The Seelie's Mirror

Chapter 1 A Day In the Unseelie Realm

Chapter 1 

"Very good, Livia." Grignel praises me when I show him the translation that I did for my homework. "You're getting good at reading fairy language. You're even faster than before."

"Well, it's been a week. This is the only thing that I can do to not be a couch potato." I mutter. After escaping the Seelie Palace, I have been staying in the Unseelie Palace for a week now. Everyone was really nice to be around and was all ready to cater to my needs, especially Efeiza. Word has gone out that I was the one who helped bring back their precious prince to them, so I am getting a little more than a special privilege here than when I was back in the Seelie Palace. To these fairies, they are actually happy to see me, as they regard me as their prince's savior and precious friend.

As bad as my situation is right now, I guess I can say that being stuck in the Unseelie Palace with Klovis is way better than being in the Seelie Palace with Zhier.

Speaking of Klovis...

"Is Klovis in his study again?" I guess.

Grignel looks up from the paper of translation I made. His sigh is more than enough to confirm my suspicion. "He's still trying to look up ways to help you and your...um...situation." Even though a week has passed, it doesn't mean that I no longer feel distraught about my situation. Because of a certain fake Seelie Prince, I have eaten a blue fruit, which, under the rule of the faes, would damn any humans to this realm for eternity.

I know that Klovis feels bad about my situation, which is why he has taken it upon himself to search for something to bring me back. The situation could not be more similar to when Zhier and I were looking for clues to find Klovis before. But Klovis, in this situation, is more reliable and is the one who is doing the research.

"Has he eaten yet?"
"I believe a servant brought him food in his room, but as to whether he has taken a bite out of his meal, I am not particularly sure about it." Worry lines begin to show on the elf's forehead.

"I'll go and check up on him."

"Yes, please." Grignel looks relieved and grateful as he nods. "It seems like he would only listen to you at this point."

After my meeting with Grignel, I start to head to where Klovis's study is. I knocked on the door and waited for him to answer.

"Klovis, are you in there?" I asked when he did not answer. I waited a little while longer before knocking again. When I hear nothing, I start to press my ear against the door, only to hear a faint moaning sound coming from the other end. I sigh. "I'm coming in." I push the door open only to see the infamous Unseelie Prince lying on the floor with hardbound books toppling over him. I shake my head and can't help but let out a light laugh. "Grignel did tell you to tiddy your books, or THAT will happen."

"Ha-Ha..." With great effort, Klovis manages to look up in my direction, offering me a small smile like he is trying to save his face from embarrassment. "Livia, are you just going to laugh at me all day or are you going to help?"

"First option sounds rather tempting." I shrug before heading over to where he is lying. "But as much as I wish I could do that, I did tell Grignel that I would be checking up on you." I start to grab his hands and begin to pull him out of the piles of books. "Geez, you're heavy! Are you even trying to make yourself lighter!?"

Klovis looks at me with a pretty, angelic, and innocent face. "Nope. Not at all." He blatantly admits and made things more difficult for me by putting his weight on the ground. I dropped him on the floor at that instant. "Ow!"

"Sorry. My hands slipped."

"Yeah, right." Klovis grunts, pulls himself off the floor, and dusts his clothes. "I would believe you if you weren't such a sadist."

"If I'm a sadist, you're obviously a masochist."

"I guess that's why we get along."

I roll my eyes before the plate of untouched fruits on his table catches my attention. "You did not eat again."

Klovis looks back at the food, seemingly embarrassed that he scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, sorry. I was kind of in the middle of my research." He smiles sheepishly at me. "I-I'll go ahead and eat. Just don't tell Grignel, alright? I would hate to hear him giving me an earful." Klovis goes and picks up a fruit and starts eating it.

I notice how he has gotten thinner ever since he managed to escape from the mirror, which brings a lot of concern to me.

"You know, you don't have to push yourself too hard to find a solution for me right away." I know that he is feeling guilty for having me involved in whatever quarrel the two sides of this realm is in. "Besides, I am having fun mastering the faerie language. Who knows? I might just be so good at it that I might become a powerful witch when I return to the human realm."

Klovis snorts, almost chocking on his food. "Let me know when you do so I can prepare myself to help you out when they decide to burn you on a pole."

"What are you, an old man? Burning a witch is like... centuries ago!" It didn't matter that I called him an old man; Klovis is already outright laughing at me. I cross my arms. "That's it. I'm going to tell Grignel that you weren't eating."

"Woah, woah, woah!" Klovis stumbles as he tries to catch up to me, but ends up tripping on more books on the ground. "Where's your sense of companionship!? I was merely joking about the whole burning witch thing! I've always got your back. I even offered to bail you out if you became a witch—oof!" He stumbles again, but this time he does not get up. He just seems to be staring at an empty space.

I was so worried that he might have hurt himself during the fall that I paused at the doorway to come and check up on him. I lightly nudge him with my foot. "What's wrong with you? Did you bite your tongue? Are you still alive?"

"Fire..." He murmurs, looking at the floor like he's in a daze.

"Fire? Did you burn something?" I look around the room to check.

Klovis rises to his feet, almost dancing. When he meets my gaze, he's smiling like he has figured something out. When he reached me, he grabbed my shoulder and gave me a little shake. "I know where to get some answers! Come with me." He does not even give me enough time to answer when he starts to drag me along, which ends up with me being the one to bite my tongue in the process.

Oh, he will pay for that one.

~*~*~*~END OF CHAPTER~*~*~*~