Hanna watched him just as closely as Leanna did. After a moment, she turned to Vlameir, “I do believe you have found yourself a very wise woman. She seems to understand more in matters of the heart than many.” She smiled warmly at her brother. “I am so glad for you.”
Leanna looked down at her lap as she felt her blush rise in her cheeks. She didn’t quite know how to respond to such simple praise. It was just a kind-hearted statement, but in many ways, it meant more to her than she was even sure she could fairly express.
Looking to change the subject, she looked toward the musical instruments. “Who plays the harp?” she asked curiously.
Vlameir turned to look at it, answering, “It’s mine. I began playing tunes on it when I was just a boy. My father thought it was a waste of my skills, but luckily, mother, encouraged me.”
Leanna smiled at his words. “And the piano? Is that yours?” she asked Hanna, who immediately declined.
“Oh, no. I sing, and I can play the flute a little. But I’ve never mastered how to play such an instrument. I can attest I wouldn’t have the slightest clue where to begin.”
“So, who does play it?” She asked, confused. Why would they have a piano if no one played?
Vlameir stared intently at Leanna. “Do you play, Leanna?” his expression was more than just a little curious and she found herself pondering what exactly what was in his thoughts.
She didn’t have to wonder for long. After a moment, he began to tell her a story that made her heart flutter nervously. “When I was child, there was a Seer in the castle. She was similar to our Aunt; in that she had a talent for just knowing things. She told my parents that the woman I would soul-bind with was not anywhere near here, but that where she was, she was playing an instrument like this one, and she was creating the same songs I was.”
He closed his eyes for a moment before adding, “I would always get so angry when I tried to compose what I heard in my head. It was never quite right. Something was always missing. So many years; indeed, almost a century passed, and as it goes with Seer’s; sometimes they are right, sometimes they are wrong. One never knows for sure when they are looking into futures. Perhaps, she was wrong about your playing music linked to mine. Instead, your artistry was coming out in your paintings.”
His eyes again found hers and he asked again in a voice so soft, she wasn’t altogether certain she heard him right. “Do you play, Leanna?”
Her heart was thrumming in her ears as all the different tunes she had heard as a child came back to her in a rush. Tears brimmed, blurring her view as she considered the magnitude of what he was saying. This was all too much. She was already accepting that he was something special to her. But to hear that he had actually been hearing the same music in his head that she had. Was such a thing even possible? There was just no way . . . Was there?
Finding her feet, she approached the piano slowly, waiting to wake up as she did so. This just had to be a dream. Things were just falling into place too easily. It really was too good to be true.
Reaching out, she traced the lines of the instrument as she walked slowly around it, before coming to the bench. For a moment, she simply stared at it, pondering if she even still had enough knowledge of the songs to attempt to do them justice. And what if her songs weren’t his? Would he change his mind about her being his soulmate then? Would he make her go back to her world, where she was alone?
Deciding to go ahead and take the chance, she leant down and pulled the bench back, moving to sit down and then slowly opened the keyboard and ran her fingers reverently over the keys.
When she looked up, she saw Vlameir had taken his place at the harp and was watching her intently. Drawing a shaky breath, she murmured, “It’s been so long since I’ve played, I’m not even sure I even remember any of them.”
The beautiful Elf who sat across from her, leaned the harp back against his shoulder, and answered softly, “Just think of the one you loved the best. If it is as the Seer said it will be, it does not matter how long we’ve forgotten the melody. It remembers us.”
With a slight nod, Leanna turned her attention to the piano. This moment defined it all. If they didn’t know each other’s song, then chances were, he would give up on the idea that she was his soulmate. A momentary pain lanced through her heart in response to the unbidden thought. She had just begun to catch herself hoping that perhaps there was something really there between them.
With that possibility looming over her, she reached into her memory for the song that had always struck the deepest chord with her. As she began to play, the music filled the room, bringing with it the depth of loneliness that had been in her heart over all these years. The sorrow and pain, mixed with the hope for renewal poured from her, into the music.
As she played, she felt the core of the song reaching into her soul and filling her with promise as a deeper melody began taking hold. Suddenly as she realized, the song had become so much more than it had always been before. She heard the tones of his harp, playing in accord, bringing a new soul into the song.
Tears coursed freely down her cheeks as she realized he knew the song, and he played it as passionately and heartfully as she did. All doubt she had held within fled as she gave herself over to the melody. Her heart felt full. She could feel the air filling her lungs as she breathed deep of the new life, she now knew without a doubt was hers.
She would always miss her child. She didn’t forget the love she had for her first husband. But now she realized that opening her heart to love another was not sacrificing or forgetting anyone or anything. Her heart was filled with new hope and love. Instead of thinking it would push any other love she had away, it opened it up, and blended it into a perfect semblance of completion and tenderness.
As the song ended, she lifted her hands from the keys, hardly aware of their trembling. Her eyes sought for and found his. The depth of emotion she found in his own eyes was her undoing.
No one else existed in that moment. She wasn’t even aware of the other people gathered in the room anymore. She had no knowledge of who stood first. She didn’t know which of them made the first step to close the distance between them. All she knew was suddenly, she was in his arms, her lips were pressed to his, and she couldn’t hold him close enough. His fragrance filled her senses, encompassing her very existence. He was hers. He was truly hers. She would never be alone again. In that moment nothing else mattered.
Neither of them had seen the many other onlookers that had gathered in the room as they had performed. Neither of them realized the tears that had gathered in their audience’s eyes. Nether of them even stopped to care when Torlek and Roerik began to usher every curious set of eyes out of the room. The door closing, affording them privacy for whatever intimacy occurred between them was completely unnoticed as they both lost themselves in the undeniable realization, they had each found the other side of their soul.
​

