Be Silent
Again and Again.
Eve awoke the next morning in Branwen's bed, carefully tucked under silk sheets. When Eve's eyes fluttered open she noticed not a silver haired man, but fairies flittering around her. She rose from the bed, all of the fairies giggling and flying away. Eve's dress from the previous evening was gone and she was now wearing a long black and burgundy skirt with a comfortable bodice fitted over it. Her clothes from home were neatly folded and sat on a small table on the other side of the room.
Eve was just slipping out of bed when Branwen joined her, his hair still undone and draping over his shoulders. Eve smiled and let herself be pulled into Branwen's gentle embrace. He smiled like herbs and flowers and his hair, like his skin, was damp and cool.
"I went for a swim while you slept this morning. I hope you don't mind,"
Eve shook her head before lowering her eyes. Branwen tilted her head up and treated her to a questioning gaze to which Eve smiled gently and pulled away. She left the room quietly and wandered about the new world beneath the Labyrinth before a horrible thought hit her;
She had to get home. What about her younger brothers? Who was going to watch them?
Eve rushed back into Branwen's room, taking her long skirt and bodice off and replacing them with her other clothes before a hand was placed on her shoulder.
"It's taken care of. We sent a maiden to take your place, she's a shape shifter. They'll never know the difference."
Eve instantly calmed down and looked up at Branwen. She smiled and embraced him tightly before pulling back. Branwen helped her remove her clothes and put her bodice and skirt back on. Eve rather liked how the two pieces of clothing looked on her. She'd never really worn clothes that showed off her figure and it made her feel more self-confident.
Branwen sat Eve down on the bed and gently massaged her shoulders, looming over her and placing a kiss on her cheek.
"I've heard things about you," he said in a smooth voice.
"Like what?" Eve replied, her eyes closed as she leaned back against Branwen.
"That you and Etiraan, my most respectable ambassador, know each other in more ways than one."
Eve's eyes opened slowly as Etiraan's cold glare borrowed back into her brain. She shook the memory away and focused on Branwen's words, taking a deep breath before answering him.
"Etiraan and I didn't know each other long. I took him above the Labyrinth, to my house, and I took photos of him for my collection and then he took me to last night's ceremony. We don't know each other that well---"
Suddenly Branwen took hold of Eve's shoulders and pushed her away from him. Eve yelped as she stumbled to gain her footing and watched as Branwen stomped out of the room in a storm. Eve sat back on the bed, staring at the door in concern and wondering what had just gone wrong.
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The starlight poured into the Labyrinth that night.
Eve hadn't seen Branwen in hours and took it upon herself to look for him. Although she was only dressed in one of his shirts, it reached low enough that she shouldn't be worried about anything. Guided by a few fairies, Eve made her way around the vibrant land of the Labyrinth. She finally found Branwen, sprawled on his back near a lake with the starlight in his eyes.
The fairies flew away and Eve approached Branwen silently. She finally stood over him, looking down in sparkling green orbs that looked like unknown galaxies. Branwen blinked as if he was awoken from a dream and looked at Eve. His face instantly softened when he saw her crouched by his side obediently.
"You didn't have to come look for me,"
"But I wanted to."
"If it pleases you, then you have found me. Now go away."
"But why? Tell me why you want me to go."
"That is none of your business, therefore I will not tell you. Now go away."
Eve stood up and stamped her foot, looking down at Branwen with a fierce glare. He was rather startled and at the same time fell madly in love with the fire in Eve.
"If I am to be the Princess of this strange place, a place I never knew existed until two days ago, then I command that you tell me why!!"
Branwen sighed and sat up, stretching out his legs and bending his knees slightly so Eve could settle in between his legs. She sat down as if obeying a silent command and Branwen gently stroked her hair as he explained.
"Etiraan and I. .even though he is my most trusted ambassador, is not my most trusted friend. He has taken many things from me and I don't want him to take you away from me again."
Branwen's arm tightened protectively around Eve as she looked up at the stars, resting her head against Branwen's shoulder. She turned her head so she could inhale the exotic scent from his skin again and feel his throat thrum with the waves of his smooth voice.
"I want to keep you as my own but I know I cannot do that. All I ask is that you stay safe and don't go near him unless I'm with you or there's someone to protect you. He and his brothers may seem safe and they may seem friendly, but they are backstabbers. I'm not losing you again."
The word 'again' echoed throughout Eve's mind as she wondered what he was talking about. Eve had never been here before, she would've remembered such an unearthly place. But Eve was far too tired to think about what he was talking about and would question it at another time.
