"When is my mother's questioning?" I asked, eager to attend. I needed to support her. Rayne frowned and looked at his watch.
"I believe it starts shortly; we'd better get going if you want to be there. Are you sure you want to see it?" He asked. I nodded and stood, offering him my hand to help him stand. He smiled but stood up on his own.
We headed out the door, he escorted me through the halls back to the audience chamber. A small crowd gathered in the audience chamber, and I had to school my expression so I wouldn't sneer. People taking entertainment out of someone's misery. The royals were all present, many were dressed up for the event. My mother stood shakily in the centre of the room.
The king waved to everyone to be seated. He gestured for the guard to pass the sword to my mother. As the sword passed into her hands, she cried out in agony. I gasped and saw the sizzling of her flesh where it met the sword. Tears streamed down her eyes.
"State your name for the record." The king announced.
"Helen M-Miriam Ryder." She managed to grit out. Her jaw was clenched in pain, her shoulders were hunched. She was doing her best to straighten out and stand stoic. Fury raged within me, I felt this overwhelming need to reach out. To grab her hand and protect her from this. Rayne held my hand in my seat. I think he was as much anchoring me to my seat as he was supporting me. I felt this this wave of pressure well up within me, filling me. Energy buzzed and crackled; my fingertips tingled. I reached out mentally, feeling this aura of power extending with me, and with it, I reached toward my mother. The cord of power, invisible to others, reached out and enveloped her. I projected my mind, mentally I was standing next to her on the platform, I placed my hands on her hands and tried to hold the metal, so she was touching less. She gasped and her eyes widened, she could feel my presence.
"It's alright." I whispered. And I knew. I knew that this sphere of influence surrounding her that I had summoned, was freeing her tongue. I had intercepted the magic of the Veritas Sword.
"Were you involved in the attempt on my life yesterday?" The King asked directly.
"No." My mother answered. Her back was a little straighter now, she wasn't struggling as hard. I could tell she was still in physical pain. Truth my inner barometer sensed.
"Are you involved in any plots against the crown?" He asked the vague question. I bit my tongue and stared at her. She licked her dry lips before answering.
"No, I serve the crown." She spouted easily. Truth. I retreated into my body; I saw Rayne staring at me with his mouth agape. I pulled my hand away back into my own lap. I looked down at my hands, the flesh was seared. I clenched my fists and placed my palms down on my skirts to hide it.
"Why did you leave court?" The king prodded. My mother gave me a final look and took a deep breath.
"I wanted to raise my daughter away from court and politics, Your Majesty." She answered smoothly. Lie. I smiled at her ability to bend the truth. The king asked a few more basic questions about her time in the human world, then finally signalled the guard to remove the sword. The smell of charred flesh permeated the air, I struggled not to gag. I ran toward my mother and wrapped my arms around her, she hugged me back and squeezed me tight. She whispered in my ear.
"I haven't seen Spirit use like that since your father." She smiled at me and patted me on the arm. My eyes widened, and I realized I had used one of the five elements. My first ever magic use.
"Never mind that, Mama. Are you okay?" I examined her hands, which were heavily blistered and burned. She pulled her hands away and nodded.
"This will heal in no time. Fae, remember" She tried to lighten the mood. I just nodded solemnly. She held my hands with her fingertips and looked at the seared flesh on palms. She mouthed 'Thank you' to me. Alan came forward and put his arm around my mother, supporting her weight.
"I'm going to bring her back to the rooms to rest." Alan said, and nodded to Rayne on his way out. Rayne grabbed my hand, I winced, and dragged me toward the door. We marched down the endless hallways at a rapid pace, he pulled me around the corner and tucked me into an alcove. He spun to face me and had his hands on my arms.
"What did you do? You were using magic; your eyes were glowing." He said. He stared intently down into my eyes. I swallowed and looked down at my hands, his eyes looked down and then widened in realization.
"I was just trying to comfort her. I've never done that before, I'm not sure exactly what happened." The lies rolled off my tongue smoothly. A headache pounded behind my eyes, my limbs felt drained and exhausted. Rayne's eyes narrowed.
"The only magic I've seen similar to that is what the Spring healers use." He suggested, knowing young Fae were often unfamiliar with their powers. I nodded and gave him a small smile. Spirit use was classed among the Spring Courts abilities.
"I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to head back to my rooms to rest. And I need to check on my mother." I said, and he nodded. I turned to make my way down the endless halls back to my room.
The next couple of days passed mostly uneventfully. My mother was slowly healing up and regaining her energy, and I felt better after I'd slept for a solid eight hours after my display of magic in the audience chamber. I was fortunate that Rayne seemed to have been the only one who noticed any magic being used that day. The king was unable to persecute my mother any further, as she had claimed innocence under the Veritas Sword. Word was he was making his way through the various noble ranks, interrogating everyone. Id see various Fae throughout the day with seared flesh on their hands. My anger rolled at using such a painful method on the masses of people.
