Naryssa's Choice (The Fate and Destiny Chronicles Vol. 3)

Revelations

My story begins in the palace she considered her prison but I will always call home.

I was born the only daughter of an infamous king of the dark faerie territories who had been notorious since long before my birth. I was royal by bloodline and born in the palace within the city of Darcy where I also had been raised my entire life. Sure, I had seen outside of the palace walls more than once alongside my father but I spent more time than not within them. Only when most would grow to resent those walls and see them as a prison, had I been unbothered. I did not resent my title as princess and heir to my father's throne nor did I feel imprisoned in the palace I called home. I felt safe there. Sure, I hadn't many friends due to my station and lack of interest in those I had been free to socialize with acceptably but I had my family.

I never had known my mother because she had died during childbirth but I cannot remember a time where I hadn't been close to my father. While I knew he only married her and had me out of the councils urging that he have an heir to his throne, I never doubted that he loved me. I should probably have been more bothered by the fact that I never knew her or that I was born of necessity rather than longing. Though despite the fact that he had never loved my mother or initially wanted to have a child, he always showed me he cared for me. He loved me enough that while I arguably lacked a mother I did not feel as if anything were missing at all. Despite his busy schedule and duties as king he had always made sure he had time for me in his day.

Often, we could be found training together in various forms of combat or just hanging out together in his study. I'd heard the rumors growing up, the rumors and stories about the man he had been before I arrived and things relating to him. He'd denied most of them and I honestly had never questioned it further. I never had reason to doubt him when he told me they weren't true and I never felt like pushing the matter when he refused to speak of his past. After all, I had no reason not to trust or believe him, we were royals and though the rebels were largely eradicated at the end of the war we still were targeted by some who did not support us. I chalked it up to being hurtful lies or things that were better left in the past. Though I did find myself wondering about some of the whispers, such as the mysterious story of how he disappeared when the prophesied storm hit and wasn't seen again for years.

I knew that had happened because it was why the rebels gained control of the dark territories after the storm, leading to the siege that led to Caspian becoming king for a brief time. All I knew was when my father returned for his throne Caspian, who is a distant relative of ours, gladly abdicated the throne back to him. More than gladly stepping back into a council member role where he was an advisor to my father. I think the story intrigued me so much because it was the one tied to the rumor my father got the most upset by, the one he insisted were viscous lies and would speak no more of. A few people said the reason he disappeared was tied to a daughter he'd had before me who had died young whom he'd had a complicated relationship with. I believed my father when he'd deny it but I never knew why he got so angry or upset when it came up if it was a lie.

Caspian had always told me as I grew up that sometimes things are better left unanswered, so I let it be. I often kept my questions and curiosity to myself after a while, sating my curiosities of history and legends with the books within the massive library every chance I had. Perhaps it was the stories I could lose myself to that kept me from feeling trapped in my role and palace, because when I read it was like I went somewhere else for a while. When I wasn't reading or spending quality time with my father, Caspian and some other tutors were trying to teach me the responsibilities and qualities of a ruler. Despite being a princess and my upbringing, I had absolutely no interest in the fact that I would one day have to take my father's throne and be a ruler. Not being as serious as I could because clearly my father was in perfect health, it would be a long time before I would someday rule.