Chapter 3: Whispers Beneath the Willow Tree
328 Words
The next morning dawned gray and quiet.
Elara sat by the hearth, her knees drawn to her chest, watching the Fae sleep. He hadn’t moved all night, though his breathing had steadied. A strange, peaceful hush had settled over the cottage—as if the forest itself was holding its breath.
She’d barely slept.
Her mind was a tangle of questions: Who was he? What had wounded him? Why had the moon rained petals the moment he appeared?
And most of all: why did something inside her ache when she looked at him?
When the fire crackled, he stirred.
His eyes opened slowly. Silver. Alert.
“I’m still here,” he said, voice low and dry.
“I made tea,” she offered, her voice small. “It’s not enchanted. Just mint.”
A hint of a smile touched his lips. “I’ve missed mint.”
Elara blinked. “You’ve… had it before?”
“I’ve been to the mortal realm before,” he said, shifting upright with a wince. “Though not recently. Or under such… humiliating circumstances.”
She handed him the cup. Their fingers brushed. A spark—soft and quick—leapt between their skin.
They both flinched.
“You felt that,” she whispered.
He stared at her, a line forming between his brows. “What are you?”
The question wasn’t cruel, just curious. Quiet. Careful.
Elara swallowed. “Just a girl. I live here. That’s all.”
He looked at her like he didn’t quite believe her.
“My name is Caelen,” he said finally. “Prince of the Moon Court.”
A silence followed. Elara’s heart stumbled in her chest.
A prince.
Of a court that, in stories, had vanished centuries ago.
She rose to her feet slowly. “Then I suppose… I’ve brought a ghost back from the woods.”
He looked up at her, eyes gleaming. “Or perhaps... you’ve brought the moon back with you.”
- Writer
