Chapter 4: Apollo

Lavender tells an ugly story, but both she and Lumenovus are left with lifted spirits.

 “The realm of Faerie is divided into kingdoms, or tribes.  Each kingdom has a palace containing a crystal that keeps us safe.  The climate is controlled, and we are invisible to you humans and some other beings.  The two most powerful crystals are held by the Sol and Luna tribes.  We are the Luna fairies.

 “One day last year my father, that’s King Almaden, invited the king of the Sol fairies, Orion, and his retinue over for a festival and feast.  I knew what business was to be conducted, as my father had told me ahead of time.  King Orion knew as well.  His son, Prince Apollo, did not.

 “I had mixed feelings.  It was really my one shot at ever having happiness.  Dances or a willing husband, well, I’ve given up on that of course.  But now I was to be betrothed...  Did I dare hope that this prince I had never met would accept me, or at least treat me kindly?

 “My hopes swelled my very chest.  It was my mother’s one wish for me, above anything else, that I find someone, well, a man, who makes me happy.  She used to tell me always, that one day I would find a man who thought I was as beautiful as she did.”

 I stopped to wipe tears from my eyes.  Now I felt foolish, for again here I was spilling my guts about my petty problems to someone who was locked up and wondering if he was going to be maimed the next day.  But there was no stopping.  I looked at the traveler, and was amazed to see him looking at me with rapt attention.

 “I asked myself all that morning, ‘could this be it?’  I had never met Prince Apollo.  My imagination only allowed me to build him into a handsome, smiling, gentle, loving husband-to-be.  I was disappointed the second I saw him.  You just know people instantly, sometimes.  He strode with his chin in the air, ordering his servants about with an arrogance that would have been comical, if not so unfortunately real.  He spoke to anyone but the two kings with an overwhelming condescension, which I almost cried at the thought of having to get used to.  My husband, my new life, was to be this?  Still, I managed to keep myself together until the announcement.

 “I crossed paths with him once before dinner.  We bumped into each other, actually.  He seemed annoyed, until he saw my collapsed wings.  Then it was plain disgust that creased his brow.  ‘Do excuse me, please,’ he sneered as nastily as he could.  You know what?  Even that didn’t prepare me for what he did later.

 “All through dinner I could barely manage to look at him.  I think I only did keep looking in the hope that he would transform, somehow.  ‘That’s my future’, I kept thinking.  ‘The whole life I’ve lived up to now is now supposed to revolve entirely around that... Jerk!’

 “Then came the announcement.  ‘Friends, nobles,’ my father said, standing.  All fell silent and looked at him.  ‘I am pleased to announce, that by next spring, the two most powerful houses in all of Faerie, Sol and Luna, will be bound by marriage.  A union that no other ten kingdoms added together could hope to disrupt.’

 “I saw the prince raise his head in interest.  He knew he was about to receive a bride, but who?  He looked hungrily at my half sisters.  ‘And so, I have offered to King Orion for his son Apollo,’ who he gestured to, ‘The hand of my eldest daughter, Lavender,’ and he gestured to me.

 “The prince’s eyes followed my father’s hand, and widened in disbelief when they landed on me.  All I could do was smile nervously.

 “Before I had a chance to wonder how he’d react, he screamed, ‘What?’  He slammed the table with his fist and stood.  He looked in outrage at his father.  ‘Can this be true?  Could my own father have agreed, on my behalf, without my knowledge, that I should take that...  That...’

 “’Apollo,’ his father warned.

 “But he went on...  ‘That purple-winged hag as a wife?  My first wife, no less!  The very thought of soiling my dick by siring an heir with a woman that not even a commoner would touch!’”

 The stranger drew in his breath.  Well, he asked what Apollo said.  You’re telling him.

 “I think I may have actually heard a sympathetic gasp from somewhere, even for me.  But of course, mostly what I heard was excited laughter.  Palace people love a scene.  My half sisters laughed the hardest.  ‘Apollo, outside now,’ Orion ordered.

 “‘Father, I beg you, don’t do this to me,’ he said as he was led out.

 “And then everyone was quiet, and staring at me.  What was I supposed to do after that?  I looked into the eyes of a few people.  I could tell they were enjoying my anguish.  I ran out, just before the shock wore off and I began to cry.”

 “I feel bad for doubting you,” the stranger said in quiet amazement.  “I can’t imagine what kind of life or personality it takes, for that to just...  Be what you say.  Without a thought!”

 I wiped away a few errant tears, and smiled.  “His ‘apology’ wasn’t any better.  He found me later on a balcony.  He didn’t put a hand on my shoulder, or ask me to look at him, or anything.  He just said, as if he were granting the largest favor in history, that I could be his wife.  If...  And then he listed a bunch of conditions!  No talking, no touching him, things like that.  Right down to he supposes he’ll try to father an heir with me, so long as I keep covered up and keep quiet.  And not to expect any signs of affection there either, of course.  He’d just be doing his duty.”

 “And you’re going to marry him...  In the spring?  Still?”

 “Oh, yes...  Politics...  I suppose I should be honored.  My name will go down in history.  The kings have wanted this union for ages.”

