The Royal Fae- Astra (book 1)

Fated?

Chapter 3

The present....

He smiles, a smile that’s so beautiful but also filled with amusement at my obvious attempt at hiding under the bed. My panicked state dissipates as a sense of calm envelopes my entire body, my mind clears and all I can think is that I’m home....before I realise what I'm doing I walk up to him and find myself millimetres from his face. His breath hitches and before I can blink, I'm in his arms staring into his sky-blue eyes, I can’t move, I don’t want to move.

Loni’s POV

As she turned to look at me her face and body told me that she was on high alert and scared but as our eyes met, she seemed to calm completely. I almost couldn’t believe that she was the same feisty girl that I fell in love with all those years ago. If anything, she was even more beautiful now, but she seemed so scared. All I can do is look at her, no words seem to be able to come out of my mouth. 

Suddenly she walks towards me and there she is so close I can feel her warmth, I'm struggling to breathe I can’t believe I have finally found her, I can’t handle the distance any longer and I pull her into my embrace and I can feel the years of despair fall away. I know it isn’t going to be easy but she’s home!

Astra’s POV 

I pull away slightly and he looks down at me with a look full of such love that my mind scrambles a little, but I have so many questions and I'm not sure that I can keep them all in. 

He chuckles and I realise that I must be pulling a rather confused face right now.

"I feel like I know you, but I don’t remember meeting you, surely I would remember this feeling!". I'm sure I see hurt flash across is face but it's gone in an instant and he sits me down on the edge of the bed while he kneels in front of me, never taking his eyes away from me for a second. I feel like he can see my soul.

"We met officially when you were just a little girl playing in your garden, you were just so smart and innocent, but I first saw you the night your parents brought you to the house. I knew straight away that you would be special to me but I myself had only lived for 100 years and I didn’t have the knowledge and experience to appreciate and understand what you were or should I say who you would be". 

He paused when a sad distant look took over his face as he caressed my cheek and the look slowly went away. I had been listening to his beautiful voice with such awe, it sounded almost like the wind blowing in the trees. I still felt a million questions bubbling in my brain, but I waited patiently for him to continue.

"One day when we went to find you in the garden to play you were nowhere to be seen but I found the note that you left me and that was the first time I knew what a broken heart felt like, I should have listened to you when you told me something wasn’t right with your parents, maybe I could have stopped them from taking you away". 

His entire body seemed to slump into a great sadness, and I couldn’t help it I knelt down in front of him and hugged him again, he returned the hug like he never wanted to let me go. His eyes seemed to have changed to a softer blue and he placed a loose strand of hair behind my ear, I shivered at is touch.

"Why don’t I remember any of this? 100 years old how is that possible? Why didn’t you call me? My garden? Why was I worried about my parents?"

The dam I was holding up to keep all of the questions in broke and they started to flow quickly out of my mouth.... I put my hands over my mouth in shock and he started laughing. My cheeks burned with embarrassment I was trying so hard not to be rude, but I just had to start asking.

"Is that all you wanted to ask?"

I shook my head "not by a long shot!" He laughed again before calling for someone that seemed to appear from nowhere.

"Lily please bring us some food and drink”.

I sat there staring open mouthed at the beautiful girl stood in front of us. Her almost white hair and grey eyes are beautiful and shes moves with such grace and power. She looked at me with a smile, nodded and walked away. " who was she?!"

"Oh, she’s my second in command and my oldest friend, you know her too or rather knew her"

"She’s beautiful is she your girlfriend" I threw my hands up to my cover my mouth again as my cheeks I'm sure were bright red.

"Is she? Oh, mostly definitely not, I have always and will always be fated to one".

My hands dropped to my lap and he rose from the floor and offered me his hand, he pulled me to my feet and wrapped his arm around my waist as he pulled me into his body.

"Don’t you see?" He implored as his eyes searched mine, but when he didn’t find what he was searching for he stepped back with look of sadness. My emotions were through the roof, I wish I could make him feel better, I had this feeling, this deep need to make him happy. My thoughts were interrupted when moments later the food arrived.

I stood back while he helped set the food on a table that was arranged against the wall looking out of a window I hadn’t even noticed before, I could see trees for miles so many beautiful shades of green. Left alone with my thoughts and the memory of his eyes searching mine I felt more and more like I was missing something from my life, from my memory and no matter what I just couldn’t seem to work out why. 

"Astra please come and sit down and I will endeavour to answer as many of your questions as I can, in the meantime please eat you must be famished" I wasn’t aware until he mentioned it but I really was hungry, with a swift movement he pulled my chair out for me and as I sat I relished at the amazing food on the table in front of us. Without a second thought I started to eat and oh my gosh I wasn’t ready for the mouth-watering food that was pleasing every sense, I groaned with pleasure with every mouthful thank you oh food gods! 

I looked up when I heard him start speaking-

"We thought at first that the reason you stopped remembering was because you grew up, human adults don’t often have the ability to see what's right in front of them but you were different so I personally believe someone has been making you forget there is no way you would have let them. I've always believed that you couldn't possibly be completely human. The fae or fairies live for thousands of years, so a hundred to us is really young and just a child.”. He could see I was looking more and more confused and he smiled at my obviously intrigued facial expressions but carried on.

"We don't use phones although we do now use computers adapted from human technology, but to be honest we didn’t know where you had gone. I've been looking ever since but we always came up with nothing. It was like you had disappeared into nothing. Yes of course your garden under the oak tree, you loved to dance and play with us and you were always drawing, although you never showed me what you were drawing. And yes, you had been telling me for a while that you were worried about your parents, you had said they were whispering and arguing a lot".

He paused when I let out a gasp..."fairies?! My drawings? I'm not human? Oh, I don’t know what is happening. I don’t even know your name!"

"Oh, Astra I'm so sorry in all the excitement I just didn’t think" he stood up and took my hand in his as he bowed and placed a kiss on the back of my hand and introduced himself.

" I am Prince Lonicera, but you always called me Loni and that's what I have gone by ever since"

My hand tingled at his touch; I know that I should be scared right now but I'm far from it and I can only think that it is because of him. 

Standing up I offer my hand again. "I'm Astra, I know you already know that, but I wanted to make sure we were properly introduced”.

"I always said you were my star because when I was lost, I found you and there I found home"...

"Loni" I whispered and stared into his eyes.

Before I could think of anything else, he stepped forward and pulled me to him with one of his arms around my waist. His other hand caressed down my face under my chin before his leaned in and kissed me so softly it was like a soft breeze blowing across my lips. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath the smell of honeysuckle was everywhere, and I let out a small sigh. I bit my lip as I thought about the kiss and slowly opened my eyes. He was still stood centimetres away looking at me he looked at my lips and a noticeable shiver went through his body, his hand went into my hair and rested behind my neck as his mouth found mine. This kiss was so much more, like our lives depended on it. Both of his hands were entwined in my hair as I wrapped my arms around his neck. Every part of us just seemed to fit together and my heart felt so full.

Slowly he pulled away and kissed my head, I looked up to see his beautiful smile and I found myself smiling as well.

"Do you see now?" I looked up at him with confusion.

"You are who I am fated to be with, when you left it was like my heart was ripped in half and I have spent every moment since looking for you for the last 10 years!"

I felt my legs shake before I felt him grab be to stop me falling, I hated that my body was always giving out on me.