A Unicorn's Legacy

Chapter 2

     When my brain finally comes back to me, I am deep in the woods. I remember feeling like I wasn’t a part of my body anymore. Looking at the scene from somewhere above us. I saw myself turn and run through the doors I originally came in. I’m not sure how I got into the woods, or even what direction I ran in when I got out of the hall. 

      At this point I wouldn’t even be able to get back home. Not that I really want to.  At least the moon is bright enough so I’m not running face first into any trees. Although the branches and brambles are harder to make out so I keep getting smacked and scratched by them. 

     My feet feel like they have hot pokers touching them on the heels and toes. The downfall to walking for hours in new shoes. I see a fallen tree nearby. I sit down long enough to take off my shoes and stockings. My feet have blisters everywhere my shoes were rubbing. Taking off my stockings was almost as painful as taking off my boots. Some of the blisters have popped and the stockings were sticking to them. 

     I groan in relief when my feet are finally free. Don’t get me wrong, they still hurt like hell, but the cool night air lessens the pain. I get up from the tree. The urge to get going is stronger than ever. I just leave the boots where I took them off. No sense in wasting energy trying to carry them. My belly has been making noises non-stop for some time now. 

     I have eaten things here and there as I stumble upon them in the dark. I’m glad my uncle taught me what is safe to eat in the wilderness. I keep thinking back to how the day progressed. Everything had seemed so normal until that woman in the dress shop. I can’t get her words out of my head. Afraid of my destiny? Apparently my destiny is getting lost in the woods and starving to death. 

     As I shake my head at that thought, I notice the light seems to be changing, the forest getting thinner. Before I know it, I’m in a clearing. It seems to go on forever. I see the sky starting to brighten. Have I been walking all night? No wonder I’m exhausted. I gather my thoughts together and look around. 

     Is that a house I see in the distance? I must be hallucinating. My tired brain must be making it up. Right? My legs seem to be drawn to the house. Before I can realize what’s going on, I’m a lot closer to the house. No, not a house. A mansion. How did such a large structure get way out here? It looks weathered but kept up. Does someone live here? 

     The sun is trying to peek through the trees as I climb the steps to the porch. I hesitate a second before I knock on the door lightly. If someone does live here I don’t want to wake them up this early. The door opens slightly from my knocks, even though I barely touched the door. “Hello?” I say quietly into the silence of the house. No answer. Before I know it I’m stepping through the threshold and into the house. As soon as I am through the door, darkness overtakes me.

Alexander's POV

     I didn’t have my eyes closed for very long when I hear a thump from somewhere in my house. Then the sensation of a presence. Who the hell dares to enter my sanctuary? I angrily get up, not appreciating the disturbance. As I’m heading down the hallway towards the stairs, I hear this ungodly cacophony coming from the entryway. Before I can get to the top of the stairs, the smell hits me like a hard slap in the face. A mixture of vanilla, the outdoors …and blood. s**t. ‘IT’S HER!’ My mind screams. It can’t be, I reason with myself, as I rush to the stairs.

     I reach the landing, looking down to the first floor and stop dead in my tracks. The whole scene doesn’t even look real to me. The door is partially open, letting in the early morning sun. I should probably be concerned about this fact, but my gaze is immediately drawn to the tiny figure laying on my floor. Snoring. Very loudly. 

     She has cuts and scrapes all over her, the dress she is wearing shows peeks of skin everywhere. I’m not sure where her shoes have gone, but judging by the blisters on her tiny feet, they aren’t far. Her hair is a wild mess of curls. Dirt, leaves, small sticks and other unidentifiable stuff cover her from head to toe.

     The burning of my eyes finally snaps me out of my thoughts. I get down the stairs and get the door closed in a flash. Being careful to stay away from the direct sunlight. Once the door is shut, I breathe a sigh of relief. Now I can focus on her. Now that I’m closer, I think the other sound I hear over the snoring is coming from her stomach. 

     I have never heard such sounds coming from something so small. Aside from werewolves that is. I scoop her carefully into my arms and carry her up the stairs to my room. I set her gently on my king sized bed. I get a bath running for her as I try to take off her clothes without hurting or waking her. I end up just cutting her dress off to make it quick. I leave her bra and underwear on her for now. I can clean her up with them on. 

     I carry her to the bath and step in with her still in my arms. I sit down in the tub with her on my lap. She whimpers as her wounds touch the water, curling into me as I tighten my grip on her. At least she’s not snoring anymore, and the other sound has died down to a low grumbling. I take a soft cloth and gently wash her until she is clean. 

