Prisoner of Desires

Mera closed her eyes as she kissed him back, placing a hand on his cheek and holding him there as she enjoyed the feel of his lips against hers. Finally she pulled away and looked at him, a soft smile on her lips.

"I would be lying if I said I hadn't wanted that since the moment I laid eyes on you." She said.

She knew the three women were behind them crying tears of joy and laughing and holding each other as they had watched the kiss and were thankful Mera had come back to recieve it all.

Martha came forward and hugged Mera before realizing she had taken in a sharp breath and eased back. "I'm so sorry lass, but it is so good to know I can hug you again."

Mera nodded. "It is all right, I am glad for that as well."

Michelle then came forward and took her hand. "We were so scared miss! I thought I was never going to get to sit by the fire and talk with you again."

Crystal came to the other side of the bed and smiled, her arm was bandaged but she was still smiling. "When you first came here I never thought I would be saying this...but you are the best damned warrior I have ever seen and I am honored to call you friend."

Mera nodded, "Thank you, and the same to you too Crystal. You are pretty tough for a human that is."

The women laughed and Mera hissed as the pain filled her body again. Martha went and got some tea made from Star flower leaves and gave it to her. "You could have healed yourself when you healed the king you know." She said as she fussed over covering Mera up just right and helping her sit up with an extra pillow.

"I am afraid my magic is used up at the moment. I will heal faster now that the stoned is removed though. I will be back up in a day or two."

Michelle snorted right along with Martha. "Nonsense miss, you will be staying down. You died and were brought back to us, it will take time."

Mera shook her head but continued to smile. "Well for a human maybe...two days is the most I am staying in bed and that is final."

The women smiled and shook their heads before having Mera tell them all about the fight and what it meant now that the stone was gone and of course how had that happened? Mera answered their questions happily but finally the tea started to kick in and soon she found her eyes growig to heavy. Martha smiled secretly as the sleeping potion she has added to the tea took effect and then turned to Crystal and Michelle. Once Mera was sound asleep.

"Go on with you, I will stay with the lass. And you might want to let Darren know she is sound asleep." She added before settling herself into a chair by the bed.

Both women nodded before leaving the room quietly and heading off in their own directions. Martha sighed and settled in for a period of watching over the young woman.

Martha had fallen asleep some where in the night because when she woke up Mera was sitting the bed wide awake and staring into the flames of the fire. She could tell by the glossy ness of the violet eyes that the lass was thinking about something.

"Are you all right lass?" She asked.

Mera shook herself from her thoughts and blinked a couple of times. "Yes, I am just thinking about something I have realized recently."

"A coin for your thoughts?" Martha asked with a smile.

Mera sighed, "Martha, do you think two different people from entirely two different worlds can love eachother?"

Martha nodded, "Yes I do. I believe that true love sees past who the people are physically to who they are inside. And once it does that nothing can seperate those people, no matter who or what they are."

Mera nodded her head. And their kingdoms could not stop them...afterall the kingdoms just united as one. And she believed that the Fey untied with a kingdom as good as this one would do good...why else would Gaia give her blessing?

Martha's voice broke into her thougths once more. "You love the king, don't you lass?"

Mera looked her straight in the eye and then nodded once. "I do, I did not realize it until today though. I was afraid it might happen and this is why I have staid away...but I see whether I am around him or not it is meant to be."

Martha smiled, "Then perhaps it is time to embrace it fully?"

"But how? Fey love yes this is true...but we do so differently. We do not hug, cry or kiss those that we say we love."

"And why do you think that is?"

"Because it brings too many emotions. A Fey cannot focus on their duties if their mind lies else where."

"Ah, but humans do so every day. Infact the love we feel helps us to better the duties we take on."

Mera could understand that and so she nodded. "Then I will try to as well."

Martha nodded and then brought her more tea. "Now drink up, you still need your rest."

Mera did so and within moments was fast asleep again, with Martha watching over her like a mother hen.

Martha looked up as the door opened and then relaxed and smiled as she saw that it was Darren entering the room. She held a finger to her lips and lifted herself from the chair, she had said she would stay until Darren returned and by the look on his face she guessed he would not be leaving.

"She is doing better, I gave her something to help her sleep."She whispered as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "But when she wakes up, I suggest you listen to what she has to say and if she says nothing ask her for her thoughts. You will not be disappointed." She patted him.

