He met the queen's gaze, a shiver going down his spine as she smiled and gestured for him to sit. He sat across from her, the dark elf standing at her side and glaring daggers at him. He chose to ignore the dark elf and focus on the queen, wondering why she wanted him alone.
"Queen Anastasia, Elaine said you wished to speak with me?"
The queen nodded, her grim expression fading and being replaced with an amused one, only confusing him more.
"Jack Benson, did my daughter tell you much about our magic?"
He shook his head, trying to think of the few things Elaine had mentioned about their powerful magic.
"I think she said it works on you imagination, and has no limits. That is all she had told me."
The queen nodded, placing her hand over her chest. Jack did his best not to look, but his eyes slowly grew wide as something began to slowly appear around her, the queen being enveloped in a golden mass. He did not know what it was, but it was large, and it seemed to be coming out of the queen herself.
"Every living thing has a soul, and I can see people's souls as an aura. My daughter will be able to do this as well, though I do not know when."
She removed her hand, and the golden mass vanished in an instant. He stared, not sure what to say as she continued.
"That is the most I can show you of my aura, but i can see much more. I can look at someone's aura and see their soul bared before me, and hiding something from me is impossible. If you were wondering why I accepted you three so easily, it is because I saw into your soul, and it was plain to see that you meant no harm to my daughter or any of us."
He felt himself begin to sweat, having some questions from the day before answered. He always felt like she was seeing through him, and she confirmed that she was. But why tell him this? He said nothing, knowing she had more to say and simply waiting. The queen looked at him again, smirking at what she saw.
"No fear, only curiosity. You are an odd one; I just told you I can see your soul, and you are only worried about why I am telling you this. You are not shaken easily."
The queen stood up, beginning to pace as she spoke, somehow looking elegant the entire time.
"I am trusting you with my daughter's life, and I do not do this lightly. She knows what our family is capable of, and it was clear to me that she had grown fond of you."
He blinked, surprised by her words. Sure, the elf was shy around him at times, but she didn't seem to show him any more interest than the others. As he was thinking this the queen stopped, looking at him and giggling softly.
"It seems no matter what race, the men are always as dense as a rock. But your reaction was innocent, something I am glad to see."
The queen sat back down, her eyes filled with mischief as she continued messing with him.
"Tell me, and be honest; what do you think of the princess?"
Jack frowned, his heart beating faster as he hesitated to answer. He thought it was odd to be asked by the elf's mother, but maybe the elves were more open about these things than other races.
"Why do you ask? She is an elf, and I am a vampire."
"I ask because, despite being different races, your souls react to each other." the queen responded, her eyes twinkling as she saw his confusion and giggled softly again.
"Our souls react to our emotions, as well as certain things we see, hear, and smell. Whenever you two are in the same room, your auras react to each other, as if they were trying to reach out and hold each other. You do not know this, but it is a rare thing to see, and I have only seen it two other times in my long life."
He felt his face heat up, wishing he had his helmet at the moment. The queen leaned closer, only confusing him more; he thought something like this would upset or disgust her, but she seems to be teasing him about it, almost like she approved of the idea.
"So, Jack, I will ask again; what do you think of Elaine, as a female?"
He crossed his arms, looking away; what was the point in responding, when the queen could see the answer in his aura anyway? He was surprised by the queen's switch in personality, going from the serious queen to a playful elf. He saw that she had not looked away, sighing and feeling his heart pick up more speed as he answered her.
"Well...she is cute...kind and innocent...a little too innocent..."
He shook his head, trying to regain his composure.
"Queen Anastasia, what is this all about?"
The queen responded by laughing, Noelle walking over and placing a hand on the elf's shoulder.
"My queen, I think you have teased him enough."
Queen Anastasia nodded, wiping a tear from her eye as she went back to normal and smiled at Jack, who was red in the face and frustrated by all of this.
"When auras are that eager to be around each other, it usually means that your fates are tied together, and you are soul mates. It is something that is beyond any of our control, and there would no reason for me to be upset about something I cannot change. I wanted to offer some advice."
He raised an eyebrow, all of this a bit overwhelming and not at all what he expected. He nodded, not knowing what else to say or do.
The queen looked him in the eyes, once again seeing through him as if he was made of glass and speaking softly.
"While neither of you are experienced with romance, Elaine is much more innocent than you are. Things are going to get bad around here; she is going to see the last elven city fall, her people killed. I can't save her from this, and she will be grieving and in pain. When that happens, she will seek out comfort, and you are who she will look to."
She placed a hand on his shoulder, her earlier playfulness gone and replaced with a serious expression.
"Be there for her, comfort her, help her get through this. Help her through all the pain and sadness that will be thrown at her, and you will find someone who will love you unconditionally, someone who will not hesitate to lay there life down for you. Be there for her, and maybe she will be able to heal your wounded heart as well."
He said nothing, his head oddly clear and calm. He was not fond of being read like an open book, even the stuff he preferred to keep to himself, but he could see how serious the queen was. She had accepted her death, and wanted the best for her daughter, even if it came from a vampire. He slowly nodded, not wanting to refuse what could be her last wish.
"I...will do my best, Queen Anastasia."