“There’s lots of history up there. Every piece of art carries a tale to be told around here,” Dris said.
“It’s very beautiful here. Where I come from, there isn’t much like this anymore. The Dramens don’t care about beauty unless it breeds or makes them coins.” I hated saying their name in this place, like it would seep from of my lips and stain the elegance.
“I’ve heard about them but never ran into one. Only a certain few have.” She organized the books to her liking as I grabbed the wooden chair to sit.
“How is it this place exists and hasn’t been tainted by them?” I had thought that question over and over. I saw no walls or anything that would keep them out by the door in the red tree. The Dramens had to have walked all over those woods looking for food or people. I couldn’t figure it out.
“We are in a different realm than them, and the only portals are ones we guard heavily. They don’t know about it. I think this is a great place to start your lessons about how we and the humans coexisted.”
I settled into my seat, tense but eagerly waiting for Dris to tell me everything. “Great! I feel so lost and don’t know anything.”
She smiled happily. “The Fae have been around for many millennia. The exact details of our history like where we came from have been lost to our historians for a very long time, but there are some that say we came from a tree. When its seeds fell into the Earth, it created life. Some of us were granted the gift of nature from our mother tree. However, no tree has been found in our realm, so I wouldn’t put much thought into that theory. We do have nature cores, though.”
Tor had said every Fae had a core or soul of nature. “The gems are royalty, right?” I asked, hoping to show her I wasn’t completely clueless. She nodded, holding no judgment for my knowledge.
“Yes. Gems are royal. Our queen has a core of a diamond. She was the most powerful being in our realm. The second is a rare core of a dragon.”
A dragon. My mouth must have dropped because Dris giggled and continued on.
“There are many magical creatures in the realm. Dragons used to be one of them, although everyone believes them to be extinct. Unicorns, firebirds, werewolves, and other incredible creatures still lurk about in the woods. I’ve seen the unicorn herds a few times. They are a very skittish group and don’t like to be looked at much. Can’t say I blame them. Vanity isn’t everything.”
I hoped secretly I would get the chance to see one in my lifetime.
“Our job, as Fae, was to keep these creatures and other dangerous Fae from entering your world through our gates and wreaking havoc. Only a few chosen humans knew about what we did. That’s why our gates are in the national parks, where no one can destroy them.” She finished organizing and her pointed fingers ran over the map on the table gently.
“There are three portals to the human realm, each near a large city. Ours, which you found in Yosemite, is called Crysia. We are a people of leaders, protectors, and hope. We value nature, rhythm, and symbiosis—living together to make our world a better place for everyone, from the tiny little bunnies to the great queen. Everyone coexists and works together. Across the land, you’ll find many little villages. Everyone gets along fine for now and there are trade routes that keep industry moving. On the other side of the continent as you know it is a city of intelligence, truth, and the arts and sciences. Crystoria. They have the largest and most beautiful library.” Dris’s focus slipped as she dreamed of Crystoria.
During her fantasy moment, I wondered if I’d passed the portal to the city in my travels. Why did Tor bring me to this place, crossing over so much territory and peril with Dramens?
“Where is that one?” My curiosity held no use to me unless I voiced it.
“In the Great Smoky Mountains. You must see their architecture one day.” I frowned. More questions . . . always more questions than answers. “You said there are three. Where is the other?”
Her lips scrunched together in distaste. “The badlands. That is where King Verin and his army remain, feasting on fear and chaos.”
She shivered, bringing her hands up to rub her arms like she was fighting away a chill.
“Tor told me about him.”
Her face went from downturned to elated in seconds. “Prince Tor. Oh, you knew him?” she cooed, as if in awe.
“Yeah, he’s kind of my boyfriend.”
Although, I wasn’t sure if it was true anymore . . . a thought I tried not to obsess over.
“No way. He’s so handsome. And smart. And did you know he once tamed a unicorn? Yes! It was a black stallion he named Mars,” she gushed, her hands coming up to rest under her chin.
“I didn’t know that. He is smart and handsome, though.” My shoulders dropped forward, the desire to curl up from the feelings inside me taking over. How could love feel so close to betrayal right now?
“I’m sorry. I can see you care for him deeply. Let’s get back to our history lesson before lunch. I know you have a date with the queen for tea. She has the loveliest tea set made out of diamonds.”
Thoughts of Tor lingered, so I was happy for the distraction about Crysia, learning about the Fae realm, its inhabitants, and what happened to the magic that used to blossom in every nature core.
Chapter Fifteen
By lunchtime, my brain was tired from Dris’s knowledge . . . maps of the area from the castle through the shop districts to where artisan trade happened, to the east where the Hallowstag Woods rested then ended with the mountains called the Crescent Sisters.
I was told all about the ways of the Fae nobles and Queen Olyndria.
No one called her the Mad Queen to her face, but whispers surrounded Her Majesty. She spoke in words only she and her most trusted advisor, Ryka, understood. She was still the queen by her diamond core and her marriage to King Lachan, and no one challenged her throne except Verin, who had disappeared during the apocalypse. His castle in the badlands bustled with chaos. Hordes of his army went on raids, much like the Dramens of my realm.
Rune was the half-brother to Prince Tor, and though he was considered a prince by blood, no one in his family except Tor claimed him. His title and birthright was stripped, so he left with Tor to come here. He was chosen by the queen to be the head of Crysia’s army, and even I admitted he was a good fit. He was determined, focused, strong, and fast. I’d yet to land a blow on him in the few days I’d been here. Dris’s information made me more curious about him. Why did his family disown him?
“I’ve heard that while he has a prickly personality, to those he values he is utterly devoted, loyal, and dare I say sweet?” She had leaned in to whisper the last part to me, which only made me giggle. Rune . . . nice? That really was something belonging in a fantasy world.
“Time to go.” A gruff voice bounced off the tile floor, making my spine go rigid. Such perfect timing for him to show up when we were speaking about him.
“Hello, sweet Rune.” I couldn’t help poking him with my words and defiance. He made my life miserable, so I could do the same to him.
Twisting so I could get out of my chair, I looked him over with indifference and gestured for him to go so I could follow. His hand resting on the hilt of his sword gripped a little tighter. A small chuckle from behind me brought a smirk to my lips.