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— T A M M I
Swords clashing, shields shining bright under the mid-day sun and, between a sea of soldiers training on the plains, I found my brother. Erik was sparing with his best friend, Cade, when he spun around and spotted me. He waved and I smiled at him, waving back. Erik noticed the exchange and shook hands with Cade before starting to run toward me.
"Graced us with your presence, little sister?" He asks giggling, but I shake my head.
"I've convinced mum to let me leave the house and bring you your lunch." I handed him the bag, the omelette, sausages and freshly-baked bread still warm. We both sat on the grass, and I unpacked my own snack bag, scooping a Caprese sandwich the cook gave me along with Erik's lunch when I left. Everyone at home knows I'm a snacker and, lately, I've been trying to be more moderate about what I'm eating.
Ever since I've been grounded for illegal passing through realms and 'mingling in business that doesn't concern me', as per the Queen's words, days are lazy and nights are restless. I waste away the hours, pacing the corridors of the mansion when I'm not attending some boring class with one of my tutors. I've been trying to do things princesses usually do when they're trapped inside a castle, but reading was never really a pleasure to me, I can't play any instrument and my voice isn't as pleasant as Snow White's. The only thing I like doing when I'm not outside my house's grounds is practising my magic, but I've been forbidden from that too.
I drew a hateful glance to the iron bracelets dangling on my wrists and I can almost see the invisible cord uniting the two parts of a pair of cuffs. I've been a prisoner my whole life, but now it affects me even more. I love these lands, the people, but I utterly hate the reason I was ever brought here. I'm grateful to the Duke and Duchess for adopting me, but I still resent the crowned heads around here for unwillingly bringing me into this mess. But I guess my mother should've known that it'll be a whole lot to pay for bringing back life.
A life for a life, said the Queen at some point when I was old enough to know about the deals that were made when I was born.
"Are you sure you don't want to stick around? Your swordplay can use some improving," says my brother and I snap back to reality.
"Like your knife-throwing skills, Erik," I reply and he seems pretty offended by my remark. "Besides, I'm sure mum won't be happy to hear that I've overextended my parole time."
"Stupid rules," he mutters and then turns to me, a compassionate look on his face. "How about, the next time Adalynn is putting herself in unnecessary danger, you call me, Tam?"
"Thank you, knight in shining armour, but I can fight my own battles," I reply, annoyed by the way everyone thinks I'm not good enough to help. "My magic is strong enough in the human world, even if no one wants to believe that."
"I know, but it is also pretty futile. Like everyone's if we're honest, but you're Tammi. You don't realise it, but our parents don't want you out there because they want to protect you, not because they think you're weak. Everyone knows your potential, Tammi, but everyone is feeling guilty enough for dragging you into this mess, so we try our best to avoid having you put in even more dangerous situations."
"I'm involved too deep into this, so you may as well stop protecting me from all the evils coming my way. I should learn to confront them, not avoid them."
"You'll have plenty to confront when the time comes..."
"And I'll be beyond unprepared when that time comes, because I've been losing time, training with plush dummies and being confined to a mansion."
"Try explaining that to the Queen."
I may as well try. After all, what do I have to lose?
"Do you want to leave the realm?" Asks Erik out of nowhere and I mean to disagree, but a pair of blue eyes appear in my mind and I find myself unable to reply. I avoid his questioning gaze, raising to my feet and ready to make my way back home.
"I'll see you later," I say simply, and I'm not surprised that Erik didn't press me into answering his question. He is the most understandable person in the world; besides being an empath and not needing a verbal confirmation to know the answer I would've given him. I only hope I didn't give him too much information about the reason why I'm thinking about returning to the human realm. Because I can live without another lecture from my family about how I shouldn't let myself get distracted. That I have a greater purpose to fulfil and I had no time for mundane things like friendships, fun or... love.
I was able to avoid all of them, but it feels like one has finally succeeded in creeping into my pathetic life. And the worst of all; the least likely I'll be able to escape unscathed.
My steps halt in the middle of the cobblestone road, my eyes caught by a faint figure in the distance. I turned on my heels, stepping on the fresh grass of the field, trying to reach that... thing. I've recognised its ghostly form from my nightmares and I had to pinch myself to be sure that I'm not sleeping. In my dreams, the spectre always preceded a catastrophic event, so grotesque that made me wake up. I trembled a little, but I tried to reassure myself that nothing bad is going to happen. After all, the dream realm is the mirrored version of ours, so things happening there have the opposite reaction in the real world.
The only people who could see clearly in the dream world and receive non-mirrored messages are the Seers, and I surely am not one. For the rest of us, dreams are only fruits of our imaginations that can sometimes be accessed by mightier beings to hide important messages in that sea of make-believe. And I was facing one of these messagers right now.