 “I wish I could say something to make you feel better...  But that just sounds completely awful.  I’m so sorry.  You’re very kind, and you deserve better.  What are you going to do?”

 I shrugged, and sniffled a little.  At least I was no longer embarrassed to cry in front of him.  “There’s nothing to do.  It’s my future.”

 “Is there nowhere to run to?”

 “Any kingdom I fled to would just send me back here.  Then I’d be punished, and in the same situation, only disgraced on top of it.  And to flee into the wild...  Our territories keep us invisible to mortals, as you know.  My mother left for some reason.  That’s how she got caught.”

 “Hmm,” he said thinking.

 “What?”

 “Well, at least you haven’t given up hope.  That’s good.  I don’t think you should.”

 “What?  How do you know?  I don’t feel the least bit hopeful, I’ll have you know.”

 “Alright, sorry,” he said, looking away.

 I was getting mean again, when I didn’t want to.  “No, I’m sorry.  I’ve been drinking, and I always get emotional at festivals.”  He seemed to feel better when I said that.  “Tell me though, what would make you say such a presumptuous thing?”

 He shrugged, with a grin.  “I don’t know for sure, but...  If you had given up all hope, I don’t think you would be crying.  Crying comes from pain.  If you were truly without hope, there would be no pain, only numbness.  You say you’ve accepted your future, but I see too much life in your eyes for me to believe that.  I’ve seen the eyes of hopeless folk, believe me.  They’re dead.  They stare off into space, taking nothing in, giving nothing out.  As I said though, I could be wrong.  These are just some of those thoughts I share in my travels...  Or maybe I’m just drunk, too.”

 Deep down, part of me knew he was right.  I also realized, I was glad he was right!  I felt better after talking to him.  But now I was tired, and I wanted to go somewhere and think.  “It’s late,” I said.  “Can I get you anything else?”

 “No,” he said, but I could tell he was holding back.

 “What is it?”

 “Well...  Just so I don’t have to wonder...  Do you think you could come visit me again?”  This time, he blushed!

 A smile took uncontrollable hold of my face.  “Why, of course I will!  I’ll come tomorrow morning, okay?”

 He looked relieved as he returned my smile.  “Thank you.”

 “Lumenovus...  Thank you.  Thank you for talking to me.  I didn’t mean to prattle on so...  And I know at least I’m not trapped and wondering if I’m going to be...”

 He held up a hand.  “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you needed someone to talk to even more than I did.  And it was my pleasure, believe me.  Good night.”

 “Goodnight...”

----

 As I undressed for bed, I felt a giddiness that was completely separate from that caused by the lingering effects of the wine.  Why should talking to a stranger for a few hours have such an effect?  I realized it was because for the first time since my mother left, someone had really listened to me.

 From his pauses and his questions, I could tell he was really thinking about everything I had said.  He must have been thinking about Apollo’s insult to me for awhile, since he had to summon courage to even ask me about it.  That also proved he really wanted to know!  Otherwise he wouldn’t have bothered to ask.  And he wanted so badly to help...  Help me, a stranger myself, whose people had locked him up.  I thought again about his eyes...  They, and his voice, held such warmth.

 I laid down thinking about that warmth, imagining it flooding over me, wrapping me up like a cocoon.  Shame he’ll be moving on soon.  At least I’ll see him once more tomorrow.  Yes, after breakfast...

Reviews

[Sarah]

This is an interesting chapter that opens the story up even more. We see Apollo for the first time, and he seems like kind of a prick. But then again, that's how he's always been raised. He's always been told what's beautiful and what's not, and all of that just shows more into the culture and time period that this story takes place in. Regarding Lumenovus, he seems like a great guy, and I'm curious as to what he wants with Princess Lavender. If he has something in mind. If he plans on staying or leaving when he gets out. And finally Lavender. We see more of her own personality. She's very defensive, always jumping on Lumenovus whenever he says something. For example, when he said she hadn't lost hope and she quickly defended herself. Overall, great story, however my one piece of criticism is that I feel a sort of disconnect with the characters and the surrounding. There's really no sense of feeling as this story is overpowered with dialogue. Not a bad thing because it keeps the story moving forward, but it can also move the story too fast. Try adding in more descriptors to give the reader a sense of the characters feelings. You could do so much more with this story, yet!

[Christopher Miller]

What an interesting comment. If you do continue reading, I'd like to know if you think that improves. The two of them have just met, so there isn't a lot of emotional involvement at this point. I hope her emotions about her past and current situation have been made clear enough.
I may also have not said much about it for the same reason I don't explain my characters' appearances in great detail, I like a lot left to the imagination. I want the reader to see their own Lavender and Lumenovus, and to feel their own feelings.
In either case, you've hit on a blind spot for me. Can you tell me more? What's an instance where you felt a description was missing? What would make you feel more connected to the surroundings?

[Sarah]

I guess I can't describe a specific instance now because I've forgotten what I was thinking at the moment, but I just don't get inside the characters heads' much. I know it's first person, yet all there is is dialogue. I want to know how Lavender feels throughout the conversation. Try using senses. What does she see, hear, smell, taste, feel. All of it. An in depth experience would really draw me in.