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2024-10-29 19:42:56Time went on as we talked about the events that took place in the forest. Looking back, we could afford to laugh and joke about them when the danger had passed. When I was younger, adults always seemed a bit silly to me, when they would tell the same story from multiple views and laugh about it. However, the older I got, the more I realised the necessity of it.
“Alright, that’s enough,” Naisha said as she stood from her seat. “If we keep this up, the princess won’t have time to rest before her coronation.”Being the forceful woman that she is, Naisha proceeded to walk over to the back of my seat and tilt it forward causing me to stand up. She must have reasoned that, if she moved the leader of the visiting party, then the rest of the visitors would also move. Unfortunately, she was mistaken. Leon and Monica remained seated as they ate and drank while Sif had the audacity to get up and add more drink to her cup and go back to her seat.“Could you all please, get up!” she begged.Princess A’el gave a light laugh. “Alright, Naisha. They are leaving, but let me have a small moment with my fiance.”Naisha stared at her as if to say that she didn’t believe that the moment would be small or anything close to it.“I promise it will be short.” A’el said as she pressed the palm of her hands together and tightly shut her eyes.“Fine, Princess! But if you take too long I’m gonna march in here and drag him by his collar.”Although she spoke to A’el, she stared at me and I couldn’t help feeling like there was a threat directed at me somewhere in her last sentence. Regardless, she led the others out of the room, leaving A’el and I alone. Once the door was shut, A’el moved closer to me and began to whisper as if our friends would hear her if she spoke normally.“I just wanted to ask you for a small favour. I’m aware that you are not a fan of surprises and the last time I sprang one on you, you weren’t…. as excited as I was.”“I wouldn’t say that I don’t like surprises,” I whispered back to her. “Its just that the last one was a pretty big deal and ... ”“That’s exactly why I’m asking and not choosing to surprise you.”She remained quiet for a minute and I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to respond to a question that hadn’t been asked or if I was supposed to conjure up a question and place it in her head. “I’m pretty sure Naisha will be bursting through that door at any moment, so it’s best you let me know what the favour is.”“But you haven’t answered my question, Deven.”“And the question was?”“Will you do me a favour?”“And what's the favour?”“To stand by my side towards the end of my coronation.”It’s funny how she thinks I’ll know when the ‘end’ will be, but even if I knew how the coronation would go, I don’t think that I want to be in the spotlight just yet. I mean, we recently got engaged and I’m still coming to terms with that.“A’el,” I began, in a flat tone, purposefully doing away with the whispering game we were having. “I don’t think I should be up there with the newly crowned Queen of the Fairies.”“Why not? If you’re concerned about my mother …”“It’s got nothing to do with her. Don’t you think it's a bit too much? Everyone already knows we are getting married and tonight isn’t about us, but about you.”I found it adorable how she blushed and avoided eye contact but quickly regained most of her composure.“Not everyone knows about our marriage. Most still think it to be a rumour and that’s why I want to have us both on stage. I want to share this great day with you.”“But what if we don’t get married?”I’ve never seen the colour drain from her face so quickly.“What? Why… Why wouldn’t we get married.”“I could die before our wedding day. Either the Pure-blood fanatics will kill me or the Shriekers, and frankly speaking I would hope that the shriekers get me first.”“Why are you saying such things? Is it because you nearly died in the forest? I can provide you with an armed escort on your way back home, if it would make you feel any better?”“No, it’s not the near death experience I had in the forest…. Maybe it is… But I’m just trying to say that, we should keep your coronation as it was meant to be, a day when the world sees the new Fairy Queen, and not the Fairy Queen and her half-breed future husband.”“Deven.”Somehow, as I was giving her my point of view, I had turned away and given her my back. I hadn’t realised it until she said my name and put her arms around my waist, pressing herself against my back.“Deven, I don’t care what they think or say about you. You were chosen to be the next Alpha at birth. I don’t believe you were picked by accident. Yes, you are a half-breed, but please don’t say it with disdain like those fanatics do. I love you, just the way you are, and soon everyone will come to know of how kind, vibrant and selfless my fiance is.”“Thanks, A’el.”“Anytime. Now, regarding that little favour?” although she was behind me, I could see her smiling.“I really think we should keep me out of it. I will be watching you along with other esteemed guests.”“Come on. If it were your coronation wouldn’t you want your fiancee to be by your side?” “If she was a queen? Of course I would.”“So, you’re saying, because you aren’t the king, you feel you shouldn’t be up there with me?”Not really. But if that’s what it takes for you to leave me out of it then…. “Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”She pulled away and asked, “Are you jealous that I’m getting my throne before you get your own?”“No, trust me. With everything that’s happening in Kelor right now, I don’t envy you at all,” I said as I faced her.“Alright, if you say so.” She let out a heavy sigh. “I feel like you’re hiding something from me but I’m not going to pry. If you don’t want to be up there with me, then I’ll just have to accept your decision.”“Don’t worry about me, princess. I’m fine.”“No, you’re not. I know you, Deven. Whatever it is that’s bothering you, don’t be afraid to tell me. And just so you know, I’ll be standing next to you when you become king, whether you like it or not.”“Promise?” I asked as I opened the door.She winked and said, “I do! But only if the Shriekers don’t get me first.”
