Chapter 5

We moved across the field, his hand resting gently on the small of my back, attentively, while he guided me the right way. Of course, it was obvious what way we were going. It was the golden palace up ahead.

After everything being revealed, after everything happening, we were simply walking in silence. It was like he knew I needed time to process, time to process everything I had just said yes to, everything I had just given up.

“What’s your name?” God, it was a ridiculous question, but I still didn’t know this man’s name, and it felt kind of important if I had to live with him, if I had to spend the rest of my life here.

“My name is Nicolais Ferno,” he replied, his eyes still lingering on the palace moving closer and closer to ours. “And may I have the honor of knowing yours?”

Fucking idiot Luna!

He was a goddamn king, of course, he was polite, of course, he would use the proper terms, the right words, and be formal as well, while I was swearing like a sailor next to him. “My name is Luna Jones,” I managed, while I could feel the heat floating through my cheeks. Idiot. “Would you—perhaps—prefer we speak as equals?”

A smile ghosted across his lips, softening the sharpness of his face, making him look a whole lot more approachable again. “I would like that very much,” he said, and then, almost reverently, “Luna.” He lingered on the syllables, tasting them like wine, making my simple name sound like sin.

“Is there any way,” I started, looking down at my hands that were nervously fiddling with each other, “that we can tell my mother about this?” She expected me home, she expected me to come back from Ireland, and just in a few days. What would she think? Would she think I had died? Disappeared? Kidnapped?

Not that the last one was untrue, because whether or not I had decided to stay, I had still been kidnapped. I had been taken, taken against my will, and the fact that I wanted to spare the small town from the King of Summer’s rage seemed irrelevant to me.

I looked up at him, looked up at the mystical king who had brought me here. He was magical; he was a live version of everything I had ever read about in books. Maybe he was a hero. My broken heart could use a hero, someone who could pick up the broken parts and glue them back together. Maybe in time we could fall in love, maybe we could become close, and maybe it would end up with us jumping each other's bones, having a bunch of children, and ending up with our own happy ending.

Stupid fucking Idiot, Luna!

Of course, a man like him couldn’t fall in love with me. Not even with an eternity of time ahead of us. I must have been nothing but a disappointment to him. The man looked like a god, like every girl’s dream. He was a king; he could have anyone he wanted. He wasn’t created to be with a dull human like me. Maybe it was just the enchantment, whatever that was, that made him interested in a human. Maybe he found us disgusting and horrible creatures. Oh god, what if he did?

“I’m sure we can figure something out,” he answered, looking down at me with a soft, reassuring smile.

The field of grass turned into a small gravel road, a lot like the one I had been walking down just a few days earlier, getting to the small town. But with the elegant man next to me, I couldn’t help but feel clumsy, feel dirty, honestly, I simply felt like less, like not enough.

The palace was growing larger and larger, while the gravel road got shorter and shorter. In front of us, a large fountain protruded, making the road part into two to make room for it. It was gorgeous, horses running around it made in marble, the water hitting the stone making it shine in the sunlight. Around the road were flowers on top of flowers, in every kind of color, resembling the paint on his face.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered, meant mostly for myself.

But it was the truth. The nature was phenomenal, and no matter how hard I tried, I simply couldn’t find the right words to describe it. I would never be able to paint the beauty of everything surrounding me.

We went up the massive steps to the palace. Thank god, I’m not the one who has to clean all of this. Never in a million years would I start such a project. The doors were humongous and looked incredibly heavy, but magically, they opened up as we neared them.

We went into a gigantic hall with sparkling floors in white marble. On both sides of the massive room were stairs with intricate wooden bannisters, one of those kinds of stairs that would be amazing for making a dramatic, grand entrance. De were leading up to the second floor, where there was a small landing where the halls disappeared on each side. In the middle of the hall stood a rounded table with a big vase on it holding a broad bouquet. The flowers yet again held an array of beautiful flowers, which made a smile light up my face. It was so beautiful I couldn’t help it.

Everything was so humorously big, but so fantastically colorful at the same time.

“Follow me,” he said, pulling me from adoring the grand hall. He wore a crooked smile, which most likely originated from the stunned look on my face.

