Not A Prisoner

The lighting in the room brightened, and Eddus opened his eyes.

Slightly arching his back, he stopped mid-movement, not wanting to wake Issabella, who slept soundly on her side, her head on his arm. They lay uncovered on the bed where they’d fallen asleep the night before.

Turning to look at her, he smiled as he watched her sleep, her hair partially covering her cheek. Behind her, against his hand, he felt the edge of and part of the surface of one of her wings.

He could feel her soft, rhythmic breath against his arm as well as the warmth of her unclothed body against his own. Her hand and arm rested on his chest, her torso against his side, and one leg over his thigh.

Looking to the ceiling, Eddus closed his eyes, remembering the events of the previous night. He smiled again, this time as he thought about the sleeping woman beside him.

Somehow, she was now his wife, for lack of a better word. He didn’t know exactly what their relationship would be called in the faerie realm. He still didn’t fully understand it. He didn’t know if he could even believe it or not. It all felt like a dream.

There was a movement against his chest. Issabella sighed, her fingertips brushing his skin as she opened and then closed her hand, followed by the movement of her head against his arm.

Turning, Eddus looked into her amber eyes as she opened them. She smiled as he brushed her hair across her cheek, behind her ear.

“Good morning,” she said. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did.” Surprised at his own answer, Eddus paused a moment, as a realization came over him. “I can feel you.”

“Of course you can, silly, I’m right here.” Issabella lightly drew circles on Eddus’s chest with her fingernail.

“No, it’s more than that. I can’t explain it,” Eddus said. He kissed the centre of her forehead. “I can feel you here beside me, your skin touching mine, but it’s something deeper than that. There’s a feeling inside my chest and even in my mind. It’s almost a vibration.”

Issabella propped herself up on her elbow.

“A good vibration?” she asked playfully, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Well, it’s not unpleasant. It’s almost like excitement, but it’s not the excitement that I feel. It’s not my own, if that’s even possible. I can’t explain it.”

“It’s our mate-bond,” Issabella said, taking his hand and placing it on her chest. He could feel her heartbeat beneath his fingertips. “I told you that we would have no trouble forming it. And what you’re feeling is my joy, Eddus, as I can feel yours. Happiness, sadness, anger – we are now connected. We may not know what the other is thinking, but we can feel what the other feels.”

“How do you know this?”

“The mate-bond?” Issabella pressed Eddus’ hand against her chest, kissed his shoulder, and then looked up at him, her eyes studying his. “We learn about it from an early age, though it is as new for myself as it is for you.”

She kissed his arm again, laying her head against his chest with a sigh.

“I just know a little of what to expect from it.”

“I can’t believe this is real.”

Issabella smiled at a thought that came to her. Eddus was now truly her human.

Eddus turned his head, looking up at the ceiling again. He liked the idea that he could feel what she felt inside. That vibration in his chest, although unlike anything he’d ever felt, was comforting, knowing that it was her. He liked knowing that the feeling was her actual happiness. It did occur to him how it might be unnerving should she be upset or angry, but for the moment, it was the best thing he’d ever experienced.

Her cheek again on his shoulder, Issabella sighed again and closed her eyes, also contented by what she felt through their newly formed bond. Through it, she could feel his heartbeat as she listened to it. She could faintly hear it, but she also felt a light energy that pulsed inside of her with each beat. And although she knew a bit about it, the mate bond was new to her, and was better than she’d ever imagined.

She could also feel in him what she guessed was a conflict of at least two vibrations of differing emotions, but didn’t give it much thought. Their bond was something he knew nothing about. His having differing feelings about it was understandable.

In normal circumstances, the two of them would seclude themselves for about a month after forming their bond. This period was something like a honeymoon, but it also gave a newly mated couple time to become acquainted with and accustomed to not only the shared emotions but the other experiences of their newly formed and unique mate-bond as well.

Issabella thought it unfair that her mate would not be afforded this time. While she had also never experienced the effects of a mate-bond, she had, throughout her life, heard about it and what it entailed and, in some ways, knew what to expect and how to identify it. She tried not to feel a pang of guilt at the thought, not wanting Eddus to pick it up.

From the doorway came the sound of two soft knocks. Eddus quickly tried to sit up, but with Issabella lying on his arm, he couldn’t. Issabella reached across him, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him onto his side, close to her. Uncovered and unclothed, they lay facing each other. Her back to the door, Issabella’s eyes flashed, and she smiled at him mischievously.

Behind them, they heard the door click as it opened, followed by a pause. Eddus glanced over Issabella’s head at the door, his heart racing.

“I didn’t realize that you weren’t alone.” The sheepish-sounding voice belonged to Dain. “You’ve been summoned to go before the queen. I’ll come back shortly.”