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Before the sun had completely set, Naisha came over to our rooms to deliver our clothing for the ceremony, and when she didn’t find Leroy and Monica, she began to worry.“Perhaps I should go and look for them?”“Calm down. Leroy and Monica know how important the ceremony is to A’el. They won’t miss it,” I said without looking away from my reflection in the mirror“Would you stop admiring yourself in the mirror! I have to escort you and Sif to the venue before I go and hunt for those two love birds.”“Alright, alright, I'm done!” I responded as I followed her out of my room and into the corridor. When I came alongfor her, I said, “A’el picked out some very impressive clothing!”“Yes she did, but she didn't do it alone you know. I helped her.”“Yes, I can tell. The colours were most likely her idea while the rest was yours.”“Not true. Yes, the colours were her idea but so were the cloaks and single gloves. I'm the one who chose the full length cloaks and long boots.”“Will all the gues
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********** "Our chief will be the first to set foot on the new land." Ragnar had said when we saw a shimmering silhouette, floating in the distance. He is an excellent ally, a great counsellor and a loving brother. If it weren’t for him, I would be dead, me body turning to dust or giving life to the crows and other animals back on our land. If not dead, then I would be drowning in a lake of self-guilt and sorrow or wandering in the dark corridor of me heart, not wanting to get out but to walk forever and find no rest, no light. Me sorrow’s rising to the surface, threatening to overwhelm me. Not now Sif, I tell me-self. Not in front of your people. The voyage across the sea was long, too long. I lost track after sixty-nine suns and sixty-eight moons. After that, we lost 5 ships to storms and 10 ran away on the night of the 27th moon. I don't blame ‘em, but am grateful that Ragnar, me younger brother, is still by me side. I spare a glance at him and our father is engraved heavily in
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“Marriage! To who?” “Who do you think?” “I wish you and Valark all the best.” “Ha.Ha. Very funny, my love.” Is this really happening? For a short moment my body forgets how to breathe. “Who proposed this plan? Was it your mother?” “Does it matter?” Yes it does. “Well… it….” My heart moves up to occupy the space where my voice originates from. Taking a few deep breaths, I try to regain my trail of thoughts only to abandon them in favour of a new one. “Are you accepting this plan?” “Are you against it?” Will you please, just answer my questions? “I would like to hear your thoughts on this matter.” “My thoughts aren’t important, Prince Deven.” Prince Deven! I’d rather drown in the sea than hear her say my name like that. “Your thoughts are important to me, A’el.” I take her hands in mine and I can feel her trembling. She tries to free herself but I hold on to her. I don’t want to marry her, but I don’t want to lose a close companion either. “Please drop the royal act and jus
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********** “Prince Deven,” one of my servants calls with his head sticking from the other side of my bedroom door. “Yes?” “Prince Leon’s envoy has arrived.” “Thank you,” I reply as I pull my cloak from my bedside and put on my boots. Perhaps I can get some information beforehand about this blood treaty. I step outside and see the envoy coming up from the gate like a giant serpent. Not a single horseman or carriage is out of line as it moves up the road. Bending its head, it turns and moves on past the main castle door and only stops once the last carriage is in front of us. One of the servants opens the door and a human lady with a lean figure steps out and moves aside. I find her outfit to be rather amusing. Leather pants, a shirt, and light leather armour. I take note of a knife hidden in her left boot. Leon comes out after her. His dark cloak droops around his shoulders just like his black hair. If someone were to take a quick glance at him, they would think that his cloak and