     I look at her body as I go, checking to make sure her wounds are superficial. Her knee is a little swollen and scraped up good, but I don’t think it’s anything too serious. I grab the shampoo and get her hair free of the things stuck in it. When she is finally clean, I step out of the bath with her. I grab a huge thick towel on the counter as I walk by. She is wrapped in it before I get to the bed with her. 

     I still have first aid supplies around from when I was human. I hope they are still good. I check the cabinet for the box with the red cross on it. There it is, way in the back, on the bottom. I take out the box and open it. Everything is exactly the way I left it. I haven’t used this in so long. I take out the antiseptic and sniff it. Smells the same as it did 50 years ago. Yuck. 

     I put some of it on a cotton ball and gently swipe over her cuts and scrapes. Thankfully none of them are deep. I try not to think of how soft and warm her skin is, as I bandage her blisters so they heal better. Once I’m satisfied she won’t get any infection, I go to my closet and grab a nightgown. 

     I get it laid out beside her on the bed, then lift her carefully onto it, hoping she doesn’t wake up. I get it around her and all buttoned up. Then reach up it to take her wet undergarments off. I’m sure she’ll rest better without them on. Sure, keep on telling yourself that buddy. I cover her with a blanket. She curls up into a ball with a sigh. Soon after she is snoring again. She looks so small on my huge bed. 

     I take all her clothes down to the fireplace and burn them, I’ll get her new ones as soon as I can go out. I sit in a chair by the fireplace, lost in thought. What am I going to feed her? It’s been so long since I have had to make food, I’m not sure I remember how. I don’t even know what she likes. I wonder how she ended up here. Now that she’s here, will she stay? I can still hear her snoring. I shake my head in wonder. There is nothing I can do until sundown.

Isabelle's POV

     I’m enveloped in softness. I feel like I’m on a cloud. Am I dead? Maybe not, I don’t think the dead feel pain. I hurt everywhere. My belly makes an angry sound at that thought. I groan. Yup, not dead. Even Satan can’t be that cruel. I don’t want to leave the warm cocoon I find myself in. A growl loud enough to wake the dead erupts from my mid-section. Poop. 

     I open an eye. I don’t recognize anything. I shoot upright, the blanket dropping down to my waist. The room is bathed in a soft light. I look around, trying to take everything in. You never know what will happen and what you’ll have to try and remember later. What if a serial killer lives here and I escape to the police. I’ll need to recall details of where I am. 

     I spot a tray of food, at the same time my nose recognizes the smell of roasted pheasant. My mouth starts to water. What if it’s poisoned? My belly protests again. Ok, ok. I take the blanket off me, then look down. I totally forget about eating for a few seconds, as I try to get my brain to accept that I am not wearing the dress I remember being in. The noise that erupts from deep within my being echoes off the walls. That snaps me back to reality quickly. I crawl to the edge of the enormous bed I am in the center of and nimbly jump to the floor. 

     The food smells amazing, but I’m about to pee myself, so, bathroom first. I leave the door between the bathroom and the bedroom open while I relieve myself. I don’t need some weirdo sneaking up on me. No one comes in though. I get back to the tray of food as quick as I can. There is a chair at the desk that the tray food is on. I pull out the chair and plop my butt into it.

    The pheasant is cooked to perfection. It’s gone before I know it. Now that the beast has been fed, it’s time to explore. I head to the bathroom to wash up. I wish there was a mirror. Probably better without one though, given the wildness of my hair. If I don’t know it looks like a mess, I don’t get self conscious about it. The only other door that was open looks like it goes into a walk-in wardrobe. Wow, this is huge! One side is lined with suit jackets and pants. All hanging perfectly in a row, sorted by color. It looked like a rainbow but with white, brown and black. 

     The other side has shirts. Hanging the same, only this side is a literal rainbow, except pink. There are shelves and drawers under the shirts with even more clothes. All folded neat and perfectly lined up. I know the drawers are like that too because I looked in them. Well, only a few. Once I opened the one with undergarments, I got embarrassed and stopped looking.  

     The odd part of the whole room, I say room because it has so much space you can walk around in it, is a rack of dresses in the middle, shoes line the bottom. It looks out of place, like it’s a recent addition. That and the small set of drawers at the end of the rack. I look in these drawers. There I find ladies undergarments. Is it weird that it looks as though it is all my size? Everything in the middle looks and smells brand new. 

