Chapter 26

[X] indicates inner dialogue

The walk that took them down from the landing strip to where her rooms was a trip to say the least. Every wall was made out of the same black material as the rest of the city and castle. Only it didn't darken the hallway, it was polished so that it reflected the light making the area brighter and warmer. The floor had was made of a polished white wood with dark grooves. The right side was lined with windows, the other side there was none. It took Nyline a minute, but she realized that the castle had been literally built into the mountain, so only one side stuck out.

The walk to wherever they were going was long as they descended a stairwell from the airstrip landing, then walked along a long hallway that bent slightly, before they went up another set of steps, then down yet another long hallway. After a while they took another small stair well up onto another floor that looked to have no rooms except for two sets of double doors towards the end. They were both made out of the same white polished wood. Janti took the time to walk in front of them before he bowed and opened the first door in the row.

"This is the third floor of the west wing," Gabriel started glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "This floor is considered where the princes and princesses live, my parents' rooms are another floor up, only they are located more towards the east wing of the castle." Nyline felt her head spinning, wings? How big was this place? "It's rather large," Gabriel looked sheepish. "But we also have a lot of space, kitchens, serving staff, as well as guest rooms."

"Does the serving staff live here too?"

"Some, there is a building for their living quarters. A lot of them live outside the castle walls though." He shrugged, "Personal preference. Anyways, this is my room." Gabriel placed his hand on her lower back and brought her inside.

It was massive. Nyline had to stop in the doorway just so she could look around the entire space before she entered it. Two long red and black striped couches were set in front of a large fireplace that took up an entire wall. Adjacent from that, there was a sliding door that let out onto a landing, then there were several large bookshelves that were covered from top to bottom in books. Slowly Nyline walked into the room and stopped looking down at a large round ball of fabric that seemed to be filled with some type of cotton.

"Those are poofs," Dashiner spoke as he walked in after, "There filled with Cotton fluff and are the best places to curl up with a book. Especially if the fire is lit," He smiled as if he were remembering something. "Then you get Angie to make you some of her special blend of tea. Perfect night. He jumped into the large poof right as he caught Nyline's eye. Out of everything that she had thought that she had known about Dashiner, being a reader was not one of them. His face deadpanned before he grinned flashing teeth. "Or so Adrenell tells me."

["It's alright to be a book nerd."] Adrenell laughed as she walked int behind them.

["I don't know what you're talking about."] Dashiner replied quickly not looking at her. She continued her exploration around the room as she found three sets of doors on one wall, then on another there was a single one that was larger and had a more ornate doorknob.

"The three doors on that wall lead to my scouts' room. Inside there is a wall that they are able to divide the room or leave it as one big space, depending on their comfort level. Each room has its own attached bathroom. The large door leads to my space."

"This is really cool," Nyline muttered as she walked over to a window that was set in between two books shelves and looked out. Whereas they were up on the third floor, the area below them was a large sectioned off garden that was surrounded by a large retaining wall. Despite the cold weather the grass was green, and the flower bed was overflowing with different colors.

"What's below your rooms?" Nyline asked as she looked around before moved towards the sliding glass door and opened it. She came out onto a landing to see that the balcony was long and stretched to another door that was down a little further to this one.

"Its more area for the prince and princess," Gabriel spoke walking out behind her. "The floor directly below us is another set of rooms like mine. It would have been where any siblings I had would have lived." Nyline looked down to see that there was another long balcony below the top ones that had two doors. One look up showed that there was nothing above her. "The bottom floor is somewhat of a drawing room. It's a place specifically sectioned off that is large enough to fit around fifty people. There are board and card games, as well as open space, couches, and another fireplace."

"Sounds fancy…"

"Shall I show you to your rooms now?" Janti spoke from behind her and she froze looking over at him.

"Rooms? Like plural? More than one?"

"Yes, like more than one." Gabriel chuckled softly as he turned and led her back into the main common room before heading towards the door. "I'm walking Nyline to her rooms." He spoke to no one in particular. Dashiner raised his hand to show that he heard before they walked out the door and turned towards the only other doorway in the hallway.

"You have got to be joking," She whispered, before she stopped, looking at Pallsana and Omega who were standing up against the wall across from them. She raised a brow at them and Pallsana gave her a small smile.

"That is the prince's room, only the prince and his scouts are allowed in there." Pallsana spoke as she and Omega joined them in the middle of the hallway and stood behind her. In front of them, Janti was spinning a ring with keys on them around his finger as he was rambling at Delta about every little detail that he'd done in the room that they were heading towards. Delta sounded either distracted or was falling asleep because her answers were short if at all. There was a long pause before Delta told him that she was sure that Lady Nyline would enjoy anything that he did, but Janti still didn't seem convinced.

