Hours of reading were interrupted by the gruff, and commanding voice of a man.

“So which of the private journals caught your eye so quickly?” The Man who would be His mentor asked, Jerking the book from his hands to look at the cover.  A disapproving huff was the only sound he made before setting the book down, and turning away.  Thane looked to the man in confusion.

“Is there something wrong with The Fyre King?” He asked, sitting back in his chair, and giving his full attention to the man.

“Not if you like pictures of naked women and Mommy issues.” The Man strolled through a row of books while he spoke.  Thane couldn’t help but chuckle at the response.  It was true, the Fyre King was known to take advantage of his position when he’d been a Prince.  All of that had seemed to stop though once he had claimed the throne, and His Queen.

“Don’t you think His Queen is a good influence on him?” He watched the man curiously as he brought a book back to the table.

“She is.” He nodded, setting the book on the table. “But He will always be a child King.  He will never be truly respected like His Father was.  Just because you chop off the Queen’s head in the middle of court, and demand respect, doesn’t mean you will get it.” He nodded at the book that was now on the table.  Thane leaned forward, opening the book.  In the center of the first page, a name was scrawled in neat, clear writing.

King Finndo.

“The King’s Father…” Thane pulled the book closer for further inspection.

“Now that was a King!” The man said, heading back down into the aisles to grab another book. “If your interested in reading about the men your family has worked with, I suggest you read some of the entries with King Finndo and your Grandfather.” He returned with another book, and set it down beside the other. “The women in your family are interesting as well.” Thane pulled the book on top of the other, and opened to see the name.

“The Queen of Water?” He asked, not understanding the reference. 

“Your great grandmother was the handmaiden of the Queen during the war between Sky, and Water.  That was how your Grandmother came about.”

“Was she some sort of secret lovechild with a high ranking Sky soldier?” Thane joked.  The joining of Sky and water within the bloodline was very secretive.  His father never spoke of it, and he had never found any official records in any of his research over the years.

“It wasn’t love.” The man said flatly, opening the book to a certain page, and pointing to a passage.  Thane read the words of the Water Queen describing the aftermath of what was well known to be a horrible attack.  The attack had left her sterile from a horrible miscarriage, and her servant, his great grandmother, pregnant.  His brow furrowed, pulling the book closer as he read the Water Queen’s first journal as Queen.

“You have an entire world to learn about.  Your family is a much larger piece of the puzzle than you know.”  The man said, moving about the room to gather more books. “That’s why I chose you above all others to take my place.” A smile formed on the man’s lips, watching thane devouring the journal with an eagerness that could only be seen in the young.  “You have much to learn about the realm my young student.” The man said, patting thane’s shoulder, and heading to a desk on the far side of the library. “Read up while I go over all I gathered today.  We will speak later about what you learn.” 

While the man was busy with his work, thane read from every journal before him, all spread out along the table, and open at once.  There was much to learn, and he knew he had come to the right place.

Within a week Thane was left in charge of watching over the Library for a majority of the days.  While He read, and worked on his research, his mentor collected more information, and traveled to other areas that could fill in missing pieces of the history within the realm.

“I need your help” His Father exclaimed, bursting into the room, He could hear the panic in His voice before He spun around to see it in his face.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, eyes scanning over His Father’s body for signs of bodily harm.  He knew that His Father had been involved in a takeover within the fyre Kingdom recently, and feared the worst.  Once He noticed no blood or wounds though, He shook His head.  Of course it wasn’t physical harm that he’d come for help with.  He would have gone to one of the Physicians.  Why would anyone come to a librarian for medical attention?  He stood from His desk, walking over to Meet His Father.

“My King.” His Father spoke between panted breaths. “He’s… not well.” He looked about the room.  They were alone.  Only He was allowed in the private libraries of the Capitol City.  In fact, he would be in great trouble if anyone ever found out about his Father being here.

“What do you mean?” He asked, mostly out of curiosity. “How did you even get in here?” He asked, shaking His head, and urging his Father to the door.  Once His Father knew what was going on though, He put His whole weight down, refusing to budge until He listened.

“Thane!” His Father exclaimed Defiantly. “Are you going to help me or not?”

“How am I supposed to help you when you haven’t told Me what is wrong with your King?” His voice was rising in frustration, His hold on His father tightening.

“He took in the power of the Former Fyre King, and The Acting Fyre Queen after He took over.  He is not strong enough to possess the power of the Dagger.” 

Thane froze after hearing what was said.  His expression turned to a mix of fear, and surprise.

“He took in the power of more than one Royal line with the Dagger?” He asked in a hushed tone, leaning forward so not to be heard by anyone outside of the door.  His Father nodded, and glanced to the massive room of the most secret books within the realm.

“I need your help in drawing the excess power from Him before His mind burns out.  He’s already showing signs in instability.”

“You helped him take over weeks ago… The Power has been building in Him all this time?” He asked, surprised that The King hadn’t dropped dead already.  He knew very little about the Daggers, but he did know that they had been taken away from the rulers long ago because of their ability to enhance the powerlust that some possessed. 

Without another word, he turned to head into the maze of shelves.  He knew His way around the Library by heart.  He had wanted to become the Head Chronicler for nearly a century now.  He knew everything about every Kingdom, and was up to date on all recent events, even those that some thought no one knew of.  He’d been reading the reports as they came in, and previous ones as well going back centuries.

He scanned through the book shelves, finding the book He had been searching for.  He pulled the massive book from the Shelf, and blew away the dust that had collected over the many centuries since it had last been touched.  He set the book down heavily on the table, another cloud of dust billowing out from between the pages.  His Father moved to stand behind Him as he sat down, flipping through the book for what he would need.  The book was the journal of the First Queen, the one who had made the daggers.