     I want to try on some of the clothes. They look so soft. Most of the fabrics feel like a very expensive silk. I feel like they were put here just for me. Wait. That can’t be right. Can it? I finally give in to the urge to try something on. I can’t exactly go exploring the house in a nightgown that I have to gather up because it must belong to a giant. 

     I smile to myself at that thought. I pick out a light brown dress with minimal undergarments. I find most of them to be too restrictive for as much as I like to move. Thankfully there is a privacy screen at the rear of the wardrobe. I step behind it and get changed as quick as I can. The clothes fit as if they were made for me. Somehow, I’m not surprised.

     Barefoot and dressed, I am ready to find out who lives here. First stop, the desk I ate the pheasant at. The drawers are all locked tight. Poop. Oh well. There is nothing else of interest in this room. Onward and outward! I open the only other door in the room. Peeking my head out, I see a hallway. I find myself at the end of it. Hmmm, interesting. I open the door fully and step through the threshold. Instead of seeing what is behind the doors in the hallway, I feel the need to reach the part of it that seems to open up. There is a soft oddly colored glow coming from the area. 

     The view from the top of the stairs is breathtaking. There is a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It has what seems like a hundred tiny lights and little crystals that together, are creating a million sparkling rainbows over everything. I have never seen anything like it. I am absolutely mesmerized. I have no idea how long I stood there looking at the colorful display. When I finally came back to the present, I looked beyond the rainbows to see 2 staircases curving down to the first floor. Straight ahead is the front door. There is a sliding door off to the right and a set of double doors to the left. 

     As I descend the stairs to the right, I notice a door under the opposite staircase. I try the sliding door first. It leads to a huge parlor. The curtains to the enormous windows are pulled aside to reveal that it’s dark outside. Did I sleep all day? Lights glow dimly from the walls. Two chairs are near a fireplace so large, I could stand in it. A couch and more chairs create a circle around a spacious, but short table. There is a pool table further into the room, with even more chairs around that. I walk closer to the fireplace. There are ashes and a smell that tells me it was used recently.   

     There’s not much else significant in the room. I’m just about to turn and check out more of the place when I feel them again. The eyes are back. I try not to react. No sudden movements. This is the first time I have experienced this in a closed space. I try to look around casually as I turn towards the door. There is no one in sight. No change in the room except the feeling. “Hello?” I say quietly. “Is someone there?” No answer. No movement. For an unknown reason, I still don’t feel afraid or anxious. I was always appropriately scared hearing ghost stories, or when Tilly would sneak up on me. Is it weird that I don’t feel that now? Instead of dwelling on it, I head for the door. 

     As I step through, the sensation vanishes. I instantly feel…… regretful? Like a part of me is missing. I almost step back into the room, just to feel it again. No! You are not going to be a weirdo, my inner voice tells me. I continue my journey to the other side of the foyer. Curiosity directing my actions. Getting bolder, I open both doors at the same time like I’m making a grand entrance into the next room. I giggle to myself. That was fun. 

     This room, just like the parlor, is bathed in soft light emanating from fixtures on the walls. In front of me is the biggest table I have ever seen. It comes up to just under my chest and spans almost the length of the room. It has to be more than 5 ft wide. I bet I can fit laying across it. The chairs surrounding it are huge too, as if they were made for giants. Who lives here? 

     I check out the cabinets lining one wall. They all look to be full of fine dinnerware. Plates of all sizes and cups are in the top. Silverware is in top drawers. There are every type of spoon, fork and knife. The lower drawers have tablecloths, placemats and napkins, folded so neat and precise that I don’t know how any human could accomplish it. There are 2 doors at the end of the room. I wonder where they go? Only one way to find out. I choose the one on the right.

     When I open the door, see a dark hallway in front of me. As I step through the door, I heard a noise to my right. The hallway opens up a few feet away. There is a dim light coming from the area. I head that way to see where the sound is coming from. Maybe I'll finally meet the person who lives here.

     As I step into the open space, I realize I'm in the biggest kitchen I have ever seen. I stay quiet as I look around, hoping to see where the noise came from. Nothing, it’s so quiet it’s deafening. The appliances look metallic, the countertops marble and the cupboards are made out of wood, but the intricate designs on them look expensive. The island in the middle of the room has a large sink recessed in it. Pots and pans hang over the island. The effect is just as awe inspiring as the rest of the mansion so far. 

