After the initial happiness of seeing Kalen alive wore off, his mother began shouting at him. “What did I tell you about leaving the forest? Without the magical boundaries, it is not difficult for the guards to capture you. How could you, Kalen? What if something had happened to you? What if the Black Wolf had not managed to get there in time?” She paused for a moment. “A lovely boy, that Rafe,” she sniffed.
I suppressed a giggle; at least now I knew where Kalen inherited his fast talking skills. But he seemed to have gotten his height from his father. I smiled at the short, plump fae lady, who suddenly seemed to remember I was there.
“Oh!” said Kalen’s mother, wiping her hands on her apron and smoothing the folds of her dress. “Who is this little one?”
I suppressed a giggle because the fae lady came up to my shoulders and had to look up to talk to me.
“This is my friend, Mother—the Lady Aurora. She was also in the dungeons at Lord Oblek’s castle. Rafe rescued her as well.” Kalen glanced at me. “Aurora, this is my mother, Penelope Plumpleberry.”
I gave her a warm smile. The name suited her. “Very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Plumpleberry.”
Her blue eyes twinkled as she regarded me. “Oh, you can call me Penelope. Everybody does.”
“Mother, I promised Aurora she could stay with us for a night,” said Kalen.
“Of course,” said Penelope, bustling around the little cottage, making tea and cutting up the cake. “Will you have some, Aurora?”
I nodded. “Yes, please.” My stomach grumbled again.
Penelope patted the cushion next to her. “Come and sit here, and we can talk freely. Kalen, bring the tea and cake.”
I sat down on the proffered cushion.
“Yes, Mother.” Kalen brought over a little tray and set it down in front of me.
“Now tell me, my dear . . . what exactly happened to you? Maybe I can be of some help,” said Mrs. Plumpleberry, turning to give me her full attention.
I sipped on my delicate cup of violet-colored tea, which happened to taste rather nice, gathered my thoughts, and prepared to start my story once again.
“Well . . .” said Kalen. He obviously couldn’t resist being the one to talk, so he proceeded to tell his mother everything: who I was, where he met me, and the fact that Rafe was taking me to see my granduncle, the Duke of Silverthorne.
“So you see, Oblek thinks I am some lost princess called Aurora Firedrake, and Queen Morgana wants to get me out of the way permanently,” I finished for Kalen.
Penelope looked stunned, much like Rafe had in the woods earlier, when I told him who I really was.
“Please say something,” I urged, leaning forward a little.
She looked at me, her eyes bright and questioning. “It was thought that all three of you died that day.” Her voice was strained. “Are you sure?”
I shook my head. “No, but Rafe said the Duke of Silverthorne will know how to tell.”
Penelope nodded. “He will.”
But there was a question I still needed answered. “What exactly happened to my parents?”
Penelope shook her head. “No one knows for sure what happened that night. What I do know is that the whole west wing of the Star Palace at Nerenor burned to the ground. You and your parents disappeared, and Morgana assumed the throne of Illiador.”
“Disappeared? You mean died?”
Penelope looked away. “Yes,” she said slowly. “Although their bodies were never found.”
A spark of hope leapt in my heart. “But if I’m still alive, isn’t it possible that they could be too?”
Penelope shook her head. “I am sorry, my dear, I don’t want you to get the wrong impression. Your parents must be dead. If they were not, they would have returned by now, or someone would have seen or heard something. No one has even whispered that Elayna or Azaren could be alive.”
I hung my head, the memories of my dream fresh in my mind. I could see Morgana coming at my mother to stab her. I didn’t want to say anything about the dream to Penelope and Kalen. Somehow it still seemed too private to talk about. At least now I knew I hadn’t made it all up, and I wasn’t crazy. But why had the dream begun occurring only recently?
“How did Morgana know I was alive?”
Penelope put her hand on my arm. “I don’t know, my dear.”
“Do you really think Morgana will kill me if she finds me?” I asked, although I thought I already knew the answer.
“Yes, that much is certain,” said Penelope. “If Morgana knows who you really are, then she will not stop coming after you. You need to get out of Illiador before she does.”
My heart sank and suddenly I didn’t feel so grown up. I stupidly wished that I could go home again to my mother. But that was not possible anymore. My parents were dead, my real ones and my adoptive ones. I was entirely on my own.
Penelope must have felt sorry for me because she leaned over and gave me a hug. I hugged her back, eager for a little maternal warmth.
“If you want to find out more, then you must travel to Eldoren with Rafe,” Penelope continued. “He is right, Silverthorne will know what to do.”
“But can you please tell me a little more about my family before I go? I’m still confused about how I am related to the duke.”
Penelope nodded and proceeded to tell me what she knew. “You are part of one of the most powerful families in the whole of Avalonia. King Ereneth, your grandfather, is a descendant of the Firedrake dynasty, the first and longest reigning dynasty, which began with the first king of these lands,
