The Candle Holder

Nyx

I am on my way to the lunch room to get my fill. As I've already said, nobody can pack as much as this little pixie can. I take a turn to the corner when-

BAM!

I fall down, knocked by the impact. The other fae also falls as well and I blink in confusion but within a second I'm on my feet, my hands on my blades. It takes me a few moments to regain my blurred vision.

It's the Princess. She looks startled.

I relax my grip and take her hands to help her up. She's shorter than I've imagined her.

"Pardon me, your Fairness. I wasn't looking where I was going."

She just stares at me, startled, and then frees herself from my hands and runs on. I blink, confused. What the hell?

I am almost knocked down again, this time by the Prince Tasht.

"Where did she go?" He asks in a demanding voice. His chest is puffed up in anger.

"Um…"

"I am the Lord's son. Answer me."

"There." I point at the opposite direction.

He gives me a suspicious look but runs off anyway.

I stand in the hall, confused. What the hell was that about? Whatever, the quarrel between royals isn't any of my business. My job is to make sure they are safe and sound and to get paid to do so. Then I see the Princess covering in the corner, looking worried.

"He's gone," I say and walk over. "Are you alright?" In reality I don't care all that much but it's polite to ask.

"I am. Thank you."

"Weird way to act around your brother."

"There are weirder things in life."

"So…" I kick a little pebble on the ground with my foot, "What was that about?"

"Oh, nothing. Just… argument between siblings." She looks down as she says that. I don't believe her. There must be something she isn't telling me. I stand, indecisive whether to go eat and mind my own damn business, or to meddle. Curiosity killed the cat, after all, and I always adhered to that.

…But satisfaction brought it back.

"Well, maybe I can help?"

"Nobody can help me."

I look at her. She's holding a letter in her hands.

"Who's the letter from?"

Maybe I'm being too pushy, snooping too much.

She looks a bit frightened. "Oh, from Lord Udvar. He is asking for my hand in marriage, again." Then she looks around. "Care to take a walk with me? I am supposed to have my guards around but I ran away when I saw my brother approach."

"Sure." I shrug. I head down the hall with her. She isn't much taller, but she isn't a pixie either. I wonder if she is a real fae, just weakened by Lapis, or another of my kin… or the human kin. I still haven't managed to figure it out. When a human is brought here, the Seelie flip a coin. They either grow incredibly strong, fed with all the fae dust, or they grow weak, allergic to it. The risk is apparently worth it for the parents who don't want their sickly fae children.

"What's he like? The Lord?" I ask.

"Oh. Apparently dreadfully annoying. But that's not the reason why my brother is so vehemently supportive of our union."

"Then what's the reason?"

Her eyes shine but she doesn't tell me.

I know that something is amiss here, but I can't quite place what. They all seem to keep secrets from me. I assume it's because I am just a low life, a nobody, a guard at the best. A convicted criminal at worst. …Though it's true. The Autumn court and Mothimers have a bounty on my head.

We walk into the gardens.

"Would you mind keeping the guard?" she asks. "My handmaiden Dama usually does, but well, I lost her on the way here."

What a brave maid, and what a naive Princess. Does she really think that girl wouldn't snitch on her if Lord demanded so? However, I shake my head. Not like I have anything better to do.

She walks to the meadow.

I notice Kora as she turns from a tree into her Dryad form and smiles at the Princess. I hide - better to not be seen.

"My love," she whispers to Cybelia and touches her face. Cybelia kisses her hand and smiles.

…So basically, I am here to hold the candle for lovebirds. Lovely. There are about ten thousand other things I could use my free time for.

It's still useful knowledge. And I don't believe that the pen is mightier than the sword, but… And I also don't believe that knowledge is power, but power is power. However, knowledge is still useful in many ways. Sometimes the right knowledge can even stop the knife from slashing your throat.

"And you are sure you are safe now?" Kora asks in a worried voice. I intently listen to them.

"I am not sure," Cybelia whispers back. "Enemies lurk from everywhere."

I don't know what's going on, and I weigh scales in my mind, whether it's worth it to even bother myself with it or not. What business of it is mine? But then again, I guess that the safety reasons do count into the description of my job.

Princess Cybelia probably knows that the harshest enemies are the ones closest to you. I narrow my eyes at Kora who is holding Princess' hand, looking so innocent and worried. I have no idea if she is genuine or faking or something else, but I figure it's the best to keep an eye on her, whether she be an ally or a foe.

An ally? Why do I care about allies? Or Cybelia for that matter? She is a noble lady and of no matter to me. As I said; while I don't plan to raise or participate in any revolutions, it's not like my loyalties lie with the Lords and Ladies either. Or the Seelie Court for that matter. 

I try to hear as much as I can.

"He is really pressing me to marry lord Udvar." Cybelia sighs. 

Kora tightens her grip on Cybelia's little ladylike hands. "I won't let him."

"What would you do, my love?"

"I'd be the one to marry you."

I always knew Kora was some kind of nobility. Since Cybelia is not putting up a fuss about how she can't marry a commoner, I can only deduce that Kora must be of high birth.

"You know that we can't."

"Why not?"

"You would never be accepted back at home, after you ran away."

Oh. Unless she also has the heir to the Leptirae throne in her pocket. I chide myself. Maybe I'm too skeptical for my own good, but nothing good has ever come out of love, and it's not like I've seen it either.

"I love you, Nyx." Yvress whispers to me under the full moon. Her Lunarian eyes shine bright.

"Yvress. Snap out of it."