The Girl and The Gift

Chapter Eight

FAE

"Yes..."

Fae's chest heaved up and down with heavy panicked breaths as she studied Deidrick's face in shock and horror. Deidrick returned the look with wide eyes and a frantic breathing of his own. 

"So, you do have the gift!? Honestly, I wasn't expecting that, I was almost hoping I was wrong..."

Fae looked at him in confusion. 

"What do you mean? Why would you hope that, isn't the gift supposed to be something happy? Special? I mean for everyone but me of course."

Fae rolled her eyes, she was getting tired of reliving this horrible conversation. 

"Fae, I'm going to ask you a couple questions and I need you to be honest with me. You can trust me, I promise." 

Fae considered his request for a moment, and hesitated. 

"Fine."

"Okay, good. How long ago did this start?"

Fae sighed, and thought back carefully. 

"A few days I suppose, I found out about it on my birthday."

"Right, and your soulmate, they're a witch, right?"

Fae blinked back a few tears and swallowed a lump in her throat. This is it she thought, maybe he had already known and was only placed here by the tribune as a spy. Her mind spun with every conceivable horror she could think of. Then, suddenly, Fae decided. If this was her fate, if she was destined to spend her days in agony over something that was out of her control, then she would face it head on. She would define the way this story unfolded and if she told Deidrick now, at least the reveal would be in her control. Fae turned her gaze back to Deidrick and looked at him defiantly. 

"No. He is not. He's an elf."

Deidrick stared at her incredulously for what seemed like ages before he caught his breath and spoke again. 

"So, it's true then. The stories are true..."

Fae furrowed her brow, somehow she was disappointed. She had worked herself up thinking this would be the first step in her battle towards freedom but Deidrick didn't seem to be angry. In fact, he seemed sad, and horrified in a strange absentminded way. As if the horror he was thinking of had already happened far in the past. He seemed defeated to say the least. 

"Deidrick, what are you talking about? Will you spit it out please?"

Fae felt herself nearly pleading, she needed to know what was making him look so stern and sullen all of a sudden.

"Everything makes sense now, Fae. Why you weren't allowed in the archives, why the texts are kept so secret. It's all a damn cover up."

Fae watched as Deidrick began to pace the room.

"I went to the archives earlier today to do research on some alchemical structures, and I happened across an archive I'd never seen before. It had the royal crest on it and so I found myself curious."

Deidrick paused and gave Fae a wary look, as if to apologize for snooping. 

"I asked the cleric in the archive if it would be alright to read through the royal files since I was to be marrying into the family, of course the old cook didn't even look up to see what I was holding. He agreed and I started reading, but I didn't want to believe what was in those files."

Fae shook her head, still visibly confused as to where this was going. Deidrick waved a had through the air, indicating he wasn't finished. 

"Everything we know about the war is a lie, Fae. It was a ruse to cover up that the Elven Council and the Tribune of Elders murdered, or I guess rather, petrified, your ancestor. She was one of the first royal witches, and they killed her, along with her lover, who was an elf."

Fae felt a sharp pain in her chest, as if a truth she had already known was being ripped from her bones. She fell to her knees and let out a guttural scream. Deidrick looked around, panicked, before remembering they were tucked safely into her private office. He let out a relieved sigh. 

"That's not all, Fae. Your ancestor, she was the first witch in over a thousand years to receive the gift. I think it's an omen. The details get a bit fuzzy after that, there are missing pages and redacted information, Obviously the tribune was trying their best to make sure that information never got out. I'm so sorry Fae, I wish I could tell you more."

Deidrick knelt down and wrapped his arms around Fae's shoulders. He knew he couldn't comfort her in any significant way, but he couldn't stand the sight of her beautiful tear stained face. Fae leaned into his embrace momentarily, before she came to her senses and rose to her feet. It's unbecoming, she thought, to fall apart in front of a man whose trustworthiness had only just been decided. 

"So, what does this mean for me?"

Fae wiped her eyes again and peered at Deidrick expectantly. Deidrick sighed and wrung his hands together. 

"I don't know. I think that part is up to you, I mean, I think that what you do with this information will change the world, Fae. For better or for worse."

Fae nodded solemnly, she was beginning to understand more, as each day passed, just how important her decisions were. She couldn't afford to be sloppy or careless now, she was a target in every way possible, and still somehow, a symbol of hope. 

"Right, okay. Well, for now let's go forward with my plans. You should leave for your expedition immediately, gather your team and supplies and leave at dawn. It won't be long before the tribune realizes you've seen information you shouldn't have. You'll be safer in the realm than in our region for now."

Deidrick nodded and rose to his feet.

"I appreciate your consideration, Fae, but I'm only leaving because it will protect you. From this marriage, and from the tribune. I'll leave at dawn, I hope you can forgive me for leaving you at such a time."

