The Girl and The Gift

Chapter Six

FAE

What the hell was I thinking?

Fae rubbed her temples and closed her eyes. She'd stayed up far too long last night, between Milo and sending that message to Deidrick. I should be embarrassed, thought Fae, or maybe angry? Then again, angry at what? That her soulmate was attracted to her? Or angry that she had been the one to make the first move? Fae shook her head in a desperate attempt to clear her mind. There was nothing to do about it now, she made her bed and would need to lay in it. On the topic of beds, Fae desperately wished she could climb back into hers. The light streaming through her window threatened to blind her at this rate, and it didn't help that she had a splitting headache. 

I wonder what Milo is doing right now...

Fae groaned audibly, she needed to get this out of her system and quickly. It was bad enough that she was technically sneaking around with another man behind Deidrick's back, but to allow him to interfere with her responsibilities would be entirely crossing the line. Fae paused, did she really owe anything to Deidrick, was it an actual betrayal if they felt nothing for each other? She thought on it for a moment, but found herself replaying flashes of her encounter with Milo last night. Fae couldn't help but play each scene in slow motion, over and over again, in excruciating detail. She didn't like how needy Milo had made her feel in such a short time, not that she didn't love the sensation of surrendering intimately with a partner. It was just that, given her position, Fae hardly found herself indulging her s****l fantasies. Men interested in her and not her position were hard to come by as it was, the idea of allowing them power over her in addition to that was out of the question. Evidently, most of her erotic encounters were limited to vanilla exchanges of pleasure. Fae had thought of the few gentlemen she'd entertained in an extremely transactional manner, they couldn't give her what she wanted, and she knew it; so, she took what she could get where she could get it. 

Things were different with Milo. Fae couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about his behavior last night made her think, just maybe, he could give her what she'd been looking for. More than that, she thought, maybe she could actually trust this man enough to let him. It shouldn't matter, Fae thought, there was no way she could be with him. There was also the issue that, even though she might be able to trust him, she couldn't trust the people around him to be as kind and understanding. Fae sighed, well regardless of her dilemma she needed to get on with the day. There was going to be an important tribune later this morning and she was expected to sit in. Fae suddenly recalled that she'd quite abruptly blown Deidrick off following her strange vision. Perhaps she owed him an apology, or at least a vague explanation. Fae walked to the mirror mounted opposite her bed and studied herself. She felt different somehow, though she most certainly looked the same. Just then, she heard a knock on the door. 

"Come in!"

Fae wrapped herself tightly in her robe and looked over to the door. Thankfully it was only Amethyst coming to help her prepare for the tribune meeting. Fae smiled brightly, genuinely happy to see her, she might have told her about last night but she wasn't convinced the tribune wasn't watching Amethyst as well. 

"You look happy today! Anything you want to tell me?"

Amethyst raised a suspicious eyebrow and smirked in Fae's direction. Fae blushed and began to stutter.

"I- I, well, I've been talking more with, well, you know..."

Amethyst frowned in disgust and wrinkled her nose. 

"Ugh, now that you mention it, I haven't been able to find any kind of answer to your predicament. If there is a way, heaven knows the tribune is keeping it under lock and key."

"Milo did some research too and wasn't able to find anything either. I don't think it's possible to be honest..."

Fae trailed off and returned to staring at herself in the mirror; Amethyst moved to stand next to her. 

"What are you going to do, Fae? You can't live like this, maybe we should tell the tribune..."

"No! Are you insane?"

Fae felt a hot red rage flushing her cheeks. 

"The tribune has only ever caused me pain, and now what? Should I tell them I'm fated to an elf, so that they can go and kill him? Or cause him pain too? No...this is my burden to bear."

Fae trembled where she stood, contemplating what caused her to have such an unmeasured response. Growing up she was always strong willed and defiant, her temper often getting the better of her, but as she had matured these thoughts became less frequent and more tempered. 

"Amethyst...do you think I'm a weak leader?"

Amethyst gasped and covered her mouth. 

"Of course not, what has gotten into you? You're kind and intelligent, just and fair, and your innate magical talent should never be scoffed at. It helps that you're quite the stunning figurehead as well."

Amethyst jabbed Fae in the side lightly, hoping to at least elicit a smile. Fae shook her head in protest. 

"No, that's not what I mean. A true leader would've seized control when they turned 18, not waited for the tribune to marry her off first. A real leader could stop the tribune from persecuting innocent people, or... separating soulmates."