The First Queen Had been the first to take over after the Mother of All.  The daggers had been made in an effort to continue the power of the original lines, and pass on the knowledge to the next generation.  His finger scanned through the pages until he found what He had been looking for.

“In order to Remove the powers of a Ruler, one must penetrate the ruler with the dagger, and focus on the line of Royals that are to be drawn.” Thane read, glancing up to his father.

“Well that doesn’t sound so hard.” His father shrugged.  Thane looked down to the book once more, scanning the words to find out any hidden, or added steps to the process.

“Oh…” He paused, frowning when he found the hidden step within the process.

“What?” His father asked, his tone one of frustration.

“Well…” He shrugged slightly. “It’s kind of hard to translate since it is in the old language, but He will be connected to the powers even after they are removed from him.  They will constantly call for him, and want to be rejoined no matter the consequences.”

“That doesn’t sound too good.” His father frowned. “But as long as I keep the blade from him, he should be alright shouldn’t he?” 

“Yeah.  I don’t see anything that would say otherwise.” Thane finished scanning over the section, and closed the book. “I can even hold the blade for added protection.” He offered.

“That won’t be necessary.” His father dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “Is there any magic words I need to say or anything?” 

“Yes actually.” Thane pulled a piece of paper from he desk, and wrote down the words that would need to be chanted.  The spell was similar to the spell used to take the powers into a person, only reversed.  His father took the paper, and hurried to leave the room. 

Shortly after his Father left, Thane turned around to see a Woman standing just inside the doorway.  His eyes widened, and His heart began to Race.  Her Pale Blonde hair cascaded down Her back, restrained only by a loose tying of two smaller locks twisted down the back of Her head.  Silver strips of fabric had been twisted into the locks, and kept them bound together.  Her dress was elegant, too elegant for any lesser woman or servant.  No, She had to be a noble of some sort.  He cleared his throat after a short moment of gathering Himself. 

“I’m sorry.” He stated quickly, but clearly. “You startled Me.  I wasn’t expecting anyone else to be in here.” He bowed his head, careful not to make eye contact, or look directly at her.

“Quite alright.” Her voice was melodic, and almost sounded like the chiming of tiny bells when She spoke.  It was hypnotic.  She moved closer slowly, touching His chin gently with Her fingertips, and turning His head so He faced her.

“Was that man your Father?” The Woman asked.  There was only one person that She could be.  His eyes locked on hers at her will, and he knew without a doubt that she truly was the Queen of All.

“Yes my Queen.” He answered, lowering his gaze.  She was quick to move his chin once more, forcing Him to look into Her eyes.  She gave a slight frown for only a fraction of a moment before the delicate smile returned.

“Never be sorry for helping your family.  That’s what My Library is for.  If the history of the realm can help those in the present, then I welcome them.  The books must never leave though, and You must never let anyone out of your sight once You bring them in.” She spoke firmly, Her eyes showing that She was deadly serious.

“Yes my Queen.” He responded, giving a soft smile of relief, and nodding His head.

“Now.” She said, running Her fingertips along His chin gently before letting her hand fall to Her side. “Would You do Me the greatest favor of accompanying Me to Dinner?  The advisers are growing tired of Me eating alone, and I would honestly enjoy the company.” She smiled softly, and clasped Her hands together lightly in front of Her. “We can talk about whatever you Wish.  Perhaps even Your Father’s reasoning for coming in such distress.”

Thane nodded lightly, and turned to look at the books on the table that he had been looking through earlier before his Father’s arrival.

“I would enjoy that very much.” He replied, looking back up to Her and giving a bow of His head.

“Wonderful!” She replied, Her smile brightening as She held her hand out to Him. “You can leave the books for now.  We’re the only ones Who come in here anyway.”  She took His hand, pulling him towards the door.  He had no choice but to follow Her as She took Him into the Hallway, and down towards the Dining Hall.  He’d never been in the Royal Dining Hall before.  It was glorious.  The room had Pure white walls with Gold accents along the base of both the floor and ceiling.  A thin line of Gold trailed down each corner to meet them.  The table was pure black with Simple silver inlay designs.  Each Kingdom’s Symbol was engraved in their section of the table, The chairs matched the symbols as well, the backs carved to match the elements.  “You will take the seat beside Me.” She said, pointing to the chair She wished for Him to sit in.  He gave a quick nod of his head, taking the seat without question.  He didn’t sit until She did, and made sure to pull her seat out as well.

Once they were seated, a servant brought the Dinner out, beginning the courses.  He’d never had more than one course with Dinner before unless it was a feast.  Light Fruit wine was poured into each of their glasses while the first course of food was set before them.  A silver bowl covered each plate.  The first course was a small one, a simple plate of a traditional appetizer within the realm. A thin cracker like bread was coated with a creamy base, and coated with an assortment of nuts, and dried berries.

“So tell me about yourself.” She said, his attention turning to her as he began to eat.

“What would you like to know?” He asked with a tilt of his head.

“Anything you wish to share.” She shrugged, picking up her wine glass. “How about what drives you to working for the capitol?”

“Honestly?” He responded, setting down his food, and picking up the glass of wine. “Your Library is the largest in the realm.  It’s the most guarded too, so that makes it an even greater honor to be involved with.”

“So you have a thirst for knowledge then?” 

“You can say that.  More of a curiosity though.  I want to learn absolutely everything about this world that I can.”

