The Remembered (Elements II)

Chapter 9

“Your brother assumes that he knows why I did what I did.”

Catriona nodded, tears filling her eyes once more. She still couldn’t comprehend what had made Isla want to leave them – and her son. She made to talk, but Isla shook her head.

“No, tywysoges. Just listen.”

The princess swallowed her questions, obediently staying silent. She followed the elemental deep into the garden, to a place that she thought only she had known about. She drew in her breath in shock, causing Isla to glance at her curiously.

“What is it, my dear?”

“I…I didn’t know anyone else knew about here,” she admitted.

Isla smiled slightly, and gestured to the ground beneath an ancient oak tree, massive with age. Catriona sat, watching the elemental. Isla settled near her, looking at the ground, and Catriona sensed that she was trying to work out how to begin. However, she didn’t speak, and Catriona finally broke the heavy silence.

“Isla?” she said softly. “Why? Why did you even consider it? We relied on you.”

With a pain-filled smile, Isla glanced at her. “I know, tywysoges. I know. It pained me, but I couldn’t bear it any longer. It had been seven years – you both were old enough for me to leave you.”

“But what about your son? You would have left him, too?”

“Princess, you must understand. It had been seven years since I’d last seen him, spoken to him. Neither of us thought we’d see each other again. The old king would never have freed me.”

“Pablo would have,” Catriona murmured, her eyes full of tears. Isla gave her a level look.

“Would he, dearest?”

Catriona swallowed, and looked away. Now that Isla had said that, she wasn’t so sure. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “Sometimes I feel as if I don’t know him anymore.”

Isla nodded. “That’s understandable, meinwen. He has had to grow up before his time – both of you have.”

Catriona’s eyes filled with tears yet again, and she looked down, closing her eyes. “Why did he lie to me?” she asked. “Why?”

“He doesn’t believe he has, Catriona. But you are barely fifteen. You are only young.”

The princess nodded slowly, and looked back at the elemental. “Isla, tell me the truth. Please. Why were you going to leave us?”

Isla glanced away for a second, but not before Catriona saw pain fill her eyes. “Catriona, I am old – older than you think – and I am weary. What I gave the king killed him, yes, but it would not have killed me.”

Catriona’s eyes widened. “Then what would it have done?”

“When elementals die, young one, we return to our element, becoming one with the balance again. To the humans, that is what they would have seen.”

“What about other elementals?”

“They knew. They would have known immediately. It is always felt when one of ours dies.”

“Oh.” Catriona still didn’t really understand, but she sensed that any further questions would be painful for the elemental to answer. Isla smiled slightly.

“I know you are confused, my dear. There is much that the humans do not understand of us, and we are not a people to share our secrets. We have been defeated and taken advantage of too many times.”

Catriona nodded, horror filling her. “Has…has Pablo…?” She didn’t know how to finish her question, and Isla smiled again.

“No. He is one of the better kings we have known. At least now, we are free to mingle with your people.”

“That’s good, right?”

“Yes, tywysoges. It is. Surely you have noticed how fertile the land has become?”

Catriona nodded.

“It is because we are content.” Isla rose to her feet, holding out a hand for the princess. “Come, Catriona.”

Catriona obeyed, following the elemental back to the palace. “Isla?”

“Yes, my dear?”

“Why didn’t you come back?”

“I couldn’t. Our home was dying, princess. If I had left, nothing would have remained for us to return to.”

“Oh.” Catriona didn’t know what to say. Isla stopped at a door into the palace, and looked back.

“I know you have questions, meinwen, but I cannot answer them. They are dangerous questions, and dangerous answers. Be content with what you know.”

Catriona nodded, and slipped inside, finding herself in the main hallways of the palace. Somehow, she knew that Isla had returned to her home – she had only come to comfort her. With what Isla had said fresh in her mind, she strode off to find her brother, not caring what he was doing.