The Dragon Prince

Restoration

The next two days went by fairly quickly. Physical training with Ash was going well, though he only had me doing half of what the others were doing so I could work on my stamina and build up to the full exercises. I was starting to do better, which, according to him, was due in part to my Fae strength starting to emerge. He said that with time my sight and hearing would catch up too along with my physical progress.

Training with Tifa on the other hand, was at a standstill. After my outburst outside the village, I couldn’t seem to access the well of power again. Desdemona had an enormous part of the dungeon sectioned off and cleaned up by the servants just in case I lost control again, but that didn’t seem like it was going to happen again anytime soon, even with Tifa’s coaching and constant support. 

It was now the day before the ball, and I was growing exceedingly frustrated and anxious. I hadn’t heard anything else about my parents or their well-being and I knew that being able to control my powers would come in handy if I were going to eventually save them, if they even needed saving. 

“Let’s take a break.” Tifa’s voice drew me out of my thoughts, her concerned eyes directly in front of my own. We’d grown close since our initial meeting, spending nearly every second together. She was chaotic and unpredictable, but the princess was fun to be around and I was becoming increasingly attached to her. 

“For what?! We’re not even making any progress. I can’t even feel my magic!” I cried in frustration, slamming my fists to the ground.

“You may have just expended your energy the other day, Arya. It might need time to replenish. We don’t know how your magic works yet.” She reminded me for the hundredth time since we’d started. 

“I know, I know it’s just so frustrating.” I ran a hand down my face, wiping off the sweat that had gathered on my brow. 

“Look, why don’t we call it quits for today. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.” She suggested, shrugging her shoulders.

“Right, the ball.” I sighed, lifting my aching body from the ground. We’d been sitting for what felt like hours and my legs were dead asleep, causing me to stumble. Tifa reached out and caught me with a giggle. 

“Who knows, maybe Ash will be the reason you can’t walk tomorrow night.” I gasped at her words, elbowing her in the stomach.

“You’re awful, you know that?” I grumbled at her, a blush forming on my face. 

“Sure do, just call me Princess Awful.”

“Well okay Princess Awful, can you help my lame self to my room? I’m weak and frail.” I teased, giving her a pout. 

She rolled her eyes at me, giving me a shove. 

“Come on then, wouldn’t want your ass falling in the hallway and a Fae prince showing up to rescue you in my place.”

She put an arm around me, leading me back to my room at an agonizingly slow rate as the blood made its way back into my legs with a painful tingle. As we made it to my door, we noticed that it was standing slightly ajar. Giving each other a wary look, we pushed it open to find Ash standing by the window, gazing out over the village around the court. 

“I’ll uh… leave you here.” Tifa said, throwing me a strange look before giving me a tight hug and heading back out the door. 

Ash still hadn’t turned to acknowledge my presence, so I marched up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to me, his eyes slightly glazed over, before shaking his head and coming back to the present. 

“Oh Arya, Hi.”

“Hi yourself.” I said, slightly amused.

“I’ve brought your dress.” He continued, gesturing towards the burlap sack on the bed. “No one opened it, just in case the warning from Anansi held any meaning. You never know in Faerie.” He rolled his eyes, his lips twitching up into a smile. 

“Oh good, wouldn’t want to be cursed or anything.” I smiled back, only half joking. He stood there for a moment, fidgeting with his hands. “Is there anything else, or are you just a delivery boy today?” I asked, playfully poking a finger at his large chest.

“I um… I was wondering if you’d like to be my date for the ball.” I sucked in a gasp at his words. I hadn’t considered needing a date for the ball, so it had never crossed my mind that Ash would ask. My stomach fluttered, the butterflies inside swirling in a panic as I looked up into his handsome face. 

“Oh, uh… sure.” I muttered, unable to meet his gaze for fear of him seeing the blush overtaking my face. 

“Sure?” He raised a brow at me, grabbing my chin and turning my face to look him in the eyes. 

“Yes, Ash. I’ll go to the ball with you.” I said more confidently this time, painfully aware my face was cherry red by this point.

Ash raised his other hand to cup my face, leaning down to place a tender kiss on my lips before pulling away. His golden eyes swirling with longing.

“I’ll be here to escort you down at six.” He said, before dropping his hands and heading for the door. 

********

I woke early the next morning, thoughts of Ash and Aideon swirling around me, taunting me. I had no idea what was going on between Ash and I, but I didn’t mind it. He was extremely handsome and sweet, if a bit overprotective at times. I was happy to be going to the ball with him for the most part, if it weren’t for the fact that the Ice Courts prince would also be attending the very same event. 

I didn’t know how I felt about Aideon, but I knew I was excited to see him again. I needed to corner him to ask more about my parents, but with Ash hovering around I wasn’t sure if I’d get the chance. With how much he hated the prince, I knew he’d be keeping a close eye on our proximity the whole time. 

My door burst open suddenly, causing me to jerk out of bed, my eyes wild. 

“Get up sleepy head, we need to start getting ready!” Tifa half shouted, my head pounding at the sheer volume of her voice. 

“Tifa what the hell, it’s still early.” I groaned, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at her. 

“It’s two in the afternoon, it’s not early!” She scowled, throwing the pillow off the floor and tossing it back onto the bed.

