had almost sprinted away from her to the stairs, abandoning her mid dance. Meredith watched him go, her perfect moment destroyed and her heart was in very real danger of being crushed. And yet, she wasn’t entirely devastated. She still had one more card to play and she embraced the challenge.
Jé Kinah could feel the same urge to run that she had experienced at the Cinderella ball and her hand went up to habitually grasp the tiny vial around her neck…which was no longer there. As she remembered its absence a jolt of panic pulsed through her. But she was determined to stay…and that determination gained strength when she spied Evander moving towards her. He stopped on the first stair, looking up at her.
“You came.” He said with such hope she wanted to weep.
“I promised I would.”
“I know but,” he beamed, “you came…” He reached out his hand to her and she looked at it, fearful of what she would fear. “Oh, wait,” he dug into his pockets, “I thought of a solution.” He pulled out a pair of white gloves and pulled them on then held out his hands again. “Does this help?”
Jé Kinah knew she would still sense the memory despite the gloves but she couldn’t deny his attempt and nodded, not trusting her voice to lie. She slipped her gloved fingers into his own and he led her down the stairs.
“You cannot always wear gloves Evander.” She warned him lightly.
“I had thought about what I would wear with you, Jé Kinah,” his eyes gazed deep into hers, “and what I would not…” She blushed hard and he coughed to cover his own embarrassment at his boldness. “Now, may I ask the first woman this evening to dance, before she has the chance to ask me?”
“I am not much of a dancer.”
“I know you can. I know you have.”
He could almost see the memory replaying in her eyes, dancing wildly around a square in a flurry of pale blue among the common and honest people of the city.
“I do not know the steps.” She protested with all the fortitude of a misty morning.
His hand slipped around her waist, fingers stroking the exposed skin of her back and took her right hand in his. “I’ll lead.” He said and his voice sent a tremor through her body.
Evander stepped out strongly and she went with him, trying to figure out where he would go next…and then she was concerned about her feet and that she wasn’t poised enough and she didn’t know what she would do if she tripped up or fell…
“Do not look at your feet.” Evander said, tipping her chin up. “Let me save you Jé Kinah.”
He led so well that, after a time, Jé Kinah began to let go of her anticipation and allowed him to move her across the pavers, a sky of lights above their heads and the sound of delicate peacock feathers rustling behind them. She even began to enjoy the sensation but it was still difficult to drown out the memory in his hands of his guilt, Merry’s delight and a distinct attraction between the two. He never took his eyes off her, those sky blue eyes that were warm despite their cool colour. The energy between them was almost tangible and she could feel it drawing her closer and closer until she could make out every single detail of his face, the strong angle of his chin…the scar…his lips…
A burst of applause broke them out of their trance and Jé Kinah stepped away a little, her pulse at an unbelievable rate. Evander looked a little lost as she put distance between them before another round of applause caused their attention to be drawn to the fountain.
Meredith was skating on the frozen water of the fountain, twirling around the statue in the centre and the ice sculptures that were placed around the edge. She had created blades on the bottom of her ice slippers and spun and leapt and twirled, her train following her with rippling elegance. She never put a foot wrong and her dancing was mesmerizing.
“I didn’t think they had been able to freeze the water.” Evander said quietly.
“They have not.” Jé Kinah sighed. “Merry has done that.”
Meredith’s elegant display was gathering a huge crowd and she was applauded with every twirl and leap she made. It had not been easy to freeze the surface of the fountain. Had the weather been warm, she never would have been able to do it. But the night air was cool and the water was already filled with ice. She had sat on the edge of the fountain, trailing her fingers in the water until all the tendrils of ice linked themselves together to form a thin, smooth surface. If she concentrated, she was able to use her power of ice to keep her from falling through for that would ruin her performance.
She knew almost everyone was watching her but she wasn’t happy until she saw Evander gazing at her, a smile curled on his lips. She knew she amused him, captivated him and that knowledge made her bolder and she gave her movements even more flourishes than before until her exquisite display was interrupted by a scream.