“And the only way to do that is through my library.” She nodded, a sly smirk forming. “You wouldn’t be here with me if I wasn’t who I was would you?” She teased “You’re just using me for my books.  Have to admit that’s a first.”

“I’m still surprised I’m even here.” He said, finishing the first course before the second was brought out. The second course was a broth made from some sort of meat he could not place. It was spiced with Fyre fruit to give a little kick.

“Why are you surprised?”

“Because I’m not really the kind that is generally chosen for such a high position.”

“You mean you’re too young?” She tilted her head slightly.

“Yes.  Normally those who are chosen to study under the biblleaoharlan are a lot older, and more experienced than I am.”

“Your family has deep roots within the realm.  Who better to watch over my collection?” 

He paused, looking up to her, and set his spoon back down.

“Did you have him pick me?” He asked in complete disbelief.

“I may have suggested it.” She shrugged.

“Why me?”

“Like I said, your family has deep roots within the realm.  You are more than just a potential.” She set her wine down, and leaned forward. Her fingers laced together in front of her. The second course was removed, and the third brought out, He could smell the fried pixie wings without looking.  His eyes never left the Queen’s.

“What do you mean?” He asked once the servants left them be.

“I mean that I would like to Court you.” She said bluntly. “The advisers are pushing me to find a suitor to carry on the line. I would like to make you my consort.”

All he could do in response was stare in shock. “I’m not expecting to take you as an actual lover though.  I already have one of those.” She smiled softly. “She’s a lovely woman.  You’ll like her.” She nodded.

“Oh…” He said, looking down towards his plate. He hadn’t realized that the Queen preferred women.  It was a surprise, but not something unheard of in the realm. “So you just want to make me your consort to hush the advisers then?” He asked.

“You will still go about your training, and whatever you wish to do without interference from me.” She smiled. “All I ask is for you to introduce me to any women you find interesting enough to take as a quiet lover. I understand that you’re a man, and have your own needs.”  

As she spoke, he drank down his wine in one large gulp.  He could not stop the questions, and thoughts spinning through his mind.

“I… need to think on it.” He said, trying to clear his clouded mind.

“Of course.” She said, smiling softly. “I don’t expect a response immediately. We can enjoy our dinner, and get to know each other better.  He nodded, and the dinner continued.  

The rest of the night was spent listening to, and sharing stories of childhood, and life within the realm. They exchanged opinions, and ideas about the realm, and the lands outside of it.  They talked of the religions, and politics within the world, and even shared theories.  It was the most intellectually stimulating night of his life.  After dinner finished, they went to her chambers where she shared all sorts of stories that no one else would know.  She convinced him to stay the night in the room so the advisers would believe that she had taken him as a consort.  He had agreed, but mostly because he had drank far too much wine to return to his home, and he also enjoyed her company much more than he thought he would.  She was a wonderful, and fascinating woman, and he actually was considering her offer before he passed out for the night.

The next morning when he woke, he was alone in her bed. A note was left on the pillow beside him.

“I hope that you agree.  I had the most wonderful time last night, and hope to share many more nights like it together.” She had signed it with her true name, one no other would be allowed to refer to her as unless given express permission.  There was a knock on the door.  He ran a hand through his tousled black hair, and answered the door.  The servant looked down, avoiding eye contact, and offered a tray of food.

“The Queen said to bring you breakfast, and wanted me to offer you an invitation to lunch with her when the flower is in full bloom.” The servant said with the tone one would use when speaking to a Royal.

“I would love to meet her for lunch.” He said, taking the food. “Tell her that I will be in the library.” The servant nodded, and he closed the door to enjoy his breakfast in peace. He could definitely get used to living like this.  She was a magnificent woman, and he would not mind one bit posing as her consort.  He’d decided that he would accept her offer today over lunch.

Years passed with the Queen, the two growing close as he learned more about the realm.  He was put in charge of the Library full time, and had even begun to go on trips to gather the information from the gwadhers himself.  A note had been sent to him to meet the Queen in the gardens later that day.  They had their own secret spot where no one could hear them, or see what they were doing.  This was where they would meet to talk about the things that really went on in their relationship.  The time had come for him to meet her, and he made his way to the garden.  When he saw her, he couldn’t help but smile.

“Always a pleasure to see you my Queen.” He said, bowing to her slightly.  It was an ongoing joke between the two of them.  Normally it would make her laugh, but today he only received a small smile.  

“Have a seat.” She said, gesturing to the bench they normally sat on while talking freely.  His own smile faltered as he sat down.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, instantly knowing that something was wrong.  She sat beside him, and took his hand.

“I went to the physician today.” She said, very serious.  His heart sank.

“You’re sick?” He asked.  She nodded.

“They say I won’t last much longer.  A year at the most.”

“That’s a long time.  I’m sure they can find something in a year.”

“No Thane.  There’s no cure.  It’s an extremely rare disorder, not enough people have had it to actually study it.”

“We can keep looking, we can find another way.  Have you asked another doctor?”

“Thane…” She set her hand on his cheek gently, a calm running through him. “He’s the fourth one I’ve seen.  They all say the same thing.”

“But… it’s not fair…” He whispered.

“I want you to make me a promise.” She said softly. “Promise me that you will find love.  Find the next Queen, and make sure you actually love her in the way we never could.”

“I can’t promise that.” He said, shaking his head.

“Then at least promise me you will try.” She said.

“I promise to try.” He said sadly.

“I had a dream last night about a woman who will make you happy.” She smiled. “You had a child together, and named her after me.” 

Thane shook his head.

“It was just a dream.”

