Chapter 434: Chapter 434
In one of the residences... a little later....
"Do you have any regrets?"
"Of course not, why would I? It’s my privilege to be of use to Prince Simon.... Even as a gift to you, my Lord..."
"Really? You are the first to say that to me, and I don’t think that you are lying... how strange!"
The old Fae knew that the younger generation had a way with their mouths, but this one sounded too believable. Was that really her thoughts?
"Hehehehehee" The Fae with the ’best dancer’ title laughed, covering her mouth to add a layer of sauciness.
"Well, I’ll take you for your word." The old Fae, who was one of Prince Simon’s right-hand men, replied,
"Mind you...." He empahsized, as his voice chilled out,
"I do not have a lack of females, but I will treat you best, if you-"
"Say no more, my Lord... I am and will always be at your service! .... And I never go back on my word." The ’best dancer’ bowed deeply. Spreading out her wings, she shot up, hovering just about a meter off the ground.
She had already resigned herself to her fate and was ready for her new life. As this Lord’s new female, she knew she was on her way to new heights. She just needed to play her cards right! Afterall, the end justified the means!
Back in the large throne room that Prince Simon had vacated, a few of the old Faes were still in shock. It had barely been a few minutes since the prince and his few loyal followers had left, but the stunned silence remained for almost a quarter of an hour before one of them spoke,
"Is this the same blood oath that we ’know’ of?"
"I think so, but is that even possible?"
"Maybe Brain is spouting nonsense?!"
"Brain is the most level-headed person that we all know. He only spits facts-"
"Exactly! So why is he talking about an intangible fact this time? We do not know who this girl is.... She is clearly human, but at the same time, she does not feel like-"
"That’s what I do not understand.... How can a human have a dramatic charm like that? I have never lost all my senses before even the most beautiful female back in our younger days... but a human? This does not make any sense!"
Echoes of agreement went around as they all thought back to when Shelby had been brought to the room. Even though they had doubts, they had all seen that ring glow on her finger and they knew exactly what that meant.
"But then, what does? Unless-"
"If the bond is really true, then anything is possible-"
"The bond is not written to have that effect on females... She should not be able to charm us this much, just because she bonded! She is but a pathetic human!
Even though these words came out, none of them were in agreement. They had seen Shelby and there was nothing pathetic about her! It was also as if the issue of her becoming queen was tossed aside as the possible bond took precedence.
"... but why is no one looking at why a Fae would be bonded to a human..."
Another silence ensued, and then one said quietly,
"The bond does the choosing... I think this is more likely if it was a bond. At this moment, I am far inclined to believe any far-fetched theory-"
"Yes! We have an unknown human in our realm. She commands reverence and has a Fae as a shadow guard-"
"He was a shadow guard. Are you kidding? How can such a weakling be?"
"Hahahahahaaaa... you call that a weakling? I think he suppress-"
"Stop right there! No shadow guard in his right senses would suppress his powers. If he is supposed to be guarding her, suppressing his powers is equal to her death , so something else must be going on here."
"... And did any of you recognize him at all?"
They all exchanged glances and shook their heads. However, that question got them thinking.
How could there be a shadow guard in the human realm? Most importantly, they had not even felt any fluctuations in any of their portals. Did that mean that this human and her guards had always been in the Fae realm?
Many questions were going around in their heads, but none had the answers they were looking for. It seemed like Braian was the only one who could give them any hints or direction, but Brian had been imprisoned, so they looked to be back to the starting point again.
With nothing left to back any of their theories, they only had to resort to such discussions. The bond in question was a big deal, though very unlikely, as it had never succeeded in any of their recorded scrolls and texts.
They continued a heated discussion, trying to find out anything because the hot-headed Simon had not allowed them to extract any information for them....
"... besides, even if that were the case, then whom is she bonded to?" One of them asked the most driving question in his mind,
"Pfttt! Do you need to ask? Isn’t it the same person whose baby she carries?"
"... and who might that be? Who will be powerful enough to create such a bond that even kings could not?"
They all turned to look at each other, and a single word sounded in the hall,
For a moment, Shelby was stunned, especially when she slowly turned to look at her new surroundings.
’That Fae is silly and a big fool at that. Is this how he treats the woman he fancies?’
Shelby shuddered at the thought of anyone else apart from Ian fancying her. But that did not mean that she was happy with where she was. She was only glad to be away from all that stupid talk.
She turned in the dark cell, a slight shiver running through her as the cold wrapped around her like a living thing. It was only a fraction of a second, but even that felt like forever!
The damp air in the place, clung to her skin, heavy with the scent of mildew and something more metallic.
She sniffed the air and scrunched her face.
’Blood?... or perhaps, rust?’
The silence was thick, broken only by the slow, rhythmic drip of water somewhere in the unseen depths of the prison.
Shelby widened her eyes to try and adjust to the place... not that it was working much.
The cell stretched endlessly before her, swallowed by the shadows that flickered and shifted like unseen wraiths.... As if little shadowy arms were creeping on the walls and making their way to her.
The stone walls were jagged, damp with age and neglect, their once-solid structure now eroded by time. Chains hung limply from iron hooks, their links crusted with corrosion, telling tales of those who had once been shackled here.
Shelby examined her arms promptly, as if realizing that they could have shackled her to one of those. She took a hesitant step back, as if that possible reality could be foiled, if possible.
Doing that brought her eyes to her now bare feet. It was squirmy, and she did not like it one bit.
"Shelby!" She shouted at herself.
"Is this the time to be thinking of shoes?!"
Beneath her bare feet, the floor was uneven and treacherous, strewn with pebbles and something softer... moss. She hated moss!
Shelby took hesitant steps forward. Every step echoed into the abyss, swallowed whole by the vast, oppressive darkness. Somewhere far ahead, a faint, guttering torch barely clung to life, its feeble flame casting warped, dancing shadows against the damp walls.
But beyond that, nothing. Just darkness stretching infinitely, pressing down on her like a tangible force. Shelby looked warily ahead and around. It had been about a few seconds when she had become alone.
A feeling of unease slithered through her, more suffocating than the cold. That familiar warmth shot out through her, calming her frayed nerves instantly. It was quick and so contrasting that Shelby couldn’t help but wonder where that had come from. However, she did not dwell on it too long. She needed to understand her surroundings and think of what her next actions could be.
’This place was not merely abandoned... it was forgotten, a tomb for the living, a prison for souls meant to wither in isolation.’
"Huh? Where did that thought come from?"
"Hello?" Shelby whispered, feeling as if she was being watched.
Then, in the farthest reaches of that suffocating dark, something stirred.
"Oh my!" A shift in the void.
Shelby shrunk back. At first, she thought it was just her imagination, a trick played by exhaustion and fear. But then, the faint outline of a figure emerged—barely more than a shadow against the black. Shelby’s heartbeat thundered.
’No, it couldn’t be. He wasn’t supposed to be here. How did he get here?’
And yet, there he was. Her lips parted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Surprise flickered across her face, quickly swallowed by something deeper—disbelief, happiness, and perhaps something else entirely.
The figure did not move. But she could feel him watching her, just as stunned as she was.
"Ian?!" Shelby whispered as she stared at the far wall.
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