Chapter 9

"The sunlight claps the earth, and the moonbeams kiss the sea: what are all these kissings worth, if thou kiss not me?"

― Percy Bysshe Shelley

Seraphina and Dorian stood in wonder, the atmosphere light and warm between them. Their gazes were those experiencing thrill. Faces flushed pink and hearts beating fast. Love at first sight.

The King bellowed out in laughter. Not of mockery, but of excitement and answers to everyone's questions. Even he was amazed by this now!

His hands clapped together, standing up as his wife smiled with a heartful giggle beside him.

"Well, would you see here! I believe I understand why this girl is here! The door knows better than any of us here why she's here."

"Is she," Rowan and Elvina stared in shock at this now. Seraphina was Dorian's mate. A human girl was the Fairy King Son's mate!

"This can't be real!" Elvina shrieked as she grasped for Dorian. Pulling him sharp at her side in protest. Dorian pulled away fast from her, grasping Seraphina in his arm and bringing her close to his side.

"Elvina, Dorian has found his mate. You can not interfere with what has been done." The King's face was not pleased by Elvina's actions and outburst. Everyone held their breath, afraid to make a noise or movement that could make them the next target of full-threat words.

"But your highness! It's a human of all fated pairs! This isn't good! You know how bad humans can be. They aren't to be trusted. They can't even be civil amongst themselves in their own world as well. So how do you know if that girl can even be trusted?"

Dorian frowned at her. Hurt and sorrow in his eyes as his fists balled tight. His arm around Seraphina tightened in the rage he was feeling. How selfish of her to be acting this way.

"Elvina! You are being too cruel! If Seraphina was a bad person, why would she even be with me now? Why would the door have allowed her through?"

The Queen stood, raising a hand for her son to stop. Elvina smiled thinking that she gained the Queen's praise for a moment. But that was dispelled as the Queen's eyes were angered towards her.

"Elvina, you are dismissed from our sight. You are to go home now. I will be informing your father of the scene you have created before us all. Get out."

Protest cried from Elvina's throat as she was walked out by Rowan. The doors closed in a heavy thud and everyone was left in silence.

Seraphina turned to everyone, her mouth opening to apologize.

~~~

"Hold your words for now," The Queen smiled calmly. Her anger was no longer showing. It wasn't like she was angry at Seraphina or the others anyway.

"It is late and you must be exhausted. For now, you can rest in the royal guest room. Dorian will take you there. Once morning rises and we all have had time to collect our thoughts and make sense of it all, we will meet again to speak."

Dorian guided Seraphina out of the room and down the hall. He didn't want to leave her side though. His hand grasped her waist as they walked.

"Will you be alright alone in the room?" Dorian stood in front of her as the door to the guest room was behind them now. Seraphina looked wide awake, but even she knew that would fade soon and exhaustion would hit hard.

"I will be fine. I just need to sit. All of this is really wild to me."

It was wild to him as well. Everyone in the castle found this astounding and puzzling. No one in their lifetime would've thought it possible for a human to come here. Let alone, be a fated pair to the Fairy King's son.

"Very well then. Do let me know if you need anything. Find one of the pixies if you need help finding me. Have a goodnight, Seraphina."

Dorian bowed to Seraphina as he departed from view. Coving his mouth as he felt his face turn red and start to burn. Nervousness? Embarrassed? Shy? All these emotions he hadn't felt like this in a weighted force of a ton. Even as a kid they were never this heavy on his body and heart.

~~~

Seraphina covered her face, half expecting herself to squeal out. Nothing happened though. She was too stunned, too exhausted, too everything that her mind couldn't even handle now. She was in a storm of emotions.

First, a magic door takes her to a magic world. Next, she was surrounded by fairies and pixies. Now she was something called a mate to a fairy? How did any of this make sense!?

Seraphina figured she was dreaming. This dream was just very very real and felt life-like. That can happen. She's heard about that. How people can have such real dreams and even feel real pain and not wake up until something insane happens. But this whole thing was pretty insane so!

"Maybe I just need to sleep in this dream. Maybe my dream has been so powerful that not even my brain has realized it."

Seraphina climbed into the bed, the blankets and mattress as soft as flower petals swallowed her up in a large hug. Her eyes grew heavy now, sleep was beckoning for her now.

"This is all just a really wild and romantic dream..." Seraphina whispered to herself as her eyes closed. Her body grew heavy like a ton of bricks and she was out like a flame.