"Oh dear! He actually said that?!" I was shocked and proud that they all care that much about me.
"Yes, but I thought you didn't have any family left alive?" He inquired reading my face.
"That is true, I have no blood relatives left alive. The family he refers to are my friends and business associates who helped mentor me when I first came into my inheritance. They were all friends of Mrs. Vathy who was my guardian, my mothers best friend, after my mother passed away. I loved Mrs. Vathy like she was my aunt. So I suppose, I do have family after all, Mr. Fairchild." Realizing my error, quickly I add, " I'm sorry, Bav. I will get better at calling you by what you prefer."
"I'd rather you call me by what you prefer, honestly. If you feel more at ease by calling me, Mr. Fairchild tonight, I will understand."
He nods in the direction ahead of us and I look to where everyone else seems to be heading. It's a grand building, my shop could fit in it one hundred times over, easily. It's lit up by giant lights hanging around inside of the balconies that adorn its front. In gilded painted words, it's name clear for all to read. "Elegant Blossom Theater."
"Oh Bav, it's beautiful even from the outside!" I exclaim excited, covering my mouth with a gloved hand so no one can see me grinning like a child.
He just hums happily in response as we begin to join the crowd making their way up the multiple levels of steps to the entrance. I noticed women and men staring at me or the both of us, making me feel self conscious.
I whisper under my breath to Bav, "Bav, why are they staring so much?"
"Because you're beautiful, new, and with me. Do not think much of it, just hold your head up high and smile like you don't even realize they're there."
We make our way to the door, Bav pulls the tickets out handing them over to the men at the doors, dressed in regal inspired uniforms.
"Mr. Fairchild, you and your guest please come in and wait in the lounge, one of our men will show you to your seats."
We enter and the walls are draped with blue velvet curtains, chandeliers and lights adorn the ceiling, making everything look bathed in daylight. Red velvet chairs, poufs, and lounges adorn the lobby with people either resting on them or walking around saying hello to people they know. Everyone is dressed in the finest display of clothes and wealth, adorned with jewelry that sparkled and dazzled the eyes. I understand now, why he had me wear the necklace he brought me. They would have most likely laughed and scorned my jewelry.
Bav tugs me gently and looking towards him I realize we're not heading the way I thought we were.
"The lounge is this way, that's the lobby." He directs me down the hall to where another uniformed man is standing with perfect posture.
As we approach him, Bav pulls the tickets out again and the man takes a look at them.
"Mr. Fairchild, right this way please." He opens the door he's in front of and we're welcomed by another uniformed man and woman.
"Welcome, Would you care for some champagne? Wine?" The woman asks.
"No, thank you." I say politely and Bav smiles and shakes his head at the woman.
"Right this way then please." She leads us past the room with all the lounge seats and takes us to another door.
"May I see your tickets, Mr. Fairchild?" She asks and I'm shocked when she takes them and tears the paper in half and takes half of them. "Here's is your box, sir. Your server during the show will be here shortly."
She opens the door and pulls back a blue velvet curtain leading us to a sectioned balcony containing just two close and heavily padded seats with two tables on each side. She opens a drawer on each one pulling out a small paper book and little metal tubular device on a stick. We take our seats and she bows to us.
"Please, enjoy the show." She closes the door behind her. In front of us is another curtain which confuses me.
"Should I open the curtain so we may see it when it starts." I lean forward tentatively.
"No, when it's about to start, it will automatically be drawn back so we can view it." He picks up his little paper book and opens it. "This is the program for the play. So you can know what they are doing and how far along in the play you are because of the scene changes and the longer change between acts. On the back is the menu, drinks and small portions of food available. You may order whatever you like." He nods his approval and I shake my head.
"Thank you, but I'm still quite satiated from dinner at the moment." I take a moment and start to feel rather awkward with the silence. I realize, I still know very little about the man personally.
"Would it offend you if I asked you some more personal questions, Bav?"
"Depends on how personal the question, Kara." He gives me a playful grin and my jaw drops in amusement before I wave a hand at his playful antics.
"It's nothing too personal, I believe, to ask you about your home. Where do you live?" I direct my attention and body towards him, focusing on his response.
He takes a deep breath and sits up straighter than before. "About my home? Well, it's here in Lagford for the next few years at least while I handle some business transactions and negotiations with your government."
"My government? I thought all of Jakesha was under one rule?" I question him, furrowing my brows in confusion.
'Was I forgetting something? Was there another nation of Jakesha?'
Bav looks uncomfortable suddenly, fidgeting with his hands as he visibly is looking for the right words to say.
We're interrupted by the server coming in to ask us for our orders.
"We're fine, thank you." I quickly say to give us our privacy again.
"Well, go on." I nudge him verbally to talk.
He sighs, chewing on his bottom lip.
'What of the elements?... He's anxious about this? Why?'
"Well to put it simply, I'm not from Jakesha, Rakara. I'm from another world. I'm from the Fae world."
Silence hangs heavy in the air, I blink slowly and look him up and down.
"You're joking, right?" I smile and laugh feeling awkward about the answer.
He readjusts in his seat, "Why would you assume I am joking?" He asks me, a frown starting to curve the corner of his lips at me.
"OH! Okay, uh..." My mind is blank for a moment, "I was under the impression the Fae looked differently than us. You don't look how they've been described to be."
"We are just as diverse as the flora and fauna on Jakesha, Kara. Also, I am able to change little things about me to fit in and make people feel more comfortable to be around me." He says matter of factly.