Janti bent and unlocked the door before he threw both of them open and turned to smile so wide at them that she was pretty sure that it was hurting his face. She walked into the room and froze. The room was a mirror of Gabriel's room only it was set in grey and blues. The bookshelves that were lined up against the wall were empty, as if they were set up for her to fill them up herself. She turned and looked from Gabriel to Janti, who had gotten this entire room redone in less than a day, just for her. Her face fell and she saw understanding in Gabriel's eyes.

"Gabriel…" She started. He bent down and kissed her lightly on the top of her head, then he put one hand on the back of her neck as he connected their foreheads. "I don't have scouts…" She spoke softly.

"I'm aware," His voice was soft as one of his hands stroked her hair. "But your maids will be staying here with you."

"I don't know if I'm staying," her voice was so soft so only he could hear her.

"Here's the thing, use it until you want to leave. Just know that no matter how much time you spend on the other side of the fairy gate, you will always have a room here." She pressed her lips into a line before she licked the bottom one.

"This room is meant for a princess and that's just not me." He smiled at her at that.

"I would like to see where the standards for what a princess should be are listed so I can understand why exactly you think you aren't." Her face fell at that and she refocused her attention onto her patchwork teddy and dagger in her arms.

"I'm not my mother."

"Which is good because I'm not mated to her, I'm mated to you." Looking up into his eyes she saw that there was a glint there that she recognized as amusement. She fell silent at that and pulled away from him looking around the room. Before she stopped, her grip tightening once more on the items before she sighed.

"Janti?" He looked in the door, his brow raised.

"Yes princess?"

"Didn't you want to show me around? I know you set this up." He looked as if he were going to respond about not being allowed in there. "I already know that your bursting to show me everything." His face fell for just a moment before he walked in.

"If you insist Princess," Janti spoke in his uptight voice.

["Where do we stand?"] Omega's voice whispered in the back of her mind.

["Let's just stand over here until Janti is done showing the princess around."] Pallsana whispered back. Her eyes landed on them and they just looked at her, before Pallsana showed that warm smile and Omega's eyes widened.

"Alright Princess," Janti started and she looked at him.

"Could you please drop the title?" She asked her voice very small. Janti looked at her looking completely shocked. "All of this is a lot…"

["We've been calling her Lady Nyline."] Delta spoke softly.

["That is not proper enough! A princess deserves a proper title!"] Nyline sighed.

"Janti, I'm not a princess…" She muttered looking away from them and to the two standing against the wall. "I'm just a girl, a sixteen-year-old girl, who grew up like a normal person." Janti turned his nose slightly upwards but she could tell that he wanted to give in because of how stressed she was, but also didn't because he had to address her correctly.

"That's a losing battle sadly," Gabriel spoke placing a hand on her shoulder. "I've known him since he was in diapers and he still won't drop the prince." Nyline let out a long breath and Janti took that moment to jump into the introduction.

"This is your common room. Pallsana and Omega know where the firewood is stored and can get a fire going for you at any time." She glanced at the girls on the wall again who were just listening to the conversation, their eyes unfocused. "Just like in Gabriel's room, the sliding glass door leads out onto the landing, which you can see the garden from. Pallsana and Omega are going to be living in this room." He walked over to the middle of the three doors and opened it, showing a darkened room inside. "Their items will be delivered a little later while everyone is at dinner." He turned to the large door. "Finally, this is your personal space." He opened the door and bowed.

Taking a deep breath, she walked in to find that this room seemed even bigger than the common area with the huge wooden canopy bed, vanity, dresser, another couch and fireplace. The massive bed had thick light blue velvet curtains that she assumed were to be pulled closed for blocking out the sun or keeping the room warm. All of the wood in the room was matching in a darker wood that had all been polished. The floor was the same white polished wood, but in the middle of the room, and taking up most of the floor was a large soft grey rug. After several seconds of her just looking into her room she turned to Gabriel her face completely blank of emotions.

"This room is bigger than the living room at my old house." She spoke her voice completely dead. Gabriel smiled at her softly as he placed that hand on her lower back again and brought her into the room.

