Author Note: This chapter was already prepared for a while, but a technical glitz happened, causing me to lose part of the chapter, so I had to re-write it all over, so sorry for the wait. Also, I'm a perfectionist, and while writing this chapter, I thought of condensing the chapters with Claire and her friends arriving at Veroncia's castle right after leaving home because Claire can teleport anywhere, especially across continents, as we saw in Wizards. Chapter 38-43 initially follows the progression of Claire's handling of her emotions and magic, including transforming into a wolf and reading Morgana's journal. It doesn't mean I delete those five chapters; instead, I can put the information while they stay with Veronica. There are some plot holes in those five chapters, and I want to fix them, but I don't want to confuse or piss off my readers. I'm a little sick of writing Claire's drama, and I'm sure some of you are tired of it, too. I want to get to the danger and action as soon as possible instead of stretching it out. I already did this between Chapters 8-13 and I think that was better for the story.
I sit in my and Jim's bed, wearing my nightgown, staring at my necklace, observing the pendant. Since yesterday, emotions have run wild through my head, trying to deny what I discovered. When I ran into my friends, I pretended I didn't see or hear anything while I was gone. I'm still mad at Douxie, but I can only think about hiding what I found. If what I saw is true, Morgana is Veronica's mother, making her my 40th great-grandmother, but how is that possible? My dreams are a lie. Morgana never had a child. I never saw her as a mother figure when I knew her, both good and bad, past and present. King Arthur and Merlin would know if she had a child, but if Morgana did, she had to give them up...just like Veronica's story. If my dreams are true, that explains why Veronica grew up without a mother. Could this be what the Arcane Order was talking about? Is this what the prophecy meant? Suddenly, the doorknob clicked, making me quickly lay down on the bed. Footsteps approach the bed, but I keep my back facing the door. I felt my heartbeat racing fast against my chest; I shut my eyes, tried to relax, and slowed my breathing, hoping whoever entered would check if I was asleep. The room is silent except for something shuffling. I want to open my eyes, but it will blow my cover. A moment later, I shiver and hold my breath as Jim's hand touches my shoulder.
"Claire, are you awake?" Jim's soft voice whispers in my ear.
I try not to tremble as butterflies crawl up my spine, feeling Jim's spider fingers glide my neck to my hair.
"I wish you could tell me what's on your mind." Jim sighs, combing his fingers through my hair.
I've been trying to forget what I saw and only care about the frustration of Douxie's order, but I fear Jim sees something else is wrong.
"I'm worried about you. Even though you're mad at Douxie, you seem anxious and rigid. You might feel alone and scared, but I'm right here for you and will always support you."
Is he telling the truth? Will he really own up to his word if he knows the woman he was up against is my ancestor, Merlin's enemy, and the cause of the Eternal Night? If Mr. Strickler were here, he would definitely kill me, as would Merlin, but Jim knew me before this. He loves me unconditionally as I do for him. Even if he lost his handsome features as a Half-troll, he was still the same boy I fell in love with. No matter what happened or the high stakes, I would do anything for him, but this is something I can't let him know. Jim pulls the covers over us, presses his body to my back, and wraps his arms around me.
"I love you. My Juliet, that I shall say good night till it be morrow." He whispers softly before I almost gasp as Jim tenderly lays a kiss on my neck.
I feel his breath on my hair, and his grip loosens but is still strong, causing me to actually fall asleep. I remember those words. It was when I was saying goodbye to Jim as Romeo from the balcony of our play, Romeo and Juliet. I remember how he said it, so gentle and romantic. It caused my heart to swoon and butterflies to fly in my stomach. I had a crush on him since the day we met. I fell in love with him from our performance. We became closer and formed a relationship. We've been through everything that was thrown at us. I lost my virginity to him, and our relationship seemed much more than just teenage romance. It was something deeper and more serious.
"You know, and they will find out."
A shiver goes up my spine as the Half-Troll's voice slithers in my ear. "No, they won't find out! They will never know!" I deny, closing my eyes and shaking my head.
I bite my lip as the Half-troll's stone-cold hands ghost over my arms, feeling their breath on my neck. "Oh, they will and will have nothing to do with you, abandon you, and you will be ours. Your Trollhunter already suspects it."
"No, Jim loves me and won't ever abandon me, no matter what." I hiss, making the half-troll chuckle sadistically.
"We'll see. Also, the Arcane Order wanted me to tell you we're close and coming for you."
"Stupid to tell me this. Me and my friends are prepared."
"Oh, you foolish girl. No one can stop us; not even your pathetic friends can protect you for long. They will suffer for us to get what we want." The Half-troll laughs and wraps their large hand around my neck, squeezing the air out of me and making everything turn black.
I cough myself awake, still feeling something squeezing my neck. I sleepily roll on my other side but can't feel Jim's body. I open my eyes and see only the messy covers and mattress on the side of his bed. Where is he?
"Good, you're awake."
I sleepily look around the room and find Jim sitting in a chair, fully dressed and his arms crossed with a severe face, telling me something's wrong. "Hi, Jim!" I yawn, get up from the bed, and stretch. "Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask innocently, but there is a tense atmosphere around us.
"We need to talk." He says clearly, getting up from the chair and walking towards me. "You're hiding something from us." He adds, sitting beside me. "You're hiding something from me. I know you weren't asleep when I entered the room these past two nights."