I followed the huge man who went through two thick oak wood doors, which, of course, opened magically for him. The two doors opened up into a large room, which could be classified as a dining room. There was a long table with three chairs around it. A table way too long for only three people. The chairs looked almost like small thrones, except for the one at the end, which was definitely meant to be a throne.

At the other end of the room was a fireplace that I dreaded feeling the heat from, considering this felt like a tropical paradise. In front of it were two large armchairs with a small table in between them. They looked incredible, like they would hug you once you sank into them, and I had to physically restrain myself from finding out.

“Are you hungry?” he asked, his eyes following mine around the room, just to end up looking right into mine. The paint on his face finally made sense to me; he was representing his kingdom, which he should do proudly.

“Not really,” I answered, suddenly feeling nervous.

What was supposed to happen now? I felt like an awkward teenager, shuffling on my feet at my crush’s house, trying to figure out what to do with myself. And he didn’t look to be doing much better, like he was also feeling this awkward feeling.

“Do you also have this weird feeling in your body?” I asked him, just deciding to blurt it out.

Something that looked a lot like relief floated through his body, like he felt better from knowing how I was feeling, and definitely knowing I was feeling weird as well.

“Yes,” he answered, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Honestly, I’m not quite sure what we’re supposed to do now.”

“I’m a little tired,” I said, rubbing my hands on my arms, not because I was cold, but because it felt comfortable. I wasn’t exactly tired, but my mind felt jumbled, and I could do with some calmness to figure everything out. “Maybe a little thirsty.”

“Alright then,” he said, straightening his back a little, “let me show you to your room.” My room. At least I would get privacy, at least I wouldn’t have to feel uncomfortable sharing a space with him already. “And I’ll have something delivered to your room.”

**

My room was grand. The bed was gigantic, bigger than anything I had ever seen in my life. It was made in a sky-blue frame, with a bundle of different colored pillows placed strategically on top of it. But the best thing of all was the thin sheets, so you wouldn’t be suffocated by the heat as easily. It had beautiful pillars in the same blue color, which had intricate patterns leading up to the sky of the bed. The canopy was filled with depictions of the sun, of grass and flowers, and everything else you could associate with summer. The bed was placed in the middle of the room, up against the left wall.

The wall furthest away from the door was made out of nothing but windows. The giant windows showed the most beautiful rose garden stretching out below the room. They reached the ceiling, falling into a large window sill that would be possible to sit on. They allowed for a lot of sunlight to drift into the room, creating a softness that simply couldn’t be bought.

On the right side of the windows was an abnormally huge closet, where one part was for hanging stuff and the other for folded stuff. It was more than six feet tall, and unbelievably deep as well. But it was empty. Right across from the bed was yet another fireplace, as if I would start freezing in this place. Maybe it got cold in the winters?

The walls had a dampened teal color with a touch of patina on them. A truly beautiful color, which made sure the furniture stood out more. The floor was made of wood, a dark, deep brown, kind of like a hazelnut. Underneath my bed was the softest rug I had ever felt in my entire life.

But even if everything looked welcoming, I simply couldn’t find comfort anywhere. Everything was so new, so fancy, so royal. Five seconds and you’ve ruined everything in here. I moved closer to the windows, looking out at the beautiful garden. The roses were red, a deep, thick one, like blood, but in a beautiful, dramatic way. A rich color.

My hand placed itself on top of the windowsill, feeling the soft pelts that were placed on it, making it even more obvious that it was meant for sitting down. I sat down, looking across the room that Nicolais had declared mine.

This is utterly insane!

A soft knock sounded on the door, effectively stopping my line of thought. “Come in,” I called out, loudly enough that it would be possible to hear on the other side of the door.

The door opened, and in came the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. She was wearing a knee-length, grass-green dress with a white apron tied around her waist. Her blonde hair was tied into a bun on the back of her head, which made her pointy ears stand out clearly.

She curtsied in front of me while looking at the floor. “I’m here with your drinks, Miss Jones.”

“Thank you so much,” I answered with a smile, standing up to move towards her. “Do you drink normal stuff, or is it a lot of weird stuff?” I reached for the tray from her hands, and when my fingers closed around it, she gasped.