The door closed, followed by a few moments of silence as Issabella and Eddus could only look at one another. Issabella still wore a smile from moments before, though now she smiled in amusement at the look on Eddus’ face. She kissed him quickly before getting off of the bed, freeing his arm.

Eddus watched for a moment as she stepped into her dress, where it lay on the floor, and pulled it up and on before he got to his feet. Watching as she began tying her hair neatly at the top of her neck, it amazed him that she could step into a dress that had been discarded on the floor overnight and look as perfect as she always had. He fumbled as he tried to quickly dress, his mind beginning to race as he thought about the guard outside and what it was that the queen would say.

Issabella suddenly no longer wore a smile or looked amused, but had a panicked and slightly stricken expression. She watched Eddus as he pulled his shirt on, and then she shook her head and spoke softly but quickly to him.

“I have to go,” she said, some urgency in her voice. “I thought that we would have more time before you were summoned.”

“What do you mean? More time for what?” Eddus looked at her as he sat down on the bed to put his shoes on.

“Eddus,” Issabella knelt next to him, “I have to go. There is someone I need to try and speak to as quickly as possible. I thought we’d have more time. No one knows that we’ve mate-bonded. It needs to be known before a ruling is made!”

She quickly went to the door, knocking once and exiting as quickly as she could. Eddus watched the door close behind her. He wondered for a moment what the outcome of his summons would result in, either with or without the knowledge of their union being known.

After tying his shoe, Eddus stood, smoothed his shirt with his hands, and walked to the door, where he paused, waiting for it to open. After a few moments, he raised his hand to the door, hesitating for a moment to look again at the mark on his arm, which now only glowed faintly. He knocked against the door once to indicate that he was ready.

A moment later, the door clicked open a fraction. Eddus waited for it to be opened by Dain or another member of the guard who would escort him to see the queen, but it remained unmoved, only slightly open.

Cautiously, he pushed the door, which opened easily. Glancing from left to right, he stepped out of the room slowly and into the hallway. There was a soft click behind him as it closed again.

Turning to the closed door, he saw that it had no handle or doorknob on the outside, just as on the inside. There was no keyhole either. Running his hand along its smooth surface, he wondered just how it worked.

Other doors lined the passageway; some were closed, others were open, indicating an empty room. They all appeared to be of the same design, with no fixtures or keyholes on either side. Thinking back, he remembered each time the door had opened when he’d been visited.

He slowly raised his hand, closing it. Looking around to make sure he wasn’t being watched, he tapped the door twice with his closed fist. He stepped back in surprise as there was a click, and the door opened, a thin line appearing between it and the frame.

Eddus nervously looked left, then right, not touching the door. Stunned, he took another step back, not looking away from the thin opening. After a few more moments, the door slowly closed on its own with a soft click.

“Ed!”

Startled, Eddus turned quickly, his heart racing, to see Dain walking toward him. He didn’t move, not knowing what to expect upon being found outside of his room.

“I wasn’t hurrying you. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.” Dain gave Eddus an embarrassed smile. He then noticed the confused look on the human’s face. “Is everything alright?”

The faerie guard approached him, stopping a few paces away. He looked at him with a concerned expression.

“You look like something is wrong,” he said.

Eddus looked at him in surprise.

“The door opened for me.”

“That is how doors work,” Dain laughed.

“No, I tapped on it from inside, and it just opened.” Eddus shook his head, looking back at the door.

“Well, I should hope so. How else have you been coming and going?” Dain’s brows knitted as he looked at the human.

“I haven’t been coming and going.”

“Are you ok, Ed?” The guard put a hand on his arm, looking at him questioningly.

“I’m fine, Dain,” Eddus said slowly, “but, coming and going?”

“Coming and going. You know, entering and exiting.” Stopping abruptly, a look of surprise and confusion washed over the guard. “Ed, how long has it been since you’ve been out of this room?”

“Well, not since I was taken and questioned just after I got here.”

Dain gaped at him in disbelief. Under his breath, he said something Eddus could not understand, most likely in another language. His expression changed from surprise to almost what one could have taken for guilt, and he shook his head, staring at the human.

“Did I do something wrong?” Eddus asked, trying to read the guard’s behavior.

“That was almost four days ago, Ed!”

“You told me to stay here until someone came to get me.”

“Only until you were taken to see the Queen.” Dain put his hands together, pressing them to his lips and inhaling deeply. He slowly shook his head. “You’re not confined to this room.”

“You mean, I could have come out at any time?” Eddus stood, looking at him blankly.

“Until the Queen’s ruling, yes. You cannot leave the realm, but this isn’t a prison, Ed.”

Eddus turned again to the door, knocking twice against it. The door opened. He turned to Dain, dumbfounded.