A'lurejah: The Fae Princess

Chapter Four

    Over the next few months leading up to my thirteenth birthday, I worked very hard to get myself back up to being able to walk and get around by myself.  I was still very weak, and got tired easily, so I was always being followed by my wheeled chair, but, over all, my strength was coming back and so was my color.  As my thirteenth birthday drew closer and closer, the castle was buzzing with servants running to and from the great hall; massive preparations were being made for a huge celebration.  Sometimes the thought of it was all a bit overwhelming for me.  These days I valued my solitude, the rare times when I was actually allowed to be alone for thirty minutes every day.

    Ever since I had attempted to take my own life a year ago (right before my twelfth birthday, the celebrations for which was cancelled) I have not had a moment alone, until the beginning of this month when Rothaniel prompted that they allow me thirty minutes alone in the gardens three times a day, and from there, if I could prove that I was okay and could be trusted, I could begin to earn more free time away from my constant babysitters.  So now, first thing in the morning after breakfast, I got to go to the gardens for thirty minutes before my physician comes in to help me learn how to use my hands, feet, legs and arms again.

    Uncle Albion wanted me to begin lessons right away, but I tired too easily after all of my exercises I had to do and I kept falling asleep during my tutoring sessions. In the end, Uncle Albion agreed that we should wait until I regain maximum strength. 

    I explored the castle and took naps in my wheeled-chair when I got too tired to carry on.  In my many explorations, I found myself on the total opposite side of the castle, it was colder over here, and there were many dusty, unused rooms.  One day I was rummaging through some old dresses that I stumbled across when the door opened with a “BANG!” I jumped and the old dress fell out of my hand and fell to the floor in a messy heap.

    “You’ll want to take care, miss, those dresses could fall apart if you touch them too much.” Said the young boy, no older than myself, who had barged into the room.

    “This used to be your mother’s room.” He said, his eyes observing me in great detail. “Those were her dresses before she left, and never returned.” He smiled mischievously.

    “So, you were the one followin’ me.” I stated. He blanched. “Ach,” I said with a wave of my hand, “donna look so surprised, I knew you were there from the first time I came over this way.” I smiled at him, just as mischievously.  We stared at each other in silence for a while before he regained his arrogant manner.

    “Here, milady, allow me to pick that up for you.” He said mockingly.

    “Are yeh here to mock me and make me look the fool? Or do you actually have a reason for showing yerself now?” I demanded, that strange ring of authority in my voice again.

    He looked stunned that I was speaking to the crown prince thus, he blanched again for just a second, before responding, “I wanted to meet you, and I thought you would like to hear about your mum.” He paused for a second, the most sincere look in his eyes, and then said, “If I am bothering you, I can go.” he seemed suddenly unsure.

    “No! Please, stay; I would very much like to hear what you have to say about my mother, I miss her so much every day...  I come in here because I feel closer to her.” I smiled sadly.

    “Well, I will tell you what I know, although, everything I have heard is second hand information.” He paused, I smiled and he continued. “Are you comfortable? Do you want a fire?” He asked me as I had shivered slightly, trying not to show my discomfort.  

    “No! I want to hear the story.” I said eagerly. He frowned and rang a loud bell. “Warmth first, then story.” He said kindly.  A few seconds later a servant came running into the room, red faced and looking surprised.

    “Your highness.” He bowed deeply.

    “Ah, Lauraunt, be so kind as to make us a fire and bring us some snacks please? Quickly! Milady is cold.” 

    “Right away, your royal highness.” Lauraunt said, backing out of the room.

    “What are yeh called by, then? Should I just address yeh as ‘yer royal highness’ all the time?” I asked, a slight mocking tone to my voice.

    “Eramus, milady. Eramus will do just fine, leave off the rest of it unless we are in a public setting, and then MiLord will work just fine.” he smiled sweetly . “No need to ask you yours, A’lurejah. The whole castle is buzzing about you! I began to wonder if you really existed, and, if you did, why  you had not shown your face before now! But seeing as how you’re a cripple and all, it makes sense now. When I first heard that Father had taken on a ward, I hardly dared to believe it true! Of course, it’s obvious now that it is true.” His laugh was hard, I frowned at that.

    “Why so surprised?” I asked taken aback by a hard look in his eyes.

    “‘Tis no secret that my father hated your mother.  He is the reason that your mother ran away and never came back.” Eramus said haughtily. Fear prickled in my stomach.

    “Uncle Albion was the reason she left?” I asked, frowning. I tried to recall what my mother had told me. “Mum told me that she left the castle in the dead of night, she said her life was in danger and she was smuggled away, but she never told me who was threatening her life.” I said. “Is it true?” I asked.

    “It is a tale to behold, for sure.” He held up a single finger, indicating to stop talking. I fell silent at once and heard the scuffling of feet coming up the hallways. Lauraunt came in the door with his arms full of firewood, a female followed him in, her arms full of trays of food.

