A'lurejah: The Fae Princess

Chapter Fifteen

    My dearest Alarya,

    Oh, how the years have changed the hearts and minds of the people around us.  Past grievances have created wounds that cannot be healed and fear has festered in the hearts of so many people from the many lies that have been told about those of us who were born with extra gifts.  The world has become jaded and cruel for us. So many people look at the population of those of us with magic and feel only fear and cruelty, believing that we are evil and mean to harm and hurt everyone and everything. 

    The world was not so cruel once, but… I suppose that is like a fairy tale to you now. I cannot even imagine the world you are living in now. It must be so confusing and so frightening. I only wish that I could be there to soothe your confusion and quell your fears. I only wish that I could be there to tell you this in person. I only wish that things were not as they are, but alas! They are. 

    If you are reading this, then it means that something terrible has happened and your father and I are dead.  Do not be angry or bitter about this, for our time has only come to an end so that you can have your time to shine. And you will shine ever so brightly! You will bring hope and love and joy to the realms, along with peace.

     Remember, little one, people all around us do terrible things in the name of love. Most often, it is really fear that really drives them to do terrible things.  There will come a time in your life when you will be faced with a lot of big decisions.  Know thyself in order to know the people you are surrounded by. Know thyself, so that you will be able to distinguish those who truly do things out of love, and those who do things out of fear.  Your father and I love you very deeply.  Ary, always remember, no matter what happened, no matter how it happened, you must carry on in life without us now.  You must not let anything keep you down, or hold you back.

Love, Always,

Melinda

    My love,

    I cannot imagine the pain you are going through in this moment of your life.  I imagine a terrible tragedy has occurred, I cannot begin to guess what might have happened, or what will happen henceforth.  I can only tell you this;  you were NOT an accident!  Surviving this terrible tragedy, there is no shame in that!  There is never any shame or guilt in surviving!  You survived for a reason!  The Creator has a purpose for you, His perfect will is not yet done for you yet.  Rejoice in the time we had together!  Never forget us!  And, little one, do not pretend that you are okay, do not try to be strong and tough, because if you do, a deep seeded darkness will enter your heart and mind.  This deep seeded darkness can only be driven out by powerful magic, a magic that very few ever live through.  If you have held back, and you do have that darkness in your heart, forgive yourself of anything you hold against yourself, and you will be set free.  This was, in no way shape or form, your fault.  Surviving this terrible tragedy is okay!  You must live!  You must learn to thrive!  The Creator has BIG plans for you, little one!  So, remember that we love you, and we will always be with you, because we live in you, in your heart, in your memories.  We will never leave you, so long as you never forget us.  Keep living, it’s okay to be happy!  It’s okay to be relieved, it’s okay to feel joy at surviving!  It’s okay!  Just let go and let God.

    Alarya, time is short, but there are things about me and about yourself, that you have to know. This is going to be difficult for you to accept, but please try to keep an open mind and an open heart, this information was kept from you solely to protect you.

    My mother is the queen of the Fae, Queen Verisiel.  You are her granddaughter.  When you were conceived, your mother fell ill one month into her pregnancy with you.  I took your mother to Avalon to see the healers and seekers and to see why she was dying.  I went, under pain of death, to essentially beg my parents to allow her into Avalon, you see, when I married your mother, they took away my Fae rights, my Fae body, my Fae magic.  They banished me from Avalon and stripped me of my title, my life, my immortality, and my magic, they told me that only under pain of death was I to return to Avalon.

    When I returned to beg for your mother’s life, and your life as I found out later, my father was much changed, and desperate to make things right, so in his last days, he made all arrangements for your mother and you to have the very best care the Fae could offer. They took you out of your mother’s womb so that both, you and your mother would survive. 

   By now you must know your origins, that you are more Fae than you are human.  Not only that, but you are the rightful heir to both thrones, human and Fae.  When Albion dies, he dies childless. Yes, I know about Eramus, but he is but a bastard in the eyes of the church.  This leaves you, Melinda’s daughter, the one true heir to Nah-Alba, to take the throne.  The laws have changed and women no longer are required to marry to be considered an heiress. You have come into a very dangerous time in your life. You must be vigilant! Don’t ever let your guard down!  Your magic is so different from anything I have ever encountered before, Alarya, you are truly one of a kind.  Your human magic and your Fae magic have melded together, giving you powers beyond imagination.  You must not allow darkness into your heart, you must not allow yourself to become corrupt.  There is too much at stake.

    I must go now.  I love you so very, very much, I so wish I could have been there to tell you this in person.  Good luck!  Ary, and be safe, my love!

Love, Always,

Beridhren.

    I sat for a long time,  staring into the fire thinking of my parents and all that had happened since the last time I saw them. A soft clearing of throat stirred me out of my thoughts. 

    “Did you find any comfort in the letter at all, child? Or just pain and misery?” He asked me gently.

