Five
I had a deep dreamless sleep. My body feels secure which isn't a feeling I have ever remembered having. I awoke being lifted from the carriage. I felt a light spark rush through my body which prompts me to open my eyes. I reach my hand up and caress Garrik's cheek just like he has done to mine several times over the last twelve hours or so. “Garrik.” escapes my lips with a soft moan. My eyes widen and my cheeks flush pink with embarrassment. Upon noticing that I am awake Garrik chuckles and sets my feet upon the ground. I push away from him trying to ignore the tender moment I had with an elven Prince. Honestly, I am a little scared of who all might have been around to see it. Garrik, grabs my hand waiting to see my response to his home. I lift my eyes to look around. We are in a small private sizes courtyard.
“I decided we would try to sneak in through the back entrance. I am sure my parents know you are here, but I am hoping they will give you some peace until tomorrow.”
The courtyard has floating lanterns streamed over it emitting a soft yellow light. It seemed to set a soft mood. The walls around the courtyard are comprised of individual unique stones like the ones used to pave the road. The walls were covered in vines with red rose like flowers speckled throughout. I could hear the sound of water, but I could not see any in the immediate vicinity. There was no fountain in the courtyard as I expected, and the only other person in attendance was Sir Tomilson.
The steps up to the palace looked to be carved out of the earth like hardened dirt. I know it must be some elven trick, because if it was truly earth they would have slipped away with the rain. We went up the stairs to a giant wooden door set into stone walls. The palace looked as if it had been carved out of a mountain. There were no stones and mortar. It was solid warm rose colored stone. I could hear the night crickets and a few toads in the background. Noises of the night that I am very familiar with growing up in the countryside of Missouri. As Garrik had reminded me before, we are on the same planet of Earth as the Human Realm only in a different layer. That means much of the Elmora is the same, without the damage of rough human hands and our short lived greedy lives. Elves respected nature. There was a tall female elf standing in a doorway with molten red hair. Her eyes were almond shaped and her mouth was small set above a little pointy chin. She had a heart shaped face and looked nothing like my Garrik. She must not be related.
“Well met, Taryn. This is my Lady Vera. Did you prepare her room as requested?”
“Well met, my Prince.” I frowned at her use of my Prince. I want him to be mine, all mine.
“Her room is ready and I took the liberty of setting out a meal for you both. Queen Lyra said that you would dine within your rooms tonight and to give you both peace.” Taryn said with a deep bow.
I may have came across rude, but truth be told I was just scared to say the wrong thing. I shot Taryn a grateful smile over my shoulder as we stepped through the door. She responded with a mischievous grin and a wink. Does that mean she likes me and is my friend or is that some kind of elvish warning?
I had no time to dwell as Prince Garrik lead me up a winding staircase down the hall from the door. It was no doubt a side entrance. I felt a palace such as Tindril would have been better fortified. It didn't make sense for a Prince to have quarters in a tower so close to a door. We must be heading up to my rooms. The stairs like the walls were cut from solid stone. No seams could be seen in them. There was a dark wooden rail that curved along side the stair case. Like the mirror on the boat it was carved with floral scenes along the side. The top of the rail was polished smooth to give you a comfortable place to set your hand as you went up and down. We came to the first floor turned the corner and began climbing one more set of steps.
Upon reaching the second floor Garrik lead me down a wide hallway. One side of the hallway had narrow slit windows. The kind you could barely see out of, but I knew they would let light in during the day making the hall bright. At the end of the hallway was an ornate door. Garrik ushered me through the door on the left into a giant room. It was the size of two of my apartments. In the middle against the wall to my left sat a large canopy bed with sheer white fabric hanging above it and down the sides. One side had the canopy pulled back to make it easier to climb in. There was a light on a small decorative night stand next to the bed. Sitting on the same wall as the door was a vanity with little miniature light lanterns around the mirror. In front of the vanity sat a little stool with a red pillow seat. Across from the bed along a curved wall was a fireplace that has a small fire going in it. There was a stained glass window on one wall. The glass was clear with exception of a single stained glass iris that sprouted through the middle. It was elegant and enchanting. My eyes must have betrayed what I was thinking. I didn't deserve a room like this. Not one iota.
Garrik said, “Do you like it though?”
“It is amazing. I have never seen anything like it.” My hand ran along the mantle of the richly carved fireplace also stone but a darker color than the walls and floor. Next to the fireplace I finally see a seam in the wall. It looked out of place. “What is this?” I asked.