     There looks to be a hallway to my left, but that too is dark, so I'll pass this time. They say curiosity killed the cat, so I am thankful I’m not a cat, but I'm not going to push my luck. I turned around to go back the way I came, and see the hallway seems to go on forever. The door I came through is still open, but there are no changes in the dining room, so I continue on. A few feet after the second dining room door, I find another door. 

     I go through this one and find myself back in the foyer. So this is where the door under the stairs goes. There is a door across from me in the other stairs. I head through this one and find myself back in the same hallway as before. Are mansions usually labyrinths? There is more hallway to explore. As I get close to the end, I see another corridor. There is a strange glowing, wiggling light, further down this new hallway. I pass by two doors to the right, drawn to the display ahead of me. 

     The sight that greets me when I get to the light, stuns me. I open the glass double doors to the smell of water. The biggest pool I have ever laid my eyes on takes up most of the room. It looks to be over 100 ft long. The large floor to ceiling windows are letting in moonlight, that is reflecting off the water. The dancing light is spectacular to behold. I see a deck outside, at the end of the room. There is something oval in the center of it. I’ll check it out later. 

     I go to the edge and kneel down to touch the water. Oh, it’s warm. I’d love to go swimming, but now is not the time. With a sigh, I go back through the glass doors to the hallway. There is a third door across the hall. I head to it and open it. I think my heart stopped for a millisecond. Oh my. I take a few steps into the open space I now find myself in. 

     I can’t find the words to describe the grandeur trying to penetrate my brain. One word finally gets through. Ballroom. I’m pretty sure Tilly’s whole house could fit into this one space. The ceiling is domed, three stories up. Multiple chandeliers hang down, far enough to light up the floor dimly. Large pillars hold up the two walkways along the length of the walls. The walkways continue around to the right of me, rounding the corners to meet in a balcony. A massive staircase goes from the balcony to the floor. Now I’m really curious as to who lives here. 

     After dancing around the ballroom for quite some time, my insides let me know it’s time to eat. I laugh quietly when the sound echoes. Retracing my steps through the hallway, I find my way back to the kitchen. I wonder if there is anything to eat, or if anyone minds if I grab a bite or two. As I get closer to the counter, I see the same tray that had the pheasant on it. Only this time it has a stacked sandwich, cut in half, and a large glass of milk. I wonder who it’s for?

     I debated whether I should eat it or try to find something else when the smell hit me. Pastrami. It feels like my stomach tried to jump out of my body to eat the sandwich as it hollers at me so loud, it hurts my ears. As I get closer to it, I can see the rye bread is toasted to perfection, mustard can be seen between the bread and the meat. Oh, dear lord. My mouth is watering so bad I can barely keep up by swallowing. I grab the tray and head for the parlor.

     Upon entering the parlor, I notice a fire crackling happily in the fireplace. The sense of someone watching me doesn’t come back when I enter. It’s warmer here than the rest of the house. Like the fire has been going for a little while. I set the tray down on a small table between the chairs in front of the fireplace. As I sit the beast sounds off again. Ok, ok, I’ll feed you. Holy poop. I dig in to the delicious food. It was gone in minutes. I finish everything off with the glass of milk.  I flop back with a contented sigh. I hope I meet whoever lives here soon. Before I know it, sleep has overtaken me. I dream of a cold touch and a snug embrace that makes me feel complete.

Alexander's POV

     Once the sun went behind the trees, I leave the house. I am headed to my taylor, Marcus. He'll be able to make the clothing I'm looking for. The amount isn't an issue. He works fast. I find his cabin and connected workshop at the edge of a nearby town. 

     I walk into the shop and find him surrounded in white silk and tulle. "Got another wedding dress to create?" I ask him with humor in my voice. "Women with more money than brains, make my job hell." He jokes back. Poor guy makes dresses for women who change their minds more than there are fish in the sea.

     "I have work for you," I state. He raises his eyebrows, an unspoken question between us. "It's her," is all I have to say. He looks up sharply. "Are you sure?" His eyes probing mine to see if there is any doubt. "It has to be." I say. "She made it all the way on her own. In the dark." At his sceptical look, I add, "I felt her presence as soon as she was in the door. By the time I got to the stairs, she was already passed out on the floor."

