Elaina's POV

The next day I was beyond excited to meet Llyr again. I didn't dream about him during the night and I wondered if it had something to do with meeting him in real life.

Ida brought me breakfast in bed before she helped me to get dressed.

"Malady, where are you off to in such a hurry?" She asked.

"You know, just sketching some pictures down at the docks," I said.

"Malady, I don't think it is good for your health to sit in the sun the whole day?" She said.

"Don't worry, the dock is mostly in the shade, I'll be fine," I tried to put her at ease, I needed to see Llyr again.

"Alright then," she said as she continued to dress me for the day.

A knock resonated and I knew it was Rhixton coming by to see what my plans were for the day.

"Enter," I said and the door opened. Rhixton stepped inside and his face lit up when he Ida was in the room with me.

"Morning princess, I just came by to fetch you for the day. Morning Ida," he said as he turned his last few words towards her, a small blush coloured her face.

"Yes, I was just marveling to Ida that the dock was such a comfortable place for me to draw and I would like to spend the day there. However I heard a rumour that Ida was trying her new recipes today and I would love you to taste her dishes in my stead today," I told Rhixton.

"But princess, who will be near incase you need someone," Rhixton tried to reason. Emphasis on tried.

"I'll be fine, and I'm sure there will be guards nearby," I said.

"I'm sure there would be," Rhixton agreed.

"Problem solved. Now if you and Ida would be so kind as to pack me a picnic basket for lunch and escort me to my lovely destination it would be much appreciated," they agreed and in 20 minutes time I was at my dock with my art supplies and picnic basket.

Rhixton left after me asking thousand times if I would be fine and after much reassurance he left me. All I had to do was wait for Llyr.

***
Llyr's POV

The next morning I went to Primbroock to tell about the latest events. He was quite surprised that I made friends so quickly and that she didn't freak out as much as he thought she would.

I must admit I was just as surprised by a her reaction and I was grateful she didn't call the guards. Primbroock told me to keep visiting her so that I could find out more about those dreams.

I could only hope we would find our answers soon.

***
Elaina's PoV

I sat on the edge of the dock as I stared out at the ocean. I don't know why I was disappointed that Llyr didn't show up but I was. I felt saddened.

He hardly knows you, why would he return, because you told him to? I thought to myself.

I was so lost in my own thoughts that I almost didn't notice the grey eyes staring at me. A genuine smile broke out on my face when I saw that he came back.

"You came back," I breathed.

"You didn't expect me to?" He asked and I shook my head.

"I was hoping you would," I said.

"We'll here I am," he said as he swam a little closer.

"What's that?" He asked as he pointed to my sketchbook.

"Oh, this is just a sketchbook, do you want to see it?" I asked.

He nodded and I quickly started to show him through the pages. Luckily the sketch I had of him wasn't in this book. He looked awed at every page and I told him more about my world as I went along.

When we got to the drawing I made of the secret garden at home he stopped me from going on to the next.

"Where's this place?" He asked.

"Back home, my mother restored it for my father as a gift," I said.

"You're mother sounds extraordinary," he said.

"She is," and then I began to tell him different stories of my family.

"My mother is Freya, queen of the skinchangers, and my father is Ronin the king. And then I have two brother, Ethan and Eldrich, we're triplets," I told him.

"What is a skinchanger?"

"A human that has the ability to change into an animal, my brothers and father can change into bears," I said.

"You and your mother?"

"I can't change because of my health and my mother is a faerie, she isn't a skinchanger. Atleast she's half a faerie, my grandma is a human."

"You love your family, I can hear it in the way you talk about them," he noticed.

"Yeah, they mean the world to me. And yours?"

"I love my father and I loved my mother," he said as a sad look cross his features.

"You loved her? She past away?" I asked gently and when his face turned grim I knew the truth. I don't know why, but I placed my hand on his that rested on the dock, out of instinct perhaps.

"I'm sorry, I can't imagine how that must feel," I told him sincerely. He looked me in the eyes and I felt like he was staring deep into my soul. It felt like I knew him my whole life, wasn't that what my mother said about my father? Was this some kind of love at first sight? Or was I so obsessed with love that I saw love where there wasn't? I couldn't possibly love a man after one day of knowing him, could I?

"It's just me and my father now," he said and a weird look crossed his features.

"What happened?" I asked but then I realised how touchy the subject might be,"I'm sorry, I shouldn't-"

He cut me off quickly.

"It's not a secret. My mother was killed by humans, and to this day my father hates them and thinks of them nothing else as wild beasts," he said.

"And do you believe that?" I asked curiously.

"I always had the feeling that there was more to the story. And you don't seem so menacing," he said with a small smile.

"Don't let this small body fool you, I can bring giants to their knees," I said before we both laughed. Why did it feel so natural to talk to him? It feels like I've known him for more than one day. What was going on here?

"Menacing, huh?" He asked before he splashed me with water and I squealed.

A look of shock crossed my features. I couldn't believe this fishy prince splashed me with water. My shock quickly dissipated when I heard a low chuckle that sounded like music to my ears. When I looked at him he was laughing so hard at me. So I settled on giving him a playful glare.

"That was so mean. You can be so happy I can't swim," I said.

His laughter subdued and he looked at me with a curious face, "why can't you swim? I know you said you had an illness but what is it exactly?"

"Well I have a rare muscle condition that causes my muscles to be extremely weak, and because of that my father was scared of teaching me swim because I won't get far," I explained.

"And you were born with this?" He asked curiously.

"Yes, but I'm fine now. I can do a few things on my own. And I can draw," I said as I looked at my sketchbook. 

"You're very good at it," he said with another look in his eyes I couldn't really decipher. I had all these weird feelings since I started to dream about him and I wondered what it all could actually mean.

I was lost in thought as I wondered about everything that has happened recently. Movement caught my eye, breaking the trance I was in and a gasp escaped my mouth when I saw what was approaching us.