14: Time Matters

CORDELIA

A blast of heat hit my face as a fireplace roared to life, snapping me from the terrible memory. Light flooded the once darkroom I had laid here in the evening, yet the morning sun broke through the curtains. I sat up in the bed, sheets wet with my sweat, and vomited up the contents of my stomach. I was heaving the dinner prior's venison, bread, and poached pears. I brought my eye up to a pixie who held a fire poker, easily in its hands, nearly six times its size. Their strength was so disproportionate to their tiny bodies. I assume they had started the fire that awoke me.

"You couldn't lean towards the floor first, girl?" It sneered, its high-pitched voice whizzing with disgust. Setting the poker down, it flew on its blue wings toward the door on the far side of the room. Opening the heavy door without touching the knob through some magic, it entered the adjoining bathroom. A rush of water hit metal in the distance as the pixie flew right up to my face. 

"If you're done with this disgusting mortal mess- please go clean yourself in the tub so we can attend to the linens" The tiny face of the pixie set in a look of distaste. 

"I'm sorry," I said to it. The pixie covered their face with a tiny hand. 

"Brush your disgusting human mouth as well." It muttered through its palm. The Pixie snapped its fingers, a golden toothbrush appeared in a cup on my nightstand. Ashamed, I pushed the sheet containing the vomit to the side and, grabbing the cup, I made my way to the tub. I wanted to pull a fiber from one of my enchanted gowns and try my hand at flipping this pixie asshole out the window, but I thought better of it after seeing the tub they had prepared for me.

A pool might have been a better word for it—the colossal copper container steaming as it filled with warm water. Hundreds of tiny petals floated on its surface, filling the room with its floral scents. This tub was not made for my tiny human proportions. I dropped my soiled shift on the floor and slid into the water's heavenly warmth. I let my head submerge under cover of pink petals, holding the air in my lungs until my body urged for more. As I crested the water, I gulped a breath and thought of the vision I'd just had. I hadn't had one this strong since when I'd first arrived. I pushed the bad feelings down again. I would be productive, find a safe way home, and kill that fucking beast.

I dressed quickly, grabbing the first gown out of the wardrobe. It wasn't my favorite, but it was still nicer than anything I had owned before. Nelo was a machine when it came to providing me with a wardrobe. I appreciated it, but it made me feel like her little doll. I strode down the grand staircase dressed in the gown that Nelo had supplied. The fabric a shimmering lightweight pink. It would surely be far too sheer if worn alone, but it was entirely decent in combination with my gossamer shift. The bodice had structured cups and a boned bodice, the waistline gathered into an a-line skirt that floated many layers of that same fabric. It whispered in the breeze. The dress was so light. The sleeves were puffed and tapered at the elbow, making my elbow and wrist appear almost dainty. It contrasted my strong farmer's body, but I did not mind feeling so feminine. I decided to use that aspect of myself to my advantage. For whatever reason, these fae wanted to protect me- I could play into the idea of being someone who needed a bit of protection. I had left my long dark auburn hair loose, save for two tiny braids that held my wave at bay, from the crown of my head, knotted them loosely near the apex of my skull, my hair hitting just below my shoulder blades. 

I turned into the dining room, where I was promised breakfast would be served and started towards my chair at the table. Strange to think I had been here long enough to have a spot at the table. Two pixies moved in from somewhere near the sideboard and magicked the chair out for me to sit. 

"Thank you," I said to each, still feeling bad for wanting to toss them out the window before. Both pixies rolled their eyes and returned to whatever work they had been busy with before. I heard a clicking noise to my left and whipped my head towards it. A piece of the wall, a square trimmed with some of the beautiful guilting moldings, whirred open—a secret door. The same plump green-skinned creature from my first meal backed into the room, turning as its food tray cleared its frame. Her face was beautiful, except for two jutting teeth from her bottom jaw that stuck out her mouth. Her full lips and large brown eyes are perfect proportions for her oval face. Her black hair was tied messily in a large bun atop her head. She eyed me cautiously as she set the delicious-looking pastries tray onto the table in front of me. 

"Hello, my name is Cordelia- I don't think we've met yet," I said, raising my hand to hers. She looked down at my hand and back up towards my face a few times. The green-skinned beauty raised her hand towards her chest.

"Me. Isadel." She said, her voice deep and husky, and continued her work. She set bowls of brightly colored fruits at each place setting and poured a pink juice into small glass cups. 

"Thank you, Isadel. This looks wonderful- did you make this and dinner last night too?" I assumed she was the cook- I doubt these fae made meals for themselves. A king surely wouldn't cook his dinner. 

"Isabel cook." She nodded. "Isabel glad like," She said, smiling as she placed small butter bowls by each plate. 

