The curtains were pulled open and the light shone into my eyes, waking me from my terrifying dream.
"Sorry my lady but you must get up for breakfast." The woman said. "Uhhhh. W-Whats your name?" "Sorry?" "Whats your name?" She looked surprised but said "Liliean." "Well good morning Liliean." "Good morning my lady." "Just Mer is fine. And please don't bow. It makes me a bit uncomfortable." "Im terribly sorry-" "No! No not like that. Just where i'm from people don't... exactly bow to each other. Come here."
She came over slowly. I took her hand in mine and shook. "Hand shake. That's usually how people greet each other." She smiled. "Well i like this hand shake." She said. "How is it like in the mortal realm?" She asked while dressing me.
"It's... very different. For the first part, people don't have.... Pointed ears. That's why I screamed yesterday. Sorry to frighten you off." "Then what do they look like?" "Rounded." Her face scrunched up like she couldn't believe it. I couldn't help but laugh. "Well then I understand why you yelped so loudly."
Today's dress was a little less fancy but still super detailed. The white fabric was covered in light blue lace which faded toward the bottom. There was a knock at my door and lilean went running to it.
"Your majesty." She said bowing and Raiden walked through. He held out his arm so i took it. "Ready for breakfast my lady?" I hit the side of his arm and he laughed. We walked down the grand hall.
"You know Liliean freaked out when I told her I had rounded ears. Is this really normal?" "Who is Lilean?" "The maid of course." He stopped and smiled. "What?" "Thats just such a you thing to do. Make conversation with the maid." "Do people not do that? Do you just stare at each other?" "Most just ignore them."
We continued down the hall. "Well thats not really nice is it?" We made it outside to a small breakfast table. "I told my parents that it would be better to have breakfast alone at first to get you adjusted. I bet you wouldn't want to have breakfast with a bunch of councilmen." "Ya thanks." We sat down and I looked at all of the bacon and sausage.
"You have bacon here?" I gasped. "Well of course." The steel chair was cold even against the fabric of the dress. "Tell me about the other fields. And yours of course."
"Well mine is called Feareia, the fire field. Every house has an animal. Mine is the wolf. Then there is Aereous, the wind field. Their animal is the pegasus. And Lamenus, earth, whose animal is the horse." "What about the dark field?" his face darkened.
"What's wrong with that one?" "They are Mersius, and their animal is the dragon. They...lets just say they are the dark field for a reason."
"Why did that man follow me? Do you think he was going to take me?" "Who knows. Their court is the court of spies lead by their leader Allister, the King of spies. He...is a shapeshifter. Good for spying. He probably sent one of his men in the mortal world to see what was going on. Or maybe he knew that others were looking for you and was going to take you so we couldn't break the curse."
"do they not have the curse?" "They do but it is...weaker. The King made a trade with Lueana, the Weaverax, to let him keep some power. He was the first to give into her control and is a traitor and coward of Lazius."
I wonder why the man sent was so hellbent on keeping me safe.
"The man following me couldn't be him right?" I remembered him disappearing. "Oh no. No offence but the king wouldn't bother. He only cares about himself. And based on your description it wouldn't be him. He's....recognizable. Deep golden eyes recognizable."
"It seems like you really hate the king." "We do not see eye to eye. He is an enemy of my family... and his ways are not just." I took another bite of bacon.
"But enough about him. This all must be hard to come to terms with." "Ya you could say that." I thought about my mother fading.
"D-Do you think my mother is dead? There.... Was not body." "I don't know Mer." "And my father. He was truly a Draxin?" "Yes but it stands as a mystery of what field he was in. Accept he was nicknamed the Dreamer. Unimaginable powers. And he ruled an ancient kingdom that is hidden from the rest until he met his mate and had children." I could never imagine my once goofy father as a ruler.
"Mate?" "It's a bond two Draxin people create. Stronger than marriage. Unbreakable even after death. Brings two equals together and bonds them by fate."
"Thats some heavy stuff then." I could imagine my mother and father happy together when I was young. Is that why my mother is broken? Because she lost her mate?
He smiled and put his fork down. "All done?" He asked me. "Ya." "Would you like a tour?" "I mean if I can't go rescue Cal then what better is there to do?" We went into the gardens full with thorned roses. I looked down at my scar running the length of my arm.
"What powers did my father have?" "I'm sorry but I do not know." "Does anyone here know?" "Yes I think i know someone who can help answer that question."
