Sighing defeatedly, he drawled, “I have a garden. I like to visit and tend to the flowers sometimes. Perhaps I’ll show it to you if you stop with the relentless questions.”
“I only asked you two!”
Something devious flickered across his face as he paused our dance. “You know I can use magic to silence you?”
An odd tingle settled upon my lips, making my tongue feel tired and heavy. But thankfully, the feeling vanished just as quickly as it appeared as a loud shriek pierced through the ballroom. The sound cast a heavy silence over the entire dance floor.
“Oh, Elsie, stop this at once!” I heard Elara’s familiar chime following the scream. “You’re being disgusting, spit it out!” Despite her lilting voice, she sounded furious.
Whipping my head towards the source, I noticed the two auburn-haired girls bickering near a buffet table. Arenn groaned as he spotted them too, signalling the musicians to resume their song with a frustrated flick of his wrist.
“Ignore my sisters,” he muttered while holding me close. “They’ve always been overly fond of the dramatics.”
Letting out a relieved sigh, I went to pull my gaze away from the pair, but then I noticed something that made me freeze. Elsie was gripping her throat, stooping over the buffet table in an awkward, unnatural way. Eyes wide as the moon, she panicked and flapped her hands as if she wanted to speak, but no words would come out. It was only when I caught her fingers shifting to a deathly shade of blue that a fire lit within me as I pieced together just what was happening to her.
“She’s choking,” I gasped, using both hands to shove myself away from the prince. Arenn barely had a chance to understand what I’d said before I sprung into action, rushing over to the panicking girl. Even Elara looked like she might faint as I shared her sister’s condition and urged her to step aside, but I ignored her sudden paling. She was not my patient right now.
Aiming the heel of my palm between Elsie’s shaking shoulder blades, I tried desperately to recall my lessons.
In my head, my teacher’s voice rang out loud and clear: ‘While supporting the body, deliver five sharp blows to the upper back.’
Sending a silent prayer to the Ancients that I was remembering correctly, I swung down my hand, hard and fast.
WHACK
WHACK
WHACK
WHACK
WHACK
Five sharp blows were delivered to the back, but Elsie continued clutching at her throat, turning an even more alarming shade of teal.
“Come on, Elsie, work with me. Cough it out!” I ordered, but it was no use. My arm strained as her body grew heavier beneath me, and her knees began to buckle. If I didn’t help her soon, this ball would take an incredibly dark turn.
‘If back blows fail to clear the obstruction, give the patient five abdominal thrusts.’
“Please let this work,” I whispered, positioning myself behind her and wrapping my arms tightly around her waist. Placing my fist just above her navel, I took a deep breath. Then, using all my force, I thrusted my fist upwards five times. Each time, I moved with a more intense, more fierce determination.
“Come on, Elsie!” I begged.
Finally, with one last desperate thrust, a soaking wet candied plum flew across the ballroom. A collective gasp echoed from the faeries who’d gathered around us, and as Elsie erupted into a fit of coughs and wheezes, relief washed over me like a sudden, cleansing rain.
“Dearest sister!” Elara sobbed, swooping in to hug her twin the second I stepped back. “Oh, you foolish, stupid, greedy thing! You could have died!” A sharp crack sounded as sheslapped her sister clean across the cheek, then shook her furiously.
Definitely unhinged.
“I could’ve lost you… over a plum!” she cried. “Never do that to me again!” The fury turned to tears as she sobbed again, this time embracing her sister in a tight hug.
There was a brief quiet as they held each other, until a few faeries who had witnessed the whole ordeal began to clap. Those few claps quickly morphed into cheers, and soon enough, there was a thunderous applause that echoed through the entire ballroom.
Twisting away from the girls, my gaze was filled with wide-eyed fae, all clapping and cheering wildly. A few even had thankful tears, which they quickly swiped away before continuing their raucous applause. Their reaction seemed extreme, but I supposed it made sense. I had just saved their Princess.
At the forefront of the applause, Prince Arenn clapped his hands along with the rest of the fae, his starlight cape still draped from his broad shoulders. His amber eyes were glossy with shock and something else…
Whatever it was, it faded in moments as held up his hand high in the air, signalling for the applause to stop. “To all the fae who have gathered here tonight, I would like to make an announcement.”