    “There is some small comfort, I suppose, in knowing the great lengths they went through to make sure that I was taken care of when they were gone.” I smiled sadly. “But they are gone, and I am not, and now I have some understanding of why, though it raises more questions than it answers, it truly is a complicated and confusing time.” I sighed heavily. “Knowing what I am, helps me to understand who I am, and who I am supposed to be, and also why someone wanted to have me killed.”

    “What you are may define you to a point, but who you are, it can never shape. Who you are was instilled in you by the teachings of your parents, by the heart you were bestowed with. If you have a kind and gentle heart, then you will be a kind and gentle person. If you have a hard and cruel heart, then you will be hard and cruel, not unlike your uncle.” He said, I opened my mouth to say something, but then changed my mind, “Make no mistake, Ary, your uncle is a cruel, vicious man who will stop at nothing to ensure that his illegitimate son rests on the throne after he is gone. He will do all within his power to make sure that the true and rightful heir will never sit on the throne. What he does not know, and will never know, is who Eramus truly is, and what he is destined to do, for if he did, Eramus would surely be dead.” M'urlyn said, an air of mystery hung over us.

    “What do you mean? Who is Eramus?” I asked. 

    “Ah, wouldn’t it be nice if I could tell you everything tonight? Alas! That is something that will have to be revealed to you at a much later time, for tonight is about you, not anyone else.” He said. “I see that you have finally met your guardian. I suppose now that your parents are dead and you are living within the enemies walls, you need to be protected more than you did before.” He eyed Taym'luch with curious eyes. “Though, I would have thought him to be much more impressive.”

    “M'urlyn, he is a shapeshifter, he can change his height and appearance at will, to suit my needs.” I said to him, “When I first met him, he was a thousand times the height of a horse.” I explained.

    “Ah, yes, that makes sense then, doesn’t it?” He said, amused.

    “Shall we get on with it?” I asked anxiety edged in my voice, “My time is very limited.” I explained.

    “Ah, yes, time, you see, works very differently in here, Ary, when you step in, time speeds up inside and time, outside, slows down. So out there, you haven’t been gone but for a couple of minutes, where as in here, you ‘ve been here for an hour. You have time, time to relax, to take a load off, to escape it all for a while.” He smiled, and I relaxed, breathing deeply and for the first time in a long time enjoying the peace and quiet. Merlin was easy company, the silence that fell between us was easy and comfortable.

    After a long while I said, “M'urlyn, someone close to me is lying to me, aren’t they?”

    “Yes, I am afraid that there is one claiming to be someone they are not. I cannot tell you who, for there are some things that the Creator does not reveal to me.” He said, a sadness filled the air around us now.

    “I have no idea who it is, I am surrounded by such emotions that I cannot filter it all out, and my gifting in this area is weak, diluted, it’s not natural for me to use this gift.” I said.

    “Yes, well that is because it is not your gifting, you are simply siphoning it from the twins, their empathic abilities rub off on you and you can feel a bit of what they feel. Does that make sense?”

    “Yes, I think so.” I said. 

    “I could give you something to help you in this area, if you would .” He said suddenly.

    “What do you mean?” I asked

    “I have the ability to bestow upon you two gifts, gifts that would help you on your journey, gifts that also come with a great price.” He explained, eyes still fixed on the fire.

    “What kind of price? Are we talking about having to give a life for these gifts?” I asked.

    “That is a very good question, but no. The price that you would pay would be your burden, and your burden alone. The gifts will give you a great strength, but they can also be your weakness. They will assist you, but they bear a heavy weight for you to carry with you all the days of your life. Once accepted, you cannot return them. They can cause you great grief, and the burden of them can often leave you feeling alone, it is a heavy burden, princess, and requires much consideration.” He said.

    “May I know the gifts you wish to give me and the burden they carry before I accept or deny them?” I asked. 

    “The first gift would be to read the minds and hearts of those around you. This goes far beyond the twins empathic ability to feel what another is feeling. This is, by far, more intimate. This would allow you to know their deepest, darkest thoughts.  Should you wish it, no one would be able to keep a secret from you. Should you find yourself in a threatening situation, you would be able to know who your friends and enemies are. It will take a lot of practice, and it will be quite overwhelming at times. This will be something that you will have to learn to turn on when you need it, at first it might come up when you are in need of it, unaware of the ‘switch’ so to speak. The mind reading part of this may not ever turn off, this may always be on.” He said. “This is the heavy price you would pay with this gift.”  

    “And the second gift?” I asked.

    “It works hand in hand with the first one, without the first gift, you cannot receive the second.The second gift is that you would always know exactly who is standing in front of you. That you will always see someone exactly for who they are, beyond their magical disguises and see the person for the magical creature they hide underneath.” He said.

    I sat and thought for I don’t know how long, when I finally said, “I accept.”

    “Then so shall it be.” He reached over and placed his hand on my head, “there may be some pain, but stay as still as you can, and it will all be over very quickly.” He said. 