Shit! I'm in trouble. I glance to my sides, trying to keep my composure. "What do you mean, Jim? I was asleep before you because I was exhausted." I deny it, acting dumbfounded, but he shakes his head. Jim has never interrogated or confronted me before. This is bad, especially how serious he gets when interrogating someone.
"Claire, you're hiding something. Don't dodge it."
"No, I'm not!" I correct him, getting off the bed. "I'm getting dressed."
"Claire, if you're not hiding something, why are you trying not to make eye contact with me?" Jim asks and gets off the bed as I grab my clothes.
"No, I'm not." I deny it again. He can't break me. I pull my nightgown over my head, making Jim turn around. He's still shy about staring at my naked body, especially when I get dressed. "Why would you think I'm hiding something?"
"After Amber brought you back to us, you seemed to see something terrible. You might be a good actress, but I know if you're hiding something."
I turned to face him, fully dressed. "Are you calling me a liar?" I hiss angrily.
"I didn't!" Jim protests, turning to me. "I meant you keep denying and hiding yourself when someone asks you this."
"No, I don't!"
"Do you not trust me?"
"No-I mean yes! Yes, I do trust you!" I corrected myself.
"Then tell me. Tell me what's going on." Jim pleads.
"No!" I shout. "There are some things I don't have to tell you."
"There are some things you don't have to tell me if you're not eating anything and acting like yourself."
"I'm perfectly fine, Jim!"
"Then tell me what's wrong!" He demands, grabbing my shoulders.
I bite my lip as the strength of his arms squeezes my shoulders. I can't give in. I can't. I shut my eyes and turned my head away. Tears come to my eyes, and I shake my head, making Jim's grip loosen.
"Claire, I'm terribly worried about you. I want to help, but I can't do that if you don't tell me what's wrong. Please tell me what it is."
"I can't. I can't." I mumble, shaking my head and trying to hold back my tears.
"Why?"
"If I tell you, you, Toby, Blinky, AAARRRGGHH!, Douxie, Archie, and everyone else will..." I pause and bite my lip, shaking.
"What is it!"
"If I do, you will want me dead." I cry, causing small tears to fall out of my eyelids.
"Claire, why would you think that? We would never think of doing that to you."
"If Merlin or Stirckler were here, they would kill me without a second thought."
"Claire, what are you talking about? I would never let them near you if they even think that."
"But you would not want anything to do with me if you knew."
"No! You are my girlfriend and the person I love more than anything in this world, and I would never ever think that." He replies softly and grabs my chin to make me look at him. "There is nothing that will ever scare me away from you." He reassures me, wiping the tears off my cheek with his other hand, but I shake my head, closing my eyes. "Claire, don't you trust me?"
"Yes, I do."
"Then please tell me what's wrong." He pleads.
"I can't! I can't!" I shout, pushing Jim off to let me run out of the room, crying. I run through the hallway, wanting to escape everything from my mind and in reality. I don't want to deal with the thought of Veronica, my great-grandmother, being the daughter of Morgana La Fey. To everyone, I am the enemy, evil; I can't be trusted.
"You are no different than Morgana. The fate of the world is at stake all because of you. You're a mistake to this world."
I try to shake it off, but it won't leave my mind. A heavy door blocks my path, but I push it open, finding myself in the place where I first saw Veronica. "Morgana!" I call out, angry at her and want to face her down.
"Claire, what's wrong?"
I turn around, and Veronica appears, walking towards me with concern.
"Claire."
I turn around, and Morgana appears before me, looking at me with worry.
"What's the matter?" She asks.
Ignoring Veronica, I step towards Morgana, furious. "You knew!"
With those words, she becomes stunned, staring at me. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, don't pretend like you don't know! You had a baby daughter and sent her away with your most loyal handmaiden to Spain to protect her from Merlin and your brother!" I hiss and show my necklace. "You know what this necklace is! It belonged to you, and you gave it to your daughter! You saw me with it and pretended you knew nothing about it, but you lied! I didn't see you for three days after my birthday until my grandmother was killed; the same days of the year Douxie told me you locked yourself up in Camelot, the only days you had your daughter before giving her up!"
Morgana stares at me like I'm clueless, eyes wide and frozen like a statue.
"ANSWER ME!"
"I don't know what you're talking about." She replies, hugging herself.
"Don't lie! You knew! You knew! Why didn't you tell me?" I cry.
"Claire, who are you talking to? What's wrong?" Veronica asks nervously.
She doesn't understand what's happening, and I don't want to explain it. I keep pressing her, but Morgana denies everything and turns her back to me. I'm so mad at her. She didn't tell me about her daughter or my necklace. I saw the sadness in her eyes. She gave up her daughter. She saved her, but she couldn't see her for 900 years, probably even more if she doesn't help me. I'm mad that she's hiding something and isn't telling me. My knees buckle, making me collapse, sobbing. My heart sinks. I hug myself, hurt and in pain, the heavy tears roll down my cheeks.
I wish everything could go away, this moment, this journey, the Arcane Order. Everything. I look down and think of the one thing that always soothes me and maybe even makes Morgana confess. "My baby, you're in my arms tonight, safe from all harm. Life is strange, filled with twisty frights and wonders to behold. Look at the stars and the moon tonight. You'll be great and take to flight. You will travel so far to find out who you are..." My voice is caught in my throat, unable to say anything else. I look up, and Morgana stares at me with wide eyes and shock.
"How...How do you know that song?"
