Queen of Ice and Ruin

Chapter Two

The dining room was large and void of decoration. Only the bare necessities were present; a rectangular wooden table, six wooden chairs, and table settings for four. I noted that the chairs at each end of the table did not have a setting prepared, while also wondering who the fourth dinner guest would be. When Janea and I entered, no food or drink had been set out, and it appeared that Corrin and the mysterious fourth had not yet come.

I stood awkwardly, shifting on my feet, unsure of what to do. What constituted good manners in faerie communities? Fortunately, Janea noticed my discomfort, and rested a reassuring hand on my upper arm.

"Don't mind my brother," she told me. "I know he is difficult to talk to, but he really means well."

"I take it I am not the only one who struggles with him, then?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She let out a small giggle. "You will find that you are in the majority, I believe." Her smile then faded, her warm expression now turned serious. "He is going to ask a lot of questions tonight, and probably will continue to do so for a while. You have to understand, it has been a long time since a mortal has arrived to Faerieland. It was a risk for Corrin to welcome you into his home."

"It appears we have different definitions of welcome," I responded drily. "He can question me all he wants, but it doesn't change the fact that I don't know anything."

"But can you blame me for trying?" Corrin's voice said from the doorway.

I turned to look at him. He leaned against the entryway, arms crossed, watching me intently. "Janea is right," he told me, not taking his eyes off me. "You are a stranger, a mortal, who I know nothing about, yet I've allowed you to take residence in my home. The least you can do is let me ask my questions. Otherwise, I'll need to charge you rent, and I assume you don't have a source of income."

I simply rolled my eyes in response. Corrin walked toward me and Janea, and pulled out a chair. He guided Janea to sit, then did the same for me. I looked up at him from my chair, but said nothing as he lingered. "Annalise, was it?"

I nodded my head. "And you can't remember anything else about yourself?"

"No," I said softly. "Nothing."

"Corrin, you said that you would ask questions after dinner," Janea scolded.

Corrin responded with a smile, then moved toward his chair. As he did so, I heard the front door open and shut, and then footsteps heading toward the dining room. I prepared myself to meet whoever would occupy the fourth chair.

A man entered the room, and Corrin said, "You're late."

He smiled apologetically at Corrin, then turned his gaze to me. "I'm sorry for my tardiness. I wasn't especially prepared to meet our new visitor, but when you told me she was awake, I couldn't resist the opportunity."

As he spoke, a memory struck me. Strong, warm arms lifting me up off the ground. Someone shushing me as I cried out in pain, and a voice murmuring, "You're okay, you're alive, I'm taking you to get help."

Not just any voice I realized. His voice.

I stood up abruptly and walked over to him. "You are the one who found me."

He beamed at me, and Corrin stated, "I thought you couldn't remember anything."

I turned to glare at him. "I recognize his voice. It... It made me remember something. I remember being picked up, and comforted..." I turned to the new stranger, the person who saved me. "By you."

He nodded his head, then took my hand and lifted it to brush a soft kiss against my knuckles. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, officially. My name is Telos."