Timeless

4

"Lady Anna, why do you cover your face like that?" Ariele asks at breakfast the next morning.

An awkward silence descends and Ariele looks from Anna to Grey. Grey shakes his head and Ariele realizes that she's stepped into a taboo topic. "I'm sorry. Forget it, some things you don't want to remember."

Lady Anna puts down the piece of toasted bread she was eating. "No, it's only fair since we have and will be picking your life apart. Grey tells me that you told him a good deal of your story last night. No, he won't tell me anything if you don't want him to, he's a safe confidante, I should know since he's been mine for years."

"How long has it been Grey?" Anna asks with a far off look, but the memories weren't good ones.

"Since my father killed yours? Oh it's been what two centuries now or thereabouts." Grey replies from his seat across the room. He likes watching the fountain in the courtyard and prefers the window seat to the table. He doesn't even notice Ariele's reaction.

Neither does Anna lost in the past. "It's not possible." Ariele whispers in a voice just above the wind. Now truly upset, Ariele jumps up from her seat. "You can't be that old." She backs away from them until she hits the wall.

She now has their undivided attention. Grey frowns and comes over to her. "What's impossible Ariele?"

The care he gives her would thrill Anna if she hadn't noticed how white Ariele's skin has become.

"She's going to faint. Get her over to the couch." Anna instructs, but Ariele won't let Grey touch her now.

Terror fills her eyes as she looks at Grey. "You can't be that old."

Grey looks over at Anna in confusion. Anna steps up and tries to take Ariele's hand to lead her to the couch. Even as Ariele snatches her hand away her world turns black.

"I don't know Anna. She was fine last night and this morning more than fine I'd say." Ariele hears Grey say angrily but in a low voice.

"Bullshit Anna. I didn't do anything to her. You saw her yourself when we came in here that she was fine. It wasn't until I said that it's been centuries that she had any problems so don't blame this one on me. I'm guilty of many things but not this. I won't hurt her."

"Yes, you will Grey. I told you that yesterday." Ariele says groggily. "But you haven't done anything to me yet." Her head is pounding and she feels like she's going to lose the lovely breakfast that she'd just eaten.

She takes the cup that Anna gives her and drinks expecting water. She just about spews the liquid out. She manages to swallow that and refuses to drink anymore. "Don't ever give me that whatever it is again. That's nasty."

"It may be nasty but it has even more healing in it than the water. Which makes sense since it is made with the water." Ariele looks at Anna like she's crazy and even Grey looks at her odd.

"Are you okay Anna?" Grey ask his concern turned from Ariele to Anna.

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Grey takes the forgotten cup from Anna and has her drink what's left.

She makes a face but dutifully swallows. "Thanks Grey, I think. Now Ariele, what set you off like that?"

Ariele pinkens at her actions. "In my world people don't speak casually of living for centuries and look like they are merely a handful of years my senior. Only the Aelven do that."

At her words silence fills the apartment. The only sound is that of the birds greeting the day and each other.

Finally Anna breaks the silence, "I see. So you think that we are Aelven?" At Ariele's nod Anna continues. "But there are no Aelven here. We are human," she holds up her hand to forestall Ariele, "But we are also magic users. The magic sustains and prolongs our lives. All here are magic users. Even yourself I believe. You're rough and untaught but you see through illusions that have become fact for the rest of us. That is a rare ability indeed. You see truth where lies and shadows of lies hide the truth and I think that this might just be what my enemy fears most. For he hides in shadows and lies maintain him. Light destroys as it lets the world know the truth."