Stumbled Into (Taken)

A relief washed over him, drowning out the worry that he'd felt moments before as he was about to watch Ella fly away. This wonderful, beautiful woman who had saved his life to just leave and be out of his life. Just like that. Now she landed and spoke softly, the tears on her lashes laced into her voice in the sad but beautiful melody. She walked closer to him, asking him a simple question. "Yes Ella, I want you, I really want you." Letting go of her hand for merely a moment in order to let his arms wrap around her. Something, some connection with her told him that she wanted to be close to him.

"I don't care what they think you were supposed to be... you're Ella to me, the beautiful woman who saved my life." With that he held her close to him. He let his eyes close and fought back the tears of joy at the moment. Men were not supposed to cry and yet, one escaped, rolling down his cheek and falling onto Ella's shoulder. "I want you to stay with me," his voice was whispered into her ear. With those words he just stayed like that for as long as Ella wanted. Just letting himself enjoy her company.

It was awhile before the two of them finally felt safe enough to let the other go, "We need to get back on the path..." he gave a sad smile not really wanting to leave this moment, but there were more moments to have just down the road. Helping her into the saddle he walked the horse back over to the cave and cleared the fire. Sending the remains down the river he left no trace as best he could. Then he hopped into the saddle and began to ride through the woods. Heading towards what he assumed would lead him back to his hometown of Riversong.
 
Ella closed her eyes as they rode, focusing on hiding her wings. She held onto Darian as they rode, almost desperately. They soon arrived in the town, with people moving around happily. Ella watched the humans with a large curiosity in her eyes. They all interacted with each other so differently than the faeries did. The fae would never look another in the eye. That was considered to be something only those closest to you would do. She looked away when a man eyed her, whistling and catcalling to her.
 
It felt good to have Ella's hands around her waist, the feeling of her breath upon his back and the warmth that she provided for him. Now they were in his hometown. Things seemed to be getting back to the normal which Darian had been used to before. However there was one thing that would be new. Glaring at the man who had just catcalled Ella the man seemed to smirk and just shrink away. Darian turned his head just enough that he could look at her. How was he going to explain her to those around him?

Turning down the road there were several average sized homes, one however stood out as more of a mansion then home. It was towards the wall of the city, at least three stories and with a bit of land surrounding it. A statue of a beautiful woman stood in the center of a small circle of water, elevated above she looked down as if watching the imaginary water flow from her pot. "Welcome to my home..." The garden was just visible to the side of the home, however most of it seemed very dry. The only thing that grew was a small group of white carnations.

Helping Ella off the horse he opened the door for her into the entryway. It was average for a house of that size, several paintings of various parts of the forest lined the walls. Two turning staircases led to the upper floors. A large room full of dusty tomes and unread novels was visible as well as a sitting room on the opposite side. "Please make yourself at home." He stated, more out of habit... he'd entertained women in his home before. Never one like Ella though and it seemed he was on his best behavior. He laughed at the fact his mind was already reacting like she was another woman he was courting.

"Boy!" The shout filled the entryway and echoed several times, it seemed to shake Darian to his core as he quickly realized the owner of the gruff deep voice. Standing at the top of the stairway was a plump older gentleman with a manacle and cane. He was shorter in stature then Darian but his very presence sent chills down his spine. "Where have you been?!" The cane raised slightly and came down hard causing a thump to reverberate through the halls. "Out gallivanting about with some common woman I see? Spending your hard earned money on frivolity while the bank suffers! I knew you weren't ready for it."

Darian clenched his fists, his knuckles immediately going white and his jaw set he turned to his father. "I'm doing very well father, I'm sorry to announce that I was attacked by a group of bandits on the road back. They took everything..." his father began to wave his hands and shaking his head, "It must have taken you all night to come up with a story like that! Worthless... if I find that you're mistaken then I'll take my bank back from you."
 
"Sir, if I may intrude." Ella said, stepping from behind Darian. She kept her head low and humble. "I am sorry to say that your son was indeed robbed. He would be dead if I had not been travelling at the time. My name is Ella Pierce. I was running an errand for my family when I saw your son beaten and stolen from." She curtsied as she said this, holding her position. The Pierce family was well known to the humans to be a powerful family, but they were shut-ins, sending their daughter in commoner's clothes to run their errands. No one was sure what the daughter looked like or what her name was. All they knew was that she was bewitchingly beautiful. She looked up shyly, hoping not to disrespect the man.
 
Darian's father approached the two of them just as Ella began to speak, as she spoke Darian turned his head to look at her. He watched as she spoke to his father further backing his story with her own testimony. Except for she spoke and acted just as a fable member of the Pierce family. For a moment Darian was confused at how she would know the Pierce family. However in order to keep up with the story he just turned to his father and gave a smirk, glad to see that for once his father would have no reason to assume the worst about his son.