    I gasped as his hand turned ice cold. It was as though I had gone for a swim in a lake in the middle of December. My breath puffed out in front of me in white clouds. I shivered and breathed raggedly as making it almost impossible to sit still. When it was over, he took his hand off my head and the warmth from the fire washed over me again.

    After I sat there for a while and defrosted, I asked him, “My parents, they knew they were going to die, didn’t they?” 

    “Your parents always knew it was a high possibility. Returning to Honey River Cove was very dangerous, especially with you. There was still a bounty on your mother’s head,  a bounty the king failed to remove. Later he justified that he did give the decree, removing that bounty and exonerating your mother. All that failed to remove the bounty, or who continued to seek out the bounty, would be executed in the town square. I suppose that as our king, he should be believed. I do know that he already tried to kill Grayce when they were children, and that he would have done anything to keep her and her children off of his throne. However, the king appears to be a changed man, and if that is, truly, the case, then perhaps what he said was truth. Otherwise, why would he take the true heir to Nah-Alba under his own wing when he could have had her murdered in her sleep?” M'urlyn surmised. 

    “Well, someone did try to kill me, while I was dying. There was a physician that had poisoned me, the king denied that he had paid the man to do it and was very adamant about that. Uncle Albion has been kind to me, I do not suspect him at all. I choose to believe that the king had absolutely nothing to do with it, the king ordered the physician executed in the town square and his head to be spiked at the main gates. He sent a message to the whole kingdom that ‘this is what happens when the king’s ward is threatened’ and for no one to ever cross him, in this regard, again.” I told M'urlyn. 

    He stroked his beard, eyes thoughtful. “I suppose that it’s possible that he had nothing to do with it. I am suspicious of several people at the moment, but I have nothing to go on, just feelings and possible motive, but none of them line up, none of it makes sense.” M'urlyn speculated. “Anyways, enough with all this, child, is there anything else that you’d like to ask me?” He asked.

    “No, I am full up on knowledge and information, I feel as though my head might explode.” I laughed. “I do feel ready to go home, now, though.” I said.

    M'urlyn nodded his head and reached out and touched my arm, his eyes turned dark and serious.  “Beware, Ary, there is one in your midst who is not who they claim to be, whether they are friend or foe, I do not know. Even with your new powers, it will take you by surprise.

    There is one in your midst who is not who they claim to be, who will betray and hurt you deeply.

    There is one in your midst who was a traitor, but is making amends for past transgressions. 

    Keep your eyes open, your mind sharp, and never go anywhere without your guardian. Keep your guard up and stay alert, but never close your heart off. Never allow darkness to enter, for if you do, it will be the end of us all.”  M'urlyn's eyes had slid side to side with a white film that covered them, when his eyes shifted back into focus he smiled and said, “Now, you may go. May our Creator bless your path, and open wide the doors you need to embark on your journey. Stay safe! Stay alert!” He got up and went back into his study, leaving me shocked in the chair.

    I stood up and walked to the door, Taemeluch at my side. The door opened at my approach, I pulled my shoes back on and my cloak over my shoulders, and walked back out into the dark forest. Antiel was waiting for us where she left us

     “Come, time is short, and I have one more thing to give you before I take you home.” She said to me, she placed her hand on my head and said, “This might hurt, princess.” A hot burn started at my head underneath her hand and coursed through my body. Like a high fever burning through my body, I cried out in pain and fell to the ground, Antiels’ hand never left my head, writhing on the ground the heat burned through me, hitting my back and my hip and then my legs. It felt as though I was right back in the fire that had hurt me so badly, the fire that had consumed my family. It was unbearable, intolerable, and it seemed to last an eternity.  I laid on the mossy ground trembling, a cold sweat had soaked my clothes. I couldn’t move, I  couldn’t see anything, the pain that seared through my body made me wish that I had died in the fire with my family. 

    As suddenly as it had hit, it was gone, and I was pain free. My vision had come back and I could hear what was going on around me. Antiel’s hands were still on me, in fact, her whole body seemed to be on me. When my eyes focused again, I realized that Antiel was, indeed, sitting on me, her strong arms holding me down.

“Antiel?” I asked.

“Oh, thank goodness, I began to think I had done something wrong!” She exclaimed, “I did not want to go back to the queen having failed in this.” She got up off of me and helped me to my feet.

“What was that?? I feel so different!” I said, my body no longer ached, I stood straighter than I had ever done before, and my bones were loose and limber again.

“I have restored you to your true self. I have unlocked your Fae DNA and I have healed your body, mind and soul.” Antiel said, “This is your birthday gift from your grandmother. Shall we go? We need to get you back before the sun rises, and the sun will be rising in a few hours.” She told me.

I nodded my head and accepted her hand, the pearly white mist enveloped us again, and we flew through the forest at lighting speed. She stopped right at the tree line that bordered the forest behind Idhrenniel’s house.