Deception (23 page)

My eyes blurry, I was able to see that Ian was just as frightened, excited, nervous, and amazed all at the same time. 

The seer laughed to himself.  “See, my guessing was right on the mark.  And now, the passing of the queen is finally complete.”

The seer turned to Lazyra with a broad smile, “Shall we leave these two to rule the kingdom and wreak havoc among the lands?”  Lazyra looked leery of the my appearance and seriously leaned into her son a little closer than comfort sake.

Apparently, the seer saw Lazyra’s thoughts because he told her, “All in good time, my lady.  Let’s take our leave.  We are not wanted or needed anymore today.”

When the room cleared, I fell to the ground and took him with me completely zapped of all my energy.  I couldn’t see my own eyes, but knew something was different by the way he was looking at me.  “Is this the way it happens?”

“I don’t know.  It’s all new to me too.”  If my voice was unsteady, his was a complete stammer.

I closed my eyes.

“Don’t close them.  I want to see them.” 

The noise I made wasn’t because of the intense way he stared, but that his thoughts were coming in live and in Technicolor.  He was in awe of my courage, my recent boldness, the willingness to take a leap of faith, and even audaciousness for caring about him, what he called my pure compassion, and most definitely my eyes.  Wow didn’t seem enough here.

I refused to share with him what I heard or saw of how he saw me.  It was enough to feel it and know that’s how he really felt about me.  And honestly, I felt no different.  Yes, my eyes were blurry and stinging when I first opened them, but now I only felt exhausted and extremely self-conscious. 

“What do they look like?” Was I scary looking or otherworldly or glorious or what?

“Like two emeralds sparkling in the sun.  It’s very distracting.”

“Good distraction or bad one?”  I knew the answer by the dreamy look he had, but wanted to hear him say it.

“Oh, very good!”  His smile was on the brink of spreading farther than his face would allow. 

“How?” I felt bold, squinting my eyes at him.

His head swayed a bit, “You’re doing something to my head, my queen.  You’ll have to stop or I’ll have to punish you.”  He was laying it on a bit thick.

“Punish me?  But I’m the queen.  I think not.  Besides, I didn’t think I could affect your mind.  I didn’t try any mind mojo just now,” I teased.

“Not the way you’re thinking.  But rather, you can’t believe how incredible you look right now.  Or what it is doing to me.”  He looked from the crown to my eyes again.

“You say that a lot, you know.”

“It’s true.” We held onto each other for a long time neither willing to end it.  “I think we better move before the morning comes,” he told me looking as reluctant to go as I did. 

We said our goodnights standing a long time outside my room, and when I finally entered, I found a troubled sleep, but I did at least sleep.

The next morning came way too soon.  I opened my eyes to a very eager Danella staring into mine gasping instantly when I saw her.  I was so startled at someone being right above me that I screamed a little too loud.  Suddenly, Ian was rushing in the room attacking Danella who was still hovering above.  He was pulling me away as she was yelling, “I was just curious about her eyes.  That’s all!  I promise!”

“Ian, what are you doing here?” I pulled the covers up over my chest as he held my arms at length.  I didn’t like the night clothes they brought me and protested every night, but Danella insisted on them.  They were too thin for modesty, but luckily Danella kept a beautiful silver floor length robe lying on the end of my bed.  But at the moment it was on the other side of Ian. 

“Ian, it’s Danella.  She would never hurt me.” I pleaded pouring out the sweetness in my voice.

He leaned back and stepped away with a heady “ready to kill” look in his eye. One deep breath later he motioned for Danella to leave.  She hurried faster than lightening as she bowed her “I’m sorry” all the way out the door.  He never took his
dare me I’m dangerous
eyes off me the entire time Danella was exiting. Danella hesitated at the door.  Apparently, Ian was aware of this since he shot his hand up once more in her direction.  She squealed and ran out. 

I was lying very superbly still feeling like this was an
extreme
case of protection duty. Yeah, on one hand I was angry, but on the other, he was standing in my room…and we were alone.