A child, the little girl who had complained that Meredith’s hair was not the right colour for the snow queen, had sneaked away from her papa and clambered up onto the fountain, determined to join in on the ice skating fun. But the little girl was not the snow queen and her tiny form, weighed down with a heavy dress, broke through the thin ice and dumped her into the water, chunks of ice covering her up, sealing her in.
Meredith spun around amid the screams and shouts for help and knelt. She closed her eyes and waited, knowing the little girl was beneath the ice somewhere. She felt a warm body through the chill, stood up, braced herself and slammed her ice skate through the surface. With a powerful thrust she tore the ice apart and pulled the little girl out who was terrifyingly blue. Meredith pulled at the dress on her, finding strong hands doing the same.
“Hurry Merry!” Evander cried as he ripped the sodden outer dress away and Meredith wrapped her arms around the girl, now only dressed in a slip.
“Amelie!” Her papa cried. “We have to get her inside.”
“Wait!” Evander grabbed his arms. “Wait. She can do this.”
“Are you crazy? Call an ambulance!”
“She’s not breathing!”
“Someone do something!”
Meredith could feel her body fighting dangerously between using her power and drawing the cold from the little girl however she wouldn’t give up. She wouldn’t let this happen. She would make it right. The little girl’s wet, lank ringlets lay over her shoulder and she was very limp, very cold and Meredith held her so hard she dug her fingers in. The little girl was counting on her. Evan was counting on her. Meredith would prove to him that she was worthy to be loved. That she could be just as noble and selfless as any elf. She could not be tossed aside. She would not.
“Papa…”
“Amelie!” She was torn from Meredith’s grasp and swept into her father’s arms and a blanket that had once been across the knees of the Countess was wrapped around her. She coughed and held onto her father tight. “Oh my girl, my little girl…”
“Papa…papa I am fine.” Amelie struggled and looked over her shoulder. “The Snow Queen saved me!”
“It would still be best to get her inside and warmed up.” Evander said firmly, his hand on the father’s shoulder.
“Yes, yes I will.” He turned to go then looked back. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Meredith waved to Amelie who looked over her father’s shoulder as she was carried into the chateau, flanked by Amaury who was, as a concierge was expected to do, making things right. Evander turned to Meredith and held out his hands.
“Are you alright?” He asked, lifting her from the shattered perfection of the frozen fountain.
“I am fine.” Meredith said, hiding her elation as applause rippled out once more. This time, however, it seemed to mean more to her especially with Evander there looking so proud of her.
“You are wet.”
“Just ice water…” Meredith saw the concerned expressions of those around her. “I mean, yes…it is cold…brrrrr…”
Evander rolled his eyes at her and chuckled, accepting another blanket and wrapping it around her shoulders, if only at least for show. “That little girl owes you her life.”
Meredith did the modest thing and brushed off the compliment.
“If you had not been so reckless she would not have been in danger to begin with.”
If Meredith had hackles, they would have risen at the scathing remark and she turned two glaring eyes onto Jé Kinah. “You couldn’t just let that go, could you?” Meredith said in an equally hard voice, trying to cover the hurt she felt at the attack. “I didn’t invite her up onto the fountain.”
“It was inevitable. You just did not think of that. You only sought to gain flattery and attention, never once thinking about the possible consequences.”
“The possible consequences are possibly endless!” Meredith exclaimed. “If I considered all of them I’d never do anything…like you!”
“You were always incapable of recognising your role in life or accepting responsibility for the consequences of your actions. I had hoped that over time you would have matured but I see you are just as self centred and rash as you ever were…just like our father.”
Meredith’s face tightened and she lifted her chin and sent Jé Kinah a squinted glare, hiding the tears that had built up. She used her fingers to reform her melting mask of ice and made sure it was straight on her face. She turned and walked away, immediately swallowed up by a crowd of people congratulating her and praising her for her efforts.
Evander was stunned at the vicious and personal attack. He looked at Jé Kinah in shock.
