A wide, evil smile slid across my face. I hoped his future bride outlived him. The darkest, deepest part of me relished the thought.
Making my way to where my beauty slumbered, I undressed and slid into her plush bed beside her. Her bed was much smaller than mine, but I would make it work for this night. Snuggling my female, cuddling her into my arms until she melted against me, my name on her lips escaping her in a breathy sigh, I was sure this was what heaven was.
With a trail of earth from Helm sprinkled all over the bedding, a protection of sorts while we rested, sleep had never come to me so fast, so naturally, in the Human’s realm.
Chapter 7
Vivienne
There was no crazy waterworks this time. We were floating in large innertubes. I knew the red stripes along the sides, just likes the ones from summer camp. Troll’s humming woke me up, a Springsteen song one of the camp counselor’s had loved to play.
“I like this one.” Troll’s hand lifted from the inner tube he was floating in next to me, joining his foot as it moved to the beat.
One glance down at my person, in an adult fitting version of the ugly one piece I’d lived in that summer, my hair as I reached up to check the same horrible, poodle looking perm on me, I burst out laughing. Thankfully, I was braces free in this odd dream scenario.
The sun should be out, boiling us like lobsters, but an aurora borealis greeted me instead.
“What- What is all this?” I sputtered out. While I laughed, I couldn't help but feel taken with the absurdity of it all.
Segrid’s hand fell and his foot stopped tapping, the music stopping immediately. Sitting up and leaning forward, until his large sunglasses dipped down his wide nose, he murmured, “No?” Nodding, he chucked the glasses and cracked his knuckles. “Another,” he announced, and then it was like I blinked and suddenly found myself standing in the middle of a glittering assembly. White marble and gold accents surrounded me. Standing at the top of the steps, pressing my fingers to the mask covering my eyes, I knew exactly where I was.
My jaw nearly dropped as Masquerade began, and singers flooded the main floor. As the crowd cleared, at the very bottom step was a very oddly fitting male. His red hair was slicked back, wearing a crisp white shirt and dark jacket and pants, the white mask covering half of his face sending me grinning like a fool.
Descending the steps, I nearly ran the last few, losing the pretty gold and silver shoes that went perfectly with the puffy, overdone ball gown hugging my frame. There was a feather in my hair. It nearly took Segrid’s glittering purple eye out as he lifted his gloved hand, unmasking himself, to take a bow before me.
“Gerard, eat your heart out, honey,” I hooted, then threw myself at my King as he stood. Chucking my mask and that blasted feather, making my beloved chuckle, I kissed him for all he was worth.
Hefting me up, cupping his hands under my bottom, gown skirt puffs and all, he walked us to the middle of the dance floor and began spinning us around and around. Grinning, I broke our kiss, threw my head back, arms reaching out, and laughed.
I hadn’t laughed like that in so long, I’d almost forgotten what it was like. I hadn’t a care in the world in that moment. It was just me, Segrid, and whatever we wanted.
When my head was all spinny, heart light, my Troll tipped and the scenery changed.
We fell to the cool grass, the stars above us. His hand found mine and our eyes met. We grinned like loons.
“Where are we?” I asked, as the smell of something wonderful tickled my nose. His clothes were their typical tunic and breeches, if of a rougher cut cloth, his shirt a drab grey and his pants a soft brown. The dress I was in was simple, a soft green with short cap sleeves.
“The Bridge I call home,” he admitted. “Loved it so much I couldn’t stand to take one of me own. The urge never took me. I’m a shame of an Ornthren, but I’m not as greedy for pretties, I s’pose. Mum and Da,” his head lifted, jerking, “this is theirs. Still have me room.” His hand entwined with mine and he lifted our hands, placing a kiss along the back of my hand. “Used to lay out here as a runt. Lay on my back, count the stars.”
“I smell roasting marshmallows,” I whispered.
“Aye. Mum loves ‘em. Puts them on apples, the sour ones, with caramel.”
The face he made, like that sounded absolutely disgusting but he loved and respected his mother too much to comment, had me cracking up.
“Now you have a go,” he encouraged me.
“Have a go… with what?” Rolling towards him, my eyebrows shot up.
“This. It’s ours, love. Do what we want in here.” His hand lifted and he brushed the back of his hand down the side of my face. “Whatever you want, there’s only good things in here. Only good memories.”
“But what about-” I started to ask, to a fierce shake of my beloved’s head.
“Gone,” he said simply. When he realized that wasn’t enough for me, he added, “Gone to his fate worse than hell.” Leaning in, he kissed my lips. “There’s no room for him in this space, my heart. Only you and I, and whatever we shall desire.”
Realizing then what he was doing for me, and loving him all the more for it, I nodded, cleared my throat, closed my eyes, and tried to concentrate on something good. I focused with all my might, though I had to admit I wasn’t quite sure what the hell I was doing.
When Segrid cleared his throat gruffly, I peeked my eyes open, blinking to find him standing there in a white suit with flared coat tails. The maze above us was twisting, full of stairs angled in all directions. One look down at myself and I grinned. Puffing my fluffy, fanned out ‘do, I smacked my cane down on the ground and struck a pose. “What do you think, baby,” I teased as the music began to start up, “is it me? Do I remind you of the babe?”
