The day before the wedding, Anastasia and Ileus were too busy. Darla had been on Anastasia's side all day helping her with the dresses and customs. For the parties, an official aide was attached to them to help her with the names of those present. The queen had asked them to visit Level three to meet the netizens. It was a dangerous thing to do considering that not all liked the fae princess. They had to go by evening and the whole event was scheduled for not more than an hour.
Darla had selected a lavender velvet gown for her with lace on the bodice and sleeves. After carefully looking through the jewelry, the girls decided on wearing something that was less showy and made more of a statement, so Anastasia was made to wear a long thin gold necklace that fell till her waist. Her corset was so tightly done that the upper swell of her breasts was visible through the neckline and the chain fell right in the center of the cleavage. "You should use the advantages of the advantage that ladies have, inherently," Darla said. She asked the maids to braid her hair, debating whether she should just let them open. The braid it was. At the end of it, Anastasia looked lovely in the lavender velvet gown with minimal makeup and her wings tucked behind.
"Do you think shackling my wings would be a good idea?" she asked Ileus as they walked through the east wing alleys. He was wearing navy pants with a navy waistcoat and white shirt. His hair was parted and combed back. As usual his handsome looks took her breath away.
"No, I want them to see you that way," he replied firmly, as if he had already made a decision.
They walked to the gardens and much to Anastasia's surprise, she saw a carriage waiting for them. Her royal guards and a few Mozias including Aidan were standing around it with brooms in their hands. A small vertical crinkle formed on her forehead wondering the reason.
"How are we going to go to Level three in a carriage?" she asked, bewildered as hell. Instead of horses, there were two giant condors harnessed to the carriage. Surprise flitted through her and her heart leaped out of its cage.
The corner of his lips tugged up. He offered her hand to her to step inside the carriage. When she was seated on the cushioned bench of the carriage, he said, "You have to experience it. It is one thing I loved as a child. I used to go with my parents to this." His thoughts went to Iona when he would tease her that he would throw her out of the carriage if she didn't behave.
As soon as they were seated, the carriage-man closed the door for them. From the window she noticed that Aidan and his group had mounted the broom. The carriage wobbled a little. She heard the giant birds beat their massive wings and suddenly they took off to the sky with the carriage. Anastasia squealed with delight and excitement. At the same time, she saw the guards pushing their feet on the ground and the brooms taking off in the air. She laughed when she saw Aidan flying right next to them. "Oh my god!" she laughed and yelped. "This is so interesting!"
Ileus watched her with interest. "Don't you want to fly in the skies, sweetheart?" he asked in a deep voice.
At his question, she whipped her head to look in his twin golden eyes. It was something she had been craving for so long. She wanted to fly solo in the skies. She wanted to beat her wings and go over the clouds like her mother did… like her father did… like when they both took her with them above the clouds when she was a child. "I want to," she replied with her eyes wide, emotions raw.
"Then why don't you?" he asked.
"That would— would you—" she didn't know what to say as a lump in her throat choked the rest of her words.
"I will be right there with you, sweetheart. I will be the wind beneath your wings. If you fall, you will fall in my arms. "
Anastasia's blood pounded in her ears. Her mate was allowing her to fly in the skies of Draoidh, despite the fact that she was not popular here, despite the fact that there were still so many challenges that they had to meet, despite the fact that the road to destination was not smooth. She leaned towards him and lightly pecked the corner of his mouth. "Thank you," she said and those were all the words she could manage to speak, her heart overwhelmed with emotions. So much freedom was unthinkable.
He pulled her over his lap and then set her near the door. He opened the door and said, "Go," he said and pointed with his chin to the skies in front of them.
Anastasia's gaze turned to the blue sky that looked like her mother's eyes. It expanded as an ever-growing beautiful dream. It arced down towards the snow capped mountains in the distance from where the golden sun must have risen—the sun just like her husband's eyes. Perhaps he had stolen the color from the sun. She took in a lungful of air, inhaling the sweet nature and then she jumped out into the sky and let gravity pull her down. She yelped all the way down with extreme delight. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ileus on his broom, diving just as fast as she was. She held her hands wide and then as if on instinct, her wings flared out. At first, she just let the wings glide in the air and she was uplifted. She stabilized a little and then flapped her wings and that was it. Anastasia found herself flying in the sky, just as she wanted to, just what she was designed for—a fae. Her shoulders didn't ache even for once.
For the first time, realization dwelled heavy upon Anastasia. She wasn't a captive anymore. And that realization scraped a raw emotion on her insides. It hit her hard. Tears poured from her eyes. They were tears of relief but they pricked her for the scars that had blemished over the last few months.
Seeing her in this condition, feeling the nervous beat of his mate's heart, Ileus came right beneath her. Slowly, he positioned himself beside her and then wrapped his strung muscular arm around her. With one strong pull, he made her sit on his broom as she tucked her wings back. Anastasia buried her face in the crook of his neck, not able to stop her tears, in full knowledge of the pains and pleasure that future held and realizing that when she would have married him tomorrow in the kingdom of Draoidh, she would have finally severed her ties from the fae kingdom of Vilinski, she would sever the ties from all the horrors of the past. There would be no returning to them. She would be the wife of Ileus, Crown Prince of Draoidh.
Anastasia cried and cried, until her shoulders heaved. "I love you."
He stroked her back tenderly. "I love you too."
They reached Level three where the carriage was already waiting for them.