     He looks at me incredulously, "she went in," he pauses, "alone?" I nod my head solemnly. "I can't quite believe it either." I say. "I'm not sure what to do with her. I don't think she even knows anything yet." He shakes his head as he says, "this complicates things." That is the understatement of the century.

     I bought all the dresses Marcus could make for her in the time it took me to shop for shoes and undergarments. I also made a stop to get a rack and drawers to put the clothes in. I got it all back and set up before she awoke.

     As I finished in the closet, her belly was starting to grumble and there was no food anywhere in the house. I caught a pheasant in the field outside. I got it cooked and was just setting the tray down on the desk, when her belly made a noise that jumped me with how loud it was. I left the room before she woke up. It was time to get actual food for her. 

     I head home after getting food, I got a good variety. I hope she ate and liked the pheasant. I see her in the parlor as I approach the house. I also see she found and is wearing the clothing I got for her. She looks around like she can sense me staring at her. She doesn't seem afraid though. I watch as she leaves the room. So she won't know I'm here, I'll go in through the pool room. 

     I get to the kitchen quickly. Putting the groceries away as quietly as possible. I barely hear the dining room door open. I get to the servant quarters hallway just as she is stepping through the doorway. I rushed to the end and stood there frozen. Please don't explore over here.

     I breathe a sigh of relief as she walks away. Oh, that was close. She moves quietly for a human. All I heard was the slight ruffle of her dress as she moved. Usually I can hear footsteps, or if the person is scared, heartbeats. With her, I didn’t hear either. I have to be more careful. I head to the parlor to get a fire started. Even though it’s summer, it stays cool in the house because I keep the curtains closed during the day. I don’t want her to get chilled. 

     I head upstairs to the bedroom. I want to see if she ate the pheasant. I find just bones laying on the tray. Wow, I guess she was hungry. I go back to the kitchen with the tray to make something for her to eat. I hear her giggling in the ballroom as I walk by the doors. Her laugh is like a massage to my tortured soul. Soothing the anguish I’ve endured for so long. She deserves to be treated like a queen. I am going to do my best to make sure she has everything she could ever want or need. I hope she’ll want to stay. 

     I end up making her a toasted pastrami on rye, with a little mustard. It’s a good sized sandwich, so I cut it in half to make it easier for her to handle. I put it on the freshly washed tray. I also get out a big glass and grab the milk. I’m sure she’ll be thirsty. I put that on the tray too. I leave it on the counter for her to find. The kitchen is a good place to start if you’re hungry. Now it’s time to get to work.

     I head into the office through a hidden door in the parlor. I have a lot of calls to make and papers to go over. I’m not sure how long I’m working, when I hear a sound that is starting to become familiar. Did she find the food I made her? Oh, I didn’t even think she might not eat it if she didn’t know it was for her. Damn. Not much I can do with her in the parlor. I continue working for a little bit more, when I hear another sound that is becoming familiar. I chuckle to myself at how loud she is snoring. I guess I can leave the office now.

     I see her sleeping in a chair by the fireplace. She is curled up in a ball. The empty tray beside her.  I almost don’t want to pick her up, she looks so peaceful. I know how uncomfortable sleeping in a chair is though, so I pick her up to bring her to bed. As soon as she’s in my arms, she snuggles into my chest with a sigh. Her snoring stops completely. I tighten my arms around her a little. 

     Good lord is she beautiful. She is absolutely perfect. I gently laid her down on the bed, curling up with her. Her scent is addictive. I could spend the rest of my existence just smelling her. I lay with her for quite some time, until I just can’t take it anymore. She smells so good I want to bite her and drink her blood. The sensation almost drives me to do it without her consent.

     It takes all of my willpower to get up from the bed and leave the room. I must resist, she is our future queen. In time I will reveal to her the truth. I hope she will want to marry me, I want to stay by her side forever. Even if she doesn’t want to marry me, I’ll protect her with my life and serve my queen to the best of my ability. 

     For now though, I have work to do. There are a lot of clans and groups of creatures to get a hold of. Meetings need to be set up to discuss what her arrival means for our future. I know there are going to be skeptics. It’s my job now, to convince them she is the one we have been waiting for. 

     I have already made arrangements for two of my most trusted employees to come here to take care of her day to day needs. I’ll need to leave for a bit to personally meet with some werewolf clans and the King of Fairies to ensure their cooperation. I hope Isabelle stays until I come back. Maybe I’ll write her a note before I leave to explain some things. For some strange reason I’m afraid to have her know who I am yet.