The Faet Within

    “You betrayed me!” Keeva screamed at him, tears pouring down her face. She looked around at the people she thought she could trust, her heart breaking again and again. She disappeared in a cloud of smoke, something she didn’t know she was capable of, finding herself in her woodland hideaway. Only then did she collapse on the floor in tears, hugging her knees in an attempt to keep herself from falling apart.             After her tears had dried, she stood, walking over to a large mirror that hung on the wall. She knew what she needed to do to exact revenge on those who had betrayed her and broken her heart. As the plan developed in her brain, she felt the dark power of the deed fill her heart until it finally spilled over into her body. She gazed into the mirror as what appeared to be black ink covered her skin, leaving golden streaks wherever her tears had fallen. Her dress rippled with magic as it changed from a plain red fabric to a glistening deep black close-fit gown. She lifted her hand toward the mirror, shattering it with a force of will before unknown to the world.             Keeva walks over to the window that faced their tree. In another gush of smoke, she finds herself standing before the towering tree, the undergrowth wilting underneath the devastating power that was emanating off of her. She kneels on the ground at the base of the tree they had planted together to signify their lives; as the tree grew, so would their love. She places her hands on either side of the tree, chanting a powerful curse as she pours her magic into it. She feels the dark curse taking root, splitting not only the tree but also the kingdom in two, forever dividing the families who sought to be rid of her. She laughs maniacally at the thought of them hating each other for all eternity, the dark power draining from her body as the curse is completed. Her body fades away, knowing nobody will ever have the power to break the curse and free themselves from the hatred.             The effects of the curse are immense and immediate. For the next millennia, as the world advances from using horses to using cars, and from knowing nothing outside of the village to having the entirety of the world at one’s fingertips. The only aspect that doesn’t change is the curse and the effect it has on the Fae royalty of what humans refer to as the UK. While the hatred between the royal families is widely known, there are few who know of the curse. As the centuries changed, so too did the world’s understanding of the realm of magic and the Fae who reside in the world with humans. The Fae do not hide, they thrive alongside humans, living in peace.