ROYAL Lies

Chapter 3 (Eli):

Peering down at the girl beside me, caked in dirt and grime, I offered a wry smile for what I had to do, no not for what I had to do. This is something I must do. Someday, she'll forgive me. For now, I'm just pleased to be back in her company.

Gazing out into the pitch-dark abyss that once held the wishes of many, now blinks in utter darkness, with no hopes to illuminate the sky. It goes to show just how far our realm has fallen without its proper rulers. I could hardly blame her for wanting to set things right, after all.

Shaking my head to clear the thought from drowning me, I focused on what I needed to do. There's no need to dwell on the past; everything will be set right soon. I shall fix everything. Soon, soon.

Even though my companion, my dearest friend, only discovered her true purpose in life a few mere weeks ago, much earlier than I would have preferred, I only found mine after she had rejoined me. Odd, perhaps it's linked to Everetta being the conduit for the spell. As much as I dislike the idea of things returning to normal, we must rescue that witch—whose magic I sensed the moment my memories returned to me.

That witch, as much as I abhorred it, is essential to salvage this world from the brink of destruction, for she is a fitting queen for this so-called Fall Court. Ugh, who in their right mind decided to rename the Fae realm by bloody seasons? How disgraceful are they to cast aside the names of our ancestors, the core of our blood, as if they mean nothing? What was once the birthplace of warriors, the Wolves of the Fae kingdom, is now called Winter. How disgraceful. Do they not care for the Great Wolf who bestowed upon us our magic—the cold winds of the Fae realm? Or do they prefer to shame our blood by reducing our magic to some sort of season?

A soft moan emanated from my right as I placed my cool hands against the light sparking along her skin.

I frowned, "Just hold on a little longer. I promise I'll fix this soon." I whispered, to no one in particular, or perhaps I was saying this to myself. Worry crept into every pore of my skin as I wondered if the witch might be able to assist me. Apart from her rightful place on the Fall Court's throne—ugh, Fall, what's wrong with naming it the Phoenix Court?—How dare they mock the very foundation they stand on. Utterly disgraceful, I say!

Shaking my head to gather my thoughts, I couldn't stop the involuntary clench of my fists at the view of the golden-haired beauty before me. I truly felt remorse for what I was about to do, but it will benefit her, I'm certain. Yes, withholding her memories might seem a tad severe, but it will all unfold for the better; she'll come to understand. I bit down on my lips, reflecting on our encounter. Which should have restored all her memories and mine from our past lives, but I took some precautions for that very scenario.

In the case that our meeting triggered our memories, I ensured that Everetta wouldn't fully regain hers, at least not entirely. I wanted to be in control of which memories would resurface in her mind. Not everyone possesses this ability; only the highest of Fae kind, such as myself, can. And, well, I had to do it for the Fae Realm; she'll thank me for this one day, I am sure of it.

So when we stopped to rest at a small village I knew that was my chance I had to take back the memories she had remembered in the little time that we had reunited. But in doing so she would forget everything so of course I have to guide her now, yes, she just needs to rely on me. Upon casting my spell on her she did forget everything so I had to pretend to have been on a journey to find her specifically then retell her everything she had told me when we first reunited, that we were embarking on a journey to take back what was ours, to bring back balance to our realm. You could say this was our second encounter, after I wiped her memories that is. But no, I shouldn't feel guilty there was nothing to feel guilty about. I was doing this for her. This was the right thing to do.