“Jé Kinah…it really wasn’t her fault. And she did save the little girl.”
“Do not make excuses for her.” He didn’t recognise her voice, it had become so hard and cold. “She never knew when enough was enough. Not as a child and not now. She cannot be trusted.”
Evander shook his head. “How did you both exist in one body without tearing it apart?”
Jé Kinah’s lips pressed together and her jaw tightened. “I did tear it apart. I did it with a single rash, foolish choice and I wore the consequences of it.”
“For how long Jé? At least Meredith isn’t letting the past get in the way of her future.” The moment the words were out of his mouth Evander regretted them but he couldn’t stop their impact. Jé Kinah drew back from him, hurt striking her face as though he had taken up his hand and slapped her. “Wait… Jé…” Evander sprinted after her as she ran from the courtyard and the ball. Even in her elaborate gown she was fast and he followed her into the chateau, scooping up her discarded mask on the velvet carpet and up the flight of stairs to the level of their apartment. “Jé wait!”
“Get away from me!”
“No! I won’t let you run.” He managed to grab her hand and stopped her on the landing outside their room. She pulled at his grasp but he held on. “Jé Kinah, please…not again. My heart can’t take it if you ran away again.”
She looked back at him and he saw tears streaking down her face as her eyes lowered to his hand which clutched at hers. “You will heal,” she whispered, “and Merry will make you very happy.”
Evander realised that all she could feel was the emotion connected with that wretched kiss and let go. Jé Kinah didn’t waste time, running into the apartment. He followed her, seeing the train of her dress fly into the bedroom and heard the bathroom door slam. He tried the handle but she had locked it and he pressed against it, willing it to open.
“Is that what this is all about? That one kiss?” Evander cried at the door. “Jé Kinah, she was frozen in ice! She would have stayed like that forever if I hadn’t!”
“Go away…please!”
“No! I won’t let you push me away again!” He roared, his fists striking the door. “I loved you from the very first day I met you and I have never loved anyone else since.” He felt his face flame up and knew that only complete truth would ever set them free. “It’s true I care about Meredith. We spent a great deal of time together. But I was tortured inside, knowing I had condemned you to prison…I didn’t even know for sure that you were alive! Remember how it felt when Luka died? Like you would have done anything to turn back time…like your force of will should have been enough because you hurt so unbelievably badly, more than almost any other human has ever hurt? That’s exactly what I went through!”
He ran his hands through his hair and paced. “I did everything for you Jé Kinah! I committed treason, I stole, I travelled to the Far East and then to the ends of the earth! I willingly went into your prison in order to get you out! And in one moment, one foolish, desperate moment when I thought there was no other alternative I kissed Meredith. But if you think that I love her and not you, you’re wrong! What I feel for her pales in comparison to the love I have for you!” He closed his eyes and leaned against the door. “Just because she is in love with me does not mean I am in love with her. Her love for me woke her Jé Kinah. You know that. I can’t change what you sense on my hands or, heaven forbid, on my lips. But I would spend a lifetime creating wonderful memories of us together to blot out that one moment.”
He paused, willing her to open the door. “Jé Kinah, it was never Meredith. My happily ever after was always with you. Please…please…I won’t let you run away again. Just…open the door…”
He slumped to the ground, hands still pressed against the door.
In this manner he didn’t notice Meredith standing in the entrance from the living room to the bedroom. He didn’t see the white of her face, the brittleness of her complexion or the light go out in her eyes. She turned and fled without Evander noticing that she had been there. He was only aware of one person in that moment and she didn’t open the door all night long.
In the quiet lull of the morning, as most of the residents of the chateau slept off their hangovers and slept in to counter the late night/early morning, the sound of a door clicking open seemed loud. Yet the sleeping form of the man pressed up against the doorframe didn’t shift and Jé Kinah stepped over Evander carefully, wrapped in a bathrobe, her beautiful ball gown hung up on a hook in the bathroom. She had scrubbed her face clean of any trace of makeup and her hair was one long sheet of pale gold silk once more.