"It was in my family, passed down for 900 years. All the firstborns in my family learn it and pass it down to their descendants." I manage to say in a raspy voice. "My mom used to sing it to me every night since I was a baby. Her mom, my grandmother, sang it to her and all the way back to Veronica of Galot, my ancestor, and.."
"...my daughter. Galot is Elaine's name. I told her to give it to my daughter."
"She's here. She's here, but you can't see her. My family is cursed. None of the firstborns of my family can see the rest of the family in the afterlife, but I can fix that."
"Does...Does she miss me?" Morgana asked, only caring about her daughter.
"Yes! She misses you so much. Her one wish is to finally meet you, but she can't. This castle is where she was born, but also her prison." I explain, getting off the ground. Morgana covers her mouth with her hands, tears in her eyes. I sense the hope and happiness in her heart, hearing her daughter knows, cares, and misses her, even after 850 years of complete solitude. I turn my head to Veronica, staring at me with confusion, not understanding what's happening, but I smile at her.
"Claire!" Jim shouts, and I turn around to him. All our friends run into the room led by Amber with the rest of the fairies. Fear and worry sweep over me, my heart racing in my chest. Jim looks to my sides and turns white as a ghost. "What's going on here?"
"Guys, stay back," I warn them, backing up slowly with my hands in front of me. "Stay away!"
"Claire, it's ok. What's wrong?" Douxie asks with concern, taking a few steps closer, making me take a few back.
"Stay away!"
"I knew it!" I hear an angry male voice behind me.
Morgana looks behind me, and horror paints on her face. I turn around, and my heart drops. A green ghostly apparition of Merlin is in front of us, with a stoned face and his arms crossed.
"Merlin, what are you doing here?" Morgana hisses.
"I knew you were hiding something after you left Camelot for eight full moons." He says harshly.
"Merlin, I can explain. It was an accident." Morgana replies nervously.
"Oh, I don't think it was." He snaps before looking at me, making my stomach sink. "And I should've known you would be a traitor to us."
Merlin starts to walk over to me, but Morgana stands before me. "Stay away from my great-granddaughter!" She snaps, making everyone in the room gasp in shock.
"What?!" Toby gasps. "What's going on?"
"I can't believe I let a traitor be with My Trollhunter." Merlin hisses, making a shiver run down my spine.
"Merlin, leave Claire alone! It's not her fault, and you can't do anything to her." Morgana argues.
"You're right, I can't." He agrees and looks behind me. "But her friends aren't taking it well."
I turn around, and my friends stare at me in shock, horror, and worry.
My heart sinks when NotEnrique steps forward and looks at me. "Claire, is this true?" He asks nervously, wondering if he should believe it or not.
My limbs go numb, but I nod my head. "Yes, but I can explain!"
"You don't need to explain," Merlin replies, and I turn to him. "If I were still alive, I would-"
"Back off!" Nymeria shouts, getting in front of me, and snarls at Merlin, surprising him.
"Who is this?"
"I'm Nymeria, and Claire's familiar, and you will not touch her!" She growls, bearing her teeth and claws, ready to pounce.
"A dire wolf as a pet? Interesting."
"I'm warning you, stay back or else-"
"Or else what? I'm a ghost. You can't pounce on me." Merlin laughs, but that makes Nymeria more angry.
"After all that I've done for protecting the world, it's never enough." He groans.
"Bullshit!" I spit at him, having the courage to say something, making Merlin stare at me with evil eyes.
"Excuse me, my dear? What did you say?"
"I said, that's bullshit!" I repeat. "You haven't done anything good for the world or me and my friends! You might think of yourself as a protector and a hero, but you're not! You chose Jim to become the trollhunter, but you wanted him to be a troll! You didn't care if he, Barbara, or any of us got hurt! In Camelot, you abandoned Morgana! You say you do things for the greater good, but there's a difference between a hero and a narcissist! You made a lot of people suffer; you never made sacrifices! Jim was the one who sacrificed himself to protect us! All of us risked our lives to serve your commands. You never cared about your champion, his friends, the trolls, and Morgana!" I hiss. "We're running from the Arcane Order! They attacked my family and killed my grandmother."
Merlin is stunned but sighs. "I'm sorry for your loss, but that's no excuse. You are no different than Morgana. The fate of the world is at stake all because of you! You're a mistake to this world."
Those words hit me like a knife through my heart. I look around, seeing Morgana and my friends staring at me in shock, but Veronica has disappeared. She might've disappeared when Merlin or my friends showed up, shy and confused. I need to get out of here and find her. I don't want to deal with anything and want to disappear and be consumed by the darkness inside me. I feel the tears in my eyes and turn around and sprint out of the room. Jim tries to stop me, but I run away from him. I transform into my wolf form to run faster, but every step I take feels like the Arcane Order is drilling into my head.
"No one is safe from our new world. You will be our champion." Bellroc's voice hisses in my ear. "The morals must pay for what they have done to us for centuries."
I shake my head, trying to block away the voice, but it causes another to sneak into my ear.
"Humanity is lost beyond correction, but you can fix everything." Skreal laughs.
I cover my ears, but it's no use.
"¡Eres un mocoso egoísta! Basta de saber que traes vergüenza a nuestra familia y a nuestros antepasados como lo hizo Verónica. Recuerda queue." Olivia screams and I start running again.
"I want to make my own decisions and write my destiny." I hear my voice speak up with bravery.
