by Riley Walker
“Oh dear. I was afraid of this happening. The two of you have obviously bonded.”
Bonded?
“Bonded?”
“He is your fated, Franchesca. The one that was created for you. In the Fey Kingdoms, once a Royal reaches the age of maturity at twenty-one, if they meet their fated, their eyes change to lavender. It is a rare occurrence and we have not had a Royal fated pair in over a century. This is why no one speaks of it.”
“How is this even possible? Edrik is not a Royal. Why have I never been told this was a possibility?”
“You have to understand, Franchesca. In our world, Royals have arranged marriages before they reach maturity. This is why it is so rare for a Royal to ever find their one. Especially since all Royal females must remain untouched until their wedding night.”
“I did not sleep with him! He helped me get from the library to my room last night...and I may have kissed him.”
“You kissed him? That is all? Are you sure?”
“I was drunk, not stupid. And I remember everything that happened. All we did was kiss.”
“Alright. We can fix this,” Gretchen mutters to herself. To me, she says, “No one can know this has happened. The last thing we need in the middle of this uprising is to have the Light and Dark Fey fighting each other. Stay in your room, and under no circumstances should you leave until I return.
14
Prophecy (Gretchen’s POV)
I rush from Francesca. If anyone can help us, it will be Ruby, my witch friend. Down the servant tunnels and out the back of the castle, I make my way through the local merchant square until I stop in front of her charm shoppe. While it appears similar to the buildings surrounding it, looks can be deceiving. Above the front door is a yellow awning with Ruby’s, written in red. Below that, a sign hanging on the front lets you know the days and hours of operation, along with the words “Crystal Spirits Available.” A bell dings when the door opens, alerting Ruby of a customer.
“Gretchen, my dear. What a lovely surprise.”
She must notice the look of fear on my face, because she immediately comes out from behind the counter and takes my hands in hers.
“What is it? Has something happened to Franchesca?”
Of course Ruby is worried about her. Franchesca is our future Queen, but much more than that. She is so much more than she even realizes.
“She is fine, but we have a problem. It has begun.”
“Are you sure? You know what has to happen for the prophecy to come to pass.”
I nod my head, “Her eyes changed last night.”
“Prince Winston?”
“No. It was her Knight, Edrik.”
Ruby gasps. Not from the surprise of who, but who was first.
“It has begun then. But what do you need from me? You know the prophecy as well as I do.”
“No one can know the two of them bonded already. She is promised to Winston and if this gets out, the Light and Dark Fey Kingdoms will begin a war against one another and the prophecy will never come to pass. They need a charm that will turn their eyes back to their natural colors.”
Immediately comprehending the emergency of the situation, she begins to collect different herbs and crystals from around her shoppe.
“Come with me to the back. I can make an amulet that when worn, will hide the evidence of the bonding.”
I watch as Ruby starts mixing different things, saying a chant with each crystal she places in her bowl. She closes her eyes and begins to mumble in a language I don’t understand. Everyone knows Ruby is a witch, but very few know of her true powers. She is the strongest witch I have ever come across.
No sooner does she begin her chant than I feel a small breeze blow across my face. Goosebumps dance across my skin from the power being emitted by Ruby. She gives one violent shudder; the breeze is gone and Ruby is looking up at me.
“Here, take these two amulets and make sure they understand they will only work after a drop of their own blood has been freely given. They must always wear them. If they take them off, their eyes will go back to the lavender color. Be careful Gretchen and remember what the prophecy states. Our princess has a long, difficult road ahead of her. She will need your help and guidance along the way.”
I thank Ruby for her help again and begin my return back to the castle. Franchesca has no idea what the future holds for her or for her fated…
Fated Mates shall unite with their Golden Queen,
Or peace shall not be seen.
If the bonds are not eternally made,
Evil in our realm shall raid.
Two Kingdoms will undoubtedly fall,
If the Golden Queen heeds not her call.
For only love shall change this fate,
Between the Golden Queen and her Fated Mates.
15
Hidden Secrets
I watch Gretchen hastily leave my room and I sit back on my bed. I am bonded with my Knight, who just left with another woman in his arms. Crap on a cracker. I spend my day pacing the floors, waiting for her to return. I wish Shelby were here right now to talk to. She would know exactly what to do.
I can’t stay locked up in this room any longer! Just as I am about to leave, Gretchen appears.
“Thank Goodness. I didn’t think you would ever get back.”
She places a black velvet pouch in my hand, “Franchesca, I visited a very powerful witch who has placed a spell on these two amulets. You and Edrik must both offer up a drop of blood on your own amulet for the spell to return your eyes to their natural color. The lavender will stay hidden as long as you keep these on you. You must give this to Edrik as quick as possible.”
I open the pouch and take out one of the pieces of heavy jewelry. I use the pin Gretchen has placed in the pouch to prick my first finger. Blood instantly surfaces and I place a drop on the yellow stone. As soon as my blood touches it, I get another blinding pain behind my eyes. When I open them back up, Gertchen looks at me and smiles.