"I know," His voice was still soft, and he held a small little smile on his face, "But listen, these rooms are made specially for royalty and their mates." He took her hand and pulled her into further into the room. Once inside she noticed a large set of double doors that was set into the wall next to the bed. "This door leads to my room. There like this so that we both have space but are still close to each other." he opened the door to show a darkened bedroom that was just as large as hers. "I'm aware that all of this is pretty crazy but listen this is your room not because you're a princess but because you're my mate." He placed a hand on the back of her neck and rubbed his thumb across her cheek. "Even if you'd ended up being a commoner, or a farmer's child, or even someone from the higher society, this would have been your room." She could only let out a breath and look at Janti, who jumped.

"This door leads to your closet. There are several different types of clothing inside." She walked over and opened the door, her face falling. Every inch of the closet was stuffed with fabric and shoes, she wasn't even sure where things ended and began as everything blended together.

"This must have cost a small fortune…. I don't think I've ever owned so much clothing in my life."

"Everything in the closet was donated from the people of Vaccoon." Her face fell further as her heart clenched. "They wanted to express their happiness for Prince Gabriel finding his mate and to welcome you."

"I thought we discussed this?" Gabriel asked sounding slightly annoyed.

"We did and your parents have not released any statements. However, people just started showing up at the gates with gifts. We actually had to stop accepting things because nothing else would fit in the closet." Without missing a beat, he turned and closed the door walking to the only door that they hadn't gone in yet. "This is where your bathroom." One look inside to see a sparkling white tiled bathroom complete with a huge tub, shower, toilet and double sink. "Then as Gabriel has already said, this door leads to his rooms. There is a lock on the knob that is on your side, feel free to lock it until you start feeling at home."

"I'm going to go bathe and change," Gabriel spoke softly as he placed another feather light kiss on her forehead. "I'll see you at dinner, okay?" She could only nod as they walked through the door. As soon as the door clicked into place she dropped, pressing her back up against the closet wall.

Everything weighed down on her shoulder as she pulled her feet up to her chest and rested her head on her knees. A day or so ago, she was a normal student and today she's the princess of the long-lost kingdom, mated to a prince. She let out a long breath. How the hell was she supposed to do this? One shuttering breath in she felt as though the tears were going to break through at any moment.

["What should we do?"] Omega's inner voice spoke sounding confused.

["Not sure… I heard the prince leave. So, that just leaves the princess in there, but I haven't heard anything for a while."] Pallsana paused as Nyline curled herself tighter into a ball on the floor as the tears that she'd been holding back for so long finally broke through and started sliding down her face. ["I'm going to go check on her."] Nyline listened to Pallsana's footsteps as she walked to the open door and knocked twice. "Princess?" Nyline didn't answer as she gripped one of her hands in her hair. "Princess…?"

["What's wrong?"]

["She's sitting on the floor. I think she's crying."] Footsteps approached her and she heard someone sit down next to her on the floor. "Princess, do you need anything right now?" She looked up at the woman, her orange eyes glowing softly.

"Nyline," her voice broke. "Please drop the titles. I'm not a princess, I'm just a normal person, I just…" She took a shuttering breath in and Omega walked over to them sitting next to her. "I can't deal with any of this. People are bowing to me as if I'm important, this room, this place, this kingdom." She sobbed softly. "I just want to go home." She buried her head into her knees again, gripping herself tightly.

["Should we get the prince?"] Omega asked softly.

["I honestly don't know."] Nyline looked up at them.

"I can hear your inner thoughts," She blurted, her hands going to her face. "Every word you two speak to each other I can hear." They both looked at her with their eyes a little wider than before.

"We are aware," Omega spoke softly. Nyline looked at her but not understanding.

"We are not going to simply stop talking to each other just because you can hear us." Pallsana continued and Nyline shook her head, burring her face back into her knees. Her breathing was heavy as she gripped herself tighter. "Listen." Pallsana reached over and squeezed her hand, Nyline jumped and pulled it from her grasp quickly.

"You can't touch me," Her voice was harsher than she meant to and Pallsana's face showed the hurt. Nyline's face fell. "I steal memories," She said shortly as her breathing became heavier. "Any amount of skin contact and I can take anything. So, just, don't." She sobbed as she pulled her hands into her chest and curled tighter into her ball.

"We would like to be here for you," Omega spoke softly.

"I don't need maids," Nyline started to cry harder. "I don't need babysitters who just follow me around constantly. What a pointless job. You two got such amazing positions and yet you're here watching me fall apart."

"We accepted this position." Pallsana spoke her voice steady but Nyline could only shake her head. "We are much happier in this position than we would have been in the guard." Nyline glanced up at her with that, her face turning red and splotchy with her crying.