"Ah..." Darian's father seemed suddenly out of place, he looked upon the girl and suddenly became very docile. "Well... I... I'm sorry that I was so harsh in front of the daughter of the Pierce family." Keeping up appearances was everything to Darian's father. And to have such a well known family in his son's home was good fortune indeed. Perhaps there would be a chance that Darian could marry into the Pierce family, thus increasing this house's influence. "Please, excuse me... I'm... I, uh, am glad your back boy." He turned to his son and nodded briskly, not enjoying the atmosphere he'd created for himself. He quickly left the home and started down the road towards his own home.

Looking over at Ella he smiled, "Thank you, you have no idea how satisfying it was to see him like that. I'm sorry that he was so brash..." Walking in a bit more he smiled and turned to her. "Once again, welcome to my home." He bowed to her. "You covered nicely, but how do you know about the Pierce family? Are they as well known among the fae?"
 
"They are humans who married into the fae. Their daughter is one of the few hybrids that is human." She said, smiling. "I'm glad you weren't punished... You said you had a garden. Would you show it to me?" From what she saw in the front, the garden was in horrible shape. She wanted to help the poor things, hoping she could bring life back to the garden. She played with her hair, a bit scared that Darian's father would find out that she wasn't a member of the Pierce family or that she was a faerie.
 
Suddenly the Pierce family's secretive nature made perfect sense, laughing lightly he realized just how ridiculous that would have sounded to him just two days ago. "That suddenly makes so much more sense..." he told her before nodding and walking with her to the side door. Opening the door for her he watched as she entered the garden. Knowing what she was and the likely connection that she had with nature this was probably quite embarrassing. "I told you I didn't have much of a green thumb..." Walking out with her he looked around the garden. He'd planted herbs, a few roses, and even an apple tree. The apple tree provided good shade but had never produced any fruit.

"You said that the royals were the ones that intermingled with the humans, and you also told me that you were neither a royal or a pure. Do you think it's right that the fae mate with humans?" Darian asked, out of curiosity, yes that's what it was curiosity. And yet Darian couldn't help but feel a bit of a personal stake in the question.
 
"I have no position on the matter." Ella said, remembering what her master said about her having opinions. "... but if I did, I would encourage the mingling with humans. The pure fae are growing weaker from incest." She walked around the garden, lightly touching the plants. They started to grow and prosper immediately, the apple tree gaining apple blossoms. She smiled at each plant, making sure each got a fair amount of attention from her.
 
"I see..." Darian said, not really sure what he was supposed to say after something like that. It had answered his question though and it filled him with a certain sense of happiness. She wouldn't be opposed it seemed to the idea of a relationship with a human. Wasn't he thinking a little too much into this? He didn't even know how she felt about him other then she was curious about the human race... yet, that moment they'd shared on the riverside. He wanted to hold her and he had a feeling she wanted to be held.

Looking up he began to watch her and lost his train of thought, she was so beautiful like this. It was like she was in her natural element. Darian watched in amazement as the plants suddenly started to spring to life. Beautiful roses began to bloom, herbs became lush and bountiful. And most surprising of all was the fact that the apple tree began to bloom. Reaching up Darian cupped the apple blossoms. "You definitely have a gift with plants... have you always been able to do this? Are there other faeries that can do that?"
 
"No... most fae can not use this magic..." She hesitated to continue. She sat near the middle of the garden, watching over the garden. She had a different magic than most. The fae usually had magic that cast illusions or simple spells. Sometimes they would have a specific magic they could use whenever they wanted. That was only powerful fae though. Ella had the magic of life and death. With a touch of her fingers she can kill someone or heal them with a song. It was a dangerous magic that the royals had kept hidden until the pure found her and took her.
 
Watching her he began to move close to her watching her as she continued to watch the garden. He smiled and went to sit down next to her, to him her powers seemed nothing more then the ability to bring plants back to life. He didn't factor in what she'd done to the faeries that were back near the inn. Perhaps she had just choked them out and they had gotten close to death. "Well, your power over plants is phenomenal... this garden hasn't ever looked this good. Thank you."

Watching as his apple tree began to bear fruit right before his eyes. Laughing he stood up and took one from the tree, then took one for Ella as well. "I planted this because apples were my favorite. It's never bore fruit before, looks like I owe you even more. It seems my debt is getting even higher..." he smiled at her once more and looked into her eyes.
 
Ella shook her head. "Good deeds need no debts. The happiness you bring others should be the only reward." She said, taking the apple from him with a smile. The plants started to grow normally, all of the life they needed to catch up on done. She took a bite, smiling at the sweetness. As Darian sat down, she leaned against him, closing her eyes. Her wings lost its spell and reappeared, fluttering behind her in happiness.
 