“It has worked,” she lets out a sigh of relief. “Do not forget to give this to Edrik as soon as possible. We do not need anyone seeing his eyes while they are lavender.”
I return the pin to the pouch, closing it and placing it in my pocket.
“Thank you, Gretchen.” I hug her, then head down the stairs and out the back terrace doors. The moon is high and giving off a soft glow on this Dark night. I cross the yard into my mother’s prized garden. I sit on the ground in front of the fountain, leaning back on my elbows and take a deep breath. Suddenly I see something flying across the sky. It looks like to be flying straight for me. As it gets closer, I realize it’s the same hawk we kept seeing in the Earth realm. I could never forget those large wings with the black tar-tipped feathers. What is that hawk doing in the Fey Kingdom? I don’t know how long I sit here staring up into the sky before I hear footsteps coming up behind me. I turn my head to see Edrik walking down the path towards me.
“Princess.”
“Knight.”
“May I sit?” He asks as he lowers himself to the ground.
“Would it matter if I said no?” I shove the pouch at him, “Here, take this.”
Edrik looks at it, then shakes the pouch till the amulet and pin falls into his hand.
“Gretchen had a witch make these for us. Place a drop of blood on it and your eyes will be back to the same color as long as you are wearing it.”
Edrik quirked a brow at me, “Why are my eyes lavender Franchesca?”
Ugh, I really don’t want to explain this to him right now.
“Why did you leave with Bianca?”
Edrik rubs his face with his hand, “Franchesca, I had to take her to a healer. Why did you attack her?”
I am livid that he would think that I would attack someone, even if that someone was slutbag Bianca.
“Edrik, I did not attack Bianca. I was leaving my room this morning and she went crazy. I wonder if she noticed our eyes. Maybe she knows what it means.”
Edrik cocked his head at me, “You still haven’t told me what the lavender means.”
“When Royals reach the mature age of twenty-one they can find their fated. It requires an intimate moment.” I give him a moment to soak in this new information. “Remember our kiss?
“It is the only thing I can think about.”
I shake my head at him.
“You really should not be thinking of that, especially when you are with Bianca. Look, just prick your finger, add a drop of blood onto the stone and as long as you wear the amulet, your eyes will go back to their natural brown color.”
I stand up and walk back to the house, never once looking back.
The next morning I wake and decide today will be the day I start taking my responsibilities more seriously. The quicker I can find out what is going on with the Renegades, the quicker I can get back to the Earth Realm with Shelby and Colton.
I walk downstairs to find my dad in his study pouring over maps.
“Dad, can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Of course Frannie. Come in and have a seat.”
I sit on his oversized sofa, pulling my legs up under me, “Dad, I am ready to start taking over some of my responsibilities. I want to help with the Renegade situation.”
My dad immediately begins shaking his head, “No. Absolutely not. This problem with the Renegades is too dangerous. I will not have my only daughter involved in this. Leave it to the Royal Army and focus on learning your Queen duties. You will be taking over the crown as soon as you and Winston are married.”
“I will not be marrying him! He does not want me and frankly I can’t stand to look at him. It is time to change things. Where does it say that I have to be married to take over the crown?”
“Not this again, Franchesca. We have told you, the marriage will take place. The time has come for the Light and Dark Kingdoms to unite.”
I stand and walk out of his office, slamming the door behind me. If he will not listen to reason, then I will find someone who will.
I storm towards the kitchen, knowing Gretchen will most likely be there. Luck is on my side when I see her standing in front of the stove. I hop up on the counter, reaching for one of her famous chocolate chip cookies and give her a sad smile.
“What is troubling you, dear?”
“Gretchen, dad will not listen to me when I tell him that I will not marry Winston. He keeps telling me that I need to do my duty for both Kingdoms, yet when I tell him I want to help with the negotiations between us and Renegades, he just dismisses me.”
“Franchesca it is too dangerous for you to become involved in the war with the Renegades. We have already lost too many.”
I understand Gretchen and my dad’s concerns but if a Queen is too weak to stand beside her army, then what good is she?
I am determined to remind him that I am the future Queen and ready to take on the responsibilities. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I knock lightly on the door to my dad’s study. When the door opens, I notice how tired and worn down he looks. How did I not see this earlier?
“Dad, I am so sorry for the way I acted. Can we please try this again?”
He gives me a small smile and opens the door, allowing me to enter again.
This time I do not sit down. I stand tall and strong and tell him with all the maturity I can muster, “Dad, I understand your apprehensions about me becoming involved with the Advisory Board concerning the Renegades. I want you to know I hear you, but as future Queen of the Light and Dark Fey, I have a right to not only rule our people, but to stand by them in times of trouble. I will not back down from this. I was born to lead this Kingdom and that is exactly what I am going to do.”