"¡Eres una hija decepcionada y una mujer vergonzosa! ¡Nos traicionas y te vas a tener sexo con hombres como una puta!" Lucas yells, causing his voice to echo louder and louder against the walls.
"Some people think fate is destiny and can't be changed, while others think it's based on the person's choices, but no matter what people say, it's up to the person who is swimming where to go and what they choose to be." Abuela's gentle voice combats it.
"Don't let anyone take away who you are." Mom hushes me.
"You don't have a choice." The Half-Troll threatens me.
"It's your destiny. This is the way." Bellroc chants.
"I can't believe I let a traitor be with My Trollhunter." Merlin hisses
I'm not a bad person and a traitor, but Merlin's words make me feel like a wolf in sheep's clothing. Strickler is that, but not me. I run into a dark but nicely kept room. I hid in a little corner, well hidden from anyone's sight, and lay on the floor. I close my eyes and listen to the quiet darkness. I don't like it, but I've heard it often for three long months underground. I'm now used to it. My tears finally come out, and I break down, hopeless. The truth has been revealed to not only my friends but Merlin as well. The horror and disappointment on his face hit me like cold water. Thank god he didn't see her, but if he did, Merlin would want to hurt Veronica, but he can't. That's another part of the curse. Firstborns, after they die, their souls are protected from harm, even from other ghosts, but Merlin has hell for Morgana. I know she can defend herself, but the fear, horror, and sadness in her eyes when she heard my lullaby to her daughter, my ancestor, scares me. After reading her journal, Morgana has done so many bad things to Camelot and almost destroyed the world, but I understand why. Morgana was born into a world where being different meant you would be killed or shamed, depending on what you are or what you did.
The only person at that time who protected her was her mother, Queen Igraine, but tragically, Morgana lost her mother at the age of five. After Igraine's death, Merlin was made Morgana's guardian to protect her from the ruthless rain of her father and the genocide of magical creatures. She watched the devastation of her kind die around or in front of her, losing her sister-in-law, lover, and only child. In Morgana's time of need, Merlin betrays Queen Igraine's wish to keep her daughter safe. Morgana lived a tragic life, making her actions understandable but not excusable. Even through all of that, there is one thing I'm grateful for. Giving up her baby daughter. Without that act, my family wouldn't be alive today. I wouldn't be here. Giving up a child is not an easy decision, but to Morgana, a mother, it was the biggest, most selfless, and loving sacrifice. She claimed Veronica's birth was an accident, but I know and saw in her eyes she loved her daughter dearly and wanted her to have a better life than she did, and Veronica had that.
"Claire, where are you?" Jim shouts, but I don't care to answer. He enters the room and tense up, hoping he doesn't find me. "Claire, what are you doing in there?"
I turn my head, my heart leaping from my chest when I see Jim crouched on the ground, looking into where I hide, sad and worried. I feel the temptation to change back to human and reach for him, but I'm too scared to move.
"Claire, I know that's you and not Nymeria. Please come out."
I shake my head and look away.
"Claire, I can't make sure you're alright if you stay in that little hole like that. Please come out." He begs, but I ignore him, causing silence. After a while, I heard Jim speak. "Claire, I know you're scared of what happened and horrified by what Merlin said about you, but you are not like that. You have a good and pure heart. You're selfless, compassionate, funny, quick-witted, loyal, and beautiful. Morgana might be your ancestor, but her time was 900 years ago, and even if you and Veronica are the same, that doesn't mean she is what her mother was. Your past ancestry doesn't define who you are. I don't care if you and Morgana are related. That doesn't and won't ever change my thoughts about you."
His words strike me. I peek up at him, and a hand extends to me. I take a deep breath, transform into my human form, and take it, trembling. Quickly but carefully, Jim pulls me into his arms, gripping me tightly and close to his chest, making me feel and hear his heartbeat. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" I cry, burying my head in his chest, causing heavy tears to fall down my cheeks.
"Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!" Jim hushes me, stroking my hair. " Don't apologize. I don't care what Merlin or anyone else thinks. I love you and don't want to let you go. I won't ever leave you or hurt you. I fell in love with the girl in my arms for who she is." He says. "No matter what happens... I love you and always will."
Those words. Those are the exact words I said to Jim on the rooftop of our school when he turned into a Half-Troll. I bury my head in his chest. "I'm scared, Jim. I'm so scared. I thought everyone would abandon or want me dead if they knew."
"Shhh! It's OK, Claire. Shhh! I won't let anyone hurt you. I don't want to be any farther away from you than I am now."
"I'm sorry I screamed at you in our bedroom and pushed you away."
"Don't." He hisses softly. Jim's grip loosens, and he lifts my chin to make my eyes look at him. He puts his hand behind my neck and pulls my lips to his. He gives me a soft and tender kiss, and I soon lean in, enjoying the comfort of my boyfriend. "I want to and will always stay by your side." He adds, breaking away to look into my eyes.
"Claire."
Jim and I turn our heads, and all our friends stand before us. When my eyes land on Douxie, I bury my face in Jim's shirt, clutching him tighter.
"Shhh! Shhh! It's OK, Claire. Douxie sent me to find you while he handled with Merlin." He whispers, stroking my head, but I refuse to pull away, shaking in fear.
"Is Claire OK?" Darci asks with worry behind me.
"NO!" I cry.
"It's ok, Claire, we're not going to hurt you," Blinky says softly.