"She's right," Omega spoke, her voice soft. "Yes, we got high ranking positions, but it would mean that we would never see each other. That was what was expected of us with our high marks, but it wasn't what we wanted. I would have been hauled up down in the medic's section, doing research, surgeries, and I would have never seen the sun."

"I would have been sent on missions outside our boarders constantly," Pallsana spoke quickly, "Putting my life on the line every day, and never knowing when I'd come home or if after this mission, I'd make it home at all. Leaving Omega here all by herself. Then, if I'd die…" Her voice trailed off and Nyline sat up rubbing her face.

"If you die?"

"Mate sickness," Omega finished and Nyline looked between them as she tasted their sadness. They were looking at each other before they looked back at her. "We didn't want that."

["When one mate dies, often the causes the other to go crazy. They both end up dying."] Gabriel spoke softly. ["Are you okay? Should I come over?"] She didn't respond to him but knew that he'd been with her since she started crying. He'd wanted to give her some time to herself so that she could process everything.

"So, we aren't here because Janti appointed us this position. He offered it to us, and we accepted." She stared at them blankly, the tears running freely down her cheeks.

"You two don't even know me." She whispered. They glanced at each other before they both blushed.

["Should we tell her?"] Omega asked.

["God this is embarrassing."] Pallsana let out a long breath. "Janti told us a little bit about you when he was describing the position. He mentioned that you tricked Gabriel's entire scout team."

"Including my sister," Omega snickered.

"And you managed to give them all the slip, plus you jumped out of one of the castle towers trying to get away from Dashiner." Pallsana smiled, her embarrassment fading.

"That only Prince Gabriel was able to catch you, in his daemon form no less." Omega sounded really excited and when Nyline raised her brow she continued. "I mean Prince Gabriel is one of the best of the best. He excels in his scout skills according to sissy, then he is versed in tactics and strategy. He helps out with missions often, even the top generals ask for his input on things that they aren't sure of. "

"He's a pretty fast running in his human form, but his daemon form? God, he can outrun everyone but his parents." Pallsana's face sobered. "What we're trying to say is that you seem like an interesting person, so we accepted." Nyline paused listening to her thoughts.

"This is all because I jumped out of the tower isn't it?" They both broke into wide smiles and she couldn't help but smile back.

"The other aspects are there too," Omega said nodding her head. Nyline couldn't help herself as she laughed softly.

"I still don't want maids," She muttered as she took a breath in as they both stiffened. "I mean, come on, what do you even do with maids anyway?" She looked between them.

"We get things for you, start fires, help with your hair, getting dressed," Pallsana started ticking them off on her fingers.

"Run baths, walk behind you, help you." Omega shrugged but Nyline just shook her head.

"And you two are find with all of that?" They nodded and she let out a breath, one hand going through her hair. "Fine… But I'd rather just have friends than maids."

"If you'd like to see us more as friends than maids, then you can do that. I'm sure Prince Gabriel wouldn't have a problem with that as long as it made you happy."

"I don't." Nyline smiled softly.

"Alright, then let's do that." Nyline rubbed her face.

"Okay up you get," Pallsana went to grab her arm but stopped. "So, would you rather if we just didn't touch you at all or just not your skin. Which would bother you less?" Nyline looked up at her.

"You act like you don't care if I steal your memories." She muttered looking back down at her patch-work bear.

["Do you care?"]] Pallsana looked at Omega.

["I mean what is she going to see?"] She paused.

"Don't you guys have secrets?" Nyline stood and leaned against the wall. "Things you don't want other people knowing? Things that are embarrassing? Things that just the two of you want to keep to yourselves?" They both paused and thought on it.

"Yes, we do. However, with us being your mai- friends, I don't really see a point in limiting either of us." Pallsana shrugged.

"How about this?" Omega spoke softly. "Why don't we just generally not touch your skin because it seems like it bothers you a lot, but in the case that you do end up stealing something. It's just not a huge deal?" Nyline just looked at them with wide eyes.

"How does none of this bother you?" She breathed and they looked at each other again.

"Is that not common?" Pallsana finally spoke.

"No, people are usually afraid of it. It's a daemon skill." Her voice was softer.

"Here in Vaccoon, its not that uncommon for a person to have strong traits that pop up randomly after generations of dormancy. Having rare daemon skills isn't something that is to be feared but celebrated. It means that you are strong." Nyline just looked at them, her heart warming. Her mind went back to when they were on the airship. It had been Damien's scouts that had judged her, not Gabriel's. Then again in the garden, Gabriel's scouts were more concerned about her potential than fearing, unlike Damien's. Then, Gabriel and his scouts, had never really been panicked by the fact that she attracts daemons. Maybe things were just different in Vaccoon?

