The King's Assassin

Chapter 9: Selene

Unedited

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I was a fae. It was the only explanation that made sense. I had barely noticed when Zirra returned and led me to my bath. I had let her undress me and help me into the warm scented water. Water that was now starting to go cold.

With every bit of memory I was regaining, I was left with more questions. I could remember being a child and even a young lady in another castle. A castle where I was loved and cherished. I could remember fighting in a war, and on battlefields, alongside fae whose names I could not remember, but their faces haunted my dreams.

All I knew for certain was everything I thought I had known was a lie. The last ten years were a lie. I did not even know how old I was.

Zirra hummed a tune that I knew, but could not place as she carefully washed my hair. Hair that despite trying to make change to the silver color beneath the veil, was still grey.

There were always things about me that had never quite added up, but I had never before thought to question. How unlike all the other children, I had never once had a tutor, yet I was completely educated. Or how I never received sword training, but at age ten, I fought better than any of the men in the King's army.

I had never questioned my inhuman strength, speed, sight, or sense of smell. I had never even questioned why I could not lie, why I was bound to any promise I made, or why I knew when someone lied to me.

Did the King know what I was? He had to know. How else would he know how to control me? How did he control me?

"Lady Selene?"Zirra asked hesitantly. She knelt beside me now. She had been saying something but I had not heard her. I just looked up at her. My eyes dead with grief. It was all too much to take in.

"Who am I?" the question seemed to startle the female and a look of defeat washed over her face. She sighed and gave me a weak smile.

"You are Selene, love" she muttered patting my arm. She turned to grab the towel off the stand behind her when I reached out and grabbed her arm.

Zirra's eyes grew wide as she looked at me. "No, not what is my name, who am I?" I asked again. Understanding finally washed over her. She gave a sad smile as I released her arm.

"Oh, Love," She sighed in the beautiful language. She grabbed the towel from the rack and held it out for me.

"I don't know the whole story, but I know enough," She said as she wrapped the towel around me and led me into my room. She helped me dress as she started telling me the story of the fae. She told me of the faerie king and his blood sworn knights.

She had sat me down in front of the fire and was combing through my hair before she started the story of who I really was. It was not the story of a human girl like I would have assumed only a few months ago, but of a Female Fae Warrior.

"You were born almost 80 years ago, to two of the Fae King's blood sworn knights. Omar and Lillian. You trained with the best of the fae warriors and quickly grew to become a force to be reckoned with yourself," Zirra mused. "Some even called you the fae King's strongest warrior. When you came of age, you and Prince Azriel were mated,"

I whirled around and looked at her. In the language, I now knew was the language of the fae, I said, "Azriel,"

A memory flashed through my mind. His hands roamed over my body and mine were on his. My eyes grew wide as the memory continued.

"Did you remember something love?" Zirra asked. Pausing as she brushed my hair. I felt my face warm as I nodded my head.

"Azriel was my mate," I whispered. As I said the words aloud it was like something inside of me awoke. As if it had always been there, but had just been asleep.

Zirra gave me a sad smile, her features softening before she continued the story. "There was a great war, the great purge as the humans like to call it. You fought side by side with Azriel. You two together were unstoppable. We would have won the war too, but the King had a sorceress on his side,"

I shook my head as I remembered the dream from the night before. Tears welled in my eyes. My mate was dead. I listened as Zirra told me just that, of the earth swallowing half of the fae army along with the Prince. My heart broke and tears poured down my face as I listened.

"For a long time, we thought you both had died that day. Azriel killed by the sorceress and you are taken by the King. But then word of a grey-haired girl with eyes like the sky and the speed of a fae killing for the king started coming around. And her name was Selene. I had to see for myself and what I found was worse than death. I don't know what he did, but you were not even a person, my lady. You were a shell that obeyed the King and did nothing else,"

I nodded remembering some of it, but only in bits and pieces.

I wanted to ask her about Celtez, but I could not. "What is left of the fae kingdom?" I asked instead.

Zirra shook her head. "Not much, I am afraid,"