Lord Trevor

By God's nails! What in midas name just happened? The unidentified object was heavy. Too, heavy. Birds were the only animals I knew soared the sky. This couldn't be a bird. It was big. From the books I had read, I knew there was a large bird called an ostrich; but it couldn't fly. So what the bloody hell was this thing?

"Msjsur," I managed to say, shoving away this object from me.

"Be careful will you!"

Birds didn't talk, did they? Did birds talk? Right now, I didn't know what to believe again. Springing to my feet, I saw the unbelievable. My jaw slackened.

Not because of it was bird.

Not even because it was an ostrich.

But because she was a lady. The most beautiful one I had ever seen. She possessed dark hair that fell down the sides of her face, crashing down her shoulders in tidal waves. Her skin was as white as milk, her cheeks red with healthy blood. God really took his time when he made her. Maybe she was an angel, that would explain why she fell from the sky.

Her blue eyes sparkled with humor as she giggled and she pointed at me. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Ghost? I glanced around the lake, looking for any sign of a ghost. There was nothing but quiet trees and a calm lake. Not even my father's guards dared to watch me when I wanted some peace and tranquillity.

"Oh please," she did a face palm, revealing her manicured fingers, "don't tell me you were looking for a ghost."

"I was."

She shook her head in disappointment. "Humans."

Humans. That snapped me back to reality. I was out here in the lake talking to a human who fell from the sky. She didn't even seem to break a bone, whereas I, the landing ground, had several parts of my body aching like searing hot spears were stabbing me.

"What are you," I asked, taking two steps away from her. Whoever she was, she wasn't a normal human. No human would survive falling from such a height. Was she a witch?

"I'm a fae," she replied, tossing a curtain of hair over her shoulder.

Mythical creatures with magic; that was impossible. They didn't exist.

"That's a bloody lie, you people don't exist." I narrowed my eyes at her. Did she think me a fool? She had to try harder than that.

She anchored both hands on her wide hips, a brow lifted. "I'm impressed. Not many humans even know what we are."

Most humans would call her a demon if they had such an encounter with her. That was how ignorant to the truth humans were; mostly British people. In folklore, magical creatures kidnapped you and ate your children. I had never believed in such lies because I wasn't just any human; I was Lord Trevor Hastings. I had lots of books about every part of the world and its hidden mysteries. Though I had to hide while reading them. My father didn't like when I read adventure books. "Read books on how to be a gentle man," he would say. "You'll thank me later."

I had read over a thousand books on how to be a gentleman and not for once had I wanted to thank him. Instead, I wanted to lunge the books into his bloody regal face.

Regaining my composure, I stood tall like a gentleman, chin raised, arms steady.

"I'm not just any human."

"I know," her gaze travelled to the clouds, "I've always watched you from up there."

I didn't know whether to run away from this stalker or feel appreciated to have a woman as beautiful as her watch me. Just then, I took time to notice her outfit. She wore a blue leather tunic and brown trousers. She was in bloody trousers! If the ladies in the streets saw her, they would faint dramatically with their fans in their hands. Women weren't meant to wear trousers.

"You're wearing trousers?"

She gave me a spin, revealing her large and perfectly shaped derrière. She could be fined for such an unladylike act. The trousers she wore was too revealing and tight! My father would give me a knock on the head if he ever heard I was with a lady dressed in such clothes.

"Aren't you wearing one too?" Dhe motioned her delicate ivory hand at my black trousers.

"Indeed I am." I brought my voice down to a whisper. "Women aren't meant to wear trousers."

"You need to be specific; Human women. I'm a fae, and I thank the skies for that."

This was the second time she was saying this. "You're lying."

"Faes don't lie."

"True," I crossed my arm, "I'm going to need something better than that."

"I fell down from the clouds without breaking a bone."

"You could be a sorcerer," I pointed out.

"Humans can be sorcerers. I'm a fae, born with magic and have magic."

The fact that she fell from the skies without breaking a bone was enough reason for me to believe her. But I needed something more. Gentlemen weren't meant to be gullible. She should try harder than that if she was too convince me.

Using a slender finger, she rubbed her round chin. "I travel thousands of miles to come see you everyday. When you were a child, you lost your mother. Your father is overprotective. You're an adventure seeker just like your late mother. You want to visit lands beyond this one. You're always being trained to be a gentlemen and have a study right over there," she said, pointing at an arched window overlooking my study.

I was blushing deep red. She knew everything. A lady this beautiful had been watching me from the clouds. If she knew all these, maybe she indeed was a fae. But I didn't see any features to confirm my reasoning. She looked like a normal human woman.

Almost like she read my mind, she spoke, "And I have this." She tucked a strand of hair behind an ear. A very strange ear. It had a delicate pointed arch; fae ears.

I drew a sharp gasp. "You're not lying."

"I told you, fae don't lie."

Hmm... That was an interesting trait. I had read about it but didn't believe such a thing was possible. I lied everyday of my life. Every time I read about being a gentleman, I knew I was lying to myself. I wanted something else; adventure.

"What do you want with me?"

She crossed her arms, "To give you what you've always wanted, adventure."

At the mention of the last word, there was a tug at my heart. Adventure... She wanted to give me adventure, in exchanged for what?

"What do you want in return?"

"Nothing." She grinned. "Think about it. When you have your answer, come back here, I'll be waiting. I would have to go now, my parents would be looking for me."

In a flash of golden sparkling dust, she took off to the sky, leaving trails of glistening specks of dust. I watched her in awe till she vanished into the clouds. This was real, she was real, fae was real. If someone had told me this some minutes ago, I would look at them like they had five heads. But now, my eyes were clear; There were indeed other worlds out there, and she was willing to give me my heart's desire; adventure. Her offer was too tempting to be true. I would need some time to process it.

The adventurous part of my mind was already screaming a yes. But that was why that part was foolish and reckless and perhaps a reason why my father never was fond of me. I was never going to find happiness with him. Perhaps if I went on countless adventures, then I could finally take control of my life.

***

Night had arrived, a dark carpet with twinkling stars thrown over the sky. Flames set in cages spilled warm yellowish-orange light around my study, shadows leering on the wall.

Adventure.

My meeting with her kept my mind occupied throughout the day. She was beautiful no doubt, but not the type of lady my father would like me marry. Why? You may ask.

She wore trousers; an eyesore to anyone in Britain.

Just then, there was a knock on my door.

"Come in," I said, shutting close the book before me, and spinning on my seat.

At the other end of the room, a shadow stood, the light outlining his features. My father was a lean man and had long grey hair spilling over his narrow shoulders. A sheen displayed the opulence of his leather tunic, a baldric running across his chest.

"Son," he took a step forward, the wrinkles on his forehead popping out of the darkness, "we have to talk. It's about your future."

Bejabbers! I knew what this was about and I didn't like it.