Fae smiled, Deidrick truly was a gentleman. 

"Go, don't worry about me, please. I'll be fine, and I swear to be careful."

Deidrick reached out and quickly squeezed Fae's hands within his own, then he turned and hurried out of the office. Fae stared at the ceiling as the door disappeared from the wall. A single tear cascaded down her cheek. 

*****

Fae sat at her desk in the corner of her bedroom watching her own reflection meticulously. Her eyes seemed so much older these days, so burdened. She blinked slowly and watched as pearly tears left tracks on her bronze skin. What a silly girl she was, she thought to herself. for a moment she had expected that things would work out for her. She had thought she might be able to pull it off, a political marriage to a man who would never be home, and a secret love affair in her mind with a man who was destined to be her soulmate. As she thought it over, a deep rage poured over her. How dare the tribune strip her family of love and security over and over again. Fae rose to her feet trembling, and before she realized what she was doing, she found herself pounding the mirror with her bare fists, shards of glass fluttering around her. She sobbed and pounded harder, blood trickling down her palms. Suddenly, two firm hands clasped around her arms, forcing her to a stop. Instinctively she began to struggle, cutting herself deeper against the glass shards embedded in her hands. 

"Shh, Fae, please, it's me."

Fae froze, wide eyed and bloody, she relaxed into the grip and slowly turned around. She was both surprised and relieved to find herself staring into Milo's beautiful blue eyes. She stared at him for a moment before she recognized the look of fear and concern in his face. Fae looked down and saw the trails of blood running down her pale blue nightgown. 

"I-I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking. I..."

Fae trailed off as Milo abruptly scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed. Fae gasped as Milo gently removed her blood stained nightgown, revealing her delicate curves accented by the pale moonlight flooding through the window. She looked up at him blushing, only to find that he was hardly looking at her at all. His eyes were closed as he muttered to himself in old elvish while waving his hands over her arms. Fae's eyes grew wide as she watched the blood streaks disappear from her body, her wounds closed, and little shards of glass slipped effortlessly from her skin. Once this was done, Milo quickly crossed the room locating one of her dressing robes, and returned placing it around her shoulders as she sat up. 

"Are you okay, Fae?"

Milo's bright blue eyes bore into Fae, searching ever corner of her body and mind for signs of distress. Fae felt herself begin to blush again. 

"I'm okay, you didn't have to do all that you know. I'm capable of dressing a wound. And you don't know what kind of a strain that will put on you in this mana form..."

Fae trailed off as she noticed Milo smirking. 

"What? What are you smiling at?"

Milo laughed a little, clearly pleased that Fae was okay. 

"Nothing, I just didn't know witchy princesses could get that angry. I'm glad you're okay, you had me worried for a moment. I could tell something was wrong, that's why I came so late. I wouldn't have bothered you until tomorrow otherwise."

Fae raised an eyebrow, she wasn't sure what she should address first, the witchy princess comment, or why he had planned to come here tomorrow in the first place.

"Did you have something to tell me, Milo..."

Milo frowned, clearly thinking it over. 

"It's okay, it can wait. You seem like you've had a rough day."

Fae sighed.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure I can top it."

Milo raised a cautious eyebrow. 

"Okay, shoot."

"I think our ancestors were in love, and our regions killed them."

Milo looked startled by her blunt revelation, but he knew it was true and he wouldn't lie to her. He sat down on the bed next to her, and wrapped her in his arms, pulling her to his chest.

"You're right, they were. And they killed them, well they turned them to stone, which I would assume is the same thing."

Fae blushed against his bare chest, but pressed against him tightly.

"What are we going to do, Milo? At this point, it wouldn't matter if we're together or not. If they find out what we know, or that we've talked at all, our fate is sealed."

Milo sighed and planted a firm kiss on the top of Fae's head. 

"If that's true, Fae, I would rather have loved and lost than never loved at all."

Fae's breath faltered and her heart fluttered in her chest. 

"What are you saying?"

Milo listed a hand to her chin, bringing her eyes up to meet his.

"I'm saying, if I'm destined to lose my soulmate one way or another, I choose to love you while I can."

Milo closed the gap between them, pressing his lips to hers softly and yet passionately. Fae melted into his embrace, eagerly returning his kiss. They gazed at each other briefly, quietly deciding to embrace destiny and deny fate. 

"Will you stay tonight?"

Fae looked up at Milo needily, and smiled. Milo pressed another kiss to her forehead. 

"I'll stay as long as the mana allows me to, just rest for now. You've been through a lot, princess."

Fae squirmed in his arms, she both loved and hated it when he called her that. Nonetheless, she decided not to respond. Instead she chose to close her eyes and press as closely to him as she could. Fae's breathing slowed as Milo ran his fingers through her hair, watching as she slowly drifted off to sleep.