Chapter 19: Into Place

Taylor and Brooklynn stood outside the Ballroom doors, talking, while waiting for the signal to carry out the plan.

"Ugh! We've been here for like.. 10 minutes. When are they going to be ready?" Brooklynn hung her head back in boredom.

Taylor raised his finger to make a point. "Well, it hasn't been that long. They're probably busy preparing." He explained in defense of Brooklynn's childhood friends. "I know! You've always been curious about Silvestrains, but haven't the energy to read the books. Well, consider me your 'Silvestrian Fact Book'."

Brooklyn gained a sly smile on her thin pink lips. "I'd read you a dozen times over, then crank it up a couple more notches." She put her hands on his shoulder and rested her chin on them, looking from his eyes to his lips.

Taylor smiled wider as he turned his head to face her. He leaned forward and let her catch the hint. Brooklyn leaned forward and kissed his lips.

After a few moments of silence, Taylor spoke up, "So ask me any questions and I'll answer them with complete honesty."

Brooklynn raised her eyebrows, "Any questions?" She wiggled them in indication.

Taylor laughed, "Anything regarding things you don't know about."

"Oh. Okay." Brooklyn giggled. "How many human-like Silvestrians exist?"

Taylor paused to think, "Do you want an exact number?"

"No. What kinds are there?" Brooklyn shrugged a shoulder, not moving from her comfortable position on his shoulder.

Taylor joined in Brooklynn's meaningless giggle fit. "Well, as you know elf-wise there are.."

"Ooh! Ooh! Let me guess, Forest elves!" Brooklyn laughed.

Taylor egged her on, "How'd you guess? I didn't think you knew any!" They broke into complete laughter. He continued his reply. "There are Night Elves, which is partially what Lady Isla is. Then there are Moon Elves, which is the other half that makes up what Lady Isla is, and is what her uncles are."

"What's the difference between Moon and Night elves?" Brooklynn asked in interruption of Taylor's response.

Unfazed, Taylor grinned again. "Moon elves' abilities and magical abilities pertain solely to the moon. Night elves' magical abilities draw from the variety of things at night."

"Including the moon?"

"No. Everything but the moon, I should say. Also the moon elves obtain the strongest of magic when the moon is full. When it's not, their abilities are minimal, while Night elves are strongest the moment the sun goes down."

"Any more?"

"There are Aqua Elves that have the ability to communicate with the water and convince it to theirs and others' benefit. Fire elves do the same with flames, even extinguishing and igniting it at will. Sun elves draw light rather than heat directly from the sun, but they are heat resistant." Taylor went on. "Forest elves communicate with plants and animals to help them. Spring elves grow all plants in existence in Silvestria, preventing all plant killers and weeds. Snow elves handle all things winter related. And lastly, Avain Elves have the ability to fly. Without our deep connection to the Source, none of us would have what we have. We'd be as average as any random human, quite unlike you, of course." Taylor smiled.

"Aww, thanks, Honey. So if I want winter in my bedroom, I just have to look for the Snow elves?" Brooklynn said, causing Taylor to chuckle. "Any more Silvestrians I should know about?"

"Yep!" Taylor perked, "They include but are not limited to Gnomes which are like miniature Dwarves. Dwarves are only 3 feet tall although they like to think they're much taller. There are Golems, Gorgons, Hippogriffs, Sphinxes, Lizard folk which are only unusually large Lizards that live in groups, you know, in case you thought they were lizard people, and there are probably many others I'm forgetting about. Trolls guard the bridges to Tempest Turris, the peak at which the Griffin King and Queen live. There are also Phoenixs, Unicorns, and Pegasi. Probably several others."

"So if you were to take a guess how many there were, what would you say?" Brooklynn asked.

Taylor thought, and shrugged, "164?"

"Hm, interesting." Brooklynn processed his guess then noticed a light signaling three times. "Oh! Tay, it's time!"

Taylor stretched his arms, speaking in a language unknown to anyone else. His markings glowed, his eyes closing and the decorative plants in the corners of the doors moved and sealed the entrance through even the windows.

~*~

Liam and Isla struggled to come up with a quick plan before they were rushed out of the main plan. With a sudden idea, Isla spoke up, "Liam, do you trust me?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah, of course, I do. Why?" Liam replied with another question.

"Put your arms around me." Isla ordered as she put her arms around his neck.

"What?!" Liam questioned, blushing madly.

"Just do it!" Isla urged, and Liam did as she instructed.

Isla inched her face closer to Liam's, and stopped mere millimeters from touching his lips with hers.