The ghost seemed to further as I approached it until I arrived on the stream bed of a quiet creek and the ghostly being's form cleared, revealing Princess Adelaise of the Unseelies.
I haven't met her before, but I've grown up listening to the stories of her brave efforts against the Darachs and her heart-breaking demise at the hands of the enemies she brought her way. In a way, her death resulted in my birth, as my father wouldn't have met my mother if his first wife was still around. Seeing her now brought a chill down my spine as a weird feeling of guilt crept into my soul, although it was stupid. It was life's strange twists of fate, not my fault that things happened the way it did. Although that never stopped me from wondering how would've looked the lives of both parts of my family, if I wasn't around. Maybe Adelaise would've defeated the Darachs if she had more time. Maybe the Queen wouldn't have had to give her daughter away and have her raised among humans, oblivious to her true destiny. Maybe my brother would've grown up here and everything would've been easier... perhaps fewer people would be suffering now if I wasn't born.
"Hello, Tara," greets me Adelaise as I stop before her. She was wearing a beautiful, midnight blue nightgown, her black hair curled down her back and deep blue eyes fixed on me. I could feel her powerful aura, it nearly made shrink in fear, but I kept my chin up. I've stopped being scared of ghosts when I was ten.
"No one calls me by that name," I answer, chanting in my head an anti-possession charm and reviewing all the carvings that may help me against a spirit. But a quick glance to my cuffed hands reminded me of my punishment and I suddenly became anxious. She doesn't seem ill-intended so far, but my mum always told me that you can never be too careful when it comes to ghosts. Most of the times, they don't return to our realm with the purest intentions at heart.
"It's about time to let the real you come to the light," is her response and I frown. "You've been lost for too long, purposeless and floating in the nothingness, but I was sent to help you fulfil your destiny."
As she finished speaking, my iron bracelets turned to dust and I felt my magic coming back. I was feeling alive again, my body glowing from the restored power. I couldn't help the smile spreading over my face and I would've hugged Adelaise, if I didn't know that she wasn't actually physically present before me.
"Thank you, but why?" I dared to question the act of kindness I've been granted.
"Because your mission is about to start and I can't have you chained away. I know Aryana wants to protect you, but I doubt you need it any longer. You demonstrated you've reached your prophesied potential and just in the nick of time. Congratulations, Tara."
"How did I demonstrate it?"
"You've triggered the meeting of the princess and her mate, and her powers have gradually started to return ever since. Her bringing to our realm would've been an immense step into helping her regain her magic, but you've wiped her memories of that event."
"I was hoping that I won't get into too much trouble if I do that..."
"Now I need you to get in trouble," she tells me and a flicker of mischief glitters in her eyes as she speaks. It wasn't frightening, but intriguing. "Travel back to the mortal realm and lift the spell on Adeline, before the second sunset."
"Why so soon?" I'll need a couple more days to re-adjust to my magic without risking to lose control of it while doing my spells. The process of regaining the grip on your powers is painful and soul-draining, which is why I hate the Queen even more for putting these iron bracelets on me.
"Fate grew impatient lately," she says with sorrow and I mean to ask what she means. But she doesn't give me a chance to speak, as she continues, "I came here because you were in a position where you couldn't make any decision for yourself, and many will come your way soon enough. I know what a dreadful feeling is to have only one option left, and I didn't want you to be forced to make the sacrifices I made."
I didn't have to answer to know what she meant. What I always suspected... that I was a lamb for slaughter. Now, Adelaise was offering me the chance to have a change of fate. "Thank you," I said from the bottom of my heart and a faint smile crossed her features.
"Remember that you can make a choice now, but be smart about what you chose."
I nodded and her figure slowly faded in the evening sky, leaving me alone on that field of wildflowers.
Alone to figure out what I was supposed to do next.
I didn't lose any time and focused my magic into a carving I drew into the mud of the stream bed, watching as the calm waters swirling before me, their colour fading and starting to resemble a mundane creek. I jumped through the portal and arrived before the place I could've called home in another life.
"Adeline?" I hear a women's voice before me and I turn on my heels. She was staying at the top of the stairs, before the iron doors of the mansion. Carrying a duffel bag in one hand and a designer purse in the other, I couldn't help but giggle at the view. Exactly how I imagined her...
"No, I'm Tara," I say and I see the exact moment realisation hits her when tears come strolling down her cheeks and the bags are abandoned on the dais.
I'm dragged into a fiercely hug and I barely contain my tears as I hug her back. "Hi, mum," I whisper and I finally allow myself to cry on her shoulder.
Home, at last.