Page 27 of Winter Goddess
Blaze's booming voice is all around me, reverberating through my bones.
Okay then. He wants me to relax.
"How long do I have?" I shout, not knowing whether he'll be able to hear me.
"As long as you want. Time doesn't flow in this place, so don't feel like you're missing out on things. Just relax and shout when you want to return."
"Ehm, Blaze?"
"Yes, Princess?"
"Can you see me here?"
He cackles. "No, you're in your own head, silly. I'm just supplying the magic to make it feel real."
Phew. That means I can undress and go for a swim. I don't want the unicorn to see me naked. I know he's not even human and is not interested, but still, I prefer my privacy.
I take off my shoes and roll up my trousers before heading towards the sea. Scotland isn't exactly known for its warm weather and I want to test the temperature first.
The water is warm, bathtub kind of warm. Warmer than a heated swimming pool. Okay, this isn't real, this isn't Scotland. This is paradise.
I strip and run into the water, the sand soft beneath the soles of my feet. The waves lap against my naked body like a gentle massage.This is heavenly.
When the water reaches my neck, I stop, looking out over the water. The sun is high over the horizon, its light reflecting on the waves, throwing patterns of brightness onto my skin. In real life, I'd start to worry about sunburn now, but this isn't real. This is a dream, a beautiful fantasy that I'm going to take full advantage of.
I smile and start to swim, daring the waves to carry me back to the beach.
When I get tired from swimming against the current, I turn onto my back and let myself drift, looking up at the beautiful blue sky, interspersed with drawn-out fluffy clouds.
I've not felt this relaxed in a long time. The sun is driving away all my dark thoughts and memories, leaving only contentment and peacefulness.
This is so much better than sparklies. My emotions here are real, not artificially increased. I'm not hyper, I'm happy.
I think back to all the family holidays we had here on Barra. The laughter, the walks by the beach and the live music in the evenings in one of the local pubs. No wonder Blaze sent me here. This is a safe place that I almost forgot about. I don't think anything negative had ever happened on any of the holidays. No arguments, no sadness. I'd always planned to return here to write my thesis, staying in a self-catering cottage somewhere close to the sea, without the distractions of everyday life.
I laugh. My thesis. That isn't going to happen. There are no formal qualifications needed to be Queen. People in the Realms probably don't even know what a PhD is. They don't have schools there, because there aren't any children. There are no universities for the adults either. Guardians are created with all the knowledge and skills they need, and anything else is taught in training sessions. I guess there's the Palace Library as well for all those Guardians who want to learn more. It's strange how I always thought education was essential, but here in the Realms, that's not the case at all.
"Princess?" Blaze calls from all around me. I turn back onto my front and look around, making sure there isn't a unicorn waiting for me on the beach.
"Yes?"
"I have four gentlemen here who would love to join you. Shall I let them in?"
A grin spreads on my face. My Guardians. Did Blaze tell them where I am? Well, it doesn't matter.
"Of course!" I shout back. As beautiful as this beach is, it's much better to share its beauty with others.
A splash to my right makes me shriek in surprise. Blaze seems to have thrown my Guardians into the water rather than let them appear on the beach.
"I'm going to kill that unicorn!" Storm splutters and I turn to him. He's still wearing his uniform, except that it's now drenched and clinging to his body. He's tall enough to stand, but he doesn't look happy about it.
I splash some water at him. "Come on, enjoy it! It's so nice and warm!"
He looks up at the sky and glares at the clouds.
"He got me all wet," Storm complains. "Why can't he just behave?"
I laugh. "Now that would be boring. I can't imagine him following the rules."