    “Ah, thank yeh, just set the food trays down on the table under the window, no, don’t worry ‘bout the dust, just set the trays down, thank you, you may go.” Eramus said kindly. 

    Lauraunt finished building us a fire and left with the promise of bringing more firewood.

    “Now, I shall start at the beginning of the story, which begins before either of our parents are born.

    Our grandparents were from two different parts of the world, two different realms really. Queen Clarissa was from Spain, where majick was practiced openly and no one feared it. When she first came to Nah-Alba, it was the same here, but even more so. Majick in this realm used to be revered, marveld, worshipped, it was something that was highly coveted and highly respected. King Orion was a great king, he worked very closely with the king and queen of Avalon, and there was peace throughout the kingdom’s two realms. Fairies and Elves, Dwarves and Nymphs used to roam the castle, we used to employ all kinds of creatures for different kinds of jobs. Myth has it that the gardens looked like those in Avalon when the Nymphs were taking care of it. 

    Anyway, Clarissa and Orion fell in love with each other immediately, she being majickal, him being human. They wed not just for the alliances it would give the kingdoms, but also for the love their held for each other. When your mother was born, it was a glorious day.  It is said that her majick spilled out of the womb as she was born and there was a rose bush that grew in our grandparents rooms for many years from it.  Grayce was a beautiful child, she was happy and brought much joy to the king and queen. It did not matter that she was not a male, there were no rules in Nah-Alba preventing the reign of a female leader. Grayce was first in line for the crown, and what an amazing ruler she would have made! She was kind and just and showed mercy where needed, but she was also ruthless and a warrior, she was strong and tough too.

    Father was born five years after Grayce, he was a strapping young lad, stocky and hearty from the get go. Walked quicker and had a mean temper about him. He and Grayce got along very well though, their opposite natures balanced each other out. Father knew that your mum had majick in her, Clarissa had brought someone in to help Grayce hone her gifts, so that she was not spending all of her time with Grayce and no time with Albion. Albion was five years old when the news that the queen was pregnant again. The pregnancy was a terrible one, Clarissa was terribly ill the whole time, unable to eat, she was weak and then a terrible plague hit the kingdom.

    Clarissa was close to birthing time, they had high hopes that she had gained enough strength to make it through the pregnancy alive, though they did not know about the baby. A fever swept through the kingdom in the form of a red rash, later the doctors and physicians named it the Scarlet Fever. It killed twenty-five percent of the population. That included majickal and non majickal peoples. The king fell ill, Albion fell ill, Clarissa fell ill, every single person fell ill to this except for one.”

    “Grayce” I interjected.

    “Exactly. No one knows why she didn’t get sick because even the elves, fairies, nymphs dwarves were all ill, and she was the only person in all the kingdom to not be affected by the illness.

When Clarissa went into labor, her midwives had Grayce attend the mother and child, since she was the only one who wasn’t sick, she was the only who could safely deliver the baby. Sadly the baby was stillborn, and Clarissa was too weak to recover. 

    Orion never fully recovered from the fever and losing his wife and child. Albion turned angry and bitter over the years that followed, he began to blame Grayce for their mother’s death.” Suddenly Eramus stopped talking and motioned for her to be quiet again. 

    There was a rush of footsteps as Lauraunt came back, as promised, with his arms full of firewood again.

    “Begging yer pardon, yer royal highness, milady, I’ll just tend the fire and leave the wood here, I won’t come back unless you ring.” 

     He tended to the fire and made sure that there was enough wood on it and quietly left the rooms again. Eramus followed him out, checked the hallways and came back inside, closing the door behind him.

    “He made up wild and ridiculous theories that Grayce could have saved Clarissa, that she wasn’t affected by the illness because of her majickal, and therefore she could have saved their mother and unborn sibling. Sadly, these were just not true. Grayce did not have the gift of healing, her gifts were not unlike those of the garden nymphs. From that moment on, Grayce isolated herself from Albion, who became increasingly more violent toward her, in her rooms and in the gardens.

Finally, Orion was growing weak, and the plan was to have Grayce coronation on her sixteenth birthday, where she would take the throne and rule until her life was over.  However, Albion had other ideas, he had arranged for Grayce to die that night, plotted many different ways to kill her, and set them all into action.

Orion got wind of Albion’s plans and was going to have Albion arrested, but he was too late, Grayce, by means no one is quite sure of, got smuggled out of the castle. Rumor has it, Grayce herself set up Idhrenniel to smuggle her out of the castle the night of her coronation. Orion was furious when he found out, however, he died soon after she fled and the guards were never sent for, ergo Albion was never arrested.. Grayce went into hiding, and was not seen or heard from for many years. She did not come home for her father’s funeral, she did not come to swear her fealty to her brother, and she did not come home after majickal was banished.

