I See Faeries

~chapter twenty-one~

Sibling Drama

~

"You must be the beautiful Cassaundra Heathway," the handsome blonde faerie said with a charming smile. "I must say, you're even more stunning in person than I'd hoped." He held my gaze as he took my hand in his and kissed it softly. A tiny shiver ran up my spine at the sensation of his lips on my skin.

"I'm Marcus." The other man bowed deeply, pulling my attention away from his companion. "It's an honor to meet you at last." He didn't touch me or smile, but his expression was pleasant nonetheless, and I saw no hostility in his gaze.

"And I'm Felix," said Prince Charming, his blue eyes bright and animated. "We've heard so much about you."

"Ah," was all I could manage. And somehow, I've heard nothing about you.

I hadn't known what to expect upon entering the palace, but a welcoming committee consisting of none other than Roman's twin brothers was not a possibility I'd considered - mainly because I hadn't known they existed.

The twins were very different from their elder sibling.

Physically, the pair were identical. Both were tall, like Roman, but that's where any similarities between he and them ended. Where Roman was muscular but lithe, Felix and Marcus were strapping - built more like the palace guards from my dream than their brother. Both wore silk robes embroidered ornately in gold thread - Felix's black, and Marcus's white. Their partially exposed chests were hairless, and like the faeries from my dream, there was no sign of stubble on their smooth jaws. From their heads, shimmering honey-blonde hair cascaded down in waves like spun gold.

In their facial structure one could somewhat see the family resemblance to my faerie protector, but their features were slightly less angular, less harsh, less . . . exotic than Roman's. Their lips were a little less full, their cheekbones a little less pronounced, their noses not quite so straight, their skin perfectly smooth and unmarred by scars...

To anyone else, these men would look like perfection, I realized abruptly. But not to me.

And, unfortunately, I knew the reason why. He was standing right beside me, smelling of oranges and woodsmoke and glaring darkly at his siblings.

Wonderful. Remind me again how I'm 'keeping my distance'?

"Are you well, Cassaundra?" Marcus asked mildly, pulling me back to the present. I realized with embarrassment that I'd been staring at them, and felt my cheeks immediately flush with heat.

"I'm fine, thank you," I said quickly, forcing myself to hold his gaze despite my instinctive desire to look away.

His eyes were the key to telling the twins apart. While Felix's irises were both clear blue, like the glassy surface of a mountain lake or the sky on a summer day, Marcus's were mismatched. His right eye was identical to Felix's, but his left was such a pale shade of blue it was nearly white. His was an unsettling stare to be recipient of.

"Father will be pleased to meet you, then," Felix said. "If you feel up for it." His voice was smooth and attractive, I noted, but not as velvety as Roman's, and his accent was less pronounced. He held out his arm for me to take. I instinctively glanced to the dark-haired faerie for a reaction, but he gave no sign of caring. I linked my arm with Felix's, trying to push down the small pang of hurt that lodged in my chest at Roman's indifference.

Standing beside Felix, I realized that he - and therefore Marcus - was several inches taller than his elder brother. The dissimilarities just keep piling up, I thought, puzzled. It's almost like they aren't even related. I glanced back at Roman as Felix pulled me deeper into the palace, with Marcus at my other side. I wonder if the twins have inch-long fangs hiding behind their pretty lips, too. Somehow I didn't think so.