“What on earth are you doing?” I tried to sound demanding but once again my voice sounded strained as it was often in front of him.

“You needed saving, or so I thought.”  He sounded all gallant, and then deflated. 

“Ian, you were about to save me from the fate of a curious Fey lady’s maid.  What saving is that?”  I had to smile.

I followed his eyes to my robe at the end of the bed.  They darkened, flashed silvery, and closed tight.  I knew what his fast turning mind and body were doing when I carefully whispered, “Do you need saving now?”  I kind of liked the idea that his eyes did this and only ever when he focused squarely on me.  Maybe I should experiment with igniting it!
 

He took my words, but sorrow flickered in his eyes when they blinked open, “I’m sorry I barged in.  I only wanted to…” His words trailed off.  “I’ll be going now.”  He half turned but kept his hand and eyes on his sword still gripping it tightly enough his knuckles were splotched with red and white.   I swallowed and managed to breath out the one request I shouldn’t make. “Don’t go.”  I looked at my robe and swallowed hard,
again
. He turned so very slowly.  I hadn’t moved yet.  “I so rarely ever seem to get to be alone with you.  Maybe you could just sit with me and talk.”

“Grace, with every bone in my body I want to stay right now, but if I do, I’d not be able to just sit and talk with you.”

Man, why did he have to be such a gentleman? 

“Will you join me for breakfast?” his voice cracked a little.  Though he faced the door, I heard how loud he swallowed.

“Yes.”  The devil side of my brain laughed with me.  My angel side smiled saying “right on” in an approving kind of way that made me want to change my direction and help the devil side out.  Oh, yes!

I fell back on the bed and stomped my feet rather loudly on the bed.   My feelings were all mixed up inside.  Too many events were happening at one time and I couldn’t wrap my head around any one event long enough to ponder how to proceed next.  So, I turned onto my stomach and screamed into the pillow as loud as I could not wanting him to come running back.  I turned back over, stretched my aching-with-joy-and-pain legs out, and stomped my feet into the bed covers for the longest time.  I heard a voice and jumped up expecting and hoping it was Ian, but it was Danella. 

Smiling again I said, “My queen, I am happy to see you happy for a change.  It looks nice on you.”

“That sounded like happiness to you?  I’m dying here!” I was ecstatic.  I jumped out of bed,  “Let’s get dressed quickly today, Danella.  I have a feeling I don’t want to miss a single minute.”

“Whatever you say, my lady!  Enough of your witticisms set us all in a rage at some point in time.  We are all young once.”

“Oh, and Danella, will you make sure I’m emerald green all over.  I want to hypnotize someone.”

Danella was turning to the bath but I heard her mumble, “I think you already did.”

I couldn’t help myself.  “I know,” I said aloud so Danella could hear.  We both giggled that wonderful girl laugh at the marvel of realizing the power a woman has over a man, or without a doubt, the power a man has over a woman.

“Oh and Danella!” I waited for her to turn and I gave it my best shot.  With eyes closed, I thought as hard as I could about the object in question and placing it where I wanted it.  Like the rose from Ian, I felt the magic growing in me just bursting to release. When I opened my eyes, Danella was standing there with a comb. 

It worked.  I giggled at a bemused Danella. 

I sauntered out to the table with my head held high in the clouds. I felt amazing. Danella had woven real red maple leaves into my hair with strands of emerald green shimmery ribbons running down through it.  Danella couldn’t have picked a more flattering gown. I felt almost like a princess going to the ball to meet her prince, only I was, well, doing mostly, just that.  No pumpkins or mice, though.  I couldn’t wait to see his face.

When I reached the table his back was to me.  I’d done this on purpose so he’d have to turn around.  The end of the stretched, oak table facing the direction I entered all gasped just as if I’d cued them like I wanted and this prompted Ian to turn around, also just like I wanted.  I was determined not to smile, and even rehearsed the serious face I wanted to project.  He turned.  He wasn’t the only one who liked to dazzle the other!

