The Gift of Dreams

chapter XI

"A what?!" Eloise screeched. Her head was spinning and she had trouble remembering which way was up or down.

"A changeling. It's someone that-" Greer started to explain. But it was of no use, Eloise had already started to back away and shake her head.

"No, I know what a changeling is. But how could I be one? Both of my parents are mortal, Greer, mortal. You know this as well as I."

Rowan observed from the outskirts, careful not to include himself in the heated conversation or get noticed. He leant against a bookcase, long figure stretched out and eyes lit with amusement.

"Well if that's the case, Your Highness, you're clearly not as bright as I thought you were." Greer snorted. Her sudden change to formalities were a stark contrast to her manner. One moment she acted like the old friends they are, and then another moment it was as if she were her lady's maid and nothing more.

"Why do you keep calling me 'Your Highness'? I have lost count the amount of times I have told you to stop calling me that. I am not royal." Eloise, defeated, slumped against the ground and threw her head back against a wall.

"Aha, and here comes my point if you would listen. You were seen to be a 'sickly' Fae child." Eloise cut her a confused glance but she ignored her and continued. "Your parents, the High King and Queen, could not be seen with a weak child. A child that would one day take on the throne. So they swapped you for a human child, the child that you claim to be. But what they didn't recognise is that the human child was much sicker than you- in fact, you got over your weakness soon after the switch. So they assumed that the process failed- hence thinking that the child they had here in Faerie was their biological child."

Tears streamed down Eloise's face and a ball of tension tightened in her chest. The information was too much to bear, too much all at once and suddenly she felt as if she would faint.

A Dreamwalker, that she was okay with accepting. But this?! She was not only Fae, but the heir to the Seelie throne. And that her parents weren't her real family?

Too much.

Too much.

Too much.

"I can't do this, you're lying." Eloise gasped in between body-racking sobs. Greer bent down to her and placed an arm around her shoulder, only to be shoved off. "Don't touch me."

"Eloise I promise you I'm not lying. Nobody was informed of the switch, I am the only one outside of your parents that knows what happened. I used to hear them talk of it sometimes when the Queen had too much to drink. But that was before..."

"Before what?" Eloise managed.

"Before they disappeared with the human child. Didn't you ever wonder why you were so accepted here?" Said Rowan.

"No. Like I have told you before, I thought this was all a dream."

"You're identical to her. They think you're the princess, the fake one." Rowan continued, ignoring her.

Eloise shook her head, left to right, right to left. "Please stop." She cried.

"That's what the guard meant when he talked of the missing princess. The whole Royal family is missing, Eloise. And you just happen to be the one true heir to the throne, along with being one of the Unnaturals-" Rowan continued.

"Please stop, I can't handle this. Please Rowan." Her body had curled in on itself, and her head was lying on her knees. It was impossible for the others to see her face behind the brown hair that fell around her like a dark waterfall of despair. Rowan glanced over at Greer, who gave him an uncomfortable smile, and sat down next to Eloise.

He touched her lightly, moving the hair away from her face so that he could see her properly. "I'm sorry if this upset you. I never wanted to hurt you." Eloise's head snapped upwards at his words, betrayal and disbelief lining her face. Her red puffy eyes met his soft, kind green ones. She knew he wasn't lying. Knew that neither of them could lie.

"Did you know all along?" The silence that followed told her all she needed to know. "I cannot believe you! You lied to me, you trained me and fed me lies about myself. Why?"

"I wasn't fully sure, not until that night in the woods. I only pushed you that far because I needed to see who you really were. Even then the real you didn't show until that flower bloomed. That was when I knew who you were." His eyes peered down into hers, unflinching when connecting with the hatred barely hidden behind her eyes.

"I hate you for this." Eloise stated plainly, calm anger lacing her words. Her hands created fists by her sides and she could feel her strength ebb slowly away.

"I love how you lie. I only hope that you forgive me for what I'm about to do." Said Rowan. Before Eloise could comprehend his words he swept her off the ground and made for the door. "Greer, we need you to find Ben and make sure that the both of you are safe. I'm taking Eloise to the gallery and then I'll meet the castle military by the armoury." He called over his shoulder, a stunned looking Greer nodding along.

"The gallery? Why are you taking me there?" Eloise questioned. There was nothing of importance inside except horrid paintings. She often took enjoyment from visiting art museums back in the mortal realm, but these paintings made her feel uncomfortable in ways that words could not express. Just the thought of it gave chills to her spine.

"You have to wait and see." Rowan responded.

"Rowan, that's not fair. Just tell me." She batted her eyelashes, hating herself all the while. "Please."

"See for yourself." He flung open the doors to the gallery and dropped her by the largest painting she had ever seen in her life. The golden frame stood at least two times her height, with a depiction of a smiling family perched upon luxurious seats. The gorgeous portrait hung with a plaque attached that read:

SEELIE COURT ROYAL FAMILY

King Reginald, Queen Esmerelda, and their daughter Princess Eloise.

"Why does it say Princess El..." She trailed off as she looked up to the portrait, paying closer attention to their faces. A large looking man with a dark beard, presumably the King, stood behind a short thin woman with mousy brown hair, the Queen, and a young girl. Despite her slim figure the Queen held herself in such a way that could only be described as regal. Her chin was turned upwards and the glint of intelligence beneath her eyes held many wonderful secrets. But the girl. The girl looked exactly like Eloise. Down to the mole to the left of her mouth and the pattern of freckles across her cheeks she was identical, leaving Eloise breathless and lightheaded.

"No. No, this isn't possible." Elois stammered backward, her eyes not leaving the familiar gaze of the girl in the portrait.

"It is, Eloise. This is the human girl." Rowan stood behind her, holding his body against hers to stop her from falling to the ground.

"But how..."

"Does she look like you?" Eloise nodded against his chest. "Fae magic, nobody really knows how it works. I wish I could give you a better answer."

Eloise shook her head side to side, this couldn't be true. It just couldn't. "How do you know that she isn't the real daughter?" She asked, hoping for any indication that Greer was wrong, that she was misled and the people who raised her were her real parents. That Eloise was human.

Yeah, a human that can shift and Dreamwalk. A small part of her mind called out sarcastically. Impossible.

Maybe this was all a misunderstanding.

Stupid girl, she has your face! What more is there to think over?

It felt as if a war waged in her mind, opposite sides arguing over the most logical path of explanation. And she was more confused than she'd ever been, here there was clear tangible evidence, and yet she was powerless to the hope that slithered its way through her.

"Because she wasn't you. Humans cannot be Dreamwalkers, neither can they shift." Rowan gently grabbed Eloise's shoulders and turned her slowly to face him. "You are the real Eloise. Princess Eloise of the Seelie Court, sole heir to the Seelie Throne and daughter of King Reginald and Queen Emserelda. You are the kingdom's last hope."