You will one day return there, a place I may never reach

“Aim!” The Danan who operated the archery section called out, shattering the atmosphere that had consumed Rowan and Aislinn.

The princess pulled away, startled by the interruption. “R-right!” She said to no one in particular. Aislinn felt flustered, like a whole swarm of butterflies soared through her chest. She drew her bow and arrow.

The two waited for the guard to count down. Aislinn wanted to impress Rowan with her skill, even though she had already proven her skill against the boars. As for Rowan, he would be happy to simply hit the target and not miss entirely. He had not moved an inch since Aislinn had helped him aim properly.

The command was given, prompting Rowan and Aislinn to let their arrows fly. Aislinn hit the very center of the target with perfect ease. To his surprise, Rowan did the same. His arrow pointed to the right, but he still hit the center mark. The crowd cheered the success of the gathered archers. “Yes!” Rowan thrusted his bow in the air to celebrate.

Aislinn set her bow aside and smiled while lightly clapping for him. “Well done, Rowan. I knew you could do it.”

Isolde chuckled and gently punched him in the arm. “Good aim. I hope to see it on the battlefield.”

“Yeah. Ow.” Rowan rubbed his arm before returning the bow and quiver to the guard for the next group to take their shots.

The three took a break near a bar stall. They enjoyed mugs of sweetened mead as they took in the sights around them. A fairy floated in front of Rowan and moved in a figure-eight pattern, her wingbeats creating sparkles around her. Rowan held up his hand, offering a landing platform for the tiny and cute humanoid being.

The fairy landed on the palm of his hand and began to put on an ethereal dance for him. Rowan watched in awe as the fairy performed fluid and rhythmic movements for his private performance. Her one-piece dress moved and flowed with her as her multi-colored magical aura left waves and sparkles in her wake.

Aislinn and Isolde watched the performance. They were more taken by Rowan’s awestruck reaction. “Rowan, fairies are quite common here. They do this all the time,” Aislinn commented.

Rowan gave her an annoyed look. “Not so much where I’m from. This fairy here is pure magic, and I’m lucky to get to watch her move.” He sounded almost indignant.

The fairy was excited to receive such high praise. Other fairies soon flew down to Rowan and performed similar dances for him, instantly dazzling him. Aislinn smiled in exasperation and joined Isolde in pulling him away from the fairies. He protested and tried to resist, but they offered no mercy as they dragged him away.

“You can play with the fairies another time. We’re here to enjoy the festival,” Aislinn told him.

Rowan freed himself from the girls and gave Aislinn a flat look. Just as he was about to offer a retort, he saw the drink stand stacking tankards, reminding him of one of his favorite games. “Hold that thought,” he told them as he walked to the stand.

He talked to the Danan couple who operated the business. They were confused by his suggestion, then became excited by the prospect. They agreed it would generate interest and business. He shook hands with them and waved Aislinn and Isolde over.

The couple, a friendly man and woman duo, stacked some ale tankards in a pyramid shape and placed balls in a large bowl. “Step up and try to knock down the entire stack. Winners get a free drink! …with a paid attempt,” the man announced.

Rowan grabbed one of the balls and tossed it in the air once. “We can’t have a festival without this game,” he declared. He threw the ball and knocked the stack over, winning the game in his first try. Aislinn and Isolde paid the entry fee and knocked their own stacks down. The three received their free ale and happily enjoyed their prizes.

The hours passed, and the moon rose into the sky, casting silver rays through the tree branches. The festival began to slow down as people simply took in the night’s atmosphere. The arcane fireworks fired into the sky, erupting in brilliant lights and explosions.

Rowan stood beside Aislinn and Isolde as they enjoyed the magical display. “Do you enjoy such sights in the future?” Isolde inquired.

“Yes. We just use a fuel source like black powder to make things go ‘boom’ and a chemical that makes different colors,” he replied. “There’s a bit more to it, but I don’t want to start a technology revolution centuries ahead of time.”

“Black powder to make things go ‘boom.’” Aislinn briefly laughed at his terminology. “That sounds very interesting. If only I could see it myself.”

Her words reminded him that over a thousand years separated them. “How…long do Danans live exactly?”

Aislinn turned to him. “We are immortal beings, Rowan. It’s not uncommon to find a Dana who has lived for over a thousand years.”

A light flickered in Rowan’s eyes. “Then, if I return to my time, you could be there?” He stumbled over his words at the mere thought of meeting her again.

She offered him a kind smile. “I can’t promise it, but I will try to welcome you home.”

Isolde rested her arm on his shoulder. “Ossorians aren’t immortal, but we live longer than a thousand years. If she won’t be there for you, I definitely will.” She sounded more confident, despite hearing that the Ossorians disappeared in the future. Aislinn gave her a cross look.

“Thanks. Having one of you there might help convince me that this isn’t some insane dream I’m having.” Rowan said.

Isolde moved her arm away and grinned. “Sure, I’ll be there to remind you of your time here.”

“Just in case, let’s take a picture,” Rowan decided. He pulled his phone out and turned on the camera app. “Get in close, we’ll take one of all of us.”

Aislinn knew what he was doing and readily joined beside him. Isolde was confused, but she followed Aislinn and smiled at the black device Rowan held in front of them. A quick flash of light immortalized their festival enjoyment. Rowan showed them how the picture came out. Isolde was curious about his device and asked numerous questions.

Just as Rowan began to answer her torrent of questions, a loud explosion drew their attention back to the sky. A large ethereal bird formed in the lights and soared across the sky, leaving the crowd in awe. Smaller birds and animals formed from the fireworks and created a dazzling display.

Rowan felt Aislinn’s hand brush against his. He looked to his side and saw that she had moved closer. His heart raced in his chest as he found the courage to take her hand again. It wasn’t about trying to give her courage as he had done before.

Aislinn felt his hand hold onto hers and turned to face him. Their eyes locked together, and time seemed to slow down around them. The world faded into the background once again. Rowan didn’t hesitate again. He moved closer to her, eliminating most of the distance between them.

The space between them vanished as Aislinn threw caution to the wind, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips against his. Their palms touched as her fingers interlaced with his. Her heart skipped another beat as he stood before her to better place his hand on her hip.

Aislinn wrapped her arm around Rowan’s neck as the two became lost in their own little world. With everyone watching the ethereal birds fly above, no one would notice a human kissing a Danan princess.

A moment of realization caused Aislinn to push Rowan away, ending their intimate moment gently. “Wait, we can’t,” she whispered.

“Hmm?” Rowan was confused. He released Aislinn, concerned that he had made her uncomfortable. “I’m sor-” he began.

“No, it’s…not that.” She assured him. “You’re from another time, far removed from mine, and you will one day return there, a place I may never reach,” she explained, her words filled with sorrow. “We should stop now before we hurt one another.” The pain in his eyes matched her own. “Come, it’s getting late. We’ll spend the night in Lughaidh Castle. They’ve already made accommodations for us.”