"Oh?" Bryson asked his eyebrows furrowing as he heard her words. This had never occurred to him. The Frost Royals always assumed that Fantasy passed peacefully from age or perhaps an illness. These words, however, did not appear to indicate such a peaceful ending to that sweet soul.
"When I took my place as Princess, there were certain secrets passed to me through the Book of Ages. Its records of every major occurrence since the Dawn of the Forest Guard. There was a chapter on my Grandmother. Fantasy had made the choice to return to the Frost Lands, to bring the truth to light days before she died. She was assassinated in her home, sitting at the vanity with a brush in her hand." Kyera explained, no longer feeling the pressure to protect the forest. It was no longer her home and her people no longer relied on it to survive. It was nothing more than a memory and a land she would soon be going to war upon. These secrets did no one any good anymore.
"Fantasy was killed?" He asked his voice soft. "She was going to return and she was killed?"
"It would seem so. No one truly knows what happened, mind you. No one was ever caught because we couldn't admit that a crime had been committed, unfortunately. She was laid to rest and the rest was lost to the sands of time." Kyera explained as she turned to face her grandfather. Bryson was sad and angry, his eyes filled with helplessness as the emotions fought for a position in his mind. Slowly, he managed to control both.
"No one knows who did it?" Bryson asked meeting her eyes. Kyera shook her head slowly.
"No, the council and the Reigning Princess decided it was best left that way. If your family had found out that she had been killed on our watch it could have started a war." Kyera admitted and Bryson had no choice but to agree there. He had very nearly been on a warpath himself, but Crystalsa had intervened and he thought she died of natural causes. If there had been word of foul play there was a good chance that forest would have burned.
"What of the secret she intended to reveal?" Bryson asked, wondering if it would shed some light on who would have wanted it stopped.
"Only one person knows, and that was the Princess. She chose to withhold that detail from the book though. I suspect because I would be the next one to hold it." Kyera explained as she took little Gale and tickled his tummy. The tiny child laughed and giggled giving her a well needed break from the serious air.
"And that would be Akira?" He asked already knowing the answer. She didn't need to respond and he didn't want her to.
"That day… when Fate's messengers were trying to force you to hand Gale out… the Fate written for him was Matricide. The high Priestess told Clovis he could only blame his blood…" Bryson's words poured cold water over Kyera's soul.
"What if he hadn't meant Clovis's blood at all…" Kyera whispered the words seemed to shatter the glass between their thoughts. Bryson's mouth tightened and his eyes closed forcing back every thought, every feeling coursing through him demanding he find out the truth. He wanted to interogate her, demand she suffer for the murder of Fantasy if that was indeed by her hand. Yet… A gentle female hand gripped his.
"Grandfather, hatred will consume you." Kyera reminded him and he opened his eyes, forcing himself to meet hers. "You must not."
A small smile cracked his lips as he heard those words again, and once again they echoed through his heart. She was right, just as Fantasy had been all those years ago. He must not seek revenge, for hatred would consume him. He kissed Kyera's forehead.
"We should go sign the deed to the property. I want to put it in your name as soon as possible so you can build the home Fantasy always dreamed this would be." He whispered and Kyera nodded.
"A home for us all." She smiled down at baby Gale who looked troubled. The adults were trying to force those feelings back but he could feel it. The tension building from their realization, but also this new information. Matricide… The child looked up at his mother and wondered if that was indeed his destiny... To take her light from this world. Then he remembered the darkness within himself… maybe… but no. Not this time.