Chapter Twenty-Two
“ Y ou are of royal descent, but not in the way you think.” He pauses, looking up to catch my reaction.
I don’t move. Thaliya’s words echo in my ears. He knows, and Thaliya knows. My two small worlds colliding over secrets older than I am. My only response is a slight narrowing of my eyes.
I’m still waiting for different words to come from his mouth.
But he waits, his body thrums with a tangible energy. He’s still as he waits for me to process his words. He gives me time and studies me, waiting for an outburst or tears, but neither come. “You know.”
I give a slight nod, but nothing more.
His body relaxes. He ignores the chair completely and crumples to the ground, bringing me with him. My skirts fill with air as we whoosh to the ground and settle like a cloud around us.
“This will make it easier. Since you know. You and Thaliya must be working on something. This is so much easier.” Relief settles across his face. He looks at me for signs of acceptance, but I don’t give him anything except my attention.
So, this is not a proposal in the heat of the moment. And he’s not planning to whisk me away so we can travel the realm healing villagers with his song and my hands.
Not quite able to make the switch between what I thought was going to happen and what he just said, I stand and walk to the frosty windows. My forehead resting against the glass, and the cold, smoothness grounding me enough to try to figure out where he’s going with all of this. I turn back toward him, but keep my palms pressed against the cold, allowing the sting to calm my racing thoughts.
Thaddeus nods, seeing understanding dawn on my face. Encouraged, he continues. “Your parents, your birth parents, were King Azulian and Queen Bronwinn.”
For a moment, his words float around me, their meaning as elusive as a whisper on the wind.
“That makes no sense, they were—” They were what? Here before us? Killed by my father? Rulers who lived in this very castle? There are too many ways to end that sentence.
Suddenly dizzy, I move to the chair opposite of Thaddeus. He moves to help me toward the chair but I throw out my arm. The action strengthens something in me, and I’m able to lower myself into the chair and straighten my spine, squaring my shoulders toward Thaddeus, ready for whatever comes. “But Queen Bronwinn died in childbirth, isn’t that what the history books of Merula say?” I ask, still not understanding how I fit in all of this.
“Yes.” Thaddeus takes a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing just a bit, grateful I'm keeping up. “She died giving birth to you. And your sister.”
“Licia?” That doesn’t make sense. Why would Father—King Hadeon—I mean, keep Queen Bronwinn’s children?
“Not Licia.” He pauses, once again gauging my reaction. Whatever he finds satisfies him enough to continue .
“Your birth twin's name is Ombretta. She lives amongst the Ancients, in the north.”
“Oh. Ombretta.” I nod, but his words are still not making sense. I could’ve sworn he just told me my sister’s name was Ombretta, but it’s Licia. My sister’s name is Licia and he was supposed to propose when he went down on one knee.
Ombretta? Why would I be here, in Merula and she there, in… “Did you say the north?” Why would King Hadeon let royals, let alone Fae royals, live after killing their parents? “Does Father know?” His words weigh heavily on my shoulders, a weight I wasn’t ready to bear.
Thaddeus takes two slow steps in my direction, pausing to see if I welcome his advances. Slowly, he wraps an arm around me, pulling me closer; his strong arms a necessary support. “No, as far as I know, he knows nothing of your origins. His wife was giving birth at the same time, and the Fae somehow got you there in time to pass as her own. You’ll have to ask Thaliya, she would know—”
I stiffen at his words. A feeling rising within me I haven’t felt since that last day with Avicii. I push back against Thaddeus’ chest so he can tell me to my face that both he and Thaliya, the two people closest to my heart, somehow knew all this about my past and haven’t felt the need to bring it up until now.
“How would a bard like you know what Thaliya knows?” I ground out the words, not recognizing the deep, throaty sound they make passing through my lips.
Hurt flashes in Thaddeus’ eyes. I can see the exact moment when he realizes I’m not who he thought I was. And it stings, but this—what he’s done to me—stings more. His eyes flick to the sky behind me as if trying to gather enough resolve to finish what he started. “I wish I could tell you everything.”
“I can’t believe you.” I push him away from me with such force he stumbles a step backward toward the window. My voice rises and my hands are trembling. “You wait until now to tell me this? Who are you?” Confusion rockets out of me. I know talking isn’t what we do best, but I didn’t think—I don’t know what to think. But I thought I knew him better than this.
That feeling continues to rise from the pit of my stomach. Something between rage and disbelief cloaked in resentment. I fist my hands, remembering a piece of what happened with Avicii. No matter what I’m feeling now, I can't let the same thing happen to Thaddeus, no matter how upset I am with him at the moment.
I glance out the window behind me. Even though clouds are gathering in the distance, the area below is still calm. Yet, I realize if he’s going to live, I need to get out of here. I push past him, making sure to keep my hands well away from him. This throws me off balance, causing me to shoulder him out of the way before I run from the room.
Days go by. Ever since Thaddeus shared what he knew about my past, I’ve taken sick to my bed, now covered in the oldest books from the library. My collection has grown while I hide from the world. Not even Licia or Gryphon have braved a visit.
The book A Study of Ornaments, Whispers from Stone held nothing helpful, but this one, Rulers of Everguard: A Unique Perspective has had several interesting passages. According to what I’ve read so far, the realm had never been more united or more prosperous until King Azulien and Queen Bronwinn, my birth parents. A strange pride swells through me, knowing they’re a part of me and they were here for their people, yet I’m still not ready to accept everything Thaddeus has told me of my past.
I turn back to the book, there’s nothing on runes, but I can tell I’m getting closer. I look back at the runes I copied down weeks ago in the small leather book. I wish there was something in here I could decipher, but the book is written in a completely different language, one I’ve never seen.
While I wrap myself in a cocoon of safety, there have been no visitors, thankfully, other than my books, the only other thing I do is sleep. I’ve spent so much time sleeping, my dreams have turned strange. Most of my dreams are about a dizzying darkness where the only feeling I recognize are twin pinpricks against my skin. This darkness wraps around me like a blanket, both comforting and smothering at the same time. Whispers dance on the periphery of my hearing, inaudible, but I can feel how important the words are.
In my more lucid moments, I attempt to piece together what Thaliya and Thaddeus have said.
Yes, a princess.
But now a Fae princess?
And Licia, the person I’ve grown up with my whole life, isn’t really my sister?
And I didn’t even let Thaddeus finish.
There’s more.
“Ombretta,” I whisper the name, trying it out to myself, picturing the woman who goes along with such a strong name. I picture a mirror image of myself. I wonder if she’s a healer, like me? Or if she has a family. Does she have any children running around? Does she have someone she’s close to? Or, perhaps, I could be that person.
And then I think of that person for me—Thaliya.
My heart sinks as I think of her part in all of this. How long has she known this significant detail about my life? She never thought any of this important enough to share? Even while I think about this, my hands ball into fists. I can feel the tension all the way to my toes.
Even though I struggle to believe any of Thaddeus’ words, there’s a tug in my heart that I can't ignore. And after days of lying in bed trying to ignore it, I decide its time I find Thaliya for the answers I need.