The Fairest (Book #1)

14: Special

For a second, she thought she heard wrong until his words fully processed. This prince has truly lost his mind. The people didn't call him the Strange Prince just for humor. She wouldn't have minded having the knowledge that a Royal may be a Blessed or a follower of the Ordained, but to hear this type of theory was pure blasphemy.

If the king and the commander still perceived her to be a sorceress, then this theory would send her straight to the executioner– no hesitation.

"A Fairest? You've gone mad." She pressed a hand to her jumping heart.

His beautiful eyes widened for a second before turning firm and confident.

"Who were your parents?"

"Fut you." She shook her head in disbelief and fear. She hoped and prayed no one overheard this down in the lower level.

"L-look, allow me t-to explain myself."

"If you tell someone this, I-I could die," she whispered.

He shook his head, and his curls trembled. "I s-swear this s-stays between us. Allow me t-to explain."

She backed away and scanned the study, expecting soldiers to pop out of the aisles of books and storm up the staircase.

"Two years ago, I had this dream—"

"Oh, a dream, huh? Great," she interrupted.

"I stood in this white void. I could b-barely breathe. I heard f-footsteps like th-under above my head, and then a voice spoke."

Mageia clenched her hands into fists. "You heard a voice, too?"

The Strange Prince sighed at her anger and sarcasm.

"I am telling the truth. Please, can I finish?" He huffed and tugged angrily on his shirt.

Mageia couldn't believe this nonsense.

"The voice told me to seek the next Fairest," he said. "The voice said she would have purple eyes."

"She?"

"Yes, she. I thought that was strange too. The maj-jority of Fairests recorded were men."

"Wait! Are you telling me you don't have enough to do on your royally spare time, so you decided to listen to a damn dream?"

"I know it sounds r-ridiculous, but—"

"You're insane," Mageia said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Why would this-this voice tell you to find someone with purple eyes?"

"Specifically, a woman. And you're the only one known in Ardania with purple eyes," he pointed out. "I tried to s-seek you out myself, b-but you and your crew were very hard to find or capture."

"Thank the gods," Mageia mumbled.

"They had purple eyes too," he said confidently.

"Who?"

"The eight Fairests. After doing research and communicating with a h-historian in Iisebrin, I confirmed it."

Mageia caught her breath and quickly turned her back to him. She stared at a half-melted candle on the next table as more of the faded memory resurfaced.

Her mother sat across from her at their dining table, still staring at Mageia as if struggling with what to say.

Who are they, you mean? Her mother said to her. They are the Ordained.

You worship them, mama.

I do, she said.

Why is that?