Bird in the Golden Cage

Chapter five

Aislinn overheard Sloan talking to Karsyn in the hallway. She heard her name, so she stayed listening.

"You kind of forgot to mention that there is a bond between Prince Nathaniel and Aislinn," Sloan scolded Karsyn.

"I didn't forget," snapped Karsyn. "You shouldn't have found out."

"How long did you think you could keep it a secret?" Sloan sounded annoyed.

"Long enough to ensure her safety," Karsyn replied.

"That's crazy. With what's between them she'll never be safe and you know it." Sloan said.

"Nathaniel will protect her," Karsyn objected.

"He can't watch over her twenty-four hours a day. The only way he can truly protect her is if he returns her to the mortal world before someone who shouldn't find out will find out and forget about her."

"You know it's not that easy with a bond."

"But he can't protect her in Feria. She will lose her life."

"Will someone explain to me what this bond is?" Aislinn came out from around the corner where she was hiding, surprising them. She wanted to find out what was the mysterious reason why Prince Nathaniel had brought her to Feria, even though she was sure that the crown and the throne played the most important part in it.

Sloan and Karsyn's eyes showed shock. She caught them by surprise. She heard what they were talking about. The secret begins to surface very quickly. What to tell her now?

"Didn't anyone teach you it's rude to listen in on other people's conversations?" Sloan said.

"Didn't anyone teach you that it's rude to talk about someone behind their back?" Aislinn shot back.

"I'm afraid Prince Nathaniel is the only one who has the right to answer that question for you, Aislinn," Karsyn said.

Aislinn just sighed. Of course, they won't answer her most important questions. What is Prince Nathaniel hiding from her? They want her to learn, but they don't want her to know everything. They tell her just enough to fit their stories, just the way it suits them. They want to manipulate her with secrets.

Aislinn went for a walk in the gardens. At dinner, she will ask Nathaniel about the bond that Karsyn and Sloan were talking about. He must answer her and finally tell the truth.

Every day she went for a walk in the beautifully blooming gardens and pushed the limit as far as she could go without someone appearing to turn her around and bring her back. She got to the edge of the forest, but if she tried to enter it, the raven, which flew everywhere she moved, began to croak loudly. Probably a small, inconspicuous guard from Prince Nathaniel, she guessed.

She walked along the edge of the forest and peered under the treetops, trying to catch a glimpse of the creatures Senan had taught her about. But she didn't see anything. She sat down in the shade of the trees. Prince Nathaniel's mansion loomed before her and the forest beyond. She leaned her back against a tree trunk. She raised her gaze to its crown. There on a branch sat a raven named Ward.

"Can't you just leave me alone for a little while?" Aislinn said to the raven. "Stop chasing me!"

"He won't stop. He has orders from Nate to keep an eye on you at all times." said the unknown young man who emerged from the shadows of the forest.

Aislinn stood up quickly in shock. She took a step back from the stranger. He reminded her of Prince Nathaniel, but this Fae had hair as white as moonlight. He came from the lunar courts.

"Who are you?" Aislinn asked him.

A mischievous smile bloomed on his lips. "You must have heard of me, Aislinn," he said, taking a step towards her. "My name is Prince Malachy. I am your fiancé's brother."