Fae hung her head and a single tear slid down her cheek. 

"Fae, do you have feelings for this elf, Milo?"

Fae looked at her with a pitifully confused expression. 

"I don't know Amethyst, but I do feel something. Even if it's not feelings for him...I can't do this anymore. I can't live my life for the tribune, I can't marry a man I don't love."

Fae covered her hands with her face and lightly sobbed, Amethyst wrapped both arms around her shoulders and held her quietly for a moment. 

"Fae, whatever you decide to do, whatever choices you make as a leader, I will always be here to support you. Okay?"

Fae nodded and wiped the tears from her face. Maybe all the theatrics were because she had feelings for Milo, or maybe she was finally realizing she needed to step up as a leader. Either way, Fae knew that something needed to change. 

"Okay, enough of that. I need to get ready for the tribune meeting. I can't be late, not today. Amethyst, I appreciate your help but can you please go make arrangements for me to make a petition today. I think we're going to start making a few changes."

Amethyst smiled and nodded proudly. 

"Of course."

With that, Amethyst left the room in a haste. Fae sighed deeply for the millionth time today, exhausted or not, she was a royal witch and she needed to start acting like it. She waved her hand delicately through the air, sweeping her hair into a sophisticated up-do. With another wave of her hand, she shed her nightgown and robe, a nude floor length gown with golden accents replacing them. The color of the dress contrasted nicely with her bronzed skin, accentuating both her curves and her authority. She stepped closer to the mirror, poking and prodding her face. Ultimately, though she preferred a natural face, she decided a full face of makeup would better accent the dress. Fae pulled a small wand from the dresser next to the mirror and ran it across her face, mumbling a few words in Latin as she went. She pulled away and watched as gorgeous gold and black eyeshadow appeared on her lids, followed by delicate eyeliner, and a deep red lip. Her cheeks were accented by a rosy peek, highlighting the light freckles that danced across her nose. 

Fae wrinkled her nose and squinted her eyes, it had been a while since she'd used a glamour spell and while she used to be more skilled at it, this look was good enough. She looked quite commanding, Fae thought, dressed to the nines in anticipation of the battle that would soon ensue. She missed looking like this. When did she stop dressing and acting the way she liked, she thought, when did she become so dull and unrecognizable? Fae looked at herself one more time before tidying her room and preparing herself for the meeting. As she began to leave her room, a thought occurred to her; Amethyst hadn't cast a privacy spell earlier. Fae halted for a moment, thinking back on their conversation. No, she thought, she had protection candles lit anyway, it shouldn't be a problem. Fae swallowed a small lump of panic and pushed the thought to the back of her mind. It couldn't be helped now, and she couldn't be late. 

*****

"Elders, thank you for making time to hear me speak today. As you are aware, I have long since been of age to take the throne, and at your behest, I agreed to wait and allow you to find me a suitable husband. I also agreed to allow you intermediate leadership for this period of time."

The large group of red cloaked men and women before Fae nodded their heads in agreement. If there was anything the tribune and Fae could agree on, it's that she had been most cooperative when it came to matters of protecting the witch's region. 

"With that understanding, I am here today to rescind my previous permissions and retake control of matters pertaining to the witch's region."

A gasp shuttered through the crowd, and whispers erupted all throughout the seating hall. 

"Please, allow me to finish."

Fae raised a single dignified hand, and the crowd quelled rather quickly. 

"For now, I will continue to accept your wisdom and would be honored to have the elders as my advisors. It was brought to my attention at my birthday gathering that the elders have already chosen a suitor for me, Deidrick Aspin. I find him and the arrangement acceptable at this time."

The crowd rustled slightly but Fae could feel that there wasn't much objection, she had given them what they wanted for now. An elderly man at the center of the crowd rose to his feet, rapping his staff on the ground in quick succession. The crowd fell quiet as the man cleared his throat and began to speak.

"The Tribune of Elders exists to protect the integrity and secrecy of witches' magic, and to guide the prosperity of the region of witches. We have existed for hundreds of years with this sole purpose, we were never intended to lead. However, Lady Loch, I presume you did not come here today only to sway us into giving you what's rightfully yours. Speak your mind freely."

Fae nodded slowly, she hadn't anticipated that the Sacred Elder would address her directly. She was prepared for resistance, but this was strange, as if he wanted her to feel a false sense of security. Maybe the tribune were simply unaware of how much Fae knew about them. 