We went back into the castle and into a library area. A man was hunched over in a grey petticoat reading. "Feleon." The man turned around and his glasses almost slid off his face. His grey hair was slicked to the back but he looked like he was in his late 30s.
"Your highness." He bowed and walked over but his eyes were not focused on the prince but me. Like the bow was meant for me. "I have questions and was told you might be able to answer." He nodded.
"Yes indeed, Mercury. Daughter of Ceion and Leanna." My father and mother's names. "H-How do you know that?" "Feleon here is a seer. He knows about everything."
"But cannot say everything. Forbidden to by fate. I know your future but can not say." "Isn't that... lonely?" "Can be. There is a burden to every power." Those words rung in my ears.
"My father. What were his powers?"
"Oh your father was a clever boy. You must know his nickname of being the dreamer. He could..... Reach into his dreams and create things from them. Dreams coming true. And with that, he could see the future through his dreams. So if he saw something it could very much become his reality." I thought about Cal's dream coming true. And then about my dream of running.
"How do i know it will come true? Can i stop it?" "There is no stopping fate." "What about other.... Things. Powers. What group was he in?"
"You are a curious girl like your father. He was not part of a single field or court. Because he was part of every field. Long ago one member from every court bestowed a gift on your father's father, your grandfather. He broke a deadly curse and received gifts from every king because of it. And your family has the legacy of the cursebreaker."
"Which is why everyone thinks i can break this one." "Yes indeed." "W-Was my father a good man?" "He was loyal, brave, and so very kind. But he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. And got into a whole big mess."
"What kind of mess?"
"That is for you to discover." The man's grey eyes lit with mischief like he knew the exact answer. I looked at Radian and he just shrugged.
"One more thing. How do I get my brother back?" "That if for you to decide." I nodded. "Is my mother dead?" "No." My heart dropped. "Where is she?" "With the Weaverax Lueana."
"What about....what about my father." His face went dark. "I cannot see his future. Nor can I see yours. Dreamers' futures do not appear in my mind."
"Ok thank you. For the answers."
"But I do know you are destined Mercury. You have quite a long road ahead of you."
He smiled kindly and bowed. Then walked back to pick up his book. "He really knows everything huh? You have your own dictionary but for the world's secrets." "I guess you can put it that way." He said laughing.
The rest of the day went pretty quickly. We took another walk and he told me about the grounds. The night was the worst part. The dream just got more real and that large hand landed on my arm and started to squeeze. This time I was in it long enough to see I get dragged away through the icy forest. I woke up with bruises on my arm.
There is a burden to every power.
Well clearly my power is the burden.
Lilean gave me a concerned look but I told her it was fine. "You sure you don't want a bandage for that? Even if it is just a bump, you should at least get ice." "I'm fine. Really." "And you said you got that.... From falling?" "Yep." She just nodded. The bruise was yellowing and Lilean covered it up with a dress with sleeves.
After my walk with Raiden I told him I wanted to spend some time reading alone. He nodded and left me. Of course i went straight to Faleon. He was smiling waiting for me on his stool.
"You know my question." I pulled up my sleeve to show the now black and blue bruise. "Yes. Your power... extends. You are able to go to your future."
"Like make a portal to what will happen next?" "Yes." "But it's always the same dream. But different places."
"It is different versions of different moments from your future. Possible scenarios. And something is pulling you to those particular moments. Something in your brain. Maybe even your future self put it there so you can.... Alter it."
"Like change my future?"
"Yes. Your future self wants you to change your future. Change your fate."
"But....Oh my head hurts." He laughed and folded his hands in his lap. "But what about Cal? He was also having a dream but never said anything about bruises." "His power doesn't extend that far." "But he has it. He saw his future of being captured?" He nodded.
"How do i stop the dreams?" "You can't." "I have to. I don't want them anymore. I never asked for this. What if i die in the dream?" "Your future self would not give you that specific time if you were to die. You wanted yourself to change it so you have to figure it out." But i didn't even know how it ended.
"Could i extend the dream then?" He smirked and his wrinkles bunched up. "Clever girl. With training." "How do i train." He spread out his hands and said "That's what i am here for."
"Ok when do we start?" "Tomorrow. Today you will think about it." I was going to control this. I had to or else it might eat me up inside out. So then i left with that knowledge and went to my room where Radian was waiting.