    Some said that it had taken a toll on her, and that it broke her heart, losing her family like that. Some said that she had died too, rumors of her death had spread through all of the kingdom.

    After two years, Albion fell increasingly guilty over this and began a search for her all over the kingdom, he exhausted all of his resources to bring her home. He sent riders out who posted flyers in every town, “Have you seen this woman?” with a drawing of how he remembered her to look when she left. He spent five years looking for her. 

    One day, a rumor had reached the castle walls, ‘Grayce has returned!’ Albion and I raced out of the castle and down into the town, personally searching for her. After being there all day, he began to get frantic when she came up behind him and said, ‘I hear you have been looking for me.’

He spun around on his heel, and looked at her square in the face. ‘Thank the Creator you’re alright!’ He cried as he threw his arms around her and embraced her tightly.

    Grayce was more than surprised at this show of affection, Albion had hated her for nearly all of their lives, she was expecting to feel a knife in her back.

    Albion was generous to her. He offered her land on the outskirts of Honey River Cove, Built her a large house, and gave her everything she needed. He offered her husband a post in the castle and a place at his right hand, as advisor. 

    Though the three grew close and lived in harmony for many years, Grayce never forgave Albion, and remained suspicious of him for the rest of her life.

     Albion watched as Grayce suffered from the loss of several children, both living and those yet to be born. He watched her many hardships, and saw that she never changed who she was, never turned angry or bitter. Albion was very proud of his sister, he said so often. He often said how he wished he could change things, go back and fix things. I always found it odd how often he proclaimed his wish to have things differently. He said them so often that we had a hard time believing the genuinity of his sentiments.” He finished telling his tale, and waited for me to catch up. 

    “Wow, that’s … wow!” was all I could say. “So, that explains Uncle Albion’s guilt, and why he is trying so hard with me.” I said pointedly.

“What do you mean, his guilt?” Eramus asked suddenly.

    “It’s a look in his eyes, a feeling I get when he’s around me, he feels guilty for treating my mum so badly and thinks that if he saves my life and takes care of me the way she would have wanted, that he would have paid back his debt to her, and eased his guilt of driving her away and taking her place on the throne.” I explained as if it was plain as day.

    “You’re like your mother, aren’t you? majickal?” He asked me suddenly, an excited glint in his eyes.

    “I am sure that I donna know what yer talking about, Eramus.” I said, a warning in my eyes.

    Eramus was stubborn, and he didn’t give up, until I spilled. 

    “I don’t know what I am exactly.” I said. 

    After that, everything came bubbling out of my mouth before I really knew what I was saying. “I canna figure it out. I have so many questions, and I don’t have anyone to fill in the gaps.  I had not noticed the majickal when I was younger but only when I was around my Avalonian friends. That feeling would build whenever I was with them, and I always just let it flow. However,  now, this feeling is growing stronger every day and I canna allow that majickal to flow here.  I realized that this is what has been causing a great deal of my anxiety as of late. I mean, even Idhrenniel doesnna know what I am, only that I am powerful enough to cause her fear. I have to keep all of this withheld, locked up inside me, and sometimes I feel like all of this majick is going to explode out of me!” I said desperately. I looked at him, suddenly fearful.

    “Donna fash. My dad willna hear a peep of this from me!” He smiled, a quiet wisdom lay within his eyes.

    “I wish I knew of a place that I could go to get the answers that I need, somewhere safe to practice, control and release it. The longer it sits here … the harder it is to keep it from accidentally coming out.” I said, tears running down my eyes at the struggle going on inside of me.

    “Ary, I sense great majick in you. majick that this world has not seen before. I do believe that you are destined for greatness.” Eramus said, I looked at him stunned. I turned and gazed into the fire, trying to read him, trying to figure him out and understand him.

    “You have majick too, don’t you?” I asked finally.

    “I thought you would never sense it.” He sighed in relief. “I thought that maybe I was just crazy.” He said.

    “It is difficult to sense, like it is masked, like someone has blocked you from it.” I said. “I can unlock it for you, if you’d like me to.” I said suddenly.

    “No, I think it needs to stay locked up, it will be unlocked when the time is right.” He said, suddenly guarded. 

“Okay, no need to flinch, I won’t do anything without yer permission.” I laughed. 

    “I have some of it, but not the full of it, I have enough to know when someone around me has majick I sensed you from day one, your majick is powerful.” He smiled. “Your secret is safe with me, not to worry. Give me a week, and I may have a place for you to practice and learn more about your majick and who you are. I would like to do some research though, before we get started.” He smiled an excited and mischievous smile. “Come, I had better get you back to your rooms before they come hunting for you, it’s nearly your supper time.” He said. I looked around and realized the fire had died down to a low burning ember and the sun was sinking quickly on the horizon.

    After Eramus dropped me off down the corridor of my room, he said, “It is best if they donna yet know that we have met. I leave you here, milady.” Then he disappeared into the shadows of the hallway.