He looks me and I can see pride shining in his eyes. He gives me a subtle nod and walks over to the table in the corner, covered in maps.
“Come on, Frannie. It is time I tell you what has been happening in our Kingdoms.”
16
Not A Pawn
Pointing to a map laid out on the table, my dad says “right here are the Renegades central camp. The leader, Rook, is stationed here and runs all operations from this point. We have found other hidden camps all over both Light and Dark Kingdoms and have been able to destroy the majority of those. The problem is that as soon as we destroy one, two more pop up.”
“What do the black marks represent around the camps?”
“Those,” my dad points at them, “are the weak spots we have found surrounding the camp. We think these points will be the easiest to penetrate.”
“What do they want dad? They aren’t trying to start a war for nothing.” He acts like he doesn't want to answer my question. “I have to know everything. I can’t help if I don’t know exactly what caused this Rook character to wage war on two Kingdoms.”
My dad takes a moment before answering and I know I will not like his response.
“It started many years ago Frannie. Long before even your Mother and I took over the throne. You know we mine for stone and minerals. What you have not seen are the people who do this work. There are different classes of people in our kingdom. The Royals, that would be us of course; the Merchants who are the salesmen and traders; the Commons, who work for the merchants and farm the land, and the Inferiors. The Inferiors are the ones who mine and build the structures. I do not agree with the way the Inferiors are treated but that is how it has always been. The Inferiors are essentially slaves, Frannie. They are paid almost nothing, live in tent camps and are gravely mistreated. There are no medical treatments or school for them because there is no money and no need. A born Inferior will never become anything more. It is the way it has always been. The Renegades have taken upon themselves to free these people. Their people.”
“Is that it? All they want is their freedom and the opportunities that should be available to everyone? If that is all they are demanding, I do not understand why we will not grant that.”
My dad runs a hand down his face and looks at me with a look of sympathy.
“The minerals they are mining? Those are the minerals that we receive our power from. The majority goes to the Royal family and it trickles down from there. Since most of the Inferiors are shifters and not Fey, they do not need the power from the minerals like we do to survive. The Renegades believe that we are overmining the lands and abusing the powers. What they want is to continue mining, but evenly distribute the minerals to all the people. In truth, none of that really matters to them. Rook may be the leader of the Resistance, but there is one man higher than him that is using the Renegades as a distraction for his true plan. That is to own all the minerals being mined and refuse us any powers at all.”
“Who would want to do such a thing and why? Do they not know that if we have no access to the minerals and no power, we will eventually wither away and die?”
“Yes, he knows, and that is the exact reason he wants to do this. His name is Armand, and he is my brother.”
“Your brother? I had no idea that you even had a brother. I have an uncle? How could you have never told me this?” To say I am shocked by dad’s revelation is an understatement.
“Armand is two years older than me and was the next in line for the throne. He has always been difficult. Not able to control his anger, prone to violence, he just could not handle being a Royal and everything it represented. My father saw this and knew that Armand was not the best choice for taking over the Kingdom. When it came time to announce his successor, he named me instead. Armand lost it and fled from the Kingdom. I have not seen or heard from him in thirty years.”
“If you have not seen him, how do you know he is behind the Renegades?”
“Armand always had a calling card when he went off the deep end and created mayhem everywhere. He would etch an ‘A’ near the scene so everyone would know who was responsible. He never did want anybody else taking credit for his deeds, even the unsavory ones. When the Renegade Resistance first started, I received a letter informing us of their demands. It was
signed with Armand’s signature ‘A’. After that, when we were able to infiltrate the camp, I received evidence that it was definitely him behind it all. He has Rook as a leader and the face of the Renegades, but even he is being played and doesn’t know Armand’s true intentions.”
“What are we going to do, Dad?”
“I just do not know Frannie. All I know is he has to be stopped before he is successful and takes over the Light and Dark Kingdoms, killing both Royal families.”
I could not believe what I was hearing. I never knew I had an uncle, never mind the fact that he is behind all of this and is waging war on us. All because of something that isn’t even my dad's fault. I push the thoughts of my uncle aside and focus on everything else my dad has told me about the Renegade cause and what I have learned about the Inferiors. Of course I knew the different levels of society, but I had no idea that the Inferiors were treated in such a way.
“I want to see them. I want to visit the Inferior camps and see first hand how they live and are treated. Even after we deal with Armand, we still need to see to their needs and wants.”
“I do not think that is such a good idea, Frannie. The Renegades have set up camp just outside the main Inferior territory. It is just too dangerous and I will not allow it.”
“How do you expect me to help fix this problem if I can’t even go and see things for myself?”
“Frannie, by marrying Winston and joining our two Kingdoms, we will be strong enough and have the armies needed to defeat the Renegades once and for all. You can help by joining the Light and Dark Fey together in marriage.”
“I am more than a pawn on your chess board! I will go to the Inferior camps and I will speak to them and start fulfilling my duties as future Queen.”