The Hidden Princess

Letters from the Dead

Adden and Emmaline landed on the fairy palace’s western terrace.  He did not want to return to the southern door, he saw too many ghosts there.  It was dark so Adden opened a fire ball for both himself and Emmaline.  It was quiet and cold.  As she walked into the great room, she saw all the skeletons that were strewn about.  She was struck by the ruthlessness of the non-disposal of the bodies.  She walked to each one and placed a hand on it.  She prayed for each one.  She noticed that Adden was no longer by her side.  She looked and saw him closer to the middle of the room by the throne, or where the throne used to be.  He was just standing there, and she made her way toward him.

She looked down at where he was standing and noticed that it was the Kings garments, and she knew who it was.  She held Adden’s hand for support and then she noticed a ring.  She reached for the ring and it did not seem to come from his hands but rather was in the rip of his jacket.  It was reflecting the light from the fire ball and she picked it up. 

She handed it to Adden and he knew exactly what it was.  She heard him take a breath as he reached for it from her fingers.  It was his mothers wedding ring.  He remembered her as a small boy, she was fun loving and always smiling at him.  She had died of an illness when he was 8 years old.  She had been wearing it the day she died.  He smiled remembering her and it warmed his heart and he put it in his pocket. He thought it funny that his father carried her ring everywhere, he never even talked about her unless Adden wanted to talk with him about her.  Funny the things you do not know about people. Adden reached down and picked up his father’s sword and held it in his hands.  It would have been passed to him on the day he took over the realm, he slid it in his belt.

“We should give him a proper burial once this is all done, should we take his remains somewhere until then?” Emmaline asked and Adden agreed.  They moved him to his royal chambers for now.  Adden needed to do this.

“We will take care of the rest when the time is right.” Adden looked down at what was left of his father’s body pausing for a moment. As he looked around his room, he saw a piece of paper sticking out from under his mattress.  Adden reached for it.

A letter from the dead

My Dearest Son-

If you have found this letter, then I am no longer here.  The powers that were mine I now shift to you to protect our realm.  Hidden below the palace is a secret room, a place that I met my mate lover for many years.  At the halfway point from this bedroom walking toward the great hall to turn toward your left staring at the wall. Say the

follow in a whisper “Open for my love” and the wall will show you a secret passage, the same words will close the door as well.  This room is almost exactly halfway to the vampire palace and in her hallway these same words will open that doorway into the vampire palace. 

I also bestow upon you the Book of The Spirits that has been handed down from King to King, it holds all the magic spells that fairies can perform, if they know it or not. This is located at the end of the hall of the dungeon cells in the depths of the palace.  It is an enormously powerful book, use it wisely my son.

Be in peace knowing that I lived a full life and that I loved you, your mother, and my lover mate all with the same vigor.  I am sorry that I deceived your mother, but I could not deny and reject my mate, I was not strong enough for that.

Peace be with you.

Idean Claire King of the Fire Fairies

“Maybe this is what you were called back here to find?” Emmaline read the words for herself when he handed her the letter. 

“First we will try and find this secret room.” Adden started walking toward the great hall.  It took a couple of tries but he did finally find it and the words did melt away the stone wall. He pulled Emmaline up into his arms and flew down the path.  They ran into a few cobwebs along the way, once they reached the room it opened to them.  He sent the fireball around the room to light up the torches available. There was a layer of dust on everything. Emmaline dusted off the couch to sit down. 

“There.” Adden pointed “There is the other hallway, that leads to the vampire palace.  This might be the best place to start our attack.  They will never see it coming.  We are the only ones that know this place even exists.”

“Should we follow it? We should probably need to know how long it is.  Ours was a long distance, even with flight.” She asked.

“My father said it was about halfway.  I do not want to risk it alone.  Let’s wait until we can get everyone here.”  Adden looked back at the hallway they just came from “We should probably start heading back.  We need to go get that book and get back to Marta’s cave.”

Emmaline agreed and she jumped in his arms and they returned to the Fairy palace and made their way down to the dungeon. Where they found one more body.  It was laying on its side with a silver hunting knife next to the body.  You could see an outline of where soft tissue just outside the midsection rotted away and turned to dust.

“This body has no cloths, My Love.” Emmaline noticed. “I wonder if this this the body from the royal wolf that some people said they saw on the night of the takeover.” She picked up the knife and put it in her satchel.

“Possibly, it makes no sense why it would be naked other than it changed back into it’s human form after it died. And look here, there is blood stains way up here as if something were tied around its neck and then as it shifted back the slide marks were left.  That’s almost 3 feet long!”  Adden noted more blood slide marks where the paws may have been. “That would have been almost as big as Angela is when she is in her wolf form.  I think this may have been Delilah’s mother.” Adden said the last part to himself.

“We must keep going, My Love.  We have been here too long already.” Emmaline was getting nervous with the sun coming up soon.  She did not want to be caught.

They continued down the hallway until they reached the very end where they stood looking at a blank wall. Looking around, they saw no trace of anything that may have been removed and then Adden leaned his hand against the wall to think and it gave way to him.

The secret compartment held the Book of Spirits on a humble shelf, amongst other books.  Maybe to conceal it from prying eyes.  Adden pulled it out but did not want to open it just yet.  He suddenly felt like he was being watched and needed to leave immediately. His steps were quick, and Emmaline had a hard time keeping up with him as they made their way out of the palace.  The sun was just coming up on the horizon.  He pulled her into his arms, handed her the book and they flew off toward the southern border.

Back at home base Angela and Cladd had returned home from their adventure.  Cladd was still in shock from flying.  They were sitting quietly next to each other just taking everything in when Adden and Emmaline walked in.

“Where did you guys go?” Angela asked. 

Adden walked up to her and pulled her into a hug “Are you okay my daughter?” He had never seen anyone shift into a dragon. 

“I am fine, Lilith took good care of me. We went to the dragon lair up past the northern mountain range, we flew so fast.  Cladd is still recovering, it was pretty traumatic for him.” She let her hand rest on Cladd’s shoulder for a moment then turned back to her Father. “Lilith called her people to arms.  We can mind link with all of them at the same time.  They are going to start training so they can fight with us. It was amazing to be Lilith for a bit.  She is so powerful, and I could feel that she started feeling love again. She has been so closed off for so long.  I think this will only add to her power.” Angela paused “So where did you guys go?”

“We went back to the Fairy palace.” Adden and Emmaline told them all the things they found and what they think they discovered about the royal wolf that made an appearance at the takeover. They all discussed how to be able to use this secret room to overtake Thomas from the inside.  If they could do that it would lessen the people who would need to fight for them.

Marta walked in the room, she had kind of heard what they were talking about “Angela it is time you learn what your vampire side can do for you.  There are many strengths within that portion of you that have yet to be explored.  I will take you through all of them today.  Time is running out.” Marta sat on the couch next to Adden and they all agreed with her.

Thomas

“You Majesty.  Light has been spotted at the Fairy Palace.” A guard that was patrolling the border reported to Thomas.

Thomas sat on his throne.  He had turned so ugly, with his mouth in a wrinkled scowl, his eyes consumed with black, his thin face gave way to his now grey hair where it had once been black as midnight. He took his long bony fingers and rubbed his chin. “Double the patrol on that border.  I want eyes on it at all times.” And he dismissed the guard.

“So, it begins.” Thomas said to himself “She is almost ready; I can feel it.”