THE ELEMENTAL CHRONICLE

Thirty One |

Thirty One |

I awoke slowly, my body aching and my mind heavy. A soft groan slipped from my lips as I peeled open my dry and crusted eyes, glancing around my room as I sat up. Beside the bed, I could make out the form of Erik, he stood at my window, glancing out towards the night sky. I wondered briefly how much time had passed since I had drunken the tea? A few at least.

"Did I do anything embarrassing?" I asked with humour lacing my rough voice.

He hummed lowly, "No, my lady you did not."

My brow arched carefully, "Why are you addressing me in that way?"

"It has been a long day, you should rest some more," he replied without giving me a true answer, "Fionn will come to speak with you in the morning about properly training you. He can provide more assistance than I could ever."

I slid from the bed quickly, panic and horror filling me. What had happened while I was having that such vision? A cold chill filled me and I rushed over to him on weak legs. My fingers grasped his arm as I turned him with all the force I could muster. He turned, his eyes emotionless, and his stance tense. Immediately, my fingers left his arm.

"What is it?" I asked softly.

His gaze moved back to the night sky, "You've been asleep for two days. Within those two days, I have seen you glow green while having a vision, the tea set on the table revive into a large plant and then you passed out with confectus. Today, I was in the royal library sent by my sister, looking through the many archives of records. There is no records of any Roisin family ever residing in the royal guards, nor any elemental aside from yourself and Fionn."

My throat grew dry, "I-I don't understand."

"Neither did I until I continued to dig," he mused lowly, "Into the forbidden archives where I found a water elemental by the name of Caterina Cyprus. The Cyprus was a good family, a strong water elemental name that had been casualties of a strife between Ipuina and Neorian."

I shook my head wildly, "I don't know what you're saying."

"My mother had sent them on a mission to kill Edric Albion's only son and heir. She sent the entire Cyprus family, Lord and Lady Cyprus posed as street performers and their daughter too. When it came to do it, they failed. Aldrich Albion was protected by an infamous figure of Neorain called the Black Rose," his voice got quiet.

My foot took a step back, the dots connecting slowly in my mind as much as I wished them not to. I understood what he was getting at and I didn't want it to be so. It was such a stretch, such a truth could not be true. This truth, it was a dangerous truth that I did not wish to know, this meant that if Mama was Caterina Cyprus, she was posed by the queen as a traitor and a killer. My hands shook as I lifted them to my ears, my eyes burning. 

"Enough," I whispered.

Erik continued, "In the fae tongue Black Rose translates to Roisin. We use it without even knowing it now, using the tongue we had rejected to explain the magic we still use. My father taught me the tongue, he said one day I might need it. Now, I suppose it's come to use."

"Enough!" I screamed angrily, "That is enough!"

"Are you mad that my mother destroyed your true family," he mused bitterly, "Or that I've told you the truth this castle tried to hide? Or maybe, you're upset I've told you a dangerous truth and now that it's out in the air, you know what will eventually happen."

"And what's that?" I hissed, "Fionn and I will be killed to protect your mother's actions? Why tell me in the first place? Is that why you act so strange now? Our of guilt for a past that could have eventually come out regardless? Whoever Caterina Cyprus was, she was not my mother. My mother was Caterina Roisin."

He looked at me, his eyes wide and the guilt within those blue orbs clear as ice.

"Royals will always have their blood crimes," I said sharply, "It changes nothing. Had she lived as a Cyprus, Fionn and I would not be here today. My mother died loving us, and she died doing everything she could for us. I will not feel guilty for the love she gave us, and I will not feel guilty for the man she loved. Whatever happened on the day the Black Rose killed her family, she escaped and survived. That is the life she was proud of so save your pity for not my mother but your own. At least mine was full of love, yours is nothing but frozen blood."

It was his turn to take a step back. Slowly, he nodded, his gaze dropping.

"Very well," he said with no emotions, "Please rest now my lady, you will be training in the morning with your brother. Now that the vision has passed, I will take my leave."

My hand stopped him, "Does he know?"

"Who knows," Erik yawned, pulling away to step onto the windowsill, "But I have not said anything to him of the matter. Fionn is a smart man, he'll become king one day, hell, I'm sure he'll even kill me one day. I'm sure he knows more than any of us."

A cold chill ran down my spine, "He is your friend."

"He is my best friend, he is my brother by choice," he laughed, turning to give me a wink, "But royal families murder each other all the time. Power will always trump love. Goodnight Ara. Sleep well."

My head jerked into a nod, "Goodnight Erik."

Then he was gone, out the window. I sighed deeply before moving back to the bed and sitting on it's soft edge. I had held it back good while Erik was here, but now that I sat alone the tears began to fall. I sobbed softly into my hands, crying for the truth and for the loss. I will always defend my mother's choices but I will also always hate what choices the queen demanded from her. My palms itched and I snapped my head up, looking down at the smooth flesh that glowed faintly with a green. A sudden small noise had me looking up and back to the window where a large patch of amanita mushrooms had grown. I recognized the feel of the magic—it was not mine. My body tensed and I stood, looking around the dark room carefully.

"Who's there?" I whispered, "Come out!"

Whoever was here now must had heard Erik's words, I had to take action. I had to make sure the truth did not get out—

"Mek."

I blinked hard. A small creature suddenly poked it's head from the mushrooms. I could feel my body freeze with both curiosity and shock. The creature was no bigger than a plum, round and naked. It looked fae, with bright black eyes and a mushroom cap on top of what I believed to be it's head. It was quite cute, with three fingers on each stubby hand and three toes—each pointed into more claws than fingers.

"What are you?" I whispered softly.

It blinked at me again, "Mek!"

I brought my hands to my face, rubbing hard. When I pulled my palms back away both the creature and the mushrooms were gone. My feet shuffled over to the window and I examined both the stone and the outside carefully. There was no sign of anything mushroom related.

"Maybe the vision still lingers," I whispered realizing sleep was not a bad idea.