The Return Of The Queen

"The portal for entry should be opening soon." Cas, my personal guard informed me. I sighed not entirely looking forward to the next week. I had one week of final planning, making sure everything was properly in place, because after that week all hell would break loose. In complete honesty it should've been taken care earlier but I was stupid. For the last few years I've spent time in every kingdom, hiding in the shadows, watching and learning. Learning the trading routes, which noble house controlled what, and listening to every dirty little secret I could discover. I messed up however, I spent longer than I should have in the Eldur kingdom. I had grown lonely during my years in hiding, so when Prince Cardan caught my attention I lingered. For the first time in years I hadn't felt unseen or alone, I forgot who I was for a time. I believed his lies and empty promises. One Year I stayed in Eldur being secretly courted by Cardan, never going past the occasional kiss or cuddle when watching the stars. That all shattered when I heard the one secret I had never planned on finding. ////Flash Back//// It was time to tell him everything. Cas mirror called me this morning, informing me that Cardan was officially attending Raven Academy this coming spring. That was six months away from now. We had both waited until it was a requirement to attend. Every unmated Fae female and male had until the spring in the year they'd turn twenty two to submit their attendance into an academy. Raven academy is the top one and the most ruthless one. Every royal and only the most powerful of nobility could attend. I had already informed the academy two years ago that I would attend in my twenty second year. I was going to wait on telling Cardan my true identity until after he proposed thinking that perhaps we could skip attending an academy together. I had to know why he submitted his attendance, if it was his parents forcing him to attend before mating. Then we would make our courtship public and attend together. The gates to his town villa were closed but his carriage was sitting in front of the doors. I breathed a sigh of relief at him being home, I had worried that I would arrive too late. Today is the day he's meant to return to the palace, meaning it was my last chance to see him. Sneaking past the patrols and scaling the wall to reach the servants entrance was easy. There isn't a building in any kingdom that I couldn't gain access to if I wanted inside. Silently I made my way through the corridors and to his chambers. His door was open and the evening sun shone at a slant through the windows casting the entryway into shadows. Before I could step through a set of voices froze me in place. One came from a female and the other was Cardans smooth tenor. "I'm telling you now Cardan, I will not be made a fool of. Once it goes public I expect complete loyalty. No more private villas in the city and no more lil play things on the side." The females tone held a hard edge but her voice was full of honey. Cardan chuckled before responding. "You have nothing to fear Princess. I've been growing bored of her anyway. It's no longer as amusing as it used to be. Knowing how much it angered to my father that I was slumming it with some unknown noble fae female." He sighed, like he was bored at the mere thought of me. My blood boiled. "Slumming it, Really Cardan?" My voice had the air freezing in the room. Slow, almost lazy, he turned away from the fireplace he had been standing in front of and towards me, still hidden in shadow. "Ah, I thought you might slither your way in here before I left." He said slither like my actions disgusted him. I didn't move or say a word, he was the one who had explaining to do, not me. He sighed in annoyance, taking a few steps towards me. "You were fun for a while, sneaking through town had a sort of thrill to it. but then you wouldn't put out. A lowly noble fae with a sense of priority." He laughed, the princess joined him but remained sitting on the couch. I knew who she was, the second born fae royal to the Westia Kingdom. There are a few secrets of hers I could expose but now wasn't the right time. I held my tongue, wrapping the shadows more firmly around me, ensuring she couldn't see my face. "My father has arranged an alliance with Westia, Princess Cordellia will attend Raven Academy with me as my courtship partner and after the one year term of required attendance is complete we will mate in a formal ceremony." He took a breath and another step towards me. "You see I need a proper fae princess to be my future queen. Not some female of unknown nobility." he sneered the last part at me. I laughed, a proper princess. He had no idea who he was losing today. "You never had any intention of keeping your promises did you? Thank the gods I never gave you what you wanted. You will regret this day Prince Cardan." I spat his name at him. "Be careful Princess, the prince isn't the only one keeping secrets." Cardan lunged for the doorway but I was already gone and halfway outside by the time he reached it. I was a fool to ever think he was different from the other royalty and now I had wasted time on almost nothing. At least I hadn't sat idle while I was here, I learned everything I needed to nine months ago. That left me with only six months to gather the information I needed from the only kingdom I hadn't infiltrated yet. The one I had left for the last, thinking I would have enough time to do things safely. I didn't though, I wasn't going to be able to sneak my way through it either. I was going to have to walk through the front door of the most dangerous kingdom in all of Itholonia. Kingdom Norton.