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I frowned slightly, wondering how this man knew my name.
“Leo,” Cyrus greeted him, coming up the small staircase to stand next to me.
The name plucked at a memory I had forgotten about until now, and my mouth fell open as I took in the sight of the man in front of me. This was Alexandre’s son. The one who, for years now, had been assumed dead by his father. The more I stared, the more the similarities between him and Alexandre became noticeable. They had the same nose, the same face shape, the same height, and whilst the man in front of me did not have a beard longer than any I had ever seen, the stubble that dusted his chin made him look even more so like his father.
Leo’s eyes fell to meet mine, and his smile widened even more, making them crinkle at the sides and ageing him in an instant.
“I was wondering when you would bring her to see me.” Leo’s tone was light, but his smile dropped from his face as he looked at Cyrus.
Cyrus shrugged beside me, taking one hand out of his pocket so he could wrap his arm around my shoulders, pulling me tightly into his side. Leo watched the actionclosely, a slight squint to his eyes.
“Well, she has questions.”
“Sheis standing right here.” I said, a tight smile on my face as I pulled away from Cyrus’s side slightly, before turning my attention back to the Fae male in front of me. “Leo, it’s nice to see you again.”
“Likewise, Your Majesty.” Leo dipped his head in a bow as he spoke, “Would you like to come in?”
I nodded my head, and once Leo had moved to the side, I stepped into the small wooden cabin.
My eyebrows raised at the sight inside the cabin. There was not a single clear surface to be seen, every book appeared to be open, and a small cat lounged on an armchair. It lifted its head at the sound of our entrance but did not deem our arrival of any interest to her, tucking her head back into her paws and resuming her nap.
A boiling pot hung on a metal pole above a large fireplace, and feathered birds hung on hooks above even that. My eyes ran over the piles upon piles of books, my curiosity getting the better of me as I ran my fingers over one of the spines, the lettering too faded for me to figure out what it said.
The smell of dust mixed with sage tickled my nose and as I turned, Leo pulled the door closed, cutting off the small breeze that had been coming in.
I watched as Leo moved towards what appeared to be his kitchen, pots and pans stacked high and crockery perched precariously on the edges of counters and hunted for something amongst all of the chaos. It only took him a minute, but he turned with a grin on his face as he presented two mugs.
“Tea?” he asked, clicking his fingers, and making a small teapot whistle instantly. My mouth fell open in shock, but I nodded whilst Cyrus shook his head. He stood uncomfortably in the corner of the small cabin, his hands back in his pockets and his shoulders high around his ears. His nose was crinkled slightly as he eyed the small cat on the chair, and I almost laughed at how uncomfortable he seemed.
Leo grinned at me as he handed me a steaming mug of tea that smelled like oranges, and I thanked him. He shooed the cat from the chair, much to its dismay, and sat himself down, gesturing for me to take a seat on the small sofa. It was lumpy and the colour had been drained from it long ago, but when I sat, I sank into it like a cloud. The cushions on either side of me sank towards me, and the seat under me curved to fit my body.
“Now,” Leo started, sipping at his tea, his eyes flicking between Cyrus and I, “You have questions.”
“Yes.” I nodded, my hands wrapping around the hot mug I was holding as I sat forward slightly. “More now that I know who you are.”
“Well, I hope I have the answers you seek.” Leo smiledslightly, but the look he gave me was sad, as if he knew that I would be asking about his father at some point.
“Kira would like to know about the eradication of magic in Earth.” Cyrus spoke up from his place in the corner, his eyes never leaving the small cat who now circled his ankles, sniffing at him curiously. Leo nodded his head, placing his tea on top of a pile of paper, which sat on top of a thick, leather book.
“I thought so.” He smiled at me, and I blushed as I sat forward even more, clutching my mug close to myself. “How much do you already know?”
“Nothing,” I admitted, “The only person I knew with magic at home was…”
“My father.” Leo nodded, taking a sip of his tea, his eyes falling on the still open window, but his gaze was farther away, over the ocean. “It didn’t used to be that way. Nearly everyone you would meet would have some form of magic… enchantments, divination, witchcraft, even necromancy or blood magic if you were feeling brave enough to find it… Earth was the epicenter for it all.
“The first magical settlers landed there nearly a thousand years ago. There are books about their arrival, but they are hidden in tunnels under the castle that no one can enter without permission, not even Queens. Your great-great-grandfather was born during the magical revolution. Magic wielders believed that non-magic wielders did not deserve to be on the throne when they were so few and far between. It turned into a civil war, which saw yourgrandfather’s parents murdered in their bed.
“Your grandfather, Finn, was taken from the castle and put into an orphanage when he was barely a year old. He grew up with no idea who he was, or what he was owed.”
Leo’s eyes flickered to mine at the similarities, and I swallowed harshly, shifting in my seat slightly. I could see Cyrus from the corner of my eyes, his face set in a deep frown, and I wondered how much of this was new information for him, too.
“He grew up with a lot of anger, naturally. He was angry at the state of the Kingdom. The magic wielders had no idea how to rule a kingdom as large as Earth, and it fell into waste. There were no jobs, limited food, crime brought up more children than parents did. It… it was not a nice place to be.
“My father had just turned twenty. He was making his way home when he saw your grandfather being thrown from the orphanage. He had stabbed a boy, apparently, and was deemed a danger to himself and to everyone else there, so they threw him out as though he were nothing. My father helped him up, and took him home to my grandmother, and they took care of him together.
“It wasn’t until he turned eighteen that my grandmother told him who he was. She had recognised him the minute he had walked in through their front door. He was furious, naturally, but he listened. My grandmother had helped him come up with a plan to get his throne back, and when father came home from work that day… they put it into action.”
Leo stopped for a minute, finishing off the tea that was in his mug and returning it to the kitchen. I shook my head when he offered me a refill, my stomach turning uneasily at the story he was spinning for me. Cyrus had moved from his corner and had perched on the arm of the sofa I was sitting on, his knee bumping against my thigh and bringing me more comfort than I cared to admit.