"You are correct, Sacred Elder, and as always I appreciate your honesty. Since the tribune finds it aggregable to relinquish the throne back to me, I have several measures that need to be implemented immediately."  

Fae paused for a moment, allowing the crowd to consider her statement and her newfound authority. 

"The first of these measures will be an immediate and sustained moratorium on witch battalion activity outside of the region. There are simply not enough resources to care for our warriors, I cannot allow our people to continue to be harmed in the name of conquest. The witch's realm is large enough, as is our reprehensible reputation."

Fae paused again, as the crowd began to buzz with objections. The Sacred Elder raised a hand, silencing them yet again, and gestured for Fae to continue. 

"The second measure is related to the topic of limited resources. As we all know, the witch's realm is ripe with herbs and natural resources required to replenish mana and create new and powerful magic. However, the herbs and resources in our forest are not those required to care for non-magical wound treatment. This is a serious concern."

This time, the crowd seemed intrigued, and began to buzz with interest. 

"I propose an immediate eradication of all laws and stipulations preventing medical and alchemical witches from traveling beyond the region. With the intent, of course, that they return from any expeditions with additional resources and research in their respective fields."

Fae looked out across the sea of elders and found that most of them seemed to be looking on in interest. The rest appeared to be waiting for some kind of signal from the Sacred Elder. Fae looked on as well, waiting for some confirmation that she had been heard. The Sacred Elder smiled at her lightly. 

"My final note, Sacred Elder, would be a personal request. As this is uncharted territory, I would like Sir Aspin to head the first free expedition outside of the region. This is an extremely delicate matter, and I would rather it be handled by someone I trust."

The Sacred Elder nodded understandingly. 

"Is that all, my lady?"

Fae nodded curtly, and waited for his response with bated breath.

"In that case, I find this acceptable. I am happy to hear that you and Deidrick have established a relationship outside of the tribune's arrangement. The tribune will begin preparations to implement this plan, if you see fit, please make the necessary preparations with Deidrick personally. Dismissed." 

The Sacred Elder tapped his staff again, and the crowd vanished into thin air. Fae could never get used to that, she knew the elders were important, but she felt somehow slighted by their refusal to turn up in person. She breathed a sigh of relief and stepped down from the podium. Okay, she thought, the first stage was completed. Now, she would just have to talk to Deidrick about...well, about everything frankly. Right on cue, and to her surprise, as she descended the podium, she found Deidrick waiting at the bottom of the stairs. 

"Deidrick, excellent timing! What brings you here?"

Deidrick smiled sheepishly, clearly making an effort to tear his eyes away from her stunning figure, made all the more apparent by her form fitting dress.

"I uh, well, my father said you requested a petition today and I thought it would be appropriate for me to hear you speak. I'm glad I came, you were brilliant."

Fae smiled sweetly. 

"We have a lot to talk about Deidrick, come with me, you know where we're going."

Deidrick nodded and followed closely behind as they headed towards Fae's office. It didn't take them long to arrive. When they got there, Fae waved her hand, allowing her hair to fall around face. She kicked her shoes off and perched herself atop the desk. 

"Well, what did you think, Deidrick? Did you like my plan?"

Deidrick grinned and stretched his arms out wide.

"Did I like it? Ha, I loved it! Fae, it's everything I've ever wanted."

Deidrick paused and frowned. 

"Wait, you...you planned this, so we wouldn't have to go through with the wedding didn't you?"

Fae smiled weakly and nodded. 

"I thought, maybe, if you wanted to, you could collect a small group of other witches in your field that don't want to live here anymore...and if you wanted to, you wouldn't have to come back."

Deidrick's eyes widened with awe and a trace of concern. 

"But Fae, wouldn't you get in trouble for that?"

Fae giggled, catching herself with a hand over her mouth. 

"Deidrick, who would I be in trouble with? I'm the only one in charge now!"

Deidrick found himself laughing along, wiping his eyes of joyful tears.

"Okay, okay, you're right. But Fae, I need to ask you something..."

Fae stopped laughing and attempted to compose herself, Deidrick sounded serious now. 

"Fae, the other night, I apologize...I thought it would make things easier for us but I was wrong. You really do have all the answers. Anyway, I noticed something...happened to you just before I moved in. It reminded me of something."

Fae froze in terror, her chest rising and falling more rapidly with every second that passed. Deidrick walked to her, and put a gentle hand on hers. 

"Fae, do you have the gift?"