“Miss Jones, I’m supposed to help with this,” she explained, her voice soft and apologetic.

“Nonsense,” I answered, putting the tray on the desk. “I’m sure you’ve been on your feet all day, and I’m more than capable of carrying a tray.”

God knows I’ve been carrying loads throughout my life already.

She simply nodded. “Your wish is my command, Miss Jones.”

“Just call me Luna, please,” I requested, giving her a soft smile, letting her know I meant it. Standing in front of her, she’s not as tall as she looked at first. Granted, she was still taller than me, but not like Nicolais was. “What’s your name?”

Her eyes met mine, a beautiful orange color, like the color of a tangerine. “My name is Lily, Miss Jones.”

I rolled my eyes, hating the fact that she wouldn’t call me by my first name. But I quickly smiled at her, not wanting to put her at unease. “What a beautiful name,” I said, taking my time to feel it moving through my mouth. “Lily. I love lilies, in every color imaginable.”

A small smile crept onto her face, a look of ease moving across her shoulders. “My mother couldn’t figure out what to call me, but then she decided on Lily, because those were the first flowers she ever got from my father,” she explained.

With all the love I could muster, I smiled at her. She was such a sweetie, maybe a bit careful, but definitely sweet. Maybe she could become a friend here, a confidant, the one I could go to.

I stepped closer to her, my hands resting on her upper arms. “Lily,” I said, making sure she couldn’t do anything but look me right in my eyes. “You need to help me.”

Her brows furrowed, confusion painting her features. “Help you with what, Miss?”

“What in god’s name is this place?”

**

I spent a lot of time in my room. Shortly after Lily had left me with the tray of drinks, everything simply seemed to resonate with me. My world had collided, simply fallen apart piece by piece. And for the life of me, I simply couldn’t figure out what to feel about everything.

Good job, Luna. Good job.

I would never get to see my mother again—no matter how much she annoyed the living crap out of me. I would never see my friends, never get to hear about their lives, about their ambitions, about their dreams. I would never see my own world again, probably never hold an iPhone in my hand again, never watch bad TV, or hunker down to a cooking show.

I had left everything behind, I had given up everything, all for a bunch of people I didn’t know. My entire future shifted because of a small village that I hoped would appreciate my sacrifice.

Nicolais had been by my room, knocking on the door respectfully, and asking me if I would join him for dinner. But I couldn’t bring myself to leave my room. It had quickly become a comfort, something I felt like I could get familiar with.

When the sun finally set, I sat down on the windowsill looking out at the stars. But even though they looked completely different, like they were somehow closer, or like they had shifted from the regular starry night I experienced. However, it was a night sky, and even if it looked different, I still managed to find comfort in it.

If I got any sleep, it was while I was seated awkwardly on the windowsill. I would wake up with the sun beaming into the room, literally making me sweat until I couldn’t sleep anymore. It was unbearable how hot it was.

Lily brought breakfast, snacks, lunch, and dinner. She tried giving me reassuring smiles, tried to tell me that the king was a good man, a man who wanted a wife so deeply, a man who wanted nothing more than a family to call his own.

But no matter what she said, I simply couldn’t remove my eyes from the horizon. As if I could see the small village in the distance, as if I could see where I came from, and where I was supposed to go. There was nothing but maybe’s, and even more what-ifs, and honestly, I couldn’t cope with getting answers to them.

When the night sky came forth again, I could rest my cheek against the window. My eyes locked on the glittering stars, wishing for them to help me, to take me away from here. And when I closed my eyes, sleep overtaking me, they did. It felt like I flew towards them, like my new home was up there. But it was so dark, like they dimmed whenever I reached them. My hands would grasp for them, wanting to help them, and every time I touched one, it shone brighter than before, like I could make them shine brighter.

In the corner of my eye was always a dark silhouette, one that kept following me around, one that kept trailing my path between the stars. It felt like it was close, like I could turn around and grab it, but every time it would slip through my fingers. Every time I turned faster, trying to catch it, it would laugh at me, like I was being stupid for ever thinking I could catch it. And when I had had enough, when I got so mad that I yelled at it, demanding it come back to me, it would only laugh louder.

Stop it!