["They are."] Gabriel spoke softly, ["We are much more accepting of the oddities of a person. We accept powerful people because they are just that. We don't fear daemons, because we are trained on how to fight them, protect ourselves, and defend our home. Plus, our barrier helps us stay safe but none of us ever discount the fact that we might be attacked. It hasn't happened in years, but we teach all our young that it could happen again. Humans, like Damien and his scouts, are just that, humans. They follow the laws that pertain to them, they are not used to the overpowered, the odd skills, or even dealing with daemons. His kingdom is so far south I doubt any of them has even seen a daemon in generations."]

["It's hard to believe that a place like that exists.]" She muttered back.

["It does and you're here."]

"Why don't I draw you a bath?" Pallsana spoke pulling her from what Gabriel was saying. She looked down at herself.

"I think I have a little too much mud on me for a bath." Pallsana looked her up and down.

"Well then, I'll go get the shower going." Omega said before she vanished into the bathroom.

"Do you know what you want to wear to dinner?" Pallsana asked her warm smile reappearing on her face.

"No, and I don't want to go anywhere near the closet." She muttered shaking her head.

"Then, I will find you something."

"Thank you," She paused, "Please nothing pink or frilly." Pallsana nodded before she walked into the black hole that was her closet.

"The shower is ready for you." Omega spoke, reappearing at the door.

"Thank you," She turned to walk into the bathroom but stopped and walked back to the bed, placing the patchwork bear down between the pillows and John's knife on the side table. "Why don't you guys find a couple of things in that closet that you like and change?" Pallsana stuck her head out of the closet and Omega just stopped. "I've never owned so much clothing in my life, I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to wear all of it. Plus," She turned towards the bathroom, "It would be nice if you two weren't in uniforms, just normal people."

"Yes ma'am." They said together and Nyline smiled as she walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She leaned up against it.

["I think that went all right."] Omega spoke sounding excited.

["I would have to agree with you."]

["We got the best job, ever."]

["Oh yeah we did. So much better than the basement."] Pallsana laughed softly and Nyline couldn't help but smile as well.

Her reflection caught her eye and when she turned to look, and she staggered back from the mirror before she rushed at it. Her eyes were green? Green like her mother's or was it her father's but either way she actually looked like their daughter now. A breath left her as she slowly backed up and sat on the lip of the tub. Taking in her now red frizzy hair, creamy white skin, and all of the freckles.

Her mind went completely blank as she continued to just look at herself in the mirror. She had never thought herself ugly before. It had just been that she never felt like she belonged in her bosy. It was wrong from the color of her hair down to her skin, all wrong, but now? She had never felt more like she belonged in the body that she was given.

One hand trailed up her face touching her cheek where they were currently red from her crying. It was weird watching herself in the mirror touch the body that she'd never seen before. It was as if she was a stranger but, no, this was how it was supposed to be.

["Finally found a mirror?"] Gabriel's amused voice broke into the silence of her mind and she couldn't help but touch her hair then her nose.

["I…"] She started but stopped, then shaking her head, she tried again. ["That's actually me…"]

["Yes, that's you."] Gabriel's voice was whisper soft. She couldn't help but laugh as she stood and walked back to the mirror.

["I just can't believe it,"] again she was whispering as if she spoke to loud the magic spell would be broken and she would go back to the mud colored eyes that she couldn't stand looking in. ["I never really hated how I looked, but it was just wrong, and I knew it. Every time I looked into a mirror it was as if I were looking at a stranger, but now? This is me." She paused. "I actually look like my parents now."]

["Yes, you do."] Nyline pulled her mind from the mirror, her mind going back to the comment about her father's eyes.

["Your parents knew mine. I heard them talking when we were getting off the air ship. Your father said I had my dad's eyes…"] She said shortly and when Gabriel didn't answer she continued. ["They knew that my uncle wouldn't be coming with us. They knew that I'd be back. They were talking about something that happened in the past and the prize being in front of them."] She let out a long breath. ["Your mom was worried that I had no scouts, she was upset at Uncle John about it. What do you think all of this means?"]

["I'm not sure. I'll talk to them though. I know you have a lot of questions and I'll try and help you answer them the best I can."] She felt her heart warm at that and knew that his words were true. He wanted to help her and be there for her, he just wasn't really sure how exactly to do that. However, he'd move mountains for her all she had to do was say the word.

["Thank you… for everything."]