"Now I am off to assure that beast of hers that she is quite all right." And with that Martha left the room.

Two hours later Mera became aware of something and opened her eyes to see what it was. She turned her head to Darren and smiled softly before reaching for his hand and taking it in hers. "I'm glad you came back." She said.

She looked at him. "Martha has spoken with you hasn't she?" Mera was not mad infact this made it easier.

She sighed and sat up, wincing once as the wound on her shoulder was jarred. "Yes there is...Darren when I died I saw Gaia. And she told me I was meant to do something and I have been trying to deny it for two weeks now...but the truth is...I am in love with you Darren."

Mera kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck and ignoring the discomfort. She had never known happiness like this before, but that statment from him was all it had taken. She pulled away gently and rested her head forehead against his, "You have made me truely happy today Darren."

She nodded, "Then perhaps it is time I told you the truth."

She saw the curious glance he gave her and waited for him to sit back down before she began. "You see when I gave you my oath I gave you my tittle. I am Princess of the Wolfmoon tribe of Fey...but there is more to that then a human would understand. You see the Wolfmoon tribe is more of a kingdom...then a small tribe and my village is more of city...then it sounds." She took a deep breath, "I am the Princess of the Fey people, not just a Princess."

Mera found her teeth clentched at the thought of him marrying Mia and then she laughed as he spoke the last part. "Darren, don't you see? For once since humans first were created in this world, we have a chance to unite Fey and Human worlds. They Fey have lost soo much through the ages...and they will listen because Gaia gave me her blessing. We are supposed to be here and now like this Darren, the gods knew it."

Mera wrapped her arms around his neck once more and then jarred her shoulder again. Wincing she pulled back and smiled apologeticly. "I am afraid I will be no good for at least two days...longer if Martha and Michelle have their way." She sighed but then looked at Darren with a smile.

"Perhaps you would be so kind as to take me to my chambers? I would feel at lot better there then here in this place for the ill." She said.

Mera nodded her head. "Yes, and we will stop him. There is no doubt in my mind about that, and now that you and I have joined there is nothing that will stop me from doing so either." She rose stiffly and walked to the wardrobe where she dug out a nightgown. She would not go to bed in the bloody clothes and though most of her skin had been washed she felt gross.

"You can come and sit with me if you like, but I need to get the Draken blood of me. It stinks and makes me sick." Then she made her way slowly into the bathing room and stripped before shredding all the bandages off.

She got a look at herself in the mirror and grimaced. She looked aweful and exactly like she had just come back from the dead.

Her shoulder was black and blue with a bruise around the nasty bite mark matching the one on her leg made worse by the sword puncture in the middle of it. She also had a bruise on her cheek and a split lip and could not remember being hit...but there was the proof. She also had various scarpes, cuts and bruises marring almost ever inch of her flesh and she groaned as she touched her right side were a nice gash was.

"It is a wonder you said you loved me while I look like this." She told him.

She laughed and then took his hand and lowered herself into the hot waters. She sat down on the ledge and sighed once the stingy from the wounds went away. She then turned her eyes to him and shook her head.

"You mean the one that gets me and you in trouble?"

Mera nodded and closed her eyes again leaning her head back against the edge of the pool. Then a thought came to her and she looked back at him. "There are those I am sure that will be happy to hear the news." She said with Martha, Michelle and even Crystal in mind. "But I can think of one person who is going to outraged...and there is still the bit about the fact...that just because the stone is broke...I am still a slave."

Mera took his hand and eased his pain, she didn't have the energy to take it, but while she was in contact with him or in the same room she could ease it a little.

"I am sure we will. But there must be some law that cancels it out, like when we wed perhaps?" She asked.

Mera nodded and turned back to her bathing. She did so quickly, carefull of the wounds and then got out of the water and dried off. She looked down and was satisfied that the woulds had all ready begun to scab over so they were not bleeding and she did not need more bandages.

She got into the nightgown and noticed it was thinned strapped, low cut and tight until it reached her hips were it flowed out nicely. Just like one she had worn her second night here, only this one was silver.

She grabbed her brush and went back into the bedroom and sat on the couch before the fire and began brushing her long hair out. She knew Darren would not be far behind her.

She looked at him, she hated to admit it but she was a little sore. She turned her back to him after handing him the brush. "You could help me brush my hair, it hurts a little bit to move my shoulders." She said.