"Lunch yesterday might have been the best food I've ever had." I smiled. Trust, I needed to gain this house's trust. If I had to start with the cook, so be it. Her speech led me to believe that the language I spoke was not her own. I wondered how far the fae realm extended past the seasonal kingdoms. How many languages might be spoken here? 

"Glad." She said and turned heel again with the now empty tray and made her way back to that secret door. "Enjoy, Cor-Cor-" She struggled with my name. 

"Cor is fine." I said sweetly, "Thank you." Isadel nodded and closed the door behind her. I made a mental note of its placement, which might come in handy later. Nelo whirled into the room, plopping herself into her chair. She wore a black gown, sleek and straightforward, cut for movement. She grabbed a golden pastry and started to add a large spread of butter to it. 

"I met the cook again, Isadel," I said to her. She raised her eyebrows at me. 

"She's not one for many conversations, is she?" Nelo asked. 

"No, I guess not. Does she speak another language?" I questioned. Nelo sighed. 

"She's a demon halfling- they speak the same tongue as we do." She said, "But Isadel has trouble because she was locked in a cell for much of her life- in the mountain I showed you on the tapestry- She's from the very center of the continent. She never got the chance for her brain to wire the language skills that come naturally with practice." Nelo said, frowning. 

"That's terrible," I responded. "What happened?" Nelo took a bite of the pastry. 

"She's got a sad story really. I don't know if it's mine to tell though. Long story short she never learned to speak. She was locked up for her entire life, her father kept her prisoner. She's come a long way since Orthus freed her. She can get her point across for the most part now." My eyes were wide. 

"How terrible! How could he do that to his own flesh and blood?" I asked her. Nelo shrugged, "Sometimes you can't explain the bad in the world, Cordelia." She said. 

"Orthus freed her then?" I asked. She shook her head, sipping down the pink juice. 

"Circe did; she found her, mute, scared, wandering the battlefield close to the mountain. A blast of stray magic freed her from her prison when it broke the wall of her cell." She tapped her finger on the glass in her hands, "Circe could never leave the helpless behind. Maybe that's why she loved me so much." She laughed, and her face lit up a bit. "After the battle, Circe smuggled her back over the shallow seas to Summer. She's learned to speak so much more since she's been here; I know it doesn't seem like much improvement, but...She didn't even have a name. Isadel was the name of the summer ship that sailed her back here." She sighed. "She turned out to have quite the knack for cooking, though- I think years of being fed the same terrible prison food every day, she finds joy in creating these amazing delicacies for us. She vowed to serve in Orthus house until her dying day, in repayment for her freedom," Nelo said. 

Vows, bargains, wars, enslaved people, and abuse. Each hour I learned about terrible things prevalent here in Aidor.

"Orthus is a warlord then. Was it his war?" He was King that I knew. But somehow, the conqueror didn't seem to fit. 

"Orthus is exactly who he needs to be when we need it." Is all Nelo said? She lowered her eyes and picked around bits of berries. I wanted to know more but felt like I was already pushing a bit too hard with my line of questioning. She made a bowl of fruit for me. "Eat. I think we should do some exploring today.." Nelo quickly changed the subject. 

"I'd like that very much," I told her. She brought her eyes back up to mine and smiled. 

"Any more memories, ideas on how you arrived here?" She asked, tapping her index finger towards her head. 

"I still can't see my journey," I lied, hoping I was convincing. "But bits and pieces of my life are coming into focus." I needed to give her a few kernels of the truth if I wanted to keep up this charade. My story had to be grounded in something real. 

"I lived in a village with my parents," I said. "My father is a butcher," Giving my false surname of Oscuro some merit only to myself internally, "and is very protective of me." Nelo leaned in. 

"So who taught you to punch like a spitfire? Was that your fathers doing?" She winked. 

"Sure was. I'm an only child, and he wanted me to be able to have some shot at protecting myself. Just a few little things on sparring. It's frowned upon in my world for Women to do those things." I downplayed the years of training he had given me. Nelo balked. 

"To fight?" She laughed, "All fae babes, regardless of what's between their legs, learn to protect themselves and their courts. I like your father." She said. 

Great, so I was stuck with creatures all trained to fight since birth- noted. I was in so over my head.

"Do you think Orthus will be able to get home?" I asked, searching her face, it quickly becoming grave. 

"I- I don't know. I've never slipped the veil. Orthus did once, but it was an unmitigated disaster. It sapped his powers so greatly and put the court at such great risk; I'm not sure he would risk losing his power like that again." My brows knitted. "And the cost...Circe." I stopped her. 

"Orthus told me, I know. I'm so sorry." I put a hand on her arm, a bad attempt at comfort. 

"I'm okay." She lied. She clutched her delicate scarred fingers back and forth in her lap. It felt like Penelope was good at keeping the sadness at bay, mostly. I could sense the sharp corner of grief threatening to break through her calm demeanor. I knew what it felt like. 

