The first sense I regained was my hearing, judging from the sudden clamor of voices in my ear. Panic threatened to surge, but vanished when I felt the gentle touch of a blanket over my body. My curiosity got the better of me, forcing my eyes open.
I was back in Leonardo and I’s bedroom, but it was no longer night-time. Brilliant sunlight shone through opened curtains. They had been closed since we arrived in the Water Court, and I hadn’t felt the need to open them.
The sunlight made the castle seem less cold, less painted in varying shades of blue. It shimmered across the strange stone of the castle, creating a million different colors.
Leonardo stood by the open window, followed by Graziana and Noemi. The youngest sister was bouncing on her heels, grinning and laughing.
The oldest frowned, worrying as she often did.
Leonardo seemed to react the moment my eyes fluttered open, coming to my side with a crooked grin. By reading my thoughts, he could feel my confusion. He was diverting his own thoughts, thinking of a million random things to avoid one particular thought.
“What happened?” I asked with an eyebrow cocked.
I couldn’t help the snicker that left my lips. We were two beings made from the same soul, able to share our thoughts with one another, and Leonardo was keeping a secret from me. I found it amusing, and was only somewhat worried that something bad had happened.
“Last night-it had an unexpected outcome.”
He cleared his throat, his eyes darting to his two younger siblings.
Clearly, they knew exactly what had happened, but were graceful enough to keep it to themselves.
“An unexpected outcome?” I repeated slowly,
“Did someone catch us?”
“Catch you? No, I believe the entire castle knew where the two of you were.” Graziana shook her head, cocking it when she noticed the furious blush on my face. “True-mates were once celebrated. Previous practices had mating ceremonies for the public to view.
Since true-mates have become so rare, most of the practices fizzled out.”
As much as I felt sorry for the Fae race, I was more than delighted to hear I wouldn’t have to perform in some strange, public mating ceremony. The thought of that made me want to run in the opposite direction.
“As great as that is – that doesn’t explain what happened.” I clarified, steering the conversation back on track.
“Your magic, it’s still coming out in waves whenever you use it and it’s growing -fast.” Leonardo noted, locking eyes with Graziana before turning to the open window. I sighed as he led me to the window, enjoying even the smallest of touches between us.
All coherent thought was wiped from my mind as I stared out of the bedroom window and into the vast Water Court territory.
Jagged, snow-capped mountains loomed off in the distance, along with a glittering lake that shined brighter than the crystals beneath the earth. Trees with long canopies sat in thick clusters, making the entire place seem almost tropical. Off to the side were the rocky shores of the ocean, clearer than any human ocean could ever manage. The Water Court castle sat atop a large cliff, which also held a deep valley and forest. Now that I had a clear view of my surroundings, I found myself falling in love with it.
“It’s so beautiful.” I gasped, stretching out my arms and letting the sunlight warm my skin.
“Very beautiful, but that is not what I’m referring to.” Leonardo smiled wryly, “Look a bit closer, kitten.”
“Perhaps, instead of thinking something’s out of place – think of what’s missing instead.” Noemi chimed in with a giggle.
After Noemi’s advice, it took a total of three seconds for me to see exactly what that unexpected outcome had been.
The tree’s that surrounded the castle were no longer draped in thick blankets of snow. The ground was lush and green, coated in dazzling flowers of all colors and shapes. Birds I had never seen before screamed and sang as they darted through the air. Even the sky had risen to the occasion. Fat tufts of clouds drifted by lazily, always allowing a few buttery rays to fall from the sun.
“There’s no more snow.” I pointed out, my voice raising to a falsetto in surprise.
“No more snow?” Graziana snorted, giggling under her breath. “There’s no more winter.
Mother’s going to have a fit.”
“You’ve made it summer, kitten.” Leonardo laughed this time, a booming sound that shook the walls and made the deepest parts of my heart flutter and sigh.