When his eyes lit up, I couldn’t help but let go of the hold on my lips, a smile inching wide.  His whole face changed from expressionless to full of exactly what the entire room read just like me.  He stumbled to stand up making me quietly laugh.  He pulled my chair out stumbling a little more and I, as gracefully as I could muster, sat down.  He joined me, but moved his chair further away.  I analyzed this and decided he moved to be able to see me better, or so I hoped. All eyes in the room were on me exclusively as I presumed most were probably looking at my strange new eyes.

The seer, Al, walked behind me just then and bent for me to hear, “They are not looking just at your eyes.  You look beautiful, my queen.” Away he walked before I could move.  He went to the end of the table with Lazyra sat where I noticed she seemed awfully pleased to see him. 
Hmm!

“I should have been first to tell you that,” Ian whispered in my ear discreetly.

“Don’t take so long next time.”

“You don’t realize what you do to my tongue.”

I smiled inside, but plastered a serious face.  I wanted to keep my composure, but my insides were screaming especially with everyone in the entire room still watching.  I didn’t think I could lift my spoon for fear of dropping the food or something so I confessed before anything could happen, “Sometimes I feel like the little girl in me is screaming in fear and just wants to know what to do next.”  I didn’t have the faintest idea why I’d just said that.

He leaned in close enough that I could feel his breath on my ear, “I assure you, you don’t look like a little girl.”  Turning my head to look at him, his face was right there.  I was afraid to move but knew every eye in the room refused to look away.  “Gives them hope.  Let’s them see how amazing you are.”  His infectious smile was affecting so very much right then and dislodging my fears simply because I can dazzle him so.  And without magic.

“Gives them gossip is more like it.” I gave my best frown.  He kept changing the topic back to me, but this time I thought he might move on.

“That too.”  He smiled. 

Run with scissors. 
That was the only phrase I could think of to describe my urge to tackle the man before me and make a fool of myself in front of a huge audience.

He stood and called the room to attention.  “Will all rise and bow to your queen.” Chairs squeaked, skirts swished, heads bowed.  I bowed my head and everyone sat again. The room began to murmur to themselves and I could only assume I was the topic.   This still felt like a fairy tale setting and my fairy godmother was about to poof me awake to chastise me for making the dream go too far.

Breakfast finished and Ian and I didn’t talk much more. Neither one of us seemed to know much of what to say.  We were increasingly more nervous around each other lately and I blamed this on the “everyone staring” effect but I knew it to be the
I like you, you like me, let’s not mess this up
phase.  I’d seen it hundreds of times
When Harry Met Sally
and watched it fall apart when Romeo thought Juliet had been let down by his supposed manly failures.  Men just couldn’t let us woman down.  They have to feel important to us.  Well, this girl can do that.  Angel Grace just had to flutter her eyes a little more so devil Grace could step in and snag her man. 

I looked over and caught Ian staring at my silent interlude with my own psyche.  Some of the girls around the table giggled and I popped my head around to realize that I’d zoned them out and forgotten we weren’t alone.  The school cafeteria had never been this good.  My friends back home didn’t hold a candle to the gossip that left these girls’ lips in a matter of seconds.  I was so going to have to watch myself.

Lady Lazyra made her way to Ian from around the table in a similar fashion to how she demanded him to leave me on the day I met her.  I feared her giving a replay and unfortunately, I was correct.  In the pernicious voice, much the same as I know her to be, she asked him,  “May I talk with you, alone?”

Ian looked at me.  I smiled, leaned my eyes sideways to him and nodded, “Go on.  Don’t wait for my permission to do things.  Besides, she’s your mother.  Always obey your mother,” I tsked.   Other sinister hidden darker thoughts lingered just on the surface of my mind wondering what she would say to my man.  I thought hard trying to will him to kiss me and whisk me away from her prying eyes but he smiled sweetly, smoothed a thin line across the blush of my cheek with the back of his thumb, and walked away with her.   I released the straight-backed posture I’d held since I first sat down just realizing how tense I was holding my body until he walked away having never been this conscientious about my body before.