"It's okay if you're not. You can tell me, and I won't judge you. Nelo, you're the only friend I have here." Her eyes watered, and she smirked the saddest little smile I'd ever seen. "Let's be honest. I'm anything but okay myself." I told her. She took a deep breath.

"Half of me died that day, and I'll never feel whole again. What can I do, though?" She sniffed and pushed the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "She would want me to go on and be happy, so I try." I got up from my chair and pulled her into me. Life had been cruel to both of us, and I don't think either one deserved the lot we had been given. She pulled me in closer, and her hair smelled like basil. I pulled air deeply into my lungs, and we both stood there, comfortable in each other's embrace. After a while, the fae pulled back and smiled. 

"I'm glad you found us." She said. 

"I am too, but I can't wait to go home. If we can figure it out, the transportation Orthus told me I could go home when the veil opened again- after the ball" She looked sad again, but I could almost see her resolution to be happy for me. 

"So what are you going to do about the time loss? Do you have any idea what story you'll tell people" She cocked her head towards me? I hadn't thought of that. What was I going to tell my village about where I had been? I'd have to tell them of the beast then. I hoped they'd believe me. 

"I'll think I'll go with the truth. I know that they'll be suspicious that I've been gone a month, but—" Nelo's eyes shot wide as she cut me off. 

"Um—Shit—He didn't tell you?" My head tilted, and my face wrinkled in confusion. 

"Tell me what, Nelo?" My voice was more commanding than I had intended, but anger built in my chest. Secrets were being kept from me again. 

"I, uh, well— Goddess damn Orthus." She closed her eyes briefly as she drew in a hot breath of air. "Time moves differently here." When she finished speaking she tilted her head, peeking one eye up at me in nervous anticipation of my reaction. 

"Go on." I prodded. My expression was blank, I could keep composed until she explained. I wasn't sure I grasped the issue. She was still nervous. 

"Well, time elapses much more quickly in this realm. I don't know much about your world, but I know it's a bit sped up compared to ours...." Her words came fast and bumbling from her mouth. 

"Nelo, can you please be more exact than sped up for me? What kind of time loss are we talking about?" I felt the sharpness of my voice as the face of the fae winced. 

"Ugghhh," I placed my hand on her shoulder, looking directly into her eyes.

"Don't lie to me. You're my only friend here." I softened; she really was my only friend. I never sensed an ulterior motive with her. Sure she wanted to treat me like a doll, but she didn't want to use me or abuse me like her companions. 

"Each day here, it's, well, it's a—" She was so nervous, stuttering, and unable to get out her response. 

"Just tell me!" I snapped. Her words shot quickly out of her throat, and I stood there stunned.

"Every day here is a year for your home." Her words shot quickly out of her throat, and I stood there stunned.

What the fuck? 

"But how— that can't be possible!" I said, my breath hitching. Years? What had become of the rest of my farm, that land, and animals that the beast hadn't burned. Who had buried my mother and father? It wasn't possible. I began to back away from Nelo, rising from my chair. 

"Okay, oh my god, years? If I go back now, maybe I can..." My heart thumped in my chest. I kept backing up from the table, facing my eyes shut to think about how I could get home quickly. I couldn't wait 30 days- within a month, 30 years would have passed. Most of the adults I knew would be dead by then. Would the beast even outlive 30 years? I shot my eyes open and begged. "I need to go back now. What do we need to do? I need to figure-" Nelo rose and reached for me; I dodged her hand. 

"You can't, Cordelia." She had honest regret in her eyes. "I'm not even sure we can send you back safely, but I know we won't be able to send you home until the solstice. It's impossible to use the fairy pool outside of precise times. I want you here, though! It's easier to be here—Right?. We can take care of you and provide for you. I know we're not your family, but I think you could fit into mine." Nelo pleaded. The loneliness in her eyes threatened to break my rage, but in the end, I allowed myself to be angry.

I was not a pet; I didn't want to be kept here. Nelo bit her lip and waited for my response. I didn't want this world. I had known my family was dead but didn't realize that time would be so cruel in its progression, that home had changed so much. My breathing rhythm became frenzied. I needed to strike something, to get this rage out. I grabbed a glass of pink juice from the table and threw it past Penelope- watching it shatter on a tapestry of dancing nudes around a bonfire. The figures turned and gasped as the glass shattered against the magic weaving. 

I was stuck. I backed away from Nelo, scrambling, unable to catch my breath. My shoulders hit something solid and extensive. A substantial pale hand gripped my shoulder just before my feet slipped from beneath me as the panic truly set in. 

"Nelo, what's going on?" Orthus quickly caught me and put his other arm under my knees as though we had been dancing. He lifted my limp body, neck pulling again with that tang of electricity as I left the present.