The gentle sounds of the crickets from outside assailed my sensitive ears. The rush of the animals in the woods distracted me, and I shook my head to clear it. I massaged my temples with my fingertips, closing my eyes briefly.
"Courts? Royalty? Gathering? There is so much I don't understand." I sighed exasperatedly. She ran her fingers through my hair and cooed softly.
"It's alright, Wren. I'll explain everything. I owe you that much." She said. "The Fae live in the realms of Faery, one of the borders between our worlds can be found in the forests here in Western Canada. We have a High King, who commands the Seelie, the Unseelie also have a High Queen. Beneath the Seelie King are the lords of the courts. The Lords and Ladies lead the Summer, Winter, Autumn and Spring courts. There are three castes of Fae, the Royalty who are related to the royal family and the king, the nobility, who are the lords and ladies and their staff, chevaliers, etc. and the regular Fae members of the court. Usually at the age of 21, a Fae has reached their maturity and have begun to develop their powers, and they will feel a call to one of the courts: Winter, Spring, Summer, or Autumn. At this age, they are invited to partake in the annual Gathering of the Fae, where all of the Seelie court Fae are invited to partake not only in the rituals to Sort the new Fae, and renew the land, but to potentially introduce soulmates." She rambled.
"Soulmates?" I questioned. She smirked and looked up at Hawke, a loving glint in her eye. She pulled his hand on to her lap.
"Amongst Fae kind, there is one destined soul mate for each of us. This partnership is said to be a gift from the gods to our kind in return for guarding the land and ensuring prosperity. They believe in reincarnation of the soul, and that after we reach maturity and have our connection to our court opened, we are also open to meeting the one meant for us. Our minds open to one another, we can feel each others emotions. We are two halves of the same whole." She finished.
I scoffed and rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. The idea of having a preordained mate chosen by the gods seemed far-fetched to me. I didn't need anyone else to complete me. I analyzed all of this new information in my head.
"So, who were my family and why were they killed? Who were you guys?" I asked them both. Alan had been a constant in my life growing up. I never realized they were intimate, as they'd hidden that aspect of their connection well, but Alan taught me to ride a bike, he taught me to drive my first car. It's hard to imagine them as members of royal court life. My mother gnawed on her lower lip, a habit when she was nervous.
"Twenty-three years ago, there was a coup against the reigning royal family. A rival family of in the nobility rose in favor. They believed the ruler should not be chosen by the gods, but should be based on ability and power level. They believed the current king deranged, as he had begun to claim conversations directly with the gods. The nobility considered it blasphemy. The king had begun to spout tales of a prophecy that would come to pass." She painted the picture of a mad king. "So this family rose up and in the dark of the night they infiltrated the palace, and burned everything. They set entire wings on fire, flames engulfed the building. The current king went to the old king, challenged him for his position and beheaded him. After burning his entire family in their sleep to ensure no one was left of the line to challenge him for the throne." Tears ran down my mothers face, and she looked haunted.
"Except for me." I finished for her. She swallowed and nodded.
"A maid managed to smuggle you out of your room in a cloth bundle through a servants passage. She gave you to me. The last thing the Queen had asked of me, was to keep you safe. She ran off to the other wing of the palace, trying to locate your brother and sister. That was the last I ever saw her. I knew we had to get you away from the courts. No one could know you were still alive. They still can't know." She trembled and pulled me into her arms. I patted her head and rested my head on her shoulder, taking ease in the comfort and warmth she's provided me all these years.
Royalty. I was the daughter of the former king, and barely managed to escape being burned alive. I was being summoned back into the vipers nest.
"Do they know who I am?" I asked. Going to another realm where they had previously tried to kill me is a terrifying concept. My mother shook her head.
"No, I believe they think you are my daughter. We will promote that belief. We will say you are the daughter of Alan and I." She looked into my eyes, I stared back at her, searching for all of the answers to millions of unasked questions.
"How long do we have before we have to leave?" I finished, not eager to say goodbye to my childhood home.
"Judging by the man they had following you last night, its best to leave immediately. Pack your things, we'll be leaving tomorrow for Faery."