"Alright. What do you look like then, in your natural form?" I ask, needing to know if I should run for my life or enjoy myself still.
He sighs and thinking about it, I may be making him feel uncomfortable.
"It's alright, I'm sorry if you are uncomfortable revealing it to me. I let myself speak before giving it much thought."
"No, Kara, it's not that. I really do enjoy your company immensely and do not wish for you to be frightened or repulsed by my natural form."
"What do you have two heads or more eyes than you do now?" I ask casually.
"No, I don't."
"Then, I doubt I shall faint from fright."
He nods and closes his eyes. I'm paying close attention to him and I notice his ears begin to point on the top about an inch long, and his fingers and nails elongate adding another inch onto each digit. That's all I can tell thought.
"That's it?" I ask, amused over the simple differences he seemed to be so concerned about.
That's when he opens his eyes and speaks to me showing the tips of more pronounced canines and completely dark black eyes.
My eyes widen at the unexpected change of his eyes. They're beautiful though.
He closes them quickly looking down and away from me.
'Oh no! He thinks I've reacted poorly!'
Quickly, I move in front of his chair and place his cheek into the palm of my hand. "Bav, I do not find you repulsive or frightening. Please, do not misunderstand my facial expressions. I was just surprised to see your eyes. I think they are beautiful, I don't mind how you look one bit."
He clears his throat and flashes his eyes open staring deeply into my own, searching me. "Thank you. Now please, sit back in your seat, it would be a scandal if someone was to walk in and see you in the position you are now." He takes my hand and holds it as I return back to my seat, and continues to hold my hand with a gentle reassuring squeeze.
"So Bav, what is your world like?" I shyly inquire, as he continues to hold my hand. He starts telling me about their architecture, music, the rivers, lakes and mountains, the underground cities that they have due to the summer time blaze that can easily burn someones skin into blisters if out in it for more than two hours. He goes on answering my curiosity with a smile that shows off his canines.
I find the more I look at him, a new stirring feeling in my heart occurs. With every flash of his smile, the butterflies flutter down my body further. I readjust my legs and the feeling only grows! Blushing I interrupt him talking about one of his excursions to a different world he called Earth.
"Bav, I apologize but I need to use the necessities room." I blush even more at mentioning this.
Bav thinks for a moment and realization dawns on his face. "One moment." He pulls a little cord on the wall and a lady server appears.
"Yes, sir, madam. What can I help you with?"
"My guest needs to use the necessities room. Please escort her and help her with her dress should she need assistance."
"Yes, Sir. Madam, if you'll please follow me."
She guides me another room not far away and lets me in. There's a large toilet seat in one corner with hooks on the wall.
"I'll help hook your dress, madam. She has me walk over and begins to gather my dress up.
"Please, do not pierce the fabric!" I hastily demand.,
"I wouldn't dream of it madam." She looks taken aback. "Does this dress not have the hook straps?"
I wasn't sure what she was talking about.
"I don't know, it was just finished being made today." I tell her.
"No worries madam, I'll just keep it lifted while you use the toilet." She picks up my skirt and I do my business noticing as I'm cleaning up, how moist I am.
'That's odd? It must be a reaction from those off world foods I ate earlier.' I come to the conclusion as the feeling starts to fade away.
The server helps me readjust my dress and hands me soap to wash with, and a towel to dry my hands and then guides me back to the room.
Bav, is looking like how I first met him, which is still handsome, but not as exotic as his natural form.
He smiles at me, "Just in time, they'll be pulling the curtains any moment now."
I take my seat, the silence is full of words neither one of us were saying. As the curtains started to move, the silence was broken by lively music. I excitedly leaned forward on to the railing, making sure I could see the entire stage presented before me.
Bav leaned forward as well, smiling at my excitement, placing his hand close to mine on the railing as well. "Would you like to move the seat forward?" He whispers.
Not taking my eyes off the stage, "Yes. I would."
Suddenly without either of us moving my seat moves forward just enough, so that I can relax my back and not lean so far forward.
"How did that happen?" I break my gaze to question him and reading his face, I knew he did it somehow.
He remained quiet and pointed with his looks towards the stage. I returned my attention to the play and found it to be about a young hybrid of fish and human, who falls in love with a man of the land after saving him. I was enraptured by the play, it was sad, her trading her tongue for legs that were painful to walk on and dancing for the prince who would not love her. Tears leaked from my eyes when she wouldn't kill the prince to return home and instead let her fate be met. Death took her but she won the Element of air, and the chance to live again.
As I felt the tears, a handkerchief is placed into my hand. "Thank you, Bav. I feel awful for the... merm ..aid. She may get the chance to live again, but she suffered so much for the prince."
I quickly dabbed my eyes, as not to ruin my makeup.
"It's quite alright. These plays are supposed to move you. Let me tell you a little secret. The play is from Earth, and there are more versions than this one. One of them, she does get the prince to realize that love and they live happily ever after."
"They do, truly?" I plead.
Bav nods, "Truly."
"That certainly makes me feel better. My goodness, you must think I am silly, crying over a fictitious person." I say uncomfortably.
"Not at all. It merely reinstates my thoughts previously, that I had."
"Which was?" I ask cocking a brow up at him.
"You are a beautiful woman, inside and out." He takes my gloved hand and kisses it softly. " Let us rise and go to the lounge. My business associates will be expecting to meet you, before the soiree."