“You know that my dreams aren’t always just dreams.” She said. “You will be the Husband of the Next Queen of all, and the father to the Princess.”

Thane stood, pacing in front of her as he processed all that she had told him.  She was actually dying… he was going to lose his best friend.

“Have you told the advisers yet? He asked, quickly turning to face her.  She shook her head.

“You are the first I have told.  I haven’t even told my beloved.” 

“Should you tell them?” He asked, sitting beside her once more. “We both know what they will say.”

“Yes.” The Queen frowned. “They will want me to have a child to continue the line.  Something I refuse to do.”

“Why?” He asked, completely confused as to why she would refuse.

“Many reasons.” She looked to him. “You have never been with a woman.  I will not have your first time with a woman a forced act for political reasons.”

“That is not something I care about.” He stated.

“I do.” She narrowed her eyes. “I have never been with a man either, and I refuse for the same reasons.” She looked away. “Besides.  Your first child is to be the new Princess, that’s what the mother wants.”

“If we had a child together she would be the Princess.”

“Your first child will be the one in my dream.”  She looked to him with a small smile. “She will be beautiful thane.  She will have bright blue eyes like the ones that run in your family.  Your wife will have the same eyes.”

“I don’t want to hear about this.” He stated firmly. “You need to tell the advisers.  Tell her first though.” He said, standing up to leave.

Shortly after thane left, the queen walked through the garden that surrounded the castle.  She cut through the garden to where the schools surrounded the next circle of buildings.  A sound of rustling bushes had drawn her attention.  Her thoughts were torn from her dream as she went to inspect the noise.  A woman popped out of the bush, causing her to jump back.

“Sorry.” The woman said, dusting herself off. “Guess I misjudged the landing.” Once the Queen recovered, she actually got a good look at the girl.  

“It’s you.” She whispered, recognizing her as the girl from the dream.

“What?” the woman asked, looking around. “Whatever it is, I didn’t do it.” She said defensively.  The Queen couldn’t help but Chuckle, and shake her head.

“No.” She smiled to the woman. “I had a dream, and you look just like the girl in it.”

“Oh.” The woman said, seeming slightly relieved. “I hope it was a good dream at least.”

“It was.” 

“It wasn’t a sex dream was it?” 

“No.” The Queen laughed, shaking her head. “Not at all.”

“Ok good.” The Woman said with some relief. “I mean not that you aren’t…” She paused. “It’s just… well that would be weird.”

“I understand.” The Queen nodded. “What’s your name?” 

“Yvonne.”

“Pleasure to meet you Yvonne.” The Queen extended her hand towards her. “My name is Cyndall.  Were you going somewhere specific, or would you like to join me for a walk through the gardens?”

“You’re not going to just take me back around inside are you? Back to the Headmistress?”

“Absolutely not.  You have my word.”

“Alright then.” Yvonne said with a smile, and took the Queen’s hand, shaking it after the Queen helped her from the bush.

”So tell me about yourself Yvonne.” The Queen said. “I want to know everything.”

“Are you sure?” Yvonne said skeptically.

“Positive.” The Queen said with a nod of her head.

“Alright…” Yvonne said, telling the Queen everything she wanted to hear as they strolled through the garden.  They walked completely around both the school, and the castle before parting ways.  Yvonne returned to the school, the queen heading into the castle.  The first visit she made was to her lover, the woman the advisers believed to be her best friend, and the lover to both thane and her. Usually when they met, the two women would be together, and thane would quietly read a book in the corner, not disturbing them. After visiting with her lover, she went to meet privately with the advisers.  The advisers took the news just as she imagined, and made the same demand that Thane had told her they would.  The Queen refused, and made sure to tell them that she had Chosen Thane as her regent until he chose the next Queen to start the new line.  This decision did not go over well with the advisers, but they had no choice in whether or not to accept it. The Queen’s word was law afterall.

After leaving the Queen, thane had gone to the library, burying himself in research.  There had to be a way to save the Queen. He pulled out any and every book he could find on cures, and spells of any sort.  He didn’t know exactly what she had though, which made his research difficult.  Eventually, he changed his studying to the former Queens.  He wanted to look into the dream she had told him about.  How accurate were the predictions? Could it have just been a dream, or was it really a glimpse into the future?  A message from the mother. 

“Lord Carnell.” The voice of one of the advisers broke his concentration.

“You can just call Me Thane Lord Keegan.  I’ve told you that several times.” Thane said, recognizing the man as he glanced up.

“Your presence is required in the meeting area Lord Carnell.” Lord Keegan, the Fyre kingdom adviser said before turning to leave the room.  Thane groaned, and closed the book he had been reading.  He knew exactly what was going to happen once he went into the room with them.  They would know by now that the Queen was sick. It was only a matter of time before they approached him.  It must have taken her awhile to get to them.

Reluctantly, he made his way to the meeting room.  In the center of the Capitol was a pure white waiting area. The waiting area was a circle with doors leading into different meeting rooms.  There was one meeting room the Elemental rulers used for their seasonal meetings, another that was used by the gwadhers in their meetings, and a third that was used by the advisers for private capitol meetings.  The meetings held in this room were never the good kind.  A majority of the meetings actually held within the capitol took place in the Queen’s office, or elsewhere in the castle depending on the urgency of the meeting.  He didn’t even knock on the door, he knew they were expecting him.

“Have a seat lord carnell.” Lord Glyndwr said, sitting in the center of a long table that stretched the length of he room.  All four advisers sat behind the table, each looking over notes of some sort.  Thane took a seat in the chair sitting in the middle of he room, facing the four men.  He looked over the faces one by one as he waited for them to begin.