“That is a door, place your hand on it and say 'Open'”
I did as Garrik had said and sure enough the door slid into the wall and opened. I walked into a room that had a table sat in the middle. There was an ornate red and gold round rug on the floor beneath the table that had a meal of roasted chicken and potatoes upon it. My mouth began to water as the smell of food drifted to my senses. Garrik pulled out a chair and gestured for me to take a seat. How could I refuse? Before I dug into my plate the thought of how I didn't deserve any of this crossed my mind once again.
“If at any time you need anything my room is right there," He pointed to a hidden door behind where he sat. It was identical to mine, “this can be your home for as long as you see fit”
I had taken a bite of roasted chicken leg and my mouth was full. I admit my hunger surpassed my ability to be lady like at the time. Garrik stared into me with a slight smile on his face and I nodded that I understood. Once I swallow the massive amount of food I had stuffed into my mouth I asked, “If I decide to go home will I miss out on any time? A month here isn't two years in the Human Realm is it?” I picked up my goblet that had my new favorite elven wine in it. Took a sip as Garrik chuckled in his typical way.
“No, time moves the same here and in all the realms. The reason why humans think it moves differently here is because once here they stop aging. Our realm has a few humans scattered across it from over the years, most stuck here living out immortality alongside the elves. It is the main reason why our realm is so secret. Imagine if all humans knew the secret to immortality was so close yet so far. We allow humans to return to the Human Realm once entering, but if too much time has passed then they must stay. We can't allow them to return and spill our secrets. It would be obvious if a human returned thirty years later and looks the same as they did when they left.”
“Wow, valid point. So, as long as I am here I will be forever thirty?”
“Haha, yes I guess so, but I would like to say you look more like twenty-two than thirty. You always had that gift of looking younger.”
“Another curse I was set with. I will always appear to be the cute little friend not the sexy vixen I can only dream of portraying.”
Garrik sets his eyes on my face intently causing me to betray myself yet again with a fierce warm blush. "I am done trying to tell you that which you can't see, please try to remember I see so much more than a cute little human friend.”
Before I could betray myself once again I asked if the great Palace of Tindril had modern amenities such as a bathroom.
“Since you are sharing the suite next to mine we must also share the bathing room.” He pointed to the wall to my left.
I pushed my chair back and walked to the wall muttering for it to open. Once in the bathroom the door shut behind me. In the middle of the room is a pool, wait not bath? It was warm in the bathroom and a little foggy. I knew the water had to feel like a hot spring. To make things more mesmerizing the water came from a waterfall through an opening in the ceiling. I circled the bath and saw that there was a hole in the wall underneath a window on the other side where all the overflow water fell through. It ran down the side of the tower. That must have been the sound of water I heard outside. It also means that the pool of water in the bathing area was always fresh. Fascinating, and totally something you would expect to see in an elven palace.
Now where in the crazy world is the toilet? I needed to relieve myself as soon as possible. I have no idea how I even made it as long as I had. To the left of the room there is a reed wall that I noticed had an opening at the end. I made my way around it and down a little hallway on the back side to an actual toilet. It looked as if it came straight from the Human Realm. Oh praise whoever. I am so glad I barely noticed that the human toilet appeared to be pure gold. There was a basin of water next to it for washing after wards, but unlike the Human Realm there was no mirror. For as vain as the one elf I know is I found this surprising. I assume it is because there are two mirrors within the actual bed chambers. I exit the bathroom to see Garrik sipping on his wine.
“Did you know you have a pool to bathe in in there, and you only have half a ceiling?”
“I gather you liked it?”
“I have never seen or imagined anything like it in my life. It is beyond description.” Garrik grinned at me and puffed his chest out in pride.
Rather than sitting back down at the table I stood behind my chair. “I wish I could stay awake and explore everything, but all that has happened today has drained me. I hope you don't mind if I head to bed?”
Garrik, pushed his chair out and walked me all six steps to the hidden door to my room.
“Sleep well and as late as you want little Vera, and thank you for allowing me to show you my home.”
“Like I really had a choice.” I was sure to add an awkward wink at the end as I slipped into my room so now Garrik knew that I wasn't holding on to any grudges. I am not sure he got it as he had a perplexed look flash across his face and gave me a curt nod. The door closed behind me.
It was then that I realized I didn't appear to have anything to sleep in. I didn't see any signs of a dresser or closet to look for sleepwear. Instead I pulled my dress over my head and climbed into the warmth of the big comfortable bed wearing nothing. It was as if the room had read my thoughts and the lights began to fade off. On cue my body wasted no time as I drifted back off to sleep. How could I possibly be so tired in a new realm?