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********** I wake up before sunrise and make my way to the stables nearby. I tell one of my men to alert the others as I intend to leave earlier than was originally planned. I find the young lady who gave me the letter and give her my response to this friend that I have stumbled on. “Make sure that our friend gets this.” “Yes, or no?” she asks. “You don’t need to know that.” “Actually, I do.” “And why is that?” “I have prepared two methods of delivering your response, but it all depends on your answer. Lying to me won’t help you. Is it yes, or no?” Whatever it is, it’s not like you would confirm it? Or would you? “That would be a yes.” Her eyes glow as she stares at the envelope. She blinks a few times, dispelling the glow in her eyes before raising her head with a smile. “Thank you for not lying to me. I will send it right away, Commander.” She tucks it beneath her cloak and I watch her leave. Just as am about to turn away, she motions to a group of children playing in the s
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Before the sun had completely set, Naisha came over to our rooms to deliver our clothing for the ceremony, and when she didn’t find Leroy and Monica, she began to worry.“Perhaps I should go and look for them?”“Calm down. Leroy and Monica know how important the ceremony is to A’el. They won’t miss it,” I said without looking away from my reflection in the mirror“Would you stop admiring yourself in the mirror! I have to escort you and Sif to the venue before I go and hunt for those two love birds.”“Alright, alright, I'm done!” I responded as I followed her out of my room and into the corridor. When I came alongfor her, I said, “A’el picked out some very impressive clothing!”“Yes she did, but she didn't do it alone you know. I helped her.”“Yes, I can tell. The colours were most likely her idea while the rest was yours.”“Not true. Yes, the colours were her idea but so were the cloaks and single gloves. I'm the one who chose the full length cloaks and long boots.”“Will all the gues
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**********To see Monica in a festive mood was something new to me. She smiled and laughed a lot more than usual and I couldn’t help but wonder if that was her life before the shriekers came into it; before I came into it. I couldn’t help but blurt out a question that I wished I could take back.“What made you join me?”Her mood changed in an instant, as if a dark cloud had blocked out the sun.“I wanted to help.”“But why help those who are to blame for your brother’s death?”“I don’t blame you, Leon. What happened was unfortunate but I know that you didn’t mean for it to happen – Are you alright?”She seemed worried.“I’m fine.”“No you’re not. The veins on your forehead look like they are about to burst open. Tell me what’s bothering you.”“It’s this crowd.”We found a quite place to sit and I was grateful for it because all the loud noises and joyful heartbeats around us were giving me a headache. Tuning them out takes a lot of effort and that’s why my kind don’t do such things. A
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To my surprise, Prince Valark began to narrate the events. I was even more surprised when he told the king of his own attempt at mutiny. However, when he got to the fight in the small town, the boy could barely speak. I took over the narration and when I was done the Council room fell silent. It was as if the king and queen were too stunned to say anything.“I apologise for my foolish behavior, my king,” Valark said.The king moved close to his son and laid a hand on his shoulder. “We live and learn from our mistakes, my son. I hope you’ve learnt from yours.”Turning to me, he said, “Tomorrow we set out with our best and put an end to this shrieking infestation. Send a letter to the Human Queen, The Fairy Queen and The Vampire Count, tell them what has happened and what we will be doing about it.”“Why are we informing the humans and vampires?” I asked.“Deven uncovered a lot while you were away. He sent a letter, once he arrived at the fairy’s capital, informing us of the origin of
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“Thank you,” I said, once the fighting was over. “I greatly appreciate your help. I promise you, my father, the Alpha, will hear of your bravery and reward you accordingly.”The ginger haired woman handed one of the men her big axe and walked towards me with her right hand stretched out. Her firm grip took me by surprise. For a moment I thought it she was trying to threaten me like most men do when they pretend to be friendly in public, but her smile and calming gaze quickly put an end to all thoughts of malice. “Don’t worry yourself about it. What kind of people would we be if we didn’t help other people in need?”People! What is she talking about? And why is her accent different from Monica and the other humans I have met.I was somewhat relieved to see that Monica looked as confused as I was. Seeing as I was the one who had started conversing with her and whose hand was still in a death grip, I decided to continue playing the role of ambassador.“Forgive me, my lady, but what do y