"How do I know if you're telling the truth?" I whimper. "Morgana was a monster to you! She destroyed Heartstone Trollmarket and caused trolls so much trouble after everyone in her life betrayed her!" I hiss, still hiding in Jim's arms.
"Claire, that doesn't mean we hate you. You're our friend." Toby says, but it doesn't convince me.
"Claire, they're trying to reassure you. They're not here to hurt you." Jim shushes me, stroking my hair, but I shake my head—a long pause followed by my soft sobbing throughout the room while Jim holds me tightly to his chest, trying to comfort me, but it doesn't work. Footsteps approach behind me, and I clutch Jim tighter, scared.
"Claire."
It's Douxie's voice.
"Claire, we're not here to shame, hate, or hurt you, including Toby, Blinky, AARRGGHHH!, and me. We want to understand what's going on and how to help you, but you can't do that if you hide and shoo us away." He says calmly.
"He's right, Claire."
I look up at my boyfriend, giving me a small smile. I look down and close my eyes. I need to be finally transparent with my friends about everything. My visions, dreams, Morgana's journal, and how she and I are connected both magically and biologically. I take a deep breath and look up at Jim again. We get up, Douxie backs up, and I turn to my friends, gulping the lump in my throat. "Ok. You guys want to know what's going on and about my past, so I'll tell, but if I do, you must promise not to be afraid or run away. I didn't want this to happen to me, and I hate putting you guys into it." I say, my voice trembling with tears. They all nod their heads, and I take another deep breath. "It all started at the beginning of October. I'd been having these dreams about Morgana, but not about danger or what Merlin portrayed her as, but a woman with a tragic childhood." And I explain what I saw about Morgana being pregnant, giving birth to Veronica, singing my lullaby, giving Veronica her necklace, and giving her away to her most trusted servant to travel to Spain to keep Veronica safe from Camelot, Merlin, or even her brother.
"I thought these dreams I had meant nothing and only in my mind to confuse and throw me off, but I soon realized it was true, matching every part of my family story about Veronica, just in more detail." I finish, but I'm not done talking. "I carry what I called the Golden Book to you, but to me, it was Morgana's diary." And I explain how Abuela found it, why she gave it to me, how I'm the only one who can read it, and what it says about Morgana's character." And tell the story of Morgana from what I know from her diary. "She may have been a villain in the eyes of many, but she was a traumatized woman who thought there was nothing good in this world." I finish and sigh, horrified for repeating Morgana's words of suffering in her diary. My friends stare at me, eyes wide in shock. After explaining everything, I'm sick to my stomach, and my heart sinks as a 100lb weight falls on my shoulders. I drop my head and look to the ground, trying to control my tears. I jump as a hand touches my shoulder, looking up to find Douxie's hazel eyes. I gasp and back up in horror, scared of seeing my mentor, but his eyes show hurt, guilt, pain, and regret. What could he possibly regret about? Before I can say something, Douxie grabs my shoulders and pulls me into his arms, catching me off guard.
"I'm sorry, Claire." He mumbles quietly. "I'm so sorry."
I'm stunned and shocked, wondering what to think. "It-it's ok, Douxie."
"NO!" He snaps, gripping me tighter. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry for not standing by you after Merlin hurt you! Shame on him and what he said!"
"But-but, he's your-"
"I don't care!" He shouts, pulling me away to look at him. "I don't care if he's my mentor or father; you are my student, best friend, and a sister to me. It's my job to help, protect, and teach you! You matter more to me than Merlin ever would! He shouldn't have treated Morgana like that and shamed you, being her descendant! You had no control over that! You are a beautiful, smart, strong, and amazing young woman who touches the lives of everyone who meets you, and that is a rare gift to have and something Merlin can never understand." He says seriously and stares at me thoughtfully. " No matter what happens, I will stay by your side and protect you from the Arcane Order until you're strong enough. You are not alone."
I bite my lip as the tears come back to the corner of my eyes. I smile and launch myself in Douxie's arms, hugging him like he did with me. He wraps his arms around my upper back, and I nuzzle my head on his chest. We may not be related, but like NotEnrique, Douxie is my brother.
"I also want to give you this back," Douxie says as we pull away. He opens his hand and shows my spellbook, making me happy. "I shouldn't have taken away this from you. Because of your powers and what's been going on, I thought it was the best action to do, but I realize I would put you in more danger if you can't fight the Arcane Order, but this time, we will find a way for you not to hurt yourself, ok?"
I smirk and grab my book. "I knew you would regret it," I say, raising my eyebrows and making Douxie chuckle.
A nudge draws my attention to look down at my troll brother, standing against my legs, sad and ashamed like a puppy. "NotEnrique, what's wrong?" I ask, kneeling to his level. "Are you mad Douxie called me 'his sister'?"
"No." He replies, not able to look at me. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry for what happened earlier. I shouldn't have frozen like that. I should've been with Jim to comfort you, but I didn't. Morgana was a bad woman when I knew about her, but how she protects and treats you shows me she's a changed person, and what happened in her past doesn't reflect who you are. You are a kind, compassionate, smart, and caring person and an amazing sister to me and my familiar. Can you forgive me, Sis?"
He turns his head to me, and I notice his eyes are the saddest I've ever seen. I smile sweetly and pick him up to hug him, giving him the message to do the same. "I already forgive you, NotEnrique. You did nothing but care for my well-being as a good brother should." I reassure him, making NotEnrique hug me tighter.
"I love you, Sis." He whispers.
"I love you too," I whisper and kiss him on the scruff, which annoys him a lot.