At that moment, Henry opened the door, and Isla practically tackled Liam over the bed, holding herself up slightly with her elbows. "Oh! Nevermind. Take your time. When you are finished please join us in the ballroom, preferably decently attired." He changed his mind and turned around, walking out.

Once they heard him close the door and speak to the guard again, Isla sighed heavily. "S-Sorry. I just- he was comin' and I just thoug.."

Liam shook his head, "No, it's okay. You- you don't have to move."

Isla remained silent as she happily gazed into his eyes, but she slowly sat up off of him. She shook her head, not breaking eye contact with him. She then stood from the bed and finally broke Liam's gaze.

Liam smiled softly, sitting up, "Has anyone told you, you have the most beautiful eyes?"

Isla replied, looking back at him, "Wha- Um.. no, why?" Her cheeks blushed, her tone softening as the word "why" fell from her lips.

"You do have the most beautiful eyes. They're like kaleidoscopes. Rubies you could gaze into forever." Liam's speech slowed as he stood to his feet. "They're….. Enchanting."

Isla walked toward Liam, and hugged him tightly. She deeply inhaled, feeling the instantaneous comfort from Liam's surrounding arms. Neither released each other, but Isla slightly pulled back and she began to gaze once more.

Liam grinned softly and closed his eyes, leaning his forehead on her head. Isla did the same as they tightened their grips around each other.

… Until Brooklynn burst into the bedroom.

"Guys, Are you- Oh! Ew! That's gross. Get a room!" Brooklynn dramatically gasped and hypocritically complained, assuming the worst from the little of them she saw and adjusting and gripping her bag's strap over her shoulder in disgust.

Isla released Liam quickly and put her arms and hands behind her back, then tilting her head to the left in confusion.

Liam let go of Isla just as swiftly and looked at Brooklynn and Taylor just as confused. This shouldn't even have looked as indecent as Brooklynn was making it seem. "We didn't do anything. What are you complaining about? And you wouldn't have seen anything had you been actually knocking before barging into a room. We didn't do anything wrong."

Brooklynn made gagging noises in exaggeration. But Taylor added, "But aren't they already in a room?"

Brooklynn paused for a moment. "True. Bu-Bu-But seriously? The first several years you're arguing, the next you're- you're- you're doing whatever it was you were doing. Get a more private room."

Liam looked at Brooklynn through narrowed eyes. He glanced in Isla's direction, and itched the back of his neck shyly. "It would've looked worse had you walked in when King Henry came in." He mumbled.

"You're overreactin' for one. For two, Nothin' happened. You really have no reason to be so ridiculous about what you thought you saw." Isla completed Liam's explanation, her cheeks and ears sharing his pink coloring.

"Guys, Are you- Oh! Ew! That's gross. Get a room!" Brooklynn gasped and complained, adjusting her bag's strap over her shoulder and gripping it in disgust.

Isla turned around too quickly and accidentally rolled off the bed, onto the floor.

Liam sat up adjusting his jacket. This looked much more indecent than it really was. "It was just cover. We didn't do anything, I swear."

Brooklynn made gagging noises in exaggeration. But Taylor added, "But aren't they already in a room?"

Brooklynn paused for a moment. "True. Bu-Bu-But seriously? The first several years you're arguing, the next you're busy. Get a more private room."

Liam rolled his eyes as he blushed brighter, he lended a hand to Isla to help her up. "It wasn't what it looked like. King Henry had come in so.."

".. I had the idea we made it look like we were doin' somethin'. He'd been itchin' for us to be 'together', so that 'marriage' could happen. Naturally, if he saw that or thought he saw that, he'd want to leave us be. We didn't actually do anythin

Brooklynn gave them a blank look, then gestured for them to follow, "Come on! They won't be trapped forever. We need to be sure you're out of here without anyone noticing." She pulled out a rope from her bag and threw one end over the window sill, while Taylor tied the other end to a pillar.

Liam was going to let Isla go down first as the gentleman he was, but Isla stopped, before going down, and looked around the room, gaining an idea. "Hold on. We need to mess up the room!"

Brooklynn looked at her as if she were crazy, "What?! Why?!"

Liam caught on. "She's right. This way it won't look like we just left or never showed. Signs of a struggle, would mean we were taken against our will."

Taylor nodded in understanding."Right."

And they began throwing things across both rooms. Once it was messy enough, Taylor, Liam, and Isla climbed down, while Brooklynn untied the rope, threw it down, and went through the castle as if nothing had happened.