She didn’t look at Evander as she dressed quietly in her skinny jeans, boots, angora sweater and the beautiful pale green coat. Into a clear purse she had found in the bathroom she tucked some money and found her passport. She looked around before she left, her eyes unable to keep from looking at Evander at the last.
Her jaw trembled and her eyes filled with easy tears. How many had she wept in that cold, unfeeling bathroom and yet there were still more to come. She pulled a plush blanket off the bed and gently tucked it around him, her fingers itching to stroke his face but scared of disturbing his serene slumber.
Biting her lip she turned and forced herself out of the room as quiet as a mouse. She reached out for the door handle…and jumped when someone knocked on the other side. Terrified Evander would wake she opened the door and saw Penny, Mak, Lila and Chaz standing there.
“Evander is sleeping.” She said quietly and let them in.
“Then we need to wake him,” Lila said, her anger barely controlled, “because we have a problem.”
Jé Kinah looked at Penny who lifted her hands then dropped them dejectedly.
“My tablet has been stolen.” Chaz said quietly.
“I did not take it. Nor did Evander.” Jé Kinah paused. “Meredith…”
“Meredith stole Chaz’s tablet.” Lila fumed. “She stole it and left.”
“Left?”
“Meredith is gone.” Mak reaffirmed.
Jé Kinah looked around at them all. “How do you know this?”
“She came in last night, upset.” Chaz explained. “I was watching a movie, ‘Reign of Fire’. Meredith barged in and even I knew she was unhappy. She just sat beside me and watched. After a bit she asked if she could use my tablet. She was trying to find directions or a location…something…Anyway I fell asleep on the couch. When I woke up, she was gone.”
“And so was his tablet.” Lila growled. “That is theft!”
“She will be in the chateau.” Said a voice behind her and Jé Kinah tensed, knowing Evander had woken and was standing there. “Surely…she cannot be going somewhere…”
Jé Kinah couldn’t raise her eyes to Evander, feeling his gaze bore into her.
“Do you know the location she was looking up?” Mak asked.
“North of here I think.” Chaz shrugged.
“Let’s not panic.” Penny tried to be the voice of reason. “She could still be in the chateau.”
“But my tablet isn’t. It’s on the other side of the alps.” Chaz held up his phone. “I’ve got a tracking app installed on it.”
“She can’t get far without her passport.”
“It is not with the others.” Jé Kinah said quietly and she felt Evander move into place beside her.
“How would you know that?”
Jé Kinah was dying inside. She had hoped to escape without anyone noticing. She was so ashamed of her words last night, of her actions…of her attempt to try to fit in when it was clear she couldn’t function in this world…and now she was most ashamed of being caught leaving…of running from him once more.
“Meredith would not have meant to be malicious about taking the tablet.” Jé Kinah finally said and it sounded to her as though she was squeaking through a dry throat.
“And I will replace it.” Evander said firmly.
“What with? The everlasting funds of the Countess?” Lila snapped. “You are nothing but thieves and I am through listening to you.”
“Lila, wait!” Penny called out. “Give us three days. Three days to find her and bring her back.”
“And then we will go back to Greece and finish our touring holiday like we planned to do.” Mak added.
Lila glared at them then looked at Chaz. He shrugged. “She was upset. It didn’t seem like a planned thing to do. She just…”
“What time did she come in?” Evander asked and Chaz shook his head. “Was her dress damp?”
“Yeah…yeah it was.” Evander looked at Jé Kinah and they both flinched. “What if she heard…”
“She is running.” Jé Kinah swallowed. “We have to go after her.”
“I will change seeing as everyone else is up and dressed and ready to leave.” His words were hard and directed at only one person. Jé Kinah flinched at their coldness and waited until he stomped into the bedroom.
“We will bring Meredith back and the tablet and sort all of this out,” Jé Kinah promised to Lila, “and then you will never see us again.”
Lila’s teeth clenched together. “Fine,” she said darkly, “but you only have three days or I’m calling the jean dammes.”