"Hey, no one touches me scruff!" He says playfully, jumping out of my arms and making me laugh.
"Since we're on the same page, there is one confusing key detail," Krel says.
"And what's that?" Douxie asks, crossing his arms.
Krel looks at me, and I get up. "This curse over your family that you keep talking about, what is it, and how are you going to break it?"
"As I said, Firstborns are important to my family but are cursed in death. Once a Firstborn dies, they don't transcend into the Land of the Dead but instead stay in Limbo. Others can't see firstborns in death as ghosts, and they can't see each other. I don't know exactly why or how the curse began, but I believe it started with Veronica, the first one in my family cast into Limbo. She woke up in this castle where she was born, a former castle on the coast of England. She couldn't leave and was stuck here for 850 years, safe from the outside harm but living in solitude."
"Oh my god, who would do such a thing to a kind, compassionate woman like Veronica?" Mary asks, horrified.
"I believe I caused this to happen."
Everyone stares behind me in horror, and I turn around and Morgana appears in front of me, sad and worried, but I roll my eyes. "What do you want?" I hiss.
"I wanted to check up on you but waited for you to have time with your friends." She replies calmly, but I sense she is hiding her true emotions. "Also, I believe I know what this curse is upon your family."
I huff in anger and cross my arms. "Ok, what do you know?"
"I believe I was the one who cast this curse." She says, ashamed.
It hits me like a brick in the back of the head. "You what?! How?!" I shout, demanding her to talk.
"I cast a protection spell on my daughter before she left my arms, scared Merlin would sense her aura and want to stop anyone from hurting her while I can't be there, but it seems I made it too strong, and it caused her to be imprisoned in the place where her heart wanted to be—the place where she was born." She explains, looking heartbroken, but I have no sympathy for her.
"WHAT?! You were the one who cast it?! This 'spell' caused my family to suffer in death! This 'spell' caused YOUR daughter to be trapped in this castle 850 years after her death! The Firstborns in my family can't see each other, our family, or enter the Land of the Dead! Because of this, my grandmother will live a life of solitary!" I shout, tears in my eyes again, but ones of fury. "If my mother died, she would be lost and alone, with no husband, no parents, no siblings, or none of her children around her. If I died, I wouldn't be able to see anyone and live just like your daughter for eternity!"
Morgana doesn't say a word. When our eyes lock, I see all the pain and guilt my mom had in her. I sigh and look down, closing my eyes. "But you didn't know what could happen. You wanted to protect your daughter as a mother. If I were in your shoes, I would do the same thing for my child, helpless to protect them from afar. You let our family live on today after what you did for her." I add. I look at her, and Morgana relaxes, smiling sweetly, giving me hope but reminding me of someone. "Veronica," I mumble, making Amber appear and fly to my side.
"Where are you going?" Toby asks.
"To find my great-grandmother." I hiss before walking away, determined to fix my family. Amber led me to where Veronica was hiding, and I found myself in front of the same door leading to the room where she was born. I slowly open the door and find Veronica in the middle of the room, staring at the bed in the corner. I carefully try to close the door, but Veronica hears it and turns around.
"Oh, hello, Claire." She greets me calmly but doesn't move and looks sad. "Come here, my dear."
I obey and stand beside her. Veronica looks down at the comforter of the bed and sighs.
"So, this is where I was born?" She asks me.
I look at her and sigh. "Yes, but how did you know?"
"I saw it in my dreams, seeing blurry visions of faces and hearing scary noises around me, making me cry and scream awake. I looked everywhere in the castle, but couldn't find it anywhere. The fairies told me where you were, and I came here to calm myself, being confused about what happened." She explains and sighs. "What happened? You called out for a woman named 'Morgana' and was talking to nothing until a ghost of a man you call 'Merlin' showed up; that's when I disappeared, overwhelmed by everything."
I bite my lip and look down when our eyes meet. "You couldn't see her, but I was talking to a ghost named Morgana La Fey, your..." I pause and look up. "...mother."
Veronica gasps, staring at me in shock. "My mother?"
"Yes, and the reason you couldn't see her is because of our family curse," I replied and explained everything like I did with Jim, my friends, and Morgana. After each sentence, Veronica grows increasingly heartbroken.
"Is-is there any possible way I can see what happened in your dreams?" She asks hesitantly.
Before I could reply, the pendant on my necklace started glowing. A spark of purple jumps out of the pendant and flies to the bed. It digs into the mattress, making it glow, causing the room to transform into how it looked in my dream. Veronica gasps and looks around the room in amazement.
"So this is what the room looked like when I was born?" She asks.
"In the view of my dreams, yes." I sigh and hear a baby crying.
"Morgana, I have someone who wants to meet you."
Veronica turns around, and we see Elaine and Queen Guinevere holding a small yellow crying bundle in her arms.
"That-that's Aunt Elaine." Veronica mumbles, shocked. "But, who's that woman with her carrying that blanket?"
"That's Queen Guinevere, your real aunt, and that blanket she's carrying has a baby inside."
Elaine runs behind us, and I turn around to Morgana on the bed, looking pale, sweating, and exhausted, lying against a stack of pillows. She tries to reach out to Queen Guinevere but groans in pain and falls back on the pillows. Queen Guinevere walks to the bed beside Morgana and carefully hands her the bundle.
"Oh, my goodness. Hello there!" She cries with joy to the wailing bundle. Morgana cradles and shushes the crying away.