Picture was something I came across on Pinterest. I neither own it, or make anything from it. I simply fell in love with it, as it reminds me of my two main characters in my story.

Working Title for this is Across the Faebridge

Excerpt:

​Looking out the window from the guest house, Leanna could see the remains of the old home in the fading sunlight. She wondered what the people who had lived there had been like. What stories must their lives had? Had any of the women who had lived here lost their husbands or children? What must their lives had been like?
Of course, the logical side of her knew there was no part of this place that empathized with her loss. But the dreamer and wishful thinker in her had a small wish that this place knew how she felt and would perhaps help her heal. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her sweater and putting it on, stepped outside and slowly began making her way to the ruins. She knew there was nothing there but rubble, but suddenly the need to see it close-up and personal was overwhelming. The urge to hold one of the stones in her hand and feel its weight was almost dire. She would only stay for a few moments. She patted the pocket of her sweater, assuring herself her small flashlight was still there.
As she began to cross the cobblestone bridge, intent on inspecting the long since destroyed home, Leanna wondered at her sense of urgency. Why did she care? She had not even really given it a passing glance when she had viewed the property but for some reason, she just needed to see it closer now.
No sooner had she stepped off the bridge then everything changed. The fading light of day was gone; replaced by the almost blinding light of morning sun. Her steps faltered as she looked around; perplexed. Gone was the ruins of the Manor. The fading light of day was no more. Not a single cloud littered the sky. The air was crisp and clean, and the breeze filtered through the trees had the unmistakable scent of lilac.
Turning in a slow circle, Leanna took in her surroundings in baffled amazement. The only thing she saw which still looked familiar was the bridge. Everything else was different. Tempted to pinch herself, she faced away from the bridge and found herself face to nose with a dragon. Huge, with black, green and gold scales, and eyes the color of bluebonnets; it stared at her with what she could only hope was simple curiosity.
Not even trying to discover if the beast was friendly, Leanna turned and ran as fast as she could back over the bridge, the scream in her throat lost in transit. As she ran, she silently begged any deity listening the dragon wasn’t following her.
As her feet hit the ground on the other side of the bridge, so was it near dusk again. Sliding to a halt, she stared at the little cottage she had happily thought would be her new home. Panting for breath, she turned back and looked the way she had just come. Everything appeared completely as it had before she had ventured onto the bridge.
“What the hell?” she whispered softly. “I’ve gone completely nuts!” She looked again at the bridge before backing slowly away and shaking her head. “Nope... no. Not me. I am not even going to try to rationalize this.” She chided herself softly as she turned, and half stumbled as she ran back to the cottage. Opening the door, she slammed it pressing her back against it and looked up at the ceiling even as she felt for the latch on the door, locking it.
When she heard the lock echoing in the bolt, she breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m just tired, right?” She rationalized out loud. “I’ve been unpacking all damn day. I’m exhausted. I need to sleep.”
She nodded her head, as if affirming what she had just spoken aloud. “Just as soon as I have a glass of wine.” As she spoke, she headed into the kitchen. Yes, a glass of wine was just what she needed…
 
