“The Seelie royals’ most loyal advisor was a powerful seer and intended to utilize her powers in conjunction with the crucible to attempt to gain an answer to their most pressing question. The Seelie King and Queen were longing for a child, an heir to their thrones and kingdom; however, they had yet to be granted with such a blessing, even after nearly a century of trying.”
I look again to see Oberon and Diana, hands clasped with one another, approaching the crucible and lean over to peer inside as their advisor stirs the contents.
I walk a few steps closer to get a better view, stopping at the edge of the small crowd. It’s then that I recognize that the seer behind the crucible isFleur. I let out a startled gasp.
She’s a seer?!
“And a damn powerful one at that, my dear.”
I let out a snort, because it’s such a Fleur response. I take another peek around the gathered crowd. I catch a flash of the child behind Queen Tatiana. He has dark jet-black hair, like his mother. It’s actually quite adorable the way he’s hiding from the gathered crowd. I would have likely done the same at his age if I’m being honest. His head pokes out from behind his mother’s skirts and looks around at the crowd warily.
My breath halts in my chest when his gaze snags on where I’m standing andholds. There’s no way he can see me. This isn’t real. It’s a vision. An illusion. But also, something about the fact that his bright, blue eyes are looking straight at me, feels almostreal.
“Ask your question,” Illusion Fleur speaks to the King and Queen, reluctantly drawing my attention away from the boy and back to the events at hand.
“Oh, great Fates, we call on you to beg, please tell us would we have a child?” The King asks, his voice laces with a quiet authority carrying across the glade.
Illusion Fleur’s eyes roll back in her head and her voice takes on a guttural tone when she speaks. “The wish shall be fulfilled. Before the end of the century, thou shall bring a daughter into the world.”
The Queen looks as if she’s about to collapse in relief, probably would have, were it not for the King’s arm banded tightly around her waist. I can hear the muffled sobs coming from the Queen while the King whispers hushed soothing words into her ear.
“That is not all. All desires must come at a price and this one is no different, Your Majesties,” Illusion Fleur interjects, still speaking on behalf of the Fates.
The King and Queen look at each other, wariness clear in their eyes over what the cost could be.
“Very few truly know the words spoken by the Fates to Oberon and Diana about the price they would have to pay. Since it was their price alone to pay, they felt the topic was best handled in private between the three of us.”
As Fleur recounts this to me, the groups of Fae are silently ushered out of the glade. The Unseelie King and Queen look irritated to be removed. The raven perched on Queen Tatiana’s shoulder takes flight into the trees. The boy trailing slowlybehind his mother, taking a final look around the open space and I can almost swear he meets my gaze again before he scurries after them.
The only ones left in the glade at this point are Fleur, King Oberon, and Queen Diana.
“Your parents.” The real Fleur speaks again.
My parents…
My breath catches in my throat. Tears prick at the back of my eyes. I’ve never seen them before and never thought I would.
I take a few steps closer to the crucible, now that the crowd has thinned, and inspect them closer. Picking out the similarities in our appearances. My hair is identical in shade to that of my mother’s, so much so that I’m shocked with myself that I didn’t make the connection sooner. My violet eyes come straight from my father, although his look older, wiser. Guess that comes with being centuries old. It’s so strange now to see these attributes reflected back at me in a face that’s not my own.
“Tell us of the cost. We’ll pay it. Whatever it may be,” King Oberon speaks firmly.
“Careful of making promises before you’ve heard the costs,” Illusion Fleur tuts at the king. “The cost for the birth of your daughter will be your kingdom.”
The King and Queen stiffen. “What do you mean it will cost us our kingdom?” This time it’s Diana asking, wariness clear in her voice.
“It’s been prophesied,” Illusion Fleur’s face takes on an almost wicked smile. It’s an expression I’ve never once seen on her face. It looks unnatural.
The vision around me fades to black and as I blink my eyes clear, I’m once again seated in Fleur’s bedroom. I bring my hands up, brushing the residual powder from my cheeks.
“Immediately after returning to the palace, Oberon and Diana only allowed their most trusted staff to continue workingat the palace and no outsiders were permitted. Your mother was sequestered away throughout the duration of her pregnancy, so no one knew of her condition, making only enough public appearances to avoid suspicion and rumors. Shortly after your birth, they had me smuggle you out of the palace and Alinea and to the human realm. I am one of only a handful of individuals who know you even exist. They hoped by keeping you away from Faerie and the court you’d be safer from threats outside the palace walls.”
“What’s the prophecy?” I ask, because what could be so bad that they had to secret me away to the human realm.
“Child, you need to remember that these things are not an exact science. There are endless ways to interpret the prophecy. The Fates told your parents that you would cost them their kingdom, but as of now, their kingdom still stands. So, we can’t truly know what is meant by the words until they come to pass.”
“Fleur. What is the prophecy?” I press, frustration rising up.
She lets out a defeated sigh, knowing I won’t stop pushing her on this.