"Is-is that my mom...holding me?" Veronica asks, tears forming in her eyes.
"Yes." I agree, and keep watching.
"Mistress, she looks so beautiful," Elaine says, and Morgana looks up at her.
"She looks like her father," Morgana replies.
"What are you going to name her?" Guinevere asks curiously, making Veronica hold her breath.
"I've been thinking about it for a while, but I'm going to name her what her father would've wanted to name her," Morgana pauses momentarily, looking down and smiling. "...Veronica."
Veronica gasps and slightly smiles, hearing her mom say her name.
"Veronica. That's a perfect name!" Guinevere cheers happily, sitting next to Morgana.
"A beautiful name for a beautiful baby, Mistress," Elaine says and bows.
"Thank you, Elaine," Morgana replies kindly, smiling at her momentarily before looking back at her daughter in her arms. "I love you, Veronica." She whispers and kisses her on the head. Suddenly, the vision disappears, causing the room to return to how it looked.
"What-what happened? Why did it end?" Veronica asks, panicked.
"I don't know. That's everything I remember. We just went through a memory from me." I reply with guilt, touching the pendant on my necklace.
"Is there anything else you can show me? What happened to my mother? Why did she give me up? I want to know!" She begs, on the verge of crying.
The pendant does the same thing, making the room transform back into what we saw before, but this time, Morgana walks around the room, cradling a crying bundle in her arms while loud noises outside the room.
"Shhhh! Shhhh! Shhhh! It's OK; you're OK. Everything will be alright." Morgana whispers to the bundle, but the crying doesn't stop.
A door opens, and Elaine pops out. "M'lady. They're swarming the castle; we have to go!" She tells Morgana, panicking.
"Thank you, Elaine," Morgana replies calmly to her. She briefly turns to the bundle in her arms and back to Elaine. "Can I have three minutes alone with my daughter? Get the horses ready."
Elaine looked worried but nodded her head as the loud booming continued. "Yes, M'lady." She replies before walking back in the door.
Morgana turns to her wailing bundle. "Shhhh! Shhhh! Hush Veronica. They'll find us if you don't be quiet. Shhhh! Everything will be alright." She says calmly, but it doesn't stop.
"That-that blanket... That's the blanket Aunt Elaine said I was wrapped in when we arrived in Spain. I wrapped my daughter in that blanket when she was born." Veronica comments and walks closer to get a better image like I did.
Morgana looks around the room and takes a deep breath. "My baby, you're in my arms tonight, safe from all harm; life is strange, filled with twisty frights and wonders to behold; look at the stars and moon tonight; you'll be great and take flight," She sings to her baby, rocking her close.
"That voice... It sounds so familiar."
"You will travel so far to find out who you are, go down deep to find what is lost, listen to your heart, and follow the sound. You are in my arms tonight but will always be in my heart as you go on." Morgana pauses, slides one hand into her pocket, and pulls out a necklace.
Veronica stepped forward and squinted to look closer, gasping when she saw the pendant and quickly looked at my chest. I look down, and my necklace pendant is glowing. "No... It can't be."
Morgana dangles the necklace to Veronica, and the crying soothes her. "Don't give up; you are strong; follow the wolf as black as night, and you'll find secrets no one was meant to hear. Sleep, I'll be here as you dream; no matter where you are, I'll be in your heart; even when this night passes, I'm always thinking of you. I love you, my sweet baby. There is magic flowing inside of you." She finishes, and the crying stops. Morgana wraps the necklace in her hand and places it under the bundle.
"M'Lady!"
Morgana turns to Elaine.
"M'Lady, we have to go now!" She says, panicked.
Morgana looks down, gulps, and pulls a cloth over the baby. "Yes!" She says softly, looking at Elaine. Her free hand starts glowing yellow. The wall, shelves, chairs, and everything in the room are destroyed in one motion. "Come on, let's go!"
They run through the door, making the vision disappear, and a projection appears in front of Veronica and me, showing Morgana and Elaine next to a horse, making my heart skip.
"M'lady, are you sure about this?" Elaine asks.
"Elaine, you heard what Merlin said. I can't risk the safety of my daughter!" Morgana snaps.
"But Queen Guinevere is your brother's wife, the king. I'm sure he'll understand and keep your child safe, and he will love her." Elaine replies.
"No! No! No! I can't risk it!" Morgana says frantically, looking down. After a moment, she takes a deep breath and looks up at Elaine. "Elaine, I want you to swear to my last demand to you." She commands.
Elaine nods her head. "Yes, M'Lady!" She answers without question.
Morgana glances back down with a sad expression before looking up again. "I can't come with you to Spain. They will follow me. You are the only few people I can trust, and I trust you to leave Camelot and go to Spain with Veronica. I'm asking you to raise my daughter. Care for her, educate her and love her. Be the mother I wish I could be for her. Protect her from the Camelot court and keep her safe."
Elaine looks stunned. "M'Lady, I will be honored, but Queen Guinevere is her godmother."
"Gwen can't protect her from Merlin, and I want Veronica away from Camelot." Morgana protests. "Please, Elaine! Swear it!" She begs.
"I swear it, M'Lady!" Elaine agrees without hesitation.
