Rowans Choice

Chapter Thirty Nine- The family line

"I'm sorry" Sycamore snivelled beside me.

I had almost forgotten he was there, my mind going a hundred miles an hour.

"Did my father ever know" I ask him.

"About the incident" he asks coyly, looking to the guards and not wanting to reveal anything.

"About any of it"

"No... nothing" he confesses.

"Traitor to the crown" I curse. "You make me physically sick"

"I would do anything to fix this.... To make it better for you and Andy... for everyone"

The lift comes to a stop on my branch and I look to the guard and gesture for it to keep rising "Counsel chambers" I order.

Jay nods and keeps it going.

"The counsel are not in session" Sycamore informs me "they will be on the way I imagine"

"I don't need them in session... I just need the book"

"The book" Sycamore asks curiously as we exit the lift on the highest branch. The Counsel chambers.

"Yes Sycamore. The answer is in the book... the identity of Andy's baby's parentage... it's in there... I can't believe it's not been noted by anybody. A new line"

"It's not often looked upon for births ... since there has been none but the royal family in twenty one years" Sycamore reminds me. "I know you wouldn't want to believe it Rowan, but it's Aspen. A baby can only be produced through a merging. Which is why I know Andy was having a relationship with Aspen because she had to consent to a merge. Don't you see that, I was never keeping Aspen away because I thought he had hurt her. I was keeping him away because once I realised she was pregnant, I knew he really must have loved her and vice versa. I thought the reason she didn't want to be yours... was because perhaps she didn't want to live so closely to someone she loved and had this awful history with. He just kept trying to make contact with her and I didn't want him getting in your way... or hurting her with the memories either"

"It's not Aspen" I say through gritted teeth as visions of my brothers lifeless body smother my thoughts.

"It can't have been anyone else" Sycamore tries to make me understand.

Sycamores words repeat in my mind "A baby can only be produced through a merging... which must be consented to...Andy wouldn't have consented body and mind to merge with anyone but..."

Me.

"Impossible" I whisper. My heart speeds up to the speed of light. I wasn't sure any other Fae could have survived or withstood it.

"What's impossible" Sycamore asked as he follows quickly behind me into the chambers.

"Retrieve the book" I demand as I stand beside the round table and wait.

Sycamore scurries off to a room off the side and returns with white gloves and a book the size of himself. He struggles to walk with its weight and size.

"For the love of Fae" I groan as I walk over and rip it from his hands. I throw it down on the table.

Sycamore runs over with the white gloves in his outstretched hands "you must wear the gloves to turn the pages... it's fragile"

"My kingdom... my book... my rules" I remind him as I ignore the gloves and flick to the the bookmark. The soft velvety material is holding open a page, and curiously... it's placed on the Royal line.

Sycamore climbs the chair beside me and gets onto the table on his knees to observe what I am.

"Impossible" he whispers, as I had. His beady little eyes follow my fingers journey across the page... to the line that was glowing and pulsing between Andromeda of the sky line and Rowan of the Oak.

"That child" I say through a strangled emotion that's threatening to suffocate me.

"She's yours" Sycamore observes. He places his hand over his heart, and his mouth drops open.

"How is that possible... how is this ...it can't be" I whisper. I drop down into the seat and just watch the line between us, wondering how it had never not been noted before.

Arden, my fathers faithful and most trusted advisor enters the chambers. Both Sycamore and I turn in surprise to find him there, and he us.

"Queen Rowan" he bows "I did not realise you were in chambers. I came to call a meeting about the tremors through the Oak and the veil this morning. The visitors that came for the wedding have all but left now. All royals escorted back to their kingdoms within the last half an hour as requested by Elm"

"You take the word of Elm over the Queen now" I ask him, with a tone that suggested that any answer he gave could result in his demise.

"No no" he squirmed "no of course not... but we felt you might be in trouble... you didn't seem yourself. The staff reported you were out of control"

I began to laugh, shaking my head "the staff were reporting on their Queen ... to whom" I ask.

"Elm... and the counsel" he returned.

"Do you hear this Sycamore" I asked him, not wanting or needing a reply. "My brother and the counsel are observing me... keeping tabs on my behaviour. No doubt awaiting the prophecy to blow up in their faces... with the defiant and unruly Queen Rowan at the helm"

I turned and gave him my full attention as he shrunk down as the words left my mouth "I think it's time I made my reign official and called a meeting of the counsel and my brother myself. It's time you all understood ... that I am the Queen and sovereign of this kingdom... and you are all my servants... and if anything is happening in this kingdom it's under my say so... not my brothers or the counsels. The crown is on my head" I slam my hand down on the table making both he and Sycamore jump "The kingdom is lead by a Queen for a reason ... the job of a sovereign is a heavy burden, but she bears it, alone! A king has a million meddling little men who he asks for a million different opinions so he doesn't destroy what he's ruling. I don't need you little men... and I'm about to make that a known fact. Call the counsel and my brother to these chambers for a meeting this evening. I don't want anyone meeting until I call it to order. Do you hear me Arden"

He nods profusely "of course. Meeting tonight and not before"

"And Arden" I ask as he turned to leave.

I gestured to the book as he stopped and looked back.

"Yes your majesty" he asked, coming over.

"How long has this been here" I ask. Knowing the counsel and my father had seen this and never explained it to me.

Arden visibly gulps and looks to Sycamore whose still sat on the table, and then to me, "Your sixteenth birthday" he reveals hesitantly.

I close the book with one hand and brace myself, the crushing reality coming and leaving me feeling like a mangled wreck. I hadn't seen it coming... and yet when it hit... my world turned upside down, and it suddenly made sense.

"Leave" I demand.

Arden bows and makes haste.

"It's been there this whole time" Sycamore says shaking his head "I had no idea Rowan, you must believe me"

"I don't believe much of what you say anymore Sycamore, but I do believe that. However your loyalty is to me now... and I expect you to do exactly what I say from this moment on"

He nods "anything... what can I do"

"Take me to her" I demand as I take his hand.

He nods, and in a blink we are gone.

***