…Vlameir Jareth sat atop his dragon companion, Torlek; a look akin to shock in his ice blue eyes. The dark-haired woman had skin that looked to be kissed by the sun itself, yet he had still almost believed her to be a specter. For a moment, he wasn’t really sure she had just been there. But she had been. Yet, almost as fast as he had spotted her, she was gone. He wouldn’t have believed her real if it hadn’t been for the lingering scent of lilac and lavender.
How had she stumbled upon this place? The bridge on the other side had not allowed anyone from the human realm to cross into the Fae lands since right after he had been crowned. That was nearly seventy cycles ago.
Children stumbled into their world quite often. They were still open and could easily believe and accept the existence of a Magical world existing parallel to their own. Most times, their visits were brief and weren’t often repeated.
Sometimes, they would return frequently. Some became so used to the Fae world that in time, they would make the decision to stay. King Vlameir trusted his people. Every human who had chosen to move to his realm had long before shown their hearts to be pure and open to the magic of it. He knew they would be a welcome addition. But they had all journeyed here first when they were children…
For this adult mortal woman to be able to travel through the gateway into his world, there were three truths that would have to vibrate within her soul... Firstly, she would have had to endure tremendous sorrow. Second, she would have to have been at a point where she was desperate to make a change in her life. And third; She would have to be someone who believed in magic still, even with all her heartbreak. The third was a truly difficult feat. Mortal hearts were famous for only enduring so much pain before they would lose faith in any and all magic.
As he sat astride Torlek, pondering the condition of her heart, the dragon took that moment to speak. “Well, that was an interesting development. It’s been quite some time since I’ve seen such a pretty little thing waltz across that bridge.” There was a soft hint at humor in Torlek’s tone.
Shaken from his thoughts, Vlameir huffed, “Was she pretty? I daresay I had no opportunity to notice, you startled her so.” He chuckled softly. “Indeed, she was so startled to see you, I’m afraid she may have been running to just try to catch up with her heart.”
Torlek recognized his friend’s playful banter and joined in light heartedly. “So, I startled her? Well then, perhaps I should cross over into her realm and apologize. At the very least, I should introduce myself, so she knows I meant her no harm.”
Vlameir scowled as he nearly barked, “You’ll do no such thing! Dragons have not crossed over into the human lands wearing their true forms in near three hundred years. The last time was near disastrous!”
Torlek inclined his head in agreement. “Well, then, what would you have us do? The fact she crossed into our world means she has need of us. At the very least you should send someone over, if only to be assured she is okay, and not still in hysterics.”
Vlameir opened his mouth to argue, but instead found himself remembering the stricken look in her eyes. Torlek was right. But he had no intention of sending anyone to check on her. He was fully capable of checking on the mortal on his own. No one in the kingdom had an inkling of his powers of stealth. “Very well. I shall go and see how she fairs.”
As he spoke, he slid off Torlek’s back and was rewarded by the dragon turning to look him in the eyes, questioning, “You? But you are the King. It’s unheard of for you to cross over into the Mortal world with not so much as a guard.”
Vlameir held his hand up to stop Torlek’s complaint. “It is nighttime right now in her world. I will use my powers to go to her invisibly. No one will see me. Not even her.”
The Dragon shook himself, letting his wings spread for a moment. The stretching showed off a metallic luster to the green and gold of his scales. Purple eyes took in the Elf Lord. Torlek had a feeling, things would not go quite as Vlameir planned, but he knew better than to voice his concerns. Lowering himself down to rest on the ground, he watched warily as his friend turned and made his way to the bridge between the two worlds. Muttering softly to himself, “We shall see.”