She leaned into him just a little, enjoying the feel of his hands through her hair as he brushed it. She had not had her hair brushed since she was a little girl, Mera had forgotten how much she loved it.

"That feels really nice." She said out loud.

She felt him sniff her and she laughed. "I am glad I just bathed then." She snuggled into him some more, her legs up on the couch as she pulled the blanket from the of the couch down and snuggled in. She stared at the fire....but it was not long before she was sound asleep in his arms.

Two days later....

Mera sat watching as Michelle ran to and fro before her. Collecting the things that were to be moved to Darren's chambers. Only Michelle, Martha, Crystal and a few guards knew of what was going on. It very early in the morning and no one would be up for several hours. The plan was to have everything moved by the time the palace came to life.

She had been stuck to her room for that last two days, though Darren staid with her unless the rebuilding of the throne room or the questions of the people in his care took him away. They had agreed they would not anounce their engagment until Mera was feeling better which did now, and she would have used her magic to just move everything but Martha and Darren had flat out refused her. So she sat at the foot of her bed pouting.

Finally she turned to Darren who was leaning against her bed post, his arms folded across his chest and a grin on his face. "I am so glad you are pleased. I could have had this done by now."

She sighed and shook her head at him before giving him her hand and rising. Martha had said she had better not catch her working in the stables or riding until she said...and from that woman Mera had been a little imtimadated. But even so she felt as if she was being babied and it was for a no good reason.

"Might as well." She said as they walked from the room.

Mera could have kissed him...well actually she did. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. "Oh Darren I knew I loved you! I would love that soo much these walls are driving me crazy, and I haven't seen Tiergan since the night we were attacked."

She hugged him again laughing as she did so. "I am going to find Martha right away. I want that ride before we have the feast tonight. I am sure we will not get a time to do so for some time." She said.

Mera had found Martha and after pleading to her better nature of how the ride would not only do Mera some good, but Darren before tonight Martha agreed, but they were only to be gone two hours at the most. Mera had hugged her and ran back to the castle, and of course she ran into the one person she did not want to...Mia.

Mia saw her and glared coldly. "Oh its you." She said.

Mera ignored her and kept walking but was stopped by the lady grabbing her arm. She looked down at it and then at Mia.

"Where are you going in such a hurry? Don't the stables have mucking or something?"

"I am excused from my duties by orders of Darren and the Healer. No if you will excuse me." She tore her arm free and started off again.

"You know will never marry you!" She called. "He can only marry someone of noble birth!"

Mera ground her teeth, "Won't you get a shock." She said to herself as she finished making her way to hers and Darren's chambers.

She walked in and shut the door, the minute she saw Darren though she smiled once more. "So Martha has given us two hours, are you ready?" She asked.

Mera hugged and kissed him deeply before turning and leading the way from the chambers. They talked lightly about what they would be saying tonight when they announced that they were getting married most likely before the next month's end. And of course what they would do about Mia. It was decided that though Mera was very capable of taking care of herself now that the stone was gone...Darren did not want to take the chance so two guards would go every where with her for a bit. Not to mention that it would be public knowledge that Darren loved her and again he did not want to take a chance with her life.

So she had agreed, but only to ease his mind and because she loved him. But she still did not like the idea of a baby sitter. But as they reached the stables and Mera was greeted by Tiergan she forgot all about it.

Soon they were heading off in the direction of the forest and Mera's heart was singing with joy. It showed in the sparkle of her eyes and the way her mouth was always smiling and how her laughter carried as she raced Darren and won. It was a truely enjoyable time for her and she was dreading the end of their two hours.

The two hours had indeed flown by as she had known they would. Now they were justed heading back through the palace gates and Mera sighed. She was nervous about tonight, but Gaia knew she had a right to be. Some people were not going to happy, including one woman she had already made enemeies with. Mera turned her glance to Darren and guided Tiergan over to his mount so she could take his hand, she needed his strength as comfort.

"I think I am less nervous going into battle then I am facing a group of human nobles." She replied in a soft voice.

Mera dismounted and smiled at Martha's approving stare before she disappeared back into her little office slash room at the back. Mera shook her head and watched as one of the stable lads took over Darren's mount. Tiergan simply wanted his oats and she gave them to him with a soft scratch between the ears and then took Darren's hand as she walked out of the stables just in time to meet Crystal.

"Hello Crystal is everything all right?" She asked.