“I never know what freaking time it is here, it’s always dark.” I huffed, mournfully climbing my way out of the bed with a pout. 

She shrugged, sliding a hand around my waist. “You get used to it. Come on, I have a surprise!” 

Tugging me out into the hall, me still in my nightgown, she led me down the maze of corridors until we reached the entrance into a grand bathroom. By bathroom, I mean an enormous room filled with pools of crystalline water. Servants were waiting for us beside plush chairs lined with towels, various pots of nail polish and scary looking liquids filling the trays beside them. 

I openly gaped at the scene, turning my look on Tifa who was wearing the widest grin I’d ever seen. 

“Prepare to be pampered, princess style.” She laughed, before situating herself in one of the chairs. I followed behind her, still in shock at the elaborate setup. 

The servants quickly jumped into action, covering my eyes with a towel as they went to work. After removing my gown, they proceeded to remove the hair from my body, being careful not to knick my exposed skin. They then scrubbed us both down in what I figured was something akin to a sugar scrub, exfoliating our skin and leaving us smelling of peaches and brown sugar. Our nails were painted with clear coating to make them glossy, and our hair was washed and towel dried, before being brushed and left to finish air drying. 

When they were finished, we were left to relax in the chairs for a while until Tifa decided it was time to get dressed. Tugging me up out of my chair, she handed me a robe to put on and we headed back to my room. 

“Being a princess definitely has its perks.” She winked, before opening my door and letting herself in. “I had them deliver my dress and essentials to your room so we could get ready together.” She gestured to the bed and vanity, which were now covered in burlap and even more pots of makeup and jewelry. 

 “How many essentials do you have, Tif?!” 

She ran a hand through her curls, giving me a mischievous smile. 

“Oh, you know, not enough.” With a laugh, she gestured for me to grab my burlap bag. “We’re running low on time. Go get dressed, then we’ll tame that mane of yours.” 

Snatching up the bag with a huff, I padded my way into the bathroom. I was excited to see what exactly Anansi had given us, especially considering she hadn’t known we were coming or checked our measurements. 

Stepping out of the robe I’d been given, I lifted up the burlap sack. I grabbed the drawstrings, gently tugging it open. I reached in carefully, my hand coming in contact with fabric so soft it felt as though I were touching a cloud. 

My eyes widened as I pulled out the luxurious dress, its black fabric seeming to suck at the light around it, it was so dark. I slipped the fabric over my skin, marveling at how it seemed to fit me like a glove. It was a mermaid style gown, the lower half of the train flaring out at the edges and giving me room to move my legs freely. 

Looking in the mirror, I sucked in a breath as I noticed the flashes of light swirling around in its inky depths, a perfect replica of the ball of power I’d created a few days before. 

Peeling myself away from my reflection, I made my way back into the bedroom to find Tifa in a similarly magical gown. Hers was reminiscent of a glowing red flame, sparks dancing within the fabric as though it were alive. 

We stared at each other for a moment, transfixed with the marvelous work the seamstress had done, then burst out into a chorus of laughter.

“Damn girl, we look good.” Tifa managed to get out between chuckles. “Here, let me do your hair.”

Heat sprung to her hands as they braided two locks back from my face, drying my hair as she weaved them together at the back of my head. Stepping back to admire her simple yet elegant work, she gave me a proud smile. 

“You know, it was lonely here before you showed up.” She started, staring into my eyes in the mirror of the vanity. “No one exactly wants to be friends with the adopted princess of the Dark Court.” She rolled her eyes at her words, pausing for a moment as she stepped around me to reach for the pots of make-up. 

“They seem to think I’m intimidating and callous and annoying.” 

I let out a sharp laugh, almost bordering on a bark. 

“Who would ever think you were annoying?”  I replied sarcastically, giving her a light shove. 

The make-up she’d been holding tumbled out of her hands, spilling to the floor in a bright pool of red.

She narrowed her eyes at me slightly, her lips creasing into a tight yet playful smirk. 

“I’m going to get you for that one.” 

*************

A gentle knock sounded at the door as Ash arrived to escort me to the ball, which was apparently being held in, go figure, the ballroom. I’d only seen a fraction of the castle since I’d arrived, having been unconscious for the most part of my stay in the Dark Court. 

I was feeling fairly confident after seeing my reflection when Tifa had finished her work. She’d painted my lips a rosy pink to complement the shades of ice blue and silver she used to accent my eyes. I stepped out into the hallway to greet Ash on wobbly feet, unsteady in the sky high heels she’d insisted I borrow. I held my breath as he studied me, the stunned look on his face causing me to blush deeply. 

He reached toward me, running a hand through my long hair. 

“Arya you look breathtaking.” I let out the breath I’d been holding at his words, noting the way his golden eyes had taken on a deeper, almost animalistic hue. 

“You don’t look so bad yourself, captain.” My eyes traveled over his large frame. He was dressed in an expensive looking suit, his long hair pulled back from his face by a silver clip that had been molded to resemble a wolf’s head. 

“So, is this a date?” I asked playfully, looping my arm through his. A deep laugh rumbled through his chest, slightly comforting my nerves. 

“I guess so.”  

______

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