"Good! Everything is set. You will get on the Galleon. A man named Padre Ferdinand is waiting for you at the docks. He's a wealthy lord who will help you. You will have a wealthy estate with a monthly allowance. Never tell Veronica of her background and never come back to Camelot. Give her your name." She replies. Morgana looks down and sighs. "I always feared this day would come, my child." She says quietly to a sleeping baby. "I'm so sorry I can't raise you." She sniffs, pulls out the same necklace, and places it around the baby's neck. "I will always think of you and watch over you, and I promise we'll see each other one day." She says, her voice shaking. She takes a deep breath and kisses the baby's forehead as Elaine gets on the horse. "Goodbye, my child. You are my princess. Your mother loves you so much."
Veronica gasps and ghost her hand over the projection. "Mom."
Morgana hugs the bundle one more time before giving it to Elaine. "Goodbye, M'Lady. I will tell Veronica about you on my deathbed." She says with tears in her eyes.
Morgana nods her head. "Go!" She whispers, sounding on the verge of crying.
Elaine tells the horse to go, making it run and disappear into the woods. I look at Morgana, who starts crying loudly, and her magic shoots from her body, ripping and destroying everything, making the projection disappear.
I look at Veronica, looking pale as a ghost. SHE COLLAPSES before I can say something and starts sobbing in her skirt, heartbroken beyond comprehension. I bite my lip as I feel the pain in her heart and kneel at her level. I might not be able to wrap an arm around Veronica, but I won't leave her side as she relieved a traumatic but important moment in her life before she could walk and one she couldn't ever remember. "Veronica."
"My...my mom gave me up to save me." She says in her raspy voice, her face buried in her dress. "Aunt Elaine told me this story, but this is more... I-I never thought it was like that. Aunt Elaine told me my mom gave me to her to be safe, but not this serious."
"When you see something, it's more impactful than when someone tells it to you," I reply sadly. "I'm sorry I showed you that."
"No!" Veronica shouts, looking at me with puffy eyes. "Don't be sorry. Thank you for showing me that. I needed to know."
"Your mom didn't want you to live in fear, shame, or danger. She wanted you to have a happy life."
"And I got that." She replies. Veronica bites her lip and looks down momentarily, playing with her fingers. "Claire, may I ask you something?" She asks nervously.
"Of course!"
"Does my mom...care about me? What does she believe of me?"
"Oh Veronica, your mom misses you so much. She is desperate to see you again. She placed a protection spell on you, which manifested into a curse, causing you to be stuck down here for centuries and everyone Firstborn in our family to suffer in limbo in the afterlife. She didn't mean that to happen and felt horrible when I told her this. All she wanted was to protect the last person she truly loved." I reassure her, making her more relaxed. "If you want to be free and meet her, I must break our family curse, but I promise to find a way to break it and save our family."
Veronica sighs and smiles before slowly getting up. "You are such an amazing girl, Claire Nuñez. I'm proud you are my great-granddaughter and reincarnated self."
I lay down on my bed in my nightgown, exhausted from emotions. After talking with Veronica, I returned to my friends but found Morgana gone. I didn't mind; I spent the rest of the day hanging out with my friends. Soon, the door opened, and I turned my head.
"Good, you're still awake," Jim says playfully, crossing his arms.
"Well, I'm restless and was waiting for you." I correct him, making him grin.
"Oh really?" He purrs and takes off his shirt, making me turn away. After a while, the bed shifts, and Jim's breath on my neck makes me bite my lip. "If you were waiting for me, why did you look away?"
"I wanted to give you privacy," I reply, making me blush and turn my head to kiss my boyfriend. He immediately gets into it, and we begin a passionate moment. I place my hand on his chest.
"You love me shirtless, don't you?" Jim asks, breaking our kiss but staying an inch to my lips, looking into my eyes.
I bite my lip and nod my head, making him chuckle. "Your skin is soft."
"So is yours." He whispers, and we kiss again. We soon stop, and Jim lays on the bed and wraps his arms around me, pulling me close to him. "I can't believe my girlfriend is a princess."
"No, I'm not." I deny it, shaking my head.
"Technically, yes. You're the 40th great-granddaughter of a princess of Camelot and the sister of the king."
"There are many descendants of her."
"But according to your family's lineage, you are."
A shiver goes down my spine, and I get on top of my boyfriend, my chin and hands on his chest. "Let's not talk about this," I demand and tenderly kiss my boyfriend.
"As you wish." He replies, pins me down to the bed, and gets on top of me. I laugh it off, and we make out before Jim goes down to my neck, making me moan. "Oh, Claire, I love the sound of your voice."
"You love to please me." I corrected him, moaning in pleasure.
"Why wouldn't I?" He asks seductively. "I love you so much."
I giggle, and we kiss again. Then I think of what the half-troll said.
"Claire, what's wrong? You're trembling." Jim asks worryingly, pulling away.
"Yes, just a little...scared," I admit, biting my lip.
"Scared? Why?"
"The Arcane Order is coming. We don't have much time." I say nervously. "Jim, I'm scared. I don't want them to take me."
"Shhh! It's going to be ok. I won't let that happen." He reassures me.
"They told me you can't stop them; you saw what they did to my family."
"That won't happen again. I won't let them take you. I promise. You're not alone in this, and I will be with you through this, and we will go home with all our friends."
I want to believe him, knowing it's only wishful thinking, but there's nothing that will stop Jim from me at this point. I sigh and agree. Jim lays back on the bed, pulling the covers over us. He pulls me close, and I snuggle my head on his chest, enjoying the sound and pace of his heartbeat, making me fall asleep.
Author Note: Fixed everything! Please review about how I did!