Another council meeting had come and gone where my brother's had refused to show up, instead choosing to spend their time with Daella.
After being told she had woken up and was by all accounts healthy and unharmed I had assumed they would start showing up and actively participating in their duties, but no, instead they remained by her side and ignored every one of my requests.
I was getting tired of waiting, it had only been a few days but it felt like months as I waited for my parents to wake up, to actually be able to make a decision, to act, to do something instead of hiding in this palace after an attack so personal and cold hearted.
I have never been an overly patient person, I can admit that, patience has always been Alvaryn's thing, Aeris was more on the side of reckless, while I would say I was more proactive, not so thoughtless that I would run into unknown situations with little thought or plan of action, but I wouldn't sit around and route out every possible scenario for hours on end either.
That was why we worked well together, my brothers and I were unbeatable on the field because together we made sense, we had every advantage. Alvaryn could plan any siege and had enough forethought to prevent attacks, Aeris was wild and reckless and willing to walk into any situation with little motivation or encouragement and still come out on the other side mostly unscathed, and I felt like I held everything together. Understanding how an army works, understanding the fae I fought beside, and understanding it took more than just someone who can order people about to make a good leader.
Now though, without my brothers by my side and the inability to make any real decisions I feel like a failure. I was born to lead, I was trained from infancy to lead an army, to be general of tens of thousands of soldiers and then to eventually rule over an entire kingdom. Why is it now, after everything I have been through, after all the years of training, the battles and the victories, after everything my brothers and I have been together that I feel completely unprepared and alone?
"Your Highness?" A servant enters the council room, distracting me from my train of thought.
"Yes?"
"It's the Queen, she's awake." The young female says with a small curtsy.
I stand instantly and walk towards the door as she holds it open.
"Have my brothers been informed?" I ask as I reach her.
She nods quickly. "Yes your Highness."
Guards stand on duty as I make my way to my mothers rooms, they nod at me as I pass, two open the doors as I reach them and I walk in to find Alvaryn and Aeris at her bedside. Oenus is close to her, his hand hovering over her forehead and eyes closed in concentration.
"Mother," I say as the doors close behind me. Alvaryn and Aeris turn to me before looking at each other and back to mother.
"It's alright, I'm alright, just a little tired." She smiles softly.
Oenus opens his eyes, blinking before standing upright.
"Your Mother is by all accounts back to her usual self, her body is a little weakened from the release of magic, but I feel it will grow stronger quickly. Rest if all she requires." Oenus says stepping back from the bed.
Mother reaches out to touch his arm and smile up at him. He smiles down at her fondly, patting her hand.
"Thank you Oenus," Alvaryn says, touching his shoulder as he passes.
"Of course Your Highness, please call if there is anything you need at all. I will return later for another check up Your Majesty."
"Oenus," I say quietly, stopping him as he reaches me. He looks up and smiles.
"Yes Your Highness?"
"Are there any changes with my father?"
"Nothing to report Your Highness." He shakes his head, a look of concern crossing his face. "I'm afraid all we can do is wait."
I nod, letting him go. I wait until the doors close behind me before taking a step closer to the end of the bed.
"Do you need anything?" Alvaryn is the first to speak, moving to the chair by her bed and pulling it close to her side.
She smiles at him and shakes her head.
"No my love, I have everything I need right here." She turns to Aeris who is sitting beside her on the bed, reaching her hand out towards him, he takes it with a wary smile, she turns to me. "Why are you standing in the doorway Demwyn?"
I take a few more steps closer, her four poster bed close enough to touch and she smiles up at me.
"Did Oenus tell you anything?" Alvaryn asks warily.
Her smile fades and mouth straightens, she blinks, eyes becoming glassy.
"He said I attacked your father at the selection, that I used my magic on him, that is what caused me to collapse."
"Do you remember anything before that?" I ask and the three of them look up at me.
Her head tilts slightly as he eyes focus in concentration.
"I remember sitting in the hall, your father was welcoming everyone to the selection. I remember looking at the three of you, I was so nervous and excited to see who each of you chose." She smiles at the memory. "Demwyn, you had stood up, you were speaking, and then, then everything becomes dark." Her brows furrow.
"We know you didn't attack father on purpose, that you would never hurt anyone." Aeris says quickly.
"But I did," She looks at him. "And now he is unconscious, because of me, because of my magic." Her head falls and eyes close as Aeris and Alvaryn move closer to her.
"This wasn't your fault Mother, Dae was attacked as well," Alvaryn begins and her head snaps up suddenly.
"I attacked one of the chosen?" She asks in shock and fear.
He shakes his head quickly. "No, no you didn't attack anyone else. Prince Arden attacked our Kingdom. He planted nightmares in yours and Dae's mind while he was here. That is why you can't remember anything of the attack, why you said those words, and why Dae was attacked by nightmares."
"Is she alright, what happened to her?" She asks quickly trying to sit up, I move towards her in instinct but Alvaryn and Aeris help her with her pillows.
"Daella will be okay, she woke up this morning and has said the same thing, she remembers just before everything happened and then darkness and nightmares. Quirin has been looking after her." Aeris assures her.
"How do you know it was Prince Arden then?" She asks.
"When Quirin assessed Dae he said there was a foreign presence in her mind, dark nightmares that were filling her mind and causing her to stay in an unconscious state. He said with his knowledge of Arden's magic that it would be possible that while he was here he was able to leave his nightmares in hers and your minds like a trap, ready to attack at the right moment. He was able to access mine or Aeris' dreams, or both of ours to see who we intended to choose at the selection so that he could take her away from us and ruin the selection. They do not believe we should be choosing a future princess or queen from the humans, he made that clear more than once, their disdain for humans in general was apparent and then using you to attack father was just another move to send our Kingdom into chaos." Alvaryn's words are quick and measured, each mention of Arden sends another tick through my already clenched jaw.
Days of waiting and thinking and planning all while unable to do anything at all has made it difficult to pretend to be anything other than ready for action.
"That poor child." Mother shakes her head. "But your father, Oenus said he is still sleeping and doesn't know when he will wake. Demwyn, you are acting king now, has the council met, has anything been done?" Mother asks, looking up at me and I nod once.
"We have held several council meetings, each of the members are up to speed with our suspicions but without father we can't make any real decisions. I've increased security and sent out more patrols around the Kingdom's borders. Town is being secured and all those that live in the outskirts have been given warning that they need to be prepared to move into the city walls." I answer, still feeling like it isn't enough, that I haven't done enough.
"Thank you Demwyn for looking after us during this period, I know your father will be proud of you." She smiles up at me and I can't help the tightening in my chest at her words. I simply nod in return folding my arms over my chest. "If this was an attack I expect there will be some kind of demands from Nievenyth, surely they wouldn't plan and do all of this if they didn't want something from it. Maybe I could speak to them, try and dissuade them from their plans, they are both my nephews, we share blood, they may be willing to listen to me."
"No, not going to happen." I say suddenly and all three turn to me again. "There is no way I will let you go anywhere near that Kingdom or the traitors that rule it. Blood or no, they clearly mean to start a war and I'm not willing to let you be their pawn in whatever sick kind of game they are playing."
"Demwyn's right," Alvaryn says, and I watch as he turns to mother. "It's too dangerous for you to go anywhere near them. After what Arden did to you in your own house, there is no way they would not think about doing worse if they had you to themselves. They could use your magic to hurt others again, or worse."
Mother looks down at her lap, Alvaryn rubs her shoulder softly while Aeris holds her arm.
"You are right, it would be too dangerous, if Arden was able to cause all of this to happen, and use me..." She stops herself, taking a breath. "I don't want to give him the ability to do that again. But we can't do nothing after this kind of attack."
"We aren't going to do nothing." I tell her firmly.
"We need to wait for father to wake up, and then we will decide what needs to be done. We won't let them get away with what they have done." Aeris says squeezing her arm.
She nods, wiping at her eyes as she reaches out, holding each of their hands.
"I'm so very proud of each of you, my beautiful and brave sons, I know your father will be proud of each of you as well for staying together and keeping our Kingdom safe."
I look at Alvaryn and Aeris, would she still feel the same if she knew they have been spending their time holed up in Daella's room ignoring every council meeting and the rest of the world?
I could see they cared for Daella, that she meant something to both of them, but did she mean more than our Kingdom? Did she mean more than our family? Was her presence here stopping them from seeing the world around them and who they are as Princes and protectors of everyone who lived here?
If a line was drawn in the sand and Daella was on the other side, which side would they choose?
I was terrified of the answer and what it would mean.