“Very well,” my brother nodded, a smile on his face as well.
“We can wait as long as you feel is necessary for most of the realms,” I pointed out. “But as one of your trusted Kings, might I suggest… you should focus soon on the realm of the fae.”
“Oh,” Daath nodded. “Yes, he has a point. The other council members are very unsure of what’s going on, as is the rest of the country. Given that we have eight of the ten people they trust to run their world locked up in the dungeon, I don’t quite blame them…”
Myrcedes was silent for a moment before a slow smile pulled at her lips. “I think I know what to do…”
28
Kalian
“Kalian?”
I looked up from my reading, an autobiography of Graia, the ogre architect responsible for most castle design, to see Myrcedes at my door. I dropped the book and rushed over to her, wrapping my arms around her and stroking her hair. She returned the gesture, and I sighed with relief.
“I’m so relieved to see you again.”
“I told you I’d be fine,” she laughed. Her laugh brought a smile to my face.
“I was still worried.” I pulled back so I could look at her. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
She smiled and nodded. “I did…”
The purple-haired Queen and I sat on the bed in the guest room of the Moonstone Castle that I’d been staying in. It was a place I hadn’t quite gotten used to yet. Even once I’d opened up to Myrcedes and allowed myself to feel less disagreeable, the place still felt foreign to me. I’d grown used to the stone walls, the bed was actually quite luxurious, and the clothes Myrcedes had gotten me from Earth were surprisingly comfortable despite being the most hideous things I’d ever seen. Even so, I felt a sense that something here was lacking.
As we sat, she recounted her journey to me. And to say it shocked me… that would have been an understatement.
That clearly wasn’t the response she was looking for.
“What are you thinking?” she frowned.
I hesitated. I didn’t know, but I was sure there was nothing that would sound right. “It’s just a lot to take in. But what matters is how you feel about it. How… how do you feel?”
“I feel like everything finally makes sense,” she sighed with relief. “I understand who I am. I still have a lot to figure out, but I know what matters. I finally know what my dreams mean, why some things bother me the way they do.”
“What do you mean?” I frowned.
“I mean the fae realm.” I perked up at that. “Ever since your trial, I’ve felt compelled to help.”
I barely managed to keep from scoffing. “Myrcedes, you locked up everyone qualified to rule the fae realm for revenge. Was that your plan to help?”
I could see a look of shock on her face as she registered what I’d said, and I immediately regretted it. Shit. I should have kept my mouth shut…
“Kalian, I was trying-”
“I know,” I shook my head quickly, trying to walk back my dig. “I’m sorry, that came out wrong. I, um, I suppose what I meant was just - uh - your announcing yourself suddenly as Queen of the fae realm, not long after killing Minerva, coupled with the sudden disappearance of the council, has the potential to look… suspicious.”
Myrcedes paused as she processed what I said. I felt slight relief at having talked back my slip of the tongue, and more than a little guilty for having dropped my composure in the first place.
“I guess you’re right,” she sighed. “They have no reason to believe me. But it’s not like I want to move into the palace and start ordering people around.”
“Of course. But there’s still going to be doubt, no matter how far you remove yourself from actual power. People are already unhappy with the fact that Death showed up and appointed a reaper to a temporary position of power; she’s a fae, and people are still angry about it.”
Her silver eyes looked down as her brow furrowed above them. “Shit. Shit… You’re right. I don’t have any way to prove this. I can’t take everyone one by one to the Bay of Souls and have a dead spirit explain my place in the universe to everyone.” She rolled her eyes. “Daath and Syrion will back me, but if people of the fae realm are already frustrated with them, that won’t help.”
I watched as her brain ran through ideas and came up blank. “The prophecy should have been officially recorded so that something like this wouldn’t be an issue.” I ran a hand through my hair in thought. “But Minerva killed her before that.”
Something connected when I thought of Minerva. I remembered what Raya had said about her being too far from the edge, and how she’d found that out. “Seers’ logs,” I muttered.
“What?” Myrcedes jolted.
“Seers’ logs. In order to make sure the prophecies are accurately recorded before they’re officially archived, the Seers will write them in their own words. It’s sort of like a diary-”
“Where are they?”
“Hold on,” I hesitated. “They’re all in the fae palace. But they’re all written in different languages, to avoid prying eyes. The Seers hide them somewhere private until they prophesy their death, then they’re moved to a vault the rest of the Seers keep.”
The Queen paused, conviction forming across her expression. “Fine. Then we’ll go find it.”
“Myrcedes-”
“And I want to call a meeting amongst the fae realm to inform everyone of the decisions I’ve made.”
“Hold on,” I frowned. “What decisions?”
She smiled, and confidence returned to her face. “It’s complicated. Don’t worry about it.”
I stared at