Lord Miltiades was the Adviser from the earth Kingdom.  He was a very wise, and kind man.  His features were soft, and showed more wisdom than physical age.  His hair was white, but cut short to keep out of his face as he worked.

Lord keegan was a much harsher looking man, his features weathered, and beaten. His hair was cut short as well.  His personality was much nicer than he looked to be.

Lord Glyndwr was much more on the intellectual side than any of the other men.  He always liked to research every aspect of whatever they needed to look into for the Queen, or whatever the realm needed.  It was no surprise that he was looking over the notes so seriously.  His glasses perched on the edge of his nose.  His hair was greying on the sides, but a dark color still.  His appearance was a mature one, but nowhere near as old as he actually was.

“Can we just hurry up and get started?” Lord Caelestis groaned, snatching the papers away from Lord Glyndwr. “You’ve looked over them a hundred times.  I’m surprised you don’t have them memorized!” He huffed when Lord Glyndyr attempted to voice his objection.  Oh Lord Caelestis, what was there to say about the Adviser from the sky Kingdom?  He was a blunt man, a harsh, and sometimes cruel man compared to the others.  He was cold as ice when it came to matters needing empathy.  He did not like studying the facts as Lord Glyndwr did, he preferred learning from experiences.

“Right then.” Lord keegan said, the attention turning to thane. “Lord carnell…”

“Thane.” Thane mumbled under his breath, a small smirk forming on Lord Miltiades’ lips, and a scowl appearing on Lord Caelestis’.  Lord keegan merely continued without missing a beat.

“Lord carnell.” He continued. “We have been informed of the Queen’s sickness, and have called you in as her consort to help us with the matter of the next in line for the throne.”

“You want me to knock up the Queen.” Thane interrupted.  Lord keegan finally stopped talking, and looked up with a blank expression.

“Without putting it so crudely, yes.” He stated, a little annoyed.

“That’s not going to happen.” He shook his head.

“Why not?” Lord glyndwr asked curiously.

“Because that’s not what she wants.”

“What do you mean that’s not what she wants?” Lord Caelestis asked.

“I mean that she already told me what she wants to happen, ad that is the plan that I am going to follow through with.  I made a promise to her.  I’m going to keep it.”  He turned his attention to Lord Glydnwr. “What are the odds of her successfully carrying a healthy child to full term with her sickness, and not passing it on to the child?”

Lord glyndwr snatched the papers back from Lord caelestis, and looked them over.

“They’re not good are they?” He asked, hoping that he was right.  He hadn’t gotten a chance to actually study up on that part of things.

“One in a million.” He said defeatedly, sliding the papers back over to Lord caelestis.

“What is the plan that she told you?” Lord Miltiades asked.

“She wants me to pick the new Queen.” A gasp could be heard from one of the advisers, and a groan from Lord Caelestis.  For some reason this made him smile, but he wasn’t sure why. “She had a dream that she says was a vision from the mother.  She wants me to find the woman in the dream, and marry her.  She wants me to make her my Queen, and our child will be named after her.”

“Absolutely absurd!” Lord Glyndwr said. “Who’s to say that the child in the dream wasn’t the Queen’s, and the woman a surrogate?”

“That’s a fair point.” Lord  keegan said with a nod.

“Are you questioning whether or not the Queen had a vision from the mother?  She is the most closely connected living being to the Mother. Is it really so absurd that she would have a vision from the Mother?” Lord Caelestis piped in.

“I am not questioning whether or not she had the vision, I am questioning the interpretation of the vision.” Lord Glyndwr said defensively.

“Does it really matter?” Thane asked loudly, the two men returning their attention to him. “She is the Queen of ALL, and that includes you.  What the Queen says is final, so you do not have a say in this any more than I do.  Just deal with it.” He blurted, standing so abruptly the chair scooted back.  He turned to leave th room, not even bothering to look back.  The door closed behind him, the stark white, sterile environment of the waiting room outside of the meeting area was surreal.  The entire situation was surreal.  He could hear the two men picking up their arguing on the other side of the door, and he left the waiting area to find something to help him, or distract his mind.  How did it all get to this? When he had come to the capitol, all He wanted was to read the books of the realm, and learn all of the hidden history that no one else could know.  Instead he’d been swept up into a whirlwind of deception, and manipulation that he still couldn’t fully comprehend.  He’d grown up around royals, but somehow he’d managed to avoid becoming like the people in the capitol.  He needed to speak with his father.  His father would know what to do about the situation.  His father dealt with royals on a daily basis, hiding the King’s secrets, and making the civilians believe that their king actually cared about them.  He’d met the fyre King.  That man had only ever cared about himself, and no one else.  He didn’t have to read the man’s journals to know how shallow and manipulative he was. Was there anyone better to learn from? Without anymore thought on the matter, He left the capitol, and made his way to Tauer Torthta, the fyre gate where His father worked for the King.

The lands of Tauer torthta were far different than the lands of the The Fyre Kingdom, or the capitol.  The Capitol had light and dark, almost like day and night, but they were not the same.  He was always amazed by the Sun in the sky of the Human world, or the stars and moon, they fascinated him.  Today, the sun was bright, the Heat, though on the hotter side, was nothing like the heat within the Fyre Kingdom.  The castle his father lived in was made of stone instead of the glass that made up the Fyre Kingdom’s massive, and mesmerizing castle.  He knew exactly where his father’s office was, and went directly to it.  He barely knocked on the door before opening it.  His father was at his desk, standing and curling up a map.

“I don’t mean to disturb you.” He said cautiously.

