Page 95 of Fey Sovereignty

It is beautiful here. Heaven. Paradise, and Nirvana. This is the place that must have inspired all those tales.

As I take in my surroundings, I see a ruined building tucked into the tree line. Crumbling stone and an arched window that only looks out at more trees. It was grand once, now it is empty and forgotten. I chuckle dryly. As a monument, it is very fitting.

I take another deep breath. I’m here. I think I can dare to hope.

A glimpse of movement in the trees catches my attention. Someone is approaching along the path that leads up to the stone circle, and up to me.

My breath hitches. I see white silks, but it is a simple robe. Almost nothing like court finery. It might not be him. Then I see golden hair like spun sunlight, and I forget how to breathe.

Llywelyn steps out of the shadow of the trees, into the clearing. He sees me and then he is running. He jumps into my arms and I sob as I hold him tight. I feel the warm weight of him. Solid and real and pressing against me. He is here. I found him. Just like he wanted me to.

I hold him for a long, long time. It takes eternity to confirm to myself that I’m not hallucinating. He is here. In my arms. Safe and sound. I’m in the fey lands with Llywelyn.

“How long has it been for you?” I wheeze.

He doesn’t look any older, but I’m not sure how fey age and time definitely runs differently here.

“Only three weeks!” he says cheerfully. “It was fine because I knew you would come. It gave me time to get our home all cosy, and start a garden.”

He pulls away from me, takes my hand and leads me down the twisting path he just walked up. As we walk, he babbles incessantly.

He talks about the fresh water in the stream. All the delicious berries and nuts. The vegetable garden he has planted. The old abandoned home he has been making cosy.

He talks about the three times a day he walks up to the stone circle to see if I have arrived yet. My heart thuds against my ribcage. Llywelyn doesn’t have any doubt in his voice at all. He had blind faith that I would come.

I didn’t even know I would. I thought I was crazy. Clinging to straws. Making patterns where there were none. I could have dismissed the look Dyfri gave me. I so very easily could have turned away at any point. I could have driven somewhere else. I could have frozen outside the stone circle and never stepped foot inside it.

I think the horror of that is going to haunt me for the rest of my days.

Llywelyn squeezes my hand. It grounds me. It forces me to realise I am here, I did make it, and now everything is going to be wonderful.

I just need time for the shock to wear off and for the truth to settle in. Right now, I’m still in a numb daze.

Llywelyn beams up at me. I’ve never seen him look so happy. He is dazzling with it. And oh my god, I thought he was beautiful before… now I’m just going to be mindlessly gawping at him all day long. Forever and ever.

Something is missing though. “Your antlers?”

If he is so happy, where are his antlers?

His smile deepens even more. “I’m not royalty anymore.”

I blink. I guess that is a wonderful thing. It means he is free. Just like I am. I open my mouth to say something, but just then, we step into another clearing.

I see a picturesque vegetable garden, like something out of a Beatrix Potter book. I see a small, single-story stone cottage. Grey stone walls. Small windows of thick glass. A thatched roof. Purple and white flowers are growing up the walls and framing the crooked wooden door.

A laugh bubbles out of me. Full, rich and merry.

Llywelyn gives me a bemused look, but he is still smiling. I look at him, framed by the backdrop of the home he has made for us.

It is everything I wanted.

It’s our little cottage in the woods.