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********** The air became misty as soon as we left the tribe for the fairy princess’ ceremony. Knowing that the tribe was in Ragnar’s hands gave me some form of comfort. I say some because, Tumak’s willingness to support me during the Council meeting weighed heavily on me mind. He had never, not even once, been on my side. Not before I became Chief, not during the trials, not after I became Chief and certainly not after I decided to send everyone away from our land, from our home. This uneasy feeling felt familiar. Why! I wondered. And why now? A faint memory clung to the edge of me mind but the more I tried to get hold of it, the more it tittered on the edge, threatening to fall off. I took in a few deep breathes and coed the thought towards me. Slowly, like a frightened child it opened up to me. So that’s it! That’s why this feeling is familiar. The first time I experienced it was when…. “Chief!” An annoying, familiar voice called out to me and I lost hold of the memory. It fled
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I got out of the carriage with Leon and Monica following close behind. The misty air enveloped us . I ignored the cold air stinging my skin as I stood and listened. One moment the shrieking sounds came from the east, and the next, from the north. Although the forest wasn’t densely covered with trees, it seemed to be aiding the shriekers by echoing their cries. “Can you find their location?” I asked, turning to Leon. “I only have a broad location, north-east.” I started to move in the direction that Leon had stated but was stopped by a strong hand that was placed on my shoulder. “Deven, wait.” Horror filled the vampire prince’s eyes. “I can’t hear any heartbeats.” Dead! Are all my kind dead?! Leon shook his head as if mind reading was a skill that he possessed. “All I know is that the creatures that are making that noise aren’t alive.” The shrieks began to get louder and so did the howls. Leon began to order the combined forces of humans and vampires. He made them abandon their re
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“You can turn sired creatures back to their original kind?” I asked. “There is a secret ritual known only to the royal family, but it doesn’t work all the time, especially when the creature has been sired for many days. Despite how my father felt about it, I decided to let Queen Verona know of their chances of surviving and that is why she refused to let us try. I don’t blame her, I would have done the same thing. Why would anyone let their own kind die somewhere far away from their loved ones?” Leon was always caring about others even when they weren’t his kind. I think that was one of the reasons we became good friends. “It was hard to see our friends and family in that state,” Monica said. “Queen Verona placed them in a tower and allowed us to visit them. Our mages did all that they could to save them but, one day, it all went wrong. The sired became dead but at the same time they weren’t dead. Their eyes turned black. Bodies became pale. Nails and teeth transformed into those o
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********** The carriage was fitted with the finest wood from our forests and elegantly decorate with ember and emerald stones. It was a gift that I had given Leon after his Rites ceremony. A ceremony in which he was acknowledged as the next leader of the Vampire creatures. It was kind of strange that we were using this particular carriage to take us to A’el’s ceremony. In whatever case, the beauty of the carriage and the nuance of the moment did very little to distract me from the light jostling that occurred as we rode through the dense forests. My unease must have been written on my face because Monica kept looking at me and asking if I was alright. After asking me the same question and receiving the same answer for the hundredth time, she kept her question to herself but wore her worry like a brilliant coloured mask for all of Kelor to see. “I'm fine, Monica. Stop worrying about me.” “But you don't look fine, Prince Deven. Is there anything I can get you? Water, or perhaps some
