I needed some advice. But who do I ask? The rumors about Ella's elderly helper didn't escape me. Was she magic? I needed to talk to Ella. That evening, I saw Ella during dinner. She was indeed very beautiful. But she also had the heart filled with kindness, and she was smart. So, at the end of dinner, I stopped her before she would put her children to bed. She never had nursemaids do that for her.
"Ella, can you spare a moment?" I asked her.
She smiled at me. "Of course." She sat waiting to hear me out.
"Please, tell me the truth." I pleaded. "I was very young when Christian had the ball when the two of you met. Did the woman who helped you attend the ball have magical abilities?"
She looked a little hesitant to answer.
"It's very important," I stressed. "I've been given a responsibility that will affect thousands of people and any help I can get..."
Ella smiled her sweet smile, dropping her head slightly. "She did."
"Do you speak to her now?" I asked.
"Frequently."
"Would she speak to me? As I said. It's very important." I told her again.
"I can ask her," Ella said. "Is this about Blethos?"
I nodded. "It is. But also, it has to do with me. I'm supposed to decide who will rule Blethos. Choose a mate, and they become ruler. But I want to marry for love as you and Christian have. The two of you are happy, and that keeps Christian sane and makes him a good king because he has your support and strength. Well, I'm supposed to do that and choose. I want to be that strength and support for their ruler."
She nodded. "Of course, you do." She rose, touching my face gently. "I will ask her."
"Thank you, Ella."
She smiled and walked away.
It was two days later, or should I say, two nights later when I woke because someone was moving around my room. It was late, or rather very early, because it was the middle of the night. In spite of that fact, I was never frightened. It could have been someone who wanted to harm me, but that thought left when I heard this person accidentally hit something and let out a curse. It was a male. Rolling over, I lit a lamp by my bed and held it up. A man, a little pudgy, perhaps in his forties, was holding his shin and letting a few more curses out. He wore the clothes a servant would wear, but they were a little...sparkly?
"And you are?" I asked him, again, feeling no panic.
"In pain." The man grumbled.
I chuckled. "Well, that's what happens when you roam around in the dark. I'll ask again. Who are you?"
"Demetrius." The man sat in a nearby chair rubbing his shin. "Well, I came because you asked me to come."
"I did?"
He shrugged and nodded. "Well, not me exactly. You asked Ella to ask her fairy godmother. And her fairy godmother asked me to come instead."
How could he have known that if someone hadn't told him? And I only told Ella. "You're a fairy?"
He again gave me a shrugging nod. "Sort of."
He was a bit quirky, but he seemed likable. "Sort of? Either you are or you're not."
"Look, kid." He griped. "You asked for someone of my kind to help you make a decision. Well, here I am. So, what'll it be?"
"So, you turn pumpkins in the carriages and mice into horses and all that?"
He stood. "I do what is needed. Now, are you going to tell me why you asked me to come here, or do we continue to play twenty questions?"
He should have pissed me off, but he was funny. I liked him. "Didn't she tell you, Demetrius?"
"That's hearsay. Now tell me, or I'm outta here."
"Okay, okay." I smiled and got up. The early spring still had a chill in the morning, and castles were difficult to keep warm sometimes. I rubbed my warm arms that had been covered up. "Ooh, I forget how cold it is without a fire."
To my surprise, a flame burst in the fireplace like it had been burning a few minutes. What should have only been a few hot coals was now bright and warm. "Any other tricks you want me to perform to prove I am what I say?" Demetrius asked.
There were guards posted all through the castle, so I knew he couldn't just sneak in. And that fire was warm. "Okay. So, here's my problem. My brother wants me to pick someone to marry. From the kingdom of Blethos."
Demetrius frowned. "So, pick one."
"This person is supposed to rule if I choose them," I explained. "Just picking one isn't enough. Besides, I am picking my partner in life! I want there to be love, but I need to make the right decision. It will affect a lot of people."
Demetrius smiled when I said that. "The right person to rule and someone you're attracted to."
"Is that too much to ask for?" I asked.
He stood and walked toward me. "It's not too much, but hard to do."
"So, you can't help me." I felt the weight again about this situation.
He looked offended. "Did I say that!?" He barked. "I said it was hard, I never said I couldn't do it." He touched me on the chest. "But what your heart seeks is a little more challenging."
"Why?"
He frowned again. "You know why. To find someone you're attracted to is going to be more of a challenge. You seek companionship with a man."
Hearing someone say what I never dared to admit to a soul gripped my heart in a kind of panic. "You know that?"
"Sure, I do." He said simply, then nodded as if remembering. "Oh, that's right. Your kind doesn't think it's right."
"My kind."
"Humans," Demetrius said softly. "Love is love. Is it wrong for someone male to love another male?" He shrugged. "That's not one for me to answer. All I can say is, it's been done for millennia. It just seems odd that people would prefer a man wanting to kill and man versus a man to love him." He shrugged. "But I will say, because of who you are, it will be deemed less...inappropriate."
"Do you think it will be okay if I do?"
"You know what you want. But I should say, it will be a lot easier for you than someone out there." He jutted his head toward the window. "But it will be a lot easier if you tell your brother what you want."
"He won't understand."
He smiled a bit smugly. "You might be surprised. He loves you." Then he smiled a little more. "Well, I have some things to get sorted out if this is going to work. See ya soon." No puff of smoke or flash of light. He just vanished.
I felt a bit better about what was coming, but still not sure how my family would react. Still, I had seen some strange things this night. Demetrius wasn't bothered about it. In fact, he seemed hopeful. I grinned as I stretched out and returned to bed. Maybe it would be good.