“Nonsense.” His father Smiled, and waved him in. “Always wonderful to see you.”

“Well I was hoping to speak with you.  Do you have the time?”

“I’m supposed to meet with the Fyre King to Meet the new messenger, but he’s always late anyway.  Doesn’t matter if I’m a little late.  He won’t even notice.”  He gestured for Thane to take a seat, and he did.

“Well.  I came to you for some advice.” Thane said cautiously.

“I hope every thing’s well in the capitol.” His father’s tone was concerned.

“Actually… it’s not.”

“What’s wrong?” 

“The Queen is sick.  She wants me to pick the next Queen for her, and take over as regent.  The advisers want me to impregnate her, which… knowing the situation I’m sure you can understand why that would be a problem.” Thane said, opening up freely to His Father.  There wasn’t anything he didn’t tell his father in confidence.  It was never taken out of their conversations, and was never repeated.

“Yes.” His Father nodded. “I can see where that would be a problem.  Do you think they will try to pressure you when she is gone?  Into picking someone they think they can control?”

“That is a fear, yes.”

“It’s something to be cautious of.  I think right now though you have to remain close to the Queen and her lover.  Besides me, they are going to be the only people you can trust.  Find out what the Queen wants, and follow her guidelines, or ideas on things.  She’s the one in control, not them.”

Thane nodded while listening to his father speak.

“You’re right.”  Thane smiled. “Guess I just needed to hear someone else say it to reassure me.”  Thane stood, and hugged his father before leaving.  He felt much better about things now.  He knew what needed to be done.

Weeks after his meeting with his father, thane had turned his entire focus on the Queen, and working with her to arrange plans for carrying on after she went into the summerland.  The advisers had not made things easy on them, and continued to push for a child to be made. Lord Glyndwr continued to insist that the Mother wanted the Queen to find a surrogate to carry her child, and had begun arrangements for him to meet potentials that had been chosen as surrogates.  Thane had avoided him at every turn.  Lord Caelestis was no better, also searching through the potentials, and finding a woman he could control.  Thankfully Lord Keegan and lord Miltiades had been patient, and quiet while they helped the Queen and thane make the proper arrangements to follow her plans.  The queen had expressly forbidden the two advisers from setting up any functions where they showed off potentials, or took advantage of her illness in any way.

“Those bastards need to stop acting like vultures, and back off.” The Queen said, pacing with frustration as they settled into their meeting place in the garden.

“They are only doing what they feel is right.” Thane responded

“Well they need to stop.” She nearly growled, wringing her hands together as her pacing continued. “They need to do as I say, and not question me.”

“It’s not their job to agree with you.  They are supposed to give different perspectives, and that is what they are doing… in a very annoying way.”

“Are you defending them?” She halted her pacing, and turned to him quickly.

“No…” his mind raced, trying to come up with an answer that would calm her down.

“You are!” she said, her eyes widening.  She was ready to launch a verbal attack on him, but paused, raising a hand to her forehead, and sitting down on the bench.

“Are you alright?” He asked, slightly grateful for the distraction, but very concerned for her overall wellbeing.

“I’ll be fine.” She said, waving him away. “I think I just need to lay down.”

“Let me help you to your chambers.” He stood.

“No.” She shook her head, and waved him away again. “You stay here.  The fresh air will do you good. “Maybe go for a walk around the gardens.  Never know when the next Queen will fall out of the sky.”

“Very funny.” He said, shaking his head as she stood, making her way out of the garden.  He watched her walk away, and frowned.  She had been growing weak lately, and only getting worse as the days passed.  Soon she wouldn’t even be able to come out in the gardens like this.  What was he going to do when she was gone?  He couldn’t imagine facing the advisers without her behind him.  The instant she passed on, he would be attacked from every angle, and forced to choose. 

After the Queen left, he walked around the garden.  His hands thrust into his pocket, his gaze upwards at the blooms on the trees.  Flowers bloomed, and receded through the day within the realm.  The bloom was the only way to tell any sense of time, especially in the light or dark lands.  In the Capitol it was a lot easier since they actually had somewhat of a day and night.  Light faded into dark throughout the day, and vice versa.  From the blooming of the flowers, he could tell that the darkness would be entering the capitol in a few petals time.  The light was already beginning to dull.  

As he was walking, his gaze fell upon an open window.  A girl with long Raven black hair sat at a vanity, combing her hair.  His walking stopped, and it was a few moments before he realized that he was staring.  From the angle he was at, he could almost see her reflection in the mirror, but her face was just out of sight.

“Lord Carnell!” A voice called, the concern, and urgency of the voice drew his attention immediately.  He turned to see one of the servants rushing to him.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, panic rising. “Is the Queen alright?”

“She’s collapsed. I was sent to get you at once!”

The girl in the window was forgotten, and he rushed to the Queen’s chambers.  He burst into the room without warning, the Queen’s frail form on the bed.  She had not looked this sick when he had seen her just a few moments before, but her health had been fading fast recently.

The servants were dismissed, and they were alone in the room.

“Look in the drawer…” She pointed to her end table just beside the bed.  He turned to look, and opened the drawer.  His heart sank.

“No…” He whispered, giving a shake of his head.  His voice was full of pain, his heartbreak clear.

“Help Me die thane.” She whispered weakly. “I want to leave this world on my own terms, not what the advisers force upon me.”

His hand slid into the drawer, pulling the dagger from it.  The silver handle was cold against his skin.  He’d only ever seen the dagger in a picture, but he knew immediately what it was.

