The She-Wolf in Fae Clothes

Chapter 4

As the golden light from the candles bathed Melody and Lirael's skin, she finally felt herself breathe again. Turns out holding in all that tension made her stomach start twisting in knots, making her appetite vanish. She had wanted to join Lirael in the dining hall after their little meeting in the garden, but with the lycan king surprising her there she had lost the will and want to.

"Are you feeling alright, Mel?" Lirael's free hand lifted to feel her forehead, eyes filled with worry for her. She half wondered if everytime she met with the werewolf she lost a couple years of her life from fear, but nevertheless, she was a princess. Composure and keeping her cool needed to be her specialty. Gently swatting her fiance's hand from her face, she smiled weakly at him,

"I'm fine, you worry too much. That lycan king just gets me all tense, you know. He says some strange things, for a king." Musing to herself in her thoughts, she wondered why he was so adamant about her being a werewolf. Did she really resemble that she-wolf his kingdom loved? Perhaps doing some research wouldn't hurt, after all, knowing more about their neighbors and allies would benefit her in general. As they continued to absently roam the halls of the palace, the two kept a quiet silence between them. Somewhat concerned for her safety, Melody wished she could sleep closer to Lirael rather than having to return home to her family's castle.

Before she knew it, they were back at the front entrance of the palace. Her grip tightening on Lirael's hand, she looked up to him and studied his features. His eyes looked cloudy, as if he was lost in thought about something else. It was only when Melody released his hand did Lirael snap back to reality and look down to his little fiance. He smiled and cupped her cheek in a hand, gently brushing his thumb over her skin.

"Is it time?" He mumbled, his silver hair messy as his eyes became saddened by the thought of Melody leaving. Nodding, the two shared another long, tense stare with the thoughts of what they wanted to say to each other filled the space painfully. It would only be a year now until the wedding, she only need hold out another year before they could say all their thoughts aloud without fear of judgement. Lirael's grip on her cheek tightened ever so slightly, and he sighed as he released her. Bowing to the fae princess, a smile was on his face again as he put on his princely front once more.

"Have a wonderful night, my beloved. Please stay safe and get rest once you're home."

Melody curtsied and turned to walk out of the palace, resisting the urge to look back at Lirael. Taking a deep breath, she thanked the guards as they pushed the doors open for her. Her heels clacked coldly against the stone steps, her hands clasped at waist level somewhat tightly. Pursing her lips, she was so lost thinking about Lirael she didn't notice the carriage she was stepping into wasn't being driven by her normal driver. It didn't help that Oberon seemed to be rushing her, he usually let her go at her own pace and treated her like a lady. Annoyed slightly, she took her seat with a huff and started removing her hair pieces and earrings. As beautiful as they were, they were absolutely a pain to wear for hours on end.

"My lady, may I have a w-"

"Oberon, I hope you have a good reason for practically shoving me inside the carriage. You know we have no other events scheduled today, what's the rush?"

As she turned to look at him in the door, she saw the fear in his eyes as he was suddenly pulled away and the door slammed shut, with the click of the lock reaching Melody's ears. That cold, choking fear gripped her body again- worse than before. Standing up, she started trying to jiggle the handle to get out of the carriage. Laughing nervously, she spoke loudly,

"Very funny, Oberon! You got me! You can unlock the door now!"

No answer.

Jiggling it more, no luck. Pushing? No luck. Kicking her heels off, she now sat on the carriage's seat and reared her legs back to attempt kicking the door open. As if knowing her thoughts, the driver suddenly began taking them away, the force of it moving so hard so fast forcing her to fall onto the floor with a thud. Gasping in pain after landing on her heels and jewelry, she grunted and sat up slowly. Moving the curtains out of the way, she watched as the palace faded from view and they headed in the opposite direction of her home.

"Lirael! Lirael!" She began to scream, knowing that he could not hear her. Tears pricked her eyes and she continued to bang on the door,

"Stop! Please! I don't want this! Why are you taking me? Please! My family is waiting for me! Stop the carriage!"

It was as if her cries fell on the ears of the dead, no reaction, no laughing, nothing. Just the ever increasing pace of the horses pulling the carriage. Straining to catch some kind of peek of the driver, Melody felt her heart beat faster and her breath become ragged as hyperventilation began. Laying on the floor, she gripped the fabric above her heart as she attempted to breathe in slowly, and out just as slow. Eyes struggling to focus on the ceiling, she clenched her teeth and tried to think of other things- like Lirael. Or her nanny- even Oberon. But... how could she? With the knowledge she was being taken far from them, how could she remain calm? She didn't understand why this was happening. Surely no fae would do this... She just wanted to go home. No use in trying to calm down, her breathing just became more erratic and tears began to stream down her face as the fear continued to sink further and further inside. Gasping for air, her body felt light yet crushed by the icy fear of anticipation. Hands trembling, Melody continued to try to get the door open as the erratic breathing started to cause her to lose consciousness. The last thing she saw as she continued clawing and grasping at the door was the outside world suddenly becoming overturned and the sound of horses whining in fear with the crunching and cracking of wood.