She let out a quiet yawn and relaxed in Branwen's arms, falling asleep under the endlessly shooting stars and in her prince's arms. Her prince.
Eve was just slipping out of bed when Branwen joined her, his hair still undone and draping over his shoulders. Eve smiled and let herself be pulled into Branwen's gentle embrace. He smiled like herbs and flowers and his hair, like his skin, was damp and cool.
"I went for a swim while you slept this morning. I hope you don't mind,"
Eve shook her head before lowering her eyes. Branwen tilted her head up and treated her to a questioning gaze to which Eve smiled gently and pulled away. She left the room quietly and wandered about the new world beneath the Labyrinth before a horrible thought hit her;
She had to get home. What about her younger brothers? Who was going to watch them?
Eve rushed back into Branwen's room, taking her long skirt and bodice off and replacing them with her other clothes before a hand was placed on her shoulder.
"It's taken care of. We sent a maiden to take your place, she's a shape shifter. They'll never know the difference."
Eve instantly calmed down and looked up at Branwen. She smiled and embraced him tightly before pulling back. Branwen helped her remove her clothes and put her bodice and skirt back on. Eve rather liked how the two pieces of clothing looked on her. She'd never really worn clothes that showed off her figure and it made her feel more self-confident.
Branwen sat Eve down on the bed and gently massaged her shoulders, looming over her and placing a kiss on her cheek.
"I've heard things about you," he said in a smooth voice.
"Like what?" Eve replied, her eyes closed as she leaned back against Branwen.
"That you and Etiraan, my most respectable ambassador, know each other in more ways than one."
Eve's eyes opened slowly as Etiraan's cold glare borrowed back into her brain. She shook the memory away and focused on Branwen's words, taking a deep breath before answering him.
"Etiraan and I didn't know each other long. I took him above the Labyrinth, to my house, and I took photos of him for my collection and then he took me to last night's ceremony. We don't know each other that well---"
Suddenly Branwen took hold of Eve's shoulders and pushed her away from him. Eve yelped as she stumbled to gain her footing and watched as Branwen stomped out of the room in a storm. Eve sat back on the bed, staring at the door in concern and wondering what had just gone wrong.
-----------------------------------
The starlight poured into the Labyrinth that night.
Eve hadn't seen Branwen in hours and took it upon herself to look for him. Although she was only dressed in one of his shirts, it reached low enough that she shouldn't be worried about anything. Guided by a few fairies, Eve made her way around the vibrant land of the Labyrinth. She finally found Branwen, sprawled on his back near a lake with the starlight in his eyes.
The fairies flew away and Eve approached Branwen silently. She finally stood over him, looking down in sparkling green orbs that looked like unknown galaxies. Branwen blinked as if he was awoken from a dream and looked at Eve. His face instantly softened when he saw her crouched by his side obediently.
"You didn't have to come look for me,"
"But I wanted to."
"If it pleases you, then you have found me. Now go away."
"But why? Tell me why you want me to go."
"That is none of your business, therefore I will not tell you. Now go away."
Eve stood up and stamped her foot, looking down at Branwen with a fierce glare. He was rather startled and at the same time fell madly in love with the fire in Eve.
"If I am to be the Princess of this strange place, a place I never knew existed until two days ago, then I command that you tell me why!!"
Branwen sighed and sat up, stretching out his legs and bending his knees slightly so Eve could settle in between his legs. She sat down as if obeying a silent command and Branwen gently stroked her hair as he explained.
"Etiraan and I. .even though he is my most trusted ambassador, is not my most trusted friend. He has taken many things from me and I don't want him to take you away from me again."
Branwen's arm tightened protectively around Eve as she looked up at the stars, resting her head against Branwen's shoulder. She turned her head so she could inhale the exotic scent from his skin again and feel his throat thrum with the waves of his smooth voice.
"I want to keep you as my own but I know I cannot do that. All I ask is that you stay safe and don't go near him unless I'm with you or there's someone to protect you. He and his brothers may seem safe and they may seem friendly, but they are backstabbers. I'm not losing you again."
The word 'again' echoed throughout Eve's mind as she wondered what he was talking about. Eve had never been here before, she would've remembered such an unearthly place. But Eve was far too tired to think about what he was talking about and would question it at another time.
She let out a quiet yawn and relaxed in Branwen's arms, falling asleep under the endlessly shooting stars and in her prince's arms. Her prince.