It was a bit surprising to Darian to have her leaning on him, it didn't scare him but brought him back to the thoughts he was having before. Her wings appeared once more fluttering quickly. It was mesmerizing and very appealing to Darian. He never thought he'd say that but there weren't too many women in his life that had wings. Taking a bite of his apple he felt a little apple juice drip down the side of his mouth. Reaching up he felt like a kid once again, it was good. Sitting in the garden with an apple in his hand and enjoying the warmth of the evening sun's dying light on the horizon. He was, for the first time since he was a kid content... and he had this strange faery woman to thank for that. This beautifully strange faery woman.

He didn't say anything, just sat there with her and watched the sun set... after it became dark he turned to her and smiled. "It's dark, shall we go inside? I can show you to your room if you'd like to rest? Or we can make something to eat? Of course I could draw you another bath... it's much larger then the one back at the inn."
 
"I'll be fine... if you could show me a room, I would be most thankful." She said standing up and bowing her head. She wondered which of the closets she would sleep in in this house. Hopefully it was bigger than her old closet. It got quite cramped in there a bit too often for her liking.
 
Standing up with her he smiled and laughed lightly, she seemed so formal to him... he seemed too formal to her. They'd already been through so much. "Of course." He began walking towards the house before stopping, "Oh and Ella?" He turned to her, "Really, thank you... you have no idea what that apple means to me, or the help that you've given me so far." With that he took her back into the house.

The third floor was where all of the guest quarters were, as well as Darian's master bedroom. Taking her to the room next to his own he smiled, "I hope that this room will be good enough for you." The room was at least twice the size of the room at the inn, there was a lush carpet on the floor, a four post bed with a veil fit for a queen. On the wall hung a mirror in front of a small desk where a quill and ink sat. A few books were arranged on a small shelf in one of the corners. However the most prominent feature in the room was the doorway to a small balcony. Next to it was Darian's balcony which led to his own room. There were also a few chairs and cushions arranged around the room. "Please make yourself at home. The wash room is across the hall, from my room, which is next door if you need me."
 
"Are you sure this is for me?" She asked, looking at him in disbelief. She looked around the room, trying to find the person who was living there. "This can't possibly be the room you want me to stay in..." It was too big. Ella looked around the room with amazement. She noticed the mirror and immediately walked toward it. She blinked when she found a beautiful faerie in the reflection. That couldn't be her. Of course it wasn't her. She was a slave that was not pretty . She was dirty and scruffy. That's it.
 
Walking into the center of the room he looked directly at her when she began to explain that this couldn't possibly be her room. Laughing lightly he nodded, "It's yours, all of it." It seemed though that she was already making use of the amenities for the room. The mirror seemed to interest her at the moment. She was just staring at her reflection in disbelief. Walking over to her he smiled, standing next to her in the mirror. "Have you seen a mirror before?" Placing his hands on her shoulders for a moment he realized how personal that might seem to her.

Taking his hands away he walked towards the desk, "I'm sorry but I've lived alone in this house, there aren't many things which a beautiful girl like yourself could use for clothes or things. Perhaps tomorrow when I get home from the bank we can go shopping together? Pick out some clothes that you would like to wear?"
 
"No, I haven't..." Ella said before walking over to the bed and shaking her head. "You've already done so much for me... I couldn't ask for much more." She lied down on the bed, enjoying the feeling. It felt so good to have something as comfortable as this to lie on. She felt like falling asleep right there. But something was missing... a certain warmth was missing from the bed. She looked over at Darian, her eyes wide with curiosity. She wanted to know how humans made such comfortable beds, how they made commerce, why the men acted so strangely. She wanted to know it all.
 
Reaching out he touched the mirror, for a moment as she went to sit on the bed and then tell him that there was so much that he'd done for her already. Shaking his head quickly he looked over at her. "Ella, you saved my life... twice. No amount of money can repay that debt, clothes would be a start." Walking towards her he sat down on the bed next to her. "Besides, money is not really an issue for me. My bank is one of the most successful in the city and surrounding area."

As he sat on the bed he realized just how much he'd missed sleeping on his own beds, the night at the inn sleeping sitting up and in the cave were a little rough for his luxurious taste. "You have my full attention, is there anything that you'd like to know, or have questions about what you've seen so far?"
 
"The men and women interactions confuse me." Ella said. "The women giggle and show off their chests while the men stare and say strange things." She shook her head. "It's nothing like how the fae court each other. Is that how humans court?" She sat up, staring at Darian with large eyes. Her wings fluttered behind her, showing her eagerness to know about this strange new species. "And why did your father treat you with such contempt? Don't humans see their children as blessings?"
 
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