I was trying to stick to the official schedule of events the Palace had published for the Gathering. The previous days had been filled with a luncheon hosted by the queen, and a garden tea for the women. These events had been dreadfully awkward and long for me, and I was on the receiving end of many daggered looks from the young women present. I heard whispers behind hands throughout the room, rumors about me and Rayne.
"She's the one who throws herself at the prince..." A black-haired beauty stage whispered behind her hand across the room. Giggles and titters broke out. I bit my tongue and tried not to engage. Fortunately, I had spotted Gwyn quickly from across the room and rushed to find a seat next to her.
Queen Ravenna was a force of nature. She appeared demure and meek next to the king, but when she was hosting an event, she ordered people about like she was born to it, and there was no missing the commanding tone to her voice. Her platinum hair was braided into a thick plait that hung over her shoulder, violets and daisies were weaved throughout. She wore a brilliant cerulean gown that hugged her figure.
She lectured us on the importance of every Fae's duty to renew the nourishment of the land every year. She went on to announce various couples who had bonded since the beginning of the event.
"Laurel and Sage" She announced, gesturing to two Fae women who were seated next to each other holding hands. They blushed and waved.
"Sydney and Marcus" She announced gesturing to a beautiful couple girl seated near the back of the room. She stood and waved. Her partner was not present, but joy and love radiated from her features. Her dark blonde hair fell in waves around her face, and her large green eyes were wide with awe.
"These bonded pairings are gifts to us from the gods. If we are fortunate to find our partner in this life, we must cherish that bond. Bonded pairs are particularly nourishing during the renewal ceremony." She pointed out. The yearly renewal ceremony used to be performed by the members of the royal family, their power over the elements were infused into the land, renewing their ties and nourishing Faery. Trees would sprout, flowers would bloom, magic would infuse the air. Since the coup twenty years ago, I've been told the ritual is now performed by the entire group of people, mostly symbolic in nature. The queen continued, as lunch was served, she flitted between tables making sure to speak with everyone. As I was gossiping with Gwyn, I felt a light hand touch my shoulder.
"Lady Ryder, a word if you please." The Queen straightened herself and walked away from me toward a large chair placed at the end of the hall. Clearly, she was expecting me to follow her. I rose from my seat and stood before her.
"How may I be of service, Your Majesty?" I curtsied low. I stood when she nodded her head that I could rise. She held a goblet of wine in her hands and she sipped thoughtfully.
"I hear you are spending quite a bit of time with my son." She began, raising a brow. I felt heat rise to my cheeks, of course the Queen would not be above hearing such gossip. I stuttered and wrung my hands together.
"Your Majesty, he is a kind soul. He has been generous enough to show me around at court." I danced around the subject. Her eyes crinkled in amusement, and she raised her hand to stop me from continuing.
"Yes, well dear. As the prince of Winter, he has been very generous with many of the ladies of court. Of course, we are hoping his mate to be of high breeding caliber." She raked her gaze down my form, I blushed and straightened my olive-green gown. I crossed my arms over my chest. "We are hoping for a High Lord or High Lady, as would be expected of his position." She finished. A slight distaste was evident in her gaze.
"I'm not currently looking for my mate, Your Majesty, I have no idea who it could be." I said awkwardly and tried to get my flaming face under control. She chuckled softly and gestured for the servants to bring me a glass of wine. She snapped her fingers and a chair was placed behind me. I sat down nervously.
"How funny that we usually find them precisely when we stop looking. Your parents are Helen Ryder and Alan Hawke, yes?" She mused and took a long swig of her wine. I smiled and raised my glass to her, taking a brief sip.
"Yes, Your Grace. My mother was a royal guard over twenty years ago." I hinted at the political coup; the Queen's eyes gained a hard edge.
"Yes, well, I don't recall her having a child before she left." The queen said pleasantly, arching a perfectly manicured brow at me.
"She kept me away from court, Your Grace. I was the reason she left." I stated. The Queen 'hmm'd and finished her glass of wine.
"I'm excited to see what you bring to court, and what will happen at the sorting ceremony." She smiled and rose to her feet. I leapt to my feet as well, and gave another curtsy, she wandered off to speak with some of the other women of the party. I sighed in relief. She knows something, but she wasn't saying anything yet. I couldn't quite get a grasp on whether she approved of me or not. She played it close to her chest. Seeing as the lunch was winding down, I took this as an opportunity to excuse myself to Gwyn, and retreat from the room. Once I was free of the meeting room, I took a deep breath in and let it out. These social events were very draining.