"Help Me die." She pleaded to Him once More.  The frail form of the Woman He cared most about in the World sat before him, pressing the Hilt of the dagger into His shaking Hands.  She'd grown sick, An infection to which no one knew the cause.  She was slowly being eaten alive, and dying from the inside out. There was no curing her now, she was too far gone.

"I can′t...." He pleaded back, tears coming to His eyes as She guided the blade with his hands towards Her chest.  He didn't fight Her, He didn't have the strength to.  What if He hurt Her?

"Thane, Love." Her eyes Met His, that smile She always gave him shining brightly, and helping Him relax a little as He looked into Her eyes. "I Need to Die so You can find Her.  Give Her My powers, and You will Have both of us.  The Woman You love, and Your Best friend.  We will become One.  You won't lose Me Forever." She whispered before plunging the Dagger into Her heart with His hands.  Crying out as She took Her final breath, He lunged to grab her, and hold her before She turned to dust.  He was too late though.  All that was left was a pile of glimmering dust, and the glowing Dagger.  Her powers pulsed, changing colors with every few seconds. Red to Yellow, to Green, to  Blue it would cycle.

There was no fighting the tears, they came all on their own without him even realizing they were building.  He lunged forward into the bed, the glimmering dust that was her remains billowed up around him in one final embrace before settling in her final rest.  He grasped at her pillow, her scent lingering as he let go fully.  She was gone.  What would come now was a mystery.  Was her dream a vision, or only a dream?  He inhaled some of her dust as he tried to regain himself, an image of a woman with a child flickering in his mind for a split moment before fading.  Was that what the Queen had seen, or was that his imagination?  It had happened so quickly, he hadn’t even been able to see the woman’s face.

Hours had passed, and he had not moved.  The tears had dried, her dust mixing with the tears to stain his face.  The pulsing glow of the dagger hypnotized him.  His fingers curved around the hilt, slowly pulling the dagger towards him. He forced himself to stand, walking in a daze to the door.  He opened the door, and walked down the hallway to the office of the advisers.  He threw the dagger on Lord Glyndwr’s desk without a word, and turned to leave.  Lord Miltiades stood in the doorway, blocking his exit.

“Thane…” Lord Miltiades said with concern. “Is that the Queen’s dust on you?” He asked.

“She did it.” He said, replaying the moment in his mind over and over again. “She held my hand, and she…”

“It’s alright thane.  She’s not suffering anymore.  Let’s get you cleaned up, and then we will all talk.” Lord Keegan joined them, both of the advisers escorting him out of the office, and guiding him to the Queen’s private bath chambers.  He did not care about any of what was going on.  The two men, and the servants helped him to clean up, his clothes being taken away carefully.  Of course. The Queen’s dust must be preserved.  They would be removing her from the chambers as well.  

After he was all cleaned up, and changed, he was given a cup of tea.  After drinking some of the tea, he slowly came out of his daze to realize that he was in the meeting room.  How had he gotten there?

“Are you fully here with us now Lord Carnell?” Lord Caelestis asked.  His tone was mildly annoyed, and emotionally disconnected.  Lord Glyndwr had a notepad, and the dagger sitting before him, looking over notes he had made.  Lord Keegan, and Lord Miltiades sat quietly, and patiently waiting for his response.

“Yes.” Thane said, coming to his senses completely.  He set his tea down, and sat perfectly upright. “So what is your plan now?  Your Surrogate theory is shot.” He looked to Lord Glyndwr.

“Not completely.” Lord Glyndwr responded. “You can still impregnate a potential, and she can give birth to the next Queen.”

“What if she has a boy?” He asked

“We will make sure that doesn’t happen.” Lord Glyndwr said confidently. “Or you can impregnate several, and…”

“How about I don’t impregnate anyone, and just find the woman who is meant to be Queen?” thane interrupted.  He caught a glimpse of a small smile twitching on Lord Keegan’s Lips, and a stifled laugh from Lord Miltiades that was covered by a cough.

“The falling of the veils begins next week.” Lord Caelestis said without any response to the outburst from Thane. “We will put an announcement out to all of the Kingdoms, and choose someone through the ceremonies.”

“I can’t disagree with that.” Thane said with a nod. “Until then though?” He asked.

“You will continue your studies as normal, and not concern yourself with the details.  We will take care of everything.” Lord glyndwr looked up from his notes for the first time.

“I want to be a part of things though.  The Queen Chose Me to…”

“The Queen is dead.” Lord Caelestis responded. Thane froze, narrowing his eyes at the Man.  He bent down slowly, and picked up his tea to take another sip.  He sat back in his seat, not taking his eyes off of Lord Caelestis.  Lord Miltiades tried to recover from the cold response that had been given, but there was no saving the sky Kingdom’s adviser from the fury that was building within Thane.  

Thane stood, walking over to the table the four men sat at, and smiled softly.

“I appreciate all the help you have given me, and look forward to working with you down the line.” He looked directly at Lord Caelestis, and frowned before dumping the rest of the tea on his head. “But if you ever cross me, I will not sit back and take it quietly.”  He threw the empty cup at the man, and stormed out of the room.  This seemed that it would become a habit.

After leaving the meeting room, He didn’t know where exactly to go.  He didn’t want to return to his room, or anywhere that reminded him of the Queen.  He wandered mindlessly, stopping at the library where he had first met her.  The room was silent, the light from outside came down on the rows of books.  He walked down the aisle, running his hand along the spines of the books without even looking at them.  His mind was racing, processing everything that had happened, and would be happening within the coming week.  With the Queen gone, the advisers would be pushing him even more than before.  After what he had done in the meeting room, he was sure to pay dearly as well.  It was guaranteed that he would not be getting off very easily.

“It’s a surprise to see you back here.  The entire castle is talking about what happened.” The familiar voice drew him out of his thoughts.  He turned to look at his Mentor, and gave a soft smile.  

“The safest place I can think of.” He responded, heading over to where his mentor stood.

“Perfectly safe here.” 

“So what happens now?” 

“You do what the Queen wanted. Don’t let the Advisers bully you into what they want for the future.  She left it up to you.”

“They want to set up the falling of the veil as a way to parade off all the potentials they want me to fall for.”

“Find the woman the Queen saw.”

“I have no idea who she is though.”

His Mentor smiled, and nodded his head in the direction of one of the tables that held a stack of books.

“She wrote everything out in her journal.  She couldn’t actually tell you how to find her, but she was able to set things up so you would meet her.”  He picked up the book, and handed it to Thane. “She knew you would be reading it, so it’s pretty much a letter to you.”

Thane took the book, and held it close to him.

“You read everything didn’t you.”

“Yes. Your secret is safe with me.”  He nodded to thane. “Have you spoken with her lover yet?”

“No.” Thane shook his head. “I went to the advisers, and straight here.  I don’t even know if she has heard about it yet.”

“You walked down the main hallway covered in fairy dust, carrying the glowing dagger. I would be surprised if she didn’t see you herself.”

“I wasn’t thinking. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“You were the closest person to her, that was a incredibly traumatic experience.  You had every right to be in shock.”

“The Advisers want me to return to my studies immediately.”

“No.” He shook his head. “You are to stay here.  Read her journals, and follow what she wanted.  That’s an order as your Mentor.”

Thane couldn’t help but smirk, and nodded. 

“I think I can manage that.”

“Good.  Now get to it.” His mentor smiled, and turned to leave the room.  Thane took the book to one of the chairs in the corner of the room to read silently to himself.

The week before the falling of the veil was a whirlwind. The Queen’s lover had locked herself away, and refused to eat.  Even Thane couldn’t get her to come out of her room, or even let him in.  Tonight was the first night of the celebrations.  Thane had successfully avoided the advisers until now.  They were all supposed to meet up in the Sky Kingdom where the celebrations would be taking place.  Everyone in the realm knew about the Queen’s death.  All week he had been approached by several parents, seeking his favor with their daughter.  Most of the time he’d taken to hiding in the Library, almost living in it.

“Today’s the day!” His Mentor said, entering the room. “Have you eaten yet?” He’d taken to watching over him, and making sure he didn’t get too lost in his reading to forget the basic necessities of day to day living.

Thane held up a plate containing the seeds, and cores of several fruits, his eyes never leaving the page of the Queen’s Journal.  

“Well at least that’s something.” His Mentor said, looking over the pile of books he’d read already.  He had finished the Queen’s most recent journal the first day he’d begun reading.  Since then, he’d been working his way backwards to her very first journal when she first took over. “There is no replacing her” His Mentor said. “You must find someone that may be similar to her, but still very much her own person.”

“I will not find that with any of the women the advisers choose.” He closed his book.

“You won’t if you don’t go and at least try either.” 

“I’ve never gone without her.” Thane said sadly.

“I know. But you have to at least try.  You know it’s what she would have wanted.”

“I know…” Thane said, rubbing his temples before sitting up.

“Go.” His Mentor said, pushing him from the chair.  Thane stood, setting the book down into the pile, and leaving the Library to get ready for the celebrations.

The days of the celebrations all blended together.  Many women had wanted to dance with him, and many did.  He couldn’t recall a single name or face after the week had passed.  Tonight was the final night of the celebrations.  During the week, He’d locked himself away, only coming out for the celebrations, and nothing else.  He had been correct though in assuming that Lord Caelestis would not make things easy on him.  Thane had been placed in the dark half of the Kingdom for the visit, making it impossible to read any of the books he had brought with him.  Lord Caelestis had also chosen women of the most vile, and horrible nature as his choices in dance partners for the week.  One woman had actually stepped on his feet so many times he feared she’d broken them, and she put the blame on him!  He was thankful that tonight was the last night of the celebrations.

The time had come, and he was called to make his appearance.  The introductions went smoothly as normal, the advisers making their announcements, and opening speeches.  While the advisers spoke to the crowd however, his eyes fell on familiar raven locks.  Was that the woman He had seen in the window before the Queen had passed?  A smile curved on his lips as he watched her from across the room.  She turned to face him, the most brilliant eyes shining from behind her mask.  Who was this breathtaking woman?

The end of the speeches came, and the unmasking had begun.  Everyone removed their masks, and glamour in celebration of the falling of the veil.  The Human, and the fae realm became one.  In the chaos of the celebrations, he lost sight of her.  He spent the rest of the night searching for her, trying to find out who she was.  Catching Lord Miltiades, and pulling him aside, he asked if he had seen the girl, and described the dress she had been wearing, Her mask, Her raven hair, and radiant blue eyes.

“That would be Miss Taliafarro.” He said. “A ward of the headmistress I believe.” Lord Miltiades looked around the room. “I do not see the headmistress anywhere, she may have taken the girl home.  From what I hear she has a tendency to sneak out.  She probably snuck here, and was brought back home after being caught.”

Thane couldn’t help but smile at what he heard about the girl.

“I would very much like to meet her.” Thane said.

“Of course Lord carnell. I will look into finding her for you.” Lord miltiades nodded his head, and left Thane. The image of the girl was still in his mind, somehow familiar, but he couldn’t quite place why.  In the window he hadn’t been able to see her face.  Was she the girl from the Queen’s dream?