Disclaimer: If I were Libba Bray, I'd have 50 of my own horses. Desafortunadamente, I am not so I'm stuck going to riding lessons! Tsch!
Kartik woke up to blinding sunlight flooding his room. He groaned. How could it possibly be morning already? His head was pounding as if someone was attacking it with a rolling pin. Obviously he had had too much punch last night at the party. He never normally touched alcohol but those few hours had been so dull. How he despised that side of society!
"Ah, you're up Master Kartik," Came the haggard voice of his shrewd voice of his old nurse. Why did that woman delight in stealing his sleep so?
Still tying the curtains open the old witch continued talking to him as if he were still a child. "Well hurry up then, get dressed. Your father is waiting for you in the parlour. He has something to tell you." With that she left and Kartik was left to ponder what she had said. His father had something to tell him. Well that sounded ominous, his father never had any good news.
He had probably found another girl for Kartik to court. Ever since he had turned sixteen a year ago, innumerable wealthy daughters had been paraded in front of him. It never went well. All these girls were shallow and heartless, more concerned with fashions and their complexion that the poor or any other cause.
Reluctantly he pushed himself up out of his silk cushioned bed and made his way to his dresser. After he had splashed some water on his face, he looked at himself in the mirror. He looked half asleep. His hair was all askew, a tangled mess of curls falling almost to his shoulders. His eyes were unusually dull and shadowed by huge dark circles. Drat his father for waking him up!
It was several glasses of water and a cup of coffee later by the time Kartik felt ready to face his dad.
As he stepped into the parlour he saw three men. His father was pacing, obviously angry at being kept waiting. The second Kartik didn't recognise but the third he definitely did. He felt his heart lift. Perhaps this day wasn't going to be quite so terrible. All three men turned to face him as he walked farther into the room.
"Amar," Kartik said, "It's so good to see you." Walking towards his brother and giving him a brief hug.
"You too little brother. Although I have to say, you are looking a bit rough. Late night was it?" He said with a smile
"Urgh. You have no idea!" Amar laughed.
"Huhum." Came the cough from the other side of the room. Kartik turned towards his farther. "Kartik. Mr Farrakhan" Indicating vaguely to the man sitting in his father's favourite armchair, "and I have something to tell you."
"Okay." Kartik replied taking a seat next to his brother. "What is it?"
He was looking at his father but it was Mr Farrakhan that spoke. Kartik really looked at him for the first time. He was middle aged with thinning hair and a business like manner about him. "Do you remember your lessons with the Rakshana?"
Kartik nodded. How could he forget? For ten years he had gone to the hut on the middle of the woods for five days a week. He had learnt everything he would ever have wanted to learn and more. The old man had taught him everything from maths to thievery to sword fighting. He had loved it.
"Do you then also remember the time you were asked to pick the feather up off the cushion?" Mr Farrakhan continued.
Again Kartik nodded. He remembered how strange he had thought it was. How a strange man with a laughing voice had come to watch. But what relevance did that have today? He had only picked up a feather hadn't he? He looked questionably at all three of the men but it was only Amar that answered his gaze.
"Kartik. At the time, you didn't know the significance of what you did that day. You have to understand that that was no ordinary feather; it had an enchanted barrier protecting it. Only the prince that fulfilled the prophecy could penetrate it and retrieve the feather."
"I don't understand," Kartik whispered, "What prince? What prophecy?"
This time it was his father that answered. "It was prophesized that you're mother would give birth to a prince who would return the magic of the realms to the Rakshana."
The realms? Kartik had heard of them. Hadn't he been taught about them in his lessons? Before he was able to recall what he had learnt, he saw that his father was talking again. "At first we believed that it was Amar, for many years in fact. But he could not lift the feather." Kartik span round to look at his brother who had dipped his head out of embarrassment. This was the first he had heard of this.
"So," His father continued, "this lead us to believe it was you. This time you have proved us right."
"Oh." Was all Kartik was capable of saying.
"Now Kartik," Mr Farrakhan said, "you are almost seventeen and it is time for you to fulfil your destiny."
This was such a shock but surprisingly, Kartik was ready. He was tired of society and all the parties anyway. "Alright. What am I supposed to do?"
"You are going to London." Mr Farrakhan said.
Well, he wasn't expecting that. "What? London, England?"
All three of the men nodded and in unison they said "Yes, London, England!"
Well, I wonder. Who will he meet in London? Now that's a tricky one!
Yeah Halloween tomorrow! Can't wait. We are all dressing up for our riding lesson. Its going to be so great!
Thanks so much for your reviews guys. I love you all!
I.do.believ.in.faries
