Lily held the hot cup of tea between her hands and gently blew on it as she walked towards Tieran's room. She walked past the doctor who had given him a quick check up and into the room. Tieran sat with his back against the headboard.
He looked up as she entered and pulled his nose as he recognized the coppery liquid in her hands.
"Do I have to take that?" he asked, "Can't I take something else?"
"I formulated this medicinal tea to your specific Spirit Root. It probably tastes bitter because you're such a bitter person,"
"Can't I mix it with something to make it taste better?"
"No," she handed him the cup.
He took it and downed it in one go, "Ugh. This tastes like dirt and despair,"
"Are you complaining?"
"It's like liquid misery," he handed her the cup back.
Lily rolled her eyes with a small smile.
"My lord," they turned to see Kieran walk into the room, "I apologise for disturbing your rest, but I have news on the Elyrian forces," Lily took this as her cue and quickly stood and left. Kieran narrowed his eyes as he watched her leave, "Brother, who is that?"
"The fairy who's going to help us win the war,"
Kieran cocked his head to the side, "Fairy? You mean to say she's from Elyria?" Tieran raised his eyebrows to answer, yes. Kieran sighed, "Brother, I hate to be the one to remind you, but the last time you trusted a fairy, things ended badly for you, and I made a vow to our forefathers that I would never let such a thing happen again,"
"I already have one bodyguard, Kieran, I am not in need of another," Kieran sighed and scrunched his face. "What news did you have for me?" Tieran asked.
"They're sending someone to earth. The Elyrians,"
"Earth? Why?"
"There's a new prophecy," Kieran pulled a piece of parchment from his jacket and handed it to him. Tieran unfolded the parchment and read the words written within.
"Send Eiden and Dana to follow after their scout,"
Kieran nodded and left. Tieran looked over to his desk and with a grunt, tossed the bed covers aside and carefully climbed out of bed. He limped to the desk and sat in the cushioned seat. He picked a book from the shelf above his desk and opened the cover. A folded piece of parchment rested against the book's cover page. He took the parchment between his fingers. Its rough texture was coarse and uneven and had yellowed with time. Without opening it he placed it back in the book and leaned back in his chair.
Fate must be having a good laugh. Tieran tossed the new parchment onto his desk. He had tried so hard to stop the first prophecy. Sacrificed a great deal of himself to do so, only to have to do it all over again. He pinched the bridge of his nose. It seemed it was all for nothing now.
~~~
Lily entered her room and gasped, grabbing her suddenly racing heart.
"It's just me," Dana said with an apologetic smile.
"Sorry," Lily took a deep breath, "Just, from the side you look like your brother,"
"Which one?" She smirked with a spark of mischief in her eyes.
"The scary one,"
"Mm," she nodded playfully.
"Was there something you needed help with?" Lily asked as she made her way to the table to clean up the ingredients for the tea she made.
"Not really no," Dana ran her hand over the mantle of the fireplace, "I just," she took a breath, "I wanted to thank you, for looking after my brother, Tieran," she pursed her lips, "Tieran isn't the type to ask for help. He's always been so independent," she narrowed her eyes, "but he's different with you. Gentler, softer even,"
"I think there's more to Tieran than meets the eye," Lily looked up at her briefly.
"I'm sure,"
"There you are," Eiden appeared in the doorway, "Ready to go?" Dana nodded.
"Where are you going?" Lily's ears perked up.
Eiden tried to stop Dana from speaking. "Earth," she said. He hung his head.
"Ooh, can I come?"
"No!" Eiden quickly said.
"Why not?" Lily and Dana asked at the same time but with different tones. Lily was more of a whine and Dana was more confused.
"Um," he tapped the door frame trying to think of an excuse, "sssspecial mission," he said slowly. It was obvious he didn't believe himself, "Very dangerous. You, uh, cannot come," He looked to Dana with eyes that spoke a thousand words to dissuade Lily, but all Dana could do was nod slowly and stutter as she said,
"O-oh, yeah I forgot. Recon," she shrugged at him, "and all that," she turned to Lily, "but I'll bring you a souvenir," she offered.
"Taffy for me," Lily smiled. Dana nodded as though she succeeded and turned to leave. She narrowed her eyes at Eiden as she walked past.
He looked at her apologetically. "Later, Lily," he followed Dana.
Lily scoffed, "I can't come?" she crossed her arms with a smirk, "We'll see about that,"
~~~
Lily stood awkwardly on the side of the street wearing a cape with a hood pulled over her head. She thought this way she would be able to blend in with the mortals but now it seemed as though she was out of place and attracting more attention to herself.
The cobblestone streets of London were narrow and winding with tall buildings looming above. Horse-drawn carriages and carts rattled over the stones, sharing the space with newly invented motorcars. Humans were indeed intelligent. Lily removed the hood. Pedestrians in long coats and top hats bustled past her, navigating their way through the streets. Vendors called out their merchandise, from roasted nuts to fresh flowers.
Lily smiled. They've advanced much since last she had visited. As she walked down the busy street, she almost forgot why she was there. Upon spotting Eiden and Dana exiting a shop, she jumped behind a lamppost, not that it hid much of her anyway. She was about to follow after them when suddenly the smell of freshly baked bread caught her attention. Following the scent she turned the street corner and spotted the bakery. Almost salivating, she made her way to the shop and walked inside. The doorbell tinkled as she pushed it open. She was immediately enveloped in warmth. Rows of wooden shelves held an assortment of golden-brown bread and delicate pastries. A glass case near the back of the bakery showcased the creations of the bakers as they kneaded bread on flour dusted countertops.
Lily made her way to a nearby shelf and spotted some fresh Chelsea buns. The delicate rolls of bread were smothered in white icing. Lily reached for the nearby tong and tray and picked one of the buns up, and placed it on the tray. She then returned the tongs to their rightful place and made her way to the counter to pay.
Lily squealed in delight as she exited the bakery with her paper wrapped treat and took a bite. She moaned in delight. Definitely worth it. The soft dough melted in her mouth when suddenly she remembered why she was there. She was supposed to be following Eiden and Dana.
She quickly made her way back up the street and scanned the crowded street, her gaze darting between passersby. She recalled that they were headed in the direction of Big Ben and with newfound determination, she tucked the remaining bun into her pocket and set off in pursuit. She had to find out why they were there and why she wasn't allowed to tag along. The excuse of it being too dangerous was ridiculous. The only dangerous thing about London was the air pollution, and she was pretty sure she could survive that.
As she neared Big Ben, her heart skipped a beat as she spotted them once again. She slowed her pace, her senses heightened and her mind focused on the task at hand. The sweet taste of the Chelsea bun still